The Municipality of Paphos organizes events of Remembrance and Honour for the Genocide of the Greeks of Pontus, paying tribute to the victims of Pontian Hellenism and keeping the collective historical memory alive. The events will take place today, Sunday and Tuesday, May 19.
Today a religious memorial service for the victims of the Genocide is being held at the Holy Church of Agioi Anargyroi in Kato Paphos, officiated by the Bishop of Arsinoe Pagrati.
This will be followed by a speech by the Rector of Neapolis University Pafos, Professor Pantelis Sklias, as well as a trisagion and laying of wreaths at the Pontian Genocide Memorial, located in the surrounding area of the church. After the end of the ceremony, a reception will follow.
The events culminate on Tuesday, May 19, at 6.30 p.m., with a gathering at the 28th October Square, in front of the Paphos Municipal Hall and a march to the Genocide Park of Pontian Hellenism on Evagoras Pallikaridi Avenue, where at 7.00 p.m. a candle lighting will take place at the Genocide Memorial.
At 7.30 p.m., at the Markideion Municipal Theater of Paphos, the central event of remembrance and honour will take place. Greetings will be addressed by the Mayor of Paphos Angelos Onisiforou and the Municipal Councillors Nina Garaklidou, Nikolas Kesidis and Euclid Ambrosiadis.
The keynote speaker of the event will be the Dr. of Anthropology at Princeton University (U.S.A.) Nikos Michaelides, on the topic: "The memory of the past and the debt of the future. From Genocide to Renaissance".
This will be followed by the artistic program "The Tear of Memory", with the participation of the actor Takis Vamvakidis, the singer Panagiotis Theodoridis, the lyre player and writer Dimitris Piperidis, Irini Sachtaridou on the vase and flute, as well as the Cultural Folklore Workshop of Konia.
