Μνημείο Ποντιακού και Μικρασιατικού Ελληνισμού (Πάρκο μνήμης Ρήγα Φεραίου) | Monument to Pontic and Asia Minor Hellenism (Rigas Feraios Memorial Park)

Monument to Pontic and Asia Minor Hellenism

The Monument to Pontic and Asia Minor Hellenism was inaugurated in June 2023 in the Pontic and Asia Minor Hellenism Memorial Park, located at the intersection of Riga Fereou, Andreas Papandreou, and Nafpaktou Streets, where the two historic refugee settlements of Neapolis and Sykeon meet. The choice of this location is highly symbolic, as both areas developed primarily following the settlement of refugees after the Asia Minor Catastrophe and today form part of the same municipality.

The park and the monument were inaugurated in June 2023 with the aim of creating a public space dedicated to preserving historical memory. The project seeks to highlight the shared historical experience of the refugee populations, strengthen collective memory, and support efforts toward the international recognition of the Genocide of the Pontic Greeks, the Asia Minor Greeks, and the Thracian Greeks.

Monument to Pontic and Asia Minor Hellenism

The monument was created by George Tsaras, Professor Emeritus at the School of Fine Arts of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. It consists of a six-meter-high inclined column that stands out in the urban landscape and serves as a landmark for both residents and visitors. The artist gave the work the symbolic title The Black Wave, referring to the wave of violence, persecution, and forced displacement that followed the events of 1922 and left an indelible mark on the history of the Greek communities of Asia Minor and Pontus.

At the top of the monument are seven illuminated birds, symbolizing life, hope, and the transmission of historical memory from generation to generation. Their presence signifies that the memory of these events remains alive and constitutes a valuable legacy for the future. At the base of the monument are figures representing the Pontic and Asia Minor Greek communities. The two compositions gradually merge, visually conveying the shared experience of uprooting, displacement, and the loss of the homeland, thereby emphasizing the unity of the two communities through their common historical experience.

Engraved on the surface of the monument is the final line of the Lament for Trebizond: “…Romania has passed, Romania is gone; yet even if Romania has passed, it will blossom and bear fruit again.” This inscription creates a symbolic dialogue between the poem Parthen by C. P. Cavafy and a traditional Pontic folk song, conveying a message of hope to the Pontic Greek people. Today, the Monument to Pontic and Asia Minor Hellenism serves as a place of remembrance and historical reflection, reminding visitors of the importance of preserving collective memory and honoring the historical experience of the refugee populations.

History of the Pontic and Asia Minor Greek Communities

Asia Minor, and Pontus in particular, was for centuries one of the most important centers of Hellenism, with vibrant economic, commercial, and cultural activity. From antiquity onward, the Greeks founded major cities, developed trade, shipping, and education, and established important cultural centers such as Smyrna, Constantinople, Ephesus, Sinope, Trebizond, and Amisos. The region experienced a golden age during the Kingdom of Pontus, as well as under Roman and Byzantine rule.

During the Byzantine period, these regions were major centers of the Greek and Christian world. After the Ottoman conquest, the Greek communities preserved their language, religion, and cultural identity through the Church, schools, and community institutions. In particular, the Empire of Trebizond (1204–1461) served as an important center of Greek culture, while the Orthodox Church and monasteries, such as Panagia Soumela, contributed to preserving the language, faith, and identity of the Pontic Greeks. Following the Ottoman conquest of Trebizond in 1461, the Greeks of Pontus faced persecution, heavy taxation, and forced conversions to Islam, yet they maintained their cultural cohesion.

History of the Pontic and Asia Minor Greek Communities

During the nineteenth century, the Tanzimat reforms created more favorable conditions for the development of the Greek communities, as well as for education and the economy. Important educational institutions were established, including the schools of Trebizond and Argyroupolis, while Trebizond developed into a major commercial port. Despite this economic and intellectual flourishing, the rise of Turkish nationalism and the policies of the Young Turks led to persecution, deportations, and genocidal practices against the Greeks of Pontus. Efforts to achieve autonomy or establish an independent Pontic state ultimately failed because of international developments and the victory of the Kemalist movement, culminating in the Asia Minor Catastrophe, the displacement, and the uprooting of hundreds of thousands of people.

History of the Pontic and Asia Minor Greek Communities

After 1922, Greece faced a major humanitarian crisis as it received more than one million refugees from Asia Minor, Eastern Thrace, and Pontus. Entire communities, which had formed the foundation of Hellenism in the East for centuries, were resettled in Greece. With the assistance of the Greek state, the League of Nations, and international organizations, their resettlement was carried out through both rural and urban settlement programs. Despite the difficult conditions, the refugees made a decisive contribution to the development of agriculture, industry, trade, education, and culture, while establishing associations and organizations that preserved Pontic memory and traditions. The refugee presence became a defining factor in the shaping of modern Greek society.

In 1994, the Hellenic Parliament, following a proposal by Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou, officially recognized the Genocide of the Pontic Greeks and designated 19 May as the Day of Remembrance of the Genocide of the Pontic Greeks. In 1998, it also designated 14 September as the Day of Remembrance of the Genocide of the Greeks of Asia Minor. Since then, Greece has sought international recognition of the genocide, which has been officially recognized by several countries, including Cyprus, Armenia, Sweden, Austria, and the Netherlands, as well as by a number of U.S. states, Australian state legislatures, and municipalities in Canada. At the same time, the Genocide of the Pontic Greeks has been recognized by the International Association of Genocide Scholars and other international bodies, while resolutions such as those adopted by the U.S. Senate refer more broadly to the genocide of the Greeks. In May 2017, a Chair of Pontic Studies was established in the Department of History and Archaeology at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki with the aim of promoting the teaching and study of the history of the Greeks of Pontus within the broader context of Hellenism in the East during the Modern Era.

*** Για παραπάνω πληροφορίες αναφορικά με τη Γενοκτονία των Χριστιανών της Οθωμανικής Αυτοκρατορίας μπορείτε να επισκεφτείτε σχετική ιστοσελίδα του Υπουργείου : https://genocides.minedu.gov.gr/

Ιδιαίτερο ενδιαφέρον παρουσιάζουν και το ντοκιμαντέρ «Τα Χνάρια των Αργοναυτών» που θα βρείτε στο σύνδεσμό: youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=cUWPixMY4TM

καθώς και στη σειρά ντοκιμαντέρ της ΕΡΤ3 “Σε μια νέα Πατρίδα” (ΕΡΤ3) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbO5XqY25Sw ***

[ΠΗΓΕΣ: Θ. Κυριακίδης, Κ. Χατζηκυριακίδης, Ν. Μισολίδης, Μ. Τοπαλίδου (2024) Διδάσκοντας την Ιστορία του Πόντου, Αθήνα: Αποστολική Διακονία της Εκκλησίας της Ελλάδος, Κ. Νίγδελη (2016), Δήμος Νεάπολης-Συκεών «Ο μεγάλος Καλλικρατικός Δήμος»]