Monument to the Genocide of The Greeks of Pontus

The Monument, created by the artist Panagiotis Tanimanidis, is dedicated to the memory of the 353,000 Greeks of Pontus, victims of the Genocide. The imposing three-dimensional monument, 15.50 meters long and 7.10 meters high, is made of stainless steel with brass details. It is a work of contemporary art, an imposing arch called "Pyrrhic Flight". Externally, it resembles a huge wave that rises from one homeland, Pontus, and bursts into the other, carrying with it everything, memories, traditions, imprints of the ancient presence of the Greeks in Pontus. Internally, the work is permeated by the 17 sculptural compositions, a relay of images that describe the "flight" and struggle of a refugee bird, persecuted from Pontus, to reach an unprepared homeland that housed the dreams of refugees. The monument and the reconstruction of Alexandra Square were donated by Mr. Evangelos Marinakis, who has family ties to Pontus. His mother is a descendant of the famous Ypsilantis family, whose ancestors played a central role in the Greek War of Independence in 1821.