A CENTURY …IΝ ΙONIA, ΤΗRACE & PONTUS

A century …in Ιonia, Τhrace & Pontus

Anniversary tribute to the Asia Minor catastrophe 1922 -2022

 

This year has a special anniversary character for our country, since it is 100 years from the Asia Minor catastrophe and the Hellenism of the Near East in general.

At such a time, Trade International Fair will pay tribute to the refugee Thessaloniki by creating an original anniversary audiovisual spectacle that will reliably project the historical narrative of the Greek refugee flow from Asia Minor and Pontus to mother Greece.

The spectacle, acting as a time machine that travels the visitor to the recent history of his country, intends to support the narrative of "success" and not of mourning for the lost homelands. In other words, it aims to examine the positive changes that occurred with the arrival of almost one and a half million refugees from Asia Minor and the Pontus to the "new" homeland.

The narrative sections of the tribute include:

  • the place of origin before the disaster
  • the movement - the refuge from the places of origin in the Greek state
  • the settlement in new homelands - the creation of settlements and local communities
  • the integration into society

The place where the tribute will be presented is Pavillion 6 (Pav. of the Nations), where an area of about 500 sq.m will be constructed of an enclosed space from high walls, on which the audiovisual material will be projected with a continuous flow.

Visitors will be guided in groups in the thematic sections following a 15-minute “route” with the assistance of a narrator. This special tour will be enriched by representative images and elements of collectible-historical archives, as well as of an inspired musical composition, written especially for this project.

Curator: Maria Syllopoulou
Editing - directing - technical composition: N-CODE Ltd., Audiovisual Productions
Historical curation - collection of archival material: Vlasis Vlasidis, Professor of Contemporary Balkan History, University of Macedonia
Original music composition: Jannos Eolou, Composer
Idea - production: TIF HELEXPO SA
Coorganization: HELEXPO – KEDE (NETWORK OF CITIES WITH COMMUNITIES OF THE HELLENISM OF THE NEAR EAST)
Golden Sponsor: IFS IPIROTIKI FACILITY SERVICES SA

HELEXPO extends its warmest thankfulness to the important supporters of this tribute for the kind grant of the historical - archival material:

  • Historical Archive of Refugee Hellenism, Municipality of Kalamaria
  • Efxinos Home of Thessaloniki
  • Endowed Chair of Pontic Studies, Auth
  • Center for Pontic Research and Studies, Auth
  • The Association of Smyrneans
  • Estia Neas Smyrnis- Historic Archive
  • Thracian Home of Thessaloniki
  • Thracian Home of Katerini
  • Pontian Women's Care Association
  • Nikoltsios Collection – War Museum
  • Ousak Association of Efkarpia Community
  • Savvas Demertzis Collection, Author - Collector

Important information

Also in the same space, in Pavillion 6, will be presented in a museum concept, the periodic exhibition of the Municipality of Thessaloniki entitled "1922-2022: waves of refugees, alloys of memory". The study of the exhibition material was based on a multi-member interdisciplinary interaction of museologists, reputable historians and external contributors with the aim of strengthening empathy, through interactivity and a multi-sensory approach, in line with the modern imperatives of the science of Museology. https://thessaloniki.gr/mikrasia/