f5b7e886

The "cable car - lift" of the Upper Town of Monemvasia

Sun, 01 Dec 2024 17:58:57 GMT

Taken from 'Monemvasia News'- For full article in Greek, click the link in the article.

Original Article: https://www.monemvasianews.gr/to-teleferik-anavotorio-ths-anv-pol/

Despina Eugenidou, archaeologist, presents her own position regarding what has been written so far about the construction of the cable car at Monemvasia Castle. In a letter to her, he raises concerns and questions about a project he characterizes as "large and imposing", pointing out: " The success of preserving the character of the Castle is due to the balance between the preservation of the historical character and the controlled development of infrastructure that attracts visitors from all over world '.

Read below the letter of Ms. Eugenidou :

I was moved by the text of the well-known Monemvasian Panagiotis Alexakis, both for his interest in the Upper Town of Monemvasia and its monuments, as well as his sensitivity for the inclusion of disabled people. But let me be allowed even as a potter, although I have been visiting Monemvasia since 1982, as a private person, since 1995 as an archaeologist and later as a resident of the Municipality, to have some questions about the project.

The cable car that would solve part of the handicap accessibility problem in the Upper Town appears to be a large and imposing project for which no study has been presented. A vague preliminary environmental impact study put out for public consultation presents many problems.

The project, based on published information, covers 310 acres, and includes the construction of two large passenger service stations. Kato Polis station is described as a 230 sq.m. building. and a height of 12.5 m. And it will be partly underground with extensive excavating which is prohibited in the area, while three large pylons will be placed along the route of the cable cars. Are the cabins for 15 people? disproportionate number of obstructed persons and attendants.

Tassis Papaioannou
https://www.efsyn.gr/ellada/koinonia/419928_i-monembasia-kindyneyei-apo-anistorites-epembaseis
and https://www.efsyn.gr/ellada/koinonia/446135_se-poioys-hrisimeyei-teleferik- poy-oramatizetai-yppo

The cost of maintenance and operation of this project is also a big question mark for which the local government has not positioned itself.

This information creates great concern for a large project with huge unforeseen impacts, on the rock, on the monument, on the kind of desired visitation, on its sustainability. Before we witness a large and irreversible alteration of the historical rock, let a study be presented to dispel questions and suspicions of expediency, so as not to disturb so that the struggle of so many archaeologists and private individuals who in cooperation managed to keep the atmosphere of Kato is not lost City and the rock intact. In the 60s, when the castle was in an almost dilapidated state, proper management with partnerships and happy coincidences led to new solutions to preserve the atmosphere without losing its vitality and becoming a major tourist attraction, something quite rare for the Greek reality. Let's preserve it as best we can for future generations. This success is due to the balance between the preservation of the historical character and the controlled development of infrastructure that attracts visitors from all over the world.

It is true, in our country, the life of disabled people is difficult and they do not enjoy the best care that is due to them. Even the road leading from the Bridge to the Lower Town Gate, with its parked cars and vehicles going up and down is very dangerous for both pedestrians and vehicles. From October, the shuttle bus stops at 2:00 PM. making it difficult for everyone to access the Lower Town, where there are very important monuments and shops. The constant communication of the Bridge with the Lower City cannot be stopped so early. It seems that the cost of maintaining it is prohibitive when the tourist season is not at its peak. But how will the tourist season be extended? How will the operation and maintenance of the "cable car" be financially supported?

The Walks connecting the Lower and Upper Towns are in need of maintenance to prevent slippage and help visitors on this excellent walk that leads in an experiential way to the two-part Byzantine town that formed a whole. Byzantine castle-cities usually had this two-part or three-part design, lower and upper city and citadel.

Problems and specialized solutions and practices exist in the international literature, also since 2022 the basic principles of the Master Plan for the management of Monemvasia have been approved. Should we wait for the results so that we can understand the needs of the place and adjust the size and type of a possible elevator without burdening the rock with a project that is disproportionately large and burdensome for the environment and the monument?

PRESS RELEASE ON THE CONTROVERSIAL CABLE CAR PROJECT FOR THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE OF MONEMVASIA, GREECE

Fri, 25 Oct 2024 17:02:54 GMT

THE ASSOCIATION OF THE FRIENDS OF MONEMVASIA

PRESS RELEASE ON THE CONTROVERSIAL CABLE CAR PROJECT FOR

THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE OF MONEMVASIA, GREECE:

MANY QUESTIONS AND ONLY FEW ANSWERS

In a nutshell: The site and the planned project

In a nutshell: The site and the planned project Monemvasia is a huge rock that was detached from the southeastern Peloponnese in southern Greece and juts out into the Aegean Sea. The rock was ﬁrst inhabited by people who sought shelter from raids in the 6th century CE. People ﬁrst settled and fortiﬁed the top of the rock and later a part of the foothills, in what are now – respectively – the ruined Upper Town and the inhabited Lower Town of the Castle of Monemvasia. Monemvasia developed into a strategic and commercial hub of communication between Byzantium and the West, passed into the hands of the Venetians and Ottomans twice, and was the ﬁrst Ottoman held castle to be captured by the Greek revolutionaries in 1821. Monemvasia has been celebrated by poets and artists, especially by Yannis Ritsos, who was born there and became one of the greatest contemporary Greek poets (repeatedly nominated for a Nobel Prize for Literature and received the Lenin Peace Prize). For nearly a century, Monemvasia has been protected by the Greek state because of its historical and environmental importance. After a phase of population decline in the post-war years, Monemvasia has been revived since the 1970s with the reconstruction of the Lower Town, a feat stimulated through international interest in the unique natural beauty and monuments of the site.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

The Greek government is currently planning to build a cable car which will connect the area in front of the gate of the Lower Town with the Upper Town of Monemvasia. From ancient times until today, the connection between the two areas was made possible by a fortiﬁed uphill path that is 220 m long and requires a hike of only 9 minutes according to signage by the Ministry of Culture. The cable car project and associated landscaping would span an area of 310 acres! The total project, which is estimated to cost €6,800,360, will be funded by the European Recovery and Resilience Plan, and will include:

- The installation of a cable car with gondolas at a distance of only 150 m. from the main gate of the Lower Town, in order to facilitate access from the level of the asphalt road which leads from this area to the Upper Town (the difference in elevation being 90 m.);

- extensive digging out of rock in an archaeological area, lying only 150m. from the main gate of the Lower Town;

- the construction of two passenger service stations (one at the level of the Lower Town and one in the Upper Town) with a large surface area and a height corresponding to a four-storey building;

- the construction of three support pillars of the same height as the two stations;

- the construction of a long concrete ramp (in the form of an inverted N-shaped bridge) adjacent to the Upper Town passenger service station; and

- extensive landscaping extending from the Upper Town passenger service station to the best-preserved monuments of the Upper Town.

This project, as described in the minutes of the relevant meetings of the Central Archaeological Council and in the Environmental Impact Study prepared by regional/municipal authorities, raises numerous questions and does not provide many clear answers:

1) Is it a cable car or a lift and which one is preferable?

The ofﬁcial documents of the Ministry of Culture and the Regional Government/Municipality name the project as a "lift", but they describe and sometimes they clearly show that a cable car is planned. A cable car and a lift are different means of transport. One must question why is double-speak being used by the authorities? Also, why have they not released the scientiﬁc and other data on the basis of which the cable car solution was preferred over the lift solution?

Monemvasia: Plan of the cable car route, the passenger service stations and the ramp adjacent to the Upper Town station.

It should be noted that an outdoor lift connecting the Lower Town and Upper Town was established roughly a decade ago and operated for a few years near the main gate of the Lower Town to serve the needs of archaeological restoration work on the Upper Town. That work did not cause any controversy, unlike the present project. The contrast begs the question: Why not invest the European funds in the tested and uncontroversial solution of the lift, which will serve passengers, but also have a reversible form and a scale which has no major negative footprint on the environment and the monuments?

2) Who opposes the construction of the cable car?

The cable car project was not subjected to any process of public consultation, which deprived people and institutions with extensive experience in general cultural and environmental issues from the opportunity to provide constructive feedback. Apart from The Association of the Friends of Monemvasia, which has appealed to the Greek Council of State and has organised a public conversation on the issue, many bodies with decades of experience in the protection of the environment and culture have also expressed their opposition:

The Greek section of the International Council on Monuments and Sites The Association of Greek Archaeologists The Society for the Environment and Cultural Heritage The Monumenta organisation The Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature Callisto: Environmental Organisation for Wildlife and Nature Medasset: Mediterranean Association to Save the Sea Turtles The Ecological Recycling Society The Organisation Earth The Society of Cultural Heritage Management Consultants (ESDIAPOK)

In addition, a number of academics from related disciplines (archaeologists and architects) have published deep concerns about the project, while a signiﬁcant component of the local community (irrespective of their political afﬁliation) is also deeply concerned. The last point is highlighted because it is occasionally reported falsely by representatives of the municipality and the government that there is widespread local support for the project. However, at both the municipal and regional level, the largest minority parties did not vote in favour of the project. Therefore, the claim of widespread local support is unfounded.

3) Why do many people and institutions oppose the construction of the cable car?

Numerous people and institutions oppose the plan for the construction of the cable car for ﬁve main reasons, which are listed herein and are explained below:

Α) the project promotes environmental degradation and damage to cultural heritage;

B) it has stated purposes which blend pretexts and contradictory reasoning;

C) it comes in both form and scale which do not ﬁt the natural and cultural landscape of Monemvasia;

D) it does not rely on expert studies produced by state agencies and independent experts, but assigns such studies to the private contractor commissioned to execute the project; and

E) it is not accompanied by a ﬁnancial viability assessment.

Let us have a closer look at each individual point:

A) The project promotes environmental degradation and cultural heritage damage

For many decades the Greek state has protected Monemvasia with strict policies and regulations which ensured the revival and sustainable development of the site. The state has designated the Castle of Monemvasia as a historical and archaeological site, a protected area in the NATURA 2000 protected areas network and an old-growth forest area. These resolutions imposed increased protection for the environment and cultural heritage of the site and restrictions on construction and other development.

The project of the cable car marks a remarkable shift on the part of the Greek Ministry of Culture from the policies of limited development and ambient lighting in the night, which it has long established and honoured. Indeed, the cable car project will be the largest development project on the rock in over two centuries and probably the largest ever conducted after the construction of the fortiﬁcation walls. Partly made of concrete, and partly of metal and moving parts, the cable car will be contrary to the aesthetics and the history of Monemvasia and will degrade the visitor's experience of the defensive character of the site, which is the most essential condition for which the place was settled to begin with. Additionally, the project will produce a fait accompli, before the completion of the Management Plan for the Castle of Monemvasia, which the Ministry of Culture itself has commissioned from an independent team of experts. One must therefore pose the question: why the rush?

Comparable plans for building cable cars at major archaeological sites around the globe which attract hundreds of thousands of visitors have provoked serious reactions from the international community and from leading cultural institutions. For example: UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientiﬁc and Cultural Organization) intervened to stop cable car projects at Mount Sinai in Egypt, Machu Picchu in Peru, and le Krak des Chevaliers in Syria, and it regulated for the dismantling of the temporary cable car that was put up in the Rhine Valley in Germany. Likewise, the plan for building a cable car over the Castle of Belgrade led Europa Nostra (the leading organisation for the protection of cultural heritage in Europe) to include the monument among Europe's seven most endangered sites in 2020 and to observe that the work would drastically compromise the authenticity and integrity of the site.

In the light of these international developments, the cable car project of Monemvasia is likely to generate negative publicity for the site in the international press and to attract criticism by international organisations. Furthermore, the project would undermine any future effort to nominate the Castle of Monemvasia as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a distinction which brings enormous international visibility and both cultural and ﬁnancial beneﬁts.

B) The project has stated purposes which blend pretexts and contradictory reasoning

The Ministry of Culture declares that the project is part of its policy to promote universal accessibility of archaeological sites for disabled people; however, the regional/municipal authorities have different agendas concerning the project and they emphasise how it will generate revenue. More speciﬁcally:

The Ministry of Culture's emphasis on universal accessibility and their implementation of related projects in many cultural venues is commendable. However, the argument for universal accessibility seems spurious in the case of Monemvasia since:

• no other accessibility project of such a large scale has been carried out elsewhere in Greece. The selection of Monemvasia as a priority for the implementation of the project results from neither the expressed priorities of associations representing people with disabilities nor from the scale of tourist ﬂows to Monemvasia in general and its Upper Town in particular. Why is such a project not carried out, for example, at the sanctuary of Delphi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site which attracts many more thousands of visitors and is located on a steep slope which is difﬁcult to climb?

• in the Lower Town of Monemvasia, which is the main attraction for visitors to the area and the most important tourist destination in southern Laconia, no work has been carried out and no work is currently planned to ensure universal accessibility. This is despite the fact that the Lower Town has many stepped pathways and steep slopes which prevent people with mobility issues from accessing even the most important local monuments (e.g. the Church of Elkomenos Christos) and museums (e.g. the Monemvasia Archaeological Collection) which are managed by the Ministry of Culture; and

• if the reference to universal accessibility was not spurious, the state authorities would not leave it to the contractor to decide whether to build steps or ramps for the project (which obviously makes a big difference for people with mobility issues). Likewise, if the reference to universal accessibility was not spurious, the Environmental Impact Assessment would not have overlooked the issue of how disabled persons would even approach the cable car, given major problems of trafﬁc and parking in front the main gate to the Lower Town.

In contrast to the Ministry of Culture, the regional/municipal authorities advertise the project as a revenue generating mechanism. More speciﬁcally, in the Environmental Impact Assessment which they produced and approved, the regional/municipal authorities explain the purpose of the project as follows:

• it will serve the permanent residents of the Upper Town of Monemvasia (note that the Upper Town has been entirely abandoned for more than two centuries and is utterly uninhabited; even the Lower Town is thinly populated for most of the year, with only 11 permanent residents according to the 2011 census);

• it will serve to promote visiting the Upper Town;

• it will facilitate the work of the archaeological service; and

•it will serve people with mobility issues.

In the same study, the list of project beneﬁts does not include any reference to people with disabilities. Indeed, the following beneﬁts are identiﬁed:

(a)easier access for residents and visitors;

(b)boosting revenue;

(c)creation of jobs; and

(d)safe transport.

This order of priority excludes the accessibility by disabled people, which is only noted as a collateral beneﬁt.

Why do the Ministry of Culture and the regional/municipal authorities have different and partly conﬂicting agendas for the project? The conﬂict emerges from the repeated references to the possibility of introducing ticketing, which are made by the regional/municipal authorities in the Environmental Impact Assessment. How can this revenue-raising approach be reconciled with the stated intention of eliminating discrimination against people with disabilities?

C)The project comes in a form and scale which do not ﬁt the natural and cultural landscape of Monemvasia

The idea of building a cable car leading to the Upper Town of Monemvasia dates back to 1965, when the Greek National Tourism Organisation also planned to build a hotel in the ruined Upper Town! This project was quickly abandoned, but it has now been resurrected after more than half a century of oblivion. This is despite the fact that, internationally, approaches to the management and protection of sites of archaeological and environmental interest have changed radically over the last half century and current approaches generally favour contained and reversible interventions.

The proposed cable car project of Monemvasia extends over a vast area of 310 (!) acres, and includes:

• the construction of two large passenger service stations. The most restrictive proposal prescribes that the Lower Town station will be built only 150m from the main gate of the Lower Town, in the form of a building of 230m2, 12.5m in height, i.e. equal to a four- storey building and probably taller than any other building on the rock (and probably one of the tallest in the entire region of Laconia). In order to make the 'four-storey building' less conspicuous, the project involves the extensive digging out of the rock – a rock which has been celebrated by poets and travelers from around the globe and is designated as a protected site of archaeological and environmental interest. The Upper Town station will be smaller, but of unclear height;

• the construction of three support pylons along the route of the cable car; and

• the construction of a long concrete ramp (in the form of an inverted N) adjacent to the Upper Town passenger service station.

The stations, the pylons and the ramp – which are all irreversible structures – will be made of concrete, even though the Greek state regulates that buildings on the rock of Monemvasia should involve local stone and have no exposed concrete surfaces. The structures made of concrete, the wire ropes and the metal gondolas are in every sense contrary to the aesthetics and history of the site. A representative of the municipality has reassured the community that the Central Archaeological Council sees no degradation caused by the project. However, this is clearly not the case. The minutes of the proceedings of the relevant meeting of the Central Archaeological Council and the Environmental Impact Assessment repeatedly state that theproject gives the "impression of a seemingly mild intervention", which basically reafﬁrms that it is not a mild intervention (it only looks like one, in the eyes of those promoting the project). Moreover, the minutes of the proceedings of the Central Archaeological Council refer to the problems “caused by the construction of an entirely modern building in close proximity to the entrance gate and the fortiﬁcation wall”, while an expert who participated in that meeting noted that the cable car “will be the dominant feature in Monemvasia”. Indeed, the cable car will be visible in every panoramic photograph of the Castle and will pose problems to the production of ﬁlms and related works which have often chosen Monemvasia because of its unspoiled aesthetics.

D)The project does not rely on expert studies by state agencies and independent experts, but assigns such studies to the private contractor commissioned with the work

The expert study needed for the design and ﬁnancing of the project will not be conducted beforehand by state agencies and independent experts. Instead, the project budget was conceived independently of any such studies and on the basis of this unsound footing the work was awarded to a private contractor who was also commissioned with carrying out the expert studies (which themselves should have been done by third-party experts), deﬁning essential parameters of the project and evaluating its impact on the landscape and monuments, with state agencies being limited to a monitoring role.

This planning raises serious questions; in particular, why have the relevant state agencies not produced their own studies and/or assigned such studies to independent experts to:

•introduce safety provisions and develop accurate budgeting before they assigned the project to a contractor? The Municipality of Monemvasia is aware of a report by a team from the Polytechnic University of Athens (dated 14 June 2020) that has emphasised that the area where the cable car is now being planned presents serious risks of rockfall, a risk which is also recognised by the Central Archaeological Council. Why did the regional/municipal authorities take no action on this matter before the project was awarded to a contractor, especially given that they conducted comparable work on the part of the rock overhanging the Lower Town? Why is there no expert study to evaluate the impact of the exceptionally strong winds which blow in the area on the operation of the cable car or on the impact that the project will have on the trafﬁc along the narrow road that leads to the main gate of the Lower Town, which has often proven dangerous for both car drivers and pedestrians?

•evaluate the environmental degradation that will be caused by the project? Why have they not consulted with the Agency for the Natural Environment and Climate Change on the project, since this is the institution which advises on any development in a Natura 2000 network area?

•evaluate whether the construction of the cable car is safe for the monuments? This applies especially to the section of the fortiﬁcation walls which are located next to the arrival point of the cable car in the Upper Town and next to the major pillars which will carry heavy freight. Will the excavation for the foundation of these modern structures not affect the fortiﬁcation walls which lie a few meters away? It should be noted that the simple risks of rockfall arising from gravity and seismic activity have led the authorities to engulf the section of the fortiﬁcation walls of the Upper Town which runs above the Lower Town in metal wire mesh. There are therefore serious considerations relating to health and safety that are currently being ignored!

E)The project is not accompanied by any ﬁnancial viability assessment

The regional/municipal authorities declare that the revenue generated from the cable car will contribute to touristic development, but they have not provided any ﬁnancial or other data on this idea. The argument overlooks the fact that:

•there can be no greater attraction than the rock and the Castle themselves. There is no data to show that tourists choose vacation destinations based on the existence of cable cars. The cable car may reduce rather than increase quality tourism, which promotes sustainable development and is more proﬁtable and less damaging to Monemvasia than the mass tourism of cruise ships which has been favoured over the last couple of years;

•in the few cases where experts have polled visitors over their experience of an archaeological site supported by a cable car (e.g. in Wulingyuan, China), they have identiﬁed widespread complaints that tour operators are shortening the time allocated to the visit due to the existence of this means of transport. The same experts identiﬁed extensive complaints about long lines and delays for using the cable car and, in any case, they found that the visitors did not consider the cable car as an important feature of their positive experience of the site. These considerations suggest that a cable car can negatively impact the attraction of a site to visitors and the economic beneﬁts to the local community;

•this cable car project has a budget for maintenance and repair which extends over the ﬁrst two years and is slightly over €100,000. How will future maintenance costs be covered? Will they be paid by the local community in the guise of municipal taxes? Or will they be paid by the disabled people using the cable car through a discriminatory policy on ticketing?

•there is no study on the cost of operation of the cable car, especially concerning staff salaries. For the universal accessibility premise to work, the use of the cable car must extend over normal working hours throughout the year. Has this cost, which falls on the As in the case of maintenance costs, will this be paid by the local community or by disabled people using the cable car?

•in the unfortunate case of a serious accident (like those attested for other cable cars around the world), which institution will bear the heavy cost of damages and with what funds?

In the light of these concerns, the Association of the Friends of Monemvasia proposes:

•The cancellation of the plan for the installation of a cable car and its replacement by a plan for a lift, which is a solution that has been successfully tested at the site and will serve disabled people without causing any major degradation on the environment and the monuments of this unique site, which is Monemvasia.

•The implementation of measures that will increase both safety and accessibility in the Lower Town (which attracts most visitors who come to Monemvasia) and along the historic path which runs from the Lower Town to the Upper Town.

•The planning of the relevant projects should comply with: (a) both Greek and European legislation; (b) best international practices regarding the protection of cultural heritage and the environment in designated archaeological sites which fall within Natura 2000 protected areas; and (c) the Management Plan for the Castle of Monemvasia which is currently being prepared by an interdisciplinary team of experts.

Monemvasia, Through the Lens of Poul Rasmussen Press Release - 2024

Sun, 21 Jul 2024 09:14:28 GMT

Monemvasia - Through the Lens of Poul Rasmussen , Book Publication, 2024

New Paragraph

Upcoming Poul Rasmussen Exhibition, 28 July - 11 August 2024, Monemvasia

Mon, 15 Jul 2024 18:34:55 GMT

Poul Rasmussen Exhibition Opening 28 July 2024

Join us in Monemvasia, at the Aghios Nikolaos Church, from July 28th to August 11th 2024 to enjoy a striking selection of photographs by Danish photographer Poul Rasmussen.

Poul's collection documents a time of physical and social change in Monemvasia between 1968 and 1992, and we're very excited to not only have his collection within our archive but to also be able to share these stunning photographs with you this summer. The exhibition will also feature an installation piece by Ioanna-Maria Giakoumaki, and the premiere of the oral history film 'Living History', commissioned by the society and created by Despoina Evgenidou.

During this two week exhibition period we will also be hosting a launch evening on Sunday 4th of August with special guest speakers and members of Poul's family attending as well. Stay tuned for more information, with times and details still to come.

We look forward to seeing you there and please don't hesitate to contact us for any additional information regarding the exhibition.

Living History Monemvasia - Launch Party

Sun, 25 Sep 2022 10:45:40 GMT

The Monemvasia Society Oral History Project Launch Party

After a year of fundraising, recording interviews and editing videos, the Monemvasia Society held a celebration launch party, to showcase the first selection and archive of oral history interviews.

The Society's main objective, in the past, has been to gather and preserve photographs of and from Monemvasia, to record and honour the history of The Rock. It is our intention to showcase what Monemvasia used to be like, before modern tourism began to alter the local nature of The Castro. In order to add another relevant angle in recording the history of Monemvasia, we decided to interview the elders and locals, so that future generations can know what it was really like.

In the future, The Monemvasia Society hopes to have a physical location in which we can showcase our collection of photographs and oral interviews for all to enjoy and learn from.

We are very grateful for all of your support so far in helping us achieve this goal. To donate, or become involved in this project, please contact us, or visit our Go Fund Me page.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/Livinghistorymonemvasia

Local Artists of Monemvasia

PH856556 — Thu, 30 Dec 2021 16:25:14 GMT

Monemvasia has many wonderful local artist s. The Society has decided it's time to showcase some of their work.

*Do you know of a local artist from Monemvasia? Let us know as we will continue to update this post to showcase Monemvasia's talented artists.

Giorgos Batsios

Is an artist in his spare time. He creates beautiful small boats of all colours, and sometimes, words that become poems emerge from the waves...

An old wooden boat

With a sail and two oars

I think that's enough...

He gives a poetic second life to pieces of driftwood collected on the beaches of the coast. His exhibition ' φώς ' showcases his small boats and can be seen at the Restaurant Voltes in the Citadel of Monemvasia.

Do not miss Giorgos Batsios's wonderful exhibition that is on now in December 2021.

The Monemvasia Society's Oral History Project & Funding Campaign

PH856556 — Mon, 03 May 2021 19:46:08 GMT

We hope you will support the Monemvasia Society by donating to our latest project - An Oral History Archive

To donate, please click here .

Following the successful publication of our book Monemvasia. People. Place Presence in 2019, the Monemvasia Society has realised that part of our role, indeed responsibility, is to record the personal stories of the residents of Monemvasia. This is closely linked to our photographic collection and will truly contribute to the record of the social history of Monemvasia over the recent past.    
 
The Society has been extraordinarily lucky to have had the voluntary assistance of Effie Anagnopoulou, an archaeologist and archivist.  She has created a professional archive together with collecting further photographic material from the local people.  However, we will now require funding for in order to undertake the new project over the next few months.
 
It is apparent that the local people of the area welcome the opportunity to share their life stories with us, and record them for posterity. We have therefore decided to create an oral history collection. We have become formal members of The Oral History Society based at Royal Holloway, University of London and taken advice to ensure that the collection is professionally collected and preserved.   
 
The plan is  to start creating the archive over  this summer while there is strong local interest and we have a professional to undertake the project for three months.  We need 4,000 euros for equipment, software and the professional management of the  recordings. The funding request is going out on GoFundMe, a new and hopefully effective way of raising money in the short term. An application for the long-term funding to ensure the future of the entire archive, of which this oral collection will form part, is in hand but not anticipated until early 2022.  
 
Time must not be lost and we want to concentrate on  recording  the memories of the residents - particularly the older people of the Monemvasia area - over the coming summer.  Effie will undertake the organisation of the project with the assistance of members of the Monemvasia Society. 
 
I hope you will agree it is exciting and valuable work and feel able to support us. Our donors will receive regular highlights from our work, visual and oral, as a thank you.

'Monemvasia: People, Place, Presence' named as Inaugral book for UCLA's new library

PH856556 — Sun, 10 Jan 2021 15:20:44 GMT

The Monemvasia Photographic Society book, ‘Monemvasia. People. Place. Presence’, published by Unicorn Press, has been acquired by the UCLA Stavros Niarchos Foundation Center for the Study of Hellenic Culture in California.

It is the inaugural book in their new Library. What an incredible honour. This was announced during a joint video conference series organised by the Benaki Museum in Athens and UCLA.

Το βιβλίο του Φωτογραφικού Αρχείου Μονεμβασίας 'Monemvasia. People.
Place. Presence', από τον εκδοτικό οίκο Unicorn Press, αποκτήθηκε από
το Κέντρο Μελέτης του Ελληνικού Πολιτισμού Ίδρυμα Σταύρος Νιάρχος στο
πανεπιστήμιο UCLA της Καλιφόρνια.

Είναι το βιβλίο που εγκαινιάζει την νέα τους βιβλιοθήκη. Η τιμή για
εμάς είναι μεγάλη. Η απόκτηση του βιβλίου μας ανακοινώθηκε σε μια
κοινή τηλεδιάσκεψη που οργανώθηκε από το Μουσείο Μπενάκη και το
πανεπιστήμιο UCLA.

Rescue our Statues

PH856556 — Sun, 10 Jan 2021 15:09:50 GMT

The Monemvasia Society pays tribute to the importance of the preservation of Greek antiquites that took place during the Second World War.

On the occasion of the national anniversary of the 28th of October, the National Archaeological Museum published archive pictures from the chronicle of the concealment of antiquities in 1940.

Extract from ‘The Rescue of the Statues’ Dr Maria Lagogianni-Georgakarakos. Director of the National Archaeological Museum writes:

‘On the 11th of November 1940 the Directorate of Archaeology of the Ministry of Education had issued general technical instructions for the protection of the museums from air raids in the shadow of war.

Throughout the occupation the employees of the first museum of the country were assigned the task of safeguarding the archaeological treasures against destruction and looting.

‘I mean primarily the dissolution of the museums and the burial of antiquities in the soil, in crypts, in treasuries, in caves.’ - Vasileios Petrakos. 

But on Tuesday, 4th of June 1946, Seferis writes:
‘Noon in the Archaeological Museum. They now unbury – some in crates and some placed totally nude in the soil – the statues…’

‘It was a resurrection dance of rising figures…
that filled you with mad joy.’ - George Seferis. Days.

Το Φωτογραφικό Αρχείο Μονεμβασίας αποτίνει φόρο τιμής στη σημασία της διάσωσης των Ελληνικών αρχαιοτήτων κατά τη διάρκεια του Δεύτερου Παγκοσμίου Πολέμου.

Με αφορμή την εθνική επέτειο της 28ης Οκτωβρίου το Εθνικό Αρχαιολογικό Μουσείο δημοσίευσε φωτογραφίες αρχείου από το χρονικό της απόκρυψης των αρχαιοτήτων το 1940.

Απόσπασμα από τη ‘Διάσωση των Αγαλμάτων’. Η Δρ Μαρία Λαγογιάννη-Γεωργαράκου, διευθύντρια του Εθνικού Αρχαιολογικού Μουσείου, γράφει:

‘Στις 11 Νοεμβρίου του 1940 η Διεύθυνση Αρχαιολογίας του Υπουργείου Παιδείας είχε εκδώσει γενικές τεχνικές οδηγίες για την προστασία των μουσείων από τους εναέριους κινδύνους στην σκιά του πολέμου. Σε όλη τη διάρκεια της κατοχής οι υπάλληλοι του πρώτου μουσείου της χώρας κλήθηκαν να διαφυλάξουν τους αρχαιολογικούς θησαυρούς από την καταστροφή και την λεηλασία.’
‘Εννοώ κυρίως τη διάλυση των μουσείων και την ταφή των αρχαίων στη γη, σε κρύπτες, σε θησαυροφυλάκια, σε σπηλιές.’ Βασίλειος Πετράκος

Αλλά την Τρίτη, 4 Ιουνίου 1946, ο Σεφέρης γράφει:

‘Το μεσημέρι στο Αρχαιολογικό Μουσείο. Τώρα ξεθάβουν – άλλα σε κάσες κι άλλα γυμνά κατάσαρκα μέσα στο χώμα – τα αγάλματα...’

‘Ήταν ένας αναστάσιμος χορός αναδυομένων…
που σου έδινε μια παλαβή χαρά.’ - Γεώργιος Σεφέρης. Μέρες.

Saint Leontios of Monemvasia

PH856556 — Fri, 01 Jan 2021 19:27:26 GMT

Saint Leontios was born in Monemvasia in 1377 into an aristocratic family, descendant of the
Palaiologos emperors of Byzantium.

His mother, Theodora, was a daughter of the emperor Andronikos II Palaiologos, and his father, Andrew, was the governor of the Peloponnese.

At a young age he was sent to Constantinople to study Philosophy and Science. He returned to Monemvasia on the death of his father.

He entered the monastic life in 1410 and spent some time in Mount Athos. It was revealed to him that he should go to a cave at the base of a
rock called Klokon or the ‘Old Monastery’ in Aigialeia, Peloponesse.

He built a small church and lived
as an ascetic. With the support of the Palaiologos family he established the monastery of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel, known as Taxiarchon, with many holy relics.

St Leontios, who died on 11th December 1452, is buried within the cave.

In Monemvasia, a church that bears Saint Leontios’s name was built in the new town of Gefyra.

Ο Όσιος Λεόντιος γεννήθηκε στη Μονεμβασιά το 1377, μέλος αριστοκρατικής οικογένειας, που
καταγόταν από την αυτοκρατορική οικογένεια των Παλαιολόγων. Η μητέρα του, Θεοδώρα, ήταν
κόρη του αυτοκράτορα Ανδρόνικου Β’ Παλαιολόγου, και ο πατέρας του, Ανδρέας, ήταν κυβερνήτης
της Πελοποννήσου. Σε νεαρή ηλικία τον έστειλαν στην Κωνσταντινούπολη για να σπουδάσει
Φιλοσοφία και Επιστήμες.
Επέστρεψε στη Μονεμβασιά μετά το θάνατο του πατέρα του. Ξεκίνησε τη μοναστική ζωή το 1410
και πέρασε ένα διάστημα στο Άγιο Όρος. Κατόπιν του αποκαλύφθηκε ότι έπρεπε να πάει σε μια
σπηλιά στην σκιά ενός βράχου που ονομαζόταν Κλωκός ή Παλαιομονάστηρο στην Αιγιάλεια. Έχτισε
μια μικρή εκκλησία και έζησε σαν ασκητής. Με την υποστήριξη των Παλαιολόγων, ίδρυσε το
μοναστήρι των Αρχαγγέλων Μιχαήλ και Γαβριήλ, ή Ταξιαρχών, όπου φυλάσσονται πολλά ιερά
κειμήλια.
Ο Άγιος Λεόντιος απεβίωσε στις 11 Δεκεμβρίου 1452 και τάφηκε στην σπηλιά.
Στη Μονεμβασιά η εκκλησία που φέρει το όνομα του Οσίου Λεοντίου κτίστηκε στον νέο οικισμό της
γέφυρας.

The First Hotel in Monemvasia

PH856556 — Fri, 01 Jan 2021 19:15:05 GMT

The building of the first hotel in Monemvasia in 1966.

The hotel had no name. We are told, by one of the men in the original photograph, that they were laying a cement floor the day the above photograph was taken in 1966.

From left to right: Vasilis Armenis, Vangelis Kazalas, who had the nickname Mougkos (meaning mute, as it is believed he didn't speak), Giannis Kazalas, and the boys Dimitris Kratimenos and Giorgos Kazalas, who has provided us with this history.

The dog belonged to Vangelis Kazalas and was called Poseidon. Poseidon was always with the men at work.

The top photograph was taken recently on 14 July 2020 by Pantelis Georgas, one of our society members. The old hotel is in a wonderful position on the path down to the Lower Square. It is now a private house.

Σύγχρονη λήψη του αρχικού ξενοδοχείου προηγούμενης ανάρτησης. Ο ξενώνας δεν είχε όνομα. Σύμφωνα με μαρτυρία ενός από τους εικονιζόμενους στην φωτογραφία, έστρωναν ένα τσιμεντένιο πάτωμα την μέρα που τραβήχτηκε η φωτογραφία το 1966.
.
Από αριστερά προς τα δεξιά: Βασίλης Αρμένης, Βαγγέλης Καζάλας, ο οποίος είχε το προσωνύμιο Μουγκός, καθώς δεν μιλούσε, Γιάννης Καζάλας, και τα αγόρια Δημήτρης Κρατημένος και Γιώργος Καζάλας, που μας διηγήθηκε την ιστορία της φωτογραφίας.
.
Ο σκύλος, που ανήκε στον Βαγγέλη Καζάλα, λεγόταν Ποσειδώνας και ακολουθούσε πάντα τους άνδρες στη δουλειά.
Η πρόσφατη φωτογραφία τραβήχτηκε στις 14 Ιουλίου 2020 από τον Παντελή Γεώργα, μέλος του Monemvasia Photographic Society. Ο παλιός ξενώνας βρίσκεται σε θαυμάσια θέση στο δρόμο που οδηγεί στην πλατεία της Χρυσαφίτισσας. Σήμερα είναι ιδιωτική κατοικία.

Victory Day - 28th October

PH856556 — Fri, 01 Jan 2021 19:03:56 GMT

‘Victory Day’ is celebrated in many European countries to commemorate the unconditional surrender of the German powers that signified the end of Second World War.

Greece is the only country that, instead of celebrating the end of war, commemorates the moment when the Greek Prime Minister, Ioannis Metaxas, responded with a simple ‘NO’ (ohi in Greek) to Benito Mussolini’s ultimatum on the 28th of October 1940, that demanded the Axis powers to be allowed into Greek soil and occupy strategic positions. The heroic ‘no’ signified the beginning of Greek resistance to the Axis, causing international sensation and admiration towards the Greek people.

In the words of Dilys Powell (Remember Greece, 1941)
‘It was the difficult, honourable way they chose; ...they earned, if ever a people earned it, the right to be counted in the line of descent from the greatness of the ancient world.
The bearing of these people in the unequal war with Germany and Italy was not due to a sudden and isolated burst of bravery; it was the result of something innate in them, it was a symbol of the essential continuity of Greek history.’

Since the end of the war, OHI Day (also spelled OXI day) is celebrated with student and military parades in Greece, Cyprus and by Greek communities abroad.

Η ‘Ημέρα της Νίκης’ γιορτάζεται σε πολλές Ευρωπαϊκές χώρες σε ανάμνηση της άνευ όρων παράδοσης των γερμανικών δυνάμεων που σήμανε το τέλος του Β’ Παγκοσμίου Πολέμου.
Η Ελλάδα είναι η μοναδική χώρα που εορτάζει όχι το τέλος του πολέμου, αλλά την στιγμή που ο Έλληνας πρωθυπουργός Ιωάννης Μεταξάς απάντησε με ένα ‘όχι’ το τελεσίγραφο του Ιταλού Μπενίτο Μουσολίνι στις 28 Οκτωβρίου 1940, που απαιτούσε να επιτρέψει στις δυνάμεις του Άξονα να εισβάλλουν στο ελληνικό έδαφος και να καταλάβουν στρατηγικές θέσεις. Το ηρωικό ‘όχι’ σήμανε το ξεκίνημα της ελληνικής αντίστασης στον Άξονα, που προκάλεσε αίσθηση διεθνώς και θαυμασμό προς τους Έλληνες.
Όπως γράφει η Dilys Powell (Remember Greece, 1941)
‘ Ήταν ο δύσκολος, ο έντιμος δρόμος που διάλεξαν... Κέρδισαν, αν ποτέ κάποιος λαός κατάφερε να το κερδίσει, το δικαίωμα να θεωρούνται απόγονοι του μεγαλείου του αρχαίου κόσμου.
Η στάση αυτών των ανθρώπων στον άνισο πόλεμο με την Γερμανία και την Ιταλία δεν ήταν εξαιτίας μιας ξαφνικής και μεμονωμένης έκρηξης γενναιότητας. Ήταν το αποτέλεσμα κάτι έμφυτου μέσα τους, ήταν σύμβολο της απαραίτητης συνέχειας της Ελληνικής ιστορίας.’
Από το τέλος του πολέμου η ‘μέρα του Όχι’ γιορτάζεται κάθε χρόνο με μαθητικές και στρατιωτικές παρελάσεις στην Ελλάδα, την Κύπρο και από τις ελληνικές κοινότητες του εξωτερικού.

'Oh Poet, we stand aside so you can pass.'

PH856556 — Fri, 01 Jan 2021 15:51:45 GMT

We celebrate the life of Yannis Ritsos (1909 - 1990), born and raised in Monemvasia, and one of Greece's most popular poets.

Greek translation follows.

On the 14th of November, we remember Ritsos's state funeral. A large procession of mourners and a marching band carried Ritsos, three days after his passing, to his final resting place in Monemvasia.

Kostis Palamas, one of the most influential literary figures of the early 20th century, had written about him:

'Your sad poem is experienced by ether and echo
clear dawn matins welcome the light of day.
The rhythm of nature smiles in tragic horror
and laughs. Oh poet, we stand aside so you can pass.'

From Yannis Ritsos's obituary, printed in the New York Times, dated the 14th of November 1990.

'Mr Ritsos was famous for the quantity and quality of his work and for his dedication to Communism. The Soviet Union gave him the Lenin Peace Prize in 1977.

Despite his politics, the Conservative Government of Greece announced that he would be buried with full state honours.

The poet was born in Southern Greece in 1909 and joined the Communist party in 1934.

Mr Ritsos wrote 117 books of poetry, and his work was translated into 21 languages. Most of his verse was inspired by his politics, and it often expressed the pessimism and
suffering that plagued much of his life.

Ritsos's first collection of poetry, 'Tractor', appeared that year (1934). Two years later, upon the imposition of a right-wing dictatorship, he was detained, and his famous collection of poems, 'Epitaphios' (Funeral Procession), was burned by the authorities at the foot of the Acropolis. But most copies of the work, a eulogy to working-class suffering and the death of a young worker in a demonstration, had been sold.'

Epitaphios or Funeral Procession, written by Yannis Ritsos.

'On May 10, 1936 Yannis Ritsos saw a newspaper photograph of a woman mourning over the body of a dead youth in the street. The youth was her son, a worker in a Salonica tobacco factory who had been killed by police during a march by strikers.

Inspired by the picture, the 27-year-old poet composed a dirge which he imagined the mother singing. The resulting poem, published in the Athenian newspaper Rizospactis on May 12, consisted of 44 verses arranged in three sections.'

- Journal of the Hellenic Diaspora, Rick M. Newton, spring-summer 1986.

‘Παραμερίζουμε ποιητή για να περάσεις’

Αρχίζουμε μια σειρά δημοσιεύσεων για να τιμήσουμε τη ζωή του Γιάννη Ρίτσου (1909-1990), που γεννήθηκε και μεγάλωσε στη Μονεμβασιά, και αποτελεί έναν από τους πιο δημοφιλείς Έλληνες ποιητές.

Αυτή τη μέρα, στις 14 Νοεμβρίου, θυμόμαστε την κηδεία του Ρίτσου, που έγινε δημοσία δαπάνη. Μια μεγάλη πένθινη πομπή και η φιλαρμονική συνόδευσαν τον Ρίτσο, τρεις μέρες μετά το θάνατό του, στο τελικό τόπο αναπαύσεώς του στη Μονεμβασιά.

Ο Κωστής Παλαμάς, μια από τις πιο σημαντικές λογοτεχνικές μορφές των αρχών του 20ου αιώνα, είχε γράψει γι’αυτόν:

‘Το ποίημά σου το πικρό, το ζουν ιχώρ κ' αιθέρας
καθάριος όρθρος της αυγής, μηνάει το φως της μέρας
σε μια φρικίαση τραγική χαμογελάει μιας πλάσης
ρυθμός. Παραμερίζουμε ποιητή για να περάσεις’

Από την νεκρολογία του Γιάννη Ρίτσου, δημοσιευμένη στους Times της Νέας Υόρκης, στις 14
Νοεμβρίου 1990.
‘Ο κ. Ρίτσος ήταν γνωστός για την ποσότητα και την ποιότητα του έργου του και για την αφοσίωσή του
στον Κομμουνισμό. Η Σοβιετική Ένωση του απέδωσε το Βραβείο Ειρήνης Λένιν το 1977. Παρά τις
πολιτικές του απόψεις, η Συντηρητική κυβέρνηση της Ελλάδας ανακοίνωσε ότι θα κηδευόταν δημοσία
δαπάνη. Ο ποιητής γεννήθηκε στη Νότια Ελλάδα το 1909 και μπήκε στο Κομμουνιστικό κόμμα το 1934.
Ο κ. Ρίτσος έγραψε 117 βιβλία ποίησης, και το έργο του έχει μεταφραστεί σε 21 γλώσσες. Οι
περισσότεροι στίχοι του εμπνέονται από την πολιτική, και συχνά εκφράζει την απαισιοδοξία και τα
δεινά που τον ταλαιπωρησαν σε μεγάλο μέρος της ζωής του.’

Από την νεκρολογία του Γιάννη Ρίτσου, δημοσιευμένη στους Times της Νέας Υόρκης, στις 14
Νοεμβρίου 1990.
‘Η πρώτη συλλογή ποίησης του Ρίτσου, ‘Τρακτέρ’, εκδόθηκε εκείνο το χρόνο (1934). Δύο χρόνια
αργότερα, με την επιβολή δεξιάς δικτατορίας, συνελήφθη, και η γνωστή συλλογή ποιημάτων
του, ‘Επιτάφιος’, κάηκε από τις αρχές κάτω από την Ακρόπολη. Αλλά τα πιο πολλά αντίγραφα
του έργου, που αποτελούσε ένα εγκώμιο στις δυσκολίες της εργατικής τάξης και το θάνατο ενός

νεαρού εργάτη σε μια διαδήλωση, είχαν ήδη πωληθεί.’

‘Επιτάφιος’ του Γιάννη Ρίτσου
‘ Στις 10 Μαϊου 1936, ο Γιάννης Ρίτσος είδε σε μια εφήμερίδα την φωτογραφία μιας γυναίκας που θρηνούσε πάνω από το σώμα ενός νεκρού νέου στο δρόμο. Ο νέος ήταν ο γιός της, εργάτης σε καπνοβιομηχανία της Θεσσαλονίκης, που είχε σκοτωθεί από την αστυνομία κατά τη διάρκεια πορείας απεργών. Εμπνευσμένος από αυτή την εικόνα, ο 27χρονος ποιητής συνέθεσε ένα μοιρολόι, που φανταζόταν τη μητέρα να το τραγουδά. Το ποίημα, που δημοσιεύθηκε στην εφημερίδα Ριζοσπάστης στις 12 Μαϊου, αποτελούσαν 44 στίχοι χωρισμένοι σε τρεις ενότητες.’

- Journal of Hellenic Diaspora, Rick M. Newton, spring-summer 1986.

The Student Uprising – Athens, November 1973

PH856556 — Fri, 01 Jan 2021 15:14:46 GMT

Greece commemorated the 42nd anniversary since the November 17 student uprising at the Polytechnic School of Athens against the military junta that ruled the country from 1967 to 1973.

Greek translation follows.

Starting November 15, 1973 students occupied the Polytechnic School and transmitted a message of resistance against the military junta, through the legendary radio station they set up.

In the early hours of November 17, the regime tanks entered the courtyard of the Polytechnic School, bringing down its steel gate. The clashes between the students and the army and police forces resulted to at least 24 dead and more than a thousand injured. But the revolt and its tragic epilogue untangled the events that finally led to the fall of the colonels’ regime, and became a point of reference for Modern Greek history.

Renowned Greek poet, left-wing activist and active member of the Greek Resistance during WWII, Yannis Ritsos, wrote the poem “The boy and the door” (“Το αγόρι και η πόρτα“), in honor of the Polytechnic School uprising and the young people who died there, defending justice and democracy.

The Boy and the Door 

Where he fell

There is a red lake

a red tree,

a red bird.

It stood up

the demolished door-

thousands of horses.

The people rode.

Komninos! – we screamed.

He turned back and looked at us.

He was wearing neither a bandage

nor a wreath.

White horses, red horses

and black, blacker-

gallop, – history

To be on time.

‘This is the Polytechnic... This is the Polytechnic... This is the station of the free fighting students, this is the station of the free fighting Greeks... People of Greece, you are hearing the truth now... We are unarmed. Our only weapon is our faith in freedom.’

Those were the words heard on the radio transmissions of the students of the Polytechnic School of Athens on the 17th of November 1973, a little before the tanks brought down the campus steel gate.

It was four days before, that the students had occupied the Polytechnic School, to show their opposition to the military regime that had been governing Greece for over 6 years. Even though public demonstrations were not allowed, the protest of the students soon turned into popular uprising, with people from all over Athens gathering to take part. When it was made clear that the intervention of the police was not enough, the army was called forth to repress the protesting people.

It was four days before, that the students had occupied the Polytechnic School, to show their opposition to the military regime that had been governing Greece for over 6 years. Even though public demonstrations were not allowed, the protest of the students soon turned into popular uprising, with people from all over Athens gathering to take part. When it was made clear that the intervention of the police was not enough, the army was called forth to repress the protesting people.

At 3 in the morning, while the national anthem was being recited from the Polytechnic radio, a tank was crashing into the gate.

The student uprising was forcefully put down but this was the beginning of the end for the junta.

The fall of dictatorship came the next year but November 17 is the symbol not only of junta’s demise but also of the continuous fight of the Greek people for freedom and their resistance to all forms of tyranny.

Dimitris Francesco aka Matsolas is a resident of Monemvasia and was involved in the Student Protest in November of 1973. He had this to say about The Uprising:

‘Ο αγώνας για Ελευθερία, Δημοκρατία, Κοινωνική δικαιοσύνη, Πρόοδο, Ειρήνη, Ευημερία είναι χρέος της κάθε πολιτικής γενιάς, ο αγώνας για βελτίωση των συνθηκών της ζωής του είναι η ιστορία του ανθρώπου, είναι η προσπάθεια του ,η αγωνία του , να οικοδομήσει ένα κόσμο πολιτισμένο.’

‘The struggle for Freedom, Democracy, Social Justice, Progress, Peace, Prosperity is the duty of every political generation; the struggle to improve the conditions of life is the story of humankind. It is its effort, its anguish, to build a more civilised world.’

Greek translation:

Ο Ρίτσος και η μαθητική εξέγερση

Κέντρο Αθήνας

Χθες, η Ελλάδα γιόρτασε την μνήμη της 42ης επετείου από την φοιτητική εξέγερση της 17ης Νοεμβρίου στο Πολυτεχνείο της Αθήνας ενάντια στην στρατιωτική δικτατορία που κυβερνούσε την χώρα από το 1967 έως το 1973. Αρχίζοντας στις 15 Νοεμβρίου 1973 φοιτητές και σπουδαστές κατέλαβαν την Πολυτεχνική Σχολή και μετέδωσαν το μήνυμα της αντίστασης ενάντια στην χούντα από το θρυλικό ραδιοσταθμό που έστησαν.

Τις πρώτες πρωινές ώρες της 17ης Νοεμβρίου, τα τανκς του καθεστώτος εισέβαλαν στον περίβολο του Πολυτεχνείου, ρίχνοντας την ατσαλένια πύλη. Οι συγκρούσεις μεταξύ διαδηλωτών και των στρατιωτικών και αστυνομικών δυνάμεων κατέληξαν σε τουλάχιστον 24 νεκρούς και πάνω από χίλιους τραυματίες. Αλλά η εξέγερση και ο τραγικός της επίλογος οδήγησαν σε μια σειρά από γεγονότα που κατέληξαν στην πτώση της χούντας των συνταγματαρχών, κα έγιναν σημείο αναφοράς για την σύγχρονη ελληνική ιστορία.

Ο Γιάννης Ρίτσος, αναγνωρισμένος Έλληνας ποιητής, αριστερός ακτιβιστής και ενεργό μέλος της Αντίστασης κατά την διάρκεια του Β’ Παγκοσμίου Πολέμου, έγραψε το ποίημα ‘Το αγόρι και η πόρτα, προς τιμήν της εξέγερσης του Πολυτεχνείου και των νέων ανθρώπων που πέθαναν στη διάρκειά της, υπερασπιζόμενοι την δικαιοσύνη και την δημοκρατία.

Το αγόρι και η πόρτα

Εκεί που έπεσε
είναι μια κόκκινη λίμνη,
ένα κόκκινο δέντρο,
ένα κόκκινο πουλί.
Σηκώθηκε όρθια
η πεσμένη καγκελόπορτα-
χιλιάδες άλογα.
Λαός καβαλίκεψε.
Κομνηνέ! - φωνάξαμε.
Γύρισε και μας κοίταξε
δε φορούσε επίδεσμο
ούτε στεφάνι.
Άσπρα άλογα, κόκκινα άλογα
και μαύρα, πιο μαύρα-
καλπασμός, - η ιστορία
Να προφτάσουμε.

‘Εδώ Πολυτεχνείο... Εδώ Πολυτεχνείο... Σας μιλά ο σταθμός των ελεύθερων αγωνιζόμενων μαθητών, ο σταθμός των ελεύθερων αγωνιζόμενων Ελλήνων... Ελληνικέ λαέ, αυτή τη στιγμή μαθαίνεις την αλήθεια... Είμαστε άοπλοι. Το μόνο μας όπλο είναι η πίστη μας για την ελευθερία.’

Αυτά τα λόγια ακούγονταν στις ραδιοφωνικές εκπομπές των φοιτητών του Πολυτεχνείου της Αθήνας στις 17 Νοεμβρίου 1973, λίγο πριν τα τανκς γκρεμίσουν την ατσάλινη πόρτα.

Τέσσερις μέρες πριν, οι φοιτητές είχαν καταλάβει την Πολυτεχνική Σχολή, προκειμένου να δείξουν την αντίθεσή τους στο στρατιωτικό καθεστώς που κυβερνούσε την Ελλάδα για πάνω από 6 χρόνια. Παρόλο που οι διαδηλώσεις δεν επιτρέπονταν, η διαμαρτυρία των φοιτητών σύντομα μετατράπηκε σε λαϊκή εξέγερση, με ανθρώπους από όλη την Αθήνα να συγκεντρώνονται για να λάβουν μέρος. Όταν έγινε σαφές ότι η επέμβαση της αστυνομίας δεν ήταν αρκετή, ο στρατός επιστρατεύτηκε για να καταστείλει την διαμαρτυρία.

Στις 3 το πρωί, ενώ ο εθνικός ύμνος απαγγελλόταν από το ραδιόφωνο του Πολυτεχνείου, ένα τανκ έριχνε την πύλη. Η εξέγερση των φοιτητών κατεστάλη βιαία αλλά υπήρξε η αρχή του τέλους της χούντας.

Η πτώση της δικτατορίας ήρθε τον επόμενο χρόνο, όμως η 17η Νοεμβρίου είναι το σύμβολο όχι μόνο του τέλους της δικτατορίας αλλά και του συνεχούς αγώνα των Ελλήνων για ελευθερία και της αντίστασής τους σε κάθε μορφής τυραννία.

The Castello Bar, Monemvasia

websitebuilder-hub@names.co.uk — Fri, 15 Nov 2019 12:57:01 GMT

The Castello Bar, Monemvasia at the beginning of the causeway. The owner and a friend with their book. A place to have an orange juice and meze before catching the half-hourly bus up to the Castro. The bus driver is always to be found here having a coffee. Sadly, it closed in October 2019 and It is now part of our history.

f5b7e886

The "cable car - lift" of the Upper Town of Monemvasia

Taken from 'Monemvasia News'- For full article in Greek, click the link in the article.

PRESS RELEASE ON THE CONTROVERSIAL CABLE CAR PROJECT FOR THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE OF MONEMVASIA, GREECE

THE ASSOCIATION OF THE FRIENDS OF MONEMVASIA

PRESS RELEASE ON THE CONTROVERSIAL CABLE CAR PROJECT FOR

THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE OF MONEMVASIA, GREECE:

MANY QUESTIONS AND ONLY FEW ANSWERS

In a nutshell: The site and the planned project

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Monemvasia, Through the Lens of Poul Rasmussen Press Release - 2024

Monemvasia - Through the Lens of Poul Rasmussen , Book Publication, 2024

Upcoming Poul Rasmussen Exhibition, 28 July - 11 August 2024, Monemvasia

Poul Rasmussen Exhibition Opening 28 July 2024

Living History Monemvasia - Launch Party

The Monemvasia Society Oral History Project Launch Party

Local Artists of Monemvasia

Monemvasia has many wonderful local artist s. The Society has decided it's time to showcase some of their work.

The Monemvasia Society's Oral History Project & Funding Campaign

We hope you will support the Monemvasia Society by donating to our latest project - An Oral History Archive

'Monemvasia: People, Place, Presence' named as Inaugral book for UCLA's new library

The Monemvasia Photographic Society book, ‘Monemvasia. People. Place. Presence’, published by Unicorn Press, has been acquired by the UCLA Stavros Niarchos Foundation Center for the Study of Hellenic Culture in California.

Rescue our Statues

The Monemvasia Society pays tribute to the importance of the preservation of Greek antiquites that took place during the Second World War.

Saint Leontios of Monemvasia

Saint Leontios was born in Monemvasia in 1377 into an aristocratic family, descendant of the Palaiologos emperors of Byzantium.

The First Hotel in Monemvasia

The building of the first hotel in Monemvasia in 1966.

Victory Day - 28th October

‘Victory Day’ is celebrated in many European countries to commemorate the unconditional surrender of the German powers that signified the end of Second World War.

'Oh Poet, we stand aside so you can pass.'

We celebrate the life of Yannis Ritsos (1909 - 1990), born and raised in Monemvasia, and one of Greece's most popular poets.

The Student Uprising – Athens, November 1973

Greece commemorated the 42nd anniversary since the November 17 student uprising at the Polytechnic School of Athens against the military junta that ruled the country from 1967 to 1973.

The Castello Bar, Monemvasia

Saint Leontios was born in Monemvasia in 1377 into an aristocratic family, descendant of the
Palaiologos emperors of Byzantium.

Greece commemorated the 42nd anniversary since the November 17 student uprising at the Polytechnic School of Athens against the military junta that ruled the country from 1967 to 1973.