The War of Independence in Visual Arts and Literature

“The War of Independence in Visual Arts and Literature” is the title of the new exhibition of the Museum of the Macedonian Struggle that was inaugurated by the Deputy Minister of Education and Religious Affairs, Professor Angelos Syrigos, on Friday 10 December 2021. As part of the celebrations of the 200th anniversary of the Greek Revolution, the Foundation of the Museum of the Macedonian Struggle and the Modern History of Macedonia in collaboration with the collectors George Gaitanaris and Io Dolka, and the Library of the Hellenic Parliament presents artworks and archival material that represent, narrate and illuminate moments of the glorious Revolution of 1821.

“Who started the revolution? Even today we often have the impression that someone else will come to fight our war […]. The revolution of 1821 was our affair, exclusively ours” Syrigos said during his speech at the inauguration. The President of IMMA, Mr. Nikolaos K. Margaropoulos pointed out “The Foundation of the Museum of the Macedonian Struggle and Modern History of Macedonia with a sense of responsibility, seeks to keep alive not only the memory of the Macedonian Struggle but of history ingeneral, both through its educational programmes and the research and publishing work of the Research Centre for Macedonian History and Documentation. A fact of which tonight’s event and this exhibition are eloquent proof. A goal that has been achieved in the thirty-nine years of our museum’s existence thanks to the undivided support of the Greek state.”

The exhibition was curated by Stavroula Mavrogeni, Assoc. Professor UOM, Director of the Research Centre for Macedonian History and Documentation and Fani Tsatsaia, Art Historian, Director of of the Museum of the Macedonian Struggle and Modern History of Macedonia Foundation. The artistic part of the exhibition includes 24 painted lithographs by the painter Makriyannis, the work of Bost “The Genius Heros Skaltsodimos”, “Theodoros Kolokotronis the old man of Moria and Andreas Miaoulis the new Themistocles” by Fotis Kontoglou and the sculpture “Pericephalia suicide” by Theodoros Papadimitriou, while important documents of the period, such as letters of Kapodistrias, are presented for the first time to the public of Thessaloniki.

The opening of the exhibition was attended by the MPs Mrs. Avgeri and Mr. Kouvelas, the Deputy Mayor of Culture and Tourism, Mrs. Karagianni, the Rector of AUTH, Professor Papaioannou, the Dean of the Law School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Mr. Glavinis, the President of IMMA, Mr. Nikolaos Margaropoulos, the President of the Association of Friends of MMA, Mr. Kostopoulos, as well as members of the Foundation’s Board of Directors, representatives of the Region of Central Macedonia andthe Municipal Authority of Thessaloniki, members of the collectors’ family, professors of the city’s university institutions, journalists and friends of the Museum.