“Sites of Memory, Places of Martyrdom”
Photography Exhibition Opening
at the Museum of the Macedonian Struggle

With an overwhelming turnout, the opening of the photography exhibition “Spaces of Memory, Places of Martyrdom” took place at the Museum of the Macedonian Struggle on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, at 19:00, in the “Alexandros Chaitoglou” Hall.

The exhibition is part of a ten-year field research project on sites and landmarks of dark memory across Europe, conducted by Mr. Nikos Kosmidis, PhD candidate at the Department of Architecture, Democritus University of Thrace. It marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and is organized in collaboration with the program “Actions of History, Memory, and Culture”, with the support of the Thracian Art and Tradition Foundation.

In her address, the Director of the Museum of the Macedonian Struggle and Modern History of Macedonia (IMMA), Ms. Athina Pavlidou, described the exhibition as “a call for reflection, responsibility, and humanity,” expressing gratitude to all who contributed to its realization. She also emphasized the moral duty and educational mission of IMMA to keep memory alive and to cultivate historical consciousness.

The exhibition’s curator, Professor at the University of Macedonia and Director of the Center for Macedonian History and Documentation at IMMA, Ms. Stavroula Mavrogeni, highlighted the fortunate collaboration with the Thracian Art and Tradition Foundation. She noted that the exhibition material sheds light on people’s micro-narratives, raises questions about the management of power through ideologies, and invites visitors to listen to history and engage with its moral and political lessons.

Representing the Thracian Art and Tradition Foundation, Ms. Haroula Christodoulou, member of its Board of Directors, emphasized that this first joint initiative with IMMA brings together two institutions united by a shared love and concern for the history, tradition, and culture of our land, following the example of its late founder, Virginia Tsouderou. She also referred to how the exhibition illuminates the complex relationship between space and memory through the power of creativity, science, and education.

An important message was shared from Berlin by Ms. Eleni Winckel–Moraitou, member of the International Ravensbrück Committee (IRK–CIR), who urged people to remember “so that we do not repeat the mistakes of the past.” She also praised Nikos Kosmidis for “placing one more stone each time, so that individual memory becomes the memory of society as a whole.”

The exhibition was inaugurated by the Deputy Regional Governor for Culture and Sports of Central Macedonia, Mr. Christos Mittas, who underlined the importance of preserving and promoting historical memory and commended the Museum of the Macedonian Struggle for its remarkable research and educational work in this field.

The event concluded with a guided tour led by Mr. Kosmidis, who vividly shared personal stories and research experiences, emphasizing the importance of collaboration between institutions, museums, and scholars in Memory Studies to restore remembrance and honor the descendants of war victims. A particularly moving moment was the account of events related to the repulsion of the Italian attack in Pindus in November 1940, presented by Mr. Miltiadis Dimaratos, descendant of the Epirus war hero Socrates Dimaratos, then commander of the Independent Cavalry Brigade. Mr. Dimaratos discussed the symbolism of the Annitsa monument, located at the hill that served as the center of the Greek Army’s counterattack.

A large audience attended the event and actively participated in the tour, including journalists, representatives of cultural and commercial institutions of the city, educators, and students. Distinguished guests included the Very Reverend Archpriest Fr. Athanasios Tsigkos, representing His Eminence Philotheos, Metropolitan of Thessaloniki; the Deputy Mayor for Child Welfare, Family, and Civil Society of Thessaloniki, Ms. Theodora Leipsistinou; the Deputy Mayor for Culture of Ampelokipoi–Menemeni, Mr. Pavlos Kesoglou; the President of the Development Organization of the Region of Central Macedonia, Mr. Thanos Begas; the Regional Councilor Ms. Olia Vasilaki–Karozi; the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Armenia in Thessaloniki, Mr. Akis Dangazian; the Municipal Councilor of Pylaia–Chortiatis, Ms. Despina Lypiridou; the Representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ International Relations Service, Mr. Kostas Katsanos; the President of IMMA, Mr. Nikolaos K. Margaropoulos; the Director of the War Museum of Thessaloniki, Colonel Mr. Athanasios Papathanasiou; the Acting Head of the Folklore and Ethnological Museum of Macedonia–Thrace, Ms. Eleni Bintsi; the President of the Cultural Association of Residents and Friends of Ano Karyofyto, Ms. Pinelopi Ververidou; the former President of the Descendants of Refugees Association of Ano Karyofyto Xanthi, Ms. Eleni Pantermali; and representatives of the organization “Friends of the Site of Anti-Dictatorial Resistance 1967–1974 in Thessaloniki.”