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

The Foundation of the Museum of the Macedonian Struggle and of Modern Macedonian History invites you to the opening of the photography exhibition “Sites of Memory, Places of Martyrdom” by Nikos Kosmidis, on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, at 19:00, in the “Alexandros Chaitoglou” Hall of the Museum of the Macedonian Struggle.
The exhibition will be inaugurated by the Deputy Regional Governor of Thessaloniki, Mr. Konstantinos N. Gioutikas.

Historical memory is not merely a recollection of the past; it is a living mechanism that allows societies to reflect on their course and redefine their values. Places of memory—spaces where memory acquires material and experiential dimensions—play a crucial role in preserving this historical consciousness.

Curated by Professor Stavroula Mavrogeni of the Department of Balkan, Slavic, and Oriental Studies and Director of KEMIT–IMMA, the exhibition “Sites of Memory, Places of Martyrdom” presents, through rich photographic material, memorial sites and places of martyrdom from World War II in Greece and Europe.
The selected photographs shed light on the historical and moral significance of these sites—places of sacrifice, resistance, and human suffering—reminding us that the active preservation of memory is an act of responsibility and democratic awareness.

The exhibition is held on the occasion of 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 Thrace Foundation for Art and Tradition.
The general coordination is by Ms. Athina Pavlidou, Philologist–Museologist and Director of IMMA.

The photographs of Nikos Kosmidis, PhD Candidate at the Department of Architecture, Democritus University of Thrace, are part of a ten-year field research on sites and landmarks of dark memory across Europe, exploring the relationship between space, memory, and identity.

The exhibition reminds us that memory is not only about the past—it primarily concerns the present and the future. For it is only through memory that we can build a more just, tolerant, and democratic world.

As part of the exhibition, thematic tours will be offered for the educational community, along with an educational program through which students will approach the history of World War II with a critical and contemporary perspective, reflecting on issues of identity, stereotypes, and collective responsibility.

Exhibition Duration: October 21, 2025 – January 31, 2026