The President of the Hellenic Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou visited the island of Karpathos on Sunday, to attend the celebrations for the 76th anniversary of the Revolutionary Liberation Movement of Karpathos.
She was invited by Karpathos mayor Yiannis Nisyrios.
During her visit, Sakellaropoulou laid a wreath at the monument of Captain Konstantinos Iliakis, paid a visit to the island's archaeological and historical museum and visited the town hall, where she was declared an honorary citizen of Karpathos.
The President also visited the villages of Olympo and Mesochori, where she was greeted by locals in traditional dress and met with teachers and pupils.
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Addressing the islanders, Sakellaropoulou said they had fiercely guarded their national and cultural identity in order to realise the vision of freedom and that the island was a unique example of preserving traditional culture without conservatism, stagnation or reaction against progress but with a dynamic spirit of renewal and creativity.
She also noted that a great lawyer comes from Karpathos, George Michaelides-Nuaros, son of philologist Michael Michaelides-Nuaros. "A scientist with a huge realm, friendly and generous to his students, a teacher with diverse scientific and social activity. Always tied to his place, he studied the matriarchal survivals and the peculiar hereditary custom of Karpathos and dealt with both of these issues with penetrating thinking, completeness and courage... It is an honour for me that from today I am also his compatriot."
The President also stated that Karpathos had preserved its past but looked forward to its future: "On the one hand the ancient ruins, early Christian basilicas, the unique architecture of the traditional settlements and the buildings from the time of Italian rule compose the imprints of the island's long history. On the other hand, the music, songs, extemporaneous poetry, the dancing, handicrafts and customs with their rich rituals, which are vibrant, present and therefore able to take on new shapes and forms in modern daily life."
Συνάντηση με τις τοπικές αρχές και ενημέρωση για τα έργα ανάπτυξης στην Κάρπαθο, ιδίως στη συγκοινωνία, την υγεία, την παιδεία, τον πολιτισμό. Η διαρκής και έμπρακτη στήριξη των ακριτικών νησιών, με υποδομές και ανθρώπινο δυναμικό, είναι χρέος και προτεραιότητα της Πολιτείας μας. pic.twitter.com/Wert4rUkk8
— President GR (@PresidencyGR) October 4, 2020
In her closing remarks, she stressed that their devotion to the place and their traditions is a lesson on how a place can change without being alienated.
