The preparations of the Victorian National Anniversary Committee culminate in the official visit of the Presidential Guard that will take place from Wednesday, April 20, until Friday, April 29.
The announcement of the visit of the Presidential Guard was made by the state Prime Minister, Mr Daniel Andrews, during the reception given by the Consul General of Greece in Melbourne, Mr Emmanuel Kakavelakis, for the anniversary of March 25 at the Greek Museum.
The Presidential Guard parade will be hosted in Melbourne at the expense of the state government and will take part in the ANZAC Day parade.
According to Mr Andrews, the visit to Evzoni was launched by the former state Minister of Health, Ms Jenny Mikakou, to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the beginning of the Greek Revolution. Due to the pandemic and restrictive measures that prevailed in 2021 in the state of Victoria, the visit was not possible.
The state prime minister, Daniel Andrews, then pledged to postpone the Evzoni visit for 2022, with the state government having a budget of $ 100,000.
The mission of the Presidential Guard will consist of three officers and thirteen Evzones:
MAJOR SAKELAROPOULOS VASILEIOS from Ilia, CAPTAIN KOULOUBAS STAVROS from Kastoria, ARCHILOCHIAS THEODOROU EFTHYMIOS from Thessaly.
Evia Villages IOANNIS From Evia, KOUKIADAKIS MICHAIL from Crete, PATERAKIS NIKOLAOS from Athens, KONNIKIS MARIOS From Crete, LADA KONSTANTINOS From Piraeus, MAKALOS NIKOLAOS From the Peloponnese, XENAGIOS DIMITRIOS from Crete, EVANGELATOS PANAGIOTIS from the Eptanissa, PAPATHANASIS KONSTANTINOS from Etoloakarnania, PAPAKYRIAKIDIS PETROS from Macedonia, STASINOPOULOS SOTIRIOS from Peloponnese, GRIGORIADIS STYLIANOS from Pontos, BASIARAKAS ATHANAS from Greece.
Members of the Presidential Guard who will participate in the official ANZAC Day parade on Monday, April 25, will pay their respects to the ANZACs soldiers who fought during World War I.
Exhibits from the National Archaeological Museum of Athens will be presented for the first time in Australia. The procession will parade in front of all allied bodies.
Also, on April 28, they will attend the official opening of the exhibition entitled “Open Horizons: Ancient Greek Travel and Connections” which will take place at the Melbourne Museum in the presence of the Minister of Culture Mrs Lina Mendoni.
The Presidential Guard will participate in special commemorative events honouring the fighters of the First World War. Specifically, on Thursday, April 21, they will participate in the annual event organized by Austin Repatriation Hospital, dedicated to the ANZACs who lost their lives in Greece, while on Friday, they will attend a wreath-laying ceremony organized by Lemnos Gallipoli Commemorative Committee in Lemnos-Gallipoli Square in the suburb of Albert Park.
However, they will also pay tribute to soldiers who lost their lives in World War II.
On Saturday, April 23, they will attend the special memorial ceremony for the Battle of Kalamata organized by the Kalamata Association “March 23” at the Australian-Greek Monument. With the Presidential Guard actively participating, Easter will be celebrated in Melbourne this year.
The procession of the Presidential Guard will be in the Parish of Saints Anargyron of the Community of Oakleigh on Good Friday at the Epitaph procession and procession, where the Archbishop of Australia will officiate. Makarios, assisted by the Most Theophile Bishops of Sozopolis, Mr Kyriakos and Kerasountos, Mr Eumenios.
On the night of the Resurrection, the Evzones will be at the Cathedral of Agios Efstathios in South Melbourne, where the Most Reverend Bishop of Sozopol, Mr Kyriakos, will officiate, as well as at the Church of the Transfiguration of Christ, Thomastown, where the Theophilestos Episcopos will officiate.
Finally, in the Vespers of Love, the Evzones will participate in the Cathedral of Agios Efstathios and the Monastery of Axion Esti. Impressive is expected to be the guarding of the Greek Museum in the heart of Melbourne from the parade of the Presidential Guard, which will take place on Wednesday, April 27.
During their visit, the Presidential Guard will have an official meeting with the Archbishop of Australia.
Also, the Evzones and their officers will visit the building of the Hellenic Community of Melbourne, where they will have a meeting with the Board of Directors, the “Agapi” Foundation, and the PRONIA the Australian-Greek Welfare Society in Brunswick.
The three-day schools, Agios Ioannis College, Oakleigh Grammar and Alphington Grammar, and the afternoon college “Nestoras” will be visited by the Presidential Guard. They will participate in the honorary events organized by the schools for ANZAC Day.
The chairman of the Victoria National Anniversary Committee, Mr Antonis Tsourdalakis, has already thanked the State Prime Minister, Mr Daniel Andrews, for the financial support to make possible the visit of the Presidential Guard to the city of Melbourne as well as to the former minister. Health Ms Jenny Mikakou played a vital role in this agreement.
Finally, Mr Tsourdalakis, on behalf of the National Anniversary Committee, warmly thanks the Organizations and the schools that offered to receive a meal from the Presidential Guard.
