Athens Commemorates Pontian Genocide with Evzones Tribute and Parliamentary Display

Greece paid tribute to the victims of the Pontian Genocide on May 19 with a series of deeply symbolic and emotional commemorations centered in Syntagma Square and at the Hellenic Parliament.

Marking the 106th anniversary of the genocide, the Presidential Guard (Evzones) performed the traditional changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in traditional Pontian costumes — a powerful gesture honouring the memory of the 353,000 Greeks of Pontus who were systematically exterminated between 1916 and 1923.

Large crowds gathered in central Athens to witness the ceremony, where the Evzones carried out three symbolic guard changes in full Pontian dress. The event was further marked by the presence of Pontian associations and organisations, with a wreath-laying ceremony held at the site and a commemorative march to the Turkish Embassy planned later in the day.

May 19 is recognised as the Day of Remembrance for the Genocide of Pontian Greeks. On this date in 1919, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk landed in Samsun, initiating the second and deadliest phase of the genocide — a campaign of persecution, forced displacement, and mass killings that began during World War I and continued until 1923. Entire communities were uprooted, and countless men, women, and children perished during so-called "death marches" across Anatolia.

Adding to the gravity of the occasion, the Greek Parliament — which stands at the top of Syntagma Square — illuminated its facade on Monday evening with a projection of a symbolic logo: the letter 'G' for "Genocide," shaped from the image of human figures in march — inspired by a 1922 photograph of 5,000 Pontian Greek orphans near Harput. The image also included a bunch of amaranth, a resilient plant that retains its form and color long after being cut, symbolizing the enduring spirit and cultural legacy of Pontian Greeks.

In an official statement, the Parliament declared: “No forgetting and no silence can cover the murder of 353,000 Greeks of Pontus.” The statement echoed the words of the Panpontian Federation of Greece: “If we forget, we will perish.”

These acts of remembrance serve not only to honour the memory of those lost but also to reaffirm a collective commitment to historical truth and cultural resilience — messages that resonate beyond Greece’s borders.

(Source: Protothema)