Macedonian Struggle Memorial

The Macedonian Struggle (1904-1908) took place in the swampy Lake of Giannitsa too, between rebel corps of Greek and Bulgarian Comitazis. The end of the Struggle in 1908 preserved the cohesion of the Greek population of Macedonia and removed the danger of bulgarisation. The statue of Victory is the work of the sculptor Efthymios Kalevras and was erected in 1995 by the Historical and Cultural Association “Philippos” in cooperation with the Municipality of Giannitsa. The brass sculpture (4×1,5x1m), represents Nike holding the Macedonian star, symbol of the Macedonian kings, in her raised hands. On the wings of Victory are depicted the figures of the Macedonian warriors, Pavlos Melas and Gonos Yotas.  The work, adopting familiar neoclassical standards and ancient symbols, attempts to depict local history through archaic iconographic means and to link the moderns with ancient times. The statue is placed on a cube-shaped base 1.3 m high, which tells the story of the timeless Greek identity of Giannitsa.