Monument of Pontic Hellenism

The Municipality of Giannitsa with the initiative of the Efxinos Club of Giannitsa erected in September 2002 the monument to the genocide of the Pontian Hellenism. The monument was placed in the square of Nea Trapezounta, in the area of Tsali, where mainly descendants of Pontian refugees live. The bronze complex (1,80×2,10×0,50m), the work of Achilleas Vassiliou, represents a Pontian family. The parents wear traditional costumes, while the little girl wears modern clothes. The base is decorated on three sides with brass reliefs representing ancient Greeks in Ionia, a group of refugees, pyrrhic dancers and workers. The monument is dedicated to the genocide of the Pontians by the Young Turks and is the center of commemorative events every 19^th of May. At the base is written: ‘MEMORIAL TO THE GENOCIDE OF PONTIAN HELLENISM’.