A lively and interactive speech entitled “The importance of clothing in building the national consciousness of the modern Greek state” is organized by the Foundation of the Museum of the Macedonian Struggle and the Modern History of Macedonia (IMMA) and the Papageorgiou Foundation on January 3, 2025 at the exhibition spaces of the Museum of the Macedonian Struggle , on the occasion of the Exhibition “Clothes Psychis” by the artistic duo Vangelis Kyris – Anatoli Georgiev, presented until January 6 at the MIET Annex in Thessaloniki.

Stavroula Mavrogeni, professor of the Department of Balkan, Slavic and Oriental Studies of the University of Macedonia and director of KEMIT-IMMA, explores in her interactive speech the importance of clothing in time and place as a language of communication in the new Greek state. Within the area of ​​the Museum of the Macedonian Struggle, the exhibits as well as the live models will be used through dramatization as a vehicle for understanding the role of clothing as a means of differentiating not only the individual from the group but also one group from another, as a characteristic element of identity of its members, but also at the same time as a feature that sets it against the other groups.

In addition, the role of the common structural and decorative elements of a costume both as a gender identity symbol and as a symbol of national dress will be highlighted.

The Exhibition entitled “Clothes of the Soul” by the artistic duo Vangelis Kyris – Anatoli Georgiev is under the auspices of the President of the Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou and is an initiative of the Papageorgiou Foundation with the cooperation of the National Bank Educational Foundation.
The initiative, beyond the basis of the initial presentation with costumes from the collections of the National Historical Museum, the Historical Museum of Crete and the Lyceum of Greek Women of Heraklion, was framed by a substantial partnership of institutions from Thessaloniki and Northern Greece.

From the IMMA’s permanent collection, the Exhibition presents traditional Macedonian costumes and official uniforms, such as the doulamas of the Macedonian warrior Dimitrios Tsitsimis, the official consular uniform of Lambros Enialis, the uniform of Admiral Ioannis Demestichas, a velvet (probably bridal) costume with gold embroidery from Alexandria Imathias, overcoat of the Macedonian fighter teacher Marigouda Petros Fragou and the “festive” uniform of the Macedonian fighter Georgios Roubesis or Captain Tzavara, from the Collection of the Folklore and Ethnological Museum of Macedonia – Thrace exhibited at the IMMA.

Due to limited capacity, a reservation is necessary to watch the event.