“I usually start any speech on the Parthenon sculptures saying that Greece is wonderful, an impressive country, with an excellent story … But today I will start saying how much I love my country, Shakespeare, Dickens, I love anything about Britain. However, I am capable of feeling ashamed because of my country and that makes me unhappy. “ With these words the Sir Stephen Fry (Steven Fry), a distinguished British actor, writer, director, but also a well -known philhellenic and supporter of the return of the Parthenon sculptures, began his speech on Wednesday night at the Acropolis Museum Amphitheater, where he attended the Acropolis Amphitheater. ‘Odyssey’in the context of event ‘Talking to Stephen Fry’ carried out by the Ministry of Tourism and the Greek Tourism Organization.

“Yes I am proud of Britain, because we have given Shakespeare to the world and if you want the Beatles, among others. And I’m proud to play my own role on television, I write books, I belong to a culture that has a huge footprint to the rest of the world. It influenced the world, but it also influenced it negatively, and I think it is meaningless to feel proud to be a British person/or if you do not admit at the same time the feeling of shame and sensuality that causes what we did in the rest of the world. But here we have an excellent symbol and everything we owe in Greece we recognize through this symbol. And now we have the opportunity to make up for it and this is the important thing, all the details of legality, about no firman, even if there was a firman, even if the high gate sold the sculptures again it makes no sense because it’s a matter of physics. Justice ‘, Mr. Fry emphasized. And continued:

‘We all understand that The sculptures belong here and have to return to Greece. And we had to do this to be proud of something. We have the opportunity to return these priceless sculptures to the place they belong to, in this wonderful museum, to their homeland. And then there will be a global smile. And then the journey will be completed. We are many in Britain that we believe that should be done, ” The well -known Philhellen, also a member of the Parthenon Project, also said, who then talked to the Greek journalist of ERT, Giannis Moutsio.

“I really think the sculptures will return to Greece … As you all know, huge issues are determined by very small things. One of the most important things for us is pride. There is the idea that the British Museum and the British Government would be happy for the sculptures to return to Athens with a label, a sign below, that they are under loan from the British Museum. Of course the Greek government and the Acropolis Museum would consider this offensive. Because it’s not true, it’s not a loan. How to call it a loan? How can we manage this simple theme at a level of only a small word? There are other words, for example collaboration between the two museums. And that could be the label under the works. And of course the Acropolis Museum is willing to send objects to the British. Why are both excellent museums’, The British artist pointed out, among other things.

As for the argument for the British Museum’s permit if the Parthenon sculptures return, Mr. Frey replied: “Here we have to think, as always, what the ancient Greeks would say, e.g. Aristotle, the logic. This is a mistake, the return of the sculptures is not something that will give a similar outcome to other similar cases … The British Museum is huge, more than 90% of the items it has not been in public exhibition, it is in warehouses. There is so much, so it’s not that his rooms will be emptied. But it’s not just that. Even Elgin made it to be at home in Scotland and still exist. So today with three -dimensional technology you can make a point with the smallest detail, be perfect and with the wonderful colors they had in antiquity to have the Parthenon experience. Wearing special 3D views, the viewer will be able to see how the Parthenon was, how he was erected, how some parts of him were removed from Elgin and how they returned … I am not a politician. I don’t know what’s going on behind the doors where things are discussing. The right people should sit down to discuss and see how a solution will be found. The appropriate words should be found, the appropriate words, are so simple, ” Sir Steven Fry emphasized, among other things.

Prior to the presentation of Mr. Fry, the Minister of Tourism addressed Olga Kefalogianniswhile on his part, the General Manager of the Acropolis Museum, Professor Nikolaos Stambolidis He made a review of how the newest claiming the Parthenon sculptures began, from 1982 to the present day. That is, he pointed out the most key points, such as the return of the Fagan fragment from Palermo in June 2022, which was reunited forever by giving the good example, the return of fragments from the Vatican Museum in March 2023 again, but also by the Vatican Museum. Acceptance by Turkey’s spokesman at the UNESCO Conference in May 2024 that in the Ottoman archives, extremely in terms of the series they maintain, there was no firman to remove Elgin sculptures.

“We are moving forward. Why is the Acropolis Museum’s work to give scientific arguments to this effort »stressed the general manager of the museum, which he mentioned among many others in the Parthenon frieze, “An excellent aesthetic and meaningful work, unique in its composition. What is the hidden meaning of this frieze? For the first time in the history of humanity ideas, Pericles, Fidias and his workshop think, design and perform something unique. That is, until then, all the issues in the archaic and classical temples were mythological. Here they dare for the first time to give the largest temple of the city a contemporary image. Imagine to put the parade of March 25th in the sanctuary of a church today. Because Pericles had opposition what did he do? In the nave of the temple, inside it, it places the image of its own democracy, the Athenian democracy that is the beginning of the democracies of the whole modern civilized world at 12 m because it considers that this system is not just for the eyes. of people, but mainly for the eyes of the gods. This is the difference. And of course we expect all the democracies of the civilized world to do their duty by reuniting the members of a body. The Parthenon asks for them. Greece is not only asking for them. Greece is asking for it for humanity »emphasized N. Stambolidis.

As he informed the Acropolis Museum, he gathers fragments “To show them that even they are worth it. Missing pieces and others combined with plates from the sacrifice of animals at Athena’s birthday. And what we will do in 2025 is all the pieces we have gathered in the warehouses to put them back in place 10-15 cm ahead. So that our friends of the British Museum do not complain when they send us what they need to reunite, they know that there were also the British Museum. “