The National Anniversary of October 28, 1940 was celebrated with splendor at the Consulate General of Greece in Istanbul, in the presence of all the executives of the Consulate General, led by the ambassador, Konstantinos Koutras, consul general, expatriates from Constantinople as well as Greek citizens living and working in Istanbul, who came to pay tribute to the heroes of the 40’s epic.

The events culminated in the atrium of the Consulate General with the performance of an official eulogy and the laying of a wreath at the marble monument to those who fell during the Second World War of Constantinople. During the eulogy he stood out as the representative of the Ecumenical Patriarch Mr. Bartholomew, the great patriarch of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Archimandrite Mr. Grigorios.

Addressing the many participants in the event, Ambassador Konstantinos Koutras addressed a message of unity, national pride and historical memory, stressing that the “NO” of 1940 is still a landmark of freedom and an example of heroism and resistance against all forms of violence and totalitarianism, pointing out, among other things, that: “the Greek people, being aware of its historical continuity and his weight of the glorious history that he carries on his shoulders, he is ready to shout “NO” again as a self-evident answer to any ahistorical revisionism, to any attempt to question our national sovereignty and sovereign rights, as provided by International Law and the Law of the Sea”, declaring, at the same time, convinced that his knowledge of our past and the consciousness of History also teach us the way to shape the future of our country.

As part of the event, an honorable mention was made to the memory of the people of Constantinople who fell during the Second World War, with reference to the sinking of the ship “Evangelistria”, an event that marks a special page in the history of the City and is linked to the collective memory of the people of Constantinople.

The Constantinople volunteers were returning from the front to the city in a large boat, the “Evangelistria”. They sailed on July 4, 1941 from Piraeus. The oil-powered ship from Chios never reached its destination. All 78 volunteers, along with their five-member crew, were sunk by the British submarine “Torbay” just outside Cape Kafireas. The researcher-historian Nikos Michaelidis, also from Constantinople, highlighted the history of the hundreds of Constantinople volunteers of the Second World War in two books he has written. As the author reports, the English submarine commander was not only not charged, but was awarded the highest medal, the “Victoria Cross” and was given the title of “Sir”.

A special moment was the presentation of a model of a faithful copy of the ship, offered by the master stationery of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Nikos Michaelides, who crafted the work with sensitivity and respect for historical memory, offering it to the Consulate General of Greece in Istanbul. The replica of the ship will henceforth adorn the premises of the Consulate General as a symbol of historical continuity, eternal honor and everlasting memory.

Ambassador Mr. Koutras, expressing the sentiments of all those present, warmly thanked Mr. Michaelidis for his selfless offer, stressing: “Your donation is a bridge between the past, the present and the future. It is an act that unites memory with continuity, research with emotion.”

Objecting, Mr. Michaelidis referred to the historical research he carried out, the product of which is his book “On the Road to Truth”, which describes the dramatic events of the sinking of the “Evangelistria” ship, while he in turn thanked the consul general for his support in highlighting the historical memory. “The Evangelistria is not just a ship, it is a piece of the soul of the people of Constantinople,” he said characteristically.

The event ended with the laying of a wreath at the Marble Monument to the fallen of Constantinople and with the playing of the National Anthem.