The dynamic life and political activity of Melina Merkouris, 30 years after her death, was honored by the president of PAOK-KINAL, Nikos Androulakis.

“Thirty years without Melina Merkouri, the universal Greek woman, the Melina of all Greeks. A courageous and uncompromising woman who left an indelible mark on the world cultural and political scene, he said in a statement, in which he underlined: “Melina of the anti-dictatorship struggle, of “Never on Sunday” and international artistic distinctions, was the longest-serving Minister of Culture in Greece, serving in all PASOK governments until 1994.

From this position he created the institution of the Municipal Regional Theaters with the aim of the cultural development of the Greek region and also the institution of the cultural capital of Europe, with Athens being the first in 1985.

He emphasized the restoration of the Acropolis monuments, the promotion of our cultural heritage and the introduction of Culture and Theater Education in schools.

Above all, Melina breathed new life into the campaign for the return of the Parthenon Sculptures. With its global influence, it managed to internationalize the issue and Greece gained enormous international support. The Parthenon Sculptures, he said, “are the noblest symbol of perfection. They are a tribute to democratic philosophy… They are the essence of Greekness.”

We have a duty to follow the path carved by Melina until the definitive return of the Glyptos to our homeland”.