“The fighting spirit and fiery ideals of the heroic fighters of the Revolution, continue to inspire and guide us today, in these difficult times, in defending our national independence,” she said. President of the Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou from Kalamatawhere he attended on anniversary events for release of city.
Mrs. Sakellaropoulou, after the eulogy at the Holy Temple of the Holy Apostles and the laying of a wreath at Iroos in the square of March 23, he stated that “the occupation of Kalamata on March 23, 1821 and its unconditional surrender to the rebellious Greeks, is a unique moment of the Greek national uprising ». At the same time, he underlined that “from here the strong wind of freedom blew, which swept all of Greece and swept the Ottoman tyranny. “The fighting spirit and fiery ideals of the heroic fighters of the Revolution continue to inspire and guide us today, in these difficult times, in defending our national independence.”
Then in special ceremony held at the Municipal Spiritual Center of the city, the President of the Republic was proclaimed honorary citizen Kalamataexpressing its special joy for this great honor and thanking the mayor of the city and its deputies, who welcomed her today as an honorary citizen, thus connecting her with the history and tradition of the city, but also its future – a a future that, as the President emphasized, “I firmly believe will be alive and prosperous in all areas”.
In particular, during her opposition, Ms. Sakellaropoulou underlined her emotion found today in historic Kalamata, on the anniversary of her liberation from the Ottoman yoke. As he said “in the first Greek city that surrendered to the Greeks, in the place where the leading figures of the Revolution of 1821 gathered to march towards the great powers, ‘we decided, in this case, either to be liberated, or to die'”.
At the same time, he stated that “their ideals, which were watered with their blood, guide us to this day. Their struggles for freedom, independence, self-determination, claiming a state power legitimized by the national will and controlled by the law, remain a historical lesson of the utmost importance in our fluid, dangerous and misinterpreted age. “The strong principles and values ​​that inspired them bind us to you.”
He also reminded that the Kalamata did not appear in history on its eve Revolution of 1821. “They are the ‘zatheai Firai’ of Homer, ptoliethron ‘near alos’. These are the Pharaohs mentioned by Pausanias in his ‘Messinian’, near the grove of Carnio Apollo. A small fortress-settlement in Byzantine times, it will fall into the hands of the Franks after the Fourth Crusade and will become the favorite city of William of Villehardouin. It will pass through Slavs, Greeks, Navarre knights, Venetians and, for about fifty years, from 1410 to 1459, it will be under the rule of the Palaeologans of Mystras. “The Ottomans, to whom the city will fall in 1715, will stay here for a little over a hundred years, since March 23, 1821 will mean the shaking off of their ‘vile tyranny’ and will awaken the whole Peloponnese nationally,” he noted.
He then referred in detail to the development of the now liberated, Kalamata, and referred to foreign travelers, who lyrically described the beauty of the landscape, while noting that over the decades, the area began to grow thanks to oil, silk, raisins and especially thanks to the demonic commercial spirit of its inhabitants.
Coming in recent years, he pointed out that Kalamata, sometimes as “Marseille of Moria” thanks to its busy port, fifth most important in Greece in the early 20th century, sometimes as a multidisciplinary cultural fabric with important municipal institutions of culture and international festivals and events. is an extroverted city, able to connect its tradition with its current physiognomy and to look forward to a fruitful future, a future of innovation, development and progress.
In the same context, he claimed that he was particularly pleased to follow the actions of the city on the occasion of anniversary of 200 years old from Revolution and found that beyond its commemoration, a major event in our history can enliven the life of the present. At the same time, he added that he is watching with even greater satisfaction the mobilization of the municipality of Kalamata to deal with the phenomenon of climate change and the orientation of the municipal authority to reduce energy consumption, both in electricity and heating units in all municipal buildings and school units, as well as to promote e-mobility.
He also added that Kalamata is a city that managed to heal the wounds of the catastrophic earthquake of 1986 and become more beautiful than before. “A city that, as I noticed on a recent visit, cares about the quality of life of its citizens with projects aimed at strengthening infrastructure, improving daily life, creating social structures to support the elderly, the homeless, the needy, women victims of violence . A city that welcomes me today as an honorary citizen, thus connecting me with its history and tradition, but also its future, a future that I firmly believe will be alive and prosperous in all areas. It is a great honor that you reserved for me today, Mr. Mayor, my dear associates. Thank you and I wish you inspiration and strength “concluded the President of the Republic.
Mrs. Sakellaropoulouearlier visited him kindergarten-kindergarten “Grandma’s orchard”, which hosts low income children and empowers those who face serious social challenges. The kindergarten has been operating since 1994 and is a donation of the Efstathia I. Costopoulou Foundation in the city of Kalamata.
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