Melissanidis is moved by the Museum of Refugee Hellenism of AEK: “Deposit of life and soul”

The Museum of Refugee Hellenism of AEK was presented today for the first time, at the stadium of the “yellow and black” in New Philadelphia.

The “present” at the event was given, of course, by Dimitris Melissanidiswho described the completed project as a “dedication of life and soul,” speaking to the guests with emotion.

In detail, his speech:

“In the difficult times we live in with two open wars in Europe and the Middle East, it is a great consolation to inaugurate the museum of refugee Hellenism, a museum containing priceless relics from Constantinople, the Pontus and Asia Minor. I hope that this Museum, constantly being enriched in the future, will symbolize the history of centuries to the next generations.

With God’s help, today we were able to present two important achievements. We founded two brilliant projects. The stadium jewel of AEK, OPAP Arena, which is rightfully considered the best in the country, but also this Museum of Refugee Hellenism with the title ‘The Ark of Romiosyny’, as named by his two godfathers. The great Mikis Theodorakis and Eleni Glykatzi-Arveler.

But soon the third child will be born, the museum of AEK. The children of AEK are triplets, unfolding the legacy of a historic club, but also of the millions of friends of our team. What you see here is an antidote to the greatness of the hundreds of thousands of Asia Minor and Pontians who live from one end to the other throughout Greece. They are deposits of life and dreams, they are the flowers of piety, of this whole world that left the unruly and untamed homelands and created the epic of the new Greece.

I find it very moving that dozens of anonymous people come every day and leave a piece that is their talisman, the hidden legacy of the ancestors, which they hold tightly in their hearts. Great personalities of our country have left legacies. The lord of Greek business, Aristotle Onassis, Dimitris Psathas, the journalist who moved mountains and changed regimes with his caustic pen. Lefteris Papadopoulos who has written half the Greek song. Giorgos Dalaras and Haris Alexiou who sang about Asia Minor, this work by Apostolos Kardaras that moves all Greeks. I would say that a titan of Greek song, Stelios Kazantzidis, is also located in this museum, he will see it from up there and his soul will rejoice.

It is most evident that there is a connecting link in these pages of history and that is sunny orthodoxy. Because Orthodoxy is wealth and the root of immortality, it inspired those who fought to free the homeland and us who never want to forget them. The fact of your presence today makes me happy, it gives me the liberating feeling that I too, as one of you, when the time came, did my duty. You will soon take a walk in this museum, it is a walk through the history of Greece, Asia Minor and Pontus.

With shock and awe, ordinary people gave us something that was unique to them, like an icon, so this space is the seven-light lamp that always burns in every refugee heart, that has within it the nosto, that is, the good return and until the end of the world this longing will not come from the heart of any of us. In closing, I would like to thank Mr. Ilias Papageorgiou and his team and the head of the whole effort, our lawyer, Mrs. Efi Mavropoulou.”

Watch the videos shared by PAE AEK: