The Presidential Guard paid tribute to the Pontian Genocide with a meaningful ceremony, where the Evzones, adorned in traditional Pontian attire, performed the changing of the guard at Syntagma Square on the anniversary of the genocide that took place 106 years ago.
A significant crowd gathered in central Athens to witness the ceremony, honoring the memory of the 353,000 individuals who lost their lives and those who were forced from their homelands.
The Guard facilitated three changes of the guard, with the Evzones, dressed in traditional Pontian attire, symbolically standing guard at the Unknown Soldier monument.
Representatives from Pontian associations were present, with plans for a wreath-laying ceremony and a procession towards the Turkish embassy.
May 19 is commemorated as the Day of Remembrance for the Pontian Greeks’ genocide. On this date in 1919, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk arrived in Samsun, signaling the beginning of a more lethal phase of the genocide—an ongoing campaign that commenced earlier and continued until 1923. During this tragic period, around 353,000 Greeks from Pontus—men, women, and children—suffered systematic extermination.
Emotional scenes unfolded at Syntagma Square as Evzones in traditional Pontian costumes performed the changing of the guard, commemorating this somber chapter in history.
The event featured participation from Pontian associations, including wreath-laying and a march to the Turkish embassy to honor the victims.
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