Press

The initiative of the Captain Vassilis and Carmen Konstantakopoulos Foundation and Costa Navarino was inaugurated with the presence of prominent personalities and organizations.

With the participation of more than 70 institutions, organizations and companies participating in the program, MORIAS ’21, the initiative developed by the Captain Vassilis and Carmen Konstantakopoulos Foundation and TEMES SA, was presented online on Monday, May 17, addressing an open call to all Greeks to meet this year in the Peloponnese, the place where the Struggle for Independence was established!

The initiative is under the auspices of the Greece 2021 Committee and the General Secretariat of Hellenes Abroad and Public Diplomacy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which promotes the programme to foreign authorities, expatriate media and expatriate organizations. The programme is implemented with strategic partners – the Peloponnese Region and the Municipalities of East Mani, West Mani, Kalamata, Corinth, Monemvasia, Nafplio, Pylos-Nestoros, Tripoli, as well as with the Municipalities of Messina, Oichalia, Trifilia.

Representatives of the institutions that contributed to the design and implementation of the programme – all prominent personalities of local government and business and academia – graced the event with their presence.

In her greeting, the Chairman of the “Greece 2021” Committee, Mr. Gianna Angelopoulou-Daskalaki, stated: “The Greece 2021 Committee embraced this innovative program from the very beginning, hosting it under its auspices. Not just because it falls within the framework of the axes delimiting the anniversary programme coordinated by the Commission. But because the very philosophy behind the programme – the effort to connect the past with the present, the participation and mobilization of all the creative forces of the region, the concern for the promotion of the local community and the creation of a legacy for tomorrow— are also key elements of how the Commission itself approached the anniversary celebration. ”

The Regional Governor of the Peloponnese, Mr. Panagiotis Nikas, noted: “The heart of the Greek Revolution in 1821, beat in the Peloponnese! As a Region, for the 200th anniversary of the Revolution, we implement actions with the main characteristic of quality and with a view to the future and future generations, for this we cooperate with the Capt. Vassilis and Carmen Konstantakopoulou Foundation and TEMES.AE, which have great cultural activity and offer in Messinia and the whole Peloponnese “.

The Advisor to the National Bank and Coordinator of the “Initiative 1821-2021”, Mr. Ioannis Manos, referred to the physiognomy of the Initiative and the important role played by the Captain Vassilis & Carmen Konstantakopoulos Foundation and stressed that “the emblematic action” connects history with the future, and in particular with the development, nature and the environment, quality of life and culture.”

In a special video that was shown at the event , the Mayors of the areas where the actions of the programmes will be implemented, invited all Greeks to discover the place where the flame of the Revolution was lit.

The event was coordinated by Alexandra Tiligada, Co-Founder of Discover Greek Culture, a company that has undertaken the implementation and coordination of the programme.

The President of the Captain Vassilis and Carmen Konstantakopoulos Foundation and TEMES SA, Mr. Achilleas V. Konstantakopoulos shared the vision of the programme stating: “ We created the Call in Morias. We believe that this is the biggest message of the celebration. Together, we can achieve more. This is what our ancestors did and they learned from both the successes they enjoyed when they were united and the failures when they were not. The revolution of 1821 showed us that only when all the forces of the nation were united, we achieved the impossible “.

MORIAS ’21 is a complete cultural tourism programme that, through 21 thematic routes, connects emblematic cities of the Peloponnese, highlights the history of the place and the role of each city in the Struggle for Independence. The itineraries are three days, five days or seven days and show the known and unknown monuments of each city, while they are enriched with 4 axes of activities that focus on History, Art, Gastronomy and Nature. The scientific documentation of the programme has been undertaken by the University of Peloponnese, with the coordination of Professor Nikolaos Zacharias and the supervision in matters of documentation by the emeritus Professor Thanos Veremis and Professor Thanasis Christos. The actions of the programme will begin to unfold gradually in the coming months. More information about the programme can be found here: https://www.morias21.com/

The Rector of the University of Peloponnese and Professor of the Department of Social and Educational Policy, Mr. Athanasios Katsis underlined the relationship between the Peloponnese and the Struggle for Independence and said that “The University of Peloponnese is very proud of its historical region of the country “.

Below in detail, the 4 axes of actions of the program:

• History: Using high technology and modern audiovisual media, paintings by Greek and foreign artists donated by the Benaki Museum, the National History Museum and the Folklore Museum of Kalamata, will be brought to life digitally in conjunction with the narration of events by their protagonists. Pylos (Tsiklitira House), Kalamata (Cultural Center), Tripoli (Petropouleio Legacy), East Mani (Old Town Hall of Areopolis) and Nafplio (Parliament). The program is implemented with the support of the companies of the Urban Non-Profit Company of Cultural and Public Benefit Project AEGEAS, the Public Benefit Foundation for Social and Cultural Work, KOUROS Maritime Enterprises and Mytilineos.
• At the same time, in collaboration with the George and Victoria Karelia Foundation and the Lyceum of Greek Women of Kalamata, the modular exhibition of Greek costumes “O Morias tis Eleftherias” will take place, presenting traditional local costumes of the Peloponnese and the Saronic Gulf.
• Art: Young artists will intervene in the urban environment of selected cities of the Peloponnese, with 10 modern, public murals of heroes that highlight a single Peloponnesian narrative! The programme is implemented by the 13th Laboratory of the School of Fine Arts under the supervision of the President of the Department of Fine Arts, Dr. Eratos Hadjisavva, who is responsible for the historical documentation and the artistic supervision of the illustration.
• Gastronomy: The dietary habits of the Fighters of 1821 give rise to a special gastronomic journey in history, in collaboration with the 5 Chambers of the Peloponnese Region but also with Professional Associations: Materials, flavours and secrets of a distant era highlighted by research at the University of Peloponnese and Gastronomos magazine, intersect in a special menu created by beloved chef Lefteris Lazarou entitled “The Dishes of the Revolution”! The master of wine Konstantinos Lazarakis curates local varieties of wines to pair with these revolutionary repasts. Through 12 cooking videos, the programme trains restaurants in the Peloponnese in the preparation of recipes, while it addresses a call to all the emblematic restaurants of the country, to be inspired and to include in their menu dishes inspired by the Revolution, with  their own creative approach!
• Nature: Centuries-old trees of the Peloponnese narrate important moments of the Struggle and acquire special significance. In this way, they become living witnesses of the events of the time. In collaboration with the University of Peloponnese and with the support of the Olayan Group, the programme maps the centuries-old trees of Morias and highlights 27 trees-witnesses of the events of the revolution. Simultaneously, educational activities have been planned st all schools in Greece with the Center for Environmental Education of Kalamata and the Agricultural University of Athens.
• Courtesy of the Benaki Museum, paintings with themes from the history of the Revolution are revived in an innovative way by Tableaux Vivants in open spaces and shop windows, in collaboration with the attica department stores and Lamda Development in Athens and Thessaloniki.
• Together with the company My Greek Games, the programme has created the family board game entitled “Journey to Freedom”, which will be available at PUBLIC and in stores throughout Greece. The Game shows how different forces, warlords, intellectuals, politicians, nobles and philhellenes work together for freedom.

In collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Hellenic Initiative and the South East European Studies at Oxford (SEESOX) of the University of Oxford, the programmeinvites Greeks from the Diaspora to come to Greece this year to live history by saying ” Im in Morias too!

For any information about the program, you can visit the website

https://www.morias21.com/

For more information:

Sofia Antoniadou, CEO / Co-Founder Discover Greek Culture, Email: press@morias21.com, Tel .: 6974146461

Chrysostomos Agapitos, Account Manager V + O Communication, Email: ca@vando.gr, Tel .: 6932580089