Alismoniton Patridon Square

The Park of Unforgettable or Lost Homelands was built in 1982-1986 to mark Thessaloniki’s 2300th birthday. It covers a large area and includes a small outdoor amphitheatre, an open space, lawns, ornamental plants, and a staircase leading to the monument dedicated to the Lost Homelands of Hellenism. The memorial is the work of the sculptor Efthymios Kalevras and was inaugurated on June 16, 1997. Its construction was made possible thanks to the generous contribution of refugee municipalities, communities, associations, citizens, Greek immigrants, and Greek organisations abroad.

The memorial gives a prominent position to a family of Pontic Greeks. The armed guerrilla fighter turns to the west (the new homeland in Greece) while the woman faces east (the unforgettable and lost homeland). Two children represent the future and endurance. The icon refers to Orthodoxy as a source of strength and continuity with the Byzantine tradition, while the lute is the characteristic Asia Minor musical instrument. The couplet in the left column is a trademark of Pontic Hellenism and Pontic folk tradition: “Romania, even if taken, flourishes and brings more”. The right column lists fourteen regions from which the Greeks were expelled.