Memorial event for the 81st anniversary of the Skamnia Holocaust

The emotion remained at the Memorial event, on the occasion of the 81st anniversary of the Holocaust of Skamnia, by the German Nazi occupiers, on April 20, 1943, the day that was the beginning of erasing from the map Palia Skamnia, a village of 250 stone-built houses with enclosed courtyards, a village with an old and a new Primary school, with a rich Library of important books and documents, a self-sufficient village where its inhabitants lived peacefully and did not starve during the occupation…

In memory of the people, but also of the old world who were lost, in the area of ​​the Memorial of the Fallen, the annual memorial service was held again this year on Sunday, April 21, 2024, by the priest, Fr. Ioannis Drachaliva, after the Divine Liturgy.

Afterwards, at the site of the Memorial, a Memorial event was held by the Association of Displaced Skamnionites everywhere, with speeches by the president of the Association Toula Mougdi on the importance of historical Memory, by the Association member Theologia Gougoula on the chronicle of the destruction-the bombing and of the arson, as recorded by the emeritus professor of Medicine of the AUTH, Ioannis Agorastos from Skamnia, and a speech by the member of the Association, educator, Archontia Giannakakis, on the utilization of the history of Skamnia in Education – in the direction of cultivating democratic values ​​and peaceful coexistence.

All the speeches conveyed a common message that, as long as the dramatic events of history are preserved in our memory, condemning them and honoring those who resisted, we prevent, but above all we resist, the phenomena of Nazism and fascism – which unfortunately are present today – and we defend the goods of life, liberty and peace.

With great interest and emotion, the attendees toured the outdoor exhibition of photographic and visual material, around the Skamnia holocaust – which was set up to enrich the event and to strengthen the Collective Memory.

The exhibition included the following topics:

• Old Stool: The small material, but such a big intangible Memory…
• Old Stool: Nature Covering Human Atrocities…
• Old Skamnia: The Church of the Holy Trinity
• We keep the Memory alive (from the actions of the Association)…
• Memory in Education for Democracy (from the visual material of the program “Democracy and Education: Enemy of Democracy, Nazism” of 5^u Lyceum of Larissa. Educator: Archontia Giannakakis
• The Martyric villages come to life… Thematic in the Arts class 5th Larissa High School in collaboration with the program of the 5^u Lyceum of Larissa. Educator: Evageli Karangelis

The event was attended by the Deputy Mayor of Education and Social Cohesion of the Municipality of Elassona, Elena Taze, the presidents of the local Communities, Ampelona Dimitrios Theocharidis, Karyas Nikolaos Katsivelos, Skamnias Konstantinos Moraitis and the representative of the Educational and Cultural Association of Karias (MESK Olympos) Eleni Spyraki.