The Greek Ministry of National Defense held a solemn ceremony on the evening of Wednesday, March 26, unveiling the “Ark of National Memory,” a sculpture by renowned artist Costas Varotsos. The monument is dedicated to the 121,692 fallen soldiers of Greece’s national struggles.
The event was attended by former Prime Ministers Kostas Karamanlis, Antonis Samaras, and Panagiotis Pikrammenos, Speaker of the Hellenic Parliament Nikitas Kaklamanis, former President of the Republic Prokopis Pavlopoulos, as well as members of the government and numerous MPs.
During the presentation, Minister of National Defense Nikos Dendias delivered an emotional speech, accompanied by the mournful tones of the Armed Forces Philharmonic.
The “Ark of National Memory” is surrounded by two groves of olive trees—one with 25 trees and another with 28—symbolizing March 25, 1821, the start of the Greek War of Independence, and October 28, 1940, the date of Greece’s entry into World War II.
Additionally, an ongoing initiative will see the planting of 400 trees at the Papagos military camp, representing the 400 years of Ottoman rule. These trees will also serve as a green lung for the area.
Plans are also underway for the construction of an underground parking facility with 1,232 spaces, allowing the above-ground area to be transformed into additional green space.
Artist Costas Varotsos revealed that the façade of the Ministry of National Defense building will undergo a facelift, with scaffolding already in place.
In his note about the project, Varotsos explained:
“This is a comprehensive approach to both the building and its surrounding environment as a unified aesthetic concept. Two key elements stand out: the evolution of the Monument of the Immortals of the Nation and the new façade of the ministry’s facilities. The monument consists of vertical glass columns engraved with the names of those who fell in battle for Greece from 1830 to 1974.”
