A monument, The Tree of Souls – The Beginning, was unveiled Saturday in Athens, marking two years since the Tempi train disaster. Featuring 57 golden birds inscribed with the names and ages of the victims, the monument stands as a tribute to those lost in Greece’s deadliest train crash.

Held at Ermou and Piraeus Park, opposite Technopolis, the ceremony drew families, officials, and citizens. Attendees sat around the tree, reading the engraved names: “George. 57”, “Agapi. 23”, “Vasilios – Kyriakos. 50”, “Sotirios. 27”, “Anastasia. 24”, “Denis. 22”, “Kyprianos. 23”, “Vana. 42”, “Ifigenia. 22”, “Eleni. 21”, “Claudia. 20”, “Marthi. 20”. At noon, silence fell in remembrance.

Athens Mayor Haris Doukas dedicated the monument as a symbol of solidarity. “Consider this monument of the Municipality of Athens – The ‘Tree of Souls’ – as a sign of solidarity and support in the battle you are fighting,” he said. “It should remind those in power that protecting human life is a daily struggle with dedication and seriousness… It should awaken society by reminding it that Democracy and Justice are not self-evident benefits, but values we must defend every day.”

Relatives of the victims spoke with grief and determination for justice.

Pavlos Aslanidis, father of 26-year-old Dimitris, said, “My personal wish was for this tree to be placed after the murderers were convicted. But that doesn’t matter. All Greeks will see it now and it will remind us of the murder that took place in Tempi… We must achieve the rule of law and stop building monuments for murdered people.”

Elias Papagelis, father of 18-year-old Anastasia, urged accountability: “This monument should be thought about by all those in positions of responsibility. So that they know that with their actions, their signatures, and their decisions, they influence human existence.”

Vasilis Hadjicharalambous, father of 29-year-old Panagiotis, declared, “We are all talking about the Tempi tragedy. In Tempi it was not a tragedy. It was a crime… Here barbarity happened and as a Greek I am ashamed. After yesterday’s rallies, all politicians must take responsibility.”

Artist Maria Mandaki called the monument “a monument of soul deposition… Because for 2 years now, we have all become one soul that mourns and one voice that demands Justice.”

Ioannis Sandexis, who conceived the project, added, “Your children became our children, and your relatives our relatives. We planted a tree today to bring back the oxygen that we miss so much, so that we do not forget the 57 victims and the injured of Tempi.”

Unveiling of the “Tree of Memory” monument in Thessaloniki with the names of the 57 victims of the Tempi railway tragedy, Sunday 2 March 2025. It is a “twin project” created by the artist Maria Mandaki and started its journey from Athens to Thessaloniki. In the monument located in Athens and unveiled on Saturday 1/03/25, the birds are on the branches of the tree. In contrast, in the one in Thessaloniki they are on the roots. The trunk of the “Tree of Memory” has been erected on a rock in the garden of the Evening Sun, in Nea Paralia in Thessaloniki. The birds write on it the names of the victims of the railway tragedy.
(VASSILIS VERVERIDIS/MOTIODÉONTEAM)

A sister memorial was unveiled on Sunday in Thessaloniki.

The unveiling follows nationwide rallies and ongoing calls for accountability.