The IMMA Central Event for the 120th anniversary of the death of Pavlos Melas was held with great success

With great success and in a particularly moving atmosphere, the Central Commemorative Event for the 120th anniversary of the death of Pavlos Melas and the start of the Macedonian Struggle took place on Saturday, October 12, 2024, in the packed event hall of the Thessaloniki Chamber of Commerce and Industry (TCCI), by the Foundation of the Museum of the Macedonian Struggle and the Modern History of Macedonia (IMMA) in co-organization with TCCI.

As part of the IMMA’s anniversary program of events, the inaugural Commemorative Event took place in the presence of hundreds of guests who watched with undiminished interest the honorary speeches of the presenters regarding the emblematic Macedonian fighter and national hero Pavlos Melas.

The Vice-President of TCCI, Mr. Emmanuel Vlachogiannis, in his greeting praised the heroism and sacrifice of Pavlos Melas and enthusiastically underlined the importance of the honorary cooperation of TCCI with IMMA. In his own greeting, respectively, the President of IMMA, Mr. Nikolaos Margaropoulos, thanked TCCI for the cooperation and emphasized that IMMA consistently seeks to preserve the memory of the hero Pavlos Melas through the permanent display collection of his personal objects and heirlooms, courtesy of his descendant, Mrs. Natalia Ioannidi, but also the publishing activity and organization of events that highlight his sacred legacy, which remains alive 120 years after his death.

In the keynote speeches, the Professor of Modern History of AUTH, Mr. Vassilis K. Gounaris, cited data from the thorough research he has been conducting for years regarding the causes and manner of death of Second Lieutenant Melas, in October 1904, in Statitsa, Kastoria. As a result of his systematic study, he presented with rich audio-visual material the different versions surrounding the circumstances of Mela’s death and the operation to recover his body, and gave personal reflections and the admission that many of the questions still remain open.

With the pulse of the live narration of the experiences and numerous references to anecdotal sources from his personal archive, the Deputy Minister of the Interior, sector of Macedonia and Thrace, Mr. Konstantinos P. Gioulekas, shared with the audience unseen aspects of the history of the Macedonian Struggle and the family of Pavlos Melas. The rare and original photographic material that accompanied the testimonies of the descendants of the Macedonian warrior hero and the vivid narration of incidents from his own research and journalistic reports, as well as his personal history as a descendant of Macedonian warriors, awakened memories and captivated those present.