Melbourne’s Pontian community came together on Sunday, May 18, to commemorate the Greek Genocide, with a moving memorial service held at the Holy Monastery of Axion Estin in Northcote.
The day’s events, organised by the youth of the Coordinating Committee for the Pontian Genocide Commemorations, paid tribute to the innocent lives lost during the systematic extermination of Greeks from the Pontus region between 1913 and 1923.
The commemoration began with a solemn Divine Liturgy, followed by a memorial service at the Monastery’s “Monument of the Fallen.”
Wreaths were laid in honour of the victims, with a large number of participants in attendance. Distinguished guests included the Consul General of Greece in Melbourne, Dimitra Georgantzoglou, Member for Northcote Kat Theophanous MP, and former MP Chris Crewther.
In the evening, a screening of the documentary Lethal Nationalism – Genocide of the Greeks 1913–1923 took place at Pontiaki Estia. Produced by the Asia Minor and Pontos Hellenic Research Centre (AMPHRC), the film explored the historical context, atrocities committed, and lasting consequences of the genocide. A Q&A session followed, led by historian Terry Stavridis, who shared his research and insights into the period.
Coordinator Aliki Souliotis said the events were organised by second and third generation Pontians who felt a strong duty to uphold the legacy of their ancestors.
“As second and third generation Pontians, we feel the responsibility to sustain the culture and heritage that our ancestors were able to bring with them to the diaspora, despite enduring a myriad of trials and tribulations,” she said.
“It is pivotal that we continue to carry on the remembrance of Pontos and its heritage, so that the lives lost may be commemorated forever.”
*All photos supplied by: Stephanos Eleftheriadis.
