Monument Vandalised in Thessaloniki Memorial Park

The news in Greek

1. μνημείο (n.)
   έργο τέχνης ή κατασκευή για ανάμνηση ενός σημαντικού γεγονότος ή προσώπου ↩︎
2. βανδαλισμός (m.)
   καταστροφή ή ζημιά σε περιουσία ή έργο τέχνης ↩︎
3. αστυνομικός
   που σχετίζεται με την αστυνομία ↩︎
4. δράστης (m.)
   άτομο που έχει διαπράξει παράνομη πράξη ↩︎
5. καταγγέλλω
   κάνω επίσημη δήλωση για κάτι το παράνομο ή κατακριτέο ↩︎
6. βανδαλισμός (m.)
   καταστροφή ή ζημιά σε περιουσία ή έργο τέχνης ↩︎
7. προσβολή (f.)
   ενέργεια που προκαλεί προσβολή ή ασέβεια ↩︎
8. μνημείο (n.)
   έργο τέχνης ή κατασκευή για ανάμνηση ενός σημαντικού γεγονότος ή προσώπου ↩︎

Translation

Text Comprehension

Question: What are the police doing to find the vandals?

Question: Who will restore the vandalised monument?

Vocabulary

Greek	English
μνημείο (n.)	monument
βανδαλισμός (m.)	vandalism
αστυνομικός	police
δράστης (m.)	perpetrators
καταγγέλλω	report
προσβολή (f.)	insult

Read the full story

Unveiled in June 2023, the monument is a significant installation, standing as a sculpted column six metres high, topped by seven illuminated birds symbolising the resilience of memory. It was erected as part of the park’s dedication to the history and memory of the Pontian and Asia Minor refugees.

The city’s administration has filed a formal complaint and is deeply concerned about the attack, which is suspected to have been motivated either by the attempted theft of metal or as an affront to those it commemorates. The vandals not only damaged the structure but also disabled its lighting system.

Mayor Simos Daniilidis expressed his disdain for the act, condemning those responsible as disrespectful. He underscored the offence inflicted upon the memory of ancestors who suffered in the past, suggesting that those involved are, in effect, aligning themselves with historical oppressors.

Efforts to restore the monument are underway, with the intent to return it to its former state as quickly as possible. The original creator, Professor Giorgos Tsaras of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki’s School of Fine Arts, will oversee the restoration process.

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