Agreement for donation to create a National Museum of 1821 signed

National Defence Minister Nikos Dendias and Culture Minister Lina Mendoni have signed an agreement for a donation to finance the creation of a National Museum dedicated to the Greek Revolution of 1821.
The signing ceremony took place on Thursday in the “Ioannis Kapodistrias” Hall of the Ministry of National Defence. On behalf of the Antonios E. Komninos Foundation, which is making the donation, the agreement was signed by its president, Antonios Komninos, while the National Gallery – Alexandros Soutsos Museum was represented by the Chair of its Board of Directors, Olga Mentzafou.
“There is now a strong bond with the Ministry of Culture,” Dendias noted in his address. He added: “It is a warm and enduring partnership that has found common ground both in the Archaeological Museum project and in the support that the Ministry of Defence naturally provides in this endeavour. More broadly, we seek to strengthen the connection between our Armed Forces, the Ministry of Culture and our cultural heritage.”
For her part, Mendoni stressed that “the generous donation of the Antonios Komninos Foundation fills a significant gap in the country’s museum landscape.” She explained that “this is not simply the launch of another museum initiative” but rather “ the creation of a gallery dedicated exclusively to the struggle of the Greek Revolution of 1821.”
The President of the Antonios E. Komninos Foundation stated: “ With the signing of the agreement, we are laying the foundations for a shared commitment to preserve and showcase one of the most important chapters in the history of Hellenism. The Antonios E. Komninos Foundation, remaining faithful to its charitable and cultural mission, considers the safeguarding of historical memory to be a responsibility of the highest order, both national and personal. For this reason, we first proceeded with the donation of our collection of Greek works of art and historical artefacts to the National Gallery – Alexandros Soutsos Museum. This collection was assembled over many years with great care, perseverance and deep respect for the history of Hellenism and Philhellenism.”
The National Museum of 1821 will bring together, house and showcase museum exhibits and historical artefacts from both public and private collections, with a particular focus on the Greek War of Independence.