Thessaloniki honors Ioannis Kapodistrias with new monument

The city of Thessaloniki held a ceremony to honor Ioannis Kapodistrias, the first Governor of Greece, on the 195th anniversary of his assassination. The event included the unveiling of a new bust located at the junction of Egnatia and Chalkéon streets in Dikastirion Square.

The 2.20-meter tall bronze relief bust, created by sculptor Georgios Kikotis, was donated to the municipality by the Corfiot Union of Thessaloniki ‘Agios Spyridon’. The monument features a white marble base and contains sacred relics from Corfu within its chest, including soil from Kapodistrias’ ancestral home and icons.

During the ceremony, Thessaloniki Mayor Stelios Angeloudis described Kapodistrias as a figure of “global stature and deep Greek consciousness” who worked to build the institutions of the modern Greek state. Metropolitan Philotheos of Thessaloniki also spoke, reflecting on the historical divisions that led to the Governor's assassination in Nafplio on September 27, 1831.

Historical accounts note that Kapodistrias, a former Russian Foreign Minister, sought to stabilize the fledgling nation's economy and institutions despite significant internal factionalism and financial hardship. His death is viewed by historians as a tragic turning point that delayed the country's modernization.