Pieria community holds memorial for Pontic, Asia Minor, and Thracian refugees

Several refugee associations and cultural organizations held a joint memorial event titled “Memories that endure, roots that are not uprooted” at the Agios Fotios Spiritual Center in Pieria, Greece. The event, held on October 31, 2026, was co-organized by the Pontian Union of Pieria, the Thracian Hearth of Katerini, the Association of Asia Minor Greeks of Pieria, and the Pieria Writers Union.

Kostas Papoutsidis, President of the Pontian Union of Pieria, delivered a speech honoring the historical memory and contributions of refugees to modern Greece. He specifically addressed the 353,000 victims of the Pontian Greek Genocide and emphasized the shared heritage of Pontian, Asia Minor, and Thracian communities. The program included choral performances, poetry readings, and traditional songs intended to combat historical amnesia.