VIDEOCAST - Inauguration Ceremony of the Ioannis Makriyannis Wing

On June 2, 2018 the American School of Classical Studies at Athens and the Gennadius Library, inaugurated the new Ioannis Makriyannis Wing, named after the Great General by the Makcricostas Family Foundation.

*A few words about Ioannis Makriyannis:

Yannis Makriyannis (1797–1864), born Ioannis Triantaphyllou, was a Greek merchant, military officer, politician and author, best known today for his Memoirs. Starting from humble origins, he joined the Greek struggle for independence, achieving the rank of general and leading his men to notable victories. Following Greek independence, he had a tumultuous public career, playing a prominent part in the granting of the first Constitution of the Kingdom of Greece and later being sentenced to death and pardoned.

Despite his important contributions to the political life of the early Greek state, general Makriyannis is mostly remembered for his Memoirs. Aside from being a source of historical and cultural information about the period, this work has also been called a "monument of Modern Greek literature", as it is written in pure Demotic Greek. Indeed, its literary quality led Nobel laureate Giorgos Seferis to call Makriyannis one of the greatest masters of Modern Greek prose.

Inauguration Ceremony of the Ioannis Makriyannis Wing from ASCSA on Vimeo.

Inauguration Ceremony of the new Ioannis Makriyannis Wing and the renovation of the West Wing of the Gennadius Library of the American School of Classical Studies

Jenifer Neils
Maria Georgopoulou
George Makricostas
Alex Zagoreos
Geoffrey Pyatt
Andreas Zombanakis

Τελετή Αγιασμού - Επίσκοπος Φαναρίου Αγαθάγγελος

The inauguration ceremony was followed with a performance by Giannis Simonides, entitled "Memoirs of Makriyannis" - "Απμνημονεύματα Μακρυγιάννη"

At the end of the ceremony a reception was offered to celebrate the occasion, in the Costen Garden and Leventis Garden.