Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni, on the occasion of her participation in the Informal Council of Ministers of Culture of the European Union, in Nicosia, at a special ceremony at the Cyprus Museum, handed over to the Deputy Minister of Culture of the Republic of Cyprus Lina Kassianidou, 48 Cypriot antiquities, which were repatriated from Greece.
As stated in the relevant press release, the antiquities in question come from the collection of Ambassador Christos Zacharakis and are exceptional examples of Cypriot culture, covering a wide chronological period, from the early Bronze Age to the medieval period. After the collector’s death, his heirs proceeded to hand over all the antiquities in his collection directly to the Greek state, with the sole wish that their provenance be investigated and returned to where they belong.
Culture Minister Lina Mendoni, in her speech at the handover ceremony, noted: “Today, we return to Cyprus, to the place that created them, 48 antiquities of Cypriot culture. It is our great joy and emotion when we welcome foreign antiquities to our country. However, it is equally our great joy when we return, when Greece returns, antiquities to the country where they belong. For this is the proper and moral thing to do. And this joy and emotion is even greater because we are repatriating antiquities to our country. Today is the ideal day for this repatriation. We have already passed most of the extremely successful Presidency of the Republic of Cyprus in the European Union. The Deputy Ministry of Culture has succeeded in achieving the important goals that we, the EU Member States, had set. One of the issues which you rightly decided to highlight during your Presidency is that of the illegal trafficking of cultural goods. Tomorrow, we will have the opportunity, within the Council, to discuss this issue once again, which is of concern to us all, but especially to countries such as ours, Cyprus and Greece. Greece, in accordance with the principles of the 1970 UNESCO International Convention, is working systematically and with great dedication to restore, as far as possible, its cultural heritage, but also to contribute to the restoration of the heritage of other countries and to the preservation of the historical memory of each people. For the protection of cultural heritage can only be achieved through cooperation, mutual assistance and mutual understanding between peoples and States.”
In closing her speech, Lina Mendoni said: “I would like to wish that others follow this example. I would like to hope that other countries and peoples who created them and whose cultural identity they are a component of willfully returning antiquities to their countries of origin. Cyprus, like Greece, has been plundered by various conquerors. We remember the struggle for the repatriation of stolen Cypriot cultural goods from the occupied territories, such as the Kanakaria frescoes. The possession of unique Cypriot archaeological and monumental ensembles, such as the ancient city of Salamina or Egkomi, does not allow for complacency. It requires constant vigilance on the part of all of us until the reunification of Cyprus, as provided for by international law and imposed by our historical and national responsibility.”
Deputy Minister of Culture Lina Kassianidou stressed: “The return of these antiquities is not simply a cooperation between the competent authorities of Cyprus and Greece, or another part of the bilateral agreement we signed with the Minister of Culture of the Hellenic Republic a year and a half ago, which we are implementing in many ways. It is, above all, a concrete example of how the protection of cultural heritage and the right of societies to keep alive their relationship with their history, memory and identity is being implemented in practice. For countries such as Cyprus and Greece, this debate is of particular importance and significance. Both countries have a cultural heritage of inestimable value. Both have experienced, in different ways and at different times, loss and dispossession, and both claim the return of their cultural assets. Our struggle is common and inextricably linked to our efforts to preserve our historical memory and roots. The Republic of Cyprus recently had the opportunity, in the context of the UNESCO proceedings in Paris, to reaffirm its firm support for Greece on the issue of the return of the Parthenon Sculptures to their place of origin. This position is not just an expression of solidarity with Greece, but an expression of our common principle: that cultural goods acquire significance and value when they are in a meaningful relationship with the place, its people, and their history.”
In closing, Lina Kassianidou said: “I would like to express my sincere thanks to the Minister of Culture of the Hellenic Republic who always supports anything and anyone who helps Cyprus, and to the competent authorities of Greece for their decisive contribution to the return of these antiquities to Cyprus. Our cooperation proves that, when there is political will, institutional consistency and a common commitment to the principles of cultural heritage protection, many goals can be achieved and substantial results can be obtained.”
The return of the 48 antiquities is another shining example of the brotherly relations between the two countries, which together continue to fight against the illegal trafficking of cultural goods, proving that respect for historical truth is the honest and ethical guide for the management of the monuments of the past.
The Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni was accompanied by the Counsellor of the Greek Embassy in Cyprus Konstantinos Soulios, the Head of the Directorate of Documentation and Protection of Cultural Assets Vasiliki Papageorgiou and officials of the Ministry of Culture. Present at the ceremony was the representative of the family Chr. Zacharakis’ family Stefanos Farmakas.
