92nd Year Commemoration of the Smyrna Greek Genocide, Great Fire of Smyrna, and the Asia Minor Catastrophe

We are again at this point in the year, especially with Christmas toay, when we look back and remember the Greek people of Smyrna, and recall the sacrifices that they made. Those unfortunate people who never left their beloved homelands, leaving their final agonizing breaths in their Smyrna, and, those more fortunate who left with only the clothes on their back, largely never to return to their birthplace, a centre of Hellenism for many years.

The 92nd Year Commemoration of the Smyrna Greek Genocide, Great Fire of Smyrna, and the Asia Minor Catastrophe is always an occasion mixed with much pain, consternation, but, on the other hand, the belief that the human spirit can overcome insurmountable odds, and emerge victorious. I do believe that Turkey has indeed come a long way since Mustapha Kemal's armies arrived and turned Smyrna into an unspeakable heap of ash and untold human misery. Turkey still does have a long way to go in terms of human rights and the proper recognition of their past, in order to become a European country in the way that they believe they should be.

The current president of the country appears to be a man of more integrity, subtlety, and much more nous than many of his predecessors, and recognizes that the country has a deep Greek history. He does not seem to have the overwhelming hatred of Greek people that plagued Kemal, a man born in Greece, who, from what I comprehend, was never a person to negotiate, but just take, a universal problem everywhere, which only has negative repercussions, the Smyrna events of 1922 a prime example.

It is a shame that this event ever occurred, but, the past cannot be undone. It also, unfortunately, exposed the seedy, and uncompromising, underbelly of Europe, in the way that the whole situation played out with many European countries firstly on Greece's side, then defecting to the Turkish side, which is a pattern that plagues Europe whenever Greece is in trouble. It is representative of a lack of culture on their part, and that the decimation of Greek culture will only take attention away from their deficiencies. It is hoped that something can be learned from this situation so that it does not occur again, and that people can live together in peace, and harmony, which would have been the wish of the soulful, clever, and unique Greek citizens of Smyrna.

"Στην άκρη των χειλιών το ναι" Part 9

The ninth, and final part of the documentary deals with how it is not a good thing to senselessly wipe out historical artifacts such as these buildings, but that the overriding factor in all of this comes down to money. It is also typical of Greece that there is no museum of cultural revolutions and wars that took place, and left their mark on the country, unlike other European nations. It is also stated that a city without an history is a city that cannot survive in the long term. I hope that you have found this documentary to be both stimulating, thought-provoking, and interesting. It presents another side to the refugee experience of the Greek people of Asia Minor, and how this horrific event in Greek history still influences what is taking place in Greece to the present day.

"Στην άκρη των χειλιών το ναι" Part 8

The solutions presented to the issue of what will happen to the buildings is one that appears to favour the interests of certain business groups, and not the population, or the city as a whole. Despite this, many inhabitants are adamant that they wish to remain in the buildings. They not only have a sentimental attachment to the building, as they were raised there, but it is also a connection to their parents and families who have long since passed on. The razing of old buildings and the erection of new multi-storey buildings, though, is a common incident, as many aristocratic houses fell, and keeping falling to the same fate many times. Please enjoy part eight of this multi-part series.

"Στην άκρη των χειλιών το ναι" Part 7

Part Seven of the documentary deals with how the tenants of the refugee settlement in the suburb of Drapetsona are being forced out of their houses with no economic remuneration in return for their houses. The main reason that the houses were branded as being of little value is that they were affected by an earthquake which occurred some years ago. The current tenants want to stay in their homes, and took their complaint higher, and it was decided that the actions of developers to oust people from their homes were not legal, but the debate rages on as to how to utilize these buildings. Please enjoy this installment in the series.

"Στην άκρη των χειλιών το ναι" Part 6

The continued deterioration of the buildings largely serves as the rationale to have these demolished, due to their state as an eyesore in the urban landscape. Several tenants have sold on the basis that they may be forced to vacate the building at some point if there is a need for this to happen. One owner states that this is a vicious cycle for him, being that he may have to leave involuntarily, as his father was a refugee, and that, ironically, he will be in the same position if he has to leave his house. Part Six also touches upon the fact that there is interest on the part of developers in the land, but not in saving the present structure.

"Στην άκρη των χειλιών το ναι" Part 5

Over the course of time, demographic and other changes made their impact in the areas where the refugees settled. The entrance of immigrants from the Balkan countries and Albania were significant. It is also interesting how there are both business buildings and a hospital in close vicinity which stand in contrast to the refugee housing settlement. This has had a negative effect on the quality of life in this area with unregulated parking issues and other problems stemming from poor Council practices. Please enjoy part five of this documentary.

"Στην άκρη των χειλιών το ναι" Part 4

Part Four explores how the refugee families who lived in this building retreated during World War II to the Panathinaiko Stadium for shelter, but that this was not the safest place for them either. The British planes caused the exterior damage to the buildings during the wartime, and this remains to the present. There is also a movement to demolish the buildings, which is vehemently opposed by the current tenants. I hope you find this instalment of interest.

"Στην άκρη των χειλιών το ναι" Part 3

The third part of this documentary goes into detail about the architectural, and other features of the building erected for the Greek refugees of Asia Minor in Athens. A gentleman of refugee parents recounts how he lived in the building from birth, and how he still lives there. His home has been lovingly refurbished, and updated by him in keeping with the style of the building. He also elaborates upon the advantages of living in this building, for example, how it does not feel like living in an apartment block. Please enjoy part three of this documentary.

"Στην άκρη των χειλιών το ναι" Part One

The burning of Greek Smyrna in 1922, the massacre of its population, and the consequent, and unjust, expulsion of its remaining Greek citizens, is vividly portrayed by this video, which touchingly depicts these events through the employment of archival footage, and eyewitness accounts from those directly affected by these events. It also delves into the horrific time that these people endured in makeshift houses in Greece, and other substandard conditions. They say that pictures paint a thousand words, and seeing these images only makes one understand the plight of Greek people of Smyrna at this point in time, and sympathize fully with them.

91st Year Commemoration of the Smyrna Greek Genocide, Great Fire of Smyrna, and the Asia Minor Catastrophe

Today marks the 91st year since the Smyrna Greek Genocide, Great Fire of Smyrna, and the Asia Minor Catastrophe. As with every year, we remember the Greek people of Smyrna who lost their lives, and the other Greek Smyrnaeans who escaped with their lives, and only the clothes on their backs, to establish new lives, and become acquainted with a new way of life in other countries. 
 

 

As the years pass by, I keep returning to the consensus that this horrific act could have been avoided by all parties involved in this conflict, and that things could have been very different if it never occurred. While it is always easy to reflect on matters in hindsight, it makes me think about how things would have been if these events never occurred.

 

Would Smyrna still have a burgeoning Greek community to this day, or, would a number of pogroms or other crimes have been committed to force the Greek citizens of Smyrna to leave their place of birth? If things never came to a head in this way, and Greek and Turkish people still lived together in Smyrna, how would Turkish people envision Greek people in the current day?

 

Unfortunately these are questions that will never be answered, but the current good relations between both countries is heartening, despite their tortured mutual histories. It is always mindful to remember that history cannot be re-written, and denials of what really happened in Smyrna in 1922 are not helpful, and this incident will appear at the most unexpected of times. Any which way, may God rest the souls of those who suffered in Smyrna, and may their relatives long cherish their spirit, and be mindful of the sacrifices they had to make.

90th Year Commemoration of the Smyrna Greek Genocide, Great Fire of Smyrna, and the Asia Minor Catastrophe

Today is the 90th Year Commemoration of the Smyrna Greek Genocide, the Great Fire of Smyrna, and the Asia Minor Catastrophe. This is a day when many Greek people the world over will take an extended look over their lives, especially those people who have ancestry from Smyrna, and remember their relatives and ancestors, those who fell in Smyrna from the events of 1922, and, those who fled for lands afar, to re-build their lives from the ashes, and emerge victorious.

 





 

When I think of Greek Smyrna, it evokes, for myself, many beautiful feelings and sentiments. Greek Smyrna, for me, is like a smorgasbord of wonderful things: a cosmopolitan place where its Greek inhabitants were able to flourish and prosper, and had their own distinctive way of life which could not be duplicated anywhere else. From their unique way of looking at life, their music, respect for religion, education and higher learning, wonderful family interactions, their cuisine and, above all, their pride in their Hellenism, these qualities set them apart from other branches of Hellenism for taking it to new heights, and exemplifying to all how to live with dignity, and respect for oneself.  The Smyrnaean Greeks' quiet philosophies on life assisted them with the belief that they could achieve it all, no matter how difficult life could become.

I can only imagine what life would have been like in Greek Smyrna before the catastrophe, but photos, and documents from the era, definitely conjure up vivid images which remain in the mind. Here's a small example in the following video, which can be found here. Cosmopolitan Smyrna must have been a very interesting place to live, with its mix of different cultures living in close proximity to each other, and learning each other's ways of life, to each culture's gain. The Greek people of Smyrna living alongside cultures such as the Turkish, Armenian, Jewish, Assyrian, Dutch, and Italian people, for instance, would have been a revealing experience where one could hear different languages, witness customs, and soak up the sheer multicultural atmosphere.

With the horrendous circumstances of 1922, and the multiple tragic events which occurred up to this point, the decline of Hellenism in Smyrna after 2,500 years of Greek habitation there was, and still is, a tragic event not only for Greek people but also, the Turkish country itself. Both countries made terrible mistakes during the Greco-Turkish War of 1919-1922, and it appears that in all their fighting and power plays, they forgot the fact that the Greeks of Smyrna were innocent pawns, stuck in the middle of a war which was way out of control. With the accompanying population exchanges of 1923 between Greece and Turkey, Turkey lost something forever which distinguished it vastly from other countries - a sense of refined polyethnicity, to a country with a single main culture.

The national move towards a "Turkey for the Turks" in these years, while on the one hand expressing a need to define oneself apart from other cultures, also reflected a country which was not being true to itself, effectively saying that the country was exclusively for Turkish people, and not to be shared, and enjoyed, by anyone else. It was also a denial of the fact that Greek people had lived in Asia Minor for many years - even before the entrance of the Turkish peoples, and that these people deserved, as much as the Turkish people did, to remain in the country, seeing their longstanding history of habitation there. The events of 1922 also suggested a sense that Turkish identity in this time was not a clearly defined matter, this evident from the actions of the perpetrators of the catastrophe. Apart from this, there was also a sense of insecurity entangled within this, that supposedly "foreigners" or the "European" element was to blame for this. It can be seen that multiculturalism, though, when handled properly, reaps rewards for everyone.

Take the case of Australia, presently a multicultural nation. Once a staid and colourless country, the entrance of multicultural elements brought with it new horizons which challenged the status quo, and initiated a wave of patriotism which did not exist in its inhabitants prior. Multiculturalism has enriched the country in a manner which would once have seemed inconceivable years ago. While problems are always bound to occur, as with anything, Australia is a successful example of how multiculturalism works well. Turkey was a country which once had a fine multicultural mix - I can only imagine how culturally barren it became after the exodus of Greek and other cultures. In Australia's case, subtract the contributions made by ethnic minorities, and their customs, and way of life, and you would be left with a very sterile country which would not living up to its potential, and, which would not be at the point it is today, without doubt.

 

Let us move forward to today, 2012, being 90 years after the Smyrna Genocide, The Great Fire of Smyrna, and the Asia Minor Catastrophe. It appears that Turkey is in the middle of a re-assessment of its history and this can mean only positive things for the recognition of Hellenism in Smyrna, and, indeed, all of Turkey. I also believe that there is a deep sense of underlying remorse on the part of Turkey regarding the Smyrna Greek Genocide, The Great Fire of Smyrna, and the Asia Minor Catastrophe, and  a number of positive events in modern history bear out this movement. Witness the re-building of various destroyed and or dilapidated churches around the country. This is both a heart-rending moment in history, and, simultaneously, very gratifying for Greek people of Asia Minor heritage to witness the re-emergence of their culture which was lost in Turkey, to be finally given the recognition it deserves. For more information about this, please read here.

The possibility of an admission on the part of Turkey of its role in the Greek Genocide, and related incidents may not be forthcoming in the near future, but, this is not a given. This issue will always be a silent problem between both countries, but, if finally addressed in an appropriate manner, it will allow both countries to heal, and finally come to terms with what happened in the past. While nothing can ever reverse what happened in Smyrna in 1922, this would go some way in assisting those Greek families whose relatives lived, fled, or, were martyred in Smyrna, find some form of peace, and give their beloved ancestors' memories justice at long last.