28 May Unveiling of the bust of Nikolaos Papadakis (Papadis).
The President of the Hellenic Republic, Konstantinos Tasoulas, unveiled the bust of the late Nikolaos Papadakis (Papadis) on Friday, May 29, in his birthplace, Vamos in Apokoronas, as part of the two-day commemorative events marking the anniversary of the Cretan Revolution of 1895–1896. Referring to the man who served for 25 years as General Director of the National Foundation “Eleftherios K. Venizelos”, President Tasoulas stated: “Nations do not progress solely thanks to their great leaders, but also thanks to those who, with dedication and modesty, preserve their legacy for future generations. We honour Nikolaos Papadakis as a man of integrity, responsibility and profound patriotism. We honour him as a Cretan who connected his homeland with the broader national narrative. We honour him as a scholar of Venizelos, but also as a man who taught us that historical memory acquires value only when it becomes a force for creation.”
On behalf of the co-organisers (Region of Crete, Municipality of Apokoronas, the National Foundation “Eleftherios K. Venizelos”, Agia Sophia Public Benefit Foundation, the Mariakakis Foundation and the Regional Press Institute) President Tasoulas was welcomed by the Mayor of Apokoronas, Charalambos Koukianakis.
The event concluded with a concert by the Vamos Orchestra, while passages from Ν. Papadakis’ writings were read by actor Michalis Aerakis. The bust was created by Chania-based sculptor Antonis Pavlakis.
SCIENTIFIC SYMPOSIUM
On Saturday, May 30, a Scientific Symposium dedicated to the 1895–1896 Cretan Revolution was held at the premises of the Regional Press Institute in Agioi Pantes, Apokoronas (Agia Sophia Foundation). The symposium was organised by the National Foundation “Eleftherios K. Venizelos” in cooperation with the Region of Crete, the Municipality of Apokoronas, the Agia Sophia Foundation, the Mariakakis Foundation and the Regional Press Institute. The speakers were Stella Aligizaki, philologist and historian; Nikos Andriotis, PhD in History, University of Athens; Zacharias Antonakis, historian and philologist; Fr Michael Vlavogilakis, theologian and historical researcher; Irini Kalaitzaki, educator; Tonia Kafetzaki, PhD in History and educator; Ismini Kriari, former Rector of Panteion University and President of the National Authority of Assisted Reproduction; Dimitris Kypriotakis, researcher at the Historical Museum of Crete and postdoctoral researcher at the University of Crete; Manos Perakis, PhD in History; Maria Sorou, philologist and historian; and Emmanouil Chalkiadakis, Assistant Professor (designate) at the University of Crete.
NATURE RUN
The 1st “Nikolaos Papadakis (Papadis)” Nature Run, featuring 8.5 km and 2 km races, took place on 30 May in Vamos, Apokoronas, the birthplace of the late lawyer, author who served for 25 years as General Director of the National Foundation “Eleftherios K. Venizelos”, and played a leading role in numerous cultural, academic and development initiatives in Crete. A total of 201 runners, aged from 4 to 88, took part in the event.
The 8.5 km route passed through Vamos, Gavalochori, the Agios Ioannis trail and Douliana. In the men’s category, Chrysovalantis Tsavalos finished first in 37:04, followed by Charis Balomenakis in 37:59, while Antonis Kokogiannakis and Zisis Soulios shared third place with a time of 38:20. In the women’s category, Alkmini Mountaki won in 42:15, followed by Eleni Polychronaki in 43:42 and Monica van den Bosch in 49:38. In the boys’ youth category, Stratos Kissamitakis took first place in 42:45, followed by Athanasios Arvanitidis in 55:35 and Konstantinos Spyridakis in 55:47. In the girls’ youth category, the winners were Angeliki Kasimati, Georgia Lena and Myrto Padelaki.
The 2 km route, held within the village of Vamos, was won in the boys’ category by Dimitris Alexakis (12) in 12:14, followed by Giorgos Kleinakis (11) in 12:59 and Giannis Markoulakis (7) in 13:45. In the girls’ category, Dimitra Krikou (10) finished first in 11:51, followed by Katerina Troulaki (13) in 11:52 and Eirini-Dorothea Kalaitzaki (8) in 12:01.
The race was co-organised by the Tanos Apokoronas Athletic Club, the Region of Crete – Regional Unit of Chania, the Municipality of Apokoronas, the National Foundation “Eleftherios K. Venizelos”, the Agia Sophia Public Benefit Foundation and the Emmanouil Mariakakis Foundation with the support of the Physical Education Offices of Primary and Secondary Education of Chania, the Apokoronas Police Department, the Hellenic Rescue Team of Chania, and the Cultural Associations of Vamos, Gavalochori, Douliana and Tsivaras.
The event was sponsored by SYNKA Super Markets and Samaria Natural Mineral Water.