17 May Greeks Around the World Honour the Memory of Eleftherios Venizelos
The commemorative events taking place this year throughout Greece and in countries around the world with a strong Greek presence demonstrate that the personality and political vision of Eleftherios Venizelos remain alive and relevant, 90 years after his death.
In Chania
The French Ambassador Laurence Auer was the keynote speaker at the annual Political Memorial Service for Eleftherios and Sophocles Venizelos, organized by the National Foundation “Eleftherios K. Venizelos”, the Regional Unit of Chania and the Municipality of Chania on Sunday, 22 March at the Venizelos Tombs in Chania. Due to adverse weather conditions, the second part of the event was held at the Technical University of Crete. In her address, delivered in Greek, Ms Auer referred to the influence of French thought on the intellectual formation of Eleftherios Venizelos. Greetings were delivered by the Deputy Regional Governor of Chania, Nikos Kalogeris, the Mayor of Chania, Panagiotis Simandirakis, and the General Director of the Foundation, Giorgos Koukourakis.
Among those attending the event were Deputy Minister of Migration and Asylum Sevi Voloudaki, representing the Government; Dora Bakoyannis, Member of Parliament for Chania, representing the Speaker of Parliament; Members of Parliament Alexandros Markogiannakis and Evangelos Apostolakis; the Mayors of Platanias and Sfakia, Giannis Malandrakis and Giannis Zervos; the Rector of the Technical University of Crete, Michalis Zervakis; the President of the Chania Bar Association, Agapi Mikrou; the Director of the Orthodox Academy of Crete, Konstantinos Zorbas; the President of the Chania Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Antonis Rokakis; the President of the Technical Chamber of Greece – Department of Western Crete, Vasilis Kontezakis; the President of the World Council of Cretans and of the Venizelos Foundation USA, Nikos Kastrinakis; the Vice President of the Venizelos Foundation USA, Giannis Bertakis; representatives of the Armed Forces, as well as representatives of organisations and public services.
In the United States
Commemorative events marking the 90th anniversary of the death of Eleftherios Venizelos were held in the United States with great solemnity and strong participation from the Greek-American community. The events took place in the presence of the Permanent Representative of Greece to the United Nations Aglaia Balta and the Ambassador of Greece to the United States Antonis Alexandridis, and were attended by large numbers of members of the Greek diaspora. The American Branch of the Eleftherios K. Venizelos Foundation, in cooperation with the Pancretan Association of America and the World Council of Cretans, organised the annual memorial service for the great statesman on Sunday, 8 March 2026, in three major cities of the United States – New York, San Francisco (photo) and Chicago – honouring the historic figure who left an indelible mark on the course of modern Greece.
Link: https://www.venizelos-foundation.gr/en/events-in-new-york-san-francisco-and-chicago-mark-the-90th-anniversary-of-the-passing-of-ethnarch-eleftherios-venizelos-in-the-united-states/
In Australia
On Sunday, 15 March, the Oceania Branch of the National Foundation “Eleftherios K. Venizelos” and the Cretan Association of Sydney and New South Wales, with the participation of the Cretan Federation of Australia and New Zealand, held an official memorial service marking the 90th anniversary of the death of Eleftherios Venizelos at the Holy Cathedral of the Annunciation of the Theotokos in Sydney. The memorial service was held by Archbishop Makarios of Australia, with the participation of Bishops Athinagoras of Canberra and Christoforos of Kerasounta, Fr Stefanos Tinkasvili and Elder Antipas from Mount Athos. The service was followed by an event dedicated to Eleftherios Venizelos, during which the documentary For Crete and Freedom – The Road to Union, produced by the National Foundation “Eleftherios K. Venizelos”, was screened.
In Thessaloniki
An event marking the 90th anniversary of the death of Eleftherios Venizelos was held in Thessaloniki on Monday, 20 April 2026. The event was co-organised by the National Foundation “Eleftherios K. Venizelos” and the Foundation’s Regional Branch of Macedonia, in cooperation with the Philoptochos Brotherhood of Men of Thessaloniki, one of the oldest charitable organisations in Greece. The event was hosted at the Brotherhood’s conference hall. The speakers were Spyros Ploumidis, Professor of Modern and Contemporary Greek History at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, on the topic “Eleftherios Venizelos: A Realist Revolutionary?”; Giannis Stefanidis, Professor of Diplomatic History at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, on the topic “Venizelos and the Limits of the Policy of Greater Greece, 1918–1920: A Reference to the Work of Nikos Petsalis-Diomidis”; and Eleni Gardika-Katsiadaki, Emeritus Researcher at the Academy of Athens and Scientific Advisor to the National Foundation “Eleftherios K. Venizelos”, on the topic “Venizelos the Reformer: The Work of the 1928–1932 Period”. The discussion was moderated by Vasilis Gounaris, Professor of Modern History at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Opening remarks were delivered by Giorgos Konstantinidis, President of the Philoptochos Brotherhood of Thessaloniki, Giorgos Koukourakis, General Director of the National Foundation “Eleftherios K. Venizelos”, and Kostas Nikolakaros, President of the Foundation’s Regional Branch of Macedonia.
In Athens
The 90th anniversary of the death of Eleftherios Venizelos was commemorated in Athens on Sunday, 29 March. The event, held at Eleftherias Park in front of the statue of the great statesman, was organised by the Attica Branch of the National Foundation “Eleftherios K. Venizelos”, the World Council of Cretans, the Pancretan Association of Attica and the Cretan Brotherhood of Piraeus “Omonoia”. The speaker was Nikos Kastrinakis, President of the World Council of Cretans and of the Foundation’s USA Branch,while actor and director Nikorestis Chaniotakis, Artistic Director of the Municipal and Regional Theatre of Crete, performed selected texts dedicated to the Cretan leader. Brief addresses were delivered by Rita Moraitaki-Pikrou, Deputy Regional Governor of Attica; Giorgos Koukourakis, General Director of the Foundation; Rena Vasilaki, President of the Pancretan Association of Attica; and Theodoros Tsontos, President of “Omonoia”. The event was coordinated by Nikos Sarris, President of the Foundation’s Attica Branch.
In Piraeus
Also on Saturday, 21 March, in Piraeus, at the square bearing his name, the Cretan Brotherhood of Piraeus “Omonoia” honoured the memory of Eleftherios Venizelos with an event attended by members of the local community of Piraeus as well as representatives of Cretan associations. The speaker was Nikos Kastrinakis, President of the World Council of Cretans and of the Foundation’s USA Branch.
In Spata
Finally, an event dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the death of Eleftherios Venizelos was held on Saturday, 16 May, at the Christos Bekas Cultural Centre in Spata. The central theme of the event was “Eleftherios Venizelos: The Fulfilment of a Great Vision”, with historian Tasos Sakellaropoulos, Head of Historical Archives at the Benaki Museum, in conversation with Efrosyni Bourbouchaki, Head of Cultural Activities of the Federation of Cultural Associations of Artemida–Spata. The programme concluded with Cretan dances and rizitika songs. The event was co-organised by the Federation of Cultural Associations of Artemida–Spata and the Municipality of Spata–Artemida, with the support of the National Foundation “Eleftherios K. Venizelos” and the cooperation of the Cretan Association of Artemida–Spata and the Union of Cretans of Vrilissia.