The Presidential Guard paid tribute to the Pontian Genocide with a symbolic act, the Evzones dressed in traditional Pontian attire performed the changing of the guard in Syntagma Square, on the anniversary of the genocide, which occurred 106 years ago.

A large crowd gathered in central Athens to witness the ceremony, aiming to honor the 353,000 people who lost their lives and those who had to be uprooted from their homelands.

The Guard conducted three changes of the guard, with the Evzones dressed in traditional Pontian costumes symbolically guarding the Unknown Soldier monument.

At the site, there are Pontian associations and organizations present, and a wreath-laying ceremony and march to the Turkish embassy are planned.

May 19 is recognized as the Day of Remembrance for the Pontian Greeks’ genocide. On this day in 1919, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk disembarked in Samsun, marking the start of the second, more deadly phase of the genocide—an ongoing campaign that began years earlier and continued until 1923. During this period, approximately 353,000 Greeks from Pontus—men, women, and children—were systematically exterminated.

Emotional moments unfolded at Syntagma Square as Evzones dressed in Pontian costumes performed the changing of the guard, commemorating this tragic history.

The event included the participation of Pontian associations, the laying of wreaths, and a march towards the Turkish embassy to honor the victims.