A statue honoring Greek educator Emmanuel Kisthinios has completed its journey from Monaco to his native island of Kastellorizo, four months after Prince Albert II signed it during the Grand Prix Maria Callas Monaco Gala and Awards in April. The piece, created by artist Marcos Marin, was first unveiled in Monaco on April 24 as part of a broader tribute to Kisthinios, regarded by supporters as an important figure in Greek education and cultural history.
On August 9, the statue was transported to Kastellorizo and installed at the island's harbour, where it now stands as a permanent tribute overlooking the port. Vasilis Upsilantis, First Dean of the Greek Parliament, led the unveiling ceremony, which drew political representatives, military officials and local residents marking the monument's arrival at its permanent home.
According to information from Dr. Christos Nikolopoulos, the Kastellorizo ceremony was presented as a double celebration, honoring both the statue's homecoming and the cultural ties forged through its earlier presentation in Monaco. Organizers say the piece is meant to preserve Kisthinios's legacy for future generations, though details of who commissioned and funded the monument have not been made public.
The statue is expected to become a landmark for visitors arriving in Kastellorizo, a small island near the Turkish coast that has long kept close ties with its diaspora abroad. Its path from a Monaco gala to a Greek harbour also points to a less obvious cultural link between the principality and the eastern Mediterranean, built around a shared effort to keep Kisthinios's memory alive on both sides of the sea.