“The monuments of the Diaspora, including the monumental architectural masterpiece of the Prinkipo Greek Orthodox Orphanage, are the genuine expression of its identity and culture, and follow the adventures of the history of the Gentile,” said Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew on Wednesday, November 27, at the event, which took place at the Galata Greek School, for the presentation of the album “206 Rooms of Silence: Etudes on Prinkipo Greek Orphanage,” which was published following the exhibition hosted by “Art and Culture Foundation” in Constantinople last year.
“The history of the Prinkipo Greek Orthodox Orphanage illustrates the history of the Diaspora in the turbulent 20th century, its heyday and hard times, its hopes, hardship and its painful shrinking,” noted the Ecumenical Patriarch.
He added that “disregard to this historic building, its protection and preservation and the promotion of the ideals it embodies means abandoning the struggle for the future of Greekness in its cradle. It also means disregard for the preservation of the values that have preserved the Gentile throughout its history.”
Referring to last year’s exhibition, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew stressed that the purpose was “to raise awareness among persons and institutions to assist in repairing and protecting this magnificent historic building from the risk of collapse.”
