A memorial service filled with emotion and solemn remembrance was held in Zambia on May 19, 2026, in honor of the 353,000 victims of the Pontian Greek Genocide.
The Trisagion service at the monument dedicated to the victims of the genocide and persecution of Pontian Hellenism was led by Metropolitan John of Zambia and Mozambique.
Among those in attendance were the Consul General of Greece in Zambia, Mr. M. Kroupnik, the President of the Greek Community of Lusaka, George Liakopoulos, members of the Greek diaspora, and representatives of Pontian families living in the country.
Particularly moving was the presence of young Pontian Greek Parthena Ioannidou, who held in her arms an icon of the Virgin Mary — a family heirloom preserved from the lost homelands of Pontus. Her silent presence was described as a powerful symbol of memory and testimony to the uprooting suffered by the Pontian Greeks.
She later laid a wreath in memory of her ancestors and performed a traditional Pontian lament, deeply moving those gathered for the ceremony.
In his address, the President of the Greek Community stressed the importance of preserving historical memory, highlighting what he described as three “sacred duties”: never to forget the atrocities and the innocent victims, to teach the historical truth to younger generations, and to continue the struggle so that such crimes are never repeated against any people.
The commemoration concluded with prayers for the repose of the victims of the genocide and the collective proclamation: “Memory Eternal” for the slain Pontian Greeks.
