The night of April 10, 1826 is not just a page of history.
It is the moment when the Free Besieged of Messolonghi chose the exit knowing that they were walking towards death. With the decision “In the name of the Holy Trinity”, they turned self-sacrifice into an act of faith and freedom. This is precisely the memory carried by the Icon of Exodus. It is not a painting. It is a living symbol, deeply rooted in the consciousness of an entire people.
And yet, at a time when everything is being flattened, some have found themselves mocking even that. To dub the embrace of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis “gafa“. To mock an act that for the people of Messolonghi is self-evident.
But reality is much more powerful than pettiness. This particular Icon of Exodus,reproduced in the Mesolonghi workshop of the deacon Diakonos Dimitrios Kasolas, modelled on the work of Theodoros Vryzakis, is a unique phenomenon. It is the only painting in the world that depicts a war event and at the same time is litany according to the order of the Orthodox Church.
For the Messologgians, its procession is not a simple ceremony. It is the Epitaph of the National War of Independence. Every Saturday of Lazarus and Palm Sunday, the icon takes to the streets and heralds the resurrection of the Nation. It is not a re-enactment. It is a viva.
And yes, the people of Mesolonghi make their cross when the icon passes by. They embrace it with respect. As they embrace the icons of God and the Saints. As they honor the persons they carry within them.
In this context, embracing is not an act of sensationalism. It is an act of understanding. It is an attitude towards history.
All the rest is noise. It is the familiar attempt to turn even the purest moment into an object of derision. With ease, with frivolity, with that permanent mood of denigration that never tires.
The image of the Exodus of Mesolonghi does not lend itself to such games. It is much heavier. It carries blood, faith and memory.
And in the end, what remains is not comments or ironies.It is the attitude. On the one hand, those who try to diminish everything. On the other, those who know when to shave their heads. Because they don’t worship people. They only worship what is truly worthy. They worship only the flag and the shrines of their ancestors.
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