Special exhibitions memorialising the heroes of 1821 - part of a series of events celebrating 200 years since the Greek Revolution are organised in Cyprus by the Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation and the Sylvia Ioannou Foundation.

The exhibitions present 22 portraits of some of the 320 exceptional individuals depicted by Benjamin Mary (1792-1846), a Belgian diplomat in Greece.

«Η Ιστορία έχει πρόσωπο» at Nicosia
Outdoor exhibition is held at the historical centre of old Nicosia (Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation, Faneromeni, Ledra and Onasagoras Street, Eleftheria Square) from 15 April to 31 December 2021.
Digital exhibition is held at the Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation from 31 March to 31 December 2021.

Organisation: Sylvia Ioannou Foundation, Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation and the Municipality of Nicosia.

«Η Ιστορία έχει πρόσωπο» at Limassol
Outdoor exhibition is held at Limassol (Coastal Road, from St Catherine (Fragkokklesia) to the Marina, the Theme Park and the Promenade-Molos) from 19 April to 31 July 2021.

Organisation: Sylvia Ioannou Foundation, Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation and the Municipality of Limassol.

«Η Ιστορία έχει πρόσωπο» at Paralimni
Outdoor exhibition is held at the historical centre of Paralimni (St George Cathedral square) from 14 September to 31 October 2021.

Organisation: Sylvia Ioannou Foundation, Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation, the Holy Bishopric of Constantia-Famagusta and the Cultural Academy 'Aghios Epiphanios'.

«Η Ιστορία έχει πρόσωπο» at Engomi
Outdoor exhibition is held at St Nicholas Church in Engomi from 15 September to 30 September 2021.

Organisation: Sylvia Ioannou Foundation, Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation and the Municipality of Nicosia.

«Η Ιστορία έχει πρόσωπο» at Kyperounta
Outdoor exhibition is held at the historical centre of Kyperounta (St Marina square) and at the courtyard of St Arsenios church from 21 September to 31 October 2021.

Organisation: Sylvia Ioannou Foundation, Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation and THOI Kyperounta.

More information about the drawings presented in the exhibition «Η Ιστορία έχει πρόσωπο»

The drawings were made from life, mainly in Athens, between 1839 and 1844. The portraits are being published for the first time, and bring us into contact with well-known and hitherto unknown figures of the Greek Revolution and Ottoman Greece, through the sensitive and penetrating eyes of a European artist.

Fighters, politicians, priests, scholars, philhellenes, everyday people pose patiently for their portrait, and Benjamin Mary manages to capture their expression at a unique moment in history.

Among those portrayed are: Kolokotronis, Nikitaras, Lazaros Koundouriotis, Makriyiannis, Christodoulos Hatzipetrou, George Finlay, Panoutsos Notaras, Theoklitos Pharmakidis, Nikolaos Thisefs, Vasileios Petimesas, Anastasios Mavromichalis, Ilias Salafatinos, Ioannis Kolettis, Ioannis Karatzas, Dimitrios and Costas Botsaris, among many others. More historical data as well as information about the individuals depicted are contained in the publication of the Sylvia Ioannou Foundation and the Historical and Ethnological Society of Greece - National Historical Museum: Η Ιστορία έχει πρόσωπο – Μορφές του 1821 στην Ελλάδα του Όθωνα από τον βέλγο διπλωμάτη Benjamin Mary (Αθήνα, 2020).

The exhibitions are part of a series of events celebrating 200 years since the Greek Revolution of the Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation under the rubric ‘Freedom’. Sylvia Ioannou Foundation also participates in this series with the exhibition "Rigas Feraios Charta".

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, all indicated safety measures shall apply for the duration of the events.

Podcast about the outdoor exhibition

«Μια συζήτηση με αφορμή την υπαίθρια έκθεση προσωπογραφιών για το 1821, που παρουσιάζεται σε Λευκωσία και Λεμεσό»: Episode of the Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation's podcast series «Μίλα μου Ιστορικά».

Openings of the exhibitions

Watch here the opening of the exhibition in Nicosia (19 May 2021):

Watch here the opening of the exhibition in Limassol (29 May 2021):

The outdoor exhibition in Media

• «Η Ιστορία έχει Πρόσωπο» (www.cyprustimes.com, 13 April 2021)
• «Εκθέσεις στην παλιά Λευκωσία για τα 200 χρόνια από την Ελληνική Επανάσταση» (Η Καθημερινή, 14 April 2021)
• «Η υπαίθρια έκθεση με τίτλο "Η Ιστορία έχει πρόσωπο" φιλοξενείται από προχθές στην παλιά Λευκωσία» (www.city.sigmalive.com, 17 April 2021)
• «Η Ιστορία έχει Πρόσωπο – Εκθέσεις σε Λευκωσία και Λεμεσό» (www.orthodoxianewsagency.gr, 20 April 2021)
• «ΥΠΑΜ Κύπρου – Ελλάδας εγκαινίασαν την έκθεση "Η Ιστορία έχει Πρόσωπο"» (www.sigmalive.com, 19 May 2021)
• «Η Ιστορία έχει Πρόσωπο» (www.alphanews.live, 20 May 2021)
• Reportage about the opening in the outdoor exhibition in Nicosia (Sigma TV, 20 May 2021)
• «Η Ιστορία έχει Πρόσωπο – Έκθεση για τα 200 χρόνια από την Ελληνική Επανάσταση» (www.politis.com.cy, 21 May 2021)
• «Πραγματοποιήθηκαν τα εγκαίνια της έκθεσης "Η Ιστορία έχει Πρόσωπο" στη Λεμεσό» (www.cyprustimes.com, 31 May 2021)
• Reportage about the opening in the outdoor exhibition in Limassol (Sigma TV, 31 May 2021)
• Reportage about the opening in the outdoor exhibition in Limassol (Capital TV, 31 May 2021)
• «Εγκαινιάστηκε η υπαίθρια έκθεση "Η Ιστορία έχει πρόσωπο" στη Λεμεσό» (www.kathimerini.com.cy, 1 June 2021)
• «Πραγματοποιήθηκαν τα εγκαίνια της έκθεσης "Η Ιστορία έχει Πρόσωπο" στη Λεμεσό» (www.dialogos.com.cy, 4 June 2021)
• «Πραγματοποιήθηκαν τα εγκαίνια της έκθεσης "Η Ιστορία έχει Πρόσωπο" στη Λεμεσό» (www.sigmalive.com, 4 June 2021)