Mounted Cuirassier
Since then, it has been undergoing conservation and shown in exhibitions overseas. However, the Ministry of Culture’s decision to include the statue in the Piraeus Museum’s permanent collection has generated controversy in Kalymnos.
“We are on the border with Turkey, fighting to preserve our cultural heritage and way of life,” remarked Mayor Giannis Mastrokoukos. “We don’t need empty words; we need support. And that support is not exhibited by depriving us of our treasures.”
The Kalymnos Municipal Council has unanimously resolved to deliver a petition signed by thousands of islanders and diaspora sympathisers to Culture Minister Lina Mendoni. They say that the statue is important to the island’s history and identity and that the local museum, not a faraway institution in Piraeus, is its appropriate home. This current struggle parallels the successful campaign to return the “Lady of Kalymnos” statue, proving the islanders’ unwavering commitment to preserve their cultural past. The Ministry of Culture has yet to reply to the community’s demands.
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