ATHENS – In the presence of President of the Hellenic Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou, Athens Mayor Haris Doukas, and a great number of citizens, the events marking the 50th anniversary of the Restoration of Democracy began on July 21 in the garden of the Presidential Palace.

President Sakellaropoulou and the attendees had the opportunity to tour a special exhibition with 60 works by more than 12 well-known cartoonists, who captured with their pen, in the newspapers of the time, the first year of the post-dictatorship period, from July 1974 until August 1975.

The President of the Republic was welcomed by Hellenic Cartoonists Association President Panos Maragos, together with well-known cartoonists, and then General Secretary Yannis Antonopoulos presented the works in detail, emphasizing that cartoons and the work of cartoonists act as historical evidence, taking the pulse of political developments.

As mentioned, these works are part of the great Restoration of Democracy Exhibition, which will be presented October 14-19 at the Syntagma metro station, curated by Antonopoulos and Spiros Derveniotis, and will present works by cartoonists up to the present day, while this particular part of the exhibition will remain in the garden of the Presidential Palace and for the established Reception for the Restoration of Democracy on July 24.

Afterwards, Sakellaropoulou together with the mayor of Athens and the public enjoyed the Athens Municipality Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as the MUSICA choir of the Megaron Musikis. The President also spoke with the citizens on the occasion of this new initiative of the Presidency of Democracy for the opening of the garden to the general public and the anniversary events.

In the afternoon, the events in the garden of the Presidential Palace continued with the Camerata Junior – The Friends of Music Youth Orchestra, the String Quartet of the Athens Conservatory and the Armed Forces bands, who performed works by Greek composers including Mikis Theodorakis, Manos Hadjidakis, Yannis Markopoulos, Mimis Plessas, Dionysis Savvopoulos, Stavros Xarhakos, Marios Tokas, who during the junta period expressed their opposition to the dictatorial regime and became symbols of free expression and spiritual uplift in the Restoration of Democracy era.