Greece’s famous Evzones meet with Archbishop Makarios in Melbourne

After arriving in Melbourne from Athens on Wednesday, Greece’s beloved Evzones (Presidential Guard) have had a busy schedule, participating on Thursday at the ANZAC Day Commemorative Service at the Lemnos Gallipoli Square in Albert Park and on Friday in a variety of events.

The Evzones were welcomed by the Honorable Archbishop Makarios of Australia at St Eustathios Church in South Melbourne on Friday, where they exchanged gifts.

In addition to meeting Archbishop Makarios, the Evzones also partook in an ANZAC Day Service at the Austin Repatriation Hospital.

Later tonight, they will be at the Greek Orthodox Church of St Anargiri in Oakleigh for the procession of the Epitaphio in the presence of His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia.

On Sunday, April 24, two separate groups of Evzones will also attend the Orthodox Easter church services at the Holy Monastery Panagias “Axion Esti” in Northcote and St Efstathios Cathedral in South Melbourne.

April 25 is an important day for the Greek Presidential Guard as they will lead the Allies and the entire Greek contingent during the official ANZAC Day Parade and wreath laying ceremony at Victoria’s Shrine of Remembrance. The event is being hosted by the Victorian Returned Services League.

During their visit the Evzones will visit AGAPI Care Inc and the PRONIA Welfare Centre in Brunswick and they will also attend ANZAC Day School Concerts and Assemblies at St Johns Greek Orthodox College, Oakleigh Gramma and Doncaster Secondary College.

On their last day of official events, Thursday, April 28, the Evzones will attend the official opening of the ‘Open Horizons’ exhibition at Melbourne Museum, which is set to be launched by the Greek Minister for Culture, Lina Mendoni.

The Greek Presidential Guard is comprised of three Officers and 13 Evzones.

Major Sakellaropoulos Vasilios (Ilia), Captain Kouloumpas Stavros (Kastoria), Sargeant Theodorou Efthymios (Thessalia) and Evzones Vlachos Ioannis (Evoia), Koukiadakis Michail (Crete), Paterakis Nikolaos (Athens), Pagonakis Marios (Crete), Ladas Konstantinos (Peiraeus), Mandalos Nikolaos (Peloponnisos), Xenakis Dimitrios (Crete), Evaggelatos Panagiotis (Eptanisa), Papathanasis Konstantinos (Aitoloakarnania), Papakyriakidis Petros (Macedonia), Stasinopoulos Sotirios (Peloponnisos), Grigoriadis Stylianos (Pontos), Bassiakos Athanasios (Sterea Ellada).