21 August 2008: Odessa
A new cycle of meetings had been organized and realized in Odessa. Apart from the meeting with local delegates, extreme importance was given to meetings with representatives of the local Greek community that has still active presence in the city. The strong bonds between Odessa and Greece date back to the foundation of the city and played an essential role during the Independence War on Greece against the Turks, offering great support.
The participants in the Journey were invited by the Greek Ambassador to Odessa’s historical center in order to visit important Greek monuments such as the famous orthodox church of St. Trinity. The ambassador accompanied their guests during the visit as an excellent host and did his best to reinforce bonds and common heritage.
The same afternoon a cultural event similar to that in Kiev two days before took place at a beautiful square named “Square of Greeks”. Once more the Exhibition “The Routes of the Olive Tree, routes of intercultural dialogue” was presented, along with the work of Heike Κummer, the workshop of artistic painting around the olive tree and tasting of traditional Greek products that impressed visitors as well as local and national press that covered the event comprehensively.
