Agiou Georgiou Square

On September 14, 2022, one hundred years to the day from when Smyrna was set ablaze, Petrides and Mayor Dimitris Galanis unveiled “Refugee-Woman of Smyrna” in Neo Psychiko, an area that became the home of many Asia Minor refugees. This version of “The Refugee'' is considerably larger, standing almost nine feet high on its base, its forms were reworked by Petrides in its large size. It was installed permanently in front of the church of Agios Georgios, one of the largest in Greece. The square in front of the church features a beautiful garden, a children’s play area, and a water fountain with the names of the lost homelands in Asia Minor carved into red granite. (googlemaps) Serendipitously, there was an empty corner: local residents told Petrides that it had been part of the original plan to include a memorial sculpture, but it had not come to pass. The unveiling occurred on September 14, 2023, 100 years to the day of the burning of Smyrna. Petrides stated: “I was honoring not only my grandmother but my mother as well, who grew up with the challenges that her own refugee mother faced in rebuilding her life. I was grateful that my mother was able to attend the ceremony. And pleasantly surprised when residents came up to me and expressed their approval. One exclaimed ‘That’s my grandmother!’”