Marble bust of queen Olga at Evangelismos park.
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In the small Evangelismos Park, is the marble bust of Queen Olga (1851-1926), a work of Georgios Dimitriadis the Athenian. Queen Olga is depicted in a way that emphasizes her philanthropic work. The marble pedestal is wider at the base, which was customary in the interwar period. The royal crown, name, title and dates of birth and death of the queen are engraved on it. The pedestal is often vandalized with spray and markers.
The administration of the “Evangelismos” hospital took the initiative to erect a bust to honour the queen for her contribution to the construction of the hospital. The unveiling was attended by many officials, the government of the dictator Metaxas and the king. Olga Constantinovna of Russia was a member of the Romanov dynasty and married King George I of Greece in 1867. She was very prominent in the translation of the Bible into the vernacular so that it could be understood by everyone. This act caused a storm of reactions from the Holy Synod and the academic community, as they considered the replacement of the archaising form of Modern Greek with the vernacular, as an anti-national act. After many bloody episodes, the vernacular edition was withdrawn.
Antonopoulou Z., (2003), Τα γλυπτά της Αθήνας, Υπαίθρια Γλυπτική1834-2004 [The sculptures of Athens, Outdoor sculpting 1834-2004], Potamos
Stavridi- Patrikou R., (2003), Ιδεολογικές διαδρομές, πολιτική γλώσσα και κοινωνία 1871- 1909, [Ideological routes, political language and society 1871- 1909], in Ιστορία του νέου ελληνισμού, 1770-2000, [History of modern Hellenism], Ellinika Grammata, v.5, p.p. 171- 186
1924 The queen was exiled along with the entire royal family and died two years later in France. She was buried in Italy.
1936 Her bones were transferred to the royal tombs of Tatoi.
1938 On October 22, the bust was unveiled.
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