The Tree of Souls – The Beginning

What I can see

This is a tree on a rock, which has 19 roots and 57 branches, with an equal number of bird-shaped leaves and the names of the victims of the worst rail collision in the country being engraved on them. All the leaves of this tree are on its branches and the sculpture constitutes the first part of the monument. The second part of the monument is located in Thessaloniki (The Tree of Memory, the End) with these leaves lying on the ground, symbolizing the victims who lost their lives and never reached their destination, while there are other leaves blooming on the branches, symbolizing the hope for justice. The sculpture has a total height of 5m, was inspired and materialized by Giorgos and Giannis Sandexis, and was designed by Maria Mandaki.

What I can't see

On February 28, 2023, the train from Athens to Thessaloniki collided with a commercial train near the Tempi Valley, resulting in the death of 57 people and the serious injury of many more. The majority were young people and students returning to Thessaloniki after the three-day carnival festivities. The two trains were on the same track for about 15 minutes and no one had any idea until the moment of the collision, as there was no catenary and the railway switchman did not even meet the basic qualifications for this position, as he had been appointed thanks to his political connections. About half of the dead initially had survived the collision, but died of suffocation, due to a flammable material that caused a powerful explosion. There is a very serious possibility that the commercial train was carrying illegal flammable cargo, while the government insists that the explosion was caused by silicone oils that exist in the train engines. The scandalous delays in the investigations, the immediate alteration and landfilling of the scene of the tragedy, making it impossible to determine what caused the explosion, the transfer of elements (e.g. carriages) along with many human body remains to other locations and private plots of land, the questionable – as evidenced by audio material – forensic findings regarding instantaneous deaths, the government’s waste of European funds to complete railway projects, the placement of pro-government officials without basic qualifications in positions of responsibility, the often crude interventions of supreme judges (who are appointed by governments), a series of other suspicious sudden deaths of people who were indirectly or directly linked to the disclosure of elements of the accident, the government’s acrimony before the accident towards the opposition and trade unionists, who -a few days earlier- had warned about a serious risk of an accident, a general sense of impunity for politicians and even the Prime Minister himself, their protection by the vast majority of the media, as well as the general use of legal maneuvers by the conservative ruling party, have caused – even years later – an unprecedented social anger, with everyone now speaking openly about the “Tempi crime”, which encapsulates the pathologies of Greek social and political reality. Following the publication of shocking audio material, this social anger was vividly expressed on the 2-year anniversary with an unprecedented nationwide strike and the participation of millions of citizens throughout the country (including voters of the ruling party), surpassing even the most massive demonstrations of the years of the economic crisis. Demonstrations took place in 262 cities in Greece and abroad, from Vancouver to Sydney and from Buenos Aires to Tokyo. Many claim that these have been the largest rallies since the fall of the dictatorship. Corruption at all levels of political and social life has devastating consequences and for the first time, Greeks are so strongly demanding the cleansing of institutions and the exemplary punishment of those who abuse positions of power. The penal investigation is still ongoing and new evidence is constantly coming to light.

 



 

Info

• Address: Former Korean Market Park

Bibliography