Georgios Vizyinos

What I can see

On Agiou Dimitriou and Vizyinou Streets, there is a marble statue of the author Georgios Vizyinos. It is 2.10m. high, placed on four consecutive marble bases and was created by the sculptor Thanasis Alexiadis. The author appears straightforward, in a suit, with a hat and in his right hand holds the book of his poetry collection “Atthides aurai”. The style of the sculpture is strict, Doric and academic. On the pedestal, his name, his place of origin, the years he lived and lyrics from his poetry collection are written.

What I can't see

The real name of the author was Georgios Michael Syrmas (1849-1896). The nickname “Vizyinos” comes from his birthplace, Vizyi in Eastern Thrace (Turkiye). The location of the monument is not accidental, as the surrounding streets have names from the areas of Eastern Thrace and Eastern Romylia. Vizyinos came from a very poor family. From the age of 10 until adulthood, he lived in Istanbul, where he learned sewing. He then studied at the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Athens and in Germany. He later became a successful writer and his most important works were “My Mother’s Sin” and “Who Was My Brother’s Killer”. At the age of 47 and after 4 years of confinement, he died in a psychiatric hospital in Athens.

Info

• Address: Ag. Dimitriou & Vizyinou St.

Bibliography