A music Performance of memory and honor dedicated to the world known Greek Woman, Marianna V. Vardinoyannis who, with her life and her valuable humanitarian work has touched the lives of thousand people, offering love, hope and Light, took place from the family of Vardis V. Vardinoyannis in cooperation with the “Marianna V. Vardinoyannis Foundation” and the Association “ELPIDA- Association of Friends of Children with cancer” on Tuesday, September 17th 2024 at the crowded Odeon of Herodes Atticus at the presence of the H.E. the President of the Hellenic Republic, Katerina Sakellaropoulou and internationally known personalities and people who were connected with her work and life.
In a unique and full of emotion dedication, grand but not simple as Marianna was, with the participation of 12 prestige Greek artists, the talented director, Georgios Nanouris who has “explored” the most important moments of the life and work of Marianna V. Vardinoyannis, has high lightened her as the dominated figure of the ancient Roman Odeon.
The symbolic day of Agia Sofia, Pisti, Agapi and Elpida name day, has been elected for the event.
The voice of Marianna, her “beliefs” and her visions which were the guidance of her life and gave the sparkle for the creation of enormous chain of love and offer during the past decays in Greece, were heard during the performance into a unique lighted from Eleftheria Deko Herodus Odeon spreading emotion and sensitivity at the audience while the full moon light completed the spectacular setting.
The highlight of the night was, when the heeled children of ELPIDA: Panagiotis Kokkinos, Christina Fytili, Efi Vlami and Eirini Samioti and the compatible donor of the Association “ORAMA ELPIDAS”, Vasilis Stefanou, have shared with the audience their personal stories and requested it to light up candles dedicated to the memory of Marianna in a tremendous moment of respect and memory for a woman who dedicated her life to the human being.
Well known artists and all time supporters of the work of Marianna V. Vardinoyannis have performed beloved songs. More specific the following artists have participated at alphabetic rank: Natasa Theodoridou, Marinella, Alkistis Protopsalti, Antonis Remos, Sakis Rouvas, Maria Farantouri, Michalis Chatzigiannis and the Greek famous composers (in alphabetic rank), Stefanos Korkolis, Evanthia Reboutsikou and Giorgos Chatzinasios who have sing well known songs of them while, the actors, Grigoris Valtinos and Katerina Lechou have presented the life and the work of a great beautiful soul who had always in priority the human being and was destined to change a thousand of lives to the better in Greece and abroad by giving a second chance in life. The Children’s’ Chorus of Spyros Lambrou has also participated in the event.
The General Directress of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, gave a greeting from the debts of her heart for the Marianna she had known, the “Greek Goddess” as she characteristically said who taught the world the love and turned her life in a wonderful journey. “Tonight I would like to talk from a different point of view as a foreigner, a French woman, who has the privilege to lead UNESCO. For all of us and without any doubt about that, Marianna was our Greek Goddess. Being an Ambassador of Good Will for 25 years, she dedicated her life, soul and body and with an unappeased passion at the Organization’s mission for the education, culture and sciences. …Dear Yiannis, Giorgos, Christianna, Nikos and Vardianna, your mother used to say that, her utmost love was that, she had for you and for your children and for her husband, your father as well. You will always keep in your heart, her memory. You will permit me, to close my speech with the words of Konstantinos Kavafis who, in his wonderful poem “ITHAKI” gives to Odysseus the following advice:
“But do not hurry the journey at all.
Better if it lasts for years,
so you are old by the time you reached the island,
wealthy with all you have gained on the way.”
Marianna has turned her own life in a wonderful journey. I am proud that, we walk together in this journey. Thank you vary much, Mariana Vardinogiannis”.
There were present in the event, the Vardinoyannis family, the children and the grandchildren of the unforgettable, Marianna V. Vardinoyannis and esteemed personalities from Greece and abroad: Queen Maxima of The Netherlands, Princes Amalia , the General Directress of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, the President of Parliament Konstantinos Tasoulas, Mareva Mitsotaki, the exe Presidents of Serbia Boris Tadic, Bosnia-Herzegovina Mladen Ivanci, , Cyprus Nikos Anastasiadis with his wife Antri Anastasiadi, Greece Prokopis Pavlopoulos with his wife, Sissy Pavlopoulou, the President of “Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Foundation” , the son of Valery Giscad d” Estaing with his wife Claire, the Ambassadors of Good Will of Unesco Kim Phuc and Hedva Ser, the esteemed Heart Sergeant Magdi Yacoub, the ex-Prime Minister Konstantinos Karamanlis and his wife Natassa Pazaiti, the President of PASOK Nikos Androulakis, the President of Plefsi Eleftherias Zoi Konstantopoulou, Ministers, Ambassadors, Church and Arm representatives, Queen Anna-Maria, Prince Pavlos and Princess Marie-Chantal, Prince Nikolaos, Prince Filippos, Prince Alexandros and Princess Aikaterini of Serbia, Businessmen, journalists, persons of the Art, Culture and Sports, Presidents of the country’s largest Foundations, heeled children, doctors and nursing personnel of the Oncologic Unit of Children “Marianna V. Vardinoyannis” paying their respects to this great Greek Woman who has opened new paths of humanism, offer and solidarity and leaving a legacy which no one else has ever left.
