The National Historical Museum (NHM) and the Region of Western Greece, on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the Exodus of Missolonghi, are co-organizing an exhibition in Missolonghi entitled “Exodus, 1826-2026.” It is a concise presentation of the events of the Second Siege of Missolonghi, the impact it had, and the influence it exerted on the formation of the national collective memory. The exhibition is curated by NHM curators Natasa Kastriti, art historian, Reggina Katsimardou, historian, and Iphigenia Vogiatzis, museologist.

The exhibition is under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture. Exclusive Sponsor: Piraeus Bank.

The opening will take place on March 20, 2026, at 6:00 p.m., at the Chrysogelos Hall in Missolonghi.

The exhibition is spread over two different levels and divided into two parts. The first part, dedicated to historical events, is divided into three thematic sections: i) The Siege ii) The Exodus and iii) The Memory. Unique relics, paintings and engravings, personal items and weapons, costumes, medals and decorations from the collections of the National Historical Museum, documents, newspapers, and photographs from the Historical Documents Archive and the Photographic Archive of the Historical and Ethnological Society of Greece will travel to Missolonghi, some for the first time: the section of the city’s printing house where the “Hellenic Chronicles” were printed, the bow of the ship “Aris” of Andreas Miaoulis, who led the supply operations, letters from the Kostas Botsaris Archive, which describe the desperate journey to the Exodus, the “Plan of the Guard of Missolonghi” by engineer Michael Kokkinis, portraits of Exodus participants and lists of prisoners and fallen soldiers, which visitors can “leaf through” in an interactive flipping book, as well as evidence from the 100th and 150th anniversary celebrations of the Exodus.

For the first time, Theodore Vryzakis’ painting “The Sacrifice of Kapsalis” from the National Gallery collection and two oil paintings from the Michalis and Dimitra Varkarakis collection, “The Remnants of the Guard of Missolonghi Set Fire to the Powder Magazine” by A. Jaquème and “Scene from the Siege of Missolonghi” by Horace Vernet. The result of the collaboration with the Center for Environmental Education and Sustainability in Missolonghi is the reference to the salt pans that runs through the exhibition: four sub-sections with the general title “The Salt of the Struggle” use animation to create a unified narrative that highlights the connection between salt and the conditions of the siege.

The second part of the exhibition includes representations of the Exodus in public history, through which the symbolism and interpretations of the event are presented in compositions accessible to young audiences: a) figures of Exodus participants and shadow theater scenes, works by Thanasis Tzoitis b) “The Printing House of Missolonghi”, “The Battle of Kleisova” and “The Exodus of Missolonghi” in dioramas with specially made Playmobil figures, works by Angelos Giakoumatos and Vasiliki Fati, and c) pages from the graphic novel “21: The Battle of the Square” by Antonis Nikolopoulos (Soloup), which includes an illustrated narrative based on the events as recorded in the memoirs of Nikolaos Kasomoulis. The corresponding chapters of the book (Ikaros Publications, 2021) will be accessible via an interactive flipping book.

For Piraeus Bank, the collaboration with the Historical and Ethnological Society of Greece-National Historical Museum, as the Exclusive Sponsor of the exhibition and the accompanying anniversary publication, is an initiative of particular significance. The exhibition highlights one of the most emblematic events of the Greek Revolution, which had a powerful international impact on the struggle to create the new Greek state. The Bank’s participation is part of its Corporate Responsibility program, which includes a wide range of cultural activities aimed at strengthening historical knowledge, collective memory, and the promotion of cultural heritage, linking the past with the challenges of the present and the future.

EXODUS 1826-2026

Anniversary exhibition marking 200 years since the Exodus of Missolonghi

Location: Chrysogelos Hall, Missolonghi

Duration: March 20-October 15, 2026

Opening date and time: March 20, 2026, 6:00 p.m., Chrysogelos Hall, Frederick Katasou & Michael Makris, Missolonghi