To mark the 200th anniversary of the Exodus of Messolonghi, the Historical and Ethnological Society of Greece – National Historical Museum is dedicating its 2026 Calendar to Messolonghi.

“Sacred altar,” “Fortress of the heavens,” “City of Honors,” “Land of destiny, haunted land.” Poor Mesolonghi, immortal Mesolonghi. Rarely has a humble town been praised so fervently by poets and writers, in different eras and languages. In 1826, however, Mesolonghi ceased to be just a city and became an ideal place, embodying all the symbolism attributed to the Greek struggle for independence. On April 10, after months of suffocating siege and with all hope of supplies gone, the city’s defenders decided to attempt a mass exodus, crossing enemy lines. The Exodites were decimated and Messolonghi was razed to the ground, as those who did not follow the Guard set fire to the powder magazines and blew themselves up. The impact of the event was deafening, reigniting the philhellenic movement and bringing the Greek question back into the spotlight.

The greatness of the Exodus lies not only in the drama of the conflicts and the masses of dead. It begins with the unanimous decision of those under siege to determine their own fate. A decision inspired by disciplined heroism, which elevates their actions above the human. The Exodus was not a blind march to death, but a battle to the death for life, which the defenders of Messolonghi had inextricably linked to Freedom. It is one of those rare events that leave an indelible mark: they shape a new reality that transcends local history and dominates the national collective memory.

The NHM’s annual calendar for 2026 is a joint publication of the Ministry of Culture and the Historical and Ethnological Society of Greece. Through visual works belonging to the Museum’s Collections and focusing on selected details of the compositions, the illustrations aptly highlight the drama and impact of the event as captured in Art.

Illustration selection and editing: Natasha Kastriti, Reggina Katsimardou

Publication supervision: Dimitra Koukiou

Translations: Nerina Kiosseoglou

Translation editing: Dr. Charikleia G. Dimakopoulou

Design and layout: Ria Staveris

Photographs: Nikos Kokkalias, Lambros Papanikolatos, Giannis Zindrilis

Photo editing: Ria Staveris

Printing and binding: Pressious Arvanitidis

Published: Athens 2025