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Timeline of decision making concerning the finds

5. Metro of Thessaloniki. An anecdote came true

5.1. Timeline of decision making concerning the finds

One year after their discovery, in 24/1/2013, the then Deputy Minister of Culture, Costas Tzavaras59 ordered the removal of the antiquities and the continuation of the construction work after the proposal of K.A.S60., that wanted the antiquities to be stored in the military camp of “Paulos Melas” in the western side of the city to be hosted eventually at a newly

57 Recent proof are the demonstrations occurred for the ‘Skopiano’ during 2018 and 2019.

58 Variant aspects of the University’s logo. Retrieved January 28, 2021, from https://www.auth.gr/en/logo.

59 Elected in 2012 with the New Democracy party over the leadership of Antonis Samaras.

60 K.A.S. is the Central Archaeological Council of Greece, Κεντρικό Αρχαιολογικό Συμβούλιο.

32 established museum61. Consultant of the State Company of ATTIKO METRO Ltd., was from 2011 a well-known archaeologist, professor at Aristotle’s University and member of K.A.S., Mixalis Tiverios62. His views and choices that led to the removal and storage of antiquities were harshly criticized by other archaeologists as well as by the press of the city.

Giannis Boutaris as the Mayor of the city and with his appeal to the S.t.E., managed to stop the removal of the antiquities of the Venizelou station. He insisted that the ministerial decision was violating the principle of proportionality since the worst solution had been chosen for protecting the cultural environment. In addition, he invoked its contradiction with the legislation for the protection of activities and cultural heritage (Law 3028/2002) while the reasoning of the decision was found insufficient63. Additionally, the Association of Greek Archaeologists collected 16.000 (Greek and international) signatures for the re- evaluation of the planning of Venizelou station.

After 2013, the country was sinking deeper into austerity and severe financial measures were taken. Under these circumstances, frustration and rebelliousness were expressed in the elections of January of 2015 when the left-wing party of SY.RIZ.A won. That same year the Prime Minister was forced to quit and be elected again, this time forming a government along with the right-wing party of AN.EL..

In the years between 2013 and 2015, the discussion in Thessaloniki over the preservation of the antiquities and the completion of the construction was far from ending. The municipality of Thessaloniki was working in favor of the construction of a museum in Venizelou station, suggesting cancelling this particular metro station. At the same time ATTIKO METRO Ltd., was presenting its own surveys within which the dissemblance and removal of archaeological finds appeared the only sustainable solution64.

In 16/12/2014, the K.A.S. announced a compromising solution. The antiquities would be removed to be replaced when the station of Venizelou would be completed. The defenders of the antiquities were suspicious enough for their replacement. As a result of their political pressure, during the second pre- electoral period of 2015, the K.A.S., proceeded to a

61 Περίεργα παιχνίδια στις ράγες του μετρό—ThessalonikiPressThessalonikiPress. (n.d.). Retrieved July 16, 2020, from https://www.thessalonikipress.gr/perierga-pechnidia-stis-rages-tou-metro/.

62 One of the few archaeologists defending the displacement of the antiquities.

63 ΣτΕ: Προσωρινή διαταγή για την απομάκρυνση αρχαιοτήτων από το μετρό Θεσσαλονίκης—LawNet. (n.d.).

Retrieved July 15, 2020, from https://lawnet.gr/law-news/ellada/ste-prosorini-diatagi-gia-tin-apomakrunsi-arxaiotiton-apo-to-metro-8essalonikis/.

64 Στα δύο η Θεσσαλονίκη: Κόντρες και απειλές για τα αρχαία του μετρό. (n.d.). Retrieved July 16, 2020, from https://www.voria.gr/article/sta-dio-i-thessaloniki-kontres-ke-apiles-gia-ta-archea-tou-metro.

33 judgment in favor of the in situ preservation of the antiquities, not closing a delivery date for the Venizelou station65.

Meanwhile, from 2014 the main constructor of the station and the concessionaire pool supporting the ATTIKO METRO Ltd., (ΑΕΓΕΚ - Impregilo - Ansaldo - Seli - Ansaldobreda), were involved in several legal disputes mainly caused by unilateral actions concerning timelines and expenses66. As years went by, the problems grew to the point that in 2017, the involvement of AKTOR (the construction arm of ELLAKTOR), was proven crucial and secured the continuation of the whole project of constructing the metro.

The station of Agia Sofia, excavated from 2010 onwards, was as challenging as the one at Venizelou Street for archaeologists, because it enclosed finds of equal importance67. The solution chosen for this station was that of the temporary removal of the antiquities and the replacement of the 85% of them when the construction of the station was over. So, the part of Decumanus Maximus was disabled and safeguarded in containers in a Kalohori68 warehouse belonging to AKTOR Company. However, after the construction of the station, structural miscalculations made the replacement of the archaeological remains impossible. As a result none of the antiquities stored will be replaced in the station of Agia Sophia. The reactions of the displacement of the road in Agia Sofia were such that the liberal press implied that the defenders of the in situ preservation were blind supporters of the government of Alexis Tsipras69.

As Depoina Makropoulou, the former principal of Ephorate of Byzantine Antiquities of Thessoloniki70 stated to the press “In Agia Sophia antiquities could be easily removed, we were promised that a large room would be provided for their exhibition at the same station and so archaeologists made a retreat. The service believed the promises, the proposal was

65 Μετρό Θεσσαλονίκης: Νέα γνωμοδότηση του ΚΑΣ για τις αρχαιότητες στο σταθμό «Βενιζέλου». (n.d.).

Retrieved July 16, 2020, from https://m.naftemporiki.gr/story/1003559/metro-thessalonikis-nea-gnomodotisi-tou-kas-gia-tis-arxaiotites-sto-stathmo-benizelou.

66 ΜΕΤΡΟ ΘΕΣΣΑΛΟΝΙΚΗΣ Οι συγκρούσεις, οι απειλές, οι κίνδυνοι, οι πιθανές λύσεις. (n.d.). Retrieved July 16, 2020, from https://www.makthes.gr/metro-thessalonikis-oi-sygkroyseis-oi-apeiles-oi-kindynoi-oi-pithanes-lyseis-102555.

67 Υπάρχουν και τα Αρχαία στον Σταθμό Αγίας Σοφίας—Parallaxi Magazine. (n.d.). Retrieved September 20, 2020, from https://parallaximag.gr/thessaloniki/iparchoun-ke-ta-archea-ston-stathmo-agias-sofias.

68 Western superb of Thessaloniki.

69 Όταν αποσπάστηκαν οι αρχαιότητες από τον σταθμό μετρό της Αγίας Σοφίας στη Θεσσαλονίκη—Και κανείς δεν αντέδρασε | LiFO. (n.d.). Retrieved September 20, 2020, from https://www.lifo.gr/articles/archaeology_articles/272964/otan-apospastikan-oi-arxaiotites-apo-ton-stathmo-metro-tis-agias-sofias-sti-thessaloniki-kai-kaneis-den-antedrase.

70 She was active through the discovery and now a member of ‘Citizens’ Movement of Thessaloniki for the Protection of Cultural Heritage’.

34 accepted by K.A.S. and the then Prime Minister, the part of the ancient road was detached but the room was never provided for their exhibition. Agia Sophia is a bad example71”.

With the established consolidation of SY.RIZ.A., during the years from 2015 to 2019, political personalities in favor of the in situ preservation filled crucial positions in the Greek cultural and archaeological infrastructure. The construction of the metro seemed to be entering in a peaceful period, as the solution of the in situ preservation as well as the open timeline for the finishing of the Venizelou station, was supported even by the new chairman of ATTIKO METRO Ltd72. Notwithstanding the left identity of the party of SI.RYZ.A., the neoliberal policies implemented, continued to induce severe impoverishment of the Greek population. As a result, people continued to count on solutions that would improve their household budget. Therefore, the designation of antiquities was considered to attract a greater amount of tourists in order to boost the money flow in the city.

Feelings of disillusionment and outrage drove voters in supporting once again the party of New Democracy by the leadership of Kyriakos Mitsotakis in 201973. His governance was marked from its early days by the intensions for the future of the underground system of Thessaloniki. About two months after his election, he announced in the city’s International Fair that the solution promoted by the outgoing government was unachievable74. Therefore, the displacement of the antiquities was again authorized (pointing out the example of Agia Sofia station), the timelines of completion were rearranged to 2023 and AKTOR was entitled to claim compensatory damages of fifty million Euros.

As was expected, the chairman of ATTIKO METRO Ltd., changed again75 while the municipal elections of 2019 featured Konstantinos Zervas, a former member of the board of ATTIKO METRO Ltd, as the mayor of Thessaloniki. Supportive as he is to the displacement

71 Μετρό Θεσσαλονίκης: Ο γρίφος του σταθμού Βενιζέλου—Michanikos Online. (n.d.). Retrieved July 16, 2020, from

https://www.michanikos-online.gr/%CE%BC%CE%B5%CF%84%CF%81%CF%8C-%CE%B8%CE%B5%CF%83%CF%83%CE%B1%CE%BB%CE%BF%CE%BD%CE%AF%CE%BA%CE%B

7%CF%82-%CE%BF-%CE%B3%CF%81%CE%AF%CF%86%CE%BF%CF%82-%CF%84%CE%BF%CF%85-%CF%83%CF%84%CE%B1%CE%B8%CE%BC/.

72 From 2016 to 2019 the chairman was Giannis Mylopoulos.

73 Γιατί έχασε ο ΣΥΡΙΖΑ; | Πολιτική | DW | 08.07.2019. (n.d.). Retrieved September 22, 2020, from

https://www.dw.com/el/%CE%B3%CE%B9%CE%B1%CF%84%CE%AF-

%CE%AD%CF%87%CE%B1%CF%83%CE%B5-%CE%BF-%CF%83%CF%85%CF%81%CE%B9%CE%B6%CE%B1/a-49509167.

74 Μητσοτάκης: Απόσπαση στη Βενιζέλου—Ενιαίο μετρό τον Απρίλιο του 2023. (n.d.). Retrieved September 22, 2020, from https://www.voria.gr/article/mitsotakis-apo-deth-ton-aprilio-tou-2023-etimo-to-metro-thessalonikis.

75 Nikos Tahiaos, was the main competitor of K. Zervas and placed as the chairman of ATTIKO METRO Ltd..

35 of the antiquities of Venizelou station, he troubled the media with unfortunate statements targeting the defenders of their in situ preservation as “obscurantists76”.

The rollercoaster of decision- making over the antiquities polarized deeper a community that already was divided and disoriented about their avail. In my question about which would be the possible outcome for the antiquities after the excavation process, none of my informers could ever imagine that the displacement would be the fate of the finds. All of them stated that when they were informed about the importance of the finds, the least the administration would do was to follow the solution of having a museum within the stations. Nevertheless, twenty years of experiencing a construction site- like city pushed the citizens to claim any solution that would give an end to this constant hardship. “People just want a closure now…

They just don’t care anymore”. This is what A. F. hears from Thessalonikeans for many years now.