Since 2007, a collaboration began with the association “TO RODO,” of which I am a member. It was an idea of its president, Nikos Mathioudakis: the association’s delegation marching in the March 25th parade in Chania should not only wear the traditional Cretan costume of the era, the ‘salvaria’, but also parade with the weaponry a Cretan revolutionary of that period would have carried. So, starting in 2007, I provided the (authentic) weaponry for everyone, and I also marched myself. The appearance was very well received by the public, and since then, the association has consistently paraded this way on March 25th. On October 28th, the association’s delegation is dressed in uniforms of 1940s soldiers and Occupation-era guerrillas, carrying replicas of weapons from that period. For a better study of the two aforementioned historical periods, a historical reenactment group was formed within the association, named ‘Kalisperides’ in honor of the Cretan revolutionaries of the same name. The group parades on national anniversaries, represents the image of the Cretan revolutionary at events both within and outside Crete (Mani, Messolonghi, Metsovo, Karpenisi, Aigio, etc.), and strives to revive the conditions and objects of that time, so that through this study, its members can gain experiential knowledge.

Parades within Crete

Parades outside Crete