Cavafy statue vandalized in Athens weeks after installation

Athens is grappling with the vandalism of a newly erected statue honoring the renowned poet Constantine Cavafy. The bronze sculpture, placed on Dionysiou Areopagitou street near the Acropolis Museum just a month ago, suffered damage when a piece of its glasses was broken by unknown individuals. The incident has sparked public outcry and concern over the safety of public art in the city.

Actor and Member of Parliament Spyros Bibilas expressed his dismay and anger over the vandalism. He lamented the state of modern Greece, criticizing what he called "barbaric" acts and a general disregard for the country's cultural heritage and urban beauty. Bibilas's emotional statement highlighted broader issues of societal decay, crime, and a perceived lack of accountability, contrasting the poet's legacy with contemporary problems.

The statue, created by sculptor Praxiteles Tzanoulinos, depicted Cavafy seated on a bronze bench, intended to integrate the poet's memory into the urban fabric he cherished. Its swift defacement has raised questions about security and the public's respect for artistic contributions, turning a symbol of cultural appreciation into a point of contention.

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Wretched Greece of today! Not even a month has passed and some barbarian broke a piece of Cavafy's statue… The Greece of shame, of demolished neoclassical beauty, the Greece of the Glyfada skyscraper and casinos that will eat the money of fools, the Greece that lets its children leave for other places, the Greece of the Tempi crime, the Greece of lies from everyone and impunity that hurts us and makes us cry.