A rare audiovisual document from the first anniversary of the Athens Polytechnic uprising on 17 November 1974 has been released publicly for the first time, bringing to light powerful images from commemorations honouring those who lost their lives during the anti-junta revolt.
The nine-minute video was uploaded to YouTube a few days ago by the School of Architecture of the National Technical University of Athens. The footage was discovered on reels of film found in the basement of the Tositsa building.
The films were shot by Yiannis Simiriotis, who at the time worked in the photography laboratory of the School of Architecture. One of the reels contained information about him and his collaborators, as well as footage from the first anniversary commemoration in 1974.
The material was preserved through a collaboration with staff from the ERT archive, who undertook the conservation and digitisation of the film reels. The footage was subsequently processed at the School of Architecture's Documentation Laboratory before being released to the public.
The images show crowds gathering outside the gates of the Polytechnic, leaving flowers, candles, votive candles and letters in memory of those killed during the uprising.
The video also includes testimonies from relatives of victims, as well as scenes from an exhibition held in the Averoff building.
One of the most moving moments features army officer Spyros Moustaklis. In one scene, a journalist attempts to interview him, but a woman explains that he is unable to speak. Moustaklis, who had been left paralysed, makes a characteristic gesture and appears in frail physical condition, walking with assistance.
The document also captures dozens of people sitting on the steps at the Polytechnic gate. Antonis Kalogiannis, Maria Farantouri and Nikos Xylouris take the microphone and perform Mikis Theodorakis' song "Do Not Forget Oropos".
The footage concludes with scenes from the large march held to mark the anniversary. Thousands of people filled the streets carrying banners and posters and chanting slogans, while in some places they formed human chains.
The newly released film provides a valuable historical record of the atmosphere surrounding the first Polytechnic anniversary and the mass public participation in events commemorating one of the defining moments of modern Greek history.
