General Ioannis Makriyiannis

Giannis Pappas began creating the statue of Makriyannis in 1986, and completed it in 1989. The sculpture came into being as a donation from the National Bank of Greece Cultural Foundation to the Municipality of Athens, and is one of the most famous works of the sculptor's late active period. Following a barrage of disagreements and discussions, the project was finally placed in the area of Makriyannis in 1996, near the current Acropolis Museum and the Metro station of the same name. It is a Brass statue depicting the famous fighter of the Greek War of Independence Ioannis Makriyannis (1797-1864) in an upright position, with his feet apart (left foot projected forward), his hands low, the right one holding the sword with its tip touching the ground and the left one touching his fustanella, his traditional garb. Key elements of the sculpture are the detail in the rendering of the facial features, since Pappas used the corresponding portrait of Karl Krazeisen as a model, and the clothing of the fighter, fustanella, vest, etc. The sculpture rests on a low pedestal, where the names of the person depicted, the sculptor, the sponsor and the founder are engraved. Over the years, the statue has suffered various types of vandalism, but was restored in 2003.