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GreekReporter.comGreek NewsThe Greek Monument Honoring the Brave Women of Pindos

The Greek Monument Honoring the Brave Women of Pindos

women of pindos
The monument for the women of Pindos who contributed greatly to the Greco-Italian War. Credit: YouTube screenshot

There is a relatively unknown monument, among the many from World War II, that praises the brave women of Pindos who contributed to the great victory against the Italian army.

The unsung heroines of October 28, 1940 are definitely the women of Pindos. They are strong, steadfast women who helped the men fight the battles along the Pindos Mountain range of Greece.

The women of Pindos had to climb the tall Epirus mountains to provide the Greek soldiers in battle with much-needed supplies in harsh winter conditions.

The monument to the proud women of Pindos

The monument to the women of OXI Day is far removed from any main roads. It is perched high up at the entrance to the plain of Asprangelos.

The statue was erected in the area in 1993. It is the work of the Thessalian sculptor Georgios Kalakallas, and it is about six meters (twenty feet) in height. It weighs 1.7 tons.

It is dedicated to the memory of the women of Zagori who selflessly sacrificed their lives to help repel the invasion of the Italian forces in the autumn of 1940.

Many of the women of Pindos were from the villages of the Zagori region, located eighty kilometers (fifty miles) from the capital of the Epirus region, Ioannina.

At the time of the Italians’ attempt to invade from Albania, the road stopped in the middle of the route.

From there, the Zagorian women had to go up the mountains carrying supplies on their backs or with the help of donkeys.

Carrying supplies to soldiers in combat

In November 1940, the Greek soldiers had been fortified in the mountains and were fighting in the area of ​​Vrysochori.

Due to the distance from Zagori, the nearest village, they faced serious problems with their supply of ammunition, food, and water, however.

The women of Zagori actively participated in the war with their regular transportation of supplies to the Greek forces trying to stop the fascist invaders. The Italians were trying to reach Metsovo through the valley of Aoos.

The women of what is now known as OXI Day had to carry supplies using donkeys or on their backs since all the horses in the area were being used by the Greek army.

Women of OXI Day
Women of the Pindos carry supplies on their backs for the men fighting on the Albanian front. Public Domain

The women of Pindos

Greeks call the heroines of the Greco-Italian War, “The Women of Pindos.” Photographs of the women in their traditional dark clothes carrying heavy loads on their backs were a morale booster for civilians who watched the proceedings of the war from afar.

The brave women of OXI Day were also a favorite part of the war newsreels of the time. Along with the outnumbered Greek soldiers who were fighting in the snow and the mud, they symbolized the indomitable spirit of Greece that always stands tall and never surrenders.

The assistance of the women of Pindos was decisive in the uneven war. They were bringing ammunition, medical supplies, and food to the front while simultaneously transferring the wounded to the rear.

Moreover, their participation in fortification works and bridge construction has also been recorded in testimonies.

The heroism of these women combined with international admiration for the unexpected accomplishments of the Greek army contributed to the creation of the term “the Women of Pindos.” This generally describes all the female volunteers of the time.

Quite significant was the fact that the Greek victories against the Axis in Albania were the first for the Allied forces on European soil.

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