Obj. ID: 44915
Memorials  Tánaïs Memorial Monument in Chania, Greece, 2013

Name

Tánaïs Memorial Monument

Who is Commemorated?

Victims of the sinking of the Tánaïs transport ship

Description

The monument is located just outside the eastern walls of the old town of Chania in the Koum Kapi neighborhood, at a fork intersection of Kiprou and Akti Miaouli streets.  It consists of three parts. First, there is a large triangular concrete base with rounded corners that occupies a good part of the site at the fork of the two roads, one of which runs to the left along the edge of the sea front (east of the actual port), and the other runs along the line of the old town walls. The platform mimics the shape of the land plot, and the curved front reminds one of a ship’s prow. The front half is a platform that carries the sculptural monument. The rear part of this concrete base is wider and serves as a giant planter filled with greenery.

The second part is the sculptural monument itself, which from the waterside approximates the form of a sailing ship, but from other angles appears more abstract. From head-on, the metal parts look something like a giant anchor. Metal lattice work on the right side resembles ship's rigging, and on this is installed a flock of metal doves who seem to ascend upward (presumably these are the souls of the dead). The ship-specific form and symbolism in the monument only come out slowly. One sees the form of a hull, an anchor, and ship’s rigging. 

The third part of the memorial, and perhaps the most important, is a pair of small bronze rectangular plaques with commemorative inscriptions. Unfortunately, these are nearly hidden behind the sculptural monument. They are set low on the base and far from the edges, and thus very hard to read. One is in Greek and the other in English. Given their small size and their location, they are hard to see, and nearly impossible to read in bright sunlight.

Inscriptions

The plaques have identical inscriptions in Greek and English.

In Greek:

ΣTH MNHM

TΩΝ EΛΛΗΩN EBPAIΩΝ THΣ KPNTHΣ
ΑΝΔΡΩΝ ΓΥΝΑΙΚΩΝ ΚΑΙ ΠΑΙΔΙΩΝ

TΩΝ XPIΣTIANΩN ANTIΣTAΣIAKΩN

TΩΝ ITAΛΩN ANTIΦAΣΙΣΤΩΝ

ΠΟΥ ΕΠΕΣΑΝ ΘΥΜΑΤΑ TΩΝ NAZI
KATAKTHTΩN KAI BPHKAN TPAΓΙΚΟ
ΘANATO ΣΤΗ BYΘΙΣΗ TOY ATMOΠΛOIOY
TANAΪΣ ΣΤΙΣ 9 IOYNIOY 1944 KATA TON
B’ΠΑΓΚΟΣΜΙΟ ΠΟΛΕΜΟ

O ΔΗΜΟΣ XANIΩΝ

TO KENTPIKO ΙΣPAHΛΙΤΙΚΟ ΣΥΜΒΟΥΛΙΟ
ΕΛΛΑΔΟΣ

XOPHΓΟΙ

ΙΣPAHΛΙΤΙΚH KOINOTHTA ΘΕΣΣΑΛΟΝΙΚΗΣ
ΕΠΙ ΠPOEΔRIAΣ ΔAYIΔ ΣAΛΤΙΕΛ

ΣΑΜΠΗΣ ΜΙΩΝΗΣ

14 OKTΣΩΒΡΙΟΥ 2013

In English

In Memory

Of the Greek Jews of Crete
Men, women and children

Of the Christian members of the resistance

Of the Italian antifascist servicemen

Who died tragically in the sinking of
SS Tánaïs on June 9th 1944 during
World War II

The Municipality of Hania

The Central Board of Jewish
Communities in Greece

Sponsored by

The Jewish community of Thessaloniki
during the presidency of David Saltiel

Mr Sabby Mionis

Octomber 14th 2013

Commissioned by

Municipality of Chania, The Central Board of Jewish Communities of Greece (KIS)