Legacy of a US orphanage on Syros

While others might have overlooked this discovery, Lefteris Zorzos, an archaeologist with a profound passion for research, bent down to retrieve a bullet casing from the floor of an abandoned building at the Captain Apostolos Zafeiris military base on the Aegean island of Syros, where he served in 2014. He soon realized that the object had no proper business being there. Indeed, it had fallen from a gap in the boards on the floor above. With permission from the camp’s commander at the time, Dimitris Boudalis, Zorzos embarked on a search of the boards and was astounded to discover letters, games, photographs and fragments of clothing.

What was the significance of these peculiar items in the barracks? They turned out to be relics from the building’s previous life as a massive orphanage constructed by the Americans on Syros after the Asia Minor Disaster, operating under the name Near East Relief. The relics were deemed useless and discarded at some point – finding their resting place as debris within the floor – either by the orphanage’s residents or, later on, by the soldiers.

The relics were deemed useless and discarded at some point… either by the orphanage’s residents or, later on, by the soldiers

What Zorzos had stumbled on was evidence of the operation of the Mediterranean’s largest orphanage, which had been constructed to provide shelter for uprooted boys and girls of Greek and Armenian descent who had lost their parents. In 2014, a small exhibition was set up at the camp’s entrance to pay tribute to the thousands of children who had passed through the building, seeking a brighter future.

Approximately a decade after this unexpected discovery and in honor of the institution’s 100th anniversary, an extraordinary tribute was organized, which has just concluded. The event featured documentary screenings, guest specialists and the publication of a book containing photographs and documents.

The story, which originated with the discovery of a bullet, transported us back to a turbulent period, a time of a profound humanitarian crisis spanning from Turkey to Greece. The philanthropic organization Near East Relief, originally founded in 1915 during the Armenian Genocide, persevered throughout subsequent years, reaching its zenith during the Asia Minor Disaster.

The exhibition at the Gallery of the Cyclades on Syros, spearheaded by Zorzos and brought to life through the collaborative efforts of volunteers, documented the history of Near East Relief, spanning the years 1915 to 1930. It also showcased the creation of this unique, multicultural living monument established in Ermoupoli, the island’s capital, over a century ago.

The original items discovered beneath the wooden floors of the orphanage were displayed alongside other findings from that era. Particular focus was placed on the educational system and the vocational training program designed to equip the 7,000 orphans with the professional skills necessary for life beyond the orphanage.

The exhibition is expected to come to Athens, Thessaloniki and New York. Meanwhile, a photobook, designed by Nikos Korakakis, is now available in both physical bookstores and online through Atlantea e-shop.