The Story of Kyriaki Tselepí

In 1922, the small village of Neochori in the region of Kallipolis, with the sea stretching out in front and the mountains protecting it from behind, experienced a great change. There lived the Mylonas family, a well-established household in the local community. Giorgos Mylonas, the father of the family, was known for his grain mills and his grocery store, which were the heart of the village’s market. Along with his wife and their four children—Dimitris, Kalliopi, Paraskevi, and the youngest, Kyriaki—they had created a home with a sea-facing front and mountains behind, full of walnut trees and cypress trees, which provided shade and coolness in the summer.

However, the peace and security they had known for years was about to crumble. Their lives changed dramatically in 1922 due to the events of the Greco-Turkish War and the aftermath of the Asia Minor Catastrophe, forcing them to leave everything they had built and seek refuge in Greece. With heavy hearts, they decided to leave their home and their property in Kallipolis and embark on the journey of exile.

The Mylonas family, six members in total, found themselves in one of the most difficult moments of their lives. Giorgos and wife (not sure of the name but could be Nicoletta), along with their four children—Dimitris, Kalliopi, Paraskevi, and Kyriaki—travelled across the turbulent sea and land in search of a new beginning. The decision to leave everything behind, from their sea-view home to the grocery store and mills, was a conscious one, but it was incredibly hard.

After several months of searching, the family eventually settled in Palaios Pella, where fate led them to other refugees who had experienced similar tragedies. This land, full of history and natural beauty, became their new home, yet they could never forget what they had left behind.

Over the years, Kyriaki and her siblings grew up and built their lives in Greece. Their parents established a new foundation for their family in Lipohori, Pella, trying to rebuild their life from scratch. Kyriaki, though very young when they left Kallipolis, always remembered the memories of their homeland—the walnut trees that covered the mountains, the cypress trees that smelled of sea breeze, and the sense of security that their neighbourhood had provided.

As the years passed, the family, though they had accepted their new life in Greece, continued to carry the weight of their memories. Kyriaki, having spent her early years with the image of the sea and the mountains in her mind, always kept a vivid picture of the homeland they had left behind. Today, Kyriaki Tselepí, a second-generation refugee, looks back on those years when her family left their homeland. Although she never forgot the life they had in Asia Minor, she recognized the strength of family unity and resilience, which kept them going despite the hardships. She often shares the stories of her family from that time, keeping the story of their exile alive for future generations.