A Day of Remembrance and Reflection – DES Middle School Field Trip

The National Anniversary of October 28th is not merely a date. It is a moment of collective remembrance — a reminder of the courage and dignity of a people who stood tall against the darkness of fascism.

In honour of this historic day, the students of DES Middle School embarked on a meaningful field trip to Distomo, a place where the message of October 28th takes on flesh and bone.

At the Museum of the Victims of Nazism, our students came face to face with images that leave no one untouched — people who paid the price of freedom with their lives. The documentary we watched was not just a history lesson; it was a call to remember and be aware. There, before the evidence of barbarity, the “NO” of 1940 became an act of bravery and self-sacrifice.

We then visited the Mausoleum, where the souls of the innocent victims rest. From above, Distomo stretched out peacefully under the sun, and every stone seemed to carry a story of sacrifice. Standing before the names of men, women, children, and the elderly who were unjustly lost, we felt the weight of History — and the strength of Memory, which reminds us that freedom is never given, but earned with blood and soul.

The field trip concluded in Livadia, where students explored the picturesque alleys and the springs of Krya. After the quiet emotion of Distomo, this walk gave everyone a chance to reflect and share their thoughts. It was a gentle reminder that life, despite the wounds it carries, goes on — and that light always finds a way to overcome the darkness.

This day will remain engraved in our Memory not simply as a school trip, but as a journey that made us more mature — a journey that taught us quiet gratitude for what we have and a silent promise never to forget.

Because Memory is the quietest, yet the strongest way to resist.