The Presidential Palace defines our modern historical identity and points the way towards a future that exudes optimism, determination, self-confidence, and a need for security and peace. We aspire to highlight the Presidential Palace as a modern and outward-looking point of reference that will transmit our heritage, inspiring respect for the past, pride in our culture, and self-confidence for our future.
This is what the First Lady, Philippa Karsera Christodoulides, stresses to “Phileleftheros,” on the occasion of the project, “Cyprus: The World, Place, Word, Matter,” which was presented at the Presidential Palace on Monday. This ambitious initiative aims to bring a historic architectural building closer to both high-ranking foreign visitors and ordinary citizens. The building is not just where politics have been made throughout the independent course of the Republic of Cyprus—and during colonial times—but is also a space with exceptionally rich elements of history and art. It holds a valuable collection of works by prominent artists and archaeological artefacts, which are now being highlighted for all its visitors. As a diplomat, Ms Karsera Christodoulides viewed the Presidential Palace as a tool for diplomacy, and she has leveraged this with her initiative. This phase showcases a unique collection of one hundred artworks, including paintings by 57 major Cypriot and foreign artists. The collection of antiquities comes from the Department of Antiquities. The initiative culminates in a “time machine” that transports visitors through the history of the Palace and the significant phases it underwent, such as the 1931 October Riots and the 1974 coup. The First Lady aspires to transform the Palace into a springboard for showcasing both old and new creators, initiatives, and activities—open and accessible to everyone.
Your new initiative for the Presidential Palace: What is its aim? Is it to make the Palace more than just the political centre at a state level?
I first entered the Presidential Palace about 20 years ago. Due to my profession, I learned to approach everything historically significant and symbolically strong as a potential tool for diplomacy. A space where a foreign visitor would feel Cyprus, from the grounds, the trees and scents, the architecture and the influences resulting from the passage of centuries, and from the artworks and antiquities—which, however, must be presented in a contemporary way so the experience is easily registered.
Later acquiring other roles, as a mother and now as the wife of the President of the Republic, I also view the Presidential Palace as a tool for educating the youth—an easy and interactive way to understand and appreciate our history and culture.
That is why, since I have had the honour of being the President’s wife, I have been promoting various actions aimed at opening the Presidential Palace and the Presidential residence in Troodos to citizens, so that those who wish can learn about our emblematic buildings and their history, which is part of the modern history of Cyprus.
The museum environment now being created within the Palace grounds: What arts will it showcase, and what are the messages you wish to send through this initiative?
Today, we are showcasing a unique collection of approximately 100 artworks spanning from the early 20th century to the present day, with paintings by 57 great artists from the first generation, such as George Pol. Georgiou, Diamantis, Kanthos, Kassiàlos, and Nicolaides, as well as works by younger and living creators. Most come from the State Art Collection, and the rest are from the Presidential collection, the family of George Pol. Georgiou, and works from the Leventis Gallery.
The second collection consists of antiquities, specifically figurines and sculptures dating from the 4th millennium BC to the 1st century BC. The exhibits come from the collections of the Department of Antiquities, and two of them were repatriated in 2024 from Munich after a long legal battle, along with hundreds of other Cypriot artefacts that had been plundered and illegally exported from Cyprus by the Turkish antiquities smuggler Aydin Dikmen following the Turkish invasion of 1974. You understand that there could be no more ideal place to highlight the tragic aspect of the destruction and looting of our cultural heritage by Turkey than the Presidential Palace, where foreign leaders and officials from all over the world are received and hosted. Especially in view of the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the EU, we will have the opportunity to further highlight this issue.
Will this reach the general public or only the occasional visitors?
Through this kind of activity, the Presidential Palace is being transformed into a modern point of reference that will transmit our heritage to its visitors, both local and foreign. We have suggested to the Palace Administration the establishment of an open day for public visits to the Presidential Palace at least once a year, perhaps coinciding with the Independence Day celebrations. We have also proposed that year-round visits for schoolchildren be institutionalised on predetermined days, based on a procedure set by the Ministry of Education. Visits will be accompanied by publications that people can take home, detailing the building’s history and information about the exhibits. There is also an online page where visitors have access to information about all the artworks and antiquities.
We want the Presidential Palace to be accessible and open to those to whom it belongs: to all Cypriots. We seek to make all citizens stakeholders in this project because the Presidential Palace defines our modern historical identity and points the way towards a future that exudes optimism, determination, self-confidence, and a need for security and peace.
The digitisation of the Palace’s history, as well as the virtual tour of it, is a significant step.
I very much wanted an interactive screen that would take you through the history of the building. The result exceeded our expectations. The time machine is impressive because it truly feels like a journey through time and space; through rare documents, the history of the Presidential Palace building is recorded and projected, covering the time when the first High Commission and later the Governor’s residence were built. You can visit the Presidential Palace in different historical phases, seeing it during the 1931 October Riots or after the 1974 coup. Utilising the rich archival material with digitised texts and photographs, scientists from the Cyprus Institute created a unique time machine, which has been placed in the Presidential Palace’s reception area. In this modern way, visitors will be able to explore important moments from the past and understand the historical significance of the Presidential Palace. Especially for schoolchildren, I believe this will be the point that attracts the greatest interest. And I hope our machine will soon be developed for people with hearing difficulties. It is a living and evolving tool.
Culture and history in a pivotal location for all this land has been through…
You are absolutely right. It is a building with high symbolism and a rich history, intertwined with people and events that determined the course of our country and our people over the last two centuries. Hence the extremely apt title of the exhibition, “Cyprus: The World, Place, Word, Matter,” curated by academics Kostas Mantzalos and Constantinos Kounnis. The concept of the coexistence of the World, the Place, the Word, and the Matter served as the central axis of inspiration and guidance for the shaping and presentation of the artworks exhibited in the Presidential Palace. Each room reflects concepts; for example, the exhibits in the Council of Ministers’ room are an expression of Matter, because that is where decisions are made, where we move towards new actions, advancing into the future with reforms.
Should we anticipate the utilisation of antiquities and artworks that we hear are currently unused in storage?
What I can assure you of is that in collaboration with the Deputy Ministry of Culture, the Department of Antiquities, and other competent services, as well as other private sector organisations, we will do everything we can to strengthen and develop our collections. The project is dynamic. We are at the beginning of an ambitious undertaking, a beautiful journey that will have both continuity and consistency. And it is very important that, through this transformation, the Presidential Palace provides a space—a springboard for new actions of cultural interaction, where contemporary artists can present their works. This is happening for the first time, and it was a great honour for us to have many of these artists at the event at the Presidential Palace.
The Presidential Palace draws its existence from the last foreign conqueror of Cyprus and is located on a site called “Snake Hill.” We are transmitting our history and our heritage. We proudly present Cyprus to foreign officials, and the message that the entire project exudes and conveys is respect for the past, alongside optimism and self-confidence for our future. The Presidential Palace is being transformed into a springboard for showcasing old and new creators, initiatives, and activities that will be continuously developed and enriched.
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