11/10/2026
52nd Festival of KNE - "Odigitis"::Strong international participation once again at the KNE–“Odigitis” Festival
Statements
Festival
For yet another year, the 52nd KNE–“Odigitis” Festival served as a meeting point for Communist Youth and anti-imperialist Organizations from all over the world. Once again, the International City was set up in a new location within the park, beneath the enormous banner bearing the slogan “Proletarians of all countries, unite!”. Representatives of 31 Youth Organizations stood side by side, giving the tens of thousands of Festival visitors, members and friends of KNE, the opportunity to get to know them, obtain their publications and other materials, and, of course, express their solidarity with the struggles they wage in their respective countries.
On the occasion of this important international gathering of young people, KNE also published English- and Spanish-language editions of the international issue of “Odigitis” for the first time in several years. Its pages feature highlights from the history of the KNE–“Odigitis” Festival, a major event for the youth, a tribute to the 20th Meeting of European Communist Youth Organizations, to be hosted in Athens on 14–16 November, articles marking the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Democratic Army of Greece (DSE) and the 100th anniversary of Fidel Castro's birth, as well as an account of KNE's activity wherever young people live, study and work.
Successful events at the International City
Two events were held at the International City.
On Wednesday 23 September, an event entitled “100 Years Since the Birth of Fidel Castro: The Legacy of the Leader of the Cuban Revolution” took place, with Aris Evangelidis, member of the CC and the International Relations Section of the CC of the KKE, as the main speaker. Aramis Fuente Hernández, Ambassador of Cuba to Greece, delivered a greeting.
On the afternoon of Friday 25 September, the International City was flooded with Festival visitors who came to participate in an event and discussion entitled “90 Years Since the Outbreak of the Spanish Civil War: The Struggle of the Spanish People, Proletarian Internationalism and Contemporary Lessons for Our Struggle Today”.
The main speaker was Kostas Skolarikos, member of the CC and head of the History Section of the CC of the KKE, while Andrés Sánchez Rodríguez, representing the Collectives of Young Communists of Spain (CJC), also made a contribution.
The discussion highlighted conclusions drawn from the strategy that prevailed in the International Communist Movement and shaped the stance of the Spanish communists — conclusions that remain invaluable for our struggle today. The speeches were followed by a short musical programme performed by La Banda de la Juventud.
On the final day of the four-day main events of the Festival, the international delegates participated in the main political rally, where they attended the speech delivered by the General Secretary of the CC of the KKE, Dimitris Koutsoumbas, and the greeting by the Secretary of the Central Council of KNE, Thodoris Kotsantis.
At the end of the rally, they joined their voices with those of tens of thousands of members and friends of the KKE and KNE, singing “The Internationale” with their fists raised.
The international delegations were given a guided tour of the Festival's main exhibition, dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Democratic Army of Greece (DSE).
A wide range of activities on the sidelines of the Festival
On the morning of Thursday 24 September, the international delegations visited the historic Kaisariani Shooting Range, where they were welcomed by the communist Mayor of Kaisariani, Ilias Stamelos.
They were given a guided tour of the memorial and the site where 200 communists were executed by the Nazi occupiers on May Day 1944, and laid flowers in tribute to their sacrifice. They also visited the nearby Museum of the EAM National Resistance, located within the historic site.
On Friday 25 September, a meeting between the international delegations and a delegation of the CC of the KKE was held at the headquarters of the CC of the KKE.
The delegations were welcomed by Nikos Abatielos, member of the PB of the CC of the KKE, who delivered an introductory speech and subsequently answered the delegates' questions concerning the positions and activity of the KKE and KNE under the current conditions.
This was followed by an International Seminar entitled “In Conditions of War Preparation, it is Imperative for the Communist Youth Organizations Is to Highlight the Only Way Out of the Barbaric Capitalist System”, during which all participating Organizations had the opportunity to present their contributions.