VOICES From Migrations | Maria Ioanna Christoforidou's story

“VOICES From Migrations" is a project co-funded by the European Union exploring untold migration stories. Maria Ioanna Christoforidou is 48 years old. She moved from Armenia to Greece in 1982. This is her story:

Maria Ioanna Christoforidou | VOICES From Migrations

“I was born in Yerevan, Armenia, where I spent the first years of my life filled with good memories, but also a growing sense of insecurity as the end of the Soviet Union drew near.

My family never had much, so my father decided to leave for Greece to find a job while we stayed in Yerevan. After five years, Armenia sank into crisis, and the only thing left was for us to go, too.

The decision was not easy: it was desperate. We gathered the essentials and set out. The road was harsh; every border demanded money and papers. Luckily, we had with us a helper who knew the routes and could negotiate for us.

And then came the moment I will never forget: men in uniforms stopped us and asked for money. They lined us all up against a wall, pointing a gun at my father until they found a little hidden sum. Then they lowered the gun and let us go. That moment marked us all forever. They didn’t just take our money, but also our innocence and our trust.

When we finally reached Greece, we had only 100 dollars left, and yet we felt relieved: we had a chance to stand on our feet again. The state supported us through a resettlement program and gave us a small house. It was simple, but it served us well: it was safe, stable. 

The real shock was arriving at school, where I didn’t understand a word. I felt foreign and isolated. So I studied hard, and within a year, I could speak perfect Greek. Knowing the language, however, didn’t solve everything. People around me always saw me as a foreigner, so even at university, I carried this stigma with me. 

Today, I try to rebuild bridges with my origins, without losing my Greek identity. I feel that I belong here, in Thessaloniki, but also there, in Armenia. And perhaps true homeland is ultimately this: our shared human experience and the stories we tell that bring us closer together.”

Interview by: Giuseppe Bellassai, Maria Eduarda Magalhães Carrara, Paris Nestoras, Ruban Nkenlifack, and Liman Zhang

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Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.