The Holocaust of Santa, Pontus - September 11, 1921

A Forgotten Chapter of the Pontic Greek Genocide

Some tragedies are remembered by the world. Others survive only because someone refuses to let them be forgotten.

On September 11, 1921, the historic Greek communities of Eptakomos Santa (Επτάκωμος Σάντα) in Pontus were overtaken by one of the darkest episodes in the persecution of the Pontic Greeks.

For generations, the people of Santa had built thriving mountain communities south of Trebizond. They established churches, schools and cultural institutions, raised their families, preserved their Orthodox faith and Greek language, and developed a society known for education, independence and a strong sense of community.

Then their world was shattered.

During the violence and persecutions of 1921, the villages of Santa were attacked, homes were pillaged and burned, and residents were forced from the land their families had inhabited for generations. Men were killed or arrested. Women, children and the elderly were driven into exile under devastating conditions of hunger, exposure and disease.

Survivor testimony from the broader Pontic region describes suffering almost beyond comprehension: people reduced to grinding corn stalks and tree bark into flour simply to remain alive, families scattered, villages emptied, and only a fraction of those deported returning home.

The events of Santa became known among Pontic Greeks as “The Holocaust of Santa” — Το Ολοκαύτωμα της Σάντας — one chapter within the wider tragedy of the Pontic Greek Genocide.

More than a century later, this history remains largely unknown outside the Pontic and Hellenic communities.

We believe that must change.

The Hellenic Cultural Center of the Southwest (HCC-SW) invites the entire community to join us for a solemn Memorial Service honoring the victims of Eptakomos Santa and all those whose lives were destroyed during the persecution of the Greeks of Pontus.

Memorial Service

Sunday, September 6, 2026
St. Basil the Great Greek Orthodox Church
1100 Eldridge Pkwy
Houston, TX 77077

The Memorial Service will be offered by Fr. Luke Paloumbis.

Following the service, guests are invited to a reception in Costas Hall, followed by a historical presentation by Sophia Vachtsevanou, Director of the Hellenic Education Program at St. Basil, examining the events of Santa and the historical circumstances surrounding this tragedy.

This gathering is not only an act of mourning.

It is an act of remembrance.

It is an opportunity for our children and grandchildren to learn a history that was nearly erased, and for our wider community to understand what happened to people whose homes, schools, churches and way of life disappeared from the land where they had existed for centuries.

The victims can no longer tell their story.

We can.

Remember them. Honor them. Tell their story.

Sponsored by the Hellenic Cultural Center of the Southwest

For additional information, please contact:

Elias Neofytides
HCC-SW Director & Event Coordinator
Cell: 832-557-7287
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.