"The love and adoration I had, from a small child, for the heroes of the pre-revolution and the revolution of 1821, became love and admiration for the later heroes. They were slaughtered, hanged, scratched, humiliated so that today we can win this place free, without slavery".
On July 23, 1995, the Wax Museum in Ioannina received visitors for the first time. Its creator, Pavlos Vrellis, wrote that "this small people of the earth has shown its prowess in all ages. As a tribute, love and faith, to our anonymous and named heroes, I made this Museum of Greek History with wax figures, in the village of Bizani, Ioannina".
The path of a person is always fermented in his childhood and it has been proven that difficulties eventually give birth to great figures, as they activate within them from an early age, all those with which God has provided them: faith, hope, patience, perseverance, effort, consciousness, sensibilities and all the talents, the special talents with which he has endowed them. Pavlos was such a tested and gifted child.
Pavlos Vrellis was born in Ioannina on March 25, 1923. His mother died when he was four years old and nine years later, he also lost his father. His upbringing was undertaken by his aunt, Sofia Paramythioti. From a young age he had artistic concerns and used to spend his time carving wood figures of his favorite childhood heroes. In his teens, during the occupation period, the Germans arrested him and forced him and other children his age to "scavenge" remnants of war material. Every day after death! Because there were not a few cases when the projectiles exploded and he never saw his companions again! Then he immediately drew and immortalized their form on whatever he found, usually wood. In prison he continued to carve human figures in stone and improve his talent in any way he could.
In 1945, following his aunt's urgings, he enrolled in the Zosimaia Pedagogical Academy. At that time he was engaged in the production of busts. Among his first creations is the bust of General Lytras and G. Kaloudis, with the highlight being the idol of Archbishop Spyridon Vlachos.
In 1949, he enrolled at the Academy of Fine Arts in Athens, but his joy and progress would be interrupted by his military service during the Civil War, which marked him mentally and disorganized him.
However, he rediscovers the path that he had so painstakingly carved until then, with constructions in clay, engraving and painting, while at the same time he plays sports and even takes part with distinctions and first places in Pole Jumping Competitions ("Aktia" 1950, "Dodonaia" 1950). At the same time, he attends classes in Byzantine Music and orthophony! However, he is forced to give up all this later, in order to devote himself entirely to the School's courses, which require more and more time and energy.
At the age of 48, he started teaching Art History, specifically Contemporary Art Currents, at the University of Ioannina. For seven years he clashed with History professors, as well he believed that history is subjectively changing according to the culture, knowledge and surrounding atmosphere in which it was formed.
Since 1958, he has been working as a Technical Teacher in the Middle and High Schools of Ioannina, where he discovered the weaknesses of the Education system. Because there is no similar course for ASKT candidates, he establishes his own School, giving the children necessary supplies, with free and linear drawing, but also useful elements from his artistic experience.
In 1971, the University of Ioannina seconded him for seven years, in order to teach Art History (Contemporary Currents) courses where conflicts with the mentality of only theoretical approach to the courses and especially of History, to which he has an extraordinary sensitivity, considering it "always alive in everyone and always necessary for everyone".
In 1975 he creates the "Pre-Revolutionary Museum 1611 - 1821" in Mouzakaios with wax figures and the first relevant historical theme the "Hidden School", transforming a room in such a way that the visitor immediately enters the historical time and environment of the heroes and events . He was creating there wax human figures, after the construction with clay, the creation of a plaster cast and finally the casting of the wax. A painful and persistent process, time-consuming and demanding... but with wonderful results, which from the first moment created excitement in those who saw it for the first time!
In 1983, having retired with the rank of High School Principal and while he is already 60 years old, he decides to make a fresh start, dedicating all of himself to his great goal: a living History Museum, full of real, living heroes who can teach and guide us!
So he has all the lump sum of his pension in a bare area of 17 acres, in the village of Bizani in Ioannina... he carves it out with streets and squares and shapes it, however, decorating it with many trees and making the design of the beautiful fortress building, he himself puts in a lot of personal work, building with his hands and soul, the famous "Pavlos Vrellis MUSEUM OF GREEK HISTORY Wax Figures"!
Then, tirelessly and immovably, he began to shape the interior as well, escaping from the classic Museums and trying to create various scenery, which will host and highlight his figurines, all taken from Greek History. In other words, creating a "historical environment", something that is lacking in almost all Museums of the World!
For all this contribution, he was honored by the Pan-Pieronian Confederation of Greece (1981), the Historical and Ethnological Society of Greece (1982), the Naturist Association of Patras (1984), the Local Union of Municipalities and Communities (1991), the Municipality of Ioannina (1992), the University of Ioannina ( 1992), Saint George Association (1992), 8th Division (1993) and others, but not by the official state, nor by the President of the Republic, nor by the Hellenic Parliament, nor by the Academy of Athens, as would suit such a rare, incomparable and creative form, to a great Greek, to a great teacher of our art and history.
His work was never shown on the front page, in the main papers, in the "big" broadcasts, but spread by word of mouth from all Greeks! From those he taught with ethics, modesty and his work of incalculable national and artistic value! Of those who knew their roots and ancestors through his soul and hands.
Pavlos Vrellis died on July 23, 2010. He was married to Maria Giannitsi and together they had two children, Konstantinos and Anna.
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It is of particular interest to anyone read the notes of the same he wrote in order to give the visitor: first, a brief report on why he gave so much importance to the creation and shaping of the outdoor space and second, with what reasoning, in what way and in which he made it.
The notes are here: www.vrellis.gr/gp/external_environment.html
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