At the New York State Attorney's Office, Lina Mendoni received 11 ancient objects, which are being repatriated to Greece.

"The Greek state prioritizes the repatriation of antiquities"
Lina Mendoni pointed out in her greeting: "The Ministry of Culture has succeeded, in recent years, in the repatriation of hundreds of stolen cultural goods. Each repatriation has a special significance, as it is directly related to our collective and individual identity. The Greek state prioritizes the repatriation of antiquities that rightfully belong to our homeland, but remain illegally abroad."

“Greece,” the Minister noted, “under no circumstances demands that the museums that host and exhibit works of ancient Greek art be emptied. However, it demands the return of all its illegally exported cultural treasures and the reunification of the Parthenon Sculptures, a unique case. The violent removal of the Sculptures destroyed the integrity of the existing monument, a symbol of Western Civilization.”

Marble basin with lid and marble doykas (pestle, 5th-4th century BC)
The 11 objects being repatriated
Among the 11 ancient objects being repatriated are a marble male figurative head (first half of the 1st century AD), an Attic marble votive relief of the category of “funeral feasts” (second half of the 4th century BC), a marble basin with lid and marble doykas (pestle, 5th-4th century BC).

Bonze female statuette (3rd century BC)
A bronze female statuette (3rd century BC), a miniature bronze female bust (3rd century BC), a gold ring depicting Poseidon with a trident in a sling (1st century BC - 1st century AD), a clay Mycenaean female figurine of the Ψ type (1300-1200 BC), a clay black-figure aryballos with a battle scene (600-500 BC), a clay black-painted kantharos (4th century BC), and clay lamps of the 4th century BC. Bronze female bust (3rd century BC)

At the end of the repatriation ceremony, Lina Mendoni, on behalf of the Hellenic Republic and the Greek Government, decorated Matthew Bogdanos with the decoration of "Commander of the Order of the Phoenix", for his contribution to the recovery and repatriation of a large number of antiquities to Greece.

Lina Mendoni, when awarding the title of “Commander of the Order of the Phoenix” to Matthew Bogdanos, emphasized that: “This decoration is not only proof of his relentless fight against the illegal trafficking and looting of valuable objects, but also recognition of his Greek heritage. Matthew Bogdanos is one of us - not only because of his ancestral roots in Lemnos and his connection to the vibrant Greek-American community, but, above all, because of his unwavering dedication to protection of the classical heritage and its universal values. He is Greek, not only by origin, but by the work he has done—and continues to do—to preserve the heritage of the ancient world.”

The Head of the Antiquities Division of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, Matthew Bogdanos, deeply moved, said: “It is a great honor for me to receive this decoration from the Hellenic Republic, the country of origin of my family. I pledge that I will continue to work in this direction, in order to return to Greece its immense cultural heritage. I do not consider this distinction as a reward for my past contribution, but for my future services.”

The ceremony was attended by the Consul General of Greece in New York, Ifigenia Kanara, the Councilor of the State Legal Council, Efthymia Garani, the President of the Board of Directors of the Byzantine and Christian Museum of Athens, Georgios Tsaprounis, the Director of Documentation and Protection of Cultural Property of the Ministry of Culture, Vaso Papageorgiou, and the Head of the Department of Documentation and Protection of Cultural Property, Elena Vlachogianni.