While I was aimlessly browsing youtube, I stumbled upon this video, which tells a story of courage that many people may not know. Just after the end of WWI when Constantinople was under international rule, a brave priest of the Greek army, Fr. Lefteris Noufarakis accompanied by five of his comrades entered unnoticed into Hagia Sophia with the purpose to celebrate the Divine Liturgy, for the first time after almost 500 years the Christian chants resonated again among the walls of Hagia Sophia. They celebrated the Divine Liturgy, while a lot of people started to fill Hagia Sophia, a lot of Turks (since back then it was used as Mosque), but also a lot of Greeks from all over the city, that after having heard that the Divine Liturgy was being celebrated in Hagia Sophia rushed there to partecipate. Fr. Lefteris distributed the Holy Communion to all Greeks gathered under the dome of the ancient Basilica and then quickly finished the Liturgy while the Turks started to enrage. Luckily they were able go away unharmed, returning to their boat and then to their ship which was part of the allied expedition to Ukraine and was carrying the Second Greek Army Division.

The thing caused a diplomatic incident with the allies, complaining with Prime Minister Venizelos who eventually had to reprimand Fr. Lefteris. Venizelos eventually contacted him in private, thanking him for his courage for having realized the dream of all Greeks.