Without any doubt, Nikos Kazantzakis is a phenomenon in our literature. He represents a feat of life and art. He is the example of the will that treads the rough ascents and reaches the top. A tireless worker, he traveled through history and across the world, from one end to the other. He wrote poetry, essays, plays, travel journals, novels, which in translated form were published in 58 languages and dialects; he became involved in translating important literary works, dramatic texts and children’s literature and above all completed his ‘Odyssey’, which is known as the greatest epic of the white race.

Despite the fact that Nikos Kazantzakis won the great audiences of Europe, America and Asia and is justifiably considered a world-class writer, he, above all else, loved Crete. He wrote, ‘I don’t believe I love anything in this world as much as I do Crete. When I think of her I swear not to do any lowly act which would cause her embarrassment.’ The Cretan earth that molded him, Heraklion which gave birth to him, owed him something in return. As he later expressed in his will, Kazantzakis wanted his family home in Heraklion converted into a museum, to be called ‘the house of Nikos Kazantzakis’. His wish, however, could not be realized because in the meantime the house was sold and the new owner asked for an astronomical sum to resell it, something which led Kazantzakis to amend and codify his wish and appoint the Society of Historic Studies of Heraklion, as the chosen site on which, in accordance with his express formulations, ‘a new chamber will be established in order to transfer my study as it is at present in Antibes. In this chamber the desk at which I write and other furniture, as well as my books, all manuscripts, my correspondence, ink-well, my old pen which I have used for 40 years, my works, my silver belt, my gold ring, will all be transferred. Over the threshold there will be a sign saying “The study of Nikos Kazantzakis.” This in fact happened. The inscription was hung and important manuscripts, translations of his texts, personal objects, pieces of his furniture and photographs were transferred from Antibes where he lived and placed in two chambers.

Later, a private initiative established the Kazantzakis Museum, which since 1983 has been operating in his home village, Varvarous, now known as the Municipality of Kazantzakis. A double-storey building in the centre of the village, owned by the Anemoyianni family since 1935, was granted by the executor, to house, in 8 renovated chambers, the multi-faceted works and the restless spirit of the writer of mythical proportions and the man of constant endeavour.

There a visitor will see manuscripts, personal objects, the original versions of his texts, photographs, busts and carvings. In one particular chamber there are various translated versions of his books in 58 languages and dialects and books and journals on the man himself. Video tapes detailing his life and work are also screened there, in Greek, English, German, French, Dutch and Russian. In an adjoining room, there are valuable press archives, which are constantly being enriched with new publications. The enduring contact with directors, stage designers, costume designers and choreographs, with stage managers of national theatre companies and with entrepreneurs of private troops, assembled together a priceless collection of advertisement material, reviews, photographs, stage make-up, costumes, scripts, directors’ manuals, as well as soundtracks which accompanied performances of his works. There was even a search for productions of Kazantzakis’ novels adapted for television.

Collections were also gathered of the actual costumes worn in theatrical productions of his works in various countries.

Even though the Museum’s collection, which required 8 years of active research by the building’s grantor, contains such a wide and varied range of primary sources, it is not complete. This is because every so often, news spreads of yet another version or the staging of his work in some corner of the globe, a fact which requires ongoing research and acquisition of relevant material. As was acknowledged by all those whose opinion mattered for something, the Kazantzakis Museum in Varvarous, approximately 15km south of Knossos, is in Greece, the most comprehensive personal museum, for any learned person. It satisfies the most demanding visitor who wants to see at close range, the giant son of Crete. In its 13 years of operation, visitors have come from countries in Europe and America, from Egypt, Turkey, Iraq, Japan, China, Vietnam, Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Israel. The universal message of the writer travels to West and East through his Museum.