Cristiano Ronaldo has become one of the main attractions this summer at a unique wax museum in the small village of Kipia, at the foot of Mount Pangaio in northern Greece.
Visitors to the Wax Museum of Theodoros Kokkinidis can now stand beside a lifelike wax figure of the Portuguese football star, dressed in the Portugal national team shirt and wearing his famous No. 7.
Children have been among the most enthusiastic visitors, posing beside Ronaldo and taking photographs as they admire the figure. Football fans have also flocked to the exhibit.
But for Kokkinidis, Ronaldo represents more than another internationally recognised name in his collection. The figure forms part of a decades-long artistic project that has transformed a small Kavala village into an unusual cultural attraction.
Global stars alongside Greek icons
The museum’s collection brings together personalities from entertainment, sport, politics, history and the arts.
Maria Callas stands alongside Aristotle Onassis, while Angelina Jolie, recreated following her appearance in The Tourist, appears near Melina Mercouri and Mikis Theodorakis.
The collection also features Tom Cruise, Michael Jackson and Madonna, alongside Greek figures including Odysseas Elytis, Yannis Tsarouchis and Constantine Cavafy.
The museum also houses figures of prominent Greek athletes, politicians and historical personalities.
Kokkinidis says creating each sculpture requires extensive research, observation and patience.
“A wax sculpture requires patience, study and observation, particularly when there is no model,” he explains, stressing that his objective goes beyond producing a mechanically perfect copy.
Instead, he seeks to capture each person’s expression, character, posture and personality.
Months of work behind each figure
The creation of a wax figure can take several months.
Kokkinidis spent more than six months creating Ronaldo, around five months on Tom Cruise, almost six months on actor Kostas Voutsas and approximately 10 months on basketball legend Panagiotis Giannakis.
The process begins with clay before moving to wax. Kokkinidis then works on the facial features, expression, hair, teeth and clothing.
Specialists also contribute to the final result. Hairdressers implant and style the hair, while dental technicians create the teeth according to the artist’s instructions.
Clothing can also play an important role in creating an authentic appearance.
Olympic champion Voula Patoulidou and former Greek football captain Theodoros Zagorakis personally posed for their wax figures and donated their actual sports uniforms, which the sculptures now wear.
Athletes meet their wax likenesses
Giannakis also donated a basketball from his playing career and signed it twice.
When the former basketball star later stood beside his wax figure, Kokkinidis described the encounter as an almost cinematic moment.
The figure depicts Giannakis in the atmosphere of Greece’s historic 1987 European basketball triumph, creating an unusual meeting between the athlete and his younger self.
Another memorable encounter involved legendary composer Mimis Plessas.
When Plessas attended the official presentation of his wax figure, he sat beside the sculpture and examined its details.
Kokkinidis placed the figure behind an old piano associated with the Olympians, creating a scene that evokes an entire era of Greek music rather than simply presenting a portrait.
Historical figures brought back to life
Kokkinidis has also devoted considerable attention to figures from Greek history.
His collection includes Theodoros Kolokotronis, Laskarina Bouboulina, Ioannis Kapodistrias, Georgios Karaiskakis and Manto Mavrogenous.
For these figures, the artist says he tries to recreate not only their physical appearance but also something of their personality and historical period.
Manto Mavrogenous’ costume, for example, was cut, sewn and embroidered entirely by hand with assistance from Kokkinidis’ mother.
A museum built from a personal dream
The museum’s development reflects Kokkinidis’ determination to pursue his artistic vision outside Greece’s major cultural centres.
He established the museum in Kipia rather than a large city with an established tourist audience and has continued to develop the collection through years of personal work.
A serious road accident also forced him away from his workshop for an extended period. Yet seven months after the accident, he returned to complete a new wax figure of actress Aliki Vougiouklaki.
Today, visitors travel to the village to see figures representing some of the world’s most recognisable personalities.
For Kokkinidis, however, the museum offers more than photographs with famous faces. Each figure tells a story and connects visitors with a film, song, sporting achievement or moment in Greek history.
And while the figures themselves consist of wax, the museum ultimately reflects something far more personal: the persistence of an artist who turned a childhood-style dream into a cultural destination in a small Greek village.
