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.<\/h3>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Global stars alongside Greek icons<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n The museum\u2019s collection brings together personalities from entertainment, sport, politics, history and the arts.<\/p>\n Maria Callas stands alongside Aristotle Onassis, while Angelina Jolie, recreated following her appearance in The Tourist<\/em>, appears near Melina Mercouri and Mikis Theodorakis.<\/p>\n The collection also features Tom Cruise, Michael Jackson and Madonna, alongside Greek figures including Odysseas Elytis, Yannis Tsarouchis and Constantine Cavafy.<\/p>\n The museum also houses figures of prominent Greek athletes, politicians and historical personalities.<\/p>\n Kokkinidis says creating each sculpture requires extensive research, observation and patience.<\/p>\n \u201cA wax sculpture requires patience, study and observation, particularly when there is no model,\u201d he explains, stressing that his objective goes beyond producing a mechanically perfect copy.<\/p>\n Instead, he seeks to capture each person\u2019s expression, character, posture and personality.<\/p>\n Months of work behind each figure<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n The creation of a wax figure can take several months.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n The process begins with clay before moving to wax. Kokkinidis then works on the facial features, expression, hair, teeth and clothing.<\/p>\n Specialists also contribute to the final result. Hairdressers implant and style the hair, while dental technicians create the teeth according to the artist\u2019s instructions.<\/p>\n Clothing can also play an important role in creating an authentic appearance.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Athletes meet their wax likenesses<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n Giannakis also donated a basketball from his playing career and signed it twice.<\/p>\n When the former basketball star later stood beside his wax figure, Kokkinidis described the encounter as an almost cinematic moment.<\/p>\n The figure depicts Giannakis in the atmosphere of Greece\u2019s historic 1987 European basketball triumph, creating an unusual meeting between the athlete and his younger self.<\/p>\n Another memorable encounter involved legendary composer Mimis Plessas.<\/p>\n When Plessas attended the official presentation of his wax figure, he sat beside the sculpture and examined its details.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Historical figures brought back to life<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n Kokkinidis has also devoted considerable attention to figures from Greek history.<\/p>\n His collection includes Theodoros Kolokotronis, Laskarina Bouboulina, Ioannis Kapodistrias, Georgios Karaiskakis and Manto Mavrogenous.<\/p>\n For these figures, the artist says he tries to recreate not only their physical appearance but also something of their personality and historical period.<\/p>\n Manto Mavrogenous\u2019 costume, for example, was cut, sewn and embroidered entirely by hand with assistance from Kokkinidis\u2019 mother.<\/p>\n A museum built from a personal dream<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n The museum\u2019s development reflects Kokkinidis\u2019 determination to pursue his artistic vision outside Greece\u2019s major cultural centres.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Today, visitors travel to the village to see figures representing some of the world\u2019s most recognisable personalities.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/greekcitytimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/wax3-scaled.webp)
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