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Issue#12 - 26 October 2021
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Fotis Kontoglou Castle in Ruins, 1924
The traumatic experience of the Asia Minor Disaster of 1922 created the need for national self-affirmation, expressed through a turn to tradition and a search of what constitutes "Greekness". The “Generation of the Thirties” was established as a term in the field of literature and referred to a group of young writers, poets mainly, who are related with the introduction of avant garde currents into Greece and their conscious endeavour to naturalize them. For the Generation of the Thirties, tradition and modernism functioned as two-way catalysts. Each one was of assistance in the deeper understanding and appropriation of the other. Giorgos Seferis, Odysseas Elytis, Nikos Engonopoulos and Andreas Embeirikos are examples of Greek modernism in literature, which shaped and defined Greek literature up to the present. In the visual arts, the first period of Greek plein air painting was succeeded by a painting which tended to become anthropocentric. Its basic hallmark was the predominance of intellect over the senses, expressed through a powerful schematization in composition and drawing, while colour distanced itself from nature and became more spiritual. Some of the greatest modern Greek painters made their appearance during this period, such as Fotis Kontoglou, Nikos Engonopoulos, Yannis Tsarouchis and Nikos Chatzikyriakos-Ghikas, most of whom dominated the artistic scene for many decades after the second World War.
(Based on images and material from the National Gallery of Athens)
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A bit of History:
Inter War Period 1923-1940
The period between 1923 and 1940, that is between the Asia Minor Disaster and the entrance of the country into the Second World War, could be defined as the Greek inter-war period.
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The defeat of Greek forces in Asia Minor signalled the end of a decade of continuous wars, but also the cancellation of the 'Great Idea' after a hundred years of territorial expansion and population integration. Out of the ruins of the Disaster a period of transition was born without a dominant ideological binding fabric. For the first time the Greek state would include within its borders the maximum percentage of Greek people. The influx of around 1,3 million refugees from Asia Minor into a country of 5 million people played a significant role in the political, social and economic developments of this period.
In the domestic political field, the inter-war period has been a turbulent one, with short-lived governments succeeding one another and the army playing a significant role through intermittent coups and counter-coups. The division between Royalists and Venizelists persisted, while the Greek Communist Party also made its appearance into the political scene of the country. In 1924, following a process initiated by vehement anti-royalist Prime Minister Alexandros Papanastassiou, the National Assembly proclaimed Greece a Republic, which lasted until 1935, when King George II was restored by Royalist political forces. Venizelos remained in the political spotlight through the biggest part of the inter-war period, with his last government between 1928 and 1932 being the only government to complete a full four-year term. It was mainly during this period that a series of important domestic reforms as well as advances in the country's international relations took place. Political instability returned when the anti-Venizelists won the 1933 elections; Col. Nikolaos Plastiras, a staunch supporter of Venizelos and the mastermind behind the 1922 "Revolution" following the Asia Minor Disaster, sought to restore Venizelos to power by force. His coup was unsuccessful and was subsequently followed by an assassination attempt on Venizelos. Fear of a royalist restoration lay behind another attempted coup in March 1935 by Venizelist officers. His proven involvement on this occasion forced Venizelos into exile in France, where he died shortly afterward, but not before he urged his supporters to reconcile with the King. In November 1935 the constitution of the Republic was disrupted and King George II was restored to the throne through another coup by a group of army officers led by G. Kondylis.  The elections of 1936 held under a system of proportional representation resulted in a hung parliament, with the Communists holding the balance. While no government could be formed, a series of coincidences brought Ioannis Metaxas to the position of the interim Prime Minister. Metaxas, a retired royalist General, believed that an authoritarian government was necessary to prevent social conflict and quell the rising power of the Communists. On 4 August 1936, with the King's support, he suspended parliament and established the 4th of August Regime. Albeit leading a suppressive and authoritarian Regime, Metaxas did not seek alliances with the European dictatorships. On the contrary, with the support of the King, Metaxas strove to maintain the country’s traditional alignment toward Britain. At the outbreak of World War II, Metaxas tried to maintain neutrality, but Greece was increasingly subject to pressure from Mussolini's Italy. A series of provocations culminated in the delivery of a humiliating ultimatum on October 28, 1940, which Metaxas rejected, reflecting the mood of the entire country. The Italians immediately invaded Greece from Albania and Greece entered this way into the War on the side of the Allies.
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Throughout the inter-war period, Greek foreign policy entered a new phase following the abandonment of the "Great Idea". The maintenance of security and the territorial integrity of the country became the exclusive aim of Greek diplomacy. At the same time, the country took an active part in the matter of international legitimacy as represented by the League of Nations, displaying dedication to the importance of international treaties. Especially during the period 1928-32, through the efforts of Venizelos, the country's foreign relations were re-established on a new basis. Balkan co-operation was boosted and corroborated through a series of treaties, good neighbourly relations were sought with Italy and a rapprochement was attempted with Turkey.
The inter-war period is considered the one that coincided with the beginning of modern economic development, as a result of processes which began several decades earlier. It is characterized by the quick pace of industrialization, an increase in the numbers of potential workers and the reorganization of the middle classes. The national debt soared to dramatic levels after the Asia Minor Disaster as the result of external borrowing. At this time revenues came mainly from the limited export of agricultural products, the profits from shipping and from immigration. Until the first decades of the 20th century, the public sector remained antiquated in its structure, agricultural processes were carried out using only primitive methods, while the traditional export trade (raisins and tobacco) was slack. Essentially, the crisis in traditional structures began in 1922-23 with the refugees issue, but the international economic crisis of 1929 acted as a catalyst. The disintegration of the international economic system had a multiple impact on Greece, diverting the course of the country's development from its traditional route. During this period of economic instability internationally, the multiple cost of rebuilding both the Greek State and its economy after the end of the ten-year period of war (1913-22) was heavy. The fall of the drachma at the beginning of the 1920s and the influx of foreign capital into the country, especially in the form of public and private loans, led to an increase in production. The first phase of this period was characterized by the raising of the public debt in an effort by the State to relieve and settle refugee populations. The arrival of a huge new labour force accelerated industrial development after 1922, while the total economic activity of the country - with the exception of the period 1929-32 - followed a positive course until the eve of the Second World War (1939). The impact of the world economic crisis post-1929 was met with the expansion and increase of the forms of state interventionism, while the creation of a local market became a socio-economic imperative. The various measures adopted gradually stabilized the Greek economy but without altering its fundamental characteristics. Both agricultural production and industrial development saw a dramatic increase in pace. It is worth noting that the increase in the rate of economic growth that Greece exhibited in the mid-1930s was falling short only of that of Japan and the Soviet Union.
(Source: Foundation of the Hellenic World)
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You can also watch below a series of short and comprehensive audiovisual presentations of Greece during the inter-war years, prepared by the Benaki Museum as part of its "Greek History" series.
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Part A: From the Republic to Militarism 1922-1928
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Part B: Last Eleftherios Venizelos Government. Restoration of the Monarchy 1928-1935
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Part C: The dictatorship of Ioannis Metaxas and the beginning of World War II (in Greek)
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The Treaty of Lausanne
The population exchange and the settlement of the refugees in Greece
The Greek delegation at the Lausanne Conference.
Photographic Archive of The Hellenic Literary and Historical Archive
The Treaty of Lausanne was the final treaty concluding World War I. It was signed by representatives of Turkey (successor to the Ottoman Empire) on one side and by Britain, France, Italy, Japan, Greece, Romania, and the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (Yugoslavia) on the other. The U.S.A. and the U.S.S.R. took part under different terms: the former as observers, the latter particularly concerned about maintaining the status of the Dardanelles straits.
The Treaty was signed at Lausanne, Switzerland, on 24 June 1923, after a seven-month conference. The final Act, in combination with individual special agreements, was to redefine the territorial profile of the region, which for centuries had formed part of the Ottoman empire, and to provide a process which might resolve the problems of the past.
The Treaty recognized the boundaries of the modern State of Turkey. Turkey made no claim to its former Arab provinces and recognized British possession of Cyprus and Italian possession of the Dodecanese. The Allies dropped their demands of autonomy for Turkish Kurdistan and Turkish cession of territory to Armenia, abandoned claims to spheres of influence in Turkey, and imposed no controls over Turkey’s finances or armed forces. The Turkish straits between the Aegean Sea and the Black Sea were declared open to all shipping.
Greece was represented at the Peace Conference by a group of proxies under the leadership of Eleftherios Venizelos, who played a crucial role in the talks. Among the problems dividing the two peoples, the most important were the demarcation of frontiers (especially the fate of Eastern Thrace and the islands of the eastern Aegean), the distribution of the public Ottoman debt, the payment of war reparations from the Greek side following the Asian Minor Campaign, the operational status of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the fate of Greek and Turkish populations outside the territories of Greece and Turkey respectively. The demarcation of the frontiers of Thrace, unlike the negotiations for determining the fate of the islands of the eastern Aegean, did not meet with unbridgeable obstacles. The islands Imbros and Tenedos were annexed to Turkey while Greece was subject to restrictions in respect of its sovereign rights over a number of islands close to the shores of Asia Minor. The payment of war reparations by Greece to Turkey, despite the impasses it had caused, was avoided both because of the acts of Venizelos himself, and pressure from the Allies.
A separate Treaty for the Exchange of Populations between Greece and Turkey was signed on 30 January 1923. Particularly important was the case of those defined as 'exchangeable'. Religion was the criterion for the project, which resulted in the exchange of Turkish-speaking Orthodox Christians for Greek-speaking Muslims. It was decided that they would have no right to return to their homelands without the permission of their respective governments. The Ecumenical Patriarchate was allowed to remain in Constantinople, as were the Greek inhabitants of that city and of two islands, Imbros and Tenedos, which straddled the entrance to the strategically sensitive Dardanelles. In return, the Muslims of Greek Thrace were allowed to remain.
Children at a refugee settlement in Athens (Prefecture of Attica).
Photographic Archive of Benaki Museum Ν 1732 Nelly's.
An influx of some 1.3 million refugees strongly tested the social fabric of a country exhausted by some 10 years of intermittent war. Leaving aside the prejudice that they encountered on the part of the indigenous population, the process of their integration into Greek society was remarkably successful. The incursion of a huge refugee population in the period 1922-23 has two facets. On the one hand it put an unbearable strain on the already overstretched State budget, and on the other it became - within a short time - the reason and basis for the development of the Greek economy. In the harsh conditions of the world economic crisis, the task of resettlement of the refugees functioned as a mechanism for overcoming the depression and also as a springboard for the reconstruction of the economy. Furthermore, the economy, benefiting from the entrepreneurial skills of the refugees, underwent a significant degree of industrialization during the interwar period. The remaining large estates were broken up to provide smallholdings for the newcomers, and rural Greece became a society of peasant smallholders, which made for social stability rather than for economic efficiency. The majority of the refugees were settled in the territories of “New Greece,” thereby consolidating the area’s “Greekness.” Although refugees were disproportionately represented in the leadership of the newly founded Communist Party of Greece (KKE), they largely remained intensely loyal to Venizelos. Their vote was clearly instrumental in the formal establishment of a Republic in 1924, shortly after the departure of King George II, who had briefly succeeded to the throne following his father’s abdication in 1922.
The huge relief needs of the refugee populations were initially met by the resources of the Greek State and the assistance of private humanitarian organizations like the Red Cross. Amongst the first measures implemented were the setting up of temporary camps and the provision of soup kitchens. But the problem of a wider policy of resettlement remained urgent.
However, the country's diminished credibility in the world market, the great imbalance of the State budget and severe continuing inflation undermined the credit standing of the country. After strenuous and time-consuming negotiations, and thanks to the mediation of the League of Nations, in 1924 a loan of £12,300,000 was contracted, albeit on rather disadvantageous terms for Greece. Its management was assigned to the Refugee Settlement Commission (EAP), which was charged with the task of relieving the largely impoverished population.
(Sources: Foundation of the Hellenic World and Encyclopaedia Britannica)
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Greek Music in the Inter-War period
From the Rebetiko underground scene to the Athenian "Greek Variete"
Rebetiko is the urban popular Greek music of the poorest classes of the first half of the 20th century. As of December 2017, rebetiko is inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity created by UNESCO. Rebetiko was chosen by the Intergovernmental Committee who deemed it “a living musical tradition with a strong symbolic, ideological and artistic character”. As an intricate cultural concept, it is linked with music, song, dance and -especially in the past- with a particular attitude and way of life: the life of the outcast, the vagabonds and the displaced, but also of the labouring classes in large cities of newly industrialised Greece of the early 20th century.
Rebetiko is basically an umbrella term, comprising several forms of music that evolved in Greece and Greek speaking parts of the Ottoman Empire during the mid and late 19th century, until they unified in the early 20th century to form the distinctive sound that is associated with the rebetiko today. It is largely based on oral tradition and has been described as “Greek urban blues”.
The term was coined relatively late in the evolution of the genre, and was basically popularised by scholarly studies in later decades. It derives from rebétis, a word of uncertain etymology, denoting a person (usually a man) of the prewar era, with a certain aspect and attitude, often involving a disregard for the law and a life in the margins of society. This type of character was usually dubbed mángas, koutsavákis, aláni, vlámis or mortis at the time – also depending on the region. Their music was more often referred to as laïká (urban folk), from the word laós (the common people).
The origins of this music are indeed closely linked with outcast life and subculture, since they can be traced back to the prisons of Athens at the time of the Bavarian government, in the 1830’s. This type of music, based on the sound of the famous bouzouki – a modern variation of the byzantine string instrument tambouras – gradually gained popularity among the poorer, lower social classes of the big (chiefly port) cities, like Piraeus. At the same time, the Greek populations of Constantinople, Smyrna and other major cities of Anatolia had created their own popular music, based on traditional Greek and oriental rhythms, often performed in music parlours called Café Aman.
With the influx of refugees from Asia Minor, the 1920’s mark the time when various musical traditions and styles merged together, creating the typical sound of what became known as rebetiko. By that time, this was basically the music of the common folk in large cities, not having yet completely shed its ties to underground culture. They were performed in taverns but also in tekédes (hashish dens), hence the drug and jailbird references in many song lyrics.
In the late 20’s and early 30’s, however, more and more music labels began recording rebetika songs. The genre met with increasing popularity, and was gradually assimilated by the mainstream, making rebetika and laïká the most popular type of music in Greece to this day. Many consider the 30’s to be the “golden era” of rebetiko in its most authentic form, especially considering that this was the time when some of the greatest musicians wrote, performed and recorded some of the classics that are still treasured today.
(Source: Greek News Agenda)
At the same time, in the first decades of the 20th century and mainly during the Athenian belle époque period (1900-1920), a new song genre is being created, the 'Athenian Song'.
Composers such as Dimitrios Rodios, Timotheos Xanthopoulos and Nikolaos Kokkinos, wrote melodies that were loved by the world, while poets such as Ioannis Polemis, Georgios Drosinis and Alexandros Rangavis wrote original Greek lyrics, praising joy, love and nature.
For the first time the Greek song, combining Italian influences with folk elements, began to shape its own identity and became popular. The two main types were an Italian canzonetta-style and the 'kantada', which actually was a polyphonic song. In those years, a new type of entertainment, The Athenian Variété, a genre that mixed music, songs and theatrical sketches became extremely popular amongst the higher economic classes.
The songs included in this type of variété were deeply influenced by western equivalents. This meant that audiences had the opportunity to be introduced in European popular music (a mixture of cabaret, operetta and variété music). This 'light music' was comprised of songs in styles that were only found in foreign countries and in genres such as tango, foxtrot, rumba, etc. Greek composers started writing their own melodies on patterns that did not have much resemblance to folk or other popular music types. Light music moved from theatre to nightclubs, bars and tavernas with music.
The most prominent artist in this genre of music was Kleon Triandafillou, known by his stage name "Attik". He was born in 1885 in Egypt to a very rich cotton producer and merchant. The family migrated to Athens and around that time his father died. His mother had a great passion for arts, literature and music. She used to conduct “music hours” in which she and her children played the piano, and she would not hesitate to hire a whole train to Paris for her family and the servants, so as not to miss Caruso in the opera.
Attik studied music in Paris and very quickly became a sought-after young musician, lyricist and performer in Paris and over Europe, America and Japan. A serious illness of his sister, and the deterioration in the family’s business hampered his international success and brought him back to Athens. Here he developed further his composing and lyrics’ writing abilities.
His rich artistic qualities reached their peak in 1930 as he established the “Mantra”, a group of artists that gathered around his leadership and performed at the beginning in an outdoor yard in Athens. He starred in multiple roles as pianist, composer, lyricist, singer, actor, mime, and speaker. He improvised on the piano, whistled and exchanged humorous banter with the enjoying audience.
Attik was known to be of a sensitive and emotional nature, which was also reflected in his songs, many of which were devoted to his three wives. A series of incidents, including the death of his mother and the German occupation, drove him to depression; on 29 August 1944, after accidentally stumbling onto a German officer who brutally beat him up, he went to bed with an increased dose of his sleeping pills to never wake up again.
(Sources: Europeana and https://greeksongstories.wordpress.com/tag/attik/)
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"Το μινόρε της αυγής" (Song of the Dawn), one of the most recognizable Rebetiko tunes by Vamvakaris
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"Ζητάτε να σας πω" (You ask me to tell you), an emotional song by Attik about his ex-wife, created almost while on stage, a day that she attended one of his shows with her new husband.
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Greek Shadow Theatre - Karagiozis
The history of Shadow Theatre - paper-made puppets handled by a puppeteer who stands behind a white screen that is illuminated by some source of light and devises his own original tales - goes back centuries and is still active today even though there are only a handful of puppet masters left worldwide. Greece adopted the shadow puppet theatre with gusto and created a form all its own; thus, it became an inextricable part of Greek culture and a vital way for Greeks to see, hear and maintain their cultural and artistic traditions, with the character of Karagiozis representing the virtues and vices of the average Greek. The shadow theatre was improvisational and the people’s reactions to each performance were decisive for the development of the play.
The Karagiozis’ shadow theatre was known in Greece before the Greek Revolution of 1821 but officially, Brachalis was the player who presented it (1840 - 1850). As a spectacle it was full of foul language and Turkish elements. The performances of Brachalis were full of foul words too and dirty gestures. That's why Brachalis used to set up his stage in neighbourhood cafes and his audience was only men who in the interval were throwing him some money.Mimaros is the one known as the first teacher or, “The First Master of Greek Karagiozis” because of the innovations he introduced. The most important thing that Mimaros did was that he transformed the shadow theatre into a spectacle for the whole family by taking away the coarse language. The figures, songs and the thirty different stories which have remained an immortal part of Greek art were all the original work of Mimaros.
The main character of the Greek Shadow Theatre, Karagiozis, is the ideal model of the poor Greek man, so poor that he has renounced of every private care and responsibility and prefers to enjoy only the happy moments of life. He is clever, simple and funny. He is also caustic and hard but he has a good heart. Full of indolence and optimism but he is ready to do anything promptly. He is also ready and quick in reply and he is joking without being ridiculous. He has a very big arm for beating or gesticulating and faces every misfortune with the same sarcastic good humour. He is easily impressed by the richness, the grandeur but the charm mockery always dominates. Karagiozis has a hunchback because he is carrying all Greek people's problems and his big arm is the symbol of his cleverness. He has been considered as the symbol of the oppressed Greek people for many years. Another characteristic of Karagiozis is that he has a deep feeling of patriotism.
In 1924 the Pan-Hellenic Association of Shadow Players was established and comprised 120 members. From 1900 until 1940 the art of Shadow Theatre really was in its prime. During the German occupation in Greece, Karagiozis’ spectacle passed a period of “crisis” but the shadow players succeeded to keep this theatre alive. When the coloured cinematograph arrived in Greece, the art of Karagiozis was about to be vanished, but thanks to Eugenios Spatharis (the most prominent Greek shadow player of the post-War period), the popular hero survived and came back as a winner. In 1966, the first Greek TV Channel (ERT1) began its broadcasts with a Karagiozis show by Eugenios Spatharis and these programs continued until 1992. He also appeared in many feature films as well as TV commercials and collaborated with prominent Greek composers such as Xarchakos and Fotiadis by providing the voice for Karagiozis in the recordings.
Nowadays, shadow theatre does not fill the public spaces of Athenian neighborhoods like it used to. In fact, contemporary puppet players of Karagiozis shadow theatre may have a smaller share of the audience (children mainly) compared to a few decades ago, but they remain loyal to the art. They still make their puppets themselves, as their predecessors always did, they perform in the traditional way but they also enhance their theatre with contemporary themes (such the “Astronaut Karagiozis”) or means (like the combination of shadow puppetry and video art).
Perhaps shadow theatre is so embedded in Greek culture as a form of expression that even if it is outmoded as a spectacle it shall not become extinct but will find a way to be preserved through a child’s ability to laugh along with the genuinely simplest things in life.
If you want a taste of a contemporary Karagiozis' performance, you can tune in to the TV Channel of the Greek National Opera (there is content accessible for free, but registration is needed). As part of its tribute to the Bicentennial, GNO presents "Byron in Greece" - English subtitles available.
(Sources: Spathario Museum and Greek News Agenda)
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Did you know...?
The first recording of the famous Pulp Fiction Movie Theme "Misirlou" was Greek
"Misirlou" is an Eastern Mediterranean folk tune of unknown author. The earliest known recording of the song was by the rebetiko musician Theodotos ("Tetos") Demetriades in 1927. Demetriades was a Greek born in Constantinople who fled from Turkey to the United States in 1921. It was him who named the song "Misirlou" in his original 1927 Columbia recording, which is a Greek assimilated borrowing of the regional pronunciation of "Egyptian" in Turkish ("Mısırlı"). The Greek verses of the song are about the love of a Greek Orthodox man for an Egyptian Muslim woman.
A couple of years later, the song was played for the first time in Athens by the Rebetico band of Michalis Patrinos and became extremely popular. In 1941, the Greek American music teacher, Nick Roubanis, released an orchestral adaptation of the song, while legally establishing himself as the song's original composer. Roubanis changed the tone and melody, giving the song an oriental quality, adding some jazz elements, and removing the heavy Smyrnean sound.
In the 1960s, during a live performance, guitarist Dick Dale was challenged by a fan and played the song with his band, The Del-Tones. The song then became widely known in the United States. In 1963, the Beach Boys included in their album Surfin' USA a rendition of Misirlou similar to Dale's, thus establishing it in surf rock and American pop culture. Numerous other versions of the song followed; in 1994 Film Director Quentin Tarantino used Dick Dale's version as the main music theme in "Pulp Fiction".
(Sources: Greece2021 and Wikipedia)
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The original Tetos Demetriades recording
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Happening elsewhere but accessible also here...
During the times of social distancing caused by the ongoing global pandemic, online exchanges and resources have flourished. They manage to bring us together and give us access to activities that we may have not been able to experience otherwise. Due to the pandemic big part of the Bicentenary Celebration is happening online. Virtual events can thus also reach the most isolated City in the world.
In this Issue we have the following suggestions for you:
e21 App of the Thessaloniki International Film Festival: a virtual journey to the 1821 Revolution
The Thessaloniki Film Festival created an application for smartphones and tablets, called “e21”, with the help of augmented reality. This app brings to life the paintings created by folk painters Panagiotis and Dimitris Zografos and commissioned by General Makriyannis. Enjoy an unprecedented experience that brings to life the atmosphere of the Greek Revolution.
Download the application for free, and get acquainted with the story of Makriyannis, his Memoirs, their illustration. Through the screen of your smartphone or tablet, with the power of augmented reality, you can view each one of the paintings wherever you are - browse and virtually experience the battles. At the same time, you can listen to background battle sounds and excerpts from the Memoirs of Makriyannis, read by ten up-and-coming Greek actors.
On the active map of the e21 app you can find the true locations of the battles depicted in the works, from the Acropolis in Athens and the Gravia Inn to Missolonghi, Arta, Samos, Crete etc.
The impetus for this initiative was the timeless and inexhaustible power of the Memoirs of Ioannis Makriyannis. Makriyannis himself instructed the popular painters Panagiotis and Dimitris Zografos to depict scenes from the battles and events of the Revolution, as he remembered and recorded them in his Memoirs. The result was 24 paintings crafted by Panagiotis and Dimitris Zografos, which narrate fascinating episodes from the Revolution of 1821. The paintings are accompanied by detailed indexes, through which Makriyannis narrates, comments and highlights unknown aspects and events of the Revolution.
The Festival turned the paintings to 3D, gave them movement and highlighted wonderful details that might not be visible at first sight. These 3D works of art are the basis of the e21 application.
You can download the App through the following links:
Apple Store: https://apps.apple.com/gr/app/e21/id1563034517?l=el
BLOD - Bodossaki's Institute Lectures on Demand: Short lectures of prominent Greek personalities in the fields of culture, education and Civil Society about 1821 (in Greek)
Με αφορμή το '21
Πόσο ‘21 χωρά σε λίγα λεπτά; Το BLOD καλεί προσωπικότητες του πολιτισμού, της ακαδημαϊκής κοινότητας και της Κοινωνίας των Πολιτών να μοιραστούν στην κάμερα τη δική τους σύνδεση με το’21. Και κάθε Τρίτη του 2021 δημοσιοποιεί μικρές ψηφίδες σύγχρονης σκέψης που γεννήθηκαν με αφορμή ένα μεγάλο ιστορικό γεγονός.
https://www.blod.gr/arthrografia/
Hellenic Statistical Authority: Population Censuses 1821-2021
The Hellenic Statistical Authority participates in the Bicentennial Celebrations with a special digital Edition about censuses and the different demographic, social, economic aspects of the population of Greece from 1821 until the present.
You can download the Edition (in Greek) through the following link, as well as watch a short video about the evolution of the Greek population:
https://www.statistics.gr/2021-pop-priv-results
The video is also available in English:
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The Hellenic Statistical Authority (#ELSTAT), as every ten years, will conduct, in the period October-December 2021, the Population-Housing Census in order to collect data on the demographic, economic and social characteristics of the population of Greece, as well as the composition of households and their housing conditions. The Population Census is the most complex and large-scale statistical work of a State over time, while its results reflect the demographic, political and socio-economic conditions of each period.
The Census of 2021 is a milestone since it will be the last Census through which the entire population will be approached and, at the same time, coincides with the 200 years since the Greek Revolution. It is worth mentioning the fact that the first census conducted in Greece, after the Revolution, was the Census of 1828 when the governor of Greece was Ioannis Kapodistrias. With this Census, the population of Greece (753,400 inhabitants) was verified and at the same time the retrospective estimate for the population of Greece in 1821 (938,765 inhabitants) was made. According to the most recent Census, in 2011, the Permanent Population of Greece amounted to 10,816,286 people.
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What's happening in WA
Stay informed about past and future activities
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Cazzies' tribute to this year's celebration
To honour this landmark year, the Castellorizian Association WA is including in its magazine "Megisti Messenger" a series of articles looking back into Greece's gradual territorial expansion, from the Independence until the end of WWII.
You can read below the concluding article which appeared in Issue 4, Volume 12, on 12 October 2021.
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Upcoming events
There is a lot going on in Perth in the next few weeks:
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ΑΝΑΚΟΙΝΩΣΗ – ΠΡΟΣΚΛΗΣΗ
Με ιδιαίτερη χαρά καλώ όλους τους Έλληνες και Φιλέλληνες της Δυτικής Αυστραλίας να τιμήσουν με την παρουσία τους τις ακόλουθες εκδηλώσεις για τον εορτασμό της Εθνικής Επετείου της 28ης Οκτωβρίου 1940:
- Κυριακή 31 Οκτωβρίου 2021, ώρα 10:30, δοξολογία στον Ιερό Ναό Αγίου Νεκταρίου, 22 Dianella Dr, Dianella WA 6059.
- Κυριακή 31 Οκτωβρίου 2021, ώρα 12:30, τελετή κατάθεσης στεφάνου στο State War Memorial στο Kings Park.
Η παρουσία σας θα λαμπρύνει τον εορτασμό της Εθνική μας Επετείου!
Γεωργία Καρασιώτου
Πρόξενος της Ελλάδας στην Πέρθη
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ANNOUNCEMENT- INVITATION
Ι have the pleasure of inviting all Greeks and friends of Greece in Western Australia to attend the following events, on the occasion of the commemoration of the National Day of the 28th of October 1940:
- Sunday 31st of October 2021 at 10:30 a.m.: Doxology at the Greek Orthodox Church of St Nektarios, 22 Dianella Dr, Dianella WA 6059.
- Sunday 31st of October 2021 at 12:30 pm: Wreath Laying Ceremony at the State War Memorial in Kings Park.
Your presence will brighten the celebration of our National Day!
Georgia Karasiotou
Consul of Greece in Perth
 
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The Hellenic Initiative Australia invites you to join Dr Albert Bourla, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Pfizer, a global business leader and an outstanding member of the Greek diaspora in our forthcoming ‘In Conversation’ event on Monday, 8 November 2021 (USA and Canada) at 6.30pm EST and Tuesday, 9 November (Australia) at 10.30am Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST). Dr Bourla will be joined by Andrew N Liveris AO.
In this milestone year for Greece, marking 200 years since the commencement of the Greek War of Independence, we are honoured to host such an event with two exceptional members of the Greek diaspora, who continue to support and promote Greece.
The Hellenic Initiative Australia is a not-for-profit organisation and part of a global movement, bringing together the Greek Diaspora and Philhellenes in support Greece and its people. A registered charity with DGR status, all donations are tax deductible in Australia.
Please note registration is essential so you can receive a unique zoom link to log in to the webinar.
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The Consular Corps of Western Australia and the Consulate of Greece in Perth
invite you to the
10th edition of the World of Food Festival
on 28 November 2021 at the Government House Gardens, Perth
The World of Food Festival brings communities from around Perth together to celebrate food! There will be stalls full of fresh cooked food, cultural performances from different communities and various activities for children of all ages.
Entry is free and everyone is welcome!
Like every year, Greece will also be present with delicious Greek food and cultural performances!
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If you too wish to publish something to our Bulletin or include an event you are organising, please email us at grcon.per@mfa.gr with the indication on the subject line "for the 200 Years Bulletin"
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