Consulate of Greece in Perth
200 Years Bulletin
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Eleni Boukoura - Altamoura, Απόγνωση (Despair), 2nd half of the 19th Century
Known as the first Greek female painter, Eleni Boukoura-Altamoura has a very interesting and tragic life story. She was born in 1821 on the island of Spetses and was the daughter of Revolution fighter captain Yiannis Boukouras. In 1848 she went to Rome to study painting. To achieve this, she dressed as a man and assumed the name of Chrysinis Boukouris. She became the first woman to enroll in an art school since, in the middle of the 19th century, women were taught art only at home. She remained in Italy for a long time; she also studied at the Academies of Florence and Naples. She wedded art professor Saverio Altamoura with whom they had three children. They divorced in 1857, at which time she returned to Greece and started teaching at the Arsakeion School for Girls and exhibiting her work. Her mental health was challenged by the death of tuberculosis of two of her children, Sofia, and painter Ioannis Altamoura. Isolated and largely forgotten, she died in Spetses in 1900 while the bulk of her work is lost. She allegedly burned most of her paintings in 1878, after the death of her son.
( Source: https://www.greece2021.gr/en/)
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Editorial
March may not be the only month we celebrate the beginning of the Greek Revolution this year, but it still plays a central role in our celebrations. There is a whole week of festivities coming up in the last week of March as you will read below.
On and around the 25th of March also look around the City for the colours of the Greek flag lighting buildings and bridges, as the City of Perth will be honouring this important Anniversary for its celebrating Greek Community. More information to follow next week.
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Message from the Hon. Mark McGowan MLA,
Premier of Western Australia
for the 200th Anniversary
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International Women's Day
Greek Women who left their mark in history
On 8 March we celebrated International Women's Day. Throughout the 200-year history of modern Greece, Greek women had to fight for a lot of "firsts": the first female student to be allowed to a Greek University was in 1890, the first female Professor started working in 1908 in the Faculty of Medicine, amidst male students who were calling out to her to "go back to her kitchen", in 1952 Greek women gained the right to vote and already in 1953 the first woman MP was elected...the list is endless, up until the present, when the first female President of the Republic took office a year ago.
In this Issue we will remember and pay tribute to only but a few famous Greek Women who left their mark in different fields of activity, from the time of the Revolution until the present.
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Laskarina Bouboulina
(11 May 1771 – 22 May 1825) was a Greek naval commander, heroine of the Greek War of Independence in 1821, and an Admiral of the Imperial Russian Navy. Bouboulina was born in a prison in Constantinople; she originated from the Arvanite community of the island of Hydra. She was the daughter of Stavrianos Pinotsis, a captain from Hydra island, and his wife Skevo. She married twice, first Dimitrios Yiannouzas and later the wealthy shipowner and captain Dimitrios Bouboulis, taking his surname.
Allegedly Bouboulina joined the Filiki Etaireia, an underground organization that was preparing Greece for revolution against Ottoman rule. She bought arms and ammunition at her own expense and brought them secretly to Spetses in her ships, to fight “for the sake of my nation.” She also organized her own armed troops, composed of men from Spetses. She used most of her fortune to provide food and ammunition for the sailors and soldiers under her command.
On 13 March 1821 Bouboulina raised on the mast of her ship her own Greek flag, based on the flag of the Comnenus dynasty of Byzantine emperors. Bouboulina sailed with eight ships to Nafplion and began a naval blockade. Later she took part in the naval blockade and capture of Monemvasia and Pylos.
She arrived at Tripolis in time to witness its fall on 11 September 1821 and to meet general Theodoros Kolokotronis. Their children Eleni Boubouli and Panos Kolokotronis later married. During the ensuing defeat of the Ottoman garrison, Bouboulina saved most of the female members of the sultan’s household.
(Source: The GreekReporter)
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Manto Mavrogenous
Manto Mavrogenous, a heroine of the Greek War of Independence (1821-1829), was one of the few women who excelled in the war. She was baptised as Magdalene and she was born into a wealthy Greek family, in Trieste, in 1796. Her father, Nicholas Mavrogennis, was a merchant from the Cyclades, and her mother was a Mykonian noble woman named Zacharatos Antonios Hatzis Bati. She was multilingual and kept the records of her husband's commercial activities. Her father also was a member of the Filiki Eteria, a secret society of the 19th Century, of which she became an active member in 1820.
With the outbreak of the Greek Revolution she left Tinos, where she had been living after her father's death in 1818, and moved to Mykonos where she led the rebellion of the island against the Turks. With ships, two of which she had equipped with her own expenses, she pursued the pirates who were ravaging the Cyclades. Later on, she fought several battles in Pelion, in Fthiotida and Livadia. Due to her financial support, her actions in general, as well as her letters to the philhellenic countries of France and England, she became legendary in Europe. Her portrait was printed and published in 1827 all over Europe.
For her involvement in the war effort, she was commended by Ioannis Kapodistrias, the first Governor of the newly Greek state. She was given the honorary rank of General – her being the only woman to achieve such a status- and was offered a residence in the first capital of Greece, Nafplio. In 1825, when she lived in Nafplio, with her resources having been drained due to the war she was forced to sell her family’s property, to the Cycladic Isalnds.
The breach of faith of Dimitris Ypsiladis’ promise to marry her, the poverty she had suffered and her violent removal from Nafplio in 1826, under the command of Ioannis Kolettis, were severe blows to the heroine. Therefore, she returned to Mykonos after the revolution and after a few years died in Paros, very poor and forgotten.
(Source: website of the Municipality of Mykonos)
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Kallirhoe Parren
Kallirhoe Paren (1861-1940) is the first Greek feminist. Having been exposed to the international feminist movement, she imported the feminist agenda to Greece on issues that had to do with the education and employment of women. She was the editor of the “Ladies' Newspaper” for 30 years (1887-1917), the first Greek woman editor and journalist. The newspaper was a pioneering publication at the time since it was written exclusively by women (you can view the first and the following issues through the digital Library of the Aristoteleian University of Thessaloniki). Kallirhoe Paren’s humanitarian activism was as productive as her literary work. She contributed substantially to the preservation of Greek folk tradition with the foundation of the Lyceum of Women in 1911.
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Melina Merkouri
Melina Merkouri (1920-1994) was a famous actress, singer and politician. Her involvement with politics was inevitable since she descended from a family that fought in the Revolution of 1821, her grandfather Spyros Merkouris was mayor of Athens and her father, Stamatis Merkouris was a member of the Greek Parliament and a minister. In 1949 she triumphed with her performance in "A Streetcar Named Desire" at the Art Theater of KarolosKoun. In 1955 she starred in the film "Stella" by Michalis Kakogiannis. At that year's Cannes Film Festival, she met director Jules Dassin, and in 1960 she gained international stardom with "Never on Sunday."
She fought the military junta between 1967 and 1974 fervently. After the Metapolitefsi (Transition to democracy), she became Minister for Culture, and her name was associated with the fight for the return of the Parthenon Marbles (you can read her 1982 speech at a UNESCO Conference about the issue here). Her legacy was The Unification of the Archaeological Sites of Athens, a project that transformed the appearance of the nation's capital.
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Maria Callas
Maria Callas was born to a Greek family in New York in 1923. Her vocal training took place in Athens, where her teacher was the coloratura soprano Elvira de Hidalgo.
After early performances in Greece, Callas’s international career was launched in 1947. Her voice defied simple classification and her artistic range was extraordinary. In her early twenties she sang heavy dramatic roles, but over the course of her career her most famous roles came to be: Bellini’s Norma and Amina; Verdi’s Violetta; Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor and Anna Bolena, Cherubini’s Medea and Puccini’s Tosca. Though her timbre was not always conventionally beautiful, Callas’s musicianship and phrasing were in a class of their own. She brought characters to vivid life with her skill in colouring her tone and making insightful use of the text.
She is credited with changing the history of opera: by placing a perhaps unprecedented emphasis on musical integrity and dramatic truth.
The 1950s marked the height of Callas’s career. Its base lay in the opera houses of Italy, and she became the prima donna assoluta of Milan’s legendary La Scala but her operatic appearances also encompassed London’s Royal Opera House, the New York Metropolitan Opera, Paris Opéra, the Vienna State Opera and others. Her 1953 studio recording of La Scala Tosca is considered a landmark in recording history (you can read an interesting article in the NY Times about it including parts of the recording).
From 1959, when she started a life-changing love affair with the Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis, her performing career slowed down and her voice became more fragile. Her final stage performances came in 1965, when she was only 42.
Callas died alone in her Paris apartment in September 1977.
(Source: https://www.warnerclassics.com/artist/maria-callas)
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Katerina Sakellaropoulou
Katerina Sakellaropoulou was born on 30 May 1956 in Thessaloniki, Greece. Her father, Nikolaos Sakellaropoulos, served as Vice-President of Areios Pagos, the Supreme Civil and Criminal Court of Greece. She lived in Thessaloniki for the first eight years of her life. In 1964, she moved to Athens with her family. She graduated from the Arsakeio School, Psychiko, in 1974 and studied law at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, completing successfully her studies in 1978.
In 1982, she was appointed Assistant Judge at the Council of State, the Supreme Administrative Court of Greece. In the course of her judicial career she dealt with cases mostly regarding education, civil service, local government and the environment. On 17 October 2018 she was appointed President of the Council of State and remained in that position until 11 February 2020.
On 22 January 2020, she was elected first female President of the Hellenic Republic by the Parliament, securing 261 votes out of a total of 300. She took the oath before the Parliament on 13 March 2020 and assumed office the following day.
(Source:https://www.presidency.gr/en/president/)
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Images of Greece
The Dodecanese islands
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On the 7th of March we celebrated the reunification of the Dodecanese Islands with Greece after WWII, thus completing a series of territorial expansions that started with the establishment of the Independent State in 1830 and gradually brought Greece to its current boundaries.
On the occasion of this Anniversary and starting from the Dodecanese Islands, we will begin a trip around Greece and admire its beauties, its famous but also its hidden destinations. In the official tourism web site for Greece, run by the Greek National Tourism Organisation, you will find information, guides, photos and videos that will take you to virtual trips everywhere in Greece or help you prepare for when travelling is again on the agenda.
The Dodecanese island group is in the southeastern part of the Aegean Sea, the sunniest corner of Greece; it comprises twelve large islands and numerous smaller ones, each one with a different character. You will find fantastic beaches, archeological sites of great historical importance, imposing Byzantine and Medieval monuments, traditional villages and architectural gems that date to the Italian Occupation. These islands have a rich and very long history. They have known pirate raids and have been occupied by the Knights Hospitaller, the Turks, and the Italians, to be eventually integrated in Greece in 1948.
The Dodecanese have long been one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Mediterranean. Rhodes and Kos are among the largest islands of the group and the two most popular ones. Karpathos, Patmos, Leros, Symi, Kalymnos, and Astypalaia have managed to keep their traditional flavour despite the fact that large numbers of tourists visit them. The smaller islands, like Tilos, Nisyros, Leipsoi, Chalki, Kasos, Kastellorizo, Agathonisi, Telendos and Pserimos are a fine choice for relaxed and peaceful holidays. Find out more by browsing an extensive guide of the Greek National Tourism Organisation.
(Source: visitgreece.gr)
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Castellorizo and Rhodes are pretty much known already in this part of the world, but do you know Symi, Patmos or Nisyros...?
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Did you know...?
Have you heard of the "Zalongos Dance"? Read the story of the Souliotisses, who, legend has it, danced their way off the cliff of Zalongos with their kids, in order not to be captured by Ali Pasha's army.
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Les femmes souliotes, by the romantic French painter Ary Scheffer (1795-1858)
During the 400-year reign of the Ottoman Empire, the fierce Souliotes enjoyed an autonomous status, known as the Souliote Confederacy. The Confederacy was established during the 16th century, in the remote mountainous areas of Epirus, where they successfully resisted Ottoman rule. At the height of its power, in the second half of the 18th century, the Souliot state is estimated to have comprised up to 12,000 inhabitants scattered across approximately 60 villages.
In 1789 a series of fights began between the Souliotes and Ali Pasha, the new Pasha of Ioannina, who had aspirations for a firmer grip on the area. The Community of Souliotes, who had developed into a powerful local center, hindered his plans. The experienced war-fighting Souliotes resisted vigorously during his first two expeditions, in 1789 and 1792, resulting in Pasha's defeat.
Despite his first defeats, in 1800, Ali Pasha attacked the Souliotes again, this time with a decree from the Sultan, and besieged Souli. The devastated Souliotes succumbed in 1803 and signed a truce. They were forced to leave their villages and most of them took refuge in the neighboring Ionian Islands, coming back when the Revolution broke in 1821 to participate in the Struggle.
Despite the truce, however, Ali Pasha decided to go after and destroy those Souliotes who had withdrewn to nearby Zalongos. The surprise attack by the army of the Pasha led to a ferocious battle with many casualties on both sides. By taking a heroic decision, a team of women from Souli decided to die with their children rather than be captured by the army of Ali Pasha. It is said that they jumped off the cliff of Zalongos, one by one in a ceremonial dance, after first throwing their children.
There is a famous song in Greece called "'Εχε γεια καημένε κόσμε" ("Goodbye poor world") that is connected with the incident. Famous modern Greek sculptor Georgios Zongoloulos has also created a statute in the mountainous area of Preveza to honour the Souliotisses.
Even if the historical facts may have somehow been "enriched" or embellished as some may claim, even if the Souliotisses did not dance but just threw themselves or their children off Zalongos, the truth is that such acts of heroism and self-sacrifice did exist during the Struggle and have been a source of encouragement and inspiration, both for the fighting Greeks but also for the movement of Phillelenism around the world.
( Various sources, mainly Greece2021, Wikipedia and sansimera.gr)
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The song "'Εχε γεια καημένε κόσμε", in a version orchestrated by famous Greek composer Giannis Markopoulos.
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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. And there is actually quite a lot happening online currently, both in Greece and elsewhere, to honour the Bicentenary despite the current health crisis.
We will try to trace some initiatives that may be of interest; any suggestions to be included in future Issues are also welcome!
The Greek Herald Competition: The Greek War of Independence through your eyes
The Greek Herald has launched a competition for Greek Australian children aged 5-12 years to encourage them to find out more about the Greek Revolution of 1821.
For this competition, participants will be required to submit any piece of writing or artwork that conveys the history of the Greek War of Independence. You can submit your artwork of the Battle of Valtetsi, write a diary entry from the perspective of one of the heroes or a summary of the eight-year war.
Submissions in English or Greek until 18 March. Find out more about the competition here
Reflections on 1821- A Discussion with historian Mark Mazower on the occasion of the Greek Revolution's bicentennial
Under the auspices of the Embassy of Greece in Washington, on the occasion of the bicentennial of the Greek Revolution, the world-renowned historian Mark Mazower, Professor of History at Columbia University, gave an online celebratory lecture co-organized by the College Year in Athens and the Consulate General of Greece in Boston.
Professor Mazower discussing with Nicolas Prevelakis, Assistant Director of Curricular Development, Center for Hellenic Studies at Harvard University, explored how the understanding of the Greek uprising has been changed by recent scholarship. He touched upon questions related to national identity, religion, ethnicity, sovereignty and underlined the international significance of the Greek Revolution and its role in the emergence of nation-states.
You can watch the entire Webinar below:
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What's happening in WA
Stay informed about past and future activities
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Perth Glendi 2021
Despite the current restrictions, the Team Perth Glendi offered, in the very heart of the City, a mind trip to Greece on the last weekend of February. Mild weather, good food, music and dances reminded us what the Greek joy of life is about. Congratulations to the organisers and volunteers who contributed to the success of this event!
And for those who did not have the chance to be there, here's the editor's personal favourite, an abstract of a musical "marriage" between Greek and aboriginal tradition: https://fb.watch/4aIRfPxenU/
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200th Anniversary National Day Celebrations
During this landmark year for Greece, March is in the heart of the celebrations for the 200th Anniversary of the Greek Revolution of 25 March 1821. Ι have the pleasure of inviting all Greeks, Greek-Australians and friends of Greece in Western Australia to participate in the numerous festivities to honour this year’s National Day commemoration! The planned events for this year are the following:
- On the day of our National Day, 25 March at 6.30 pm: the Consulate’s Reception at the Perth Town Hall. Given the current COVID-19 restrictions, which limit the number of persons allowed to attend, the Reception is an Invitation only event this year.
- From 26 March to 3 April: Exhibition titled «Greece Liberated: Recognition and Establishment of Diplomatic and Consular Relations» at the ground floor of the Perth Town Hall, 601 Hay St (corner Barrack), WA 6000. The exhibition will also include a special section on the history of the Consulate of Greece in Perth. Open Daily: 10.00-16.00, except Sunday 28 March.
- 28 March at 10.30 am: Doxology at the Greek Orthodox Church of Evangelismos, 57 Carr St, West Perth WA 6005.
- 28 March at 12.30 pm: Wreath Laying Ceremony at the State War Memorial in King’s Park. The Ceremony will take place in the presence of the Honourable Kim Beazley AC, Governor of Western Australia.
- Lastly, on 28 March, right after the Wreath Laying Ceremony, from around 2 p.m., it will be my pleasure to welcome you to a special National Day/Bicentenary Celebration for the Greek Community of WA at St Andrew’s Grammar. For organisational purposes please advise on your intention to join the Celebration by the 21st of March either by email (grcon.per@mfa.fr) or phone (08 93256608).
Georgia Karasiotou
Consul of Greece in Perth
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Calendar of events
for the 200th Anniversary Celebrations in WA
*This is a provisional calendar for the next 3 months; it will be enriched and updated regularly
Thursday, 25 March 2021
National Day Reception
6.30-8.30 pm
Perth Town Hall, 601 Hay Street
Consulate of Greece in Perth
Friday, 26 March to Saturday 3 April 2021
Exhibition: Greece Liberated - Recognition and Establishment of Diplomatic and Consular Relations - The History of the Consulate in Perth
Opening simultaneously with the National Day Reception, afterwards open daily 10am-4pm (except for Sunday 28 March)
Perth Town Hall, 601 Hay Street
Consulate of Greece in Perth
Sunday, 28 March 2021
Doxology for the National Day
10.30 pm
Church of Evangelismos - "The Annunciation of Our Lady"
Wreath Laying Ceremony on the occasion of the National Day
12.30 pm
State War Memorial, Kings Park
Consulate of Greece in Perth
National Day - 200th Anniversary Celebration
From 2.00 pm
St Andrew's Grammar, 2 Hellenic Drive, Dianella
Consulate of Greece in Perth
Tuesday, 13 April 2021
Vlase Zanalis: Orthodox Iconographer and Illustrator of the Indigenous
Academic Lecture presented by Dr John Yiannakis OAM
6.00 pm
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, 22 Dianella Drive, Dianella
Archdiocesan District of Perth
May 2021
"From the Birth of Independence (1821) to Castellorizian Independence (1947)"
Second part of the series of articles in the "Megisti Messenger" Magazine
Castellorizian Association of WA
Friday, 7 May 2021 (tbc)
200 Χρόνια Ελεύθερη Ελλάδα
Tsitsanis, Hatzidakis, Xarchakos, Theodorakis
Songs of Liberation by Greece's four Great Composers
Featuring International Vocalist: Dimitris Basis
Perth Concert Hall
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If you too wish to publish something to our Bulletin, please email us at grcon.per@mfa.gr with the indication on the subject line "for the 200 Years Bulletin"
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