Regarded as one of the most heinous crimes committed by the Nazis in occupied Greece, 228 residents (114 women and 104 men) were executed inhumanely in the Greek town of Distomo on June 10, 1944.
After suffering a defeat to the Greeks at Katavothra, leaving 15 German soldiers dead and as many wounded, the Germans took revenge on the innocent residents of Distomo.
Ordered by German Lieutenant Hans Zambel, Distomo was set on fire and 218 residents were executed, including 45 children and 20 infants.
According to survivors, SS forces “bayoneted babies in their cribs, stabbed pregnant women, and beheaded the village priest.”
The barbaric brutality received international outcry at the time, yet the German administration in Athens blamed the residents of Distomo for not complying with military orders.
Following the Germans’ withdrawal from Greece, the Greek War Crimes Bureau was able to find and arrest Zambel, who had taken refuge in Paris.
In August 1949, he confessed to the extent of the German atrocities in Distomo.
A film about the tragic massacre, titled ‘A Song For Argyrishas’, has since been made and follows the perspective of four-year-old survivor Argyris Sfountouris.
Two Rose Bay homeowners, who teamed up to sell their properties, have knocked back an offer of $50 million from an apartment developer.
According to realestate.com.au, retired barrister Richard Burbridge QC bought 19 Conway Avenue (1215 sqm) for $3.03 million in 1981, and retired businessman Kiki Efthimiou OAM and his wife, Froso, bought 17 Ian Street (1279 sqm) for $140,000 in 1974.
Burbridge famously founded State Chambers (with Richard Kenzie AM QC) in 1997 and Efthimiou owned Australia’s largest import company of Greek products until 2013.
Kiki Efthimiou (left) bought the property with his wife for $140,000 in 1974.
The two great mates have listed their properties with Sotheby’s principal, Michael Pallier, and colleague, Francis Egan, in conjunction with Ben Hunter and Ben Stewart of CBRE.
Although the highly-anticipated expressions of interest period for the homes will be launched online this Friday, realestate.com.au reports the retirees have already turned down a $50 million offer.
An aerial view of 17 Ian Street and 19 Conway Avenue, Rose Bay. Photo: realestate.com.au.
“They felt it was worth a lot more,” Mr Pallier told Australian media.
Hailed as the best site in Sydney, the properties have stunning Sydney Harbour views and are a short stroll from Rose Bay Village and the ferry wharf.
“It’s probably the best development and home site in the east — you can do units or it could be a trophy homebuyer,” Mr Pallier told realestate.com.au.
Popular sports brand, Nike, has come under fire by Greek people after it recently released a new pair of footwear called ‘The Winged Goddess of Victory’ with the Air Force 1 Low.
Greeks have taken to social media to vent their anger and frustration at the apparent misspelling of the name of the Greek Goddess Nike on the heel of the left sneaker. The inscription in Greek, which is supposed to read ‘NIKH Air,’ actually says ‘ΠΙΚΣ Air.’
While many were left wondering whether ‘ΠΙΚΣ’ was a colossal mistake or some sort of marketing campaign, others took actions into their own hands and launched a petition to make the American multinational retract the sneakers.
The feature image of the petition.
“We are demanding Nike to retract and recall the Air Force 1 “Goddess of Victory” sneakers from the marketplace,” Angie Xidias, who started the petition, wrote.
“Currently the sneakers spell PIKS and not NIKE – this is cultural appropriation. We are asking Nike to preserve and respect the Greek culture and history by accurately using the Greek alphabet when writing and referring to the Goddess NIKE.”
This new controversial release comes just months after Nike announced that it will terminate all its existing contracts with Greek retailers by 2022.
Front view of the new Nike sneakers. Photo: sneakernews.com.
A spokesperson at the Dutch European headquarters of the American multinational corporation confirmed on Wednesday that its strategy in Greece will involve a smaller number of partners.
The spokesperson added that the decision was taken in the context of its recently announced “Consumer Direct Acceleration” strategy, which involves prioritising investment through Nike’s digital channels.
The multinational has established 22 Nike stores in Greece, 15 of which were managed by Folli Follie, a Greek-based international company whose founder was jailed pending trial, accused of falsifying the company’s financial data.
US Senator Bob Menendez, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was joined on Wednesday by US Senator Marco Rubio in introducing new legislation to bolster the United States’ defense partnership with Greece.
Titled the ‘US-Greece Defense and Interparliamentary Partnership Act of 2021,’ the bipartisan legislation bolsters support for Greek military modernisation, authorising new transfers of American military equipment, and fostering increased multilateral engagement among Cyprus, Greece, Israel and the United States.
“As a reliable NATO ally, Greece plays a critical role in promoting security and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean. The 200th anniversary of Greek independence reminds us of the long history of US-Greece cooperation based on our shared commitment to democratic values, and we must continue building that cooperation in the years to come,” Chairman Menendez said.
The U.S.-Greece Defense Partnership Act of 2021 not only bolsters our defense relationship with Greece, but also advances shared values, promotes security cooperation, & strengthens the bonds of our friendship. https://t.co/jSJNTMyaMv
— Senate Foreign Relations Committee (@SFRCdems) June 9, 2021
“In order to ensure that the Eastern Mediterranean remains secure, the US must bolster its defense relationship with Greece by supporting Greece’s efforts to modernise its armed forces.
“This legislation seeks to strengthen the bonds of friendship between the US and Greece in order to advance our shared values, promote security cooperation and support a secure Eastern Mediterranean for years to come.”
On his side, Senator Rubio said this bipartisan legislation “will continue to enhance defense cooperation with Greece, a valued NATO ally.”
“By extending Foreign Military Assistance to Greece and establishing an interparliamentary partnership with democratic countries in the Eastern Mediterranean, this legislation reaffirms our strong commitment to the region at a time when malign actors are working to undermine international security and stability,” he added.
Maria Sakkari defeated defending champion Iga Swiatek 6-4, 6-4 to become the first Greek woman to reach a Grand Slam semi-final at the French Open on Wednesday.
The world number 18 will face unseeded Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic for a place in the final after seeing off Swiatek, who had required a medical timeout early in the second set.
Thursday’s other semi-final sees Russian 31st seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova tackle unseeded Tamara Zidansek of Slovenia.
“I am speechless. It is a dream coming true. I don’t know, it is a very nice feeling and I could not have done it without my team and their support,” the 25-year-old said.
“We have a long way to go but we made a huge step today.
As Dimitris Basis walks towards the front of the stage with conductor George Ellis to begin the show on the 200th Anniversary of the Greek War of Independence, principal violinist Dimitri Calligeros holds on his musical instrument tight and gives the concert pitch along with a bright smile.
Everything is ready to go. The vibrant and warm on-stage energy spreads like a peplum over the audience at Adelaide’s Town Hall.
Ellis bows in front of the attendees before he goes on to silently introduce to the crowd his right-hand man, Dimitri Calligeros.
Violinist Dimitri Calligeros with conductor George Ellis. Photo: The Greek Herald/Argyro Vourdoumpa
The two men, met working for the Sydney Opera House Orchestra nearly 20 years ago and they developed a strong musical rapport as well as a very close friendship as George Ellis reveals to The Greek Herald.
“He is a superb musician. As my concertmaster, he not only plays by example on stage but also helps me behind the scenes by collating and sorting the music. He is my right-hand man and my go-to person for all our Greek music orchestral performances. I respect him highly,” says Ellis.
So much respect they have for each other, that George trusted Dimitri to conduct the concert held in Brisbane last week. Only a few hours before this major undertaking, a first of this scale in his career, the violinist spoke to The Greek Herald about his career in music, his future plans and shared his advice for aspiring musicians.
Dimitri Calligeros conducted the 200 Years of Greek Independence concert in Brisbane
Who is the virtuoso violinist?
A Sydney-born, third generation Australian of Greek heritage, Dimitri Calligeros doesn’t recall exactly when he first saw or heard the violin.
“What I remember is that I was about three years old when I started telling my parents that I wanted to play the violin,” he says.
But nothing happened until some years later when Dimitri was in primary school.
“One day we did some music trials and I got to try out the violin by chance. I was very enthusiastic and my teacher, who ended up being my mentor for many years, called my parents to suggest that I should play the violin and this is how it all started,” Dimitri says.
“I finally got to play and that was that. I have been playing for more than 30 years.”
Dimitri Calligeros in Adelaide. Photo: The Greek Herald/Argyro Vourdoumpa
A proud Kytherian
As passionate he is about his music, he is proud of his Kytherian background.
“I’m a Tsirigoti (a Kytherian),” he tells me in fluent Greek and explains how his yiayia (grandma) who migrated to Australia with her husband, was the first person to teach him the language.
“She would sit me down and talk to me all the time,” he says, explaining how his upbringing has influenced his career.
“When you speak a different language, your mind thinks in a different way, from a different perspective.”
Asking him if he can sense the impulsiveness and the emotion of a Greek audience while on stage, he nods and smiles.
“You can feel the energy. For us – me and colleagues – who are classically trained, it’s so refreshing to come to a stage and a concert like the one we currently perform for the 200 Years from the Greek Revolution, around Australia. There is so much involvement and this brings a great feeling all round.”
The audience at the Adelaide Town Hall. Photo: The Greek Herald
‘Everything I do, I find a little success in’
What does the musician consider the biggest success of his career so far?
“This is a hard question,” he says, “it’s like when I’m being asked what’s my favourite piece to play.”
“Everything I do, I find a little success in. My biggest success is that I do what I love doing full time and at the same time I have the opportunity to work together with great people like George Ellis.”
I ask him to give his advice to people who want to follow in his footsteps.
“Believe in yourselves, work hard because nothing can be achieved without hard work and do what you love doing with passion. Follow your heart,” says the violinist who is also a music teacher.
Speaking about his future plans, Dimitri looks forward to releasing a solo violin recording of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, that will be available soon.
Aliki Diplarakou was born on August 28, 1912, in Athens, although her family was originally from Mani. She was one of the three daughters of lawyer Georgios Diplarakos and Elena Nikolesi. The original family name was Vavouli, but it was converted to Aliki’s paternal grandmother’s maiden name of Diplarakou. After being elected Miss Hellas, she became the first Greek contender to win Miss Europe.
The beauty queen had big brown eyes, and thin beautifully shaped lips, with a of height 1.68m and a thin figure she was the ideal woman of that era.
In 1929, the Aliki represented her home town as Miss Athens in the Miss Hellas contest. She won first place and was awarded the chance to represent Greece at the Miss Europe contest in Paris. Aliki was also successful in this contest and was ultimately crowned Miss Europe on 6 of February 1930.
That same year, the 18-year-old Greek beauty was chosen to represent her nation and continent (Europe) in the Miss Universe Pageant. Diplarakou came so close and finished second in the event, which took place on October 13, 1930, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Aliki was most renowned for her success in these pagents, however this Greek beauty had more than just a gorgeous face. Diplarakou, who was well-educated, independent, and eloquent, defied stereotypes about beauty pageant participants. She was a polyglot who knew four languages and subsequently lectured on ancient and current Greek culture in the United States. She could speak fluently English, French and Italian.
In 1932 Diplarakou married Paul-Louis Weiller, a rich French director from the Gnome et Rhône family. The couple had only one child, Paul-Annick Weiller, he would later be married to Princess Olimpia Torlonia di Civitella-Cesi. Alika and Paul Annick became grandparents of the Princess Sibilla of Luxembourg. Diplarakou and Paul’s marriage did not last and they seperated.
Her second marriage was with Sir John (Jack) Wriothesley Russell, a descendant of John Russell, the sixth Duke of Bedford. Through this marriage Diplarakou received the title of Lady Rusell. The couple had two children, Georgiana Alexandra Russell and Alexander Charles Thomas Wriothesley.
In 1953, more than two decades after Aliki became Miss Europe the Times Magazine published an article titled “The Climax of Sin.” In the article the focus was women liberation and it featured a story about Aliki in 1930, when she dressed herself as a man and entered sacred Mount Athos, where women are not permitted. The narrative of Mount Athos showed the world how strong and forward thinking Aliki was.
Aliki Diplarakou, who passed away in her 90s, was buried as Lady Alice Russell on November 7, 2002, by the Hagia Sophia Orthodox Cathedral in London.
Aliki Diplarakou is remembered not only for her beauty, but for her strength and inelegance as a woman.
Queensland mother, Natalie Tsokas, says she lived through the trauma of her eight-year-old son’s death all over again when local authorities totally cleared his grave, leaving only a patch of dirt, the ABC reports.
The community has vented its disgust over the actions of the Scenic Rim Regional Council, with numerous other residents claiming it cleared their relatives’ graves without fair warning.
Natalie Tsokas said she received an email last week informing her that her son Ollie’s grave had been cleared of a number of unauthorised items that contravened Tamborine Mountain Cemetery’s policies.
Ms Tsokas, who will mark the third anniversary of Ollie’s death in three weeks’ time, said she was “devastated” by the news.
Ollie’s mother placed petals and a small candle where he’s buried after the council stripped the site bare.(ABC Gold Coast: Tara Cassidy)
“His grave was left without a marker on it, without anything on it, it was completely empty, everything taken away,” she said.
Ms Tsokas said in the last year she was notified by Scenic Rim Regional Council that she would need to keep her son’s grave site tidy which she did.
“I did so and at that time, I contacted a mason to see how to go about putting a proper headstone there,” she said.
In a statement, Scenic Rim Regional Council said its workers had removed the items and plants from Ollie’s grave, but it had been in touch with the family.
Ms Tsokas said seeing Ollie’s grave cleared made her feel as he had been left alone. Photo: ABC
“The Scenic Rim Regional Council has been in contact with both families and wishes to respect their privacy and grief by not sharing details of our correspondence on these sensitive matters,” a spokesperson said.
“After several compassionate notifications were made to both families about unauthorised items at gravesites, as per council policy, council has removed the items and held them in safekeeping for collection by the families.”
Ms Tsokas said since the ordeal, a fundraising page had been set up by a friend of Ollie’s, asking for donations to help purchase a headstone for him.
There was plenty of excitement in the air as thousands of spectators gathered on Tuesday night to watch the Hellenic Athletic Club claim victory over its rival, Darwin Olympic, at the inaugural GleNTi Cup.
The Cup, which was held at the Darwin Football Club, kicked off at 6pm with a special exhibition match featuring the under 16 women teams, with Hellenic AC claiming victory 3-1.
“The girls loved it. They came off the football ground pumped and now next year, the senior women teams will be holding a match for actual competition points,” Nick Poniris, President of the Greek Orthodox Community of Northern Australia, tells The Greek Herald.
Under 16 females. Photo: Georgia Politis Photography / Republished with permission.
Photo: Georgia Politis Photography / Republished with permission.
From there, the men’s Premiere League match was officially launched with the help of Mr Poniris and the CEO of Football Northern Territory, Bruce Stadler.
Mr Poniris first initiated a special tribute ceremony in honour of worthy past members of both clubs. This was Matthew Boubaris from Hellenic AC and Alki Athineos from Darwin Olympic. The past achievements of both players, who have passed away, were read out proudly as spectators watched on respectfully.
Tribute ceremony. Photo: Georgia Politis Photography / Republished with permission.
The crowds. Photo: Georgia Politis Photography / Republished with permission.
“The tribute was well received by the public. The families were touched and pleased we showed the players honour, dignity and respect,” Mr Poniris says.
After the solemn tribute, the fierce match between the two men teams started, with both goals by Hellenic AC being scored in the first half, followed by a heavily contested second half.
But ultimately, as the final bell rang, Hellenic AC were crowned the winners of the match, 2-0, and cheers quickly erupted from the crowd. At the trophy ceremony, a player from each team was then selected as ‘Player of the Match.’
The GleNTi Cup. Photo: Georgia Politis Photography / Republished with permission.
Hellenic AC team player. Photo: Georgia Politis Photography / Republished with permission.
Player of the match. Photo: Georgia Politis Photography / Republished with permission.
Player of the match. Photo: Georgia Politis Photography / Republished with permission.
“There really is only one serious match that needs to be won and it’s called the GleNTi Cup match,” Mr Poniris says.
“Apart from the prestige of being the winner of the inaugural cup, the team also gets bragging rights throughout the whole GleNTi Festival on the weekend.”
Hellenic AC players will receive their trophy during the festival this weekend on June 12-13.
So far 95 South Australians have been charged in the Operation Ironside police sting among them a number of Greek Australians, the Advertiser reports.
Of those, 48 were arrested on Monday when police blew the operation wide open in a series of 5.30am raids across Adelaide. The individuals are facing charges ranging from manufacturing and trafficking drugs, participating in a criminal organisation, firearms offences and conspiracy to murder.
AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw thanked the @FBI for its cooperation, along with the 18 countries that worked with the AFP to maintain the integrity of the platform. pic.twitter.com/27ANV5SBOi
In total, police have seized 90kg of high-grade methamphetamine, with a street value of $45m, 50L of fantasy, 350kg of cannabis and 10,000 ecstasy tablets.
Here’s a list of who some of the people arrested, where they’re from and what they’ve been charged with according to the publication.
THEODORE TASMAN BROIKAS
Aged 45 from Wattle Park. Charged with possessing illegal firearms, ammunition and silencers as well as trafficking in a large commercial quantity of a controlled drug.
APOSTLE BROIKAS
Aged 18 from Burnside. Charged with trafficking in a large commercial quantity of a controlled drug.
ISSA BOULOS
Aged 35 from Two Wells. Charged with possessing firearms and ammunition without a licence
