The Defence Ministries of Greece and Turkey have confirmed that a fourth round of talks will take place between both countries to discuss confidence-building measures.
In a statement released on Monday, Greece’s Defence Ministry said “the date and other details of the upcoming meeting will be decided soon.”
This announcement comes after Greek government spokeswoman, Aristotelia Peloni, said on Monday that Greece wants to keep channels of communication with Turkey open but it expects its Aegean neighbour to abide by international law.
Greek government spokeswoman, Aristotelia Peloni, said on Monday that Greece wants to keep channels of communication with Turkey open.
“Greece seeks [to maintain] open channels of communication with Turkey and the consolidation of a positive atmosphere that will allow the easing of tensions and the adoption of a positive agenda,” Peloni said during a press briefing, adding that Athens recently submitted a proposal to Turkey outlining 15 areas of possible economic cooperation.
Last week, the foreign ministers of the two countries clashed openly at a joint news conference in Ankara after a third round of meetings.
In an interview with Ekathimerini, Greek Foreign Minister, Nikos Dendias, said although a solution to the issues dividing the two NATO allies is difficult, it is not impossible.
A quick Google search on Emeritus Professor Maria Skyllas-Kazacos from the University of New South Wales’ School of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, uncovers what many consider her greatest achievements: She was one of Australia’s first female professors in chemical engineering and the pioneer of the Vanadium Redox Battery in the late 1980’s.
It’s these accomplishments which saw me reach out to Professor Skyllas-Kazacos for an interview. But from the moment we sat down for our exclusive chat, I could tell that there was also so much more to this dynamic woman, who credits much of her success to her supportive and close-knit Greek Australian family.
‘They wanted us to always be independent’:
Professor Skyllas-Kazacos was born on the Greek island of Kalymnos in 1951, but she, along with her parents George and Kaliopi Skyllas and younger sister Tina, emigrated to Australia in 1954 in search of a better life and opportunities.
Once there, Professor Skyllas-Kazacos, her sister and her two brothers, Michael and John, who were born in Australia, were encouraged by their parents to continue their education as a means of maintaining their independence.
“As a young Greek girl growing up, I was very fortunate to have parents who really valued education, especially for their daughters. They wanted us to always be independent and not dependent on a man to rule our lives. So they really pushed us and nurtured us, which was very unique in those days,” Professor Skyllas-Kazacos tells The Greek Herald.
Maria Skyllas-Kazakos is one of Australia’s first female professors in chemical engineering.
It was this nurturing and independence which then gave Professor Skyllas-Kazacos the freedom to become a professor in chemical engineering, even though she didn’t know that’s what she wanted to do when she was younger.
“I had initially put Law down as my first preference for my university entry applications,” the Professor says.
“But one day before the final deadline for making changes to your preferences, my father’s business partner and solicitor discouraged me from becoming a lawyer. So I changed my preferences and that’s how I ended up in engineering.”
Making waves in the chemical engineering field:
From that moment on, Professor Skyllas-Kazacos not only graduated with first class honours and the University Medal in industrial chemistry at UNSW, but she went on to complete a PhD in electrochemical studies of molten salts with Professor Barry Welch at the same university.
While still studying for her PhD, she also married the love of her life, Michael Kazacos, and they had three sons, Nicholas, George and Anthony. This newfound family life was something Professor Skyllas-Kazacos thought would impact her career at first, but her expectations changed quickly after a conversation with her PhD supervisor and male mentor, Professor Welch.
“My belief at the time was that once you start a family, a woman can’t really think beyond just having a part-time job. But my PhD supervisor said to me, ‘why should a family stop you from having a career? Just do it.’ It took him to actually tell me I could do it because I didn’t know that I could,” Professor Skyllas-Kazacos says.
And ‘do it’ she did. With the constant support of her Greek Australian family, Professor Skyllas-Kazacos was able to undertake overseas fellowships and sabbaticals at places such as the highly acclaimed Bell Telephone Laboratories in Murray Hill, New Jersey, as well as attend overseas conferences where she could showcase her extensive research in energy storage and aluminium smelting.
Early Vanadium Battery research team (1988) showing (L-R) Franz Grossmith, Michael Kazacos, Maria and Rodney McDermott with first laboratory prototype vanadium cell.
Her big breakthrough came in the late 1980’s when her research team invented the vanadium redox battery, which is a rechargeable flow battery that employs solutions of vanadium ions in different oxidation states to store energy. The battery is regarded internationally as one of the most feasible energy storage technologies available to store renewable energy such as wind and solar, reducing fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
Dozens of companies around the world are now manufacturing and installing megawatt-scale vanadium batteries, the largest one being a 200 MW/800 MWh battery currently being built in China to store energy from a wind farm. Once completed, this will be able to power up to 50,000 houses.
Now, although many might think such a ground-breaking discovery from a female professor in chemical engineering might be overlooked, Professor Skyllas-Kazacos stresses how that wasn’t the case for her. In fact, she believes being female may have actually boosted the coverage her discovery received at the time.
“I was very fortunate to have some amazing people who worked with me… and some very good funding from various government bodies. Without that, we wouldn’t have been able do anything,” Professor Skyllas-Kazacos explains.
2007 V-Fuel Lab photo showing a 5 kW vanadium battery prototype with Michael and George Kazacos. Maria also featured in the photo.
“I think maybe the timing was right as well. Being one of the first young women in engineering, it might have helped me to obtain some of my early grants. I think they wanted to support me.
“Also, I always feel that maybe because I was a woman our project received a lot of media attention which in turn, led to early licensing by the Japanese companies Mitsubishi Chemicals and their subsidiary Kashima-Kita Electric Power Corporation in the mid-1990s.”
‘So many different paths to take’:
Almost four decades after Professor Skyllas-Kazacos’ ground-breaking discovery, she is still grateful for the support she received as a female in her field. She is also grateful for the opportunity to work in an area that has allowed her to play a small role in helping to solve one of the world’s greatest challenges – the need to cut our dependence on fossil fuels to reduce the impact of Climate Change.
But during our exclusive chat, it’s clear that over the years, her life has become more balanced and well-rounded. When she’s not sketching, reading and researching her family history (her husband is a Castellorizian), she cherishes the time she spends with her four grandchildren.
“We are currently babysitting our two youngest grandchildren two days a week, which I absolutely love,” Professor Skyllas-Kazacos says with a laugh.
Of course, that doesn’t mean the Professor has stopped her research. Despite having officially “retired,” she volunteers two to three days of her time to continue to work with her chemical engineering PhD students at UNSW, with the hope of inspiring them to become leaders of the scientific field one day.
“My advice [to all young students] is to choose engineering because it is really one of the most versatile courses you can do. Not only do you study science, maths, engineering and computing, you also learn economics and project management and very importantly, problem solving and that’s why engineers are actually very sought after,” Professor Skyllas-Kazacos concludes.
“There are so many different career paths for women and men to take depending on their preferences. You also have the opportunity to solve some of the critical problems facing the world today and really make a difference to the future of the planet. It’s great.”
Wise words from a woman who deserves to be recognised for her trail-blazing work in the field of chemical engineering.
It was a big weekend of events in Melbourne as the local Greek and wider community gathered to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Crete.
Commemorations kicked off with an official dinner dance on Saturday, April 17, at the Cretan Village in Wantirna South, which featured plenty of Cretan dancing and music.
The dance, which was hosted by the Pancretan Association of Melbourne and the Cretan Brotherhood of Melbourne under the auspices of the Cretan Federation of Australia and NZ, was attended by over 550 people.
A wreath laying ceremony was held at Melbourne’s Shrine of Remembrance.
This included a number of dignitaries and prominent members of the Greek and wider community such as the Very Reverend Father Evmenios, Archiepiscopal Vicar for the District of Northcote, the Consul General of Greece in Melbourne, Emmanuel Kakavelakis, President of the Cretan Federation of Australia and NZ, Tony Tsourdalakis, President of the Greek Community of Melbourne, Bill Papastergiadis, President of the Greek Orthodox Community of Oakleigh and Districts, Chris Damatopoulos, President of the Cretan Brotherhood of Melbourne, Michael Houdalakis, President of the Pancretan Association of Melbourne, Emmanuel Starakis, and President of Pontiaki Estia, Kostas Tseprailidis, among many others.
Everyone was treated to a number of traditional Cretan dancing performances on the night from the dancing groups of the Pancretan Association and Cretan Brotherhood, as well Cretan music from Sifis Tsourdalakis on the lyra, Paddy Montogomery and George Lerakis on the laouto, Tony Iliou on the guitar and the Δημοτική ορχήστρα- Δυο πατρίδες.
Church service and doxology presided over by His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia.
After the official dance, on Sunday, April 18, the local Greek and wider community gathered again at the Greek Orthodox Holy Archdiocese Cathedral of St Eustathios in South Melbourne for a church service and doxology, presided over by His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia.
This was followed by a wreath laying ceremony of over 50 wreaths at Melbourne’s Shrine of Remembrance, which was run by the Battle of Crete and Greece Commemorative Council to remember all those lives lost in action during the Battle of Crete 80 years ago.
His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia.
Consul General Kakavelakis.
Representatives from the army and Federal Government, such as Maria Vamvakinou (right) were in attendance.
Present at the ceremony were Archbishop Makarios of Australia and the Consul General, as well as a number of representatives from the Australian Defence Force, the Victorian and Federal Governments and the Victorian Opposition, among many others.
A brief ceremony was also held at the Australian Hellenic Memorial, which is dedicated to the Battle of Crete, and a number of speeches were given, including one by the Consul General himself.
A number of speeches were given at the Australian Hellenic Memorial.
The day’s official proceedings concluded with a luncheon at the Cretan House in Brunswick. Attendees at this event included, but are not limited to, Archbishop Makarios, His Grace Bishop of Dervis Ezekiel, His Grace Bishop Silouan of Sinope, the Very Reverend Athenagoras, the Very Reverend Father Evmenios, Maria Vamvakinou MP, Lee Tarlamis MP, David Davis MP, President of the Cretan Federation of Australia and NZ, Tony Tsourdalakis, and President of the Cretan Brotherhood of Melbourne, Michael Houdalakis.
In his speech on the day, Mr Tsourdalakis also made a public statement in support of Archbishop Makarios regarding the recent ABC investigation into the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia.
President of the Cretan Federation of Australia and NZ, Tony Tsourdalakis (left) with Archbishop Makarios.
Cretan youth in the national costume.
During the afternoon, the Battle of Greece and Crete Commemorative Council also honoured Peter Ford, son of an Anzac Cretan veteran, and Shirley Devery, daughter of an Anzac Cretan veteran, for their parents’ service during the Battle of Crete.
The event concluded with Cretan dance performances and music, which was enjoyed by all.
“I was very ecstatic at the turnout on Saturday and Sunday. We had a record crowd of over 500 people… and more importantly, we had over 200 Cretan youth attend the Sunday memorial service in national costume, which means we’re passing on our message and the baton for the younger generation to eventually get involved,” Mr Tsourdalakis tells The Greek Herald.
Chrissanthy Tsigolis has cut the service costs of her eastern suburbs childcare centre by nearly half in a bid to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, while helping families afford to keep their children enrolled, the Daily Telegraph reports.
Ms Tsigolis, who has been in the childcare industry since 1995, dropped her service prices to as low as $75 a day in Rose Bay and $88 in Rosebery, to provide permanent financial relief for families after the free childcare and JobKeeper ended.
“I wanted to make childcare more attainable and affordable for those who had lost their jobs, their businesses, and could only resort to family to provide early childhood education,” Ms Tisgolis told the Daily Telegraph.
Chrissanthy Tsigolis with Mariella Sahda, 4, at her childcare centre, Bloombirds, in Rosebery. Photo: Justin Lloyd / The Daily Telegraph.
“Reducing my costs by changing the hours and not providing lunch, I could pass those savings onto my families. Our Rose Bay service has seen an increase in occupancy of 46 percent since we introduced the slashed fee.
“Childcare should not be a luxury item. It’s essential.”
According to the media outlet, parents around the eastern suburbs can pay anywhere from $110 to $150 a day before government subsidies, while fees in Sydney’s north shore are as high as $177.
However, attendance and enrolments across preschools and childcare facilities declined sharply in the first half of 2020, with 71 percent reporting decreased enrolments for at least one month between March and June.
Early Childhood Australia (ECA) CEO, Samantha Page, says affordability “is an issue” with childcare. Photo: The Daily Telegraph.
Early Childhood Australia (ECA) CEO, Samantha Page, said while centres are reporting that they have vacancies and capacity to take more children, “the issue is affordability.”
“Not all centres have the capacity to (reduce costs), but it is good that services are responding to the needs of families when they can,” Ms Page told the Daily Telegraph.
“Now that JobKeeper has ended and Jobseeker has been reduced, we anticipate there will be more families who will struggle to pay for early education and care.
“If the federal government invested more in early education and care right now it would benefit young children, parents – especially women – and secure the jobs of early childhood educators and teachers.”
Greek Foreign Minister, Nikos Dendias, has told Ekathimerini on Sunday that Greece cannot ignore its differences with Turkey over territorial disputes in the Mediterranean and other issues but while a solution is difficult, it is not impossible.
The two countries are NATO allies but at odds over many issues, including competing claims over the extent of their continental shelves in the Mediterranean, air space, energy resources and ethnically-split Cyprus.
“It is not possible to hide under the rug issues where we have different views and approaches,” Dendias told Ekathimerininewspaper in an interview.
Greek Foreign Minister, Nikos Dendias, met with his Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu, on Thursday.
On Thursday, Dendias and his Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu, clashed openly at a joint news conference in Ankara that began with hopes of improved relations, but quickly descended into acrimonious accusations from both sides.
It was the first visit by a Greek foreign minister to Turkey since 2015 in an effort to find common ground for a positive agenda of discussions with Ankara.
Dendias told the paper that while the climate during the talks was good, there was no convergence on many issues.
Greece and Turkey are at odds over competing claims over the extent of their continental shelves in the Mediterranean.
“The issue we face with Turkey is that there is no common denominator regarding the framework of resolving our differences,” Dendias told the paper.
He said Greece’s view is that demarcating its exclusive economic zone and continental shelf with Turkey in the Aegean Sea and the eastern Mediterranean must be based on international law.
“I don’t see a toughening of Turkey’s stance on the issues concerning the Aegean and the east Mediterranean. But I do see fixed positions that are beyond international law, which makes resolution prospects difficult but not impossible,” he said.
Dendias said he has invited Cavusoglou to Athens to continue talks and this could help to prepare the ground for a meeting of Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, with Turkish President, Tayyip Erdogan.
Israel and Greece have signed their biggest ever defence procurement deal, which Israel said on Sunday would strengthen political and economic ties between the countries. The two countries’ air forces also launched a joint exercise.
The agreement includes a $1.65 billion contract for the establishment and operation of a training centre for the Hellenic Air Force by Israeli defence contractor Elbit Systems over a 22-year period, Israel’s defence ministry said.
The training centre will be modelled on Israel’s own flight academy and will be equipped with 10 M-346 training aircraft produced by Italy’s Leonardo, the ministry said.
The Israel & Hellenic Ministries of Defense have signed the biggest defense agreement to date between Israel and Greece. It amounts to around NIS 5.4 billion and includes the establishment of an International Flight Training Center for the Hellenic Air Force, by @ElbitSystemsLtdpic.twitter.com/TNulvgcZCN
Elbit will supply kits to upgrade and operate Greece’s T-6 aircraft and also provide training, simulators and logistical support.
“I am certain that (this programme) will upgrade the capabilities and strengthen the economies of Israel and Greece and thus the partnership between our two countries will deepen on the defence, economic and political levels,” said Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz.
The announcement follows a meeting in Cyprus on Friday between the UAE, Greek, Cypriot and Israeli foreign ministers, who agreed to deepen cooperation.
The announcement follows a meeting in Cyprus on Friday between the UAE, Greek, Cypriot and Israeli foreign ministers.
It is also a direct follow up of a security agreement reached by Greece and Israel in January to establish a flight training center and provide training aircraft to the Hellenic Air Force.
The Israeli and Greek air forces on Sunday launched a joint exercise in Greece, the Israeli military said.
In at least one past exercise over Greece, Israeli fighter planes practised against an S-300 posted on Crete. The Russian-made air defence system is also deployed in Syria and Iran, Israel’s foes.
A source in the Hellenic National Defence Command said the S-300 had not been activated in the joint exercise that began Sunday.
Stefanos Tsitsipas won the Monte Carlo Masters without dropping a set, beating Andrey Rublev 6-3, 6-3 on Sunday for his first title this year and sixth overall.
Fourth-seeded Tsitsipas was in dominant form as he edged 4-3 ahead of the sixth-seeded Russian in their career meetings, having also beaten him on clay last year in the French Open quarterfinals.
The 22-year-old Greek won his last title in February last year at the Open 13 indoor tournament in Marseille — just weeks before France went into lockdown for the first time because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Stefanos Tsitsipas won the Monte Carlo Masters without dropping a set.
The 23-year-old Rublev was aiming for his second title of the year, his first at Masters level and ninth overall. He had produced an audacious display to defeat record 11-time champion Rafael Nadal on Friday, and further confirm why he is one of the rising stars of tennis.
After winning the ATP Cup with Russia, Rublev reached the quarterfinals at the Australian Open and then won the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam last month for his fourth title in seven months. Since Rotterdam, he’s reached four consecutive semifinals, including Monte Carlo.
“Let your dreams be your wings,” Tsitsipas said after the win.
But he couldn’t even get a break point against Tsitsipas.
“Let your dreams be your wings,” Tsitsipas said on social media after his win. “Monte-Carlo thank you for all the small things that add to the journey! Appreciation is a wonderful thing.”
Did You Know? Tsitsipas is not the first member of his family to triumph at the Monte-Carlo Country Club. His mother, Julia Salnikova, won a junior title at the venue in 1981.
Greek Australian stand-up comedian and actor Steen Raskopoulos will be one of many larrikins providing a night of laughs at the Sydney Comedy Festival 2021.
Born in Sydney, Raskopoulos debuted his first solo sketch show Bruce springSTEEN LIVE IN CONCERT at the 2013 Melbourne International Comedy Festival. He was nominated for Best Newcomer, and won the same award at the Sydney Comedy Festival later that year.
Steen’s father, Peter Raskopoulos, is a former Sydney Olympic FC and Australian national team player. An Olympic Hall of Fame Member, Peter also became C.E.O in 2001, winning the 2001–02 NSL championship.
Steen is known as a “triple threat” of performance, material and charisma. He was personally chosen to support Conan O’Brien in Sydney 2019 and in won the Directors Choice Award at the Sydney Comedy Festival 2018.
Also performing at the festival will be Mary Coustas, performing her new stage show, ‘Better Out, Than In.’ Coutsas said right now, “we need a good laugh more than anything”.
After a year’s hiatus, the comedy festival will run from April 19 to May 16 with more than 180 stand-up, sketch, circus, family and musical comedy acts. Other acts include Adam Hills, Gen Fricker, Nina Oyama, Arj Barker, Joel Creasey, Fiona O’Loughlin, Tom Gleeson and Ross Noble.
Australian broadcaster ABC reported that after thorough investigation, it found that the taxpayer-funded aged care homes of “St Basil’s” had returned to the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia about $22 million in the last eight years – out of the total $73 million they received from the Federal Government – at a time when some of these institutions were posting operating losses.
The ABC’s detailed report highlights that Melbourne’s “St Basil’s” – where 45 residents died in Australia’s deadliest COVID outbreak – is alleged to have paid the Archdiocese $22 million over the past 8 years.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation published a statement by Jason Ward, an expert in aged care, from the Centre for International Corporate Tax Accountability and Research, who conducted an investigation on behalf of ABC into the finances of “St Basil’s.” Mr Ward argues that Melbourne’s “St Basil’s” was paying the Archdiocese double the rental market rate.
The ABC report further highlighted how the Greek Orthodox Church pays to make a “good and comfortable life,” for Archbishop of Australia Makarios and stands in particular to the $6.5 million apartment bought late last year at Millers Point, Sydney, where Archbishop Makarios now lives, as revealed by the ABC. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation also reports that the apartment in question, was renovated after the purchase at a cost of about $3 million.
The ABC’s report also published complaints of residents of the Melbourne aged care home who died in the deadliest Covid-19 outbreak and who argue that there was no proper protection for the residents. A coroner’s investigation into the deaths is carried out, while some relatives have filed a lawsuit against the institution.
The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia released a statement on Sunday afternoon following the ABC report:
It is with considerable sadness that the Holy Archdiocese of Australia has been made aware of an ‘investigation’ by the ABC, the supposed ‘conclusions’ of which were broadcast recently in a biased and unfair manner regarding both the Archdiocese and His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia.
The broadcast in question (‘Background Briefing’), which carries the sensationalist and provocative title ’The Archbishop, the luxury residence and the nursing home which was ravaged by the coronavirus’, seeks to connect the tragic circumstances that prevailed at St Basil’s Aged Care in Melbourne during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic with the financial affairs of the Archdiocese.
According to the broadcast, the outbreak of the pandemic in Melbourne’s St Basil’s Aged Care is somehow linked to the finances of the Archdiocese and, thereby, to the Archbishop himself. In publishing such comments, the ABC defames the Archbishop by suggesting that the Archdiocese has been the recipient of substantial sums from St Basil’s in Melbourne (over a period of 8 years, a period before His Eminence Archbishop Makarios’ arrival to Australia), and by inferring that these same monies have funded the allegedly luxurious lifestyle of the Archbishop.
Such allegations are utterly false. In citing the Archbishop’s personal affairs, the ABC has resorted to the most tenuous of evidence, none of which justifies the conclusions it seeks to draw; for example, the motor vehicle used by Him (a motor vehicle over 7 years old, which the Archbishop inherited from His predecessor), the vestments He wears when carrying out His ceremonial duties (vestments worn by all bishops of the Orthodox Church across the world, none which have costed Him $30 000.00) and the apartment in which He resides, which is an asset of the Archdiocese.
It is difficult to understand why the ABC chose to ignore reliable information provided to them; for example, that the purchase of the apartment in Sydney was not made with funds drawn from St Basil’s Aged Care (or any other agency of the Archdiocese), but with special funds of the Archdiocese, and that its modest renovation was made possible by a private donation, and certainly did not cost anywhere near $3 million, as alleged.
The Archdiocese calls upon the ABC to present all the evidence it relies upon that suggests that the Archbishop has profited personally from St Basil’s Aged Care in Melbourne, as the broadcast claims, or that even one dollar of public funding has been misapplied.The Archdiocese stresses again that much of the information in the ABC’s broadcast has its source in a few aggrieved, but unnamed, individuals. These persons have been actively lobbying the media in Greece and Australia for some time to publish material critical of the Archdiocese, its Institutions, the Archbishop, the Bishops, and other Church officials, disseminating in the process various malicious untruths.
It is unfortunate that the ABC did not check the veracity of the information these ‘sources’ provided.
Archbishop Makarios, the Clergy and the people of the Archdiocese will not be distracted by such false and damaging allegations but will continue to work for the good of the Church, the faithful and the broader Australian nation. Truly, an apology to the Archbishop, and the faithful of the Holy Archdiocese is called for from the ABC.
The history of the name Kogias begins in 1910. The founder was Antonios Kogias who, thanks to his excellent art, became known beyond the borders of Thessaly. He manufactured pigskin tsarouchia and other traditional footwear.
Today the art of making tsarouchia is continued by his grandchildren Pavlos and Elias in Kastania, Karditsa, where grandfather Antonios once founded the first workshop.
With the help of Mr Pavlos Kogias, we will… take a walk into history, learn about the origins of tsarouchia, the types that exist and how they began to be a hallmark of the presidential guard.
“On the occasion of the Greek National Day of the 25th of March we must inform your readers that in 1821 they wore no tsarouchia. The word tsarouchi comes from the Turkish word “tsarik”, which means shoe.
Photo: Supplied
“Back then, people wore shoes made of pigskin, the ‘gourounotsaroucha’ as we call them, or shoes made of calf skin, which they tied with straps. This kind of shoe was pointy. The Greeks put a tassel on it and made it Greek. This tassel was for purely aesthetic reasons.
“Tsarouchi as we know it was glorified in the Balkan wars.
“The shoe also has a sexuality. Women wear them for rocking. It denotes a masculinity or a femininity and this has existed naturally since then”, Pavlos Koyias tells The Greek Herald.
TGH: Are tsarouchia in demand in today’s market?
“Yes, the tsarouchia are in demand. They do not appeal to a lot of people, but there is demand. The main interest exists from clubs and associations engaged in traditional dances.
“Dances preserve our tradition. There is a new world that loves traditional dances. I think we’re on track. Tradition is the last stronghold against anthellinism that we see existing.
Photo: Supplied
“It brings us closer with our history, dances, songs, traditions, customs, food. It reminds us of our presence as a nation and our roots. You agree, too, I imagine…
“We distance ourselves from this “modernity” that existed and tradition is the refuge for many. And the events held by many clubs and associations help to keep our traditions alive”, says Pavlos Koyias in The Greek Herald.
TGH: What are the types of tsarouchia you manufacture?
” There are two kinds: the Sarakatsanika with nails. Here we see that there are timber nails on the soles. Then there was no technology and so they would take a piece of leather, soak it and nail it. When it dried, it became very strong.
“The second kind is Gianniotika or tailormade. Here we have a clever technique, with the seam line done on the side. As a result, the seam did not come into contact with the ground and so there was no friction, and therefore the tsarouchi lasted longer”.
Photo: Supplied
TGH: What technique do you follow today?
“This technique is not followed. Sewing has changed, today we also have technology in our lives, and there is evolution in the making of tsarouchia. Also, in this way tsarouchi is cheaper, while the time of their manufacture is shorter.
If the Gianniotiko was handmade today, we could manufacture from one to five tsarouchia a day.”
TGH: You mentioned there was a demand from clubs and associations. Was there interest from abroad?
“Yes, of course. We have sent tsarouchia to Australia, Canada, Germany and especially America.
“In Australia, we sent a pair to a man named John who lives in Sydney. I can not remember his surname.
“From Germany they asked us for a theatrical, but we can say that the country we have sent most of the tsarouchia is America, where there is a shop owner who sells traditional costumes and asks us for plenty of merchandise.”
Photo: Supplied
TGH: Do you supply the presidential guard with tsarouchia?
“The Presidential Guard has a craftsman of its own. We make tsarouchia that meet the standards of the tsarouchia of the presidential guard, but they are very expensive. They can cost even three times the cost of ordinary tsarouchia. That is, if the common tsarouchia cost 80 euros, these will cost 250 euros”.
TGH: What is the usefulness of nails?
“Today they do not have any usefulness other than the sound they make and it has become characteristic of them, especially when tsoliades hit the tsarouchia on the ground.
“They used to put nails on them in so they wouldn’t deface quickly. Back then people had no shoes. They wore tsarouchia and put nails or pedals on them to last longer. Later when the car tires came out, they cut tires and sewed them with a special technique on the soles. Their role was utilitarian, that is.”
TGH: Is there a future in the art of making tsarouchia?
“This sector has sounded the alarm. We are one of the last workshops in Greece. There are no craftsmen. Unfortunately, we have nowhere to pass on our knowledge and experience. My brother and I are nearly 60 years old, we have some years ahead of us and we are optimistic that this art will not fade.”
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A tsarouchi (Greek: τσαρούχι; plural: τσαρούχια; from Turkish çarık) is a type of shoe, which is typically known nowadays as part of the traditional uniform worn by the Evzones of the Greek Presidential Guard.
