More than 80 years after suffering damage in German and Italian shelling in the fall of 1943, the Castle of Leros in the eastern Aegean is being treated to a restoration that will strengthen its fortification walls, according to ekathimerini.com.
Strategically built on Mt Pytiki where it could oversee the island’s two harbours, Alinda and Agia Marina, and serve as an excellent lookout point for marauding pirates, the bastionated fortress is an extension of a Byzantine castle built on the ancient acropolis.
The first phase of the fortress is thought to have been built in the early middle ages under Byzantine rule; it was subsequently used and augmented by the Knights of Saint John and then the Ottomans. It also went on to play a part in both world wars.
Dr Demetra Demetriou, a visiting academic from Cyprus, will speak at a youth forum held today (Friday, August 16) at the Cyprus Community of Melbourne and Victoria building in Brunswick East.
Starting at 6pm, Dr Demetriou will give a talk on the nature of contemporary Cypriot society for the benefit of young professionals of Cypriot and Greek descent.
The youth forum will be followed by a set dinner of Cypriot souvlaki, chips and a soft drink. The dinner is $25 and must be prepaid.
The youth forum is being organised by SEKA Victoria.
Councils with large Greek populations, including Georges River and Canterbury-Bankstown, have been impacted after the NSW Liberals missed the candidate nomination deadline for the local elections in September.
Peakhurst Ward candidate Lou Konjarski and Mortdale Ward newcomer Dr Andrew Ng will miss out on contesting the upcoming local election.
Fellow Liberal candidates for Hurstville Ward (Nancy Lui), Kogarah Bay Ward (Sam Stratikopoulos) and Blakehurst Ward (Oliver Dimoski) managed to make it through unscathed onto the party ticket.
Peakhurst Ward candidate Lou Konjarski.Mortdale Ward newcomer Dr Andrew Ng.
The Canterbury-Bankstown local government elections have also been thrown into disarray as two of the four Liberal candidates were wiped from the ticket. Sitting Liberal councillors Charlie Ishac and Charbel Abouraad will miss out on contesting the upcoming local election.
It is understood the Liberal Party has forfeited as many as 48 council spots and failed to nominate up to 140 candidates due to the election nomination “debacle.”
Other council areas impacted include the Northern Beaches, Lane Cove, Shoalhaven, Wollongong, Campbelltown, Camden and Blue Mountains.
The debacle has seen Richard Shields sacked as the Liberal Party State Director on Thursday, August 15 after a late night crisis meeting.
In Melbourne, Victoria, Archbishop Makarios of Australia presided over a Divine Liturgy at Panagia Soumela Greek Orthodox church in East Keilor. The Divine Liturgy was followed by a consecration service for the church.
Archbishop Makarios of Australia presided over a Divine Liturgy at Panagia Soumela Greek Orthodox church in East Keilor. Photo: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia.
Earlier in the day, Archbishop Makarios issued a message which explained the meaning behind the Dormition of the Theotokos feast. He also encouraged people to imitate the Virgin Mary’s example to “become worthy to climb the spiritual “ladder” of our salvation.”
Elsewhere, in South Australia, Premier Peter Malinauskas joined Greek Orthodox faithful at the Church of the Koimisis Tis Theotokou in Croydon. The church, which is run by the Greek Orthodox Community of South Australia (GOCSA), held a Divine Liturgy in the morning, followed by loukoumades afterwards.
The Dormition of the Theotokos celebrates the “falling asleep” of the Virgin Mary, and her being taken up into heaven.
Today, I attended the annual Feast Day of the Croydon Greek Orthodox Church named in her honour. pic.twitter.com/Uf6yru458P
Premier Malinauskas was joined on the day by a number of other politicians including Andrea Michaels MP, Nadia Clancy MP, Connie Bonaros MLC, Mira El Dannawi MLC, Jing Lee MLC, Adelaide City Councillor Mary Couros, West Torrens Mayor Michael Coxon, and Charles Sturt Councillor Peter Ppiros.
In other states and territories such as New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania, Northern Territory, Western Australia and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), hundreds of thousands of Greek Orthodox faithful also took part in Divine Liturgies and feast day celebrations.
Many enjoyed loukoumades and lamb on the spit as they broke their 15-day fast.
A house burns during a wildfire in Varnavas, north of Athens, on August 11, 2024. Photo: Angelos Tzortzinis / AFP.
Authorities have questioned Varnavas residents as part of their investigation into what caused the fire. Officials said a 76-year-old man told them a wooden electricity pillar outside his home, which had a loose cable fastened to it with a hanger, could have triggered it.
That scenario was the leading one in the probe, which should be concluded over the coming months. Arson was also being considered.
“We have no indication that anything wrong such as a short-circuit happened,” an official at HEDNO told Reuters adding that only the relevant authorities were responsible for determining the fire’s cause.
Athens, the capital city of Greece, was empty on Thursday, August 15 as hundreds of thousands of Greek Orthodox people flocked to their villages or islands to celebrate the Dormition of the Theotokos (Virgin Mary) feast day.
Panepistimiou Avenue in Athens was empty except for a few tourists. Photo: InTime News.
Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis celebrated the national holiday in his hometown of Chania, Crete.
Attending a morning church service with his family, Mitsotakis stated, “Today, we celebrate the Dormition, a major feast of Orthodoxy that strengthens us to face our difficulties.”
Γιορτάζουμε σήμερα την Κοίμηση της Θεοτόκου, μια σημαντική γιορτή της Ορθοδοξίας που δίνει σε όλους μας ελπίδα και δύναμη να αντιμετωπίσουμε τις μεγάλες δυσκολίες.
Mitsotakis also thanked state officials and volunteers for their recent efforts battling fires in Attica and assured affected citizens of prompt assistance. He urged for unity and reflection, stating, “Let this day be a moment of introspection and recognition that we move forward through unity and not division.”
Elsewhere, Greece’s President Katerina Sakellaropoulou was on the island of Lesvos to celebrate the feast day, whilst Greece’s Defence Minister Nikos Dendias was on Tinos island.
Είχα την τιμή και την ευλογία να εκπροσωπήσω σήμερα την Κυβέρνηση στην αρχιερατική Θεία Λειτουργία για τον εορτασμό της Κοιμήσεως της Θεοτόκου στην Τήνο, χοροστατούντος του Σεβασμιώτατου Μητροπολίτη Σύρου, Τήνου, Άνδρου, Κέας, Μυκόνου, Μήλου και λοιπών νήσων κ.κ. Δωρόθεου Β'.… pic.twitter.com/uv4iJQG6uV
Eugenia Mitrakas OAM will present an interesting lecture titled “The Australian Greek Welfare Society (AGSW) – The Early Years (Part 1)” on Thursday, 29th August 2024, at 7PM, at The Greek Centre in Melbourne. This lecture is part of the Greek History and Culture Seminars series, hosted by the Greek Community of Melbourne.
In her presentation, Mitrakas will delve into the early history of the Australian Greek Welfare Society, which later became PRONIA. She will cover the critical years from 1968 to December 1972, highlighting the key figures and challenges that led to the organisation’s official establishment on 15th August 1972.
Additionally, Mitrakas will discuss the concurrent efforts to introduce Modern Greek language studies at the University of Melbourne, including the grassroots campaigns and fundraising initiatives that made this program a reality.
Eugenia Mitrakas OAM, originally from Lesvos, migrated to Australia at nearly nine years old. She holds a combined degree in Law and Arts from the University of Melbourne and has practiced as a sole practitioner for over 40 years. Known as the first Greek female solicitor to establish her own practice in Victoria, Mitrakas has made significant contributions to both the Greek and broader communities. Her extensive service on various boards, often in a pro bono capacity, and her involvement in welfare, education, and legal professional bodies underscore her dedication. In recognition of her outstanding contributions, she was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in January 1997 for her work with organisations including Fronditha Care (formerly AGSW), PRONIA, and The Hellenic Studies Forum.
This lecture promises an in-depth exploration of the historical and cultural milestones that have shaped the Greek community’s welfare and educational landscape in Melbourne.
Event details
When: Thursday 29 August 2024, at 7 pm
Where: Greek Centre (Mezzanine, 168 Lonsdale St., Melbourne)
A plane missing since World War Two has been found in Drama, Northern Greece after 70 years.
The plane was spotted by a group of three individuals who started to search for the missing aircraft after hearing stories about it.
According to ERT, the final search effort began in mid-June and the aircraft was located in a ravine after 12 hours. It was surrounded by dense forest and the fuselage was in relatively good condition.
The Greek army is expected to collect small pieces of the wreckage to conduct tests on the cause of the crash.
Any talks about the prospect of turning the area into a tourist attraction will most likely be ruled out as it is the only virgin forest in Greece.
Over the past week, Zoe Zeniodi has made history as the first Greek conductor for Opera Australia. She is currently conducting Mozart’s Così fan tutte(2024) at the Sydney Opera House until Saturday, August 17.
Fortunately for us, Zoe was able to take some time out of her busy practice schedule to answer our questions on how it feels to be making history.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you came to be a conductor.
My life in music started early on with piano lessons. I had a very good career as a pianist, mainly in England and Europe for over 10 years. My specialisation was vocal accompaniment and I gave a lot of recitals with wonderful artists all over Europe. My conducting career was initiated by various coincidences. I decided to go to the USA to do my Doctorate Degree in Piano and there I met my mentor, Thomas Sleeper, who was fundamental in the process of changing my career from piano to conducting. I had not seen it coming until I met him, but it was a natural process after all my past in music making. It was really clear early on that this was the right path for me. I loved the world of conducting as soon as I understood what it is really about.
Zoe Zeniodi conducting. Photo: Kike Barona.
You’ve conducted in various iconic venues and collaborated with many well-known opera companies. What do you love the most about your career?
I love music. I love to study scores, I love all the open possibilities given to a musician when one works in this amazing language called music. And then, I love the rehearsal process, how one builds the form, the architecture, the sound, the colour, the essence of the works one conducts. I love being able to connect to musicians and audiences, to be able to ‘translate’ and transform emotion into music and vice versa. It is a very difficult path and one must have really great skills in order to continue in this path successfully.
What are the challenges and also the rewards you face as a female conductor?
The path has not been easy but, to be honest, the last 10 years have really changed the old habits. I feel that we are at a point where women are now fully accepted into the profession and the only issue is that some people still have not been informed or notified… I really do not feel that we should be talking about one’s gender in this profession. We are all doing our jobs and I find it correct when the right people are at the right place and do the right job!
Zoe Zeniodi is the first Greek conductor for Opera Australia. Photo: Jean Baptiste Millot.
This year, you became the first Greek conductor at the Sydney Opera House. How did this come about? How does it feel to be making history?
It is a real honour for me to be invited by Opera Australia to conduct at the Sydney Opera House. This is not my first visit to this amazing country. I was initially invited by Opera Queensland to conduct two productions there. So, last year I conducted Cosi Fan Tutte in Brisbane and Opera Australia came to watch the opening performance. It was a great success and I was immediately invited to come over to conduct the same opera (different production though) this season. Making history is sweet and nice, makes one feel proud. But, the most important thing is to do everything possible in order to keep sharing music and art with people.
You are conducting Mozart’s Così fan tutte (2024). What can people expect from the performance?
It is an amazing work of art, it is a masterpiece, it is totally touching and funny and sweet and passionate and human. The energy is amazing, the cast is wonderful, the staging and design are beautiful and the music is divine. Do not miss it!
Zoe Zeniodi is conducting Mozart’s ‘Così fan tutte’ for Opera Australia. Photo: Kike Barona.
What’s next for you?
I am going back to Greece for 10 days of study and then I am off to South America for concerts in Brazil and Uruguay. Immediately after, I have a big production in Belgium until mid November and this is followed by concerts in Cyprus. During that time, I am continuing my work as the Artistic Director of “El Sistema Greece,” an organisation that offers free music education to children. If you haven’t heard of this organisation, please check it out. We are helping hundreds of children by offering them music education, instruments, lessons, travels, exchanges, concerts and possibilities they would never be able to have.
Is there anything else you’d like to say?
I love Australia. I have said it too many times already but… you live in the best country in the world. I would move here yesterday if I could!
Melbourne man Nicolas Paul Zervos has been named the 2024 Kastellorizian of the Year by the Kastellorizian Association of Victoria (KAV).
Mr Zervos was recognised for his contribution and loyalty to the Kastellorizian community as a figure who formally lobbies both state and federal governments on pressing issues for Greek Australians.
These efforts have not only bettered the lives of Greek Australians but fortified the bond between Greece and Australia.
Photo: Supreme Court of Victoria.
The family man studied Law and Commerce at the University of Melbourne and in 1980, Nicolas was admitted as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria and the High Court of Australia.
Nicolas has conducted a plethora of voluntary work in the wider legal profession, including the free services he has provided for the KAV over the last 35 years.
The award recipient enthusiastically received the news of his nomination and was overwhelmed and honoured to be associated with past distinguished nominees of the prestigious award.
![Panepistimiou Avenue [InTimeNews]](/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/athens-empty-domition-of-the-theotokos-1024x576.webp)
