Cyprus Today, April

Transcription

Cyprus Today, April

Cyprus
TO D AY
Vo l u m e X L V I I I , N o 2 , A p r i l - J u n e 2 0 1 0
Volume XLVIII, No 2, April-June 2010
A quarterly cultural review of the Ministry of
Education and Culture published and distributed
by the Press and Information Office, Ministry of
Interior, Nicosia, Cyprus.
EDITORIAL BOARD
Chairperson: Pavlos Paraskevas
Chief Editor: Michalis Papantonopoulos
[email protected]
Gnora Communication Consultants
Tel: +357 22441922
Fax: +357 22519743
www.gnora.com
Editor:
Polly Lyssiotis
[email protected]
Tel: +357 22801181
Fax: +357 22663730
Address: Ministry of Education and Culture
Kimonos & Thoukididou Streets
1434 Nicosia, Cyprus
www.moec.gov.cy
Press and Information Office
Apellis Street
1456 Nicosia, Cyprus
www.moi.gov.cy/pio
Design:
Gnora Communication Consultants
Photographic
credits: PIO
Leventis Municipal Museum
Byzantine Museum of the
“Archbishop Makarios III”
Foundation
Cyprus Theatre Organisation
Rialto Theatre
Pharos Arts Foundation
Printed by:
Front cover:
Back cover:
Konos Ltd
Centaur and Maenad
(AD 4th century)
Idol of Pomos (ca. 3000 BC)
PIO 2 – 2010
ISSN (print) 0045-9429
ISSN (online) 1986-2547
Editor’s note: Articles in this magazine may be
freely quoted or reproduced provided that proper
acknowledgement and credit is given to “Cyprus
Today” and the authors (for signed articles).
Disclaimer: Views expressed in the signed articles
are those of the authors and not necessarily those
of the publishers.
Contents
Editorial......................................................................... 3
50th Anniversary of the Republic of Cyprus................ 4
Cyprus: Crossroads of Civilization............................. 22
Kyriakos Charalambides:
“Myths and History: Selected Poems”........................ 32
Pope Benedict XVI:
Following the Steps of Saint Paul............................... 38
Yannis Katsouris......................................................... 43
Italian Cultural Month 2010........................................ 44
10th International Pharos Chamber Music Festival.... 49
13th European Dance Festival.................................... 50
“35 + Building Democracy: 35 Years of Social
Architecture in Spain”................................................. 52
Costas Stathis (1913-1987):
Cyprus’ Unknown Painter – A True Revelation.......... 54
Yannis Tsarouchis 1910-1989:
Painting and Drama from the Collection
of the ‘Yannis Tsarouchis’ Foundation........................ 58
Film Festivals and “Summer Movie Marathon”
in Cyprus..................................................................... 61
“Life is elsewhere…”.................................................. 67
Editorial
A
fter centuries of existence under the control of conquerors and foreigners, Cyprus declared
its independence on August 16th 1960. The celebrations for the 50th Anniversary of the
Republic of Cyprus have already begun. “Cyprus Today” presents the celebration program
of the Anniversary, which intends to highlight the cultural, historical, scientific and political
course of Cyprus through centuries and the relevant achievements which have been fulfilled
within the last 50 years. The most prominent event is to be the October 1st celebration at
the Eleftheria-Tassos Papadopoulos Stadium in Nicosia. Furthermore, a series of high-cultural
level events and festivities are planned to be held not only around the island but also abroad
(Athens, Moscow, London, Brussels, Paris etc). Distinguished members of the Cypriot cultural
life will present their work to the audience; often, in cooperation with internationally renowned
personalities.
“Cyprus Today” presents “Cyprus: Crossroads of Civilization”; an exhibition of Cypriot antiquities which is going to be held at the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian
Institution, in Washington D.C. from September 2010 to April 2011. The presentation is accompanied by an interesting article by the curator of the exhibition, Dr. Sophocles Hadjisavvas,
regarding the history of Cyprus from the birth of the island until 1571.
In addition, the review republishes the essay by Theofanis G. Stavrou introducing Kyriakos
Charalambides’ volume of poetry –translated into English– “Myths and History: Selected Poems.” After that, “Cyprus Today” traces the first ever Papal visit to the island paid by Pope
Benedict XVI who followed the steps of Saint Paul in Cyprus. His Holiness’ visit has been a
major important event in the recent history of the Republic and can be considered as a gesture
of love and peace on behalf of the Pontiff.
This issue also includes an obituary in honour of the distinguished writer and theatre researcher
Yannis Katsouris and a presentation of the Italian Cultural Month 2010; an articulated series
of exciting events introducing Italian culture to citizens of Cyprus. Among them, the exhibition “The Art, the Genius, the War, the City” and “Cyprus and Italy in the Age of Byzantium”
which is organised by the “Archbishop Makarios III” Foundation in cooperation with the Italian Embassy and the Cyprus Tourism Organisation on the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of
the Republic of Cyprus.
Our readers can be enlightened on the 10th International Pharos Chamber Music Festival, one
of the most renowned festivals of its kind in the eastern Mediterranean region which was held
at the Gothic Hall of Royal Manor House at Kouklia, and the 13th European Dance Festival
which remains a very significant feast of contemporary dance. This year, the event was dedicated to the 50th Anniversary of the Republic of Cyprus.
Moreover, “Cyprus Today” highlights the painting exhibitions of the great Cypriot artist Costas
Stathis and the worldwide renowned Greek painter Yannis Tsarouchis, as well as the exhibition “35 + Building Democracy: 35 Years of Social Architecture in Spain” presenting a number
of representative architectural works from the period 1975-2010, and Adi Atassi’s painting and
sketch exhibition; an artist who was born in Syria, but has been living and creating for the last 23
years in Cyprus. The issue is complemented with the presentation of “Cyprus Film Days 2010”
and “Images and Views of Alternative Cinema” Festivals, and the “Summer Movie Marathon.”
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50th Anniversary
of the Republic of Cyprus
T
50 Years of the Republic of Cyprus
he year 2010 the Republic of Cyprus
celebrates 50 years since its foundation.
The celebrations of this anniversary will
have as a main target, to present the historical course of Cyprus since 1960 until today
as well as present the achievements of the
country on a political, social, scientific and
cultural level.
cal/historical exhibition at Smithsonian Institute
of Washington and much more. The highlight
of these celebrations will be the 1st October, at
Eleftheria-Tassos Papadopoulos Stadium, when
a spectacular variety show of dance, speech
and music will be presented through the multidimensional message of the anniversary within
vivid reflections and emotions.
The events taking place in Cyprus as well as
abroad, vary thematically-wise, something
which elevates the quality of the domestic creation in various sectors, the multi complex modern history of the island, as well as the multiculture which has always featured the Cypriot
society. The official program of the celebrations
will include a range of Flagship Events, such as
concerts of Cypriot composers and performers
in London, Moscow, Brussels, visual arts exhibition by Cypriot artists in Paris, an archaeologi-
The official celebrations program for the 50
years of the Republic of Cyprus will be panelled by another range of selected events such
as visual arts exhibitions, cinematographic
festivals, music concerts, theatrical performances, scientific conferences and other events,
which will be presented locally and internationally. Parallel to these, the Ministry of
Education and Culture has subsumed relevant
oblations, concerts, performances and athletic
gatherings within the Education Program.
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Flagship Events
Concert at the New Opera House, Moscow
Organised by: The Republic of Cyprus
Date: 24/09/2010
Concert with the Ossipov Orchestra, performing works by Vassos Argyrides and adaptations of Cypriot folk songs. Soloists: Vakia
Stavrou and Margarita Zorbala. A photographic exhibition will be on display in the foyer of
the premises, as well as repeated viewings of
a three-minute film celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Republic of Cyprus.
Concert at the Cadogan Hall, London
Date: 28/09/2010
Concert with the Oxford
Philomusica,
conducted by Marios
Papadopoulos, performing works by
Schubert, Sofia Sergi,
Christodoulos Georgiades, and Dvořáκ,
with the participation
of two Cypriot solo- Marios Papadopoulos
ists, in oboe and the violin.
A photographic exhibition will be on display in
the foyer of the premises, as well as repeated
viewings of a three-minute film celebrating the
50th Anniversary of the Republic of Cyprus.
1st October Anniversary Celebrations
Date: 1/10/2010
A multi-disciplinary spectacle, featuring projections, dance and music. A photographic
exhibition will be on display at the entrances
to the premises, as well as repeated viewings
of a three-minute film celebrating the 50th
Anniversary of the Republic of Cyprus. The
event will be held at the Eleftheria-Tassos
Papadopoulos Stadium.
Archaeological Exhibition, Smithsonian
Institution, Washington
Dates: 01/10/2010-30/04/2011
An exhibition at the Smithsonian Institution,
covering the archaeology and history of Cyprus from the Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods until today. The exhibition will open to
the public on 1 October 2010 and will remain
at the Smithsonian Institution until 30 April
2011, touring other museums in the USA after this date.
Theatre Performance, Athens
Date: 05/09/2010
Theatre performance of “Nefeles” (Clouds)
by Aristophanes, performed by the Cyprus Theatre Organisation at the Theatre of
Herodes Atticus. A photographic exhibition
Scenes from the theatre performance of “Clouds”
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will be on display at the entrance, as well as
repeated viewings of a three-minute film celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Republic of Cyprus.
Piano Concert with Martino Tirimo,
Flagey Building, Brussels
Date: 12/10/2010
Piano Concert with Martino Tirimo and the St.
Martin in the Fields Orchestra, conducted by
Sir Neville Marriner. The repertoire includes
works by Cypriot composers. A photographic
Martino Tirimo
exhibition will be on display in the foyer of
the premises, as well as repeated viewings of
a three-minute film celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Republic of Cyprus.
Lecture on the Republic of Cyprus,
London
Date: 19/10/2010
A lecture on the Republic of Cyprus by a
British academic. The lecture will be preceded by a short greeting from the President
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of the Republic of Cyprus or a government
official at Lancaster House, London.
Exhibition by the Press and Information
Office
Organised by: The Press and Information Office
Date: November 2010
A photographic and multimedia exhibition,
including twenty-minute documentaries
projecting the contemporary image of the
country and two-minute short films picturing the historical course of the Republic of
Cyprus.
Visual Arts Exhibition “19602010 Regards sur l’Art à
Chypre – Views on the Art of
Cyprus”, Paris
Organised by: The Republic of
Cyprus
Dates: 22/12/2010-16/01/2011
The exhibition is inspired from
the contemporary history of Cyprus and attempts to trace the
profile of the Republic during
the last 50 years through visual
approaches and actions based,
primarily, on the concerns and
critical thoughts regarding the
island’s independence. The exhibition portrays the modern and
dynamic presence of the island
in conjunction with a historical flashback on
the evolution of visual arts in Cyprus.
Through this artistic review, the exhibition
presents to the French public a panoramic
insight of Cypriot reality, as this is expressed
by the works and ideas of Cypriot visual artists.
The exhibition will include a historical section with representative works from the evolution of Cypriot art since 1950, as well as
contemporary works of art selected from the
artists.
Official Events
Exhibition: “Limassol Visual Artists at
the Castle”, Limassol
Organised by: The Cyprus Chamber of Fine
Arts (E.KA.TE)
Dates: 05-30/07/2010
The Municipality of Limassol, in cooperation with the Cyprus Chamber of Fine Arts,
presents a Visual Arts Exhibition at the Medieval Castle, dedicated to contemporary visual arts of Limassol, on the occasion of the
50th Anniversary of the Republic of Cyprus
celebrations.
The works of the artists will be presented
inside the Castle, as well as in the centre
courtyard, where sculptural installations and
constructions will be placed. The Medieval
Castle is hosting for the first time a visual
arts exhibition, in an attempt to converse
and contrast the late Byzantine-period and
Frankish Rule together with the contemporary arts of sculpture, ceramics, painting and
site-specific installations.
National Festival “Kypria 2010”
Dates: 3-22/9/2010
The festival includes the following:
• “Rushes” a modern dance performance by
Inbal Pinto and the Avshalom Pollak Dance
Company: 3/9/2010 Strovolos Municipal
Theatre, 4/9/2010 Rialto Theatre, Limassol.
• “Modern Creative Jazz” by the Takoushis/
Karapatakis Quintet: 5/9/2010 Larnaca Municipal Theatre, 6/9/210 Pallas, Nicosia,
7/9/2010 Rialto Theatre, Limassol.
• “Symphony of the New World” by Dvořáκ,
performed by the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra: 8/9/2010 Rialto Theatre, Limassol, 9/9/2010 Strovolos Municipal Theatre,
10/9/2010 Markidio Theatre, Paphos.
• Sophocles’ «Oedipus Rex» by the Spyros
Evangelatos AMFI-THEATRO: 8/9/2010
Makarios III Amphitheatre (School for the
Blind), Nicosia, 9/9/2010 Pattichio Theatre,
Larnaca.
• Concert by the Oxford Philomusica, conducted by Marios Papadopoulos: 12/9/2010
Markidio Theatre, Paphos, 13/9/2010 Strovolos Municipal Theatre.
• “Just Like a Poem by Lipertis” by Evago-
“Kypria 2010”
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ras Karagiorgis and the Prague Symphony
Orchestra: 20/9/2010 Rialto Theatre, Limassol, 21/9/2010 Markidio Theatre, Paphos,
22/9/2010 Strovolos Municipal Theatre.
Exhibition of Cypriot Engraving “50
Years of the Republic engraved by
Cypriots”
Arts (Ε.ΚΑ.ΤΕ.)
Dates: 12-16/07/2010 London, 13/0925/9/2010 Patra, 4/10-16/10/2010 Athens,
19/11-10/12/2010 Nicosia
An engravings exhibition organised by the
Cyprus Chamber of Fine Arts, in cooperation with the Hambis School of Printmaking & the Hambis Printmaking Museum.
The exhibition records the course of the
Republic of Cyprus through the engraving
arts, while at the same time projecting the
culture, history and lifestyle of the country.
The exhibition includes works by 30 artists,
with 65 engravings in various techniques. A
bilingual catalogue (in Greek and English),
specially prepared for this occasion, will be
published.
Visual Arts Exhibition “50 Years of Visual
Creations”, Nicosia
Arts (Ε.ΚΑ.ΤΕ)
Dates: 4-30/10/2010
The exhibition will be divided into three sections and will be presented during October
in Nicosia.
The Mills Culture Centre & Melina Merkouri Hall (4-17/10/2010): This section is
focused on contemporary creations, covering the last 10 years. Young and mature
artists, all citizens of the Republic of Cyprus, living either in Cyprus or abroad,
are invited to exhibit their most recent
works (painting, sculpture, installations
and videos).
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Famagusta Gate (6-30/10/2010): This second section shows works of art related to the
tragic events of 1974. Creations of that period, as well as contemporary ones, present the
impact of the historical events on the artistic
creation of the local artists, as well as the artists’ views on the events of 1974 that marked
the Republic.
Kastelliotissa Hall (08-30/10/2010): The last
section presents the visual arts created during the first years of the Cyprus Republic,
covering the 1950s to the early 1970s.
Curator: Marina Schiza
Exhibition “Looking Awry: Views of an
Anniversary”, Limassol
Arts (E.KA.TE.)
Dates: 17/11-17/12/2010
A modern art exhibition organised by The
Cyprus Chamber of Fine Arts, supported by
the Cultural Services of the Ministry of Education and Culture, at the Evagoras Lanitis
Center in Limassol. The exhibition presents
in a critical and unorthodox way the 50 years
of the Republic of Cyprus.
Curator: Dr. Antonis Danos
“Ara Gevorgyan” Performance, Nicosia
Organised by: The Armenian Representative
Office in collaboration with the Cyprus
Symphony Orchestra Foundation
Dates: 21-22/11/10
Armenian composer Ara Gevorgyan with
his orchestra and the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra perform on the occasion of the 50th
Anniversary of the Republic of Cyprus. The
Local Armenian Sipan Dance Ensemble will
accompany.
Concert by the Vienna Strings
Organised by: Matheos Kariolou
Date: 22/11/2010
String adaptations of various composers,
Photographic exhibition
Organised by: The Turkish Cypriot Writers
Association
Location and Dates TBA
Photographic exhibition by Turkish Cypriot
pioneer photographers.
Meeting “Cyprus in the 20th century”
Location and Date TBA
Conference, “The Cyprus Problem, Past,
Present and Future”
Organised by: The University of Cyprus
(Responsible Professor Haris Psaltis)
accompanied by Matheos Kariolou at the
piano. The event will be held at the Musik
Verein Hall in Vienna.
Photographic exhibition accompanied
by a catalogue/publication “Re-visioning
Cyprus”, Nicosia
Organised by: University of Nicosia
Location and Date TBA.
The exhibition and publication will include
photographs and texts that openly and objectively attempt to present the course of Cyprus
from the colonial period until today, as well
as possible scenarios related to the future of
Cyprus. The exhibition, focusing on different
subjects, aims to redefine the socio-political
standing of the island at a local and international level, through a scientific approach.
Photographic exhibition
Organised by: The Cyprus Photographic Society
Dates: December 2010, Location TBA
A photographic exhibition by Greek Cypriot,
Armenian, Maronite and Latin pioneer photographers.
Events Organised by Ministries
and other Organisations
Dance Platform – Dance Gatherings
Organised by: Ministry of Education and
Culture
Dates: 5,6,7/3/2010
Dance shows performed at the Rialto Theatre in Limassol. The Dance Platform contributed to the development of modern dance in
our country giving opportunities to Cypriot
dancers and choreographers to present their
work both locally and internationally.
Exhibition, International Conference
and Publication for the 40 years of
participation of Cyprus at the Venice
Biennale (1968-2009)
Organised by: The Ministry of Education and
Culture and The Pierides Institute
Venue: Municipal Arts Centre, Nicosia
Dates: 19/11/2010-6/3/2011
The aim of this retrospective exhibition is
to present to the public, for the first time, all
Cypriot participations at the Venice Biennale
of Visual Arts since 1968. These are present11
ed in an historical sequence relating both the
evolution of modern art in Cyprus following
the end of the colonial years and the course
of progress of the Biennale itself. A special
publication will be issued and a conference
will also be organised with the participation
of Cypriot and foreign curators/critics.
Art and Literature Excellence Awards,
Strovolos Municipal Theatre
Culture
Date TBA
Awarded to the following persons for their
contribution to Education, Arts and Sciences.
Literature: Rina Katselli, Michalis Pieris
Arts: Despina Bembedeli
Sciences: Kyriakos Nicolaou
Rina Katselli
Kyriakos Nicolaou
Despina Bembedeli
Michalis Pieris
Shanghai EXPO International Exhibition
Organised by: The Ministry of the Interior
Dates: 1/5-21/10/2010
Cyprus participates in this exhibition setting
up her own booth presenting the 50 years of
the Republic of Cyprus. Short films on the
history and culture of Cyprus are screened,
as well as recent achievements of the Republic of Cyprus and visions for the future.
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Seminar “Constitutional Justice”
Organised by: The Supreme Court of Cyprus
Four-day seminar.
Publishing of an Anniversary Edition
Collection “Cyprus Through the
Centuries”
Organised by: The Department of Postal
Services and The Cyprus Philatelic Society
Date: November 2010
Publishing of an anniversary edition collection “Cyprus Through the Centuries.”
13th European Dance Festival
Culture
Dates: 2-30/6/2010
Dance performances by groups from European countries. Performances are given at
the Rialto Theatre, Limassol and at the Pallas
Theatre, Nicosia.
Events by the Ministry
of Education and Culture with
the Participation of Secondary
Education Schools
Oratorio “Salamina of Cyprus” by
Seferis
Organised by: Marios Tokas Music Lyceum,
Limassol
This musical work by composer Sarantis
Kasara is presented for the first time in Cyprus, performed by students and teachers of
Distinguished spokesmen will participate in
the conference during which all former Ministers of Education will be honoured.
School theatre performances dedicated to
the 50th Anniversary of the Republic of
Cyprus
the Marios Tokas Music Lyceum, Limassol,
with the participation of the composer himself and conducted by Mr. Haris Hadjigeorgiou, Chief Musician of the Greek National
Opera.
A concert dedicated
to Cypriot composers
Organised by: The Music School of Nicosia
A concert by the Music School of Nicosia,
where all music bands of the school will perform works by Cypriot composers.
Conference: “Progress and Contribution
of Education in Cyprus During the Past
50 Years”
Culture, Secondary Education Inspectors
Culture, Secondary Education Inspectors
Dates: April 2010
The four school theatre productions performed were awarded prizes at the School
Theatre Competition (Cyprus Theatre Organisation) at the Latsia Municipal Theatre.
Athletic events dedicated to the 50th
Anniversary of the Republic of Cyprus
Culture, Physical Education Inspectors
Dates: January-March 2010
All Pancyprian and Panhellenic athletic
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events between secondary education schools,
such as basketball, volleyball, handball, track
and field events and cross-country running
races were dedicated to the 50th Anniversary
Intercultural-Multicultural Festival at
the Vergina Lyceum
Culture, Vergina Lyceum
Dates TBA
An inter-school event with the contribution
of Turkish Cypriot students from the English
School, with the participation of composers and performers Adamos Katsantonis and
Yiltan Tascsi, as well as of the poets Neshe
Yashin and Antis Kanakis.
Athletic events between primary schools
dedicated to the 50th Anniversary of the
Republic of Cyprus
Culture, Primary Education
Dates TBA
Week of Primary Education Events
Dates: October 2010
Inter-school events dedicated to the 50th Anniversary of the Republic of Cyprus
Decoration of the Ministry of Education
and Culture with an art piece within the
framework of the celebrations.
Culture, Art Inspectors
Dates: Autumn 2010
Exhibition of prize-awarded works from
the 57th European Schools Competition,
Nicosia
Culture, Primary, Secondary and Technical
Education
Dates: May 2010
Within the framework of the European Year
for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion, the 57th European Schools Competition was held and this exhibition of prized
works was dedicated to the 50th Anniversary
Concert with choruses and orchestras
from primary schools
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Other Subsidised Events
“The World of Cyprus”
Organised by: Dancecyprus – The Dance
Company of Cyprus
Dates: 03/12/10 Strovolos Municipal
Theatre, 10/12/10 Rialto Theatre, Limassol,
12/12/10 Larnaca Municipal Theatre
Dancecyprus will present, as part of the 50th
Anniversary of the Republic of Cyprus, a
complete dance work inspired by the painting of the great Cypriot painter Adamantios
Diamantis “The World of Cyprus.” It is a
neoclassic and modern dance piece which
is choreographed by Carolina Constantinou,
based on the poetry of George Seferis, to
whom Diamantis dedicated this particular
painting. Twenty-six artists will perform,
including a Cypriot illustrator, Cypriot and
foreign professional dancers and “young associates” (talented dancing students).
Music by: Manos Hatzidakis, Mikis Theodorakis, Nikos Xydakis and David Gordon.
Adamantios Diamantis
“Strokes Across Cultures”: The 15th
Triennial ACLALS Conference, Nicosia
Dates: 06/06-11/06/2010
A conference attended by academics from
the Commonwealth which projects and coordinates English literature through seminars
and lectures given by writers and academics.
The conference was held at the University of
Cyprus.
Concerts of the Cyprus Symphony
Orchestra in Greece
Organised by: The Cyprus Symphony
Orchestra
The Cyprus Symphony Orchestra will perform works by Solon Michaelides, dedicating the concerts to the 50th Anniversary of
the Republic of Cyprus.
• Thessaloniki, 13 October 2010, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, as part of the
Demetria Festival.
• Veria, 14 October 2019, Veria Municipal
Art Hall.
International Folk Songs Symposium
with the participation of the University of
Cyprus Theatre Workshop (THEPAK)
Cultural Centre
Dates: 30/5 & 01/06 Sicily, 11/06 & 12/06
Athens, 07/08 & 08/08 Crete, 29/10 Trieste,
31/10 Venice, 02/11 Rome, December 2010 –
Sorbonne & Strasbourg (Dates TBA)
Sicily 30/05: Performance of “The Song of
the Bridge” in Catania in cooperation with
the University of Catania.
Sicily 01/06: Performance of “Erotokritos”
in Palermo in cooperation with the University of Palermo.
Athens 11/06, 12/06: Performance of “The
Song of the Bridge” in cooperation with The
National Bank of Greece’s Cultural Centre.
Chania 07/08: Performance of “The Song
of the Bridge” in cooperation with the Kapsomenio Foundation.
Chania 08/08: Performance of “Erotokritos”
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in cooperation with the Kapsomenio Foundation.
Trieste 29/10: Performance of “Erotokritos”
in cooperation with the University of Trieste.
Venice 31/10: Performance of “Erotokritos”
in cooperation with the University of Ca Foscari.
Rome 02/11: Performance of “Erotokritos”
in cooperation with the University of La Sapienza.
Sorbonne, December 2010: Performance of
“The Song of the Bridge” in cooperation
with the University of Sorbonne.
Strasbourg, December 2010: Performance
of “The Song of the Bridge” in cooperation
with The University of Strasbourg.
lication will be presented at Famagusta Gate,
Nicosia, followed by a musical program.
Meeting entitled “50 Years of Cypriot
Creativity”
Organised by: The Limassol Folkloric
Association
Date: 6/11/2010
Folkloric meeting that will close with a musical event at the Conference Hall of the
Limassol Bishopric.
Concert: “The Three Pianists”
Organised by: The Cyprus Association of
Conservatories
Date: 16/5/2010
Concert by internationally renowned pianists, Cyprien Katsaris, Marios Papadopoulos
and Christodoulos Georgiades at the Strovolos Municipal Theatre. The program includedmusic for solo, two pianos and three
pianos.
Visual Arts Exhibition: “The Body:
Stories and Representations” 16 June-31
July
Organised by: The Evagoras and Kathleen
Lanitis Foundation
Dates: 16/6-31/7/2010
The exhibition aims to map the history of
Cyprus’ art, presenting works of artists since
the beginning of the 20th century.
Publishing of Biographies
Organised by: The Members of Parliament
Date: October 2010 (The actual date is yet to
be appointed.)
Publishing the biographies of Presidents and
Members of Parliament since 1960. The pub16
Cyprien Katsaris
27/11/10 at Festival de Música Española de
Cádiz.
Film Festival on the People’s Struggle for
Independence.
Organised by: The European Cinema Centre –
Ninos Fenek Mikellides
Dates: November 2010
A five-day film festival about the people’s
struggle for independence, with films from
Europe, America and Cyprus.
Concerts of Traditional Cypriot Music
Organised by: Michalis Tterlikas
Dates: 25/11/2010 and 27/11/2010
Two concerts of traditional Cypriot music
performed by a four-member group (violin,
lute, tambour, singing).
25/11/10 at Centro de Documentación Musical de Andalucía.
Paintings by
Christoforos Savva
Documentary:
“Christoforos Savva
(1924-1968): His Life,
Work and the Position
he Holds in the Cultural
Scene of Modern
Cyprus”
Organised by: The Technical
University of Cyprus
Date: 2010
A documentary on the life
and work of Christoforos
Savva. Directed by Yiannis Yiapanis and scenarioresearch by Antonis Danos
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Exhibition: “Cyprus and Italy in the Age
of Byzantium – Historical and Artistic
Testimonies from the Latin Rule of
Cyprus (1191-1571)”, Nicosia
Organised by: Byzantine Museum of the
“Archbishop Makarios III” Foundation –
Cyprus Tourist Organisation, Embassy of Italy.
Dates 01/06-30/11/2010
The exhibition is being organised within the
framework of the Italian Cultural Month on
the occasion of the visit of Pope Benedict
XVI to Cyprus (4-6 June 2010) and is dedicated to the 50th Anniversary of the Republic
of Cyprus. The exhibition was opened by the
President of the Republic and Archbishop
Chrystostomos II at the Temporary Exhibitions Hall of the Byzantine Museum of the
“Archbishop Makarios III” Foundation. The
exhibition aims to enlighten an important
historical period of our country closely connected with the West.
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“Cyprus – Island of Aphrodite”
(Hildesheim, Germany)
The Cultural Department of the Cyprus Embassy in Berlin organised a series of events
in towns of Germany dedicated to the 50th
Anniversary of the Republic of Cyprus. In
particular, an archaeological exhibition entitled “Cyprus – Island of Aphrodite” at the
Roemer und Pelizaeus Museum in the town
of Hildesheim, under the joint auspices of
President of the Republic, Mr. Demetris
Christofias, and German Chancellor, Angela
Merkel.
Scene from the concert “From the Cypriot Medieval
Music to Film Music and Ethno-jazz”
The inauguration ceremony was held on
March 13th by the Ambassador of the Republic of Cyprus in Germany, Mr. Pantias
Eliades, and the mayor of Hildesheim, Mr.
Kurt Machens. The exhibition will remain
open to the public until September 12th,
2010. It features over 200 archaeological
pieces from Cyprus, 120 of which are being
loaned by Cyprus museums, bringing to life
Scene from the photographic exhbition
the diverse history of legendary birthplace of
the Greek goddess Aphrodite.
A number of Cypriot and international academics had been asked to prepare articles
for presentation during the event. Part of the
purpose was to emphasize Cyprus’ role as a
cradle and birthplace of European civilization.
Scene from the archaeological exhibition “Cyprus –
Island of Aphrodite”
During the inauguration ceremony
Within the framework of this major exhibition, Socrates Masouras and Erato Cantouna
exhibit photos they have taken of medieval churches in Cyprus (Troodos mountain
range), which are included in the UNESCO’s
list of world cultural heritage. In addition, on
the occasion of the archaeological exhibition
a concert for piano and violin was held on the
opening day and the day after, entitled “From
the Cypriot Medieval Music to Film Music
and Ethno-jazz.” It is worthy to mention that
10,000 people visited the “Cyprus – Island
of Aphrodite” within the first 6 weeks of the
exhibition.
19
“50 Years of the Republic
of Cyprus Engraved by the Cypriots”
The Cultural Department of the Cyprus
High Commission in Britain, in collaboration with Cyprus Chamber of Fine Arts
(E.KA.TE) and Hambis Tsaggaris Museum,
organised an exhibition entitled “50 Years
of the Republic of Cyprus Engraved by the
Cypriots”. This exhibition of prints, curated
by Dr. Tonia Loizou, was realized within
the framework of the official cultural program of the Ministry of Education and Culture to commemorate the 50th Anniversary
of Cyprus Independence. The inauguration
ceremony was held on Monday 12th of July
2010 by the Cultural Counselor of the Cyprus High Commission, Dr. Niki Katsaouni,
at the Hellenic Centre in London, before a
large audience. Both the President of Cyprus Chamber of Fine Arts, Mrs. Daphne
Trimiklinioti, and the Director of Hambis
Printmaking Museum, the engraver Hambis
Tsaggaris also attended the opening.
Dr. Katsaouni addressed a speech concluding: “Art has acquired new meanings and
directions, as Jacques Derrida very well
points out: ‘Art functions within the system of a culture and mores.’ Therefore, Art
is ethics. War is not ethical. Art is the Soft
Power of the world. Let’s give it a chance.”
Then, Mrs. Daphne Trimiklinioti thanked
Dr. Katsaouni and explained the role and
20
aims of the Cyprus Chamber of Fine Arts.
The President of Kontea Association talked
about Hambis who honors Kontea village,
and the poet Iacovos Prodromou recited
a poem on Kontea in the Cypriot dialect,
mentioning all the great artists of Kontea,
like the poet Tefkros Anthias, Hambis Tsaggaris and many others. Finally, Hambis
gave a talk in the Greek Cypriot dialect
entitled “50 Years of Cyprus Republic – 50
Years of Engraving. The Cyprus Trajectory
of Hambis,” in which he gave an account of
the development of printmaking in Cyprus
and his own work, using projections.
The event was followed by a Cypriot reception with traditional delicacies and spirit
(zivania), during which the attendants had
the opportunity to talk with Hambis and
other artists, such as Stelios Stylianou and
Chrystalla Makris, whose work is shown
at this exhibition. Totally, the exhibition
includes works by 30 artists, with 65 engravings in various techniques and it will be
presented in Athens, Patra and Nicosia, with
a special bilingual catalogue to accompany
it. It should be noted that distinguished personalities from the European political and
cultural scene, journalists, artists, academics, representatives of Cypriot, Greek and
foreign cultural entities and in general a
multicultural public attended the exhibition
in London.
“Moments of a Face”
On the occasion of the 50th Anniversary
of the Republic of Cyprus, the composition
“Moments of a Face” for choir, orchestra
and two soloists –by Alkinoos Ioannides–
was performed on April 30th at Berlin
Philarmonic Hall. The orchestra “Camerata Europaea” under the musical direction of Maria Makraki and “Ernst-SenffChor Berlin” choir with Steffen Schubert
as Chorus Master joined the concert. The
concert was supported by the Cyprian Embassy in Berlin and the Berlin Philarmonic
Hall was over-crowded on the evening of
the concert.
The soloists of the performance were Alkinoos Ioannides (vocal, lute, guitar, dulcian
and percussion) and Yorgos Kaloudis (cello,
cretan lyre, guitar and percussion). The so-
prano Sonia Theodoridou also joined the
concert and the poet Linos Ioannides in recitation.
The Cypriot Ambassador in Berlin, Mr. Pantias Eliades, addresses a greeting speech
before the concert which was attended by
representatives and members of diplomatic
missions, officials from the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Berlin Municipality as well, the President of German-Cypriot
Friendship Group, journalists and plenty of
music fans.
Ioannides’ composition –consisted of two
suites– reflected his interest in Cypriot folk
music and the western tradition of baroque,
classical and modern (20th century) music,
trying to integrate in his work elements from
ancient, byzantine, medieval and contemporary music world.
21
AN EXHIBITION OF CYPRIOT ANTIQUITIES IN
THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY,
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, WASHINGTON DC
SEPTEMBER 2010-APRIL 2011
F
or thousands of years, Cyprus –the easternmost island in the Mediterranean–
has been a magnet for peoples and cultures.
Phoenicians and Egyptians, Greeks and Romans, Crusaders and Islamic armies have
all left their mark on Cyprus, drawn by the
island’s copper mines and vineyards, and its
strategic location at the heart of Mediterranean trade routes. From these elements, Cyprus has woven its own distinctive history
and culture.
The exhibition “Cyprus: Crossroads of Civilizations”, which starts its North American
journey at the National Museum of Natural
History, Smithsonian Institution, is presented
22
on the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the
Republic of Cyprus. Lenders to the exhibition
are: the Cyprus Department of Antiquities, the
Cultural Foundation of the Bank of Cyprus,
the Byzantine Museum of the “Archbishop
Makarios III” Foundation, the Holy Bishopric of Morfou, the Pierides Marfin Laiki
Bank Museum, and the Thalassa Museum of
the Municipality of Agia Napa. The exhibits
are made up of one hundred and ninety-nine
antiquities, forty-nine coins, nine icons, two
maps and two engravings. Four replicas of
very important objects complement the show.
The exhibition is curated by Dr. Sophocles
Hadjisavvas, former Director of the Cyprus
Department of Antiquities, who is also the
editor of the accompanying catalogue.
In sharing these archaeological and ecclesiastical treasures with the American public,
Cyprus manifests its commitment to the interchange of cultural property among nations
for scientific, cultural, and educational purposes.
This is not the first time in recent years that
an exhibition of archaeological material
from Cyprus has crossed the ocean to offer
American scholars and non-specialists alike
the chance to admire aspects of the island’s
rich history and culture. It is, however, the
first time that so rich and diverse an archaeological collection has come to the United
States in an exhibition that illustrates human
presence across some eleven millennia on
the easternmost island of the Mediterranean.
The exhibition is divided into eight sections,
each covering a wide but distinct cultural
period, in addition to an introduction to the
geology of the island.
The Troodos mountain range in central Cyprus, source of copper, asbestos, chromite and other minerals
By Dr. Sophocles Hadjisavvas
The Birth of an Island
Cyprus is a unique case where geology played
a decisive role to the development of its natural
environment. Geology was also a determinant
for the historic, cultural and socioeconomic development of the island from antiquity to modern times. Cyprus rose from the sea, around 20
million years ago, a product of the collision of
the African and Eurasian tectonic plates. Perhaps Greek mythology had good reason to de-
pict Aphrodite –Cyprus’ patron deity– emerging from the waves on those very shores.
The rugged topography, created by the uplift,
directly affected both the environment and every aspect of life on the island. It had a general
effect on climatic conditions and specifically
on rainfall, which in turn governed the distribution of the growth of forests, agriculture, flora
and fauna, as well as the social and economic
development of Cyprus. It also had an impact
23
on the distribution of important mineral deposits, including copper ore.
The Troodos mountain range is among the
five richest regions of the world in copper.
It has the largest asbestos deposit in Europe
and good quality chromite ore deposits. It also
has large deposits of natural mineral pigments
such as umber and ochre. The exploitation of
these deposits contributed significantly to
the historic and cultural development of
the island since antiquity.
Early Villages
Neolithic period, 8500-5200 BC
Around 11,000 years ago, seafaring people from the Near East
discovered Cyprus’ hospitable
green shores.
Substantial human presence
in many parts of the island is
first attested ca. 8500-8000
BC with farmers in the west,
on the north coast, and near
Amathus in the south. Obsidian, a volcanic glass from
central Turkey is
found for the first
time in all these
Obsidian bladelet
(ca. 8500 BC),
excavated at
Parekklisha –
Shillourokambos
24
settlements, indicating that these inhabitants
belonged to an extensive land-and-sea interaction sphere. The recurrent transport to the
island of breeding stocks of animals –cattle,
deer, sheep/goat, fox and cat– and the construction of deep water wells, the earliest securely dated wells in the world. In the course
of history some millennia later, this island became known as Kypros – Cyprus.
The earliest worldwide evidence for cat
domestication was found by French
archaeologists at Shillourokampos the
site of a village founded 10,500 years
ago, in a human burial, dating to the
8th millennium BC. This discovery in Cyprus definitively
refutes the hypothesis to date
that cats were initially domesticated during the second millennium BC in Egypt.
Cat burial from Parekklisha – Shillourokambos (cast)
The peak of the Cypriot Neolithic age is attested at the site
of Khirokitia, which gives its
name to the Khirokitia Culture, (7000-5200 BC). The
Diabase anthropomorphic figurine (ca.
7000-5500 BC), excavated at Khirokitia
large village was surrounded by an impressive stone wall. Houses consisted of groups
of circular buildings constructed around a
courtyard with equipment for grinding grain.
Cooking took place indoors on specially designed hearths. Villagers cultivated grains and
beans, raised sheep, pigs, and goats and hunted deer. The dead were buried under the floors
of their habitations. Pottery appeared for the
first time in Cyprus during the fifth millennium BC. Figures in human shape are uncommon finds in Neolithic settlements on Cyprus.
Terracotta figure of
woman giving birth
(Chalcolithic period,
ca. 3500-2500 BC),
excavated at Kissonerga
– Mosphilia
Dawn of an Age of Copper
Chalcolithic period, 3900-2400 BC
The Chalcolithic (meaning “copper-stone”)
period saw the rise of one of the most distinctive societies of prehistoric Cyprus: the
Erimi Culture. Some 100 villages with their
circular houses have been identified, in addition to a unique group of cemeteries at
Souskiou, in southwest Cyprus. They yield
data showing significant population growth
and remarkable arts and crafts, including the
first Cypriot metalwork.
The oldest form of worship on Cyprus was
the veneration of the Mother Goddess: the
source of life and fertility. A number of
figurines from Chalcolithic villages depicting seated or squatting women in the act
of giving birth, may be expressions of that
devotion. Small cross-shaped figures from
this period also appear to represent women
giving birth. These were often worn as pendants, especially in death. Great numbers of
the stone pendants have been unearthed from
cemeteries in the Paphos District in the south
west of the island.
The first examples of metalwork in Cyprus,
using local copper also date from this period.
At the time, small amounts of native copper
were used by the Cypriots – mainly for chisels, pins, and ornaments. They were, however, witness to the start of a technological
revolution. Copper would shape the history
of Cyprus for centuries to come.
Picrolite crossshaped figurine
(Chalcolithic
period, ca. 3000
BC), excavated
at Souskiou
Copper alloy awl,
with antler handle
(Chalcolithic
period, ca. 2500
BC), excavated at
Mosphilia
25
An Island of Prospectors and Farmers
Early and Middle Bronze Age, 2300-1600 BC
Beginning in about 2400 BC, prospectors
from Anatolia explored the island for copper.
The discovery of rich deposits drew many
communities from the Anatolian coast to settle on Cyprus. These migrants brought with
them new ways of building houses, cooking,
spinning, and weaving. They also brought
cattle and the ox-drawn plow, creating an
agricultural revolution. Plows opened up
new terrain for farming, leading to a boom
in food production and a rapid increase in
population.
The newcomers spread across the island, settling in the copper-rich foothills of the Troodos Mountains and living harmoniously with
the local indigenous people. Over time, the
communities merged to produce a rich and
unique Bronze Age culture, characterized
by local varieties of everyday pottery and an
array of more elaborate vessels, models and
figurines.
In the Early Bronze Age, the use of metal
became more widespread in Cyprus. By
Ceramic
double-necked
jug (Early
Bronze Age, ca.
2100-2000 BC),
excavated at
Pyrgos
about 2400-2300 BC, copper was being cast
into standard shapes, such as axe heads, presumably for the purpose of trade.
As the trading of copper became more essential to the economy of the island, an extensive communication network developed
between villages. Gradually, Cyprus began
to export the metal and the island quickly
became known to its neighbors for its rich
copper resources.
Cyprus Opens to the World
Late Bronze Age, 1600-1050 BC
The Late Bronze Age was a period of great
prosperity. Across the eastern Mediterranean, trade networks linked Egypt, the Hittite
Empire of central Anatolia, the Ugarit kingdom of coastal Syria, and the Mycenaeans
of southern Greece in a vast interconnected
economy. Cyprus, which documents of the
time refer to as Alashiya, occupied a central
place as a major supplier of copper.
Stone casting mould (Early Bronze Age,
ca. 2300-2100 BC), excavated at Marki
During the Late Bronze Age the island
became the apple of discord between the
Hittite Empire and the Egyptian Pharaohs.
However, it was during this very period,
while bronze was the most important commercial product in the world, and Cyprus
the most important center of its production
that the island emerged as a major player
on the Mediterranean stage. It was the island’s wealth in copper that attracted the
26
figure from the Bronze Age Mediterranean
world. Another, dubbed “The Ingot God,”
stands triumphantly upon a copper ingot.
The Age of the Cypriot Kingdoms
Iron Age, 1300-300 BC
For a thousand years, Cyprus was divided
into ten independent city-Kingdoms. The
inhabitants spoke three languages: Greek,
Phoenician, and a language indigenous to
the island, which scholars call Eteocypriot
(“original Cypriot”). By 700 BC, most Cypriot city-Kingdoms were led by rulers with
Greek pedigrees, although Phoenician- and
Eteocypriot-dominated cities continued to
flourish. The island itself was known by several names: Alashiya to the Egyptians and
Hittites, Ia-Atnana to the Assyrians, and Kypros to the Greeks.
Mycenaean krater (bowl for mixing wine and water)
Late Bronze Age, 1300-1200 BC.
first Mycenaean merchants and Syrians, who
established commercial outposts in coastal
towns, especially at Enkomi, during the
14th century BC.
The mining and export of Cypriot
copper boomed in the Late Bronze
Age, reaching its zenith in the century after 1300 BC. Copper was
traded in the form of ingots shaped
like ox hides, each weighing 55-86
pounds (25-39 kilograms). Cypriot ingots have been found as far
west as Marseille, France, and as
far north as the Black Sea coast
of Bulgaria. Cypriot bronze
stands of exceptional workmanship were also exported
throughout the Mediterranean basin.
In two sanctuaries at Enkomi,
archaeologists uncovered bronze
statues of gods in horned helmets.
One is the largest known bronze
The 9th century BC marks the penetration of
Phoenician settlers, firstly at Kition and later
in a number of sites further inland. The Phoenicians adopted some aspects of Cypriot culture, worshipping Greek gods under Phoenician names: Herakles/Melqart, Athena/Anat,
Aphrodite/Astarte. Phoenician
inscriptions on gravestones at
Kition show evidence of
mixed marriages and include
names of at least three different ethnic groups: Greek,
Phoenician, and Hebrew.
Bronze stand for a bowl, decorated
with lions, bull, and griffins. Late
Bronze Age, 1200-1100 BC
The people of Cyprus were
united by a common economic interest in the mining
and export of copper. This
unity helped Cyprus when
confronting the empires of
the day. In 707 BC they
negotiated a profitable status within the
economic empire of
the Neo-Assyrians, and
in the 6th century they
became allies of Persia.
However, the Greco27
Gold bracelet with Egyptian scarab (700-500 BC),
excavated at Kition
Gold plaque from a diadem (Geometric period
1050-950 BC), excavated at Palaipaphos
Limestone sphinx
(550-500 BC),
excavated at Tamassos
Terracotta model of a ship with captain and sailors
(Cypro-Archaic period 600-480 BC), probably found in
the sea, near Amathus
Persian Wars (499-450 BC) forced most of the
Cypriot kings to take sides with Greece in a
tense Mediterranean atmosphere that was not
resolved until Alexander the Great conquered
Persia in 330 BC. In about 300 BC, the Macedonian king of Egypt Ptolemy I Soter abolished the Cypriot kingdoms and made Cyprus
part of his own empire. Despite regional particularities, the institution of Cypriot kingship
remained a homogeneous and successful institution to the end of the 4th century BC. Its
abolition was an externally enforced action
that was meant to serve the colonial politics of
the newly founded Ptolemaic empire.
28
Cyprus in the Age of Empires
Hellenistic and Roman periods,
310 BC-AD 330
With the abolition of Cypriot kingdoms, Cyprus became fully a part of the expansive
Greek world. It was the age of Hellenism, the
era following the conquests of Alexander the
Great, when Greek power and influence was at
its height. Under the rule of Ptolemaic Egypt,
whose pharaohs were the Greek successors of
Alexander the Great, Greek culture spread on
Cyprus. The Greek alphabet replaced the old
Cypriot syllabary, and images of gods become
more definitively Greek in style. With its copper mines, wheat fields, olive groves, and
vineyards, Cyprus was a treasure that Ptole-
Marble statue
of Aphrodite
(Roman period,
30 BC-AD 330),
excavated at
Salamis
Glass bowl (Hellenistic period, 310-30 BC),
excavated at Tombs of the Kings, Paphos
maic Egypt exploited to the full.
But conflicts within the vast territories that
Alexander conquered eventually eroded the
Hellenistic world. Alexander’s empire soon
became part of the growing Roman Empire,
and Cyprus was annexed in 58 BC. The island prospered under the Romans, although
Rome exacted a heavy price in taxes and exports, while adding monumental buildings
and grand villas to the Cypriot landscape.
Greek culture, however, persisted – in Greek
institutions, theaters, religion, language, and
art. A good system of Roman roads was built,
linking cities together and the more remote
areas to harbors, enabling Cypriot products
–timber, wine, oil, grain and copper– to be
transported easily to ports.
In A.D. 45, the apostle Paul, accompanied
by Barnabas, a native of Cyprus, traveled to
Cyprus to preach the gospel, making Cyprus
the first Roman province to be Christianized.
At Nea Paphos, they converted the Roman
Proconsul Sergius Paulus.
Byzantine Cyprus
AD 330-1200
In AD 330 the Roman Empire was divided
into East and West. Cyprus became part of
the Eastern Empire, ruled from the city of Byzantium (later called Constantinople). It was
a peaceful, prosperous province of the new
state. Christianity quickly took hold near the
great sanctuaries at Paphos, Amathus, and
Salamis, as powerful bishops built large basil29
ica churches. A weakened economy, imperial
neglect, and the earthquakes of the 4th century brought social and ideological changes
that opened the way for a strong Church to resacralize urban space and change the course
of Cypriot history.
In AD 649 Cyprus suffered the first attack
by Arab invaders. Twenty more raids followed until AD 961. Prosperous cities such
as Salamis, Lambousa, and Soloi were destroyed; the economic and cultural life of the
island was disrupted; and political instability followed. Treasures of the Church and of
wealthy merchants vanished from the island
– either stolen or removed for safety. At various times, Cyprus was partially or completely occupied by the Arabs, until the Byzantine
Empire reasserted control in AD 965.
The period from the 7th to the 12th century is
characterized by political instability. Numerous
Arab raids and invasions brought about periods
of partial or complete occupation of Cyprus.
Ancient ecclesiastical materials and objects, as
Gold earrings (AD 500-700), excavated at Kouklia
well as those of merchants were removed from
the island. The glory of Byzantine art of this
period is the churches of the 11th-12th century
adorned with wall paintings, along with two
five-domed village churches.
The Eastern Frontier of Christendom
Medieval period, 1191-1570
A series of events related to the Third Crusade brought the island in 1192 under the
Frankish Dynasty of the Lusignans. The
capture of Cyprus by the Crusaders cut the
island off once and for all from the Byzantine
Empire. It was in 1191, that King Richard the
Lionheart of England took over Cyprus. A
year later, in 1192, he sold the island to Guy
de Lusignan. In 1197 Cyprus became another
Crusader Kingdom, following, however, its
own course under the great Lusignan dynasty, which ruled over the island for nearly
three hundred years (1192-1489).
The first three decades of the 13th century was
a period of intensive construction. The building
of the Gothic cathedrals of Nicosia and Famagusta, as well as the finest example of this architecture, Bellapais Abbey, began along with
some strongholds on the Kyrenia mountain
range. In terms of cultural accomplishment, the
period of the Lusignan dynasty is considered
the golden age of medieval Cyprus.
Bronze cross (AD 900-1200) from Church of Agia
Paraskevi, Temvria
30
In 1489 the island passed on to the Venetians, and became a military garrison and a
trading center. Representative examples are
The Entombment of Christ
(1400-1570), tempera on wood,
from the Church of Ayios
Kassianos, Nicosia
Glazed bowl, with
couple (1300-1500),
excavated at Nicosia
the defence fortifications
which were constructed
in Nicosia, Famagusta and
Kyrenia, especially during the
last decade of the Venetian period.
The art of the period shows a distinctively
Cypriot fusion of western and Byzantine
styles. Among the treasures of medieval Cyprus are the painted churches of the Troodos
Mountains, whose walls glow with lumiCyprus: Crossroads of Civilizations was curated by Dr. Sophocles Hadjisavvas, former
Director of the Cyprus Department of Antiquities. Dr. Hadjisavvas’ extensive field experience includes excavations and surveys all
over Cyprus. He directed, amongst others, the
excavations at the “Tombs of the Kings” in
Paphos, the Phoenician Necropolis of Kition,
and the important Late Bronze Age settlement at Alassa. Educated at the University of
Sofia, Cambridge University, and Sweden’s
Gothenburg University, where he received a
PhD in 1992, Dr. Hadjisavvas has lectured
Icon of Jesus Christ (ca. 1350), tempera on
wood, from the Church of Panagia, Galata
nous frescoes (icons). Ten of these
churches are listed on UNESCO’s
World Heritage List.
Cyprus’ medieval period ended with the Ottoman conquests of Nicosia and Famagusta
in 1570-71. Ottoman rule continued until
1878.
Note: All objects shown here are included in the
exhibition.
all over the world and published dozens of
works reflecting his expertise in Late Bronze
Age Cyprus and ancient technology, wine and
olive oil production in particular. After his retirement from the Cyprus Antiquities Department, Dr. Hadjisavvas co-organised, and for
two years directed the THETIS Foundation
for the Protection of Underwater Cultural
Heritage of Cyprus. In 2003 he curated the
exhibition, From Ishtar to Aphrodite: 3200
Years of Cypriot Hellenism, in the Onassis
Center in New York. Dr. Hadjisavvas lives in
Nicosia, Cyprus.
31
Kyriakos Charalambides:
“Myths and History: Selected Poems”
An introduction by Theofanis G. Stavrou
T
he title of this anthology of poetry by
the Cypriot poet Kyriakos Charalambides is a reminder that one should never
underestimate the power of language, especially a language of tried and proven plasticity, as is the case of Greek, in the hands of a
master word craftsman and an able translator. Author and translator appropriated and
adopted the Greek title of “Methistoria”
from one of Charalambides’ volumes of poetry by the same title. One can imagine the
workings of the poet’s creative imagination as it played with the endless possibilities of imputed
meanings to this title by readers and students. For in Greek,
the word “methistoria” could
easily be suggestive of metahistory, integration with history, or, more tantalizingly yet,
intoxication with history. David
Connolly, the translator, did well
choosing “Myths and History” as
the title of this anthology, because
he rightly sensed the author’s passionate devotion to his muse, his
cultural heritage, and his cause. The translator has also correctly sensed the author’s
amazing inclusiveness in the consideration
of personal and national problems, making him thus the kind of poet of whom the
world has need, and whose voice deserves to
be heard as widely as possible. It is hoped
that “Myths and History: Selected Poems” is
a step in the right direction of making Charalambides’ poetry even more accessible to
English readers. It includes selections from
the poet’s last four collections: “Methistoria”
(1995); “Dokímin” (2000); “Aiyaloussa Visited” (2003); and Quince Apple (2006).
32
In his celebrated autobiography,
“Speak Memory”, Vladimir Nabokov informs the reader that “the act of vividly recalling a patch of the past is something that I
seem to have been performing with the outmost zest all my life.” Consequently, echoes
of the past are clearly discernible in all the
literary genres at which the prolific Nabokov
tried his hands: novels, short stories, memoirs, translation, literary criticism, linguistic
vignettes, and preoccupation with Russian
texts of different types and of different historical periods. In some respects, a patch is an
unfortunate metaphor, although its redeeming attributes may be huge, depending on the
use one makes of it. According to Webster,
a patch may refer to “a small piece of material, especially of cloth, used to repair a
garment,” or a patch can be “any small part
of a surface not agreeing with the general
character of appearance of the whole.” And
in this second meaning lies the greatness of
writers like Nabokov. They are able to recall
and weave part of the fabric of the past onto
something larger and to transform the whole
into something universal. Furthermore, they
accomplish this by using a critical stance and
by raising questions, the answers to which
have the capacity to expand as well as shrink
the planet on which we spend our existence.
Such intellectual odysseys of wrestling with
the past can take place at home, on native
space, or in the diaspora. This is especially
crucial in the case of countries and cultures,
regardless of size, which have been deprived
of foundation narratives needed to preserve
memories, rekindle experiences, and define
the individual’s very identity.
A case regarding the centrality of a dialogue
between creative imagination and a passionate preoccupation with the past can also easily be made for the poet Kyriakos Charalambides. Born on Cyprus in 1940, educated first
on his native island and later in Greece, an intellectual wanderer in the Hellenic world and
beyond, Charalambides has already made his
mark as a respected writer of universal perspective and significance by persistently probing and recalling the past, while simultaneously maintaining a constant view toward the
present and the future. His landscape is Hellenism in general and the Cypriot patch of the
Hellenic world in particular. From this stance
he has created the geodesic architecture of his
poetic universe, his “Tholos” or “Dome,” as
he reminds us with the title of one of his collections of poetry. The geodesic relationships
of his opus are basic to understand the interconnectedness, resilience, and ultimate vision
of the poet and the human being in Charalambides. As it has been repeatedly pointed out,
he is not only the poet thoroughly drenched
with the past of his immediate and broader
cultural context. The best of twentieth-century Greek poets, whom he greatly admires and
whose style and inspiration he takes seriously,
have excelled in this kind of a dialogue with
the past. What makes Charalambides’ stance
unusual, and it bears reminding, is the reality
that he was barely emerging from his teenage
years when, for the first time in its long history, Cyprus became independent as one unified
state. Having been born a “reluctant republic,”
as some have called it, it set off a tradition of
descriptions and analyses to which scholars,
government officials, and publicists still contribute passionately in a political and cultural
discourse. Attesting to and elaborating on the
existence of “fettered independence,” this tradition became murkier by the imbroglio of
domestic politics and international intrigues
during the early years of independence, culminating in the July 1974 coup engineered
by the military junta of Greece and the subsequent invasion and partition of the island by
Turkey. This tragic historical process has had
a profound impact on all sections of Cypriot
society, especially on those individuals who
experienced it in its extreme form and soon
became refugees as a result of it. Charalambides published his first three collections of
poetry during this traumatic period, a period
of excessive euphoria, because of independence and, simultaneously, of doubt about a
sustainable political and cultural survival and
growth for the young republic. In some respects, Charalambides may legitimately claim
that his creative output has coincided with
the birth and subsequent agonies of Cyprus.
His first three collections of poetry –“First
Source” (1961), “The Ignorance of Water”
(1967), and the “Vase with Designs” (1973)–
appeared during the first decade of Cyprus’
precarious independence and set the pattern
for both the content and regularity of the appearance of his work. Friends and publishers
came to expect something significant from
this young poet who, producing a major col33
lection of poetry every five years,
never disappointed. And the focus,
even though laden with probing
questions and wide implications, remained persistently Cyprus: “Achaean’s Shore” (1977); “Famagusta
Reigning City” (1982); “Dome”
(1989); “Meta-history” (1995);
“Dokímin” (2000); “Aiyaloussa
Visited” (2003); and “Quince Apple” (2006). He quickly became the
first Cypriot poet to enjoy as great
a visibility on mainland Greece and
beyond as he did on Cyprus, where
he maintained his residence. His
Kyriakos Charalambides, Manolis Anagnostakis
works have been published in both
Cyprus and Greece and enthusiastically received by major critics
his native soil. This would be impossible. The
and poets as well as by prize committees and
tragedy of Cyprus haunts him too intensely.
foundations and by prestigious literary jourRooted firmly on his native and cultural
nals, of which entire issues were dedicated to
patch, he seeks with the help of his art to rehim. This is not a mean accomplishment by
capture and soften the pain of Cyprus and of
any measure. It is a matter of historical record
the age of which the tragedy of Cyprus has
that recognition by Athens has always held a
become such a convenient symbol, a crucible
great appeal for Greek craftsmen of the world
of contemporary values.
working outside the Helladic space. Not all of
I first became aware of Kyriakos Charalamthem manage to gain acceptance by this culbides during the height of the Cyprus crisis in
tural metropolis. Neither do most of them get
1974. I had just supervised the publication of
translated successfully and published in ina bilingual edition of “Eighteen Short Songs
dependent volumes into major European lanof the Bitter Motherland” by Yannis Ritsos
guages (English, German, French and Swedfor the Nostos series in Modern Greek Literaish, to mention a few) as has been the case
ture and Culture. It was a period of national
with Charalambides.
crisis and demoralization which exposed the
This brief reflection on Kyriakos Charalamconfusion of contemporary Hellenism bebides is by no means intended as a biographiyond the wildest expectation of its severest
cal sketch, which probably explains the saccritics. In my introduction to the Ritsos edirifice of details about the author’s fascinating
tion at the time, I pointed out that
life. It is rather an expression of appreciation
for the admirable process by which a major
Someday historians will discuss the chaos of
island poet integrated himself early on in his
Greek society and politics which was tempointellectual journey to the greater Hellenic,
rarily overlooked because of the jubilation
indeed universal canvass of literature and poover the end of the military regime and the
etic thought. Understandably then, for most
return of civilian government. The “sacrifiof his life, he has been featured as a Greek
cial” role of Cyprus in this political apocataspoet and not as a poet of Greek Cypriot extasis will be appropriately emphasized. But as
traction, even though he never lost touch with
34
these lines are being written, the political future of Cyprus, with all its moral and psychological repercussions for Hellenism at large,
looks grim indeed. And it is easy to become
cynical. At such critical moments the artist’s
vision is indispensable.
In short, I felt that it was the artist and not the
historian who, most likely, would make some
sense out of madness of 1974 and provide
some consolation to desolate Cyprus. Yannis Ritsos, with whom I was in contact those
days, sought to do just that with his “Hymn
and Lament for Cyprus” (1974). But I wanted
to hear from a Cypriot poet, I wanted to hear
the Cypriot speech. Even though a professional historian, or because of it, I knew that the
process of historical analysis is slow and the
verdict at best tentative. And that, despite the
best of intentions, history is a product of what
happens plus what historians think happens,
or a more sophisticated variation of this theme
determined by methodology and ideology. I,
therefore, counted on some kind of commentary by the poets. I started collecting poetry
about the invasion shortly after 1974 and was
amazed at how immediate the poetic reaction
was and how quickly the artist began to construct the emotional narrative of tragic events.
It was in this context that I first chanced upon
the work of Kyriakos Charalambides, along
with that of several other Cypriot poets,
among them Anthos Lykavgis, Costas Montis,
and Michalis Pasiardis. I have to admit that
nearly four decades later, I find little in the historical literature that captures the essence of
the Cypriot crisis of 1974 as the poetry of that
generation does. As Costas Montis, reflecting
as if in a daze on the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, so epigrammatically put it in his poem
“Cyprus, July-August 1974,”
It is difficult for me to believe
that the sea of Kyrenia brought them to us
it is difficult to believe
that our beloved sea of Kyrenia brought them
to us.
In this first encounter with the work of Charalambides, I began to sense that I was discovering a new voice which was about to reveal the mysteries of the tragedy confronting
Cyprus and Hellenism. I imagined his voice
Martin McKinsey, Kyriakos Charalambides, Stratis Haviaras
35
through the printed word as prophetic. I was
not destined to meet him in person until three
years later. But the question he asked in one
of his poems written in July 1974 and belonging to his collection “Achaeans’ Shore”
is still unanswered:
What were we doing, I ask, all these years?
[…]
We became old filled with obstinacy and
stupidity,
without responsibility, roots and wings.
And with our pouch of common sense empty.
A year later, when I started preparing a study
of the Cypriot literature chronicling the events
of the invasion, I discovered, much to my joy,
that Charalambides had gathered and chronicled the first year’s poetic output on the subject. He even suggested the possibility of an
anthology of the poetry inspired by the Turkish invasion. He was already setting up camp
on his own patch of the past, trying to mend
a big deformity on the garment of Hellenism.
I had the rare and sad privilege in 1974 to
visit my village and ancestral home in occupied Cyprus a few weeks after the invasion.
I expressed my thoughts generated by that
experience in an unpublished essay, “The
Long Road to Dhiorios.” Wartime conditions
did not allow us to follow the direct route
from Nicosia to the village on the northwestern part of the island. Escorted by Turkish
officers, we had to go through Kyrenia and
the coastal villages toward Myrtou, villages
whose abundant lemon and orange groves
had already started to wilt and dry because
of lack of water. The process of transforming
the occupied part of the island in “Turkey’s
image” was already in full swing. The questions raised by the poets and other thoughtful Cypriots were with me every inch of the
way, as I visited the abandoned and looted
ancestral home, chatted with the few enclaved villagers who had stayed behind and
who offered me the last fruit I tasted from my
36
village. They smiled sadly at my gesture of
taking the house key with me as I was leaving. And when I returned to Nicosia that
evening, many of the refugees, displaced
from their homes and scattered throughout
the island who had heard that I had visited
the village, sought me out to ask, in agonized
voices, if a relative was still alive, or if their
houses were still standing. I revisited the village thirty years later, in 2004, but this time I
was not allowed to enter the ancestral home
which was occupied by a family from Turkey.
I am almost grateful I was not allowed to set
foot in my parents’ home under these circumstances. Seeing the abandoned old church of
Hagia Marina in ruins and the newer church
of Prophet Elias now turned into a military
hospital, and the village school now occupied
by a family, was enough exposure to the ruins
caused by fratricide and war. I make references to these incidents of my visit to the village
on these two occasions because similar ones
are echoed in the poetry of Charalambides.
It never fails. Meeting a compatriot anywhere
in the world becomes tantamount to undertaking a journey back to the homeland. And so
it was with me, when in November of 1977 I
met Kyriakos Charalambides for the first time
in person. He was on an extensive tour of the
United States, where he visited several universities, read his poetry, and always asked to see
the libraries. It was then that I began to discover
in him the layers of Hellenic culture with which
he was thoroughly conversant and which he invoked so effortlessly in his poetic endeavors.
The foundation narrative of Cypriot history and
culture was being formed, I felt, patch by little patch in a poetic quilt fashion worthy of the
poet’s sensibility. Cyprus and Hellenism were
revealed to the listeners through the magic of
language and images enriched by the ages,
and of which the poet demonstrated complete
mastery. His poetic peregrination of Cyprus
and Hellenism was diachronic and eclectic in
the best sense of the world, as was his effort
to patch the Cyprus experience onto the wider
world which needed to hear the voice of a small
country spoken in a language understood by
few but with tremendous capacity to preserve
a culture, form a narrative, and graft itself onto
whatever media is necessary to translate the
local into the global and address some of the
pressing universal issues confronting humankind. I sensed that he was seeking the means
with which to provide consolation and instruction to fellow Cypriots and invite others to
consider the lessons which might be learned
from adversities and tragedies inflicted upon
them. The prophetic voice I had imagined so
ever since, amazing in its clarity and vision. I
happily witness it every time I meet him on the
printed page or in person.
selves that this, too, the translation of biblical
and patristic texts into Modern Greek, is in
the best translation tradition of leading twentieth-century Greek poets. In fact, there is an
unmistakably spiritual, almost ascetic quality
in the life and work of Charalambides from
which he draws inordinate amount of inspiration and strength. As already pointed out, he
has remained passionately faithful to his muse,
his cultural heritage, and his cause. As part of
this brief reflection on the poet, I am delighted
that a new anthology of his poetry will now be
accessible to English readers in the translation
of David Connolly under the title “Myths and
History: Selected Poems.”
Kyriakos Charalambides is also probably the
best interpreter of the Christian spirit of Hellenism as revealed through the Orthodox tradition, that patch of the past which persistently
deals with its own challenges in confrontations
with modernity. Relevant allusions throughout
his poetic work attest to this spiritual bent, but
nothing does it so eloquently as Charalambides’ admirable translation from Byzantine to
Modern Greek of the Christmas “Kontakion”
by the well-known hymnographer Romanos
the Melodist. And it is worth reminding our-
University of Minnesota
21 April 2010
This is the third volume by a Cypriot writer
to appear in the Nostos translations series.
This project had been long in the planning,
but its time has arrived. Its publication coincides with the Fiftieth Anniversary of the
establishment of the Republic of Cyprus. It
is hoped that, like the volumes that preceded
it, “Tetralogy of the Time,” by G. Philippou
Pierides, and “Closed Doors,” by Costas
Montis, “Myths and History” will contribute
substantially toward providing a meaningful
foundation narrative for Cyprus and its recent tortuous history. Appropriating Nabokov
again, this time by way of conclusion, we can
confidently claim that Kyriakos Charalambides has been engaged “with utmost zest”
all his life in the act of recalling a patch of
the past to address meaningfully the modern
condition of humankind.
Note: This essay has been published as the introduction of the volume Kyriakos Charalambides:
“Myths and History: Selected Poems”, trans.
David Connolly, A Nostos Book, 2010. A slightly
different version of the essay has appeared in
Greek as “Homage to Kyriakos Charalambides”,
trans. Anna Tahinci, “Parodos” (2nd series, no.
37, June 2010), a volume dedicated to the life and
works of the poet.
37
Pope Benedict XVI: Following the Steps of Saint Paul
H
is Holiness Pope Benedict XVI paid an
official visit to the Republic of Cyprus
on June 4th-6th accepting an invitation extended by the President of the Republic, Mr.
Demetris Christofias, during his visit to the
Vatican in March 2009. The event was of major historic importance, since it was the first
official visit by a Pope in Cyprus. The Pontiff
was accompanied by the Secretary of State of
the Vatican and other high ranking officials
of the Holy See and had official meetings
with President Christofias and other state officials, the Archbishopric of Cyprus as well
as with representatives of the Catholic Community of Cyprus. Major religious and political events were held during his three-day
visit in Cyprus. The significance of the visit
was highlighted by the fact that not only local but foreign media as well watched closely
the Pontiff’s activities on the island. Actually,
The Pontiff blesses an olive tree at Paphos Airport
38
the visit attracted the global interest and was
extensively covered in the international press.
Pope Benedict XVI arrived at 14.00 at Paphos
Airport where the official welcoming ceremony was held. The Pontiff was welcomed
by President Christofias and his wife Elsi, the
Orthodox Archbishop of Cyprus Chrysostomos II and his Entourage, Catholic Patriarchs
(Maronites and Latins) and distinguished personalities of the political and clerical world
of Cyprus. In his welcoming speech President
Christofias stated: “It is a great honor for us
that His Holiness the Pope is visiting our island for the first time in our modern history.
It is natural for you, as a profound scholar of
the Church Fathers and theology, to manifest
your sensitivity by visiting Paphos, in the
footsteps of Apostle Paul, who during the
first apostolic tour on his first stop to Europe,
and accompanied by the Apostle Barnabas,
The Pope at the Presidential Palace
brought Christianity to Cyprus.” President
Christofias added that the Pope’s presence
on the island conveyed a strong message of
peace over hatred and war.
Addressing the welcoming ceremony, the
Holy Father said among others: “Cyprus
stands at the crossroads of cultures and religions, of histories both proud and ancient but
which still retain a strong and visible impact
upon the life of your country. Having recently
acceded to the European Union, the Republic
of Cyprus is beginning to witness the benefit
of closer economic and political ties with
other European states.” And he added: “It
is greatly to be hoped that membership will
lead to prosperity at home and that other Europeans in their turn will be enriched by your
spiritual and cultural heritage which reflects
your historical role, standing between Europe, Asia and Africa.” After that, the Pontiff
blessed an olive tree that would be planted at
a special place at Paphos Airport as a reminiscence of his visit to Cyprus.
Then, the Pope departed for the church of
Agia Kyriaki Chryssopolitissa in Kato Paphos. Arriving in Paphos town, the Pontiff
was greeted by Archbishop Chrysostomos II.
As Pope Benedict XVI made his way down
the front pathway towards Agia Kyriaki,
thousands of people cheered in support. The
church, which is also open to worship for
Catholics and Anglicans, faces the archeological site of the old Christian basilica where
the legendary “St. Paul’s pillar”, object of an
ancient popular devotion, is kept. The Pontiff
made his holy pilgrimage, and then, outside
Agia Kyriaki, an ecumenical celebration was
held. Before leaving, the Pope received a gift
by the Mayor of Paphos, Savvas Vergas, and
then the Holy Father left for Nicosia.
39
Archbishop Chrysostomos II offers the Pope a gift
At the end of his first day in Cyprus, Pope
Benedict XVI has taken up residence –as is
traditional on Papal journeys– at the Apostolic Nunciature, which in Nicosia is in a wing
of the Franciscan Friary of the Holy Cross,
which belongs to the Custody of the Holy
Land, with adjacent the church of the same
name, which is the parish of the Catholic Latin Community of Cyprus. The church and the
Franciscan Friary are within the United Nations buffer zone, near the Paphos Gate.
On Saturday, the Pope and his Entourage
paid a visit to the Presidential Palace. They
were welcomed by President Christofias, and
the First Lady, Elsi Christofias. The two men
had a meeting and exchanged gifts. The Pope
also signed the Visitors Book. After that, the
President of the Republic and the Pontiff
proceeded to the Gardens of the Presidential
40
Palace where the Civil Authorities and the
Diplomatic Corps were gathered. A greeting
address by President Christofias and a speech
by the Pope followed.
At 10.45 p.m. the Pope visited St. Maronas
Primary School in Anthoupolis. There, the
Holy Father met with the Catholic Communities of Cyprus. A special ceremony was held,
including a welcoming address by the Director of the School, the unveiling of a plaque
for the Papal visit, a greeting address by
Youssef Soueif the Maronite Archbishop of
Cyprus, a Liturgy of the Word, and an artistic
performance, organised by school children,
which illustrated the history and the heritage
of the Communities. Before the beginning of
the cultural program, the Pope Benedict XVI
blessed olive trees that would be planted in
the occupied Maronite villages Kormaki-
tis, Asomatos, Carpasia and Agia Marina. A
speech by the Pontiff, the presentation of gifts
and a final blessing followed.
Later, the Pope paid a courtesy visit to Archbishop Chrysostomos II at the Archbishopric
Palace. The Archbishop greeted the Holy
Father at the entrance of the building and
accompanied him to visit the monument of
Archbishop Makarios III, the Cathedral as
well as the Byzantine Museum. Gifts were
exchanged and brief greetings were addressed. Among others, Pope Benedict XVI
wished for all the inhabitants of Cyprus
to find the wisdom and strength needed to
work together for a just settlement of issues
remaining to be resolved. In addition, the
Pontiff said he was grateful for the support
that the Church of Cyprus, which has always
contributed to the work of the Theological
Dialogue. On his part, Archbishop Chrysostomos II noted that despite the small numbers
of its followers, the Church of Cyprus holds
an eminent position in Orthodoxy and enjoys
fraternal relations with all the Churches.
The second day of the Papal visit ended with
the Holy Mass at the church of the Holy
Cross at the compound of
the Franciscan Friary in the
presence of priests, nuns,
deacons, religious, catechists and Catholic Ecclesial Movements of Cyprus.
On Sunday morning, Pope
Benedict XVI went to the
Eleftheria Sports Palace in
Makedonitissa,
Nicosia,
where a Holy Mass took
place in the presence of
the Patriarchs and Bishops
from the Middle East, of
representatives of their respective communities and
thousands of people. The
Maronite Archbishop of
Cyprus Youssef Soueif addressed the Pontiff. After
the recitation of the Angelus, the Holy Father handed a copy of the “Instrumentum Laboris” to each member of the Special Council of the Synod.
In the afternoon, the Pope visited the Maronite
Cathedral of Our Lady of Graces, near the
Paphos Gate. The Holy Father entered the
Cathedral for a short prayer and short greetings. A presentation of the gift handed to the
Pontiff was held. Members of the Maronite
Community of Cyprus greeted Benedict XVI
with prayers and hymns by a choir.
After that, the Pope and his Entourage left
for Larnaca Airport where the official farewell ceremony took place in the presence of
the President Demetris Christofias and the
respective delegations, and at 18.15 p.m.
His Holiness departed from Cyprus. The first
ever Papal visit on our island was a major
important event in the recent history of Cyprus and can be considered as a gesture of
love and peace. This was a significant opportunity to encourage the message of humane
and Christian values and principles on the
basis of freedom, forgiveness and reconciliation.
During the Holy Mass at Eleftheria Sports Palace
41
Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI, born
Joseph Alois Ratzinger at
Marktl am Inn, Diocese of
Passau (Germany), on April
16th 1927, is the 265th and
current Pope. He spent his
childhood and adolescence
in Traunstein, a small village near the Austrian border. His youthful years
were not easy. His faith
and the education received
at home prepared him for
the harsh experience of
those years during which
the Nazi regime pursued a
hostile attitude towards the
Catholic Church. The young Joseph saw how
some Nazis beat the Parish Priest before the
celebration of Mass. It was precisely during
that complex situation that he discovered the
beauty and truth of faith in Christ.
From 1946 to 1951 he studied Philosophy
and Theology in the Higher School of Philosophy and Theology of Freising and at
the University of Munich. He received his
priestly ordination on 29 June 1951. A year
later he began teaching at the Higher School
of Freising. In 1953 he obtained his doctorate in Theology with a thesis entitled “People
and House of God in St Augustine’s Doctrine
of the Church.”
After a long career as an academic, serving
as a professor of Theology at various German
universities, he was appointed Archbishop of
Munich and Freising and Cardinal by Pope
Paul VI in 1977. In 1981, he settled in Rome
when he became Prefect of the Congregation
for the Doctrine of the Faith, one of the most
important offices of the Roman Curia. On 5
April 1993 he was assigned the honorific title
of the Cardinal Bishop of Velletri-Segni. In
1998 he was elected Vice-Dean of the College of Cardinals. On 30 November 2002 he
was elected Dean, and was entrusted with the
Suburbicarian See of Ostia.
42
On 19 April 2005 he was elected in a Papal
Conclave and on 24 April 2005 he celebrated his Papal Inauguration Mass. On 7 May
2005 he took possession of his cathedral,
the Basilica of St. John Lateran. He succeeded John Paul II.
In addition to his native German, Benedict
XVI fluently speaks Italian, French, English,
Spanish and Latin and also has knowledge of
Portuguese. He can read Ancient Greek and
biblical Hebrew. He is a member of a large
number of academies.
His many publications are spread out over
a number of years and constitute a point of
reference for many people especially for
those interested in entering deeper into the
study of theology. Among them, special
mention should be made of his “Introduction to Christianity”, a compilation of university lectures on the Apostolic Creed published in 1968 and “Dogma and Preaching”
(1973), an anthology of essays, sermons
and reflections dedicated to pastoral arguments. Pope Benedict is the founder and
patron of the “Ratzinger Foundation”, a
charitable organisation which raises money
–from the sales of his books and essays– for
funding scholarships and bursaries for students across the world.
Yannis Katsouris
Obituary
Y
annis Katsouris was born in
Nicosia in 1935. He studied
Philology at the University of Athens and received a doctorate from
the University of Thessaloniki. He
taught at various secondary schools
in Nicosia until 1968, when he was
appointed to the Cultural Services
of the Ministry of Education and
Culture. He continued his career
there, becoming Director of Cultural Services. He retired in 1995 and since
then he devoted himself to his research work.
He was a member of the editorial team of
the literary magazine “Cypriot Chronicles”
[«Κυπριακά Χρονικά»] which was published in
Nicosia in the decade 1960-70, and President of
the Union of Writers of Cyprus. His work includes: “Three Hours” – short stories (Nicosia,
1966); “The Stable Point” – short stories (Nicosia, 1973) which was awarded the State Prize
for Prose and in 1996 was published in a bilingual edition, Greek and French, by the Institute
of Modern Greek Studies at the University of
Nancy; “Give Us This Day” – short stories
(Athens, 1979) which was awarded the State
Prize for Short Stories; “Vasilis Michaelides:
His Life and Work” – study (Ed. Chr. Andreou,
1987); “The Short Story Writer Yorgos Philippou Pierides” – study (Nicosia, 1987); “The
Anabasis of Stylianos” – novel (Kastaniotis
Editions, 1990) which has been also published
in Romanian in 1999; “Jim Londos and Paraschos Boras” – short stories (Orion Editions,
1997); “Naive Uncle Michael” – novel (Livanis
Publishing House, 2001) which was awarded
the State Prize for Prose; “The Theatre in Cyprus 1860-1959, Vols A+B” – study (Nicosia,
2005) which was awarded the Academy of Athens Prize and the State Prize for Essay/Study;
“The Sheperd-pimps and the Holy Crook” (Oi
pornovoskoi kai to Timio mpastouni, 2006) and
recently “[The Gospel] According
to Evagoras and Evgenia” (Ta kata
Evagoran kai Evgenian, 2009 – Ed.
Anef). Katsouris’ short stories have
been translated into English, German,
Serbian, Bulgarian, Russian, Hungarian and Chinese.
He also published studies on the
history of literature and the theatre of Cyprus in various journals
and wrote programs for the radio
and television; he collaborated with Cyprus
Broadcasting Corporation (RIK) and Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation (ERT). Moreover, he taught Theatrology and History of
Theatre at “Vladimiros Kafkarides” Drama
School, while he served as Chairman of Satiriko Theatre Board of Directors. He had
been also awarded the Grand Theatre Award
by Cyprus Theatre Organisation (THOC)
for his invaluable contribution to the world
of stage. Katsouris had been honored with
the Award of Artistic Contribution “Tefkros
Anthias-Theodosis Pierides” (2001), while
for his contribution to public education, he
was recently awarded by Cyprus Secondary
Teachers Union in Nicosia. He was married
to Dina Katsouri, poet and publisher of the
cultural magazine “Anef”.
Yannis Katsouris was hospitalized at Nicosia
General Hospital. He passed away on July 5th.
The Ministry of Education and Culture, the
Union of Writers of Cyprus, Cyprus Theatre
Organisation as well as political parties issued
announcements in order to express their grief
for the loss of a distinguished man of Letters,
who bequeaths his significant literary and research work to the following generations. His
funeral ceremony took place in Platy, Aglandjia, on July 7th. An eulogy speech was given
by the Minister of Culture and Education Mr.
Andreas Demetriou.
43
44
Italian Cultural Month 2010
Every year the Embassy of Italy
organises the Italian Cultural Month
in Cyprus; an articulated series of
extremely varied and exciting events
introducing Italian culture to citizens
of Cyprus. The Italian Cultural
Month has now become a popular
and well-established occasion.
45
T
his year’s program –as the Ambassador
of Italy in Cyprus H.E. Alfredo Bastianelli highlighted in his note on the brochure published for the events– offered again
a large range of activities to enjoy, intending
to make known the common thread that has
run through history to nowadays; that of the
similarities and ties between Italy and Cyprus.
The Italian Month –organised in collaboration
with the Ministry of Education and Culture,
Cultural Services, and the Cyprus Tourism
Organisation– launched its activities on May
3rd. The Cyprus-Italian Business Association,
the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce & Industry and the Embassy of Italy hosted a business
lunch with a lecture, in English, given by Mr.
Andrea Falessi, on the issue “Growing International and Green.”
On the same day, and the following days as
well, the Italian Embassy in cooperation with
the company Lungarotti, La Maison du Vin,
the Hilton Park Nicosia and Four Seasons
Hotel organised the Italian Gastronomic Days
– “The Flavour of Umbria.” The famous chef
Enrico Garofalo prepared magnificent Italian Haute Cuisine for the attendants of these
events. On May 7th the Elysium Hotel in collaboration with La Maison du Vin hosted an
exclusive Oeno-gastronomic dinner.
From May 7th to 16th, in cooperation with
the Cyprus State Fairs Authority, there was
an Embassy stand within the Italian Pavillion
at the 35th Cyprus International Fair. Information about Italy on trade, tourism, Italian
language and other promotional material were
available. On May 11th, a concert with classical music by “Trio Mediterraneo” was held.
On 18th of May, on the occasion of International Museum Day, the Byzantine Museum
of the “Archbishop Makarios III” Foundation, the Italian Embassy, the Institute for
Conservation and Restoration in Rome and
the Cyprus Tourism Organisation organised a
conference entitled “Cyprus and Italy: Restoration of Byzantine Paintings” at the Confer-
46
ence Hall of the “Archbishop Makarios III”
Foundation. Scholars and restorers from the
ISCR of Rome presented the results of the
restoration of the big icon of Saint Nicholas
of the Roof of the Byzantine Museum and the
future restoration of the Cypriot icon of the
Virgin of the Carmelites. A round table with
Cypriot restorers followed in order to examine similarities and differences on restoration
methods between Cyprus and Italy.
Events were also held at the Italian Ambassador’s Residence. On May 19th, a dinner accompanied with Italian songs in aid of the Cyprus Anti-Cancer Society was organised and
two days later, the Italian Embassy along with
Kitesurfing Association of Cyprus hosted a
kitesurfing evening, introducing kitesurfing
as one of the most fast growing sports in the
world and its potential to become a new way
of promoting tourism in Cyprus.
From May 27th to 29th an Italian Film Festival,
entitled “A Tribute to Marcello Mastroianni”
was held at Technochoros Ethal in Limassol.
For 3 days there were screenings of Italian films
with Marcello Mastroianni as a leading actor.
This was an attempt on behalf of the Italian Embassy and Ethal to introduce to the Cypriot audience the highlights of the Italian cinema.
On May 28th, Professor Louis Godart –Counsellor for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage at the Presidential Palace in Rome– gave
a conference on “Greek Migration in Mediterranean.” The conference was organised in cooperation with the University of Cyprus and
was held at the Archeological Research Unit.
On May 30th a special exhibition was inaugurated. “Ancient Mediterranean Fragrances:
Italian Research and Cypriot Tradition” was
held in Kalopanayiotis village, at the Conference Centre of Oikia Lavrentiou. This was an
effort to remind the fact that Cyprus’ perfumes
have been traded in all the Mediterranean
since the 2nd millennium BC. Though the
names of many historical perfumes changed
or even vanished in the row of centuries, the
lush vegetation of Cyprus’ forest still possesses the extraordinary wild fragrances that made
the island so famous. The exhibition will last
until September 10th.
Now, let us focus on two major exhibitions
that took place in Cyprus within the framework of the Italian Cultural Month.
ostomos II. During the ceremony, President
Demetris Christofias referred, among others,
to the long-standing contacts between Cyprus
and Italy, which began in the 11th century BC.
and continued during ancient times, influencing Italian and Cypriot art as well as the culture
of the two countries in various aspects of daily
life. He also highlighted that the excellent relations between the two peoples continue to date,
since the two countries share common historical, geographical and cultural attributes. The
opening was also addressed by the President
of Cyprus Tourism Organisation, Mr. Alecos
Oroundiotis, and the Ambassador of Italy, Mr.
Alfredo Bastianelli. The event was accompanied by chants by the Chorus of the Holy Archbishopric of Cyprus “Saint John Damascene”
“Cyprus and Italy in
the Age of Byzantium”
O
n the occasion of the 50th Anniversary
of the Republic of Cyprus and the offiAdoration of the Magi, 16th century, from the church of
Panagia Phaneromeni in Nicosia, permanent Collection
cial visit of Pope Benedict XVI in the island,
of the Byzantine Museum of the “Archbishop Makarios
III” Foundation
the Byzantine Museum of the
“Archbishop Makarios III”
Foundation in cooperation
with the Italian Embassy and
the Cyprus Tourism Organisation organised the exhibition
“Cyprus and Italy in the Age
of Byzantium” at the Hall of
Temporary Exhibitions of the
Museum.
On June 1st, the exhibition was
Left: Saint Peter, 16th century, from the Holy Archbishopric of Cyprus,
officially inaugurated by the permanent Collection of the Byzantine Museum of the “Archbishop Makarios
Foundation Middle: Holy Chalice, 1506 ca., from the church of Saint
President of the Republic, Mr. III”
Savvas in Nicosia, permanent Collection of the Byzantine Museum of the
“Archbishop
Makarios III” Foundation Right: Virgin Mary of the Tenderness,
Demetris Christofias, and H.B.
from the Metropolitan Palace of Paphos, permanent Collection of the Byzantine
Archbishop of Cyprus, Chrys- Museum of the “Archbishop Makarios III” Foundation
47
and was followed by a guided tour in the exhibition by the Director of the Byzantine Museum, Dr. Ioannis Eliades.
The exhibition displayed icons, sacred relics
and other objects of Byzantine art from the
collections of the Byzantine Museum, as well
as from other ecclesiastical and private collections from Cyprus. The exhibits demonstrated
the influences of Italian art and the contacts
of the Cypriot artists with Italy. Their chronological range covered the period 1191-end of
16th century, the period of western domination of Cyprus; Templars, French Lusignans
and Venetians. Actually, the exhibition aimed
to present the interactions in art and the channels of spreading this art from the West to Cyprus and the opposite route.
It is worthy to mention that during the guided tour Pope Benedict XVI was given in the
Byzantine Museum, the Archbishopric chapel
and the chamber of Archbishop Makarios III,
the Pontiff also paid a visit to “Cyprus and
Italy in the Age of Byzantium.” The Museum
Director, Dr. Eliades, suggested that the exhibition should be hosted by the Vatican on
the occasion of the European Union Cypriot
Presidency in 2012 and Pope Benedict gave
his consent to this proposal.
The exhibition will remain open for the Cypriot public until November 30th.
“The Art, the Genius,
the War, the City”
O
event, the Mayor of Nicosia, Mrs. Eleni Mavrou, and the Ambassador of Italy, Mr. Alfredo
Bastianelli, addressed their greeting speeches.
The exhibition was dedicated to the military
architecture in Italy from the Middle Ages to
Renaissance and modern times, depicting the
development of fortifications through centuries. It displayed maps and other material such
as publications, models and drawings. It actually focused on the role of fortification in the
social and daily life of a city and presented the
role of fortifications as historical monument
in a modern city.
Nicosia’s Venetian walls, designed by the
Venetian engineer Giulio Savorgnano, are considered as the prototype of the Renaissance
military architecture and they served also as a
prototype for the Palmanova fortifications (in
Italy) built afterwards, again by Savorgnano.
The exhibition explained and presented the development of the designs, the shape and size
of Italian fortified cities. The comparison regarding the Venetian walls of Nicosia, as well
as other military fortifications all over Cyprus,
has been extremely interesting.
The original exhibition was organised by the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Italy. The Leventis Municipal Museum collaborated with a
number of institutions and private collections in
Cyprus and Italy in order to host original maps
and other material related to the issue of the exhibition. “The Art, the War, the Genius, the City”
lasted until June 6th and was accompanied by
audiovisual material, special workshops and
educational programs for children and adults.
n May 10th, President Demetris Christofias inaugurated
the exhibition “The
Art, the Genius, the
War, the City: Urbanism and Military
Architecture in Italy”
which was held at the
Temporary Exhibition
Hall of the Leventis
Municipal Museum
in Nicosia. During the Right: Map of Famagusta, 1615
48
10th International Pharos Chamber Music Festival
Outside the Royal Manor House at Kouklia
T
he International Pharos Chamber Music Festival is considered nowadays
as one of the most renowned festivals of
its kind in the eastern Mediterranean region. The Festival, which has established
itself as the highlight of the Pharos Arts
Foundation’s Concert and Recital series,
has achieved to make chamber music more
accessible, with performances of the highest standard and stimulating programs. The
Festival maintains also a strong tradition of
community service, with educational concerts organised for primary education students of the surrounding areas.
Guided by a visionary spirit and dedicated
to artistic excellence and innovation, the International Pharos Chamber Music Festival
attracted 160 to 200 people each night, celebrating its tenth anniversary. Traditionally,
the International Pharos Chamber Music
Festival is attended by many English people
living in Paphos. However, this year’s events
caught the interest of more Cypriots than
ever. The Festival was held at the Gothic
Hall of Royal Manor House at Kouklia in
Palaipaphos, from May 29th to June 4th. It
featured 18 internationally renowned musicians including the legendary Russian cellist
Scene from a music performance during the Festival
Natalia Gutman, the clarinetist Charles Neidich (a New Yorker of Russian and Greek
descent), the outstanding Russian pianist
Konstantin Lifschitz, and one of the most
sought-after singers of our time, the brilliant
mezzo-soprano from North Ireland Zandra
McMaster.
All artists joined forces for six concerts
throughout an intensive week of music-making
that encompassed an astonishing array of instrumental combinations for violin, viola, cello, double-bass, piano, clarinet, horn, bassoon
and voice. The audience enjoyed the unique
opportunity to listen to certain masterpieces of
classical music composed by Frédéric Chopin, Franz Schubert, Antón García Abril, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Carl Maria von Weber,
Robert Schumann, Johannes Brahms, Ludwig
van Beethoven and others.
It is worthy to note that the Royal Manor
House at Kouklia is one of finest surviving
monuments of Frankish architecture in Cyprus. The building also hosts an archaeological museum which records the history of human activity in the area since about 2800 BC.
The Royal Manor House is also a UNESCP
World Heritage site.
49
13th European Dance Festival
T
he European Dance Festival is co-organised by the Ministry of Education
and Culture in conjunction with the Rialto
Theatre in Limassol, in association with the
Embassies of the participating countries under the auspices of European Union. It has
been established as a very significant international dance meeting; a feast of contemporary dance meets all the trends, the dynamics
and the new forms of the international contemporary scene through the works of representative groups of each country.
The European Dance Festival 2010 was performed for the 13th year in a row in Cyprus
and it was dedicated to the 50th Anniversary
of the Republic of Cyprus. Thus, this year’s
participation of each country in the Festival
has been considered as part of the official
“Giraffe”
50
contribution of each member-state in the celebrations for the Anniversary.
The increased level of participation by European Union member-states with performances and workshops has been a clear indication that this Dance Festival has become
an annual highlight of the European arts and
culture scene.
This year’s Festival took place at Rialto Theatre in Limassol and part of it at Pallas Theatre in Nicosia, from June 1st to 30th. Cyprus
was represented by Amfidromo Dance Company with the work “Bla, Bla, Bla, Bla…ck
Out”, by .pelma.liaharaki with the work “Giraffe” and Aelion with the work “Paul Kee”.
Amfidromo Dance Company presented a performance focused on the issue of Nicosia’s
“Paul Kee”
“Bla, Bla, Bla, Bla...ck Out”
“Unknown Negative Activity” (the Greek participation)
“green line”, on divided cities and “divided”
human feelings and the absurdity which follows this kind of situations. Bla, bla, bla guidance of the people leads to the bla…ck out
of human resistance. The performance was
choreographed by Elena Christodoulidou.
The dancers were Loizos Constantinou, Yoav
Grinberg and Nicolina Nicolaou. Demetris
Zavros composed the music especially for the
show.
Lia Haraki is internationally known for her
choreography and has been awarded numerous prizes for her contribution to the development of professional dance in Cyprus. “Giraffe” was a stand up performDance on self
liberation from one’s own self. Its concept,
creation and direction were by Lia Haraki
and it was performed by Eleana Alexandrou.
Aelion Dance Company presented the work
“Paul Kee” choreographed by Photini Perdikaki and performed by Alexia Perdikaki
and Rania Glymitsa. The music background
of the performance was given by Ioanna
Troullidou (song) and Andreas Kaetis (keyboards), and the music was written by Malia
and Melody Cardot.
We should also mention the participations
from the other countries: Rootlessroot Company from Greece – “Unknown Negative
Activity”; DIN A 13 Company from Germany – “Patterns beyond Traces”; Cie Marmot Company from Croatia – “Trisolistice”;
Susanna’s Leinonen Company from Finland
– “And the Line Begins to Blur”; Cie Gilles
Jobin Company from Switzerland – “Black
Swan”; Thomas Noone Dance Company from
Spain – “Tort” and “Chaos Quartet”; Dans.
Kias Company from Austria – “Secret sight:
dossier”; Zappala Danza Company from Italy
– “Instrument 1 Scorpine, L’ invisibile”; Centre Choreographique National de Rochelle
from France – “Duar”; Paulo Ribeiro Company from Portugal – “Maiorca”.
The 13th European Dance Festival offered
the fans of this art an excellent opportunity
to enjoy the diversity of dance and appreciate the European dance heritage in a feast of
intercultural communication.
51
“35 + Building Democracy:
35 Years of Social Architecture in Spain”
O
n 15 June the exhibition “35 + Building Democracy: 35 Years of Social Architecture in Spain” was inaugurated by the
Minister of Communication and Works, Mrs.
Erato Markoulli, at the Leventis Municipal
Museum with the collaboration of the Spanish Embassy in Cyprus, on the occasion of
the Spanish EU Presidency. The exhibition
was presented in Cyprus after having travelled to several other European capitals.
chronological path through the buildings
and infrastructure projects on display. The
individual identity of each reveals the architect, the contractor, as well as the time and
budget required for its construction.
The exhibits included a number of representative works from the period 1975-2010,
focusing on how architecture encompassed
and interpreted political changes brought
about by the Spanish Constitution of 1978.
The Cypriot public found iteslf at the convergence of architecture, politics and society, and was led on a guided tour of a
The ambition of “35 + Building Democracy” was to explain the correlation between building a democratic and social
state with creating tangible public and social commodities in the recent history of
Spain. Health, housing, education, transport, sports, culture and the environmnet
are all implemented in buildings and infrastructure which transform the landscape of
Spain and the quality of its citizens’ life.
Democracy is not legitimized only by the
citizens’ vote, but also by its ability to provide public commodities; to this end, ar-
Santa Square, 1983
Olympic Ring in Montjuïc, 1985
52
Santa Caterina Market, 2004
Conservation and Restoration Institute, 1985
chitecture plays an irreplaceable role.
Actually, “35 + Building Democracy” was
a small, intense and anthological exhibition which demonstrated the attitudes that
have determined the last 35 years of democracy in Spanish architecture. The exhibition
helped the public to understand better this
era, now that the passing of time has engrained the most outstanding buildings on
the collective memory.
The organising architects of the exhibition,
Antonio Ruiz Barbarin and Héctor Barrio
Dominguez, commented on “35 + Building Democracy”: “We are not attempting to
specifically analyse each of these buildings;
Torre Hotel, 2009
rather, to simply reflect on each particular
contribution within its context and assess
the work of the most prolific creators. Every
year it is preceded by a work which is complemented with others that best outline the
panorama or trends of that year, thus building an astounding kaleidoscope which alters
according to how it is viewed.
The information intends its visitors to be
compelled to critically reflect: the single
image and display of the creating architect
being an efficient instrument for revelation,
thus facilitating the discovery, study and
vigorous exploration of a rich and fascinating period that continues to be so today.”
53
Costas Stathis (1913-1987):
Cyprus’ Unknown Painter – A True Revelation
T
he “Telemachos Kanthos” Foundation
and the Cultural Services of the Ministry of Education and Culture recently organised an impressive retrospective exhibition
featuring works by the unknown yet significant Cypriot painter, Costas Stathis. The
exhibition was accompanied by an inclusive
edition on Stathis’ tumultuous life and work.
After decades of lingering in unfair obscurity, his oeuvre now gains a much deserved
publicity that ranks the painter among the
pioneers of Cypriot Painting – and quite
rightly so. Indeed, the case of the unappreciated Costas Stathis is a true revelation.
Born in the Askas village of Pitsilia in 1913,
Stathis was raised in harsh, difficult times when
poverty was the biggest plague lurking across
the mountainous areas of Cyprus. Nevertheless,
he was a happy child, especially fond of his
village’s natural beauty. He would often find
himself at a distance from his peers, as he
roamed Askas’ stone-paved alleys, the garden
plots, river banks and steep slopes, fascinated
by trees and bushes. It is in this setting that the
painter Costas Stathis was raised and learned
how to assimilate the weather, the colors, the
landscape, the scents, the light and the people
of Pitsilia, enclosing in his heart and soul every
bit of his place of birth.
After graduating from the Askas Elementary
School, he enrolled in the Pancyprian
Gymnasium in Nicosia for the years between
1929 and 1935.
From publications dating between 1934 and
1935, it seems that Costas Stathis had revealed
his talent in painting from as far back as his
student years, with such prominent teachers as
Andreas Thymopoulos, Ioannis Kisonnergis
and Adamantios Diamantis to guide and
encourage him. On the occasion of the painter’s
solo exhibition, the poet Tefkros Anthias wrote
54
Costas Stathis, at the age of 23
of a true talent and an artistic genius.
In 1936, following his graduation from
the Pancyprian Gymnasium he received a
scholarship for the Athens School of Fine
Arts. His close friend, second cousin and
three years his elder, Telemachos Kanthos,
was already a student there. For some time
they studied together at the workshop of
engraver Yiannis Kefallinos. Those who
knew Stathis in Athens were fascinated by
his unprecedented talent, his inventiveness,
free thinking and flair for innovation. While
in Athens, he mingled with the local art
circles and took part in group exhibitions.
In 1941, during World War II, the occupation
of Athens forced him to interrupt his
studies before having the chance to receive
his diploma and return to Cyprus via
Constantinople-Mersina.
He worked for a while at the Public
Information
Office
poster
drawing
department, while for two academic years
he was an Art Professor at the Melkonian
Institute in Nicosia. However, true to his
restless, creative nature, he abandoned
the Education sector in 1943 to set up an
innovative weaving mill, drawing on his
experience from Athens. The mill was
housed in an imposing neo-classical mansion
in Ayioi Omoloyites, where the painter also
maintained an art studio. Apart from the
renowned Cypriot knits, he made cashmeres,
linens and decorative carpets in his own
designs – that soon became extremely
popular. In the meantime, he never stopped
painting. But while the painter inside him
treaded a dynamically creative and promising
path, Stathis became melancholic and closed
himself off from the world. Surrendering to
depression and isolation, he would gradually
end up a wistful, dismal man.
By the end of 1947 he closed the weaving
mill; the following year, his mental health
deteriorated. In 1949, accompanied by his
father, he went to Athens for treatment, only
to return the following September without
any remarkable improvement in his health.
Between 1950 and 1985, Stathis lived
withdrawn in his birthplace, Askas, where he
continued to paint for 35 years from within
the vortex of his damaged health.
In fact, Askas was the place where Costas
Stathis spent the largest part of his life: not
just his place of birth, Askas became his
main source of inspiration.
In its entirety, his oeuvre features the land
and the people of his village – both under the
spell of its inexhaustible light.
His health began to deteriorate progressively
from 1985 until his death at the Nicosia
General Hospital two years later from
cardiovascular complications.
His was a simple burial in his village’s
cemetery − just as Stathis lived his life as a
Church
55
simple man with a big achievement: to leave
behind him a rich heritage.
***
Research and composition of the biographical
text on Costas Stathis was conducted by
Nikiforos Orphanos, Evridiki PericleousPapadopoulou and Stathis Orphanides.
Research, technocritical analysis and
presentation of the painter’s oeuvre were
carried out by Eleni Niketa. In her own
words:
“He took up painting from as early as his
student years and managed to stage a solo
exhibition of his works in 1936 in Nicosia,
at a time when very few artists actually lived
and presented their work in Cyprus.
His painting is experiential: as thematology
goes, he draws inspiration from his immediate
visual setting: nature, especially nature in
Pitsilia, scenes from everyday rural life, the
objects and people he spent his days around.
Up until 1949 he developed a vivid artistic
poise, making his presence felt in the then
Man in red background
Half-open door
56
meager art scene in Cyprus − one that
was especially appreciated by the island’s
intellectual elite.
In the late 1940s, a mental illness forced him
to withdraw to his birthplace, Askas, where
he would pursue his artistic endeavours right
until the end of his life.
The illness had a decisive influence over the
smooth advancement of his development as
an artist and the style and soul of his works.
His earlier works that preceded deterioration
of his health are more realistic as they lie
closer to the teachings of the School of Fine
Arts. In contrast, as time goes by, his artistic
language becomes all the more liberated from
such principles, guiding him into completely
personal paths that allow him emotive and
psychic release.
His script becomes more gestural, more
immediate and detractive; his hand is led
more by emotion rather than the mind. He
simplifies forms and schematizes without
insisting on descriptive details and decorative
or supplementary elements. Little by little,
figures become archetypal as the metacenter
is transposed from the outside into the inside,
from reproduction to expression.
The role of colour becomes upgraded as
it takes on an autonomous value of form
and expression. He employs colour in
order to construct and deliver volumes and
perspective as he sheds light on the paintings
he composes. In his long artistic route,
Costas Stathis encounters post-impressionist
movements, seeks channels of expression
in types of expressionism and resorts to
the immediacy and simplicity of children’s
art in order to render the truth (his and the
world’s). What begs the question is whether
he consciously embraces specific artistic
movements or ventures into innovative quests
without forsaking his own path − guided by
a strong instinct, a pressing need to express
himself disentangled from the self-imposed
limitations of conventional artistic rules.
Obviously, the second applies in the case
of Costas Stathis and this is also inferred
from the absence of stylistic evolution−yet
another result of his inability to engage with
various artistic movements, and a product
of the physical and intellectual isolation his
illness forced onto him. It was an illness that
robbed him of knowledge but bequeathed him
freedom, impulsiveness and truth.
Costas Stathis’ painting is an existential
expression, a projection of the soul’s
vibrations, the concurrence between the ‘I’
and the world. In that, and bearing in mind
the difference in the artists’ magnitude, the
case of Costas Stathis could be compared
to those of Yiannoulis Halepas and Vincent
Van Gogh. All three invite a reference to the
language of the soul.”
View of a mountain village II
57
“Yannis Tsarouchis 1910-1989: Painting and Drama
from the Collection of the ‘Yannis Tsarouchis’ Foundation”
O
n April 13th, the Ambassador of Greece
in Cyprus, Mr. Vassilis Papaioannou, inaugurated the exhibition “Yannis Tsarouchis
1910-1989: Painting and Drama from the
Collection of the ‘Yannis Tsarouchis’ Foundation” organised by the Bank of Cyprus
Cultural Foundation in cooperation with the
Benaki Museum in Athens and the “Yannis
Tsarouchis” Foundation, and with the support of the Embassy of Greece.
The exhibition was held at the Bank of
Cyprus Cultural Foundation in the old
Nicosia on the occasion of the centenary of
the artist’s birth. It was a part of the major
retrospective exhibition which recently took
place in Athens and aimed to showcase
representative works from all the periods of
the artist’s output.
Undoubtedly, Tsarouchis remains one
of the major Greek artists of the 20th
century, who left his indelible mark with
his own perspective on art. His original
Sailor in the Sun, 1968-70
58
A Sailor Reading, 1981
It is worthy to mention that during the
exhibition the documentary film “Yannis
Tsarouchis. Study for a Portrait”, by Demetris
Vernicos, was presented. In addition, an
educational program for children, entitled
“Thank you, Butterflies”, was performed in
collaboration with the Ministry of Education
and Culture.
Yannis Tsarouchis
Young Man in White Linen, 1937
pronouncements,
sharp
observations,
individual sense of humour as well as his
caustic bon mots – all have defined the
man, artist and scholar Yannis Tsarouchis.
Actually, Tsarouchis formed the image of the
Greek national sense. Apart from a painter,
he ran a wide range of activities; author,
translator of ancient tragedies, film director,
scenographer and costume designer.
Visitors to the exhibition traced the artist’s
early influence from Byzantine iconography
and traditional painting as well as his
distinguished style and the depiction of
two “different” worlds: that of the East and
of the West. In his art work, Tsarouchis
tried to assimilate the ancient Greek ideal
as expressed by the Renaissance and the
Baroque movements, while at the same time
he expressed his objections to this ideal.
In his paintings tradition and modernism
coexist harmoniously.
He was born in Piraeus on January 13th,1910.
In the years 1925-1928 he practiced painting,
doing small studies from life, landscapes
with houses, portraits and a few experiments
in a post-cubist style. Tsarouchis studied at
the Athens School of Fine Arts (1928-1933).
From 1930 to 1934 he studied under Fotis
Contoglou, who initiated him into Byzantine
iconography. During this period Tsarouchis
developed various interests with emphasis on
stage design. Moreover, he made drawings
for textiles, furniture and ceramics and so
on. He also met Angeliki Hadjimichalis and
studied folk costume.
Yannis Tsarouchis, 1972
59
In 1934-35 he produced a series of abstract
paintings. From 1935 to 1936 he visited
Constantinople, Paris and Italy. He came
in contact with the Renaissance art and
Impressionism. He discovered the works of
Theophilos Hadjimichael and met influential
artists such as Henri Matisse and Alberto
Giacometti. He returned to Greece in
1936 and two years later he presented his
first personal exhibition in Athens, at the
Alexopoulos store in Nikis street.
In 1940, he fought in the Greek-Italian War.
During the German Occupation he worked
mainly as a stage designer and also as a
conservator and designer. In 1946, he held an
exhibition of preliminary drawings for stage
sets and water colours at the Romvos Gallery.
In 1949, along with Nicos HadjikyriacosGhikas, Yannis Moralis, Nicos Nicolaou,
Nicos Egonopoulos and Panayiotis Tetsis
he established the “Armos” art group which
held its first exhibition in Zappeion.
In 1951, he exhibited his works (1936-39,
1948-50) in Paris at the Gallerie d’Art du
Faubourg and the same paintings went on
display in London, in the same year, at the
Redfern Gallery. In 1953 he signed a contract
with Iolas Gallery in New York. The paintings
which he had submitted as a candidate for
the Guggenheim Prize were exhibited in
1958 at the National Museum of Modern Art
in Paris and at the Guggenheim Museum as
well. He also designed the sets and costumes
for Cherubini’s opera “Medea” directed by
Alexis Minotis and Maria Callas in the leading
role. For the following years he continued to
design sets and costumes for great theatrical
performances such as “Thaïs” directed by
Franco Zeffirelli, “Trojan Women” directed
by Michael Cacoyannis, “Persians” directed
by Carolos Coun etc.
When the dictatorship was
imposed on Greece in 1967,
Tsarouchis moved to Paris. In
1975, paintings by him were
displayed in the exhibition
“Four Painters of the 20th
Century Greece: Theophilos,
Contoglou, Ghikas, Tsarouchis”
at the Wildenstein Gallery in
London. From 1975 to 1983
Tsarouchis lived between
Athens and Paris. In 1981, he
created the “Yannis Tsarouchis”
Foundation at his house in
Maroussi (Athens) aiming to
disseminate and encourage the
study of his work. He continued
to display his works (in 198788 a major exhibition of models
of his stage designs was held
at the Goulandris Museum of
Cycladic Art) and to work as a
stage designer till the end of his
life. He died in Athens on 20th
Cyclist Dressed as an Evzone, With a Temple on the Right, 1936
July 1989.
60
Film Festivals and
“Summer Movie Marathon” in Cyprus
“Cyprus Film Days 2010”
Film Days” is the most cel“Cyprus
ebrated annual international Film
Festival that takes place in Cyprus. It is coorganised by the Cultural Services of the
Ministry of Education and Culture along
with the Rialto Theatre. The 8th Festival
was held from 10th to 18th April in Limassol at the Rialto Theatre and in Nicosia at
the Pantheon Art Cinema. Continuing the
tradition of previous years, the Festival
hosted some of the best and most important
films of the year that have been critically
acclaimed internationally.
For the second year in a row the artistic Committee consisted of Adonis Florides (director/writer), Constantinos Sarkas (journalist)
and Dr. Costas Constantinides (academic)
who was responsible for the selection of the
films and the program.
The main objective of “Cyprus Film Days”
is the screening and promotion of independent cinema that deals with contemporary social and political issues across the globe. In
parallel, the Festival seeks to bring together
filmmakers from Cyprus and abroad in order to exchange ideas and discuss recent
developments and trends in world cinema.
This year’s program was a selective combination of films that have been distinguished
and received awards at international Festivals, groundbreaking films as well as low
budget productions which are cinematic
discoveries in terms of their artistic and narrative approach. All twenty-three films that
had been chosen for “Cyprus Film Festival
2010” undoubtedly stood out as authentic
samples of a kind of cinema that is characterized and guided by the qualities and point
of view of their creators.
The main program of this year’s Festival
comprised of fourteen films. Among these,
the critically acclaimed Greek film “Dogtooth” by Yorgos Lanthimos, which won
many international awards during the past
year, including the Prix UN Certain Regard
at the Cannes Film Festival in 2009. The
film “Ajami” (Academy Award Nominee for
Best Foreign Film) in which the Palestinian
director Yaron Shani and the Israeli director
Scandar Copti told a variety of stories based
on true events, which took place in the district of Ajami in Tel Aviv. The Romanian
film “Medal of Honor”, directed by Calin
Peter Netzer (FIPRESCI award Thessaloniki Film Festival 2009), was a story narrated
with originality, warmth and humour. The
film “London River” (England/France), by
Rachid Bouchareb, was a deeply humanistic
tragedy with exceptional performances. “La
Pivellina”, by Tizza Covi and Rainer Frim61
mel (Austria, Italy), which won the Label
Europa Cinemas prize at the Cannes Film
Festival in 2009, approached with great tenderness the stories of marginalized people
living in Italy, while the outstanding film
“Fish Tank”, by Andrea Arnold, was a brilliant sample of contemporary British cinema.
The program also included a series of films
which did not have the exposure of the above
titles, yet they were well received by film
reviewers and audiences as well in international Festivals; however these low-budget
films stood out for their sincere and bold approach. One of the aims of the “Cyprus Film
Days” Festival has always been to introduce
“Dogtooth”
“Eastern Plays”
“Fish Tank”
“La Tigra”
62
to the public of Cyprus the work of newcomers and of film directors that are not widely
known. This series of films included “La Tigra” by Federico Godfrid and Juan Sasiain,
and “Plan B” by Marco Berger from Argentina; “About Elly” by Asghar Farhadi, and
“Tehroun” by Nader T. Homayoun both from
Iran; the Bulgarian film “Eastern Plays” by
Kamen Kalev and from Croatia, “Metastaze”
by Branko Schmidt.
With the above selection of films the event
aspired to highlight the cinema of social intervention; to present films that apart from
quality entertainment offered the audience
a chance to experience a kind of cinema
that invites us to interact with the narrative
and the screen on a mental level. As in previous years, the public had the opportunity
to participate in the “Cyprus Film Days”
by voting for the best film, and meet and
discuss with the filmmakers who attended
the Festival.
“Images and Views of Alternative
Cinema Festival 2010”
Along with the main program of the Festival, three more cinema events were held
during the “Cyprus Film Days”. In particular: the “Scary Sunday”; a tribute to horror films. There were screenings of “REC”
and “REC 2”: a Spanish horror film sequel
co-directed by Jaume Balaguer and Paco
Plaza which has refined visceral horror and
is regarded as one of the most successful
horror sequels in cinematic history. “Scary
Sunday” was complemented by “Thirst”,
the latest film by the Korean acclaimed
director Chan Wook Park which was
awarded with the “Jury Prize” at the 2009
Cannes Film Festival, and “Suspiria”, an
Italian horror film directed by Dario Argento which has been rated by Entertainment Weekly among the top-25 scariest
movies of all time. Xavier Mendik’s documentary “Fear at 400 Degrees: The CineExcess of Suspine” which featured the
director Dario Argento and the composer
Claudio Simonetti followed the screening
of “Suspiria” and after that there was a discussion with Xavier Mendik and Claudio
Simonetti.
T
In addition, “Cyprus Film Days” presented a
tribute to the African director Abderrahmane
Sissako who is considered the most important African filmmaker to have emerged in
the past decade. Three movies directed by
Sissako were screened: “Life on Earth”,
“Bamako” and “Waiting for Happiness.”
Finally, a Master Class on make-up/special
effects was conducted by Alahouzos brothers. The two awarded brothers showed an
overview of effects work done over the years
for film TV and theatre and the multiple uses
and variety of effects that have been used.
They also presented the application and
coloring of silicone prosthetics to alter the
features of a selected model for use in a horror film.
he Cultural Services of the Ministry of
Education and Culture co-organised
along with the Theatre Ena and Brave New
Culture –for the ninth year in a row– the Festival of Alternative and Experimental Film
entitled “Images and Views of Alternative
Cinema.”
The Festival was held from May 31st to June
6th at its permanent location, the “Other
Space” of Theatre Ena in the old town of
Nicosia and was dedicated to the memory of
the Greek poet and film theorist, Andreas Pagoulatos, who has passed away unexpectedly
on March 22nd, 2010.
Following the tradition from previous Festivals, this year’s program was characterized
by its diversiform composition, which invited
the audience to infiltrate the works from the
creators of the 7th art, the artistic movements
of that era and cinematographic inclinations
that converge upon their commonalities: the
exploration of the aesthetic and formalistic
potentials of the moving image, experimentation, the social and existential conundrums
and the overthrow of the academic language
of cinema.
This year’s Festival opened with the film
“Improvisations for a Voice, a Poem and a
Portion of Fried Okras” by Damo Suzuki and
comprised the following programs:
Agnès Varda – “The Big
Shorts of the Rive Gauche.”
Varda has attained a unique
place in French and international as well cinema. Born in
Brussels to a Greek father and
French mother, she began her
career as a photographer, be- Agnès Varda
fore undertaking the direction
of documentaries but also fiction films, and
cinematographic attempts of different length.
Also, she entered the world of visual arts with a
series of installations. She has directed the film
63
“La Pointe Courte”, one of the precursors of
the Nouvelle Vague, and by the age of 30 she
was jokingly referred to as “the grandmother
of the French New Wave.” Five years before
the “explosion” of the Nouvelle Vague, Varda’s
unique narrative technique and her use of amateur cast and outdoor shooting composed this
overall unprecedented experience in cinema,
which led to her adulation from the French Intelligentsia and became a point of reference in
French Cinema history. The Festival presented
a series of short documentaries (“O Seasons
o Chateaux…”, “Pleasure of Love in Iran”,
“Coasting along the Coast”, “Black Panthers”,
“Uncle Yanco”, “Women Respond”, “The socalled Caryatides” etc), some of which have
gained important international awards. There
was an introduction on the program by Christiana Galanopoulou, art historian and artistic
director of MIR Festival.
Stavros Tornes
Stavros Tornes – “The Art of the Unattainable.” The Festival showed some of the most
important films of this significant Greek director (“Addio Anatolia”, “Karkalou”, “A Heron
for Germany”). The cinema of Tornes (19321988) is a unique phenomenon, in terms of his
style and aesthetic completeness, but also in
terms of the preconditions set to produce his
films. Tornes was an unconventional creator
with incurable curiosity. He articulated the
worlds of thought and dream by resorting to
what is perceived as being raw and valueless,
and through his treatment of “senseless” im64
ages he generated meaning by transforming
them into something surreal, surpassable and
visionary. This small segment of the Festival
was an ideal way to familiarize, or reacquaint,
the Cypriot audience with the works of one
of the greatest Greek directors of the poetic
cinema. There was an introduction by Stavros
Caplanides, director.
“Tribute to films
from the Fluxus
movement.”
The
Festival featured a
series of experimental
short films (“Zen for
Film”, “End after 9”,
“Blink”, “Disappearing Music for Face”,
“Four”, “Shout” and
many more) from
artists that belong
or have been affected by the visual movement
Fluxus. This international movement evolved
during the 1960s and was the resulting amalgam
of several forms of arts, from visual to music and
literature. The movement emerged in Germany
when Lithuanian artist Georges Maciunas, in
September 1962, organised a concert of contemporary music under the general title of “Fluxus
International Festspiele Neuester Musik”.
Throughout the 1960s and 1970s the Fluxus’
artists produced a number of innovative works
and hosted public events whose unconventional
character became the subject of negative criticism. Goal of this unorthodox movement was to
abolish the boundaries of hermetically discrete
forms of art, deconstruct the meaning of what
constitutes a work of art, to finally unite it with
life. There were introductions on the issue by
Andreas Constantinou, art historian, and Dr. Gavriel Coureas, art historian as well.
Derek Jarman – “Three Heretical Masterpieces.” Derek Jarman (1924-1993) began
his career as a painter who would later enter
the world of cinema through his collaboration with Ken Russell as a scenographer for
his film “Devils”. His emergence along with
the bad boy of British
cinema has been formative to his decision not to
follow the road to Hollywood and mainstream
production. His directing
was influenced by the
expression of the AmeriDerek Jarman
can “underground”. Jarman was an idiosyncratic
artist-cinematographer who managed to
translate into cinematic language the creative teachings derived from his painting and
scenography experience. He always worked
in independent productions and has been one
of the most innovative representatives of the
new English cinema. The Festival presented
the following films: “Wittgenstein”, “Last of
England” and “The Angelic Conversation”.
There were introductions on this program by
Dr. Gabriel Coureas, art historian, and Rowland Wymer, professor.
“Directing the Beat,
Howls on the Screen.”
The Festival also offered
a unique and original tribute to the Beat Generation
through some screenings of films (“Pull my
Daisy”, “Hallelujah the
Alain Ginsberg
Hills”, “William S. Burroughs’s Tape cut up” and more) that related
to the specific artistic movement which mainly
took place in U.S.A. during the ’50s and ’60s.
Even though it was made up of a small-numbered group, the Beat Generation’s influence in
American literature and the underground cinema was quite significant. Leading figures of the
movement are considered to be Jack Kerouac
with his book “On the Road”, Alain Ginsberg
with “Howl” and William S. Burroughs with
“Naked Lunch”. The Beat Generation experimented by pushing their minds to their limits,
mingling with the underground and shocking
the puritanical society of their era with their
lifestyle, their writing and their interviews. In
the film screenings there were audio samples of
Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg, reading accordingly excerpts from their aforementioned
books. There were introductions by Christopher Zimmermann, program curator, and Costas Reousis, poet.
Apart from the short lectures of specialists
which framed the programs, the visual artists
Costantinos and Demetris Taliotis had been
invited to alter the screening space with their
visual installations.
“Summer Movie Marathon”
T
he popular “Summer Movie Marathon”
has been held for the twelfth year in a
row at the “Constantia” open-air cinema in
Nicosia. This series of movies projections
has been organised by the Cultural Services
of the Ministry of Education and Culture and
Theatre Ena, in collaboration with Friends of
the Cinema Society. This year’s selections
were made, as always, having in mind the
quality of the movies as well as the pleasure
of the public. Thus, the spectators had the
opportunity to watch both classical and more
recent films over various genres. The film
selection belonged to Hyacinthe Pavlides
and the Friends of the Cinema Society. Mr.
Pavlides along with Elena Christodoulidou
supervised and coordinated the program.
65
“The Graduate”
“Rear Window”
“Thomas Crown Affair”
“Vodka Lemon”
The “Marathon” launched its screenings on
10th of July and it would end on 28th of August. Some of the movies were: “Cat on a
Hot Tin Roof”, a drama by Richard Brooks
and James Poe, which was nominated for 6
Oscars, while Elisabeth Taylor was awarded
with the Golden Laurel (1959) for her acting;
“The Graduate”, a comedy drama directed by
Mike Nichols who received the Oscar Award
for Best Director 1968, while the film also
was awarded with the Grammy Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture and
the Golden Laurel in Female Supporting Per-
formance; “Thomas Crown Affair” a drama,
which was awarded the Oscar for Best Music and the Golden Globe for the Best Original Song in 1969; “Wedding List”, directed
by Panayiotis Portokalakis, a typical Greek
comedy and a 2005 production. Moreover,
the “Marathon” included films of Italian, Armenian, German and French production, as
well as the classic “The Beast and the Beautiful” based on the famous fairy-tale, “Some
Like it Hot” with Marilyn Monroe as the
leading actress and “Rear Window” directed
by Alfred Hitchcock.
66
“Life is elsewhere...”
O
n the 31st of May at the Hall of Peace
of Nicosia Municipality at the end of
Ledra Street next to the Green Line, Adi
Atassi presented his exhibition of sketches
and art notes, entitled “Life is elsewhere…”
The Mayor of Nicosia, Mrs. Eleni Mavrou,
inaugurated the exhibition and the art critic,
Christodoulos Callinos, analyzed the work
of the artist.
“Life is elsewhere…”, which remained open
until the 2nd of June, included drawings and
sketches in ink, charcoal, pencil and watercolor with main reference to the human form
and the daily lives of people of the old Nicosia area which is the place where the artist lives and works. The art language of Adi
Atassi –in both his paintings and sketches–
is distinguished for its intense and “uneasy”
lines. These lines are in effect a continuation
of the physical body of the artist; they express his inner world and describe his reactions to every-day life.
Adi Atassi was born in the town of Homs in
Syria in 1962 but has been living and creating
in Cyprus for the last 23 years. His personal and
artistic idiosyncrasy was originally formed in his
country of origin, where the natural beauty of the
landscape and the intense mysticism of eastern
cultural tradition let him to the magical world of
art and the exploration of artistic expression.
At first Atassi moved to Damascus for his
university Fine Arts education; he continued
his spiritual adventure arriving and setting
anchor in our island. Here he settled and created works that beyond doubt putted him on
the map of contemporary Cypriot artistic geography. During the last few years, Atassi, as
a maturing artist, presented his contribution
in the form of interesting fine art proposals.
In 2009 the artist presented two interventions. The first one included the experimental
work “Ledra awaking my senses”, presented
at the “Aeschylus Arcade”, and the second
one was a joint painting exhibition along
with painter Eleni Karavioti –at “Technis
Dromena” Gallery– entitled “Angels”.
Untitled sketch and painting by Adi Atassi

Cyprus Today, April

Transcription

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