Cyprus

Cyprus 

T O D A Y 

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 

mpapantonopoulos@gnora.com 

Gnora Communication Consultants 

Tel: +357 22441922 

Fax: +357 22519743 

www.gnora.com 

Editor: Polly Lyssiotis 

plyssioti@pio.moi.gov.cy 

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: Konos Ltd 

Front cover: Centaur and Maenad 

(AD 4th century) 

Back cover: 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 

After 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.” 

3

50th Anniversary 

of the Republic of Cyprus

The 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. 

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- 

6 

50 Years of the Republic of Cyprus 

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 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.

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 

Marios Papadopoulos 

of two Cypriot soloists, 

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” 

7

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 


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 

8 

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 “1960- 

2010 Regards sur l’Art à 

Chypre – Views on the Art of 

Cyprus”, Paris 

Organised by: The Republic of 


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” 

9

as 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, 13/09- 

25/9/2010 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). 

10 

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 


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,

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. 

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) 


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 present- 

11

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 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. 

12 

Despina Bembedeli 

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 

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 


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 



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 

13

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. 

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 


Culture, Primary Education 


14 

Athletic events between primary schools 

dedicated to the 50th Anniversary of the 

Republic of Cyprus 



Dates TBA 

Week of Primary Education Events 



Dates: October 2010 

Inter-school events dedicated to the 50th Anniversary 

of the Republic of Cyprus 

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” 

15

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. 

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 pub- 

16 

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. 

Cyprien Katsaris

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. 

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. 

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 

17

18 

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.

“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. 

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 archaeological exhibition “Cyprus – 

Island of Aphrodite” 

During the inauguration ceremony 

Scene from the concert “From the Cypriot Medieval 

Music to Film Music and Ethno-jazz” 

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. 

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-Senff- 

Chor 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

For 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 

AN EXHIBITION OF CYPRIOT ANTIQUITIES IN 

THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY, 

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, WASHINGTON DC 

SEPTEMBER 2010-APRIL 2011 

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 

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- 

By Dr. Sophocles Hadjisavvas 

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 

Cat burial from Parekklisha – Shillourokambos (cast) 

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. 

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. 

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 

Terracotta figure of 

woman giving birth 

(Chalcolithic period, 

ca. 3500-2500 BC), 

excavated at Kissonerga 

– 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 

26 

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

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 

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. 

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 Greco- 

27

Gold plaque from a diadem (Geometric period 

1050-950 BC), excavated at Palaipaphos 

28 

Limestone sphinx 

(550-500 BC), 

excavated at Tamassos 

Gold bracelet with Egyptian scarab (700-500 BC), 

excavated at Kition 

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.

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 basil- 

29

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 

Bronze cross (AD 900-1200) from Church of Agia 

Paraskevi, Temvria 

30 

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. 

In 1489 the island passed on to the Venetians, 

and became a military garrison and a 

trading center. Representative examples are

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 lumi- 

Cyprus: 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 

The Entombment of Christ 

(1400-1570), tempera on wood, 

from the Church of Ayios 

Kassianos, Nicosia 

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

The 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 

Kyriakos Charalambides: 

“Myths and History: Selected Poems” 

An introduction by Theofanis G. Stavrou 

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 col- 

33

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 

works have been published in both 

Cyprus and Greece and enthusiastically 

received by major critics 

and poets as well as by prize committees and 

foundations and by prestigious literary journals, 

of which entire issues were dedicated to 

him. This is not a mean accomplishment by 

any measure. It is a matter of historical record 

that recognition by Athens has always held a 

great appeal for Greek craftsmen of the world 

working outside the Helladic space. Not all of 

them manage to gain acceptance by this cultural 

metropolis. Neither do most of them get 

translated successfully and published in independent 

volumes into major European languages 

(English, German, French and Swedish, 

to mention a few) as has been the case 

with Charalambides. 

This brief reflection on Kyriakos Charalambides 

is by no means intended as a biographical 

sketch, which probably explains the sacrifice 

of details about the author’s fascinating 

life. It is rather an expression of appreciation 

for the admirable process by which a major 

island poet integrated himself early on in his 

intellectual journey to the greater Hellenic, 

indeed universal canvass of literature and poetic 

thought. Understandably then, for most 

of his life, he has been featured as a Greek 

poet and not as a poet of Greek Cypriot extraction, 

even though he never lost touch with 

34 

Kyriakos Charalambides, Manolis Anagnostakis 

his native soil. This would be impossible. The 

tragedy of Cyprus haunts him too intensely. 

Rooted firmly on his native and cultural 

patch, he seeks with the help of his art to recapture 

and soften the pain of Cyprus and of 

the age of which the tragedy of Cyprus has 

become such a convenient symbol, a crucible 

of contemporary values. 

I first became aware of Kyriakos Charalambides 

during the height of the Cyprus crisis in 

1974. I had just supervised the publication of 

a bilingual edition of “Eighteen Short Songs 

of the Bitter Motherland” by Yannis Ritsos 

for the Nostos series in Modern Greek Literature 

and Culture. It was a period of national 

crisis and demoralization which exposed the 

confusion of contemporary Hellenism beyond 

the wildest expectation of its severest 

critics. In my introduction to the Ritsos edition 

at the time, I pointed out that 

Someday historians will discuss the chaos of 

Greek society and politics which was temporarily 

overlooked because of the jubilation 

over the end of the military regime and the 

return of civilian government. The “sacrificial” 

role of Cyprus in this political apocatastasis 

will be appropriately emphasized. But as

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 

Martin McKinsey, Kyriakos Charalambides, Stratis Haviaras 

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 

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. 

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- 

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.” 

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. 

University of Minnesota 

21 April 2010 

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

His 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, 

38 

Pope Benedict XVI: Following the Steps of Saint Paul 

The Pontiff blesses an olive tree at Paphos Airport 

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 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 

Yannis Katsouris 

Obituary 

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

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

This 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. 

“Cyprus and Italy in 

the Age of Byzantium” 

On the occasion of the 50th Anniversary 

of the Republic of Cyprus and the official 

visit of Pope Benedict XVI in the island, 

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 

officially inaugurated by the 

President of the Republic, Mr. 

Demetris Christofias, and H.B. 

Archbishop of Cyprus, Chrys- 

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” 

Adoration of the Magi, 16th century, from the church of 

Panagia Phaneromeni in Nicosia, permanent Collection 

of the Byzantine Museum of the “Archbishop Makarios 

III” Foundation 

Left: Saint Peter, 16th century, from the Holy Archbishopric of Cyprus, 

permanent Collection of the Byzantine Museum of the “Archbishop Makarios 

III” Foundation Middle: Holy Chalice, 1506 ca., from the church of Saint 

Savvas in Nicosia, permanent Collection of the Byzantine Museum of the 

“Archbishop Makarios III” Foundation Right: Virgin Mary of the Tenderness, 

from the Metropolitan Palace of Paphos, permanent Collection of the Byzantine 

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” 

On 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 

48 


Right: Map of Famagusta, 1615 

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.

10th International Pharos Chamber Music Festival 

Outside the Royal Manor House at Kouklia Scene from a music performance during the Festival 

The 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 

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

The 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 

13th European Dance Festival 

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” 

“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 

“Bla, Bla, Bla, Bla...ck Out” 

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

On 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. 

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 

52 

“35 + Building Democracy: 

35 Years of Social Architecture in Spain” 

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 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

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; 

Santa Caterina Market, 2004 

Conservation and Restoration Institute, 1985 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

The “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 (1913-1987): 

Cyprus’ Unknown Painter – A True Revelation 

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 

Church 

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 

55

simple man with a big achievement: to leave 

behind him a rich heritage. 

56 

*** 

Research and composition of the biographical 

text on Costas Stathis was conducted by 

Nikiforos Orphanos, Evridiki Pericleous- 

Papadopoulou 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 

Half-open door 

Man in red background 

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 

View of a mountain village II 

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.” 

57

“Yannis Tsarouchis 1910-1989: Painting and Drama 

from the Collection of the ‘Yannis Tsarouchis’ Foundation” 

Sailor in the Sun, 1968-70 

58 

On 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 

A Sailor Reading, 1981

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. 

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 

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 Hadjikyriacos- 

Ghikas, Yannis Moralis, Nicos Nicolaou, 

Nicos Egonopoulos and Panayiotis Tetsis 

Cyclist Dressed as an Evzone, With a Temple on the Right, 1936 

60 

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 1987- 

88 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 

July 1989.

Film Festivals and 

“Summer Movie Marathon” in Cyprus 

“Cyprus Film Days 2010” 

yprus Film Days” is the most cel- 

“Cebrated 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 Frim- 

61

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 

“Fish Tank” 

“La Tigra” 

62 

“Dogtooth” 

“Eastern Plays” 

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. 

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 Cine- 

Excess 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. 

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. 

“Images and Views of Alternative 

Cinema Festival 2010” 

The 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, before 

undertaking the direction 

Agnès Varda 

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 (1932- 

1988) 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” im- 

64 

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 Ameri- 

Derek 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” 

The 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” 

“Thomas Crown Affair” 

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- 

66 

“Rear Window” 

“Vodka Lemon” 

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.

On 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 

“Life is elsewhere...” 

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

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