Surviving and Extinct Greek Communities Worldwide

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Costa Vertzayias and Billy Cotsis. Two renowned supporters of Hellenism, tireless campaigners for maintaining the Greek language and culture, and successful authors.

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Individually, they come with an impressive resume of career highlights and achievements in their chosen fields.

Vertzayias is a stalwart of SAE, an Order of Australia recipient and a successful lawyer. Cotsis, a filmmaker of many short films, including the recent documentary Lesvos Fall in Love, which has been winning awards and accolades worldwide, is a history buff who has visited over 50 countries and documented his experiences.

As a duo, they are a powerful presence, mesmerising audiences with their facts and figures and the passion for Hellenic history that seeps out of their pores.

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After delivering a lecture titled 'Surviving and Extinct Greek Communities Worldwide' earlier in the year as part of the Greek Festival in Sydney, they are back for a not to be missed encore presentation where they will regale attendees with their experiences visiting key communities in Magna Graecia, Northern Epirus, Syria, Asia Minor/Turkey, Ukraine, Armenia, Romania, Pontus and Corsica.

“We hope that people can learn how far the footprint of Hellenism spread; how far our culture and language has influenced the people of the Mediterranean,” says Cotsis. “The Hellenic communities of the Mediterranean, Black Sea, Ukraine, Asia, Balkans, have survived natural disasters, invasion, occupation and dwindling numbers to remain a visible and powerful symbol of Hellenic history and civilisation.”

“Some of these communities only became extinct in the last century, while others survive today, with many of their inhabitants speaking dialects of Greek and maintaining differing aspects of Hellenic culture,” says Cotsis. “We must never forget how the Hellenes could reach and in many cases, directly rule vast territories far beyond the Greek heartland.”

Some of Cotsis’ titles will be available for purchase. Proceeds from these book sales will go towards his new film project about the Greeks in Magna Graecia, set to start shooting in Italy in 2018.

Gina Mamouzelos

Gina Mamouzelos is a second generation Greek Australian who grew up immersed in her Greek heritage, including the language, traditions, culture and listening to her grandparent’ mesmerising tales about life in Greece. Passionate about ensuring the Greek language is not forgotten among the younger generations, in 2002 she became a panel member on the SBS Greek radio show ‘Let’s Talk Openly.' She graduated with a Media and Communications degree from the University of Sydney and has put her lifelong passion for writing to use working in social media, public relations and advertising. Gina now joins GCT's team as a writer.

1 Comment

  1. PLEASE post the lecture here afterwards so everyone NOT able to attend can read and learn. FAR too many in our community know nothing of the horrors at Helespont, at Kalipoli, in Smyrna. The genocide. The devastation. AND the ongoing threats by Herr Erdogan and his miserable wretches today to do more

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