The huge mural depicting Laskarina Bouboulina, the great shipping woman from Spetses, adorns the entrance to the Tsakos Industrias Navales' shipyard in Uruguay.
In addition to honouring Laskarina Bouboulina, the Tsakos Group highlighted the important contribution of women in shipping and in the achievement of the Greek maritime miracle.
The "Maria Tsakos" Foundation in Uruguay was recognised by the Ministry of Education and Religions on April 6, 2021 as a "Department of Greek Language" (TEG).
With this recognition, the "Maria Tsakos" Foundation is established as a provider of Greek language education in Uruguay.
To date, the work of the Foundation has been carried out for about four decades in this small Greek community based in Montevideo.
The dissemination of ancient Greek culture and the teaching of the Greek language has been widely recognised by institutions and governments.
Since its inception, about 4,000 students, including Uruguayan philhellenes, have been taught free lessons in the Greek language, philosophy, literature, poetry, traditional dances, song and cooking.
The idea of establishing the Tsako Foundation was born in the mid-1970s, when Captain Panagiotis N. Tsakos visited Montevideo for business purposes.
His contact with the Uruguayans revealed to him a people with a special culture, lovers of the ancient Greek spirit.
In return, he decided to establish the Foundation in order to pass on to the Philhellenic Uruguayans the language, culture, philosophy and traditions of Greece.
The foundation has been housed since 2007 in a majestic three-storey house on José G. Artigas Avenue.
As part of its philhellenic initiatives, the mural of Laskarina Bouboulina was painted.
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