Association of Troizinians living in Athens and Piraeus
People, throughout their history, organize into communities, develop bonds and, through their ways and customs, create culture. A concept associated with social cohesion, collective identity and intellectual cultivation. A dynamic and complex network, shaped by the attitude and choices of each individual. Katheti supports all these people, who strengthen the network of culture with their actions. One such example is the Association of Troizinians living in Athens and Piraeus.
The objective
The Association of Troizinians living in Athens and Piraeus was founded in 1895 and is based in Piraeus. Its members come from our area, but live in Piraeus and Athens. Their chairman Sotiris Bouldoumis tells us: “The motive for the association’s foundation at that time was people’s need for solidarity. Its objective was mainly to help financially the weak members of our area. Of course, over time, it evolved into a patriotic and cultural association.” He then talks about the future: “What connected the older members was the common memories. With the younger generations, this is not the case. I am thinking of reaching out to these people by sending a kind of newspaper, in order to addict them to the idea of Poros and invite them to participate in our activities.”
The activities
The Association of Troizinians living in Athens and Piraeus has many events to its credit. It has organized painting and photography exhibitions on Poros. One such example is the photography exhibition “Our Old Poros”, in the Syggrou building, with photographs of Poros from the period of 1900-1960. They organize literary evenings with poetry, literature and music accompaniment. In the context of these events, they often present writers from Poros. They also visit museums and invite speakers, who present various topics, from social to nutrition. Part of their annual activities is the creation of calendars. These include collectible calendars with engravings, which depict the life of the area 200-300 years ago. And of course, there is no shortage of fun. Christmas bazaars, often of a charitable nature, masquerade balls, banquets and many excursions complete the association’s activities.
It is worth mentioning the electronic library “Metron Ariston”, created by the association’s chairman, and a writer himself, with personal work. The library includes, among others, works of art and poetry, literature and history books of local writers, as well as writers from other places. It is a website that enables artists and writers to post their work. He says, “I did it so as to offer an outlet to people who don’t have the possibility to find shelter elsewhere to showcase their work.”
The 126 years of the association’s operation show how deeply rooted the concept of culture is in our area. Katheti discovers these roots with a series of articles that highlight the activity of cultural entities, such as the Cultural Action of Troizina, the Cultural Association of Galatas “Friends of Tradition”, the Association of Parents & Friends of People with Disabilities “Agios Kirikos”, the Cultural Association of Poros Women “Poriotissa”, and the Hatzopouleios Municipal Library of Poros.
