Greek Ancestry Newsletter |
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January 2024, V.III Issue 1 |
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We love our Greek Ancestry community and want to keep you up to date!
Besides, who does not need company in their family history journey?
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Καλή Χρονιά - Happy New Year |
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No words can describe how blessed we feel for Greek Ancestry's four-year anniversary! To celebrate, we are hosting a special webinar on Monday, Jan. 29, at 1pm EST (10am PST; 8pm Greece) on Greek Ancestry's Youtube channel. Greek Ancestry's founder and genealogy expert Gregory Kontos will share with you the highlights of the past years: interesting archival projects, special genealogy cases, and fascinating research trips!
You are invited!
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"When empires dissolve and new nation-states emerge, it is easy for the voices of ordinary people to get lost in the turmoil. This publication of the diary of Pantelis C. Karatasakis brings not only the voice, but also the tears, sweat, and lood of the footsoldiers of history back to the forefront. Pantelis moves us with Xenophon-like descriptions of places and distances, which he interspersed with lyrical notes and the markers of a growing awareness of the sufferings of war -any war. He leaves a record of facts, emotions, hardships, but ultimately survival and wisdom gained. Kudos to his son and to Gregory Kontos of Greek Ancestry to realize the value of this unique testimony."
Gonda van Steen, Koraes Chair, King’s College
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An Arcadian's
War Diary Published!
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"My father’s diary was kept in plain view in an unlocked top drawer of his bedroom dresser, along with his only other prized possession, his father’s gold Waltham pocket watch. As kids, from time to time, we would maybe write a line, draw squiggles or signatures in the diary, but we never read it - besides, it was written in Greek cursive and was difficult to decipher. In other words, it was just an object in our father’s wardrobe."
Alec P. Karys
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"This short, poignant account of an ordinary soldier’s experiences at the front during the Greco-Turkish War of 1919-1921 is well worth reading. Pantelis Karatasakis manages to evoke both the valiant spirit of the Greek troops and the awful hardships they were forced to endure. Even though this lively account ends a year before Greece’s defeat, the conditions the author witnessed were an omen of what was to come: hunger and freezing cold, haphazard military operations, scorched earth tactics by both sides. The heroism of Pantelis Karatasakis and his comrades would not be enough for the Greeks to prevail, and the Asia Minor Disaster of 1922 ensued."
Alexander Kitroeff, Historian
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From Spartan Roots, "Summer, harvest, war, and “slab casting” |
In the photograph, a crowd of people is depicted on the walls of the half-constructed building up to the first floor. They seem to celebrate the progress of the construction by wearing their best attire or even foustanellas.
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Greek Genealogy Guidebook |
By consulting this Guide, one can navigate the complexities of Greek genealogy and find the correct resources to both access and request relevant documentation for his or her ancestors. It is the beginning of an exciting journey of discovery—and love.
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