In the studio of the “Voice of Greece” and specifically in today’s, Tuesday, November 1st, episode of “Faraway words” the president of the Hellenic Foundation for Culture (HFC), Mr. Nikos Koukis was a guest, speaking with Natasa Vissarionos about the Foundation’s actions and objectives.
As he said, in the last two years they have managed to maintain the Foundation’s branches outside Greece (Trieste, Alexandria, Odessa, Belgrade, Berlin, Bucharest and Moscow) and to create partnerships with other institutions abroad, in cities that did not have branches, so that today the HFC has a presence in Tbilisi, Brussels, Sarajevo, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“We have changed the image of the Foundation and from a dark, dull building we have made the Foundation, since this summer, a cultural landmark, where elements of Kitsikis’ architecture of the historical building of Prodromos Bodosakis are highlighted… We owe it to ourselves as stewards of an estate to deliver the space better than we received it. It is an important element of respect. So we have begun a renovation – renewal of the building and all the exterior spaces” said Mr. Koukis.
The purpose of the Hellenic Foundation for Culture was, since its inception, the dissemination of the Greek language and Greek culture throughout the world. In this context, as Mr. Koukis said, they signed a cooperation agreement with the Puglia Region in Southern Italy. “There is great interest in transmitting this knowledge (of the Griko dialect) to the next generation who do not devalue the language but consider it an element of local identity and an element of their own cultural existence. There is interest on the part of the Italians to bring the Griko dialect to light. For our part, we will help them so that the Greek language is taught in their schools alongside the Griko dialect. We will try to convince the Ministry of Education to send teachers to the schools of Puglia in Southern Italy“, the president of the Hellenic Foundation for Culture stressed.
“We need to make our language attractive. To convince them that the Greek language is not a utilitarian tool. It is an intellectual means of achievement for the mind and sensibility“, said Mr. Koukis.
In his interview, Mr. Koukis did not fail to mention the renovation of the Cavafy Museum in Alexandria, the book exhibitions abroad that the Hellenic Foundation for Culture participated in with a strong Greek literary presence (Cairo, Banja Luka, Moscow, Nancy, etc.) as well as the cooperation that the Foundation develops with the reading clubs in Greece. A Cooperation that can be extended to the Greek Reading Clubs abroad.