The recent killings in Voriza, Heraklion, have once again brought to the forefront a troubling question: What is really happening in certain mountain villages of Crete? Are these incidents truly “vendettas,” or something far more complex?
The program “Historical Walks” with Marilena Katsimi travels to Crete to speak with distinguished journalist Giorgos Sachinis of Kriti TV.
Sachinis—who is not originally from Crete but has lived and worked in Heraklion for the past 35 years—dismantles the notion of a “traditional vendetta.” In the case of the Voriza murders, he explains that the element of revenge has been replaced by a broader settling of scores between factions involved in organized crime, with “family feud” serving more as a façade than a genuine explanation.
At the heart of the discussion lie the particularities of Crete’s mountain communities and their differences from other examples of traditional honor and retaliation codes; the historical roots of gun culture; the role of local figures; the entanglement and concealment of criminal activities; and the economic development model of an island enriched by tourism and an agricultural–livestock sector that has often survived through subsidies and, in some cases, through corrupt practices.
The episode is accompanied by arrangements of traditional Cretan songs, as well as more recent compositions by Cretan artists, selected by the guest.
Produced and presented by Marilena Katsimi