On Christmas Eve Eve, 23 December, at 22:00 (Athens time), the program “Human Landscapes” with Victoria Kavouriari welcomes to the Voice of Greece studio Alexis Kostalas—a human beacon for ERT, radio, and television from June 1965 to this day. The man who taught us what classical music, classical dance, and artistic skating truly mean; who showed us that meaning lies not only in every word, but in how and why we say it, so we can share what we love.
The broadcast unfolds the guest’s life journey, beginning in the neighborhood of his childhood, Petralona, as the war was breaking out, and continuing in America in the late 1950s. From there, Alexis Kostalas takes us behind the scenes of the Herodion and recalls his conversation with Rudolf Nureyev, following a performance with Maria Callas. He also remembers the legendary 27-hour television tribute to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, during which not a single colleague left his side, as well as his first artistic skating broadcast for ERT in 1979. He then shares what lies ahead in the new year: the European Championships in Sheffield, the World Championships in Prague, and figure skating at the Winter Olympic Games in Cortina d’Ampezzo.
Just before Christmas, we visit a place that radiates ethos through the spoken word—courtesy, knowledge, respect, and gratitude toward colleagues who help us become better, learn to listen, and correct our mistakes. As Mr. Kostalas teaches us, and as Giorgos Papastefanou once taught him. Because, as he himself says, despite the notion that only those who do nothing make no mistakes, in reality, “the one who does nothing makes the greatest mistake of all.”
Produced and presented by Victoria Kavouriari
Broadcast: Tuesday, 23 December 2025, 22:00–23:00 (Athens time)
