On Tuesday 19 May 2026, at 22:00 Athens time, the Voice of Greece program “Sound Portraits” with Stavroula Karali presents a special tribute to Pontic Hellenism, marking the Remembrance Day of the Pontic Greek Genocide with an evening dedicated to history, memory, and music.
The program journeys to Pontus, where for centuries a vibrant Greek civilization flourished, deeply rooted in history, faith, and tradition. Through narration, historical accounts, and emblematic songs, listeners follow the course of a people from prosperity and creativity to persecution, uprooting, and genocide.
The tribute highlights defining aspects of Pontic history and identity: the Byzantine tradition, Orthodoxy, the Monastery of Soumela, the central role of the mother figure in the Pontic family, as well as the enduring pain of loss and displacement that marked generations of Pontic Greeks.
A special place in the program is reserved for songs that became enduring symbols of memory and identity. Through music and storytelling, “Sound Portraits” underscores the importance of historical remembrance, reminding audiences that Pontus continues to live on in the hearts, songs, language, and collective memory of its people. As the traditional song says, “Though Romiosyne has passed, it still blooms and bears anew…”, because its culture, faith, language, and values were never extinguished.
Produced and presented by Stavroula Karali
Sound engineering: Efi Georgopoulou
Broadcast: Tuesday 19 May 2026, 22:00 Athens time
