Mrs. Filomila Bolia from Chios, retired Administrative Officer at the University of the Aegean and former Head of the Department of Shipping, speaks on “Fair Winds and Following Seas” on Voice of Greece about the event held on Sunday afternoon, 7 December 2025, in Lagkada, Chios, titled “Women Radio Officers of Chios in the 20th Century”.
On Sunday, 7 December — the day after the feast of Saint Nicholas, patron saint of seafarers — the Lagkada Cultural Association “Kydianta” and the Chios Oral History Group (OPICHI) organised the event “Women Radio Officers of Chios in the 20th Century.”
The event featured excerpts from interviews given to OPICHI by women from Chios who studied at the Chios Radio Officers’ School or in Athens, in order to pursue the profession of radio operator.
“The Radio Officers’ School was founded by Mr. Chandris and operated in Chios from 1962 to 1967. In those ‘difficult years’, the girls who wanted to become radio operators looked for all kinds of ways to convince — or outsmart — their parents so they could attend the School and later join ships as markonisses (female radio officers). Their strongest argument was that they could eventually work for OTE,” Mrs. Bolia explains.
She also speaks about the sea, which, as she says, is “my peace, and a big part of life here in Chios. Every family has someone who is a seafarer. My husband and my brother were both sailors,” she notes.
Produced and presented by Antonis Karagiannakis