Αργοστόλι
Argostoli
To view a set of experiences from interviewees from a
specific region, select the location of interest. To view full interviews, select an interviewee’s name from the archival list below.
Κεφαλονίτικη Ζωή
Kefalonian Life
Συνεντεύξεις
Earthquake
Πρακτικές
Aftermath
Ζωντανές Αντανακλάσεις
Living Reflections
Theodosis Papaspiropoulos
“We had nothing, not even a place to stay, they gave us something wooden shacks, before that we lived in tents. 3-4 families lived in the tents, one on top of the other. As if this wasn’t enough, 4-5 days later rain was just pouring. And, yet, this helped potato production to grow, and olive oil production was great during the winter. People gathered olives, cabbages from the fields and we lived by them.
My village had many sailors, many of whom traveled to America. The salary was just enough to support a family; they traveled two and three years in the same boat and sent money back to their families. This saved my village, generally, the whole of Kefalonia. In my village there were 60-80 sailors, there were two or three in each family. When someone finished high school, 2-3 days later they would embark. Vergotis from Kourkoumelata owned something like 50 ships and hired Kefalonians to support them. ”
My village had many sailors, many of whom traveled to America. The salary was just enough to support a family; they traveled two and three years in the same boat and sent money back to their families. This saved my village, generally, the whole of Kefalonia. In my village there were 60-80 sailors, there were two or three in each family. When someone finished high school, 2-3 days later they would embark. Vergotis from Kourkoumelata owned something like 50 ships and hired Kefalonians to support them. ”
Anneta Zafirakopoulou
“We had no water supply in the village. Luckily, my family had a well in our yard. There was no communication with the capital, Argostoli, as all road communication was cut off and there were very few vehicles.. Luckily there were trees full of fruits: pears, figs and grapes, and thus we wouldn’t starve. Everyone, however, was afraid that the island would sink and each one had a story to tell.
Our priest asked emphatically to bury our dead, 7 among a total of 450 throughout the island, but our graveyard that was attached to the church was ruined. He also stressed that we baptise all the newborns to avoid dying unchristened. ”
Our priest asked emphatically to bury our dead, 7 among a total of 450 throughout the island, but our graveyard that was attached to the church was ruined. He also stressed that we baptise all the newborns to avoid dying unchristened. ”
Aspasia Stamatelatou
“Most houses were demolished and the rest were deemed uninhabitable. Consequently, most of the locals built from scratch wooden houses so they could have a shelter for their families.”
Theodosis Papaspiropoulos
“The French came to Lakithra and Agia Efimia and built houses. The Greek army camped right here (i.e. at the Ionian Center in Metaxata) and helped out. Down at the harbour were Israeli ships, and the Israelies gave us all the food that they had. But here, it was the French who built the houses based on the size of each family… Then the Greek army – the air force was it? – threw sacks of bread, bread that the army had baked. That was chaotic, people would beat eahc other to get it. ”
Anneta Zafirakopoulou
“On Thursday 13th September, the military dropped supplies from airplanes, sacks with bread and cans with meat. They dropped the supplies outside inhabited areas, and they would land in the bushes, but we could still find them.
The Greek state offered interest-free loans and materials to rebuild the houses and public buildings. Our church was built with the contribution of village people. United States and other European countries contributed financially. The hospital and the village Kourkoumelata were reconstructed by the shipowner Vergotis. I remember Greek Finance Minister of the time, Xenofon Zolotas, say that this Earthquake was a kind of salvation for the island (“σωσμός”), because of the support that helped to address financial issues and cater for the agriculture of the island. After many years some families received state homes with 2 rooms and a corridor, not even a toilet.”
The Greek state offered interest-free loans and materials to rebuild the houses and public buildings. Our church was built with the contribution of village people. United States and other European countries contributed financially. The hospital and the village Kourkoumelata were reconstructed by the shipowner Vergotis. I remember Greek Finance Minister of the time, Xenofon Zolotas, say that this Earthquake was a kind of salvation for the island (“σωσμός”), because of the support that helped to address financial issues and cater for the agriculture of the island. After many years some families received state homes with 2 rooms and a corridor, not even a toilet.”
Aspasia Stamatelatou
“Things completely changed in our house shortly after the earthquake, when the soldiers arrived to help the people. My father was president in our community and together with the soldiers he inspected the houses to see what had been left from people's possessions; it would be a big problem had they lost everything. So, one day, he accompanied two soldiers and went inside a house there in the village. While they were in the collapsed house one of the soldiers who was outside pulled a plank and as a result the roof fell on them and my father was killed. The soldiers fortunately came out safe. The house was left headless: before I was just a housewife, now I had the burden of taking charge to support and raise my children.
Luckily, a few years back my parents had opened a grocery store in the village, so my mother took over the grocery store in order to make a livelihood and be able to bring us up.”
Luckily, a few years back my parents had opened a grocery store in the village, so my mother took over the grocery store in order to make a livelihood and be able to bring us up.”
“Things completely changed in our house shortly after the earthquake, when the soldiers arrived to help the people. My father was president in our community and together with the soldiers he inspected the houses to see what had been left from people's possessions; it would be a big problem had they lost everything. So, one day, he accompanied two soldiers and went inside a house there in the village. While they were in the collapsed house one of the soldiers who was outside pulled a plank and as a result the roof fell on them and my father was killed. The soldiers fortunately came out safe. The house was left headless: before I was just a housewife, now I had the burden of taking charge to support and raise my children.
Luckily, a few years back my parents had opened a grocery store in the village, so my mother took over the grocery store in order to make a livelihood and be able to bring us up.”
Luckily, a few years back my parents had opened a grocery store in the village, so my mother took over the grocery store in order to make a livelihood and be able to bring us up.”
Theodosis Papaspiropoulos
“I’d like to see many buildings survive the earthquake. I don’t remember much of Argostoli, because I was 5 years old. The stone church at the castle has been repaired. St. Anna, the church of our village, was completely destroyed, and we built it from scratch. The bell tower was tall, and the earthquake struck from below and so it fell on the ground and stayed upright. Afterwards they demolished it and built another one, the original was unusable.
When I was at the age of 25-30 years old, I remember preparing for the carnival at the square of Lakithra, we did the so-called “mascara”. I was partner to a girl who was the dame. Women at the village would put make-up on them. All this was lost, the feasts that we did. During Easter, a cultural club would dig 15 pits and roasted the lambs. And from the afternoon onward we had music. At one time, buses from Ioannina drove through, they saw all this and stopped. How can you not offer them food? We gave away all the lambs and kept one for our own villagers to eat. We are hospitable.. ”
When I was at the age of 25-30 years old, I remember preparing for the carnival at the square of Lakithra, we did the so-called “mascara”. I was partner to a girl who was the dame. Women at the village would put make-up on them. All this was lost, the feasts that we did. During Easter, a cultural club would dig 15 pits and roasted the lambs. And from the afternoon onward we had music. At one time, buses from Ioannina drove through, they saw all this and stopped. How can you not offer them food? We gave away all the lambs and kept one for our own villagers to eat. We are hospitable.. ”
Anneta Zafirakopoulou
“On Thursday 13th September, the military dropped supplies from airplanes, sacks with bread and cans with meat. They dropped the supplies outside inhabited areas, and they would land in the bushes, but we could still find them.
The Greek state offered interest-free loans and materials to rebuild the houses and public buildings. Our church was built with the contribution of village people. United States and other European countries contributed financially. The hospital and the village Kourkoumelata were reconstructed by the shipowner Vergotis. I remember Greek Finance Minister of the time, Xenofon Zolotas, say that this Earthquake was a kind of salvation for the island (“σωσμός”), because of the support that helped to address financial issues and cater for the agriculture of the island. After many years some families received state homes with 2 rooms and a corridor, not even a toilet.”
The Greek state offered interest-free loans and materials to rebuild the houses and public buildings. Our church was built with the contribution of village people. United States and other European countries contributed financially. The hospital and the village Kourkoumelata were reconstructed by the shipowner Vergotis. I remember Greek Finance Minister of the time, Xenofon Zolotas, say that this Earthquake was a kind of salvation for the island (“σωσμός”), because of the support that helped to address financial issues and cater for the agriculture of the island. After many years some families received state homes with 2 rooms and a corridor, not even a toilet.”
Theodosis Papaspiropoulos
“Many people were killed in the courthouse in Argostoli. The building crashed them, it just sat on the ground. Hunger was the worst.. Every house built its own oven and kneaded bread, and the men went to the fields. Wheat, tomatoes, olive oil and potatoes, this is what helped us survive.. After the earthquake water access became more difficult.”
Anneta Zafirakopoulou
“By the end of August I left with my father for Athens in order to continue school there. The ship that carried us collided with another passenger ship coming from Zante, that was also struck severely by the earthquake, just outside Patras. We, Kefalonians and Zakynthians were all so terrified from the previous days that we thought the crash was yet another earthquake, and feared Patras and Korinth would sink. Luckily, the ship’s engine remained intact and we continued our voyage with the escort of a marine vessel. My family in Kefalonia had to stay under the same tent with otrher two or three families, so conditions were difficult. Many of our covillagers were unable to rebuild their homes so they would live in makeshift shacks. There were no toilets nor bathrooms, therefore they had to wash themselves using vats. Now that we are using electricity and boilers I wonder how people withstood all this.
The biggest impact is associated with tourism and immigration. For many years to come there was no tourism in the Island. Of course, migrants would send money to help their families but the biggest part of our village left: from over 300 inhabitants we now count only 27.”
The biggest impact is associated with tourism and immigration. For many years to come there was no tourism in the Island. Of course, migrants would send money to help their families but the biggest part of our village left: from over 300 inhabitants we now count only 27.”
Aspasia Stamatelatou
“Things completely changed in our house shortly after the earthquake, when the soldiers arrived to help the people. My father was president in our community and together with the soldiers he inspected the houses to see what had been left from people's possessions; it would be a big problem had they lost everything. So, one day, he accompanied two soldiers and went inside a house there in the village. While they were in the collapsed house one of the soldiers who was outside pulled a plank and as a result the roof fell on them and my father was killed. The soldiers fortunately came out safe. The house was left headless: before I was just a housewife, now I had the burden of taking charge to support and raise my children.
Luckily, a few years back my parents had opened a grocery store in the village, so my mother took over the grocery store in order to make a livelihood and be able to bring us up.”
Luckily, a few years back my parents had opened a grocery store in the village, so my mother took over the grocery store in order to make a livelihood and be able to bring us up.”
ζωντανές ιστορίες επιμελείται μια ομάδα μαθητών
και καθηγητές στο κρατικό πανεπιστήμιο NC
Living Histories is curated by a team of students
and academics from NC State University and in Greece.
και καθηγητές στο κρατικό πανεπιστήμιο NC
Living Histories is curated by a team of students
and academics from NC State University and in Greece.
More about us
Περισσότερα για εμάς