Interview - Anneta

Αννέτα Ζαφειρακοπούλου

Anneta Zafirakopoulou

Πετρικάτα

Petrikata

year born

1937

έτος γέννησης

Συνέντευξη: Κωνσταντίνα Ροδοθεάτου

Interviewer: Konstantina Rodotheatou

Αξιομνημόνευτες Πρακτικές

Memorable Practices

“We had a quiet life. My father would go every morning to the fields, as he was a farmer, my mother would deal with the household, and me and my sister would go to the school and later play in the yard. ”

Προσωπικά Άνέκδοτα

Personal Anecdotes

“On Sunday 9th August we were attending the service at the village church. It was then that the shaking begun. It was 6,5 in the Richter scale. Our priest tried to keep us calm, but we were in a state of panic. During the rest of this day no other earthquake happened but we took our mattresses and slept in the ground floor for safety. On Tuesday 11th August, another earthquake occurred. From our co-villagers we would hear about the great damage in Sami. In the night we took our mattresses and blankets and would sleep in a field opposite our house. Fear was constantly rising.”

Περιγραφή της 12ης Αυγούστου

Descriptions of August 12

“As we woke up next morning, Wednesday the 12th, I went to our home, opened the door and found my mother crying, the upper floor had fully collapsed and half our home was in ruins. At 11.30 A.M., the main earthquake took place registering 7,2 on the Richter scale. Our church was in ruins and we could see no sight of the mountain above, because of the dust and stones. Cries of pain could be heard from all over. The struggle for survival had just began.”

Επιβίωση και Άνθεκτικότητα

Survival and Resilience

“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 us 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. ”

Βοήθεια Άρωγής

Relief Aid

“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.”

Βραχυπρόθεσμος/μακροπρόθεσμος Άντίκτυπος

Short/long term Impact

“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.”