Informed of the loss of George Sgourakis, the Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni made the following statement:

“The loss of George Sgourakis, which fills us with sadness, comes to close a whole chapter not only of Greek television, but also of our culture. Together with his unforgettable and beloved Iro Sgourakis, George conceived and implemented one of the most emblematic productions of all time, the now legendary “Monogram”. With impeccable professionalism, immense passion and deep knowledge and concern for the preservation and promotion of our cultural heritage, George and Iro bequeath to us a unique body of 400 documentary films, which record all, almost without exception, the great personalities of our culture and recapitulate, in a comprehensible but profound way, their work and career.

George and Iro Sgouraki have created, with determination against all odds, a unique ark, combining, as few others in their genre, high quality with the massiveness inherent in the medium they honoured. They redefined what cultural television means, without discounts, but with great respect for the public. The life’s work of George Sgourakis, “Monogram”, will always be a reference point, occupying a prominent place in the intellectual heritage of an extremely versatile man, who has left us a rare archive of his television productions. It is our urgent duty to promote him in a multifaceted way.

I express my sincere condolences to his sons, Stelios and Nikos, to his many friends and colleagues.”