The University of Cyprus is hosting the former rector of the University of Mariupol, Konstantinos Balabanov, who will speak about the Greeks of Ukraine from yesterday to today. For more than two decades, the Mariupol State University established partnerships with the Federation of Greek clubs of Ukraine, the Anastasios III Foundation. Leventis ” and the University of Cyprus for the spiritual revival of the Greeks of Ukraine, the promotion of the Greek language and culture.

In his lecture, Mr. Balabanov will address various topics such as the Greek diaspora of Ukraine, which is one of the largest and oldest in Europe, the main stages of resettlement of Greeks in Ukrainian territory, the formation of Greek communities in the territory of Modern Ukraine during the 17th – 18th centuries, as well as the role of the Filiki Etaireia created in Odessa in the organization of the national liberation struggle of the Greek people. Among other things, he will refer to the policy of Russification in the 19th and 20th centuries and its consequences for the Greek community, to the history of the Greeks of Azov, who, despite colossal sacrifices and trials, managed to preserve their language, culture and traditions, and to the contribution of the Greeks of Ukraine to the development of the Economy, Education, Science and culture of Ukraine, to the intellectual and cultural development of the Greeks in independent Ukraine.

The event, to be held on Monday, March 20, 2023, at 4 m.m., in the auditorium B108, Council-Senate Building “Anastasios III. Leventis ” on campus will be coordinated by Dr Pavlos Koktsidis, Visiting Professor of Public Relations at the Department of social and Political Sciences of the University of Cyprus. For those who wish to attend, they can register their participation in e. addresses: [email protected] or [email protected] no later than 17 March 2023.