In 2010, while living in London, I booked a cheap $20 ticket to Oslo. The night before the flight, I looked up the cost of beer in Norway—it was more expensive than my ticket. So I opted for a bouzouki-filled night at Jimmy’s in Soho instead, stumbling home just as my flight was due to take off. I forgot all about Oslo—until recently, en route to Iceland to meet Greeks there, when Oslo found its way back into my path. I’ve always loved Greek communities, and Norway is home to around 6,000 Hellenes—some now third-generation Greek Norwegians.
Off to Oslo – this time
Back in 2010, I was also put off by the weather. London winters are cold, but nothing like the minus 20 degrees Norway can throw at you. This time, it was June—a heatwave by Norwegian standards, a chilly 14 degrees and wet. With all its fjords and islands, Norway should appeal to sea-loving Greeks, but it’s not the climate that draws them—it’s the opportunity. One of the world’s wealthiest countries per capita (ranked fourth by the IMF), Norway offers a high quality of life, even if the cost of a beer might make your eyes water. For years, Oslo held the title of the world’s most expensive city.
Despite the chill, Greece and Norway have long enjoyed warm ties. In the 1970s, Norway led the charge on a human rights case against the Greek Junta (1967–74). Today, Norway is dotted with Greek institutions: eateries, language schools, cultural groups, and two Greek Orthodox churches, including the Church of the Annunciation (ο Ευαγγελισμός της Θεοτόκου), led by Father Alexandros Loukatos.
Greeks have been there a long time
Greek presence in Norway, however, predates modern migration – the first Christians in Norway were Greek Orthodox, arriving during the Byzantine era. Over the centuries, hundreds of Norwegians served in the legendary Varangian Guard in Constantinople. The most famous was Harald Hardrada, who fought across Asia Minor, the Balkans, and Central Europe between 1033 and 1042, before returning home to become King of Norway.
The Greek Orthodox Community of Norway has existed formally since 1965, under the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan of Sweden and the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. In 1986, the community moved into its current church, originally built in 1892 as a Catholic place of worship. Legend had it that if the church ever closed, it would herald the end of the world. Luckily, the Greeks moved in—and saved it.
Greek community organisations in Norway
In Bergen, Saint Michael’s Orthodox Church serves the local Orthodox and Greek faithful. In Oslo, the Greek-Norwegian Cultural Club or Gresk Norsk Kulturklubb, (GNK), based at Storgata 32 and led by Areti Kalaitz, organises events year-round, from dance nights to summer festivals. I just missed their May 31 “xwro.”Community leadership is shared among several key organisations: the Greek Community of Norway, headed by Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos; the Greek Association of Norway, led by Jannis Aliferis; and the Greek Schools Parents’ Association, coordinated by Nikolaos Gavriilidis. Stavanger, another Norwegian city, hosts the Greek Association of Rogaland. Its new president, George Michailides, tells me it’s a smaller community than Oslo’s, but no less active. And, of course, there are at least ten Greek-owned eateries in Oslo—where you’re sure to find warmth, even in the heart of a Scandinavian winter.
From the battlefields of Byzantium to the bouzoukia beats of Storgata, the Greeks of Norway continue to thrive—in a land where the sun may be shy, but the Hellenic spirit is strong.
*Billy Cotsis is the author of Aristotle Roberto Carlos Smithopoulos and is the director of the Magna Graecia documentary series.
