Nick Bourdaniotis, a Sydney-based photographer, is honoured in the Evzones’ Garrison gallery in central Athens. His works of Greece’s elite guards “breathes Australia,” said Bill Papastergiadis, president of the Greek Community of Melbourne.
The Evzones, or Greek Presidential Guard, are an elite group of soldiers, most over two metres tall, who stand guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the Presidential Mansion. But there’s much more to them than pleated skirts and pompoms.
Soldiers serving their mandatory military service are handpicked for their physical strength and traits. An Evzone must stand at least 1.87 metres tall and be fit enough to raise their legs to shoulder height, completely straight, as they march each day.
Papastergiadis was given a special tour of the Evzones’ Garrison while in Athens. The garrison houses Bourdaniotis’s work and contains workshops employing highly skilled “artisans” said Papastergiadis – cobblers and tailors – who make bespoke Evzone uniforms and tsarouhia – their distinctive shoes.
“They are artisans, on site, who are part of the operational arms that create from scratch the footwear and uniforms of the Evzones,” Papastergiadis told Neos Kosmos.
“Each process has deep symbolism and meaning, from the number of pleats to the number of studs on the sole of the tsarouhi. They are dedicated to service and uphold traditions.”
The 400 pleats on the foustanella or kilt, symbolises the years Greece was under Ottoman occupation. The embroidered vests take six months to complete. Sixty nails are beaten into the soles of each tsarouhi, creating the distinctive sound you hear with every step – a sound meant so “our ancestors can hear that we Greeks are alive and free,” Papastergiadis was told.
It takes one hour for an Evzone to dress for duty. Along with the intricate process of pulling on tights, securing undergarments with belts and ironing bell-sleeved shirts, the guards must be spotlessly groomed and clean-shaven.
“Nick [Bourdaniotis] does not seek glory. Yet, among the Evzones and all those who support this important institution, he is treated as one of their own.” He moves freely through the barracks, speaks at length with Commander Bousis, and chats with the artisans.
“Nick’s presence in the barracks is felt with your first step,” said Papastergiadis, who pointed to a plaque describing Bourdaniotis’s photography. Across offices, the mess hall and almost everywhere, “Nick’s poignant photography of all involved in this sacred tradition adorns the walls.”
“Nick, the son of migrants, has transcended the physical separation between our two homes and captured the true essence of the Evzones’ service.”
Commander Bousis, Papastergiadis said, “expressed a real interest in this collaboration.” He noted the possibility of future programs and projects.
Papstergiadis said that “no part of the barracks was off limits – from the parade ground to the workshops where the tsarouhia are made”.
