Ariston Foundation for Hellenic Culture & Art Publishes Portes No. 11 THE NOSTALGIA ISSUE
- Portes Magazine
- Sep 26
- 6 min read
The Ariston Foundation for Hellenic Culture & Art proudly announces the publication of Portes No. 11, hot off the press, celebrating the monumental years that shaped modern Greek history. This latest issue pays tribute to the post-war decades of the 1950s, 60s, and 70s—a time of building, branding, and a cultural renaissance that became the golden era of Greek cinema, music, the arts, and more.
It was the era of Alexander Onassis, whose tremendous contributions through the luxurious flights of Olympic Airways helped make Greece an international destination. A time when artists inspired by Greece gained global recognition, Greek film flourished, and musicians wrote the soundtrack of a nation.
Some 200 specially invited individuals attended the celebration on Saturday, September 20th, which included the reveal of Portes No. 11—the Nostalgia issue—speeches by dignitaries, and live music under the stunning backdrop of the Olympic Airways aircraft Mount Olympus.
“An effort deeply rooted in celebrating Hellenic heritage, Portes Magazine has been published by Ariston Foundation for over a decade. Portes No. 11 pays tribute to the way we remember things not exactly as they were, but as they made us feel. This issue is a journey through the post-war Greece of the 1950s, 60s, and 70s captured beautifully in photographs, artwork, and stories dedicated to a golden era of Greek cinema, art, music, and beyond,” said Portes Editor Anthe Mitrakos.
The launch of Portes and its homage to Greece of the 1950s–70s was held in a unique setting at Elliniko, under Aristotle Onassis’ stunning Boeing 727, preserved by businessman and Zela Aviation Chairman and CEO Andreas Christodoulides. The aircraft, a symbol of Greece’s industrial and cultural history, was on display as guests celebrated the magazine’s release.
“I would like to thank Portes, Anthe and her family, for the opportunity to have us all gathered together. The first thing I have told Anthe is that we, the Greeks of the diaspora community, feel Hellenism significantly,” Christodoulides said. “I lived 37 years in London. It’s been only three years that I have lived in Greece. I feel that we are patriots. For sure the efforts of the Hellenic community of the diaspora are tremendous.”
He continued, “I love Greece. Three years ago when I came to Greece to live here, these aircraft were on their way to become scrap and I said, this is impossible. This is the industrial inheritance of Greece. Elliniko is part of our history. We are here tonight before one of the aircraft I have purchased. I feel that I have purchased the Acropolis. It is our history. Once again, congratulations, Anthe, and to your entire family… for your exceptional publication. Thank you everyone joining us here tonight for Olympic Airways, for Greece, and for the magazine.”
Former President of the Greek National Tourism Organization (EOT), Angela Gerekou shared her admiration in a video: “I am happy to partake in the beautiful efforts of Ariston Foundation for Hellenic Culture and Art, which with love, promotes and preserves Hellenic culture, history and art. Through the pages of Portes Magazine, which for over a decade has served as a canvas of Hellenic ideals and aesthetics, I had the honor to share ideas related to tourism in Greece… a country that remains a timeless muse, combining memory and inspiration.”
Actress (Koritsia ston Ilio, Moonraker) and musician, Anne DePasquale, reflected in her own video on her personal connection to Greece: “I want to thank everybody, especially Anthe with whom I had a wonderful conference, and to express my love of Greece. The years I was there from 1966 to 1970 changed my life. It was not just playing in Koritsia Ston Ilio. That was destiny. It was not just working in cinema in Greece, it was the fact that I lived in Greece and tasted the warm hospitality of the Greek people. They were four years of just total magic for me.”
Adding to the accolades, Mayor of Elliniko-Aryroupoli Giannis Konstantatos remarked, “I see that these young Greeks… keep traditions alive, you keep the flag of Hellenic culture high. I am truly impressed with this exceptional publication. My warmest congratulations. If they did this in Greece… what you have done with such zeal, we would be once again talking about the renaissance of Hellenic culture. Portes is a significant asset for our country, culture, and history.”
This year’s issue represents over 1,000 hours of combined contributions from 42 individuals, each sharing their expertise in history, culture, and art to create the most iconic and largest issue in the magazine’s history.
“Each contributor, inspired by Greece, shares their unique story and passion for Hellenic culture through their life’s work. Some are dedicated to discovering and preserving historical artifacts, others capture the evolving life of Greeks through their lens, and others create artwork that pays tribute to their Greek roots. Their work is Important. Incredible. Indeed an inspiration,” Mitrakos said.
The event featured live music by Gigi & the Comets and signature cocktails by ROOTS Premium Spirits.
Contributors to Portes No. 11 include:
Elena Agapitou, Filmmaker & Copywriter
Nicholas Alexiou, President, Hellenic American Project & Professor of Sociology, Queens College CUNY
Naomi Antonakos, Director, Stephen Antonakos Studio
Ioannis Betsas, Associate Professor, Aristotle University
Maria Madonna Constantinides, Artist & Founder, Akia Collection
George Davlas, Co-founder, Davlas PR
Mimi Denissi, Actress, Director, Playwright, Translator & Theater Entrepreneur
Anne Lonnberg DePasquale, Actress (Koritsia ston Ilio, Moonraker), Songwriter, Musician & Author
Viktoria Fassianou, Director, Alekos Fassianos Estate & Museum
Thomas Gatos, Hospitality Consultant
Angela Gerekou, Actress, President of Greek National Tourism Organization, Former Deputy Minister of Culture & Sports, Hellenic Parliament MP
Reuben Goossens, Maritime Historian, Author & Lecturer
Giorgia Hatzinasios, Piano Soloist, Songwriter & Composer
Alexander Jaschick, Videographer, Editor, Founder at Doors of Athens
Nikos Kavoukides, Cinematographer, Director & Producer
Dimitris Kleanthis, Videographer & Photographer, Athens’ Polykatoikias 1930-1975
Ioanna Lalaouni, Director, Ilias Lalaounis Jewelry Museum
Nikoletta Liakostavrou, Head, OTE Group Communications Museum
Nigel Lowry, Founder & Director, Greek Shipping Hall of Fame, Lloyd’s List Athens Correspondent
Thomas Maloutas, Researcher & Professor Emeritus of Social Geography, Harokopio University
Robert McCabe, Photographer, Greece After the War: Years of Hope & More
John McKesson Camp II, Director, Athenian Agora Excavations at American School of Classical Studies at Athens
Vasiliki Mitrakos, Co-founder, Portes Magazine
Andriana Mitrakos, Psychologist & Filmmaker, Founder at Apeiron Consulting
Georgia Mitrakos, Business Development & Finance Consultant
Androniki Papadopoulos, Marketing & Communications Consultant
Ioanna Papantoniou, Founder, Basil Papantoniou Foundation, Educator & Costume Designer
Kostas Papaspilios, Researcher, Television Presenter, Author of The Composers of Our Soul & More
Karl Reber, Director, University of Lausanne Swiss School of Archaeology in Greece
Kilian Schmitz-Hubsch, Architect, Educator & Author of Athens’ Polykatoikias 1930-1975
Aris Sotiriou, Founder, Neanikon
Vasiliki Sourtzinou, Grandmother, Hospitality Professional, Lifelong Native Greek Flower & Horticulture Enthusiast
Tassos Stathopoulos, Sports Journalist & Author
Aristoula Toli, Co-founder, Arts Organization Avles, Dancer, Educator & Cultural Researcher
Gabriel Tompalidis, Artist, Cartoonist & Comic Illustrator
Vasilis Tsatsaragkos, President, Olympic Airways Employees Cultural Center (POLKEOA)
Amaryllis Tsegou, Founder, The Tasty Other, Photographer & Recipe Developer
George Tziallas, Tourism Expert, Former Secretary at Ministry of Tourism
Panos Valsamakis, Co-owner, Valsamakis Ceramics
Mary Vergou, Head, Benaki Toy Museum
Diane Alexander White, Photographer, Formerly at the Field Museum of Chicago
Featured artists in this issue include: Annezina Dampolia, Antonia Iroidou, Theodora Miller, Christina Morali, Costas Theocharis, and Agata Wieruszewska. Posthumously celebrated are Alekos Fassianos, Panos Valsamakis, Ilias Lalaounis, Yannis Moralis, and Stephen Antonakos.
Portes No. 11 also honors four cover artists: Yiannis Moralis, celebrated for his public works including the former Hilton facade; Robert McCabe, capturing the simple, innocent Greece of the 1950s; Antonia Iroidou, whose dreamlike, colorful digital art celebrates Hellenic ideals; and New York-based Theodora Miller, whose work spreads wishes of happiness, love, and hope.
This monumental issue of Portes invites readers into a visual and narrative journey through Greece’s golden post-war era, a celebration of Hellenic heritage, artistry, and identity—truly a testament to the enduring spirit of Greece.
