Hellenic Army Academy Evelpidon for Kappa Magazine
For this documentary photography assignment for the Greek magazine "Kappa" of Kathimerini News, I spent a full day inside the Hellenic Military Academy "Scholi Evelpidon" in Vari, Athens, on the occasion of its anniversary founded on December 21, 1828. The visit offered a rare opportunity to look beyond the institution’s formal image and vissually explore how one of Greece’s oldest military schools is redefining itself for the future.
What becomes clear almost immediately is that today’s Evelpidon is no longer an isolated, inward-looking military environment. According to the Academy’s Commandant, Major General Anastasios Polychronos, openness and international engagement are now central pillars of its philosophy. Cadets participate in international exchange programs, including Erasmus initiatives and visits to European and NATO institutions, allowing them to train alongside peers from abroad and develop a shared professional mindset within a global framework.
The Academy now operates as both a military and academic institution. Its modern campus—spanning approximately 68,000 square meters—resembles a contemporary university more than a traditional barracks. Lecture halls, laboratories, and research facilities support a demanding curriculum that ranges from humanities and engineering to artificial intelligence and emerging technologies.
Most of the Cadets that taking the decision to get in to Evelpidon is driven by personal motivation rather than career certainty alone. Some others by their family tradition in military career. Cadets describe the experience transformative, equipping them with skills that extend far beyond military service. Female cadets emphasize that while expectations are high, opportunities are equal, and progress is based on merit rather than gender—reflecting the Academy’s evolving culture.
One of the most striking aspects of the Academy today is its multicultural character. Students from Greece and countries such as Armenia, Tunisia, and various African nations train and study together. International cadets highlighting Greece’s history and culture as key reasons they chose Evelpidon. The Academy becomes a meeting point of different backgrounds united by shared discipline and ambition. Physical training remains a core component of daily life. From obstacle courses and climbing exercises to long-distance running. Cadets training has evolved as well. Programs are now designed using scientific methods with personalized exercise routines and nutritional planning tailored to each individual’s needs and performance.
Between history and innovation, national tradition and international outlook, discipline and education. The Hellenic Military Academy stands as an institution that honors its past while actively shaping the officers of tomorrow.
A summary from the original article and cover story printed and published in 21 Dec 2025 written by George Robollas.
Athens Rollerskating
With a look at parks and sports venues, one will notice that next to the bikes and skateboards there are also skates. "K" magazine met in OAKA the team of City Skaters of Athens, to learn the secrets behind the new hobby that conquered the open spaces and streets of Greece during the pandemic.In what categories are skates divided? What are the capabilities of each type and how much does a good pair of rollers cost? Is it the sense of freedom it offers to the members of City Skaters of Athens and motivated them to engage in this hobby in their spare time? How did the pandemic become the perfect timing to "slip" on the streets and in the parks? What kind of routes are there for beginners and advanced? What are the reactions of the drivers who meet them on the avenues of Athens? Are there other groups that deal with different types of rollerskating in Greece? And finally, is it an easy hobby for someone who has no experience and is curious to do it? The published roller skaters portraits photographs follows.
Text by Pantelis Tsombanis
El Sistema Greece "The orchestra of life"
El sistema Greece, The orchestra of life for Kappa Magazine Cover.
«In 1975, conductor Jose Antonio Ampreu created the first youth orchestra to develop at El Sistema. Believing that music is primarily a factor of social development and integration, he tried to remove the poor children of Venezuela from the streets and protect them from the various dangers they faced in the slums, including them in music and more. Thus, he was inspired by the pioneering educational program of El Sistema, striving to offer children more than just learning a musical instrument – cooperation, self-expression, discipline, ambition. All of this, summed up in the famous slogan of El Sistema “Tocar y Luchar”, meaning “to play music and to compete”, remain the goals of the organization, which now has branches around the world. As Panagiotis Tsiridis, pedagogical director of El Sistema Greece, says, “the object of our work is not music, but the child. Our goal is to lead each child to creation, with music as the main tool “. El Sistema Greece has been operating in our country since 2016, offering free lessons of violin, viola, cello, horn, trumpet, flute, clarinet and percussion, lessons in choir, music kinetics and music theory, “to children and young people regardless of origin, language and religion». The photoshoot took place at Maliaras private school. Text by Myrto Katsigera.
Ermis for Kappa Magazine Cover
Ermis Music composer for the cover of Kappa Magazine of Kathimerini
Styling: @iro_tsou
Interview: @vlasis_kostouros
"I am self-taught on the piano. My older sister, Eleni, had started classes and so we bought a piano at home. I was excited, I was experimenting on my own and at 13, after endless efforts, I wrote my first melodies. One of the first pieces I wrote was about a theatrical performance of "Glass World" at school. It was a subtle and fragile sound. At the same time I wrote another piece, which my friends encouraged me to send to the Ministry of Tourism, because it reminded them of ouzo and Greek summer. I sent in a random mail that I found the piece and a letter and they immediately replied that they like it very much and they want me to write them one more. I went crazy. It was the first time someone showed acceptance for my music. Eventually these songs played in the Visit Greece campaigns."
Eleytheria Deco for Kappa Magazine
In this portrait photography I was pleased to meet and work with one of my favourite greek artists, the lighting designer Eleytheria Deco. I knew Eletheria's Deco work since 2004 when she awarded with EMI award for the light design of the Olympic Games ceremony "Athens 2004 Olympics".
Since then and due to our common interest, "light" ("phos", greek word for light and first synthetic work for photo-graphy) , I have been watching her works with great interest. She has an open field of design like theaters, festivals, museums, public spaces, events and architectural lighting projects. The special thing with her works is that sometimes it is like she has a signature and gives you a feeling that you can identify her aesthetic.
Her recent work was the light design of Acropolis. The new lighting will highlight nine points of the ancient monument: the Acropolis hill, the walls, the Parthenon, the Propylaea, the Temple of Athena Nike, the Erechtheion, the Theater of Dionysus, the Stoa of Eumenes and the Sanctuary of Dionysus. As the Culture Ministry underlines, for the first time the choragic monument of Thrasyllos, the Asklepieion of Athens, the caves of Apollo and Aglauros, and the Sanctuary of Aphrodite, will all be illuminated.
It was great pleasure of meeting and work with her for this portrait season for her interview in Kappa Magazine of Kathimerini newspaper. Her portraits published on 19-12-2020.
