GREEK TEACHER INTERVIEW 

HISTORY HAUNTS US

By Stephen Wilson

 

Second City Teacher interviewed a Greek history teacher Photini Danon,

who has recently visited Moscow for the first time. I asked her about her

first impressions, on why she had yearned to visit Moscow , the dire plight

of both the Greeks and refugees as well as belief in God. What emerged

was a sharply vivid impression that the Greeks , like the Turks and Italians,

were taking the brunt of the refugee crisis just at the worst of times when

she herself has been afflicted by a deepening crisis.

This turned out to be a difficult interview to carry out. I got completely

lost and by some bizarre logic ended up boarding the wrong bus which

went in the wrong direction. The bus took me back to the destination I

had set out from. I had gone round in circles. After asking about 12

friendly and helpful locals , I found the address.

 

Second City Teacher

 

Have you been to Moscow before ?

 

Photini

 

No, this is my first time . I have always wanted to visit Russia because I 'm interested in

the revolution and wanted to see how the people in an ex-communist country were

getting on. I like the people. They are very friendly, kind and hospitable.

 

Second City Teacher

 

Will you come again ?

 

Photini

 

Yes, why not ? I did not have enough time to find out many things I wanted to know.

 

Anna a Russian English teacher interrupts

 

We will be waiting for you.

 

Second City Teacher

 

What is your main impression of Moscow ?

 

Photini

 

I'm impressed by how huge Moscow is . I never imagined it would be that big ! I was

also struck by how people think differently about politics than the Greeks. The Russians

try not to think and deal with many political issues. They are not interested in politics

and are not used to talking about it. My own people are very concerned about the

politics of Greece and will protest and go on demonstrations because Greece has

experienced such a deep crisis which has affected everyone. We have a different

perception of what communism entails . I met many people in Russia who told me

they were victims of communism and their families had been persecuted and

repressed by the communists . In Greece, it was the opposite . After losing the

civil war the communists were being persecuted. They were imprisoned , tortured and

shot. Many were forced to flee Greece to go to communist countries. For example,

during the civil war one of my grandfathers was imprisoned, tortured and then

executed. Another grandfather escaped from prison and was hidden by his fellow

Greeks.

So we can't say communism is the same for everyone.

 

Second City Teacher

 

How do present day Greeks deal with the tragedy of the Greek Civil war of 1946 -1949?

I heard that even before the Second world war ended that on December 3rd 1944 , the

British army which occupied Athens fired and killed 28 unarmed civilians who were

mostly young boys and girls peacefully demonstrating. They also released and used

Fascist collaborators to crush a Greek uprising that they themselves had provoked !

{editor's note. an estimated 100,000 Greeks were killed, 40,000 placed in concentration

camps, 5000 executed and 100,000 forced to flee the country. }

 

Photini

 

We call this period of history the White terror or in Greek 'Dekemuriana'. In this war many

Greeks were killed by ex-Nazis and collaborators supported by the British . Some people

say forget this as it will open up old wounds. The political party 'New Democracy' says:

'Let us not talk about this traumatic period. Don't do such research ? Leave it alone !

Don't bring up those issues. They don't want to talk about this.

 

Second City Teacher

 

What is your view on the current political situation in Greece ?

 

Photini

 

I will never vote for Syriza again. I have lost hope and don't see much in the future . For

the past 5 years it has been very difficult for Greece and I went on many demonstrations

because I had to express my desperation . The taxation system in Greece is unfair and

poor people are forced to pay for the bankers. Taxation does not benefit ordinary Greeks

but the banks. Both Greeks and Russians have problems with violent capitalism as the

rich get richer and the poor get poorer. In western European though Marxism has been

a liberating and progressive power which made capitalism more humane. The fear

of the Russian revolution spreading to Europe forced Western governments to introduce

reforms such as better medical care and education to help the poor .{Britain gave

women the vote shortly after the revolution and the welfare state was introduced in 1945}

In Russia, things did not work that way. In Russia they established social care without

personal freedom and freedom of speech. If I were Russian, I would try and keep the

good things about the revolution but attempt to find freedom of speech and human rights.

They should not repress gay people !

 

Second City Teacher

 

What do you think about the great refugee problem which has engulfed Europe?

 

Photini

 

Many Greeks have become hardened and cold to the suffering they see around

them. I mean they have seen dead babies washed up on the shore and refugees

are all around them. We are a country which is very poor and are now forced to

take up this. The European Union has not expressed solidarity in helping refugees

but when it comes to a common currency it is a different question.

I have already given away half my clothes and a lot of food to refugees and so

have many people, but it is not enough to help them because there are so many

refugees arriving every day. This has led to the growth of the Far right who don't

want to hep refugees . As far as they are concerned the refugees could drown

for all they care. I help a poor woman refugee from Afghanistan. I don't give her

money but food because I feel some men might be taking advantage of her. She

told me if she returns to Afghanistan the Taliban will kill her. And Pakistan does

not recognize refugees from Afghanistan and deports them back.

 

Second City Teacher

 

And how is the teaching ?

 

Photini

 

At the moment I'm teaching mainly history to school children. I still give lectures

at the university because they don't have many specialists in Elizabethan history

in England. I prefer to teach at university but have no choice but to teach all

kinds of history.

 

Second City Teacher

 

 

Do you believe in God?

 

Photini

 

Well, it is difficult to believe in a God which does not intervene to stop such

suffering we see around us when babies drown in the sea. Let us say that

I'm an agnostic rather than an atheist. If the Orthodox church opens

soup kitchens to help refugees it should not be for show but from the heart.