“I began taking pictures of the island in 1987. Back then I was living in Athens and I wanted to prove to everyone I knew that Lemnos is a very beautiful island and that it was unfairly described as a barren land inhabited only by soldiers”.

Dedicated to his island

Photographer Chris Kazolis left Athens and opened a photo shop in a picturesque little street of Myrina, the capital of Lemnos. When someone walks by his store, he is amazed by the displayed photographs. Couplings of predatory birds, magical sunsets with Mount Athos in the background, authentic local artisans, stormy seas, muddy lagoons, corroded salt pits.

It is clear that he had to be wandering around with his finger on the “trigger” for months or even for years in order to take these pictures. A life dedicated to the nature, the people and the civilization of this fascinating, yet least discussed “soldiers island”.

On the other side of Lemnos, in the historical town of Moudro, stands another photo shop, which is filled to the hilt by the black and white pictures of George Rosvanis; pictures of unique aesthetics and historical value, taken by a folksy artist who lived in the “remote” and untouched photographic heaven of Lemnos.

When George Rosvanis passed away some years ago, his son Stratos, a capable photographer, returned to the island to keep the family's photo shop alive. “My father used to photograph anything. In his files I even found pictures of baby goats that lost their mother and suckled from donkeys”.

In order to make a living for his family, George Rosvanis used to take pictures in military camps for money. Among the events, ceremonies, national holidays and soldiers’ parades, he used to set some time aside to capture activities that do not exist anymore.

Everyone is bewitched by Lemnos

Lemnos is best described like a great film that only sees the inside of a remote cinema and is never screened in the movie complexes. It has everything that a photographer might be interested in: salt pits and lagoons ‘covered’ by swarms of flamingos, well-preserved neoclassical buildings of a unique architectural value, paved streets, and peerless landscapes.

It is a true masterpiece of the Aegean Sea, ignored by many people. Even soldiers serving the become part of its magic. They might get dazed on the watchtowers and during endless drills, but they also face breath-taking sites.

One of them is Giannis Tsaltitzis, from Korydallos of Athens. A devotee of photography, he was appointed the photographer of the military command. There hadn’t been single day during his service when he didn’t point his lens at the unique sunset beyond Mount Athos. He liked old buildings, small roads and paved streets. During the football matches between the military camps of Lemnos he used to run around trying to capture the highlights, while always keeping an eye on the sea, so that he didn't miss the sunseTEXT-PHOTOS: GEORGE ZAFEIROPOULOS
SOURCE: www.greecewithin.com

MORE PHOTOS

Myrina's port.

Sparsely built island with beautiful beaches.

Very few children remained on the island.

Rosvanis's photo shop in Moudro.

Soldiers might get tired in Lemnos, but they are compensated by the unforgettable scenary.

A swarm of flamingos in the lake "Chortarolini".

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