Odysseas Alepoudelis, has been demobilized with the end of the war. His poetry during the war has landed him a position with Greek radio as well as columns in the Kathimerini and the recently published Eleutheria newspapers. That he's writing simultaneously for the leading paper of the right and a Liberal paper says a fair bit of his literary abilities.
Giorgos Seferiadis, is a leading functionary of the Greek Foreign Ministry. In his free time he is also one of the leading poets of his generation.
M. Karagatsis, has spent four years trucking supplies, with the Greek army's transport corps, being the enfant terrible of the Greek literary "generation of the 30s" and from a well connected political family were not sufficient reason not to be called up for the war. Karagatsis unit ended the war up in Austria, after going through war torn Greece and Yugoslavia. His war experiences will seep to his novels "Mountain of the Gods" about the Thessalian front and "The Raid" about the destruction of the Aliakmon bridge by Allied commandos back in 1941. But these are still in the future. In the meantime his fantasy novella "A lost world" about the survivors of a sunk Greek submarine ending up in Atlantis is about to be published...
Stratis Myrivilis remains program director of EIR, the Greek radio service, since appointed to the spot by Ion Dragoumis back in 1940. Myrivilis is already writing what will become his third novel "The Siege" about the siege of Smyrna, but it will be sometime before it is published. It is not the only one inspired by the siege, Elias Venezis, who lived through the entire siege will write his own "Time of War" about his wartime experiences.
Penelope Delta despite advancing paralysis persisted till her "The Sheferdess" about a young woman trying to help the army of Nikephoros Ouranos against the Bulgarians of Tsar Samuel in the lead to the
batle of Spercheios. She would die a few days after receiving the news of Patton and Pangalos liberating Thessaly in the winter offensive of 1942-43.
Roza Eskenazi remains in Smyrna, a fortunate coincidence given what was happening to Jews in occupied Greece. Her club "Krystal" in the industrial district of Vyronas, the former Daragatsi, has survived both the siege of Smyrna and the deaths of
Panagiotis Toundas and
Iovan Tsaous that formed the "second Smyrna trio" with her back in 1942. Krystal is frequented even by the likes of Aristotle Onassis when he comes visiting his native city.
Dario Moreno, after his demobilization is now working full time in the "Black Cat" night club in Melantia/Karatas, the upper class mixed Jewish/Christian district of Smyrna.
Vasilis Tsitsanis, was wounded back in 1941 and released from the Greek army. In the meantime he has fully recovered from his wound and opened his own club in Piraeus. The club was frequented by American troops among others during the war many of them African-American. The "Vlach" took very careful note of the jazz music some of them were playing and has executed a few pieces melting the two music styles as has Manolis Chiotis. The result is by all accounts... interesting.
Georgios Vlachos continues to have full control of "Kathimerini", the leading paper of the right since 1920. If he had watered down a bit his opposition to the Liberals during the "union sacree" in wartime this is now over and the coalition government between Stratos and the Liberals is getting his full ire. The Liberals papers from the Lambrakis house leading "Athinaika Nea" and "Eleutheron Vima", to Vellidis "Makedonia" in Thessaloniki to the Smyrniot "Hmerisia" and Panos Kokkas newfangled "Eleutheria" are fully returning the favour. But no noe is questioning Vlachos writing talents. His only daughter and successor Eleni has inherited some of it. His nephew Aggelos, a high ranking foreign ministry diplomat is also a solit writer, through nowhere near the abilities of Sferiadis with whom he has a rivalry within the ministry.
Panos Kokkas, was able to put into publication hs paper "Eleutheria", Liberty in Greek in mid 1944, after being wounder in action ad dischargedd from the army in 1943. His new paper is solidly Liberal if not outright supportive of George Papandreou. Although new the paper is quickly gaining in popularity.
Nazim Hikmet, was released from prison, where he was being held since 1938, following the armistice between Turkey and the Allied powers back in 1944. A committed communist he is not at all certain what he's supposed to be making out of the new regime. On one hand Karabekir and Ismirli are loudly proclaiming their commitment to the ideals of "true Kemalism" which Peker supposedly betrayed, including friendship to the Soviet Union. On the other their government like that of Kemal is anything but communist...
Zvi Koretz, died of typhus in April 1945 after transported to the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in August 1943. His less than dynamic leadership could threaten disaster, it was only the Thessaloniki uprising and its timely liberation by Allied armies that saved the better part of the Jewish community of Thessaloniki from extermination. Other Jewish communities in the region have not been as lucky. Of the 53,606 Jews of Constantinople in 1941 a mere 2,000 have survived the camps. Of the 23,317 deported from Greek Thrace and East Macedonia just 266 have returned.
Chrysanthus II, patriarch of Constantinople was executed, back in 1941, famously demanding from his captors to get hanged not shot, his death sentence was outstanding by the Turkish courts of independence since 1921. The ecumenical see still remains empty a year after the liberation of Constantinople. The elderly
Chrysostomos, bishop pf Smyrna, Maximos bishop of Chalkedon and Damaskenos bishop of Athens and Ioakeim bishop of Derkon are all strong candidates for the throne. The possible fate of the church of Greece, its autocephaly looking superficial now that the patriarch is not under Turkish control, is only complicating matters.
Leontios archbishop of Cyprus since 1937 is maintaining a difficult balancing act in Greek-Cypriot internal politics. Everyone agrees on union with Greece being the ultimate goal. But while Leontios follows a moderate policy in cooperation with Britain towards the goal, in line with the advice of the Greek foreign ministry, others like the right wing National Radical Union supported by Makarios bishop of Kyreneia accuse him as too moderate. To them has been oddly enough added AKEL, the recently reorganized Communist Party of Cyprus which is loudly proclaiming that Cyprus should be immediately united with Greece.
Makarios Kykkotis, has spent the war in Athens where he is officiating in the Saint Herene church while continuing his studies in the Theological school of the university of Athens. Unlike other Cypriot hierarchs like Anthimos Machairiotis he did not join the Greek army. His plans now that the war is over are unclear...
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