Roots & Routes II: The Local Community at the Heart of GreCO. Highlighting the Intangible Cultural Heritage and Local Identity of Elliniko and Argyroupoli
From 7 to 20 July 2026, the GreCO Project moved even closer to the local community through the initiative “Roots & Routes II – Building Connection with the Local Community: Locals as Guardians of Cultural Heritage”, which included a series of meetings, interviews and meaningful discussions with cultural associations and representatives of the local authorities of the Municipality of Elliniko–Argyroupoli.
The main objective of these meetings was to identify, document and promote the intangible cultural heritage and distinctive local identity of both Elliniko and Argyroupoli, as shaped and continuously co-created by the residents of the two areas.
Particular emphasis was placed on the crucial role of the Municipality’s cultural associations, which have long served as genuine hubs of culture, keeping alive memories, traditions, customs, music, dance, narratives and cultural practices that connect the past with the present and contribute to the area’s distinctive cultural character.
From Memory and Tradition to Contemporary Local Identity
The meetings brought to light the rich and multifaceted cultural footprint of Elliniko and Argyroupoli.
Through personal testimonies, family memories, stories of migration and settlement, musical and dance traditions, local customs, celebrations, landmarks and places of collective memory, the different cultural roots that have come together within the Municipality and contributed to shaping its present-day identity were highlighted.
Local identity is therefore not approached as something static or one-dimensional. On the contrary, it is understood as the result of a continuous interaction between people, places, experiences and traditions, with cultural associations playing a pivotal role in preserving and transmitting this heritage to future generations.
Residents as Guardians of Cultural Heritage
The philosophy of the initiative was built around the active participation of the local community itself.
Residents and representatives of cultural organisations were invited not only to provide information and historical material, but also to express their own views on which elements of cultural heritage should be highlighted, which stories should be preserved, and how the identity of Elliniko and Argyroupoli should be presented to future visitors to the area.
Within this framework, meetings were held with:
- the Association of Pontians of Sourmena, with its President, Mr. Giorgos Sarafidis
- the Association of Constantinopolitans and Asia Minor Greeks of Argyroupolis, with its President, Mr. Giorgos Avezoglou, and other members of the Association
- the Association of Cretans of Elliniko “Psiloritis”, with its President, Mr. Dimitris Stamatakis, and other members of the Association
- the Brotherhood of Epirotes of Argyroupolis, with its President, Mr. Kostas Lolis
- the Union of Pontians of Argyroupolis, with its President, Ms. Chara Iordanidi, as well as the Association’s dance instructor, Mr. Giorgos Konstantis
- the Association of Cretans of Argyroupolis, with Mr. Dimitris Stavrianakis, representing the Association’s Board of Directors
In parallel, meetings were held in the Municipal Council Chamber with the Municipal Councillor for Culture of the Municipality of Elliniko–Argyroupolis, Ms. Alexandra Afentaki, as well as with the President of the Cultural Committee of the Municipality of Elliniko–Argyroupolis, Mr. Makis Delaporta, further strengthening cooperation between the GreCO project, the Municipality, and local cultural organisations.
From Local Stories to GreCO Cultural Routes
The material collected through the meetings, interviews and participants’ narratives provides an important foundation for the next stages of the project.
Oral testimonies, local stories, cultural practices, customs and places of particular significance will contribute to the development of the content of the GreCO digital platform and its cultural routes, allowing visitors to discover Elliniko and Argyroupoli not only through their physical and urban landscape, but also through the people and stories that have shaped them.
In this way, technology becomes a tool for connecting places, memory and people, creating authentic and participatory experiences rooted in local cultural identity.
Cultural Heritage and Sustainable Tourism Development
This initiative is particularly significant at a time when the Elliniko area is at the centre of a major urban and development transformation.
Within this context, GreCO promotes a proactive and sustainable approach to tourism management, ensuring that future visitor flows and development remain closely connected to the history, memory, cultural heritage and local communities of the area.
Cultural associations and residents are not merely sources of historical knowledge. They are the active guardians of intangible cultural heritage and co-creators of the Municipality’s contemporary identity.
Roots & Routes II therefore represented another important step towards a model of sustainable tourism development in which the local community is not simply part of the destination, but actively participates in shaping its cultural narrative and its future.
Because every route is rooted in the people, memories and traditions that give a place its unique identity.
