Giannis K. Kairofylas

Journalist and author Giannis Kairofylas was born in Athens in 1927 and spent his childhood and youth in one of its historic neighborhoods, Neapoli. He studied political science at Panteion University, but left in his third year to pursue a career in journalism. From a young age, in 1951, he began working as an editor and historical researcher for daily Athenian newspapers and wrote scripts for radio chronicles and theatrical broadcasts for the then EIR. He worked for newspapers such as "Proodeftiki Allagi," "Ethnos," "Eleftheros Kosmos," and "Eleftherotypia," as well as magazines like "Sfera," "Gynaika," "Pantheon," "Romantso," "Eikones," "Ena," and "Tachydromos." At the later EIRT, he served as the director of the magazine "Radiotileorasi" for about two decades. He was also a special associate in the Foreign Press Directorate of the Ministry of Press during the 1960s and 1970s and collaborated with the Greek program of Bavarian Radio when it was directed by the late Pavlos Bakoyannis. Historical research has been a focus for him from the early years, concentrating on the history of Athens from the era of King Otto to the present day. Occasionally, he used the pseudonym "Athinaomnimôn" and wrote more than thirty books, covering the period from the romantic Athens of the 19th century to today. He is a member of the Journalists' Union of the Athens Daily Newspapers (ESIEA), the Historical and Ethnological Society, and the Society of Athenians, and was a founding member and first president of the Friends of the National Library Association. He has been honored by the Municipality of Athens with the Medal of the City of Athens for his contribution to highlighting the city's cultural identity, by the Botsis Foundation with a special award, by the Hellenic Red Cross with a gold medal for his contribution to public enlightenment, and by the Ministry of National Defense with a commemorative medal for the National Resistance 1941-1945 for his exceptional services to the struggle.