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CHRISTOS KAZOLIS

"DISCOVERING LEMNOS"

In his effort to change the wrong impressions many Greeks have for Lemnos, his island, Christos Kazolis chooses photography as the best means, and in 1987 starts to ceaselessly take photographs of the island. At first he uses film negatives and later on slides. He discovers Lemnos by walking across the island during all seasons of the year. For the first time, landscapes are photographed that are unfamiliar even to senior Lemnians. For the first time, the camera captures landscapes such as: Pachies Ammoudies, the rocks in Farakla, Plakia, Agios Hermolaus, Fanaraki, Agia, Gomati, Trygi, the Cape of Ekato Kefales, and others. Panagia Kakaviotissa, Fokiospilia (Seal Cave), the flamingos that visit the island, the deer, and the waterfalls, are also photographed and brought to prominence. Mount Athos is captured in combination with various areas of the island, such as the islets of Avlonas, Agios Nikolaos, Myrina, and others. Within a few years, a record of several thousands of photographs from all seasons of the year is created, including sunsets, landscapes, seas, shores, birds and animals of the island, panoramic photographs from all the elevations around Myrina, Moudros, and all the villages and settlements of Lemnos.

By 1991, Christos Kazolis is well-known as an enthusiast of both Lemnos and photography. Then, while serving his military term in the Air Force, he holds his first photography exhibition, titled Discovering Lemnos. That summer, locals and visitors of Lemnos first behold the beauty of Lemnos' natural wealth. Their surprise, joy, and pride for their homeland are indescribable. Christos Kazolis is highly praised. The exhibitions carry on throughout the following years, and continue to be highly successful. Christos Kazolis' dream is to create a luxurious coffee table book, a source of pride for every Lemnian holding it in their hands; something they can brag about and use to advertise their homeland.

After 1995 he opens photography stores, and in 1998 he publishes Lemnos, Scenes and Nature, his first coffee table book. The public warmly embraces the book and in just a few years it sells more than 6,000 copies. The Greek diaspora, and mostly Lemnians, transfer the book to the entire world. In 1999 he creates a CD-ROM in four languages, titled Lemnos – Travelling through photographs, a travel guide also in four languages, a map of the island, calendars, and a new series of postcards. In 1999 and 2000, Christos Kazolis and Lemnos in general are presented in two very successful shows on Greek television. Taksidevondas stin Ellada and Syn kai Plin. Later on, Christos Kazolis is invited to and promotes his work and the island in more than 10 TV shows, such as: Opos mas aresi, Aksion Esti, Menoume Ellada, Arhondariki, 60 lepta Ellada, and others. See: Television interviews.

Publishers and journalists get in touch with him, and he happily strives to successfully promote and publish these cover stories. The words of Theodoros Baziourakis, publisher of magazine Elliniko Panorama, are characteristic in Issue 12, spring 1999: Last, we fervently thank the exquisite photographer of Lemnos and our dear friend Mr Christos Kazolis, both for his time as well as for the valuable photographic material that he so generously placed at our disposal. Without his enormous support, the article about Lemnos would have been significantly poorer. In this way, dozens of cover stories are created, which transmit the image of hospitable Lemnos and its impressively diverse natural beauty to the entire country. The Greeks' response is immediate. Many rush to visit the island, admitting that they never expected to see a place that is so beautiful, unspoiled, authentic and hospitable. They admit that the reason they decided to visit this misunderstood island is the cover stories on television and in the press. See: Printed press and the projection of Lemnos.

As early as 1998, Christos Kazolis has started to prepare his new work. He comes in touch with the people of Lemnos and tries to persuade them to revive the professions and agricultural activities they used to perform in the past, and have their photographs taken. It's a challenging endeavour, one that requires politeness, respect, honesty, understanding, continuous meetings and an enormous effort. Being candid and honest, most Lemnians agree to cooperate. However, despite all the promises and due to several reasons, it took up to four years before the photo shoot for some professions and agricultural activities was completed. With the enormous and defining support of his wife, Magda, and his mother, Eleni, Christos Kazolis takes advantage of every minute and works every day of the year. In 2006, after eight years, he has put together photographic material that is both rich and unique by Greek standards. That year he publishes the coffee table book Deeds of Men – Forgotten jobs and occupations on an island of the Aegean Sea. The book is a huge success. Interestingly, both the Onassis Foundation and Ethniki Asfalistiki opt to purchase 1,200 and 1,000 copies respectively, which are dispensed in Greece and abroad, mainly as Christmas presents. Between 2006 and 2007, Christos Kazolis travels and presents the book to the expatriates of Australia and the USA, while he also holds presentations in Thessaloniki, Athens, and Lemnos. See: Book presentations (videos with speeches), and: Presentations of Deeds of Men (photographic material).

In 2007 and 2008, he receives two awards. In March 2007, Thessaloniki's Cultural Association of Lemnians honours Christos Kazolis for his artistic contribution to the culture of Lemnos. In February 2008, the Chamber of Lesbos awards a prize to photographer Christos Kazolis for bringing the traditional professions of Lemnos to prominence through his personal coffee table book Deeds of Men.

In 2009, he publishes his new coffee table book, Lemnos: View to the North Aegean. The book is divided into three sections; the island's built environment; the life, customs and traditions of Lemnians; and its natural environment. Despite being published just months before the financial crisis breaks out in the country, it is very well received.

In June 2012, Christos Kazolis makes a key contribution; it is the first time that Lemnos is selected by a production company, and many TV commercials are shot on the island on behalf of Vodafone, a multinational telecommunications company.

The entire world has already started to turn to the digitalised era and to the internet. This makes luxurious editions practically prohibitive, especially for such a small place like Lemnos. Along the way, Christos Kazolis creates new guides, maps, calendars, playing cards, notebooks, colouring pads, bookmarks, place mats, magnets, cups, and many other items, all centred around Lemnos.

In 2021, he creates Lemnopedia, a luxurious edition of a trivia board game about Lemnos. The 330 questions about Lemnos and the 108 destinations across the island constitute a fascinating game for ages eight and up, making Lemnos the first island in Greece to have its own board game!