Conference "The Greek Heritage of Pontus: interdisciplinary perspectives"

Welcome speeches from Representatives of the University of Jena.

Introduction of the Organizers of the event Isabella Greisinger, Thede Kahl, Vassilios Spyropoulos and
statements from Parthena Iordanidou, Anastasia Kasapidou-Dick and Dimitris Lampropoulos.

(German - Greek)

Kaum eine Region verbindet so eindrücklich Landschaft, Geschichte und Erinnerung wie der Pontos – jenes Gebiet an der südlichen Schwarzmeerküste, das über Jahrhunderte Heimat griechischer Gemeinschaften war. In seinem Vortrag „Ο Πόντος ανά τους Αιώνες“ nimmt uns der Pädagoge Efstathios Taxidis mit auf eine faszinierende Reise durch Raum und Zeit: Anhand eindrucksvoller Postkarten vom Ende des 19. und Beginn des 20. Jahrhunderts eröffnet sich ein lebendiges Bild des pontischen Lebens, von Städten und Dörfern, vom religiösen und kulturellen Erbe – aber auch von Umbrüchen und Verlusten. Der Vortrag ist mehr als eine historische Darstellung: Er ist eine visuelle Spurensuche, eine Einladung, die Vergangenheit des Pontos mit neuen Augen zu entdecken.

Πρόσκληση σε ένα ιστορικό ταξίδι στον Πόντο. Λίγες περιοχές συνδυάζουν τοπία, ιστορία και μνήμη τόσο έντονα όσο ο Πόντος – η γη στις νότιες ακτές του Εύξεινου Πόντου που για αιώνες υπήρξε πατρίδα ελληνικών κοινοτήτων. Στην ομιλία του με τίτλο «Ο Πόντος ανά τους Αιώνες», ο εκπαιδευτικός Ευστάθιος Ταξίδης μάς ταξιδεύει στον χώρο και τον χρόνο μέσα από σπάνιες καρτποστάλ του τέλους του 19ου και των αρχών του 20ού αιώνα. Οι εικόνες αυτές δεν είναι απλώς τεκμήρια του παρελθόντος· είναι παράθυρα σε έναν κόσμο που χάθηκε αλλά άφησε ανεξίτηλα ίχνη: πόλεις και χωριά, εκκλησίες και σχολεία, καθημερινή ζωή και γιορτές, αλλά και οι σκιές των διωγμών και της εξόδου. Ο Πόντος αναδύεται μέσα από τις εικόνες – ζωντανός, πολύπλευρος και συγκινητικός.

Like every young state, the Empire of Trebizond needed after its’ foundation a circle of scholars to undertake the administration of the Empire and develop imperial propaganda. The establishment of a local scholarship in Pontos progressed rather slowly, depending on the inflow of intellectuals from Byzantium (Rosenqvist 2005, 38-48). The Byzantine scholars were looking for better career opportunities at the court of the Grand Komnenoi or intended to study astronomy from translated Persian handbooks which were a result of Gregory Chioniades’ activities. Chioniades was a physician and astronomer from Constantinople who spent much of his life in Persia and in Trebizond and played an important role in the local intellectual life by offering his work to the capital city of Pontos (Kafasis 2021, 252-253).

The political instability following the death of Emperor Basileios in 1340 and the decline of Trebizond as a center of astronomical studies led to the end of the immigration of scholars from Constantinople and the development of a local scholarly circle. Their literary work was under the direct influence of Byzantine models, although we can observe some elements in language and themes expressing regional characteristics (Stefec 2023, 296-300). The lack of opportunities for quality higher education in Pontos resulted in the emigration of talented young students who left their homeland and traveled to Constantinople to study. They either returned and obtained higher positions in the service of the Grand Komnenoi, or – as the case of Bessarion suggests – they remained abroad but maintained strong ties
with their hometown (Giarenes 2007).

This paper presents a brief overview of scholars and scholarly activities in the Empire of Trebizond, the local characteristics in their literary production and their relation to the Byzantine intellectual life as well as their contribution to the so–called Palaeologan Renaissance.

Bibliography:

Giarenis, Elias. 2007. “Ὁ λόγιος καὶ ὁ γενέθλιος τόπος. Ἡ Τραπεζούντα μὲ τὸν τρόπο τοῦ
Βησσαρίωνος”, Ἐπετηρὶς Ἐταιρείας Βυζαντινῶν Σπουδῶν 53, 265-280.

Kafasis, Christos. 2021. “From Tabriz to Trebizond and Constantinople: the Ιntroduction of Persian Αstronomy into the Byzantine World (ca. 1300–1350)”, in: Charalambos Dendrinos and Ilias Giarenis (eds.), Bibliophilos. Books and Learning in the Byzantine World: Festschrift in Honour of Costas N. Constantinides, Byzantinisches Archiv 39, Berlin and Boston, 245–257.

Rosenqvist, Jan Olof 2005. “Byzantine Trebizond: A Provincial Literary Landscape”, in: Ivo Volt and Janika Päll (eds.), Byzantino-Nordica 2004: Papers presented at the International Symposium of Byzantine Studies held on 7-11 May 2004 in Tartu, Estonia, Tartu, 29-51.

Stefec, Rudolf. 2023. “Das trapezuntinische Horoskop des Jahres 1336. Ein Beitrag zur Erforschung des mittelalterlichen pontischen Dialekts”, Byzantinische Zeitschrift 116, 285-320.

One of the most remarkable features of the Central and Adler districts of Sochi, located in the
Krasnodar Krai of Russia, is the coexistence of various ethnic groups, a legacy of the Russian
Empire’s colonial policies. Among these groups, the Pontic Greeks—migrants from Ottoman
Anatolia who have resided in the area since the second half of the 19th century—stand out as a particularly large and active community.

In recent decades, the Pontic Greeks of Sochi have developed distinctive ritual practices for
celebrating Christian holidays of the Greek Orthodox Church. These practices are geographically anchored to the archaeological ruins of Byzantine-era churches, the remains of which date approximately to the 6th–14th centuries. These ruins are scattered across the districts, often in remote and mountainous terrain. In some cases, archaeological reconstructions of these churches have taken place with the active involvement of Greek community members, who claim a historical connection to the Byzantine Empire.

Based on several field studies conducted between 2019 and 2022, this paper examines the meanings that the Greek community attributes to these archaeological sites, how they connect themselves to their history, and how these dynamics influence their relationship with local authorities and the official clergy.

Crypto-Christianity in the Pontus, particularly in the region around Trabzon (Trapezunt), was a
significant social phenomenon during the Ottoman period. Many Christian communities, officially converting to Islam, secretly preserved their Christian practices and identities. This paper examines crypto-Christianity in the Pontus, focusing on the survival strategies and cultural adaptations of the people in the region. Special attention is given to the community of Istavris, whose history exemplifies this phenomenon. The study analyzes how these hidden Christian traditions continued into the present and their role in shaping the religious and cultural identity of the region.

This paper examines the interplay between migration, displacement, and cultural resilience through the experiences of Pontic Greeks and Greeks from Asia Minor. Using the dual vectors of forced displacement during the genocide (1914–1923) and economic migration during the Gastarbeiter era (post-1950), it explores how identity is both preserved and transformed across generations and geographies. The first wave of migration enabled survival amidst trauma, while the second wave sought economic stability, highlighting how different contexts shaped resilience.

Despite geographical rupture and linguistic decline, Pontic identity endures through traditions like dance and music, as core commemorative practices. These cultural pillars connect generations and anchor identities, allowing individuals to selectively engage with their heritage. For instance, those who do not speak Pontic Greek may still participate in its dances, while descendants rooted in shared narratives maintain a connection to their ancestral past without direct ties to Pontus.

The paper posits that (1) displacement fosters resilience by reinforcing collective practices in new environments and (2) identity transformation is adaptive and anchored, adapting to shifting contexts while rooted in stable cultural traditions. Using an inductive approach informed by personal observations and secondary literature analysis, this study connects Pontic Greek identity with broader Greek identity drawing upon official and communal practices. It explores how these traditions reach into the present, including artistic connections to Greek rap music that references Pontic heritage. This research contributes to discussions on cultural survival, adaptation, and the paradoxes of migration.

On 18 November 2023, the Museum of Refugee Hellenism was inaugurated at AEK’s OPAP Arena in Nea Filadelfia, Athens. This moving and historically significant institution is dedicated to preserving and showcasing the legacy of the Asia Minor, Pontic, and Constantinopolitan Greek refugees who rebuilt their lives in Greece after the forced population exchanges of the early 20th century. The museum was blessed by Metropolitan Gavriil and inaugurated by Deputy Minister Ioannis Vroutsis, with a keynote speech by Dimitris Melissanidis, who envisioned the stadium not only as a sports venue but as a center of memory and culture. Named “The Ark of Romiosyny” by famous composer Mikis Theodorakis, the museum tells the story of uprooted communities, survival, and cultural resilience through priceless relics, personal items, and multimedia exhibitions. The event was attended by political, cultural, and religious figures who emphasized the museum’s national and educational value.

Με την ποντιακή μουσική ήρθα σε επαφή για πρώτη φορά στης αρχές του 1990. Έχοντας τελειώσει σπουδές κλασικής μουσικής στην Πολωνία και με παρουσία ήδη δέκα ετών στην Ελλάδα, αυτή η επαφή μου δημιούργησε ένα μεγάλο σοκ. Το πρώτο στοιχείο που μου έκανε εντύπωση ήταν η ρυθμική αγωγή της ποντιακής μουσικής. Μου ήτανε αδύνατο να προσδιορίσω το χρόνο της μουσικής. Αμέσως αντιλήφθηκα ότι ο χρόνος της είχε να κάνει με τη ρυθμική αγωγή της ίδιας της ποντιακής διαλέκτου.

Έχοντας ζήσει ανάμεσα σε πολλούς φίλους ποντιακής καταγωγής είχα την πολύτιμη εμπειρία να ακούσω την ποντιακή διάλεκτο και με τη μουσική της έννοια. Γρήγορα κατάλαβα ότι για μένα ήταν αργά να μάθω και να κατανοήσω την διάλεκτο αυτή. Η διαδικασία κατανόησης της θα μου έπαιρνε πολλά χρόνια.

Έχοντας αναπτύξει την έντονη μουσική, παιδαγωγική και συνθετική μου δράση, μέσα μου είχε ωριμάσει η ιδέα να ενσωματώσω σε αυτή διαδικασία τα πολύτιμα στοιχεία της ποντιακής μουσικής. Ένιωσα την εσωτερική ανάγκη να την παρουσιάσω με διαφορετικό τρόπο και μάλιστα να το κάνω στην πρώτη από τις δύο μου πατρίδες, στην Πολωνία. Το πρώτο μου έργο «Τρυγόνα» παρουσιάστηκε το 2018 στην πόλη Κατοβίτσε στο Μέγαρο Μουσικής NOSPR. Το έργο «Τρυγόνα» αποτελείται από τρία μέρη. «Πουλί»’ «Γυναίκα» και «Χορός». Ήταν ένα ευγενικό κάλεσμα του πολωνικού κοινού σε ένα ταξίδι στον κόσμο του άγνωστου σε αυτό το ακροατήριο, ποντιακού ελληνισμού. Σ` αυτό μου το έργο, όπως και αργότερα σε άλλα, ενσωματώνω την ρυθμολογία, τις κλίμακες και το ήθος της ποντιακής μουσικής, σε γνώριμα για τον πολωνικό κοινό αρμονικά και ενορχηστρωτικά στοιχεία. Αργότερα το έργο αυτό πήρε την δομή της σουίτας με τίτλο » Ποντιακή Σουίτα» το οποίο εκδόθηκε στην Ελλάδα το 2022 με την ανεκτίμητη βοήθεια του Συλλόγου Ποντίων Νυρεμβέργης.

Αργότερα το 2024, ακολούθησαν δύο έργα μου για ντουέτο κλασικής κιθάρας: «Τη Τρίχας το Γεφύριν» και «Πυρρίχιος». Στις δύο αυτές συνθέσεις προσπάθησα να αναδείξω τα μελωδικά και όπως πάντα ρυθμικά στοιχεία των θεμάτων από μια πιο ιμπρεσιονιστική οπτική γωνία. Η εκτέλεση των δύο έργων, τα οποία ηχογραφήθηκαν και βιντεοσκοπήθηκαν στην Πολωνία επίσης, έγινε από δύο εξαιρετικούς κιθαρίστες τον Marcin Kuźniar και τον Radosław Wieczorek. Και αυτήν την προσπάθεια, όπως και την έκδοση τους στην Πολωνία υποστήριξε χορηγικά ο Σύλλογος Ποντίων Νυρεμβέργης.

Το τελευταίο μου έργο είναι το “Ξημέρωμα στην Όκενα”. Σε αυτό περιγράφεται η προσπάθεια τον κατοίκων του χωριού Όκενα της περιοχής Όφεως Τραπεζούντας, να διατηρήσουν τη μητρική τους γλώσσα, την ποντιακή Η δομή του έργου είναι πολυφωνική, ενώ η μελωδία βασίζεται στην κλίμακα Σαμπάχ (σημαίνει επίσης-συμπτωματικά `ξημέρωμα`). Η πολυφωνία σαν δομή εκφράζει συμβολικά την αρμονική συνύπαρξη δύο και τριών φωνών χωρίς να επιβάλλεται κυριαρχικά η μία επί των άλλων.

Ελπίζοντας ότι η μουσική σαν παγκόσμια γλώσσα πρέπει να δέχεται και να αγκαλιάζει και αυτή την τόσο πολύτιμη, αλλ` όμως τόσο άγνωστη μουσική του Πόντου, προσπαθώ με την συνθετική μου δράση να συμβάλλω σε αυτό το όχι και τόσο ακατόρθωτο επιχείρημα.

Abstract follows.

In linguistics and dialectology the atlas is an important tool, as it depicts the characteristics of a language or a dialect on maps with symbols (Chambers J.K. & Trudgill P. 1988). Such an atlas is still absent for the Modern Greek Pontic dialect in contrast to the large area and the history of Pontus, the richness and the size of the dialect and its unique place in the history and the evolution of the Greek language (Dawkins R. 1936). Its creation is a demand for the Greek dialectology and for the Pontic dialect itself as it contributes to a better knowledge and to the strengthening of its function. The atlas presents the geography, the history of Pontus and the Pontic dialect, and the characteristics in the various fields of the linguistic analysis: phonetics, phonology, morphology and vocabulary with examples and texts (Παπαδόπουλος Α. 1955, 1958-61, Τομπαΐδης Δ. 1988, Χατζησαββίδης Σ. 1985). If there is a gap in the data, additional research should be conducted in conservative communities. This work raises many issues which are examined in relation to the theoretical framework, the research principles, and the scientific practices applied in Europe and Greece in this field. The aim is to renew the discussion about the Altas of Pontic Dialect and to formulate a working proposal.

Bibliography

CHAMBERS, J.K., TRUDGILL, PETER 1998: Dialectology. Cambridge.

Dawkins, Richard M., 1936: The Pontic Dialect of Modern Greek in Asia Minor and Russia.

Παπαδόπουλος, Α., 1955: Ιστορική Γραμματική της Ποντικής Διαλέκτου. Αθήνα.

Παπαδόπουλος, Α.; 1958-61: Ιστορικόν Λεξικόν της Ποντικής Διαλέκτου. Αθήνα.

Τομπαΐδης, Δημήτρης, 1988: Η ποντιακή διάλεκτος. Διαλεκτικά χαρακτηριστικά, κατάταξη ιδιωμάτων, διαλεκτικά κείμενα. Αρχείον Πόντου, παράρτημα 17. Αθήνα: Επιτροπή Ποντιακών Μελετών.

Χατζησαββίδης, Σωφρόνης Α., 1985: Φωνολογική ανάλυση της ποντιακής διαλέκτου. Θεσσαλονίκη.

Vassilios Spyropoulos (National and Kapodistrian University of Athens) & Anthi Revithiadou (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki)

Pontic Greek originally consisted of a group of dialectal varieties spoken at the northeastern coast of Asia Minor. Although these varieties shared a common grammatical core, which defined them as a distinct linguistic group, there was substantial variation concerning a significant number of grammatical phenomena (Dawkins 1931, 1937, Papadopoulos 1933, 1955, Oeconomides 1958). In this paper we examine the variation attested in some of these grammatical phenomena, in order to illustrate that it is not accidental but, rather, it exhibits systematic patterns. We further claim that the incentive of this variation is found in both conservativisms and novel developments. The former involves old structures that were in the course of decay or disappearance, a process that was attested in variable stages in the relevant varieties. The latter pertains to new features that were set in motion in certain varieties or reached different stages of completion in others. Thus, variation opens a window to the development of the dialect in its course of history. In particular, our investigation will focus on the following phenomena: (a) vowel fusion of the diphthongs ea/ia and eo/io, (b) palatalization/affrication of certain dorsal consonants before front vowels, (c) omission of the article, (d) infinitival forms and constructions, (e) aspect neutralization in subjunctive and future syntagms, and (f) the spread of the plural inflectional pattern -i/-us. In addition, we will examine the fate of these phenomena and the relevant variation in the Pontic spoken nowadays in Greece. We will show that the relevant changes are associated with the formation of a Pontic Koine (Chadzisavidis 1995, Tombaidis 1992, 1996), and reveal three main strategies in its shaping: (a) pausing the course of certain novel developments by retreating to previous stages, which were possibly common to most Pontic varieties and resemble the corresponding Standard Modern Greek constructions, (b) spreading a development or a linguistic feature that was considered to be characteristic of the Pontic identity, (c) speeding up the disappearance of a certain conservativism and its subsequent developments in specific varieties.

References

Chadzisavidis, S. 1995. Τα ποντιακά στον ελλαδικό χώρο [Pontic in Greece]. Αρχείον Πόντου [Pontus Archive] 46: 47-72.

Dawkins, R. 1931. Notes on the study of the Modern Greek of Pontos. Byzantion 6: 389-400.

Dawkins, R. 1937. The Pontic dialect of Modern Greek in Asia Minor and Russia. Transactions of the Philological Society 36: 15-52.

Oeconomides. D. 1958. Γραμματική της Ελληνικής Διαλέκτου του Πόντου [Grammar of Pontic Greek]. Athens.

Papadopoulos, A. 1933. Συμβολή εις την έρευναν της Ποντικής Διαλέκτου (ήτοι γραμματικά και συντακτικά ζητήματα) [Α contribution to the study of Pontic Dialect: Grammatical and syntactic issues]. Αθηνά [Athina] 45: 15-48.

Papadopoulos, A. 1955. Ιστορική Γραμματική της Ποντικής Διαλέκτου [Historical Grammar of Pontic Greek]. Athens.

Tombaidis, D. 1992. Η τύχη των μικρασιατικών ιδιωμάτων στον ελληνικό χώρο [The fate of the Asia Minor dialects in Greece]. Centre for Asia Minor Studies Bulletin 9: 241-250.

Tombaidis, D. 1996. Η Ποντιακή διάλεκτος [The Pontic dialect]. In D. Tombaidis (ed.), Μελετήματα Ποντιακής Διαλέκτου [Studies on the Pontic Dialect], 222-233. Θεσσαλονίκη: Κώδικας.

Pontic is a member of the Hellenic branch of the Indo-European languages that developed out
of the Ionian dialects of Ancient Greek. The history of the endangered Asia Minor Greek dia-
lect group Pontic is characterized by a complex (interplay of) external and internal language
history. Within the Pontic dialect group, there is subdialectal microvariation (Sitaridou 2014),
but also koineization (Sitaridou 2014, Spyropoulos & Revithiadou to appear). The most con-
servative form of Pontic can be found in its place of origin at the southern coast of the Black
Sea in Pontus (Dawkins 1937, Bortone 2009), where it is still spoken today. Existing literature
focusses on Pontic subvarieties in situ (Turkey) and ex situ in countries like, e.g., Greece and
Russia (Dawkins 1937, Drettas 1997, Kahl 2008, Mackridge 1987, Oikonomidis 1958, Papado-
poulos 1953, 1955, Ralli 2020, Revithiadou & Spyropoulos 2012, Sitaridou 2014, Spyropoulos
2020, Spyropoulos & Revithiadou to appear, amongst others).

This work discusses Pontic in Germany, where a new ecosystem of Pontic emerges, from both
a diachronic and synchronic perspective. Based on own data gathered from fieldwork with the
Pontic Greek community in North Rhine-Westfalia, the external and internal language history
of Pontic in Germany and their interplay are investigated. Regarding the external language
history, data from biographical-narrative interviews are analysed with respect to the sociolin-
guistic situation of Pontic Greeks in Germany, focussing on the vitality of Pontic. As for the
internal language history, Pontic data from native speakers of Pontic in Germany are com-
pared to each other and to own Pontic data from native speakers in Greece regarding (mi-
cro)variation on the (morpho)syntactic and semantic level. Concerning the interplay of exter-
nal and internal language history, the consequences of the intense contact between Pontic
Greek and common Greek for the form of Pontic can be seen, for example, at the (morpho)syn-
tactic level.

Bibliography

Bortone, Pietro. 2009. Greek with no models, history, or standard: Muslim Pontic Greek. In:
Alexandra Georgakopoulou & Michael Silk (eds.), Standard languages and language standards:
Greek, past and present, p. 67-89. London: Centre for Hellenic Studies.

Dawkins, Richard M. 1937. The Pontic dialect of Modern Greek in Asia Minor and Russia.
Transactions of the Philological Society 36. 15-52.

Drettas, George. 1997. Aspects pontiques. Paris: Association de recherches pluridisciplinaires.
Kahl, Thede. 2008. Die griechischsprachigen Muslime im Südosten des Schwarzen Meeres
(Pontos). Εξάντας (Eksantas) 4. 12-25.

Mackridge, Peter. 1987. Greek-Speaking Moslems of North-East Turkey: Prolegomena to study
of the Ophitic Sub-Dialect of Pontic. Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies 11. 115-137.

Michelioudakis, Dimitris & Ioanna Sitaridou. 2013. Multiple wh-fronting across Pontic Greek
dialects. Online Proceedings of the 5th International Conference of Modern Greek Dialects and Lin-
guistic Theory (MGDLT4), Chios, 11-14 June 2009. p. 353-378.

Oikonomidis, Dimosthenis. 1958. Γραμματική της Ελληνικής Διαλέκτου του Πόντου. Αθήνα:
Ακαδημία Αθηνών.

Papadopoulos, Anthimos A. 1955. Ιστορική Γραμματική της Ποντικής Διαλέκτου (Historical Gram-
mar of the Pontic Dialect). Αθήνα (Athens): Επιτροπή Ποντιακών Μελετών (The Committee
for Pontic Studies), supplement I.

Papadopoulos, Άnthimos A. 1953. Χαρακτηριστικά της ποντικής διαλέκτου. Αρχείον Πόντου
18. 83-93.

Ralli, Angela. 2020. Matter versus pattern borrowing in compounding: Evidence from the Asia
Minor Greek dialectal variety. Morphology, 30 (4). 423-446.

Revithiadou, Anthi & Vassilios Spyropoulos. 2012. Οφίτικα: Πτυχές της Γραμματικής Δομής μίας
Ποντιακής Διαλέκτου. Thessaloniki: Kyriakidis Brothers.

Sitaridou, Ioanna. 2014. The Romeyka infinitive. Continuity, contact and change in the Hel-
lenic varieties of Pontus. Diachronica 31 (1). 23-73.

Spyropoulos, Vassilios. 2020. Abstract and morphological case in a nominative – accusative
system with differential case marking. In A. Bárány & L. Kalin (Eds.), Case, Agreement, and
their Interactions: New Perspectives on Differential Argument Marking. De Gruyter. p. 175-218.

Spyropoulos, Vassilios & Anthi Revithiadou. to appear. Αναζητώντας την ταυτότητα της
Ποντιακής στον ελληνικό χώρο: Από τη διαλεκτική ποικιλότητα στη διαμόρφωση μιας
Kοινής; [Searching for the identity of the Pontic in the Greek land: From dialectical diversity
to the formation of a Koine.]. In: Christos Tzitzilis & Giorgos Papanastasiou (eds.), Koine,
Koines, and the Formation of Standard Modern Greek. Θεσσαλονίκη: Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών
Σπουδών [Thessaloniki: Institute of Modern Greek Studies].

The present paper aims to contribute to the academic discussion for a sustainable - in environmental, socioeconomic but also political terms - development of the Black Sea in its broader sense. In the first part we provide a literature review that highlights the importance of Pontian Greeks in the main periods of the history of the region, starting from the late Byzantine time till the time of Pontian Genocide, as well as the main characteristics in terms of sectoral structure and types of cross-regional economic relations. In the second part, we proceed with an ambitious economic and political assessment of actual contemporary contribution of Pontian community in the region, along with an evaluation of its networking, being institutionalized or not. Based on the above and considering the documented main challenges for the sustainable development of the Black Sea, we conclude on the importance of strengthening, linking and progressively collaborating historical ethnocultural identities in the region.

Indicative relevant literature:

Ασδραχάς Σπύρος, 2003, Ελληνική οικονομική ιστορία: 15ο - 19ο αίωνας, Πολιτιστικό Ίδρυμα Ομίλου Πειραιώς.

Black Sea Sustainability Report 2024, SDSN Black Sea, UN, 2024, https://sdsn-blacksea.auth.gr/reports/

Lyratzopoulou Domna, Grigoris Zarotiadis, 2014 Black Sea: Old trade routes and current perspectives of socioeconomic co-operation, Procedia Economics and Finance 9, 74-82.

Φωτιάδης Κωνσταντίνος, 1999, Ο Ελληνισμός της Ρωσίας και της Σοβιετικής Ένωσης, Εκδόσεις Ηρόδοτος.

Φωτιάδης Κωνσταντίνος, 1999, Η Γενοκτονία των Ελλήνων του Πόντου, Εκδοτικός Οίκος Σταμούλη.

Χασιώτης Ιωάννης, 1997, Οι Έλληνες της Ρωσίας και της Σοβιετικής Ένωσης – Μετοικεσίες και Εκτοπισμοί – Οργάνωση και Ιδεολογία, University Studio Press.

Χιονίδης Κωνσταντίνος, Οι Έλληνες στις παραλίες του Πόντου Σινώπη, Αμισός, Κοτύωρα, Κερασούς, Τραπεζούς : 1300 π.Χ. μέχρι σήμερα, Εκδοτικός οίκος Αδελφών Κυριακίδη.

Zarotiadis Grigoris, Domna Lyratzopoulou, 2015, Rebuilding socio-economic cooperation in South East Europe and the Black Sea for restarting European integration, Eurasian Journal of Social Sciences 3 (4), 46-52.

The Master's Program in Creative Writing at the University of Western Macedonia is introducing an innovative and groundbreaking new direction focusing on the History and Writing of Pontic Literature. This initiative constitutes a significant effort to highlight the history and folklore of Pontic Hellenism, not only as subjects of academic study but also as sources of inspiration for contemporary literary production.

This approach seeks to bridge historical knowledge with literary expression, allowing postgraduate students to explore the multiple possibilities of linguistic and narrative engagement that the Pontic heritage offers. Through systematic study and in-depth research into the Pontic literary tradition, the program aspires not only to showcase the past and the cultural richness of the Pontic people but also to establish a contemporary incubator of writers with historical awareness and cultural literacy.

Through creative writing, participants are invited to renegotiate the linguistic and cultural structures of Pontic literature, treating the dialect as a living and dynamic expressive medium. This academic direction lays the groundwork for the literary revitalization of the Pontic dialect and its preservation as an integral element of the cultural identity of Pontic Hellenism.

This presentation will examine the challenges and prospects of this initiative, focusing on the potential of creative writing to ensure the sustainability of Pontic literature, foster historical consciousness, and establish a meaningful connection between tradition and the contemporary literary and cultural landscape.

This presentation examines the perspectives of Pontic Greek speakers on language attrition, endangerment, and revitalization. Drawing on qualitative interviews across multiple generations, I investigate how historical language policies and sociocultural dynamics have shaped linguistic attitudes and practices. The study contrasts the experiences of elderly speakers, who recall language shaming and pressures to conform to Standard Greek, with those of the middle generation, who navigated the aftermath of educational reforms in the 1960s and 1970s, shaped by linguistic standardization. These policies intensified language stigma and contributed to the decline of Pontic Greek in social and familial settings. In contrast, the younger generation (aged 20–40) has encountered less discrimination and is now actively engaged in revitalization through writing, music, socio-cultural activities and digital initiatives. The challenges faced today by the Pontic Greek community in Greece and their efforts to revitalize and document the language clearly underscore the critical role of cultural acquisition in linguistic preservation while reflecting the broader global concerns about language endangerment and cultural loss.

By integrating community perspectives with recent scholarly insights, I explore perspectives on language attrition and revitalization while emphasizing the agency of speakers in preserving their linguistic heritage. Drawing also on studies of intergenerational transmission, such as Valdés (2016), who examines the role of community involvement in heritage language education, I address similar challenges within the Pontic Greek context. The transmission of language within families, particularly among the middle generation, remains crucial (Forrest, 2018; Purkarthofer, 2020) but is increasingly threatened by the loss of fluent elderly speakers. Finally, by applying Bradley & Bradley’s (2019) framework of language endangerment, I assess contemporary reclamation strategies and the urgent need for language along with cultural acquisition—whether passive or naturalistic—among children, as expressed by interviewees.

I conclude by arguing that the community’s shift from language shame to pride, mirroring grassroots movements across Europe’s minority language groups, has the potential to transform a historically marginalized language into an ever growing symbol of linguistic resilience.

References:

Valdés, G. (2016). From language maintenance and intergenerational transmission to language survivance: will "heritage language" education help or hinder? International Journal of the Sociology of Language, 2016(239), 1–18. degruyter.com

Purkarthofer, T. (2020). Intergenerational challenges: Of handing down languages, passing on identities, and the role of education. Universität Duisburg-Essen. duepublico2.uni-due.de

Forrest, W. (2018). The intergenerational transmission of Australian Indigenous languages: why language maintenance programmes should be family-focused. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 41(2), 303–323. tandfonline.com

Bradley, D., & Bradley, M. (2019). Language Endangerment. Cambridge University Press. cambridge.org

Hinton, L., Huss, L., & Roche, G. (Eds.) (2018). The Routledge Handbook of Language Revitalization. Routledge. taylorfrancis.com

In Pontus, Greek newspapers have been appeared since the 1880s and became immediately an important tool for keeping and strengthening Greek identity in the region. Shortly afterwards it was geographically extended and Greek newspapers were established by the Pontian activists in different places of the Russian empire with a significant number of Greek population. Among them, a Georgian littoral city of Batoum (Batumi) had a special place. Even its name has Greek roots as it comes from the Greek Vathy. This city enjoyed growing economic development since the 1880s until the First World War. This progress happened due to its important strategic location and very convenient port. At that period it was an unrivaled port-city in the whole Caucasus and eastern shores of the Black sea.  As it was the nearest non-ottoman port to Trabzon, it attracted many Pontians who preferred to settle here. Shortly, they became very active in every field of Batoum’s life: political, social, economic, business and religious-cultural.  They had their typography which published regularly newspapers and books in Greek. These Greek newspapers offer valuable information about Greeks in Batoum and the whole Russian empire, promoting their national ideals on Pontus. These newspapers were never investigated systematically. All of them are a valuable source for investigation of Pontian Greeks’ activities and struggle outside Pontus.  

In the current paper we shall present all this material and how it can be evaluated for diaspora studies. We shall examine unknown aspects of the struggle for Pontus independence outside of this region and important but less known personalities. The question which can be arose based on this study is what was the role of Georgia’s Greek diaspora in the processes taken place in Pontus and how it is mirrored in Greek newspapers issued in Georgia.

References:

Θεοφύλακτος Θεοφυλάκτου, Γύρω στην άσβεστη φλόγα, Θεσσαλονίκη, 1997

Volume of articles about Timoleon Triantafyllides (Τιμολέων Τριανταφυλλίδης) in Georgian, Tbilisi, 1987 

Some issues of the following Greek newspeprs published in Georgia: Ethniki Drasi (Εθνική Δράση), Argonautis (Αργοναύτης), Eleftheros Pontos (Ελεύθερος Πόντος)   

From the time of the Greek colonisation, Pontic Greeks have been continuously present in the region of today's Abkhazia, which was a part of ancient Colchis. In the modern era, 19th century Ottoman-Russian wars, later on the Young Turk genocide on Asia Minor Christians led to an influx of Pontic Greek refugees into it [12]. After the 1923 treaty of Lausanne, Greeks continued to stay in the Black Sea region of the Soviet Union, but became victims of repression in the 1930s [4(193)]. In 1949, apparently connected to the defeat of the anti-imperialist forces in the Greek Civil War, the Stalin regime deported approximately 27,000 Abkhazian Greeks to Central Asia, from where a quarter managed to return up to ten years later [3, 5, 7, 10, 11, 12, 15-17, 19, 21, 24 (155-156), 25].

Greeks then again played an active role in the multi-ethnic Abkhaz society. A few examples of this are to be given [5,6,12,23]. In Abkhazia, after the dissolution of the Soviet Union which took place at the end of 1991, ethnic tensions between Abkhazians and Kartvelians escalated. Two weeks after Georgia in its Soviet borders had become a member of the UN with a non-elected military coup leadership, the latter started the 1992-1993 war against Abkhazia, claiming that Abkhazia is a part of Georgia [8(123-124),9,12,14(125),15-17,23,24(144,157-158)]. The invaders attacked Abkhaz and other non-Kartvelian people [18(87-88),22(13-18)], amongst them 453 Greeks were killed [13(17)], and erased cultural heritage, including that of Pontic Greeks [1,2(141),4(256),9,22(17),23,24(156,161)]. Those events caused the vast majority of Greeks to leave Abkhazia. Most of the Greeks left their homes for Southern Russia, or Greece [5,12,17,20]. While there were counted more than 14,000 Greeks in Abkhazia in 1989, only some 1,400 were remaining there in 2016 [5,12]. The unsecure situation, later on especially the difficult economic situation in Abkhazia has prevented Pontic Greeks from returning to Abkhazia [17(259-260)].

Sources

1. Ajinjal, E. K.: Vandals of the end of the XXth century. Apsnyteka. 2025. URL: http://apsnyteka.org/1063-ajinjal_e_stati.html#7

2. Anchabadze, Jurij: History: The modern period. In: Hewitt, Georges (red.): Аҧсуаа. The Abkhazians. St. Martin's Press, New York 1998. pp. 132-146.

3. Arden 2019 = Арден, Аян: Депортация. Греки, от которых отказалась родина. Qazaqstan Tarihy [Arden, Ayan: The deportation. The Greeks, who were abandoned by their homeland. Kazakhstan's History]. 12.04.2019. URL: https://e-history.kz/ru/news/show/4487

4. Ascherson, Neal: Svarta havet [The Black Sea]. Transl. Lars G. Larsson. Ordfront förlag, Stockholm 1997.

5. Basilyevskiy 2023 = Басилевский, Кирилл: Операция "Золотое руно". Как спасали греков в Абхазии в 1993 году. PRO Абхазию с Кириллом Базилевским [Basilyevskiy, Cyrill: Operation „Golden Fleece“. How the Greeks in Abkhazia were saved in 1993. PRO Abkhazia with Cyrill Basilyevskiy]. 18.08.2023. URL: https :// dzen . ru / a / ZN 4 WY 6 s 7 kVvgVSvv

6. Bumburidi 2006 = Бумбуриди, Полихрон Петрович: История "Маленькой Греции" в стране Апсны - души Абхазии. Афины 2006 [Bumburidi, Polykhron Petrovich: The history of „Little Greece“ in the country of the soul, Apsny/Abkhazia. Athens 2006]. Own press. Russian and Greek. URL: http://apsnyteka.org/file/bumburidi_p_istoria_malenkoy_gretsii_v_strane_apsny_dushi_abkhazii.pdf

7. Chengelidis 2020 = Ченгелидис. Василий: 13 июня 1949 года: Депортация греков СССР в Среднюю Азию (= Григориадис, Георгиос (ред.): Греческий Сухумский Вѣстникъ #162). Афинский курьер 12 (2020) 24-25 [Chengelidis, Vasiliy: 13th of June, 1949: The deportation of the Greeks of the USSR towards Central Asia (= Grigoriadis, Georgios (red.): The Sukhum Greek Yearbook, No. 162). The Athens Courier 12 (2020) 24-25]. URL: http://www.hecucenter.ru/up/-162.pdf

8. Chirikba, V. A.: The independence of the Republic of Abkhazia in light of international law. Centre for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Abkhazia; Academy of Sciences of Abkhazia, Sukhum 2024. URL: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/388357305

9. CW 2008 = Circassian World: Abkhazia's archive: fire of war, ashes of history. Video. 30.11.2008. YouTube. URL: https :// youtu . be /7 lcNIQ 6 fhcU

10. Dzhukha 2006 = Джуха, И. Г.: Греческая операция: История репрессий против греков в СССР. Алетейя, Санкт-Петербург 2006 [Dzhukha, I. G.: The Greek operation: the history of repression against the Greeks in the USSR. Aleteia, St. Petersburg 2006].

11. Dzhukha 2008 = Джуха, И. Г.: Спецэшелоны идут на восток. История репрессий против греков в СССР: депортации 1940-х гг. Алетейя, Санкт-Петербург 2008 [Dzhukha, I. G. Special trains are heading east. The history of repressions against the Greeks in the USSR: the deportations of the 1940s. Aleteia, St. Petersburg 2008]. URL: https://www.demoscope.ru/weekly/2008/0355/print.php [some tables from the book]

12. Gogoryan 2022 = Гогорян, Анаид: Мы есть, мы сохранились [Gogoryan, Anaid: We are, we have been preserved]. Asarkia Info. 27.11.2022. URL: http://asarkia.info/culture-and-society/57/2541/

13. Grigoriadis 2017 = Γρηγοριάδης, Γεώργιος: Ο Ελληνισμός στο Σουχούμ της Αμπχαζίας από τα αρχαία χρόνια μέχρι σήμερα [The Hellenism of Sukhum in Abkhazia from the oldest times until today]. Part 2. Ποντιακή γνώμη [Pontic opinion] 6 (2017) 16-17. URL: http://apsnyteka.org/file/Sukhum_Grigoriadis_B_opt.pdf

14. Hewitt, B. G.: Discordant Neighbours: A Reassessment of the Georgian-Abkhazian and Georgian-South Ossetian Conflicts. Brill, Leiden 2013. URL: https://oceanofpdf.com/authors/b-george-hewitt/pdf-discordant-neighbours-a-reassessmentof-the-georgian-abkhazian-and-georgian-south-ossetian-conflicts-download/

15. Ioanidi 1990 = Иоаниди, Н. Н.: Греки в Абхазии. Очерки истории греческого населения Абхазской АССР. Алашара, Сухуми 1990 [Ioanidi, N. N.: The Greeks in Abkhazia. Sketches on the history of the Greek population of the Abkhazian ASSR. Alashara, Sukhumi 1990]. URL: https :// yadi . sk / i / P 7 PmAoSsmxFjYg

16. Ioanidi 2006 = Иоаниди, Н. Н.: 1949 год (технология преступления). Государственное архивное управление Республики Абхазия, Сухум 2006 [Ioanidi, N. N.: The year 1949 (The technology of crime). Direction of the State Archives of the Republic of Abkhazia, Sukhum 2006]. URL: http://apsnyteka.org/file/Ioanidi_1949_tehnologiya_prestupleniya.pdf

17. Ioannidis 2013 = Ν. Ν. Ιωαννίδης: Οι Έλληνες της Αμπχαζίας. Ιστορική μελέτη του ελληνικού πληθυσμού της Αμπχαζίας. Ελληνική-ρωσική έκδοση. Παπασωτηρίου, Αθήνα 2013 [The Greeks of Abkhazia. Historical study of the Greek population of Abkhazia. Papasoteriou, Athens 2013]. URL: https://yadi.sk/i/hwLmnUMt5mLv-A

18. Kazenin 2007 = Казенин, К. И. (ред.): Грузино-абхазский конфликт 1917-1992. Изд Европа [The Georgian-Abkhaz conflict. Ed. Europe], Moscow 2007.

19. Keshanidi 2015 = Кешаниди, Христофор: Выселение греков СССР в 1949 году. Афины 2015 [Keshanidi, Christophor: The eviction of the Greeks of the USSR in the year 1949. Athens 2015]. URL: http://apsnyteka.org/file/Keshanidi_Vyselenie_grekov_SSSR_v_1949_godu_2015.pdf

20. Keshanidis 2024 = Кешанидис, Христофор: Испытания, выпавшие на долю греков, при переезде из Абхазии в Грецию и мои соображения о будущем Понта. Общество греков «Рифей», Свердловская региональная общественная организация [Keshanidis, Christophor: Trials that befell the Greeks when moving from Abkhazia to Greece and my thoughts on the future of Pontus. Association of Greeks „Rifei“, Sverdlovsk Regional Societal Organisation]. 14.07.2024. URL: https://greek.su/?p=17095

21. Pohl, J. Otto: Ethnic Cleansing in the USSR, 1937–1949. Chapter 9: Greeks. Greenwood Press, London 1999. pp. 119–128.

22. UNPO 1992 = Ennals, Lord, Margery Farrar, Alvaro Pinto Scholtbach, Linnart Maell, Michael van Walt van Praag, Charlotte Hille/Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization: Report of a UNPO Mission to Abkhazia, Georgia and the Northern Caucasus. November 1992. URL: https://www.unpo.org/downloads/AbkGeo1992Report.pdf

23. Waal, Thomas de: Abkhazia's archive: fire of war, ashes of history. Open Democracy. October 2006. URL: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/abkhazia_archive_4018jsp

24. Waal, Thomas de: The Caucasus. An Introduction. Oxford University Press, Oxford 2010. pp. 147-166.

25. Yesiava 2020 = Есиава, Бадри: Унесенные "Волной": история депортации абхазских греков. Спутник/Наш Сухум [Yesiava, Badri: Those taken away by the ”Wave”: the history of the deportation of the Abkhaz Greeks. Sputnik/Our Sukhum]. 17.06.2020. URL: https://vk.com/@nash_sukhum-unesenye-volnoi-istoriya-deportacii-abhazskih-grekov

Η Ποντιακή Ελληνική, μια ιστορική διάλεκτος με ρίζες στην αρχαιότητα, έχει εξελιχθεί υπό την επίδραση ποικίλων γλωσσικών, κοινωνικών και πολιτισμικών παραγόντων. Η παρούσα εισήγηση αναλύει τους βασικούς παράγοντες που συνέβαλαν στη διαμόρφωση της Ποντιακής, εξετάζοντας τόσο τις εσωτερικές γλωσσολογικές διεργασίες όσο και τις εξωτερικές επαφές με άλλες γλώσσες και πολιτισμούς.

Επιπλέον, θα παρουσιαστεί η σημερινή χρήση της διαλέκτου, οι κύριες προκλήσεις που αντιμετωπίζει στην επιβίωση και τη διατήρησή της, καθώς και οι δυνατότητες αναζωογόνησής της σε σύγχρονα πλαίσια. Ιδιαίτερη έμφαση θα δοθεί σε προτάσεις για την ενίσχυση της εκπαίδευσης στην Ποντιακή, την αξιοποίηση των νέων τεχνολογιών και την προώθηση της γλώσσας σε πολιτιστικές και ακαδημαϊκές πρωτοβουλίες.

Μέσα από αυτή τη μελέτη, επιδιώκεται μια συνολική αποτίμηση της κατάστασης της Ποντιακής σήμερα και η διαμόρφωση προτάσεων που μπορούν να συμβάλουν στη μελλοντική της βιωσιμότητα.

Ο 19ος αιώνας, περίοδος σημαντικών παγκόσμιων αλλαγών, σηματοδότησε μια καθοριστική δημογραφική μεταβολή στα παράλια του Πόντου. Μέχρι τον 18ο αιώνα, δεν παρατηρούνται μαζικές μεταναστεύσεις προς την περιοχή, όμως από τον 19ο αιώνα, λόγω οικονομικών κυρίως παραμέτρων, παρατηρούνται συνεχείς μεταναστευτικές ροές. Οι μετακινήσεις των Ποντίων κατά τον 19ο αιώνα προς διάφορους προορισμούς εντός και εκτός του Πόντου είναι ευρέως γνωστές, καθώς και η εξάπλωση τους στη Μικρασία, τη Ρωσία και άλλες περιοχές. Σχετικά με τις εγκαταστάσεις πληθυσμών στον Πόντο, παρατηρούνται κατά τη διάρκεια του 19ου και 20ου αιώνα μεμονωμένα περιστατικά εμπορικών μεταναστεύσεων, κυρίως στα μεγάλα λιμάνια της Τραπεζούντας και της Σαμψούντας. Έμποροι από τη Μικρά Ασία, τα νησιά του βορειοανατολικού Αιγαίου και την ηπειρωτική Ελλάδα, αντιλαμβάνονται τις περιοχές αυτές ως ελκυστικά εμπορικά κέντρα και εγκαθίστανται εκεί. Ωστόσο, η πιο σημαντική εγκατάσταση χριστιανικού πληθυσμού, μη ποντιακής καταγωγής, ήταν αυτή των Καππαδοκών. Προερχόμενοι κυρίως από τις αγροτικές περιοχές της Καισάρειας και της Νίγδης, εγκαταστάθηκαν σε πόλεις του δυτικού Πόντου, δημιούργησαν ισχυρές κοινότητες, ενίσχυσαν το χριστιανικό πληθυσμό αλλάζοντας τις περισσότερες φορές το δημογραφικό χάρτη των περιοχών όπου εγκαταστάθηκαν. Η Σαμψούντα, χαρακτηριστικό παράδειγμα, εξελίχθηκε σε μια ισχυρή οικονομικά πόλη κατά τον 19ο αιώνα και αποτέλεσε έναν σημαντικό τόπο πολιτιστικής αλληλεπίδρασης μεταξύ Καππαδοκών και Ποντίων, διαμορφώνοντας μια ξεχωριστή κοινωνική και πολιτιστική ταυτότητα που άφησε ανεξίτηλο αποτύπωμα στην τοπική ιστορία. Σκοπός της μελέτης αυτής είναι να αναδείξει τα παραπάνω μέσω βιβλιογραφικής επισκόπησης και μελέτης αρχειακού υλικού.

Ενδεικτική βιβλιογραφία:

Κουλοχέρης, Ι., Η Αμισός και τα πάθη της, εκδ. οικ. Αδελφών Κυριακίδη, Θεσσαλονίκη, 1991.

Μουρέλος, Ι., επιμ., Η Έξοδος, τόμος Β΄, Κέντρο Μικρασιατικών Σπουδών, Αθήνα, 2004.

Νικολαΐδης, Κ., Οι Ρωμιοί της Υοσγάτης και του Μεταλλείου Άκνταγ, Γιαννιτσά, 2014.

Νικολαΐδου-Ντάναση, Κ., Καισάρεια, Α΄ τόμος, Θεσσαλονίκη, 2017.

Ρενιέρη, Ε., ≪Ανδρονίκιο: Ένα καππαδοκικό χωριό κατά το 19ο αιώνα≫, Μνήμων15, 1993.

Ρίζος, Σ., Η Σινασός, τόμος Α΄, Κέντρο Μικρασιατικών Σπουδών, Αθήνα, 2007.

Σαμουηλίδης, Χ., Η Αμισός (Σαμψούντα) και η περιφέρειά της, εκδ. οικ. Αδελφών Κυριακίδη, Θεσσαλονίκη, 2004.

This presentation provides an overview of the Pontic Greek diaspora, beginning with a historical review of migration and displacement waves over time. It then focuses on the current demographic situation of Pontic Greeks worldwide, with particular attention to regions of specific interest. The presentation will explore efforts at both national and international levels to address the so-called "Pontic issue" through cultural, humanitarian, and legal means, highlighting the contributions of both organized groups and individuals. Additionally, it will examine the ongoing efforts of the diaspora to preserve Pontic identity and secure moral recognition and justice for the victims of past atrocities. The presentation concludes with reflections and proposals for the institutional integration of repatriated communities and the potential role of state bodies in supporting cultural and political engagement in the international arena.

Since Antiquity, Greek has been spoken in Asia Minor and at the southern Black Sea coast. Muslim Pontic Greek (MPG, also: Romeyka) is an Asia Minor Greek variety still spoken in situ by several thousand Muslim speakers in Trabzon Province in Turkey (Sitaridou 2013). Due to the remote mountainous setting, MPG displays considerable micro-variation and has preserved unique archaic traits from older stages of Greek which are absent from other modern Greek varieties. After continuous language contacts with Turkish for several hundred years, MPG is currently facing language endangerment and shift towards Turkish (Sitaridou 2014: 28-29). Despite of a solid body of research on Christian Pontic Greek in Greece today (Drettas 1997; Revithiadou & Spyropoulos 2009, i.a.) and in Pontus prior to 1923 (Deffner 1878; Parcharidis 1880, 1888; Dawkins 1931, 1937), less research is available for MPG (but see Mackridge 1987; Sitaridou 2013; Neocleous 2020; Schreiber 2018, 2024, in press).

This paper investigates the linguistic situation of MPG in present-day Turkiye with a focus on (a) ethnographic language vitality, and (b) structural effects of bilingualism and language contact with the majority language Turkish. The current sociolinguistic situation is affected by language policies, identity issues, and both in- and out-group ambivalent attitudes towards MPG which accelerate language decline (Schreiber & Sitaridou 2017, Schreiber in press). Structurally, the grammar of MPG clearly shows influence of Turkish. Yet, language shift is not so much taking place at the structural level but rather in the pragmatic choices of bilingual speakers that reflect inhomogeneous speech groups and strong individual differences in language competence and use.

Research is based on ethnographic fieldwork in the Trabzon area since 2013, and more recent linguistic fieldwork within the scope of a PhD project on the grammar of Romeyka (Schreiber 2024).

References:

Dawkins, Richard. M. 1931. Notes on the study of the Modern Greek of Pontos. Byzantion 6. 389–400.

Dawkins, Richard M. 1937. The Pontic dialect of Modern Greek in Asia Minor and Russia. Transactions of the Philological Society 36. 15–52.

Deffner, Michael. 1878. Die Infinitive in den pontischen Dialekten und die zusammengesetzten Zeiten im Neugriechischen. Monatsberichte der Königlich Preussischen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin, 191–230. Berlin: Buchdruckerei der Königlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften.

Drettas, Georges. 1997. Aspects pontiques. Paris: Association de Recherches Pluridisciplinaires.

Mackridge, Peter. 1987. Greek-Speaking Moslems of North-East Turkey: Prolegomena to study of the Ophitic sub-dialect of Pontic. Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies 11. 115–137.

Neocleous, Nicolaos. 2020. Word order and information structure in Romeyka: A syntax and semantics interface account of order in a minimalist system. Cambridge: University of Cambridge dissertation.

Parcharidis, Ioannis. 1880. Γραμματική της διαλέκτου Τραπεζουντος: Περί επιθέτων, αντωνυμιών και βαρυτόνων ρημάτων. Χειρόγραφο 335, Κέντρο Ερεύνης των Νεοελληνικών Διαλέκτων και Ιδιωμάτων, Ακαδημία Αθηνών.

Parcharidis, Ioannis. 1888. Συλλoγή ζώντων μνημείων της αρχαίας ελληνικής γλώσσας εν Όφει. O εν Kωνσταντινoυπόλει Eλληνικός Φιλoλoγικός Σύλλoγoς 18 (1883-1884). 120–178.

Revithiadou, Anthoula & Vasilis Spyropoulos. 2009. Οφίτικη Ποντιακή: Έρευνα Γλωσσικής Καταγραφής με Έμφαση στη Διαχρονία και Συγχρονία της Διαλέκτου [Ofitiki Pontiaki: Language recording research with emphasis on the diachrony and synchronicity of the dialect]. Athens: John’s Latsis Public Benefit Foundation.

Schreiber, Laurentia. 2018. Romeyka. In G. Haig & G. Khan (eds.), The languages and linguistics of Western Asia: An areal perspective, 892-933. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton.

Schreiber, Laurentia. In press. Muslim Pontic Greek in Turkey: Language shift and bilingual language use. In Konstantinos Sampanis, Matthias Kappler & Eleni Karantzola (eds.), Socioculturalaspects of Greek-Turkish language contacts. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz.

Schreiber, Laurentia. 2024. A (contact-)grammar of Romeyka. Bamberg: University of Bamberg dissertation. DOI: 10.20378/irb-95115.

Schreiber, Laurentia & Ioanna Sitaridou. 2017. Assessing the sociolinguistic vitality of Istanbulite Romeyka: An attitudinal study. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development 39(1), 1-16. DOI: 10.1080/01434632.2017.1301944.

Sitaridou, Ioanna. 2013. Greek-speaking enclaves in Pontus today: The documentation and revitalization of Romeyka. In M. Jones & S. Ogilvie (eds.), Keeping Languages Alive. Language Endangerment: Documentation, Pedagogy and Revitalization, 98–112. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Sitaridou, Ioanna. 2014. The Romeyka Infinitive: Continuity, Contact and Change in the Hellenic varieties of Pontus. Diachronica 31(1). 23–73.

Η παρούσα ομιλία εξετάζει την έρευνα του Βαχίτ Τουρσούν με επίκεντρο τη γλωσσική και πολιτισμική παράδοση των Ρωμαϊκών της Όφης. Γεννημένος στο Köknar Köyü/Çaykara/Trabzon έχει αποκτήσει εκπαίδευση σε θρησκευτικά και αραβικά πλαίσια στο Çaykara Kuran Kursu, ενώ εξωτερικά παρακολούθησε το Trabzon İmam Hatip Orta Okulu. Μετά από επαγγελματικές εμπειρίες στη Λιβύη και στον τουριστικό τομέα στην Τουρκία, μεταναστεύει στην Αθήνα το 1989, όπου εστιάζει την έρευνά του στην ιστορία και τη γλωσσική εξέλιξη του Πόντου. Η ομιλία παρουσιάζει την πολυεπίπεδη μελέτη, που περιλαμβάνει συγκεντρώσεις και δημοσιεύσεις για την διατήρηση και ανάδειξη της παράδοσης της Ρωμαϊκής γλώσσας, καθώς και την ανάλυση του ιστορικού και τοπωνυμικού πλαισίου της περιοχής του Çaykara.

Contemporarily Pontians use the terms parakathi and muhabeti interchangeably to refer to the same cultural practice: an occasion of intimate socialization where social drinking and dining culminate ideally to the dialogical singing of poetry. However, connoisseurs of Pontic culture argue that the use of the two terms as identical is fundamentally erroneous and condemnable, a sign of cultural decline, of tradition adulteration, and of social decay. Accordingly, muhabeti should describe occasions of musicking dynamic, while parakathi social gatherings in general.

In this paper, coming from anthropology (Kavouras 2005) and ethnomusicology (Buchanan 1995; Turino 2014), and premised on participant observation and fieldwork on muhabetia, I offer an examination of what the debate about the “true” meanings of the terms entail. Specifically, drawing from metaphor theory (Lakoff 2003; Ricoeur 1977), semiotics (Short 2007), and Bakhtin’s genrification theory (1988), I offer a genealogy of the two terms: I trace the ways that the meanings of the concepts have changed reflecting and reproducing broader transformations of Pontic culture. I ultimate demonstrate that the two terms define a tension between complimentary but conflictual (Creed 1998) visions of Pontic sociality, the one being an idealization of past rural life and the other a celebration of music ecstasy as escape from social conventions. I further argue that these visions converse with broader Greek and post-Ottoman discourses on music, emotion, and sociality.

References:

Bakhtin, Michail M. 1986. “The Problem of Speech Genres.” In Speech Genres and Other Late Essays, tr. Vern W. McGeee, eds. Caryl Emerson and Michael Holquist, pp.: 60-103. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press.

Buchanan, Donna A. 1995. “Metaphors of Power, Metaphors of Truth: The Politics of Music Professionalism in Bulgarian Folk Orchestras.” Ethnomusicology 39(3): 399–412.

Creed, Gerald W. 1998. Domesticating Revolution. From Socialist Reform to Ambivalent Transition in a Bulgarian Village. University Park, PN: The Pennsylvania State University Press.

Κάβουρας, Παύλος. 2005. “Ethnographies of Dialogical Singing, Dialogical Ethnography.” Music and Anthropology Journal of Musical Anthropology of the Mediterranean 11.

Lakoff, George. 2003. Metaphors we live by. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.

Ricouer, Paul. 1977. The Rule of Metaphor: Multi-Disciplinary Studies of the Creation of Meaning in Language. Toronto: Toronto University Press.

Short, T.L. 2007 Peirce's Theory of Signs. Cambridge, London: Cambridge University Press.

Turino, Thomas. 2014. “Peircean Thought As Core Theory For A Phenomenological Ethnomusicology.” Ethnomusicology 58(2): 185–222.

Ausgangspunkt des Vortrags ist die sogenannte pontische Flagge, die mit dem Vers Η Ρωμανία κι αν πέρασεν ανθεί και φέρει κι άλλο geziert wird. Dieser Vers, der sich in das kulturelle Gedächtnis des modernen Griechenlands eingebrannt hat, stammt aus einem alten pontischen Volks- und Klagelied auf die Eroberung Konstantinopels im Jahre 1453. Im Mittelpunkt des Vortrags steht seine Rezeption. Versionen dieses ebenso prägnanten wie ergreifenden Liedes, das sich durch „edle Einfalt und stille Größe“ auszeichnet, sind u.a. in den Volksliedsammlungen von Arnold Passow oder Émile Legrand enthalten und es liegen auch deutsche Übersetzungen aus dem 19. Jahrhundert vor. Im 20. Jahrhundert führte Konstantinos Kavafis im Gedicht Πάρθεν einen intertextuellen Dialog mit diesem Lied. Im 21. Jahrhundert wurde es gleichsam umsemantisiert und ist fester Bestandteil von Gedenkveranstaltungen für die Vertreibung der Pontos-Griechen.

Literatur:

Popularia carmina graeciae recentioris. Edidit Arnoldus Passow. Leipzig 1860.

Recueil de chansons populaires grecques. Publiées et traduites pour la première fois par Émile Legrand. Paris 1873.

Neugriechische Volkslieder übersetzt und erklärt von Dr. A. Luber. Görz 1877.

Neugriechische Volks- und Liebeslieder in deutscher Nachdichtung von Hermann Lübke. Berlin 1895.

Maufroy, Sandrine: Die „Stimme des griechischen Volkes“: Sammlungen neugriechischer Volkslieder in Deutschland und Frankreich. In: Graecomania. Der europäische Philhellenismus. Herausgegeben von Gilbert Heß, Elena Agazzi und Elisabeth Découltot. Berlin, New York 2009, 329–354.

Laoumtzi, Stamatia: Κ. Π. Καβάφης και δημοτικό τραγούδι. Athen 2021.

A theatrical performance, imitating life, has the ability to depict cultural, linguistic and historical elements of the era it describes, through the sets, costumes, behaviors of heroes and of course through the scripts. In the case of Pontic Greek, theatrical texts are imprints on paper, of a cultural heritage, that was born in the historical Pontus, then developed into different places.

 The research work is based on the theatrical texts found: 1. in Polykarpos Haitas archive of Pontic theatrical plays, in the library of the Committee for Pontian Studies, 2. in the books of Ermis Mouratidis about Pontic Greek theatre. All the plays are checked for their theatricality because, beyond language and tradition, the performance must lead the viewer to the emotions and ideas that the play itself expresses (Lampsidis, 1978). Also, all the texts meet two criteria that could define the scope of Pontic Greek repertoire: a) dialect and b) Pontic thematic (Kyriakidis 1998-1999). A look in present day productions is also carried out.

Authors belong to different generations and come from different regions of Pontus, so elements of local idioms and customs can be found. Plays are important from a folklore point of view, showing habits and behaviors of the Pontic Greeks in their historical homes (Iasonidou-Argyropoulou,1984). Equally important is the need of modern Pontic theatre to be placed in the contemporary environment of the places where Pontic Greeks are settled, depicting the processes and changes in the language and heritage and relating to life in reality after 1922 (Triantafyllidis, 2012).

Finally, wishing for the continuation of Pontic Greek theatre, this research work examines the linguistic situation today and tries to answer to the question whether Pontic theater performances can be a serious show that respects both its identity and its audience (Kyriakidis 1998-1999) and has the qualities to address a wider audience.

Bibliography:

Haitas, P. (1901-1987), Archive of Pontic theatrical plays in the library of the COMMITTEE FOR PONTIAN STUDIES, Athens

Iasonidou-Argyropoulou, Α. (1984), Λαογραφικά στοιχεία μέσα από το θεατρικό έργο του Φίλωνα Κτενίδη, «Αρχείον Πόντου», τ. 38, Αθήνα, Εκδόσεις: Επιτροπής Ποντιακών Μελετών, p.436-440

Kyriakidis, Savvas (1998-1999) Προς μια δραματουργική επεξεργασία του ποντιακού θεάτρου, «Αρχείον Πόντου», τ. 48, Αθήνα, Εκδόσεις: Επιτροπής Ποντιακών Μελετών, p.343-361

Lampsidis, Odysseas (1978), Γύρω στο Ποντιακό θέατρο. Υπόσταση και ιστορία του (1922-1972),Thessaloniki, Kyriakidi Afoi

Mouratidis, Ermis (1991), Το ποντιακό θέατρο – Μικρασιατικός Πόντος 1850-1922, Thessaloniki, Kyriakidi Afoi

Mouratidis, Ermis (1995), Το ποντιακό θέατρο – Νότια Ρωσία, Γεωργία, Ουκρανία 1810-1917, Thessaloniki, Kyriakidi Afoi

Mouratidis, Ermis (2000), Το ποντιακό θέατρο – Νότια Ρωσία, Γεωργία, Ουκρανία, Αζερμπαϊτζάν, Τσετσενία 1917-1985, Thessaloniki, Kyriakidi Afoi

Triantafyllidis, Vasilis (Ιούλιος-Σεπτέμβριος 2012). Το Ποντιακό Θέατρο-Ομιλία του κ. Βασίλη Τριανταφυλλίδη (Χάρρυ Κλυνν) στο 14ο Συναπάντημα Νεολαίας. Ποντιακή Εστία. 174:224-230.

Vergeti, Maria (1992), Η ποντιακή ταυτότητα της τρίτης γενιάς. Δελτίο Κέντρου Μικρασιατικών Σπουδών, 9:79-96, Athens

(For English version see below)

Feldforschung im Pontos und das verborgene Potenzial: Archivmaterialien zum kleinasiatischen Griechentum an der Uni Jena und ihren Partnern. Systematische Feldforschung – etwa durch die Sammlungen von Pascaru, Kahl und Rousiakis – dokumentiert nicht nur die sprachlichen Besonderheiten pontischer Dialekte, sondern auch soziale und rituelle Praktiken, Erinnerungen an Vertreibung und kulturelle Kontinuitäten. In diesem Vortrag werden die wenig erschlossenen Archivbestände der FSU und der ÖAW vorgestellt, insbesondere aus der Forschungsstelle Bessarion, der Kommission VLACH sowie dem Repositorium LaZAR: Audioaufnahmen, Feldnotizen, Interviews, das ein bislang kaum genutztes Forschungspotenzial birgt. Ziel des Vortrags ist es, das Material exemplarisch zu präsentieren, auf methodische Herausforderungen der Erhebung und Archivierung einzugehen und Möglichkeiten der digitalen Aufbereitung und internationalen Vernetzung aufzuzeigen.

English: Field research in the Pontus and its hidden potential: archival materials on Asia Minor Greek at the University of Jena and its partners. Systematic field research - for example through the collections of Pascaru, Kahl and Rousiakis - documents not only the linguistic characteristics of Pontic dialects, but also social and ritual practices, memories of displacement and cultural continuities. In this lecture, the little developed archive holdings of the FSU and the ÖAW will be presented, in particular from the Bessarion Research Centre, the VLACH Commission and the LaZAR repository: audio recordings, field notes, interviews, which harbour a research potential that has hardly been exploited to date. The aim of the lecture is to present examples of the material, to address the methodological challenges of collecting and archiving and to highlight the possibilities of digital processing and international networking.