Cristos Kardaras, Professor, Chair of the Department
He studied History (1980-1984) in the Faculty of History and Archaeology of the University of Ioannina and was proclaimed a Doctor (PhD) for History at the University of Ioannina with grade “Excellent”. He is specialized in Modern Greek and Modern Balkan History. He attended seminars in Bulgaria and is involved profoundly in the study of archives (he was employed as researcher in the Archive of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 1990 to 1994), in aspects of the action of the Modern Hellenism and the foreign politics of the Greek State as well as the action of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. His doctorate focuses particularly on topics of the subjugation of the Hellenism in Epirus, Thessaly, Macedonia and Thrace at the end of the 19th century and studies the stance and the confrontation between the Greek governments and the Ecumenical Patriarchate regarding matters of the bondage Hellenism.
His research interests include: the educational and intellectual life of the bondage Hellenism; the foreign and internal policy of the Greek State as they were applied with the mediation of its diplomatic employees-consuls in the Turkish-occupied Macedonia; the institution and the action of the Ecumenical Patriarchate; the action and influence of the Bulgarian factor in the Turkish-occupied Macedonia; the Russian pervasion in the Mount Athos; History and Theatre.
At present he is studying the Rembetiko songs which has been lately recognized be the UNESCO as intangible heritage of Greece as well as the connection of this cultural product with the historical circumstances of the 20th century. Regarding this period of time in particular he studies the perception of the historical events by the creators of the Rembetiko songs as they are expressed in their narrations and memoirs.
He has taught the following courses: History of Modern Hellenism; History of European Civilization; History and Cinema, at the Faculty of History and Archaeology of the University of Peloponnese. Since 2007 he has taught at the Faculty of Theatre Studies of the University of Peloponnese the following courses: Modern Greek History; Modern Greek History and Theatre; Neo-Hellenic Enlightenment; History of the European Civilization (from Renaissance to the 20th century); History of the European Civilization (19th – 20th century); Ancient Greek History and Theatre; History and Rembetiko songs.
Moreover, he has given lectures on Modern Greek history, Methodology of history and Modern European history at MSc level, at the PTDE Faculty of the University of Athens.
He is President of the Faculty of Theatre Studies and Dean of the School of Fine Arts at the University of Peloponnese since December 2017.
