Evzones is the name of several historical elite infantry and mountain units of the Greek Army.
Today, it refers to the members of the Hellenic Presidential Guard, an elite unit that guards the Greek Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Athen’s Syntagma Square, the Presidential Mansion at the Greek capital, and the Evzones camp.
Greek Australian photographer Nick Bourdaniotis. Source: SBS Greek / Panos Apostolou
Here, the story in Greek
Greek Australian photographer Nick Bourdaniotis followed the Evzones for years and his work was documented in the book “The Evzones Collection”.
We met and spoke to Nick at Melbourne’s Oakleigh Grammar school where his work was exhibited.
Greek Australian photographer Nick Bourdaniotis was born in Queenland’s town of Nambour, in the Sunshine Coast Region.
His father arrived “with just one suitcase” in the New South Wales regional city of Wollongong from the Peloponnesian town of Egio.
His mother’s family are Asia Minor refugees who moved to the Greek island of Kythira. She was born in Queenland’s Bundaberg.
L: Nick Bourdaniotis, Bishop Ezekiel, Tony Tsourdalakis, Consul General of Greece Emmanuel Kakavelakis, Oakleigh Grammar Principal Mark Robertson. Source: George Karantonis
Nick’s love with photography started on the Greek island of Kythira and during his family and friends' holidays.
It was the year 2000 when he first visited the island for and first time and was his first-ever visit to a Greek island. He returned there 16 times. The reason? He met there his future wife.
From Melbourne’s opening hosted by Oakleigh Grammar. Source: SBS Greek / Panos Apostolou
Working with the Evzones
Nick’s involvement with the Evzones started 5 years ago, in 2016 when members of the Greek Presidential Guard arrived in Australia and marched for the first time ever in Sydney’s streets for Anzac Day.
Nick had already been photographing major events for the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia and he was asked to document the Greek Presidential Guard (Evzones).
“They rang me and they said the Evzones are going to Sydney’s St Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church on an afternoon”.
“I took some nice photos, I posted online on the church’s Facebook page and they went viral back”.
Bishop Ezekiel. Source: SBS Greek / Panos Apostolou
And Nick’s adventure took off!
“Then the Hellenic Club of Sydney gave me a call and said if I would like to shoot the rest of the Evoznes tour and I said I'd love to”.
Nick traveled to Greece that year and I started shooting the Guard.
It wasn't until the year, in 2017, when the executive producer of the TV show “My Greek Odyssey” Peter Maneas and invited him to shot the first season of the series.
Nick traveled to Greece and five hours after his arrival, he was climbing Athen’s Acropolis with the Evzones, shooting the sunrise.
“And from there, that's where the love grew”.
Educator Natasha Spanos (2nd from left), with colleagues and students, at the evoznes exhibition opening hosted by Melbourne's Oakleigh Grammar. Source: SBS Greek / Panos Apostolou
Τhe members of the Presidential Guard were quite comfortable being in front of his professional camera.
“They were very very comfortable, they don't even know that I was there. When they put on their uniform, basically they change their being, they don't even know that you exist”.
“I've been on the bus with them, I've been everywhere with them, they just don't acknowledge me, they know who I am and basically I'm part of the family”.
Nick has started a Facebook page where he shares his photos with the family of the Evzones”.
“All this wouldn't be possible if it wasn't for my wife Irene”, Nick says.
Paul Mavroudis, ath the opening hosted by Melbourne's Oakleigh Grammar. Source: SBS Greek / Panos Apostolou
“She and our two kids don't mind if I disappear in Greece for months”.
The idea of this exhibition started in 2019 when I contacted photographer George Karantonis from “Image Smart” and they brought an onboard photographer and cinematographer Eirini Alligiannis is the curator of the exhibition.
Nick would like to travel to America, to Thessaloniki, and to the Greek-Turkish borders to shoot the Evzones.
The exhibition will travel to Sydney, Brisbane, Perth before it embarks to Cyprus and Greece.
Press Play on the main photo to listen to the interview with Greek Australian photographer Nick Bourdaniotis
From Melbourne’s opening hosted by Oakleigh Grammar. Source: SBS Greek / Panos Apostolou
Eirini Alliyannis, Nick Bourdaniotis, George Karantonis. Source: George Karantonis/Kostas Deves
From Melbourne’s opening hosted by Oakleigh Grammar. Source: George Karantonis
Greek Australian photographer Nick Bourdaniotis and Bishop Ezekiel. Source: SBS Greek / Panos Apostolou
