Our association
The Pontian association Evxinos Pontos Stockholm is seated in Stockholm. We are a non-political organisation and open to all people, despite race or religion. We are an association that preserves the Pontian culture, the history and the Pontian traditions. For 25 years, we have worked for this culture that has flurished in 3000 years in the Black Sea's southern coast that was ended abruptly in 1922. We preserve this ancient culture for the upcoming generations.

Our name, how it was created. Evxinos Pontos Stockholm means two things, the geographical area of eastern Europe that the Pontian Greeks have lived in until 1922 and our hometown that the association is seated in. Evxinos Pontos is the Greek name of the Black Sea that can also be found in latin maps with the name Pontus Evxinos (directly translated from the Greek language).

Our founders chose the name Evxinos Pontos because it symbolises all the whole area that the Pontian Greeks have lived in for 3000 years. It is also a federation name for all the antique city states in the Black Sea area. Of course the name is completed with our capital's name Stockholm which is the primary area of our activitites.

The Sinopi eagle as a symbol. One of the first city states that were established in the Black Sea area was Sinopi (today Sinop) where the kingdom's crest was a one headed eagle with open wings that symbolise the kingdom's wealth and openness to all visitors. The state's first silver coin (that can be found today at the London National Museum) was imprinted with this eagle.

Until the integration of the pontian coty states to the Byzantic Empire, the eagle had only a local symbolism. As part of the empire, the Pontians used the eagle as an unifying symbol for the city states and as an act of respect, it is said that the eagle's head is turn to the west respectfully looking at the Hagia Sophia church in Constantinople.

The eagle was added to the Greek flag under the Ottoman Empire so that the Pontian Greeks could show their identity as Greeks.

The association's history. Evxinos Pontos Stockholm was founded in 1984 in the Stockholm suburb Rinkeby and has continuesly worked for the Pontian Greek culture. In the first years of the 80's, there were a lot of Pontian Greeks in the city that wanted an organisation for the Pontian culture and that demand was also the reason the association was created. It was an association that would preserve the Pontian culture, dialect, history and the ancient traditions.

OSEPE, our federation. In 2004 the annual meeting decided to apply for membership in OSEPE (Federation for Pontian Greek Associations in Europe), which was accepted by the federation's annual meeting in February 2005. The idea was to participate in a larger organisation with other associations that share the same values and work with the same principals as we do. The membership in the federation has also resulted in bigger opurtunities for our children and teenagers to participate in big paneuropean activities (such as the federation's legendary dance festival) and in exchanging experiences with other youths in Europe.