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In the seven years of its operation, great theatrical performances, concerts of Greek and classical music and local groups such as the Philharmonic Orchestra, theatre scenes and dance groups of Andros have been presented.

The aim of the Festival is to present quality theatrical performances, remarkable concerts of classical music, jazz and dance. The main body of the Festival every year is the theatrical performances.

The Andros Open Theatre is in Chora Andros between the neoclassical Town Hall (Voulgari building) and the Lyceum. Its inspirer and main financier is the Andriot Alcibiades Tattos. The Theatre is built on an idyllic slope with a natural slope protected from the wind and a panoramic view to the south.

“A theatre that will seem to have been there forever”. This was the original idea of the architects Kyriaki Kondylatos and Konstantinos Loukos who undertook to realize the initially difficult idea.

Its open stage refers to the canon of classical stages and constitutes one of the most daring interventions in the public space of Andros. Work began in July 2014 on a plot of land owned by the Municipality of Andros and has a capacity of 870 seats.

The Andros International Festival is organised by the NGO “Friends of the Andros Festival”. Its supporter and helper is the Municipality of Andros.  

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The Basil and Elise Goulandris Foundation inaugurated the Museum of Contemporary Art in Andros, the birthplace of Basil P. Goulandris, in 1979, which was expanded into a new wing in 1986. The Museum’s premises were designed according to the most modern museum standards in order to accommodate the works of the Foundation’s collection as well as the temporary exhibitions of important 20th century artists (Braque, Miró, Toulouse-Lautrec, Moore, Klee, Giacometti, Chagall, Rodin, De Chirico, etc.) which have been held every summer since 1986. 

The main purpose of the Basil and Elise Goulandris Foundation is to support the arts, especially the visual arts. Both the exhibition activities of the Museum of Contemporary Art of Andros and the scholarships and donations of the Foundation aim to achieve this goal. Since 1986, the Foundation has also established a scholarship program for postgraduate studies abroad on subjects directly related to culture.

In addition to cultural activities, social care and assistance is another purpose of the Foundation. In addition to cultural activities, the activities of the Basil and Elise Goulandris Foundation also include social welfare projects, such as the construction, equipping and maintenance of the exemplary “Estia Athinon” guesthouse and the renovation of two pavilions at the Athens Old People’s Home, which are part of the Foundation’s general purpose.

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The Kydonieos Foundation was founded in 1994 by Petros and Marika Kydonieos. It is housed in a wonderful house, an architectural example of the interwar period. His interest is focused on the fields of visual arts, music, literature, theater, and other forms. The Kydonieos Foundation is a non-profit foundation established with the purpose of operating a cultural and spiritual center in Andros.

The aim of the Foundation is to promote cultural things inside and outside Andros and in this context, it presents art in its broadest form, giving priority to the Greek area, with events that take place during the summer season.

• Since 1997, an equipped Ceramics Workshop has been operating for children and adults. Lessons are offered free of charge to students.
• Since 1998, Musical Instrument lessons (mandolin, guitar, piano) have been offered for children aged 7 – 18 years. Both the provision of the instruments and the lessons are offered free of charge.
• Since 1994, Byzantine Music lessons have been taught for children and adults. The courses are offered free of charge to students.

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Its purpose is the collection and preservation of historical sources for Andros and the Cyclades islands, both written (manuscripts, printed books) and works of art and handicraft (e.g. pictures) as well as the promotion of intellectual and cultural life of Andros.

The numerous collections of the library are open, on application, to scholars for consultation. The Kaireios library has a tradition of publishing important scholarly works, particularly studies that focus on historical subjects but also in the fields of philosophy, local architecture and the natural environment. The library organizes and hosts international conferences covering a wide range of historical and philosophical topics.

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The Maritime Museum of Andros has the following exhibits: namely, old charter contracts, old insurance contracts of the Society of Andros – an insurance organization, a Co-operative like the parallel cooperative of Ampelakia, various nautical diaries describing the life of the people of Andros on the ships before the 1821 battle, lithographs of ships and later the first steam-powered trucks of Greece, etc. It also has models of modern and old ships starting from the old schooners to today’s super-tankers.

The above exhibits are original and present the entire history of commercial shipping in Andros from 1750 until today.

The Museum operates during the Tourist season from July to October 15 with opening hours 8:00-22:00.

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The Digital Museum is housed in the Museum of Theophilos Kairis in Chora of Andros. To visit the Digital Museum, one crosses the main paved pedestrian street of the Chora (Agora) and continues after Kairi Square and the arch. At a distance of about 200 meters, you will find the Holy Church of Agios Georgios on your right and next to the Holy Church, towards the sea, you will see the Digital Museum of Andros.

The Digital Museum of Andros consists of a total of four rooms. In particular, from the vestibule (entrance hall), two projection rooms, one of which has the possibility of three-dimensional (3D) projections and a room for interactive applications.

A FEW WORDS ABOUT THEOFILOS KAIRIS.

Theophilos Kairis, the philosopher of modern Greece who went beyond the usual,

he followed the fate of all great thinkers who do not settle for the small and ephemeral. It is said that he was among the four giants of the spirit of his time.

The first years – Studies

He was born in Andros on October 19, 1784, the son of one of the oldest and noblest families on the island. He received his first letters in Andros, at the school of the lower castle, from the hierodeacon Iakovos, studied philosophy, mathematics, natural sciences and continued in Chios and Patmos.

In 1801 he became a monk, was ordained a Deacon, and was renamed Theophilos. In 1803 he left for Switzerland initially, at the side of Pestalozzi and studied the organization of lectures. He then ended up in Pisa, where he studied mathematics, philosophy, physics as well as physiology courses at the medical school. Later, in 1807, he went to Paris where he completed his studies in philosophy. There he was closely associated with the Greek enlightener Adamantios Korai.

His course as a Teacher

He was a very organized man, very educated, he spoke many languages (ancient Greek, Latin, Italian, French, German and English), an unimaginable size, maybe even today if he were alive he would be much ahead of us. He was fully trained and had vast knowledge. He was militant and uncompromising, brave and patriotic. It is no coincidence that in the revolution of 1821, despite the fact that he was the governor of Andros, a member of the Friendly Society, the one who gave the slogan of the Revolution on the island, he fought as a simple infantryman on Olympus, where he was wounded three times, one of these injuries were also the cause of his death.

He addressed Kapodistrias, upon his arrival in Nafplion, on January 11, 1828, and participated in the Constituent Assemblies, for the creation of the First Constitution.

In 1936, an Orphanage was opened in Andros, for the orphans of the heroes of 21 to study. He created this with money from his friends abroad, without the slightest contribution from the Greek state. The school gained a great reputation, it was even called the best at the time, and the following year many students came from the surrounding states. In his school, Kairis taught mathematics, philology, philosophy, metaphysics, ethics, rhetoric, poetry, higher mathematics, experimental physics, astronomy.

For the kingdom

In the previous period, Kairis refused to accept an honorary medal from Othon and to teach at the then newly established University of Athens, denouncing his staffing as a product of various transactions. It should be noted that Kairis was opposed to the monarchy, considering that the appointment of Otto was directly opposed to the independence of the country, probably because he lived the years after the French Revolution in Paris and was influenced by its liberal ideas. According to the writings of Sp. Trikoupis, he was an “enthusiastic patriot, Christ-like behavior, unfailingly wise, uncharitable and caring for others or for himself”.

Later, after the Constitutional Revolution of September 3, 1943 and with the help of his friend Ioannis Kolettis, he returned to Andros and continued at his school.

Kairis died in prison, from septicemia, on January 13, 1853. In a few days, the Supreme Court, with the decision of 19/19.01.1853, acquitted him of the charge, but it was too late.

Books about Kairis

Books by Theophilos Kairis that were printed are: 1) Elements of philosophy or about beings in general considered the most elementary – Athens 1851. 2) Gnostics or human knowledge a short report – Athens 1849. 3) Philosophical-philological – Patras 1875. Also ” Brief report on the immortality of the soul of the main arguments, “Cosmosophia or Catholic solidarity” – Brussels 1855. Many of his works survive anecdotes, speeches and letters.

  The following are published:

1) Cognition – elements of philosophy – Introduction-edited by Nik. Sinioglu.

2) T. Kairis – From philosophical psychology to the theocratic ethics of Kazolea – Taboularis Panagiotas – Contemporary philosophy – Print.

3) Kostas Mandilas – Theofilos Kairis and the Greek Enlightenment.

4) Paschalis Dimitrios – Historical and philosophical study – print.

Also the book by Manolis Rasoulis “Theophilos Kairis the great heretic”.

       In 1924 the house was bought by Michael A. Empirikos, in 1929 by Dimitrios Bonis and in 1930 it came into the hands of doctor George L. Vratsanos, who in 1944 donated it to the Holy Sepulcher. The Patriarchate of Jerusalem, at the request of distinguished Andrian scientists, finally donated the house to the Municipality of Andros to be used as a museum with memorabilia from the life of the Andrian sage.

Without any inclination to create a museum, the house for many years was used as the residence of the late Metaxas, conductor of the philharmonic, and then for other needs of the municipality.

On the occasion of a conference on the great Philosopher organized in 1984 by Dimitrios Polemis, later founder of the Kairis Library, in Andros with many foreign delegates and a donation from Vassilis and Eliza Goulandris, an exhibition on the philosopher was managed to be set up in the house.

Finally, for the first time it functioned as the “Theofilos Kairis Museum” on Saturday, August 12, 1989, and today a joint effort is being made by the Municipality of Andros and the Cairo Library to upgrade the educational role of this particular Museum, both for local and foreign visitors, as well as for school students.

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The liotribi operated from October to February and from 7:00 or 8:00 A.M. until 10:00 or 11:00 at night. In total they were in operation 14-16 hours a day, sometimes around the clock.

The workforce consisted of:

Three workers, the “screwdriver” and the two wives (in Andros they were usually cows).

The worker at the threshing floor was the cow operator. For his work, he was paid ¾ of an oil oka for every 20 okas produced.

The 2 screw workers who worked on the “worker” were each paid ½ oka of oil per 20 okas produced for their work.

The screwdriver – the owner of the olive mill and overseer of the whole process was “creating”, “building”, “heating” and “creating”. He worked harder than anyone. For the provision of the oil-pressing facilities and his personal labor he was paid 2 okades of oil for every 20 okades produced.

The producer of the olive fruit, therefore a “customer” of the mill, had to provide the workers (without the obligation to feed them) and the 2 sub-bales.

During the oil-pressing season, the olive mill was bustling with life. It became a place of social gathering where customers, workers, screwdriver and passing residents of the village, drinking here and there a glass, exchanged words, comments, teasing and laughter turning the hard work into a festive social event. The monotonous rhythmic sound of the screw that could be heard in public, an optimistic message of a good harvest, invited the inhabitants to join in the celebration. It worked for the production of olive oil well before 1857 until 1967.

It is located in the center of the settlement, on the ground floor of an old stone-built building complex. It maintains its original equipment in its four main areas, the “boli” for crushing, the “screw” for pressing the olive fruit, etc.

It is one of the largest and most complete oil mills with animal-driven technology in Andros. The modern museum presentation (video film and plenty of teaching and informational material) relives the olive oil production processes of the traditional rural communities of Andros in past times. You can, on leaving, get books and publications that will remind you of your visit, at the same time completing the knowledge about the olive and the precious olive oil.

The museum is located on the designated hiking trail no. 9, which was the main road of communication between Chora – Batsiou – Gavrio before the opening of the provincial carriage road. Knowledge about the olive and the precious olive oil.

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