Konstantinos Victor was a Kythirian by birth (born on the island) and a shipowner from Smyrna. He was responsible not only for operating the first coastal shipping line in the Gulf of Smyrna, but also for the urban expansion of a coastal suburb, which was a resort for many wealthy Smyrnians.
He lived an adventurous early life and took risks, which made him a prosperous and influential man. He never forgot his place of origin and participated in the affairs of the island. He was forced by the Ottoman government and his rivals – competitors to switch from coastal shipping to building a successful shipping company, with a fleet that sailed from the Black Sea to Syria and further afield throughout the Eastern Mediterranean.
Unfortunately, his untimely death and the destruction of the Greek element in Asia Minor after the Greek defeat in the Greco-Turkish War of 1921-22 prevented his son from continuing his legacy and made Victor's name merely a historical memory.
He led an adventurous early life and took risks, which made him a prosperous and influential man. He never forgot his place of origin and participated in the island's affairs. He was forced by the Ottoman government and jealous competitors to switch from small-time ferry shipping to building a successful maritime company, with a fleet that traveled from the Black Sea to Syria and everywhere in between, in the Eastern Mediterranean. Unfortunately, his untimely death and the destruction of the Greek element of Asia Minor after the Greek defeat in the Greco-Turkish War of 1921-22 prevented his son from continuing his legacy and made Viktor's name just a historical footnote.
11th International Panionian Conference: Life and Culture in the Ionian Islands Kefalonia, May 21-25, 2018
Biography of Nikolaos Lourantos
Nikolaos Lourantos was born in Australia. He holds a PhD in Communication, Media, and Culture (Panteion University). He studied mechanical engineering at the Technical Educational Institute of Larissa and holds a Master's Degree (MSc) in Cultural Unit Management from the School of Social Sciences of the Hellenic Open University. He has been working at the Ministry of Culture since 1991. He is a researcher and public relations officer at the Maritime Tradition Museum (Perama), while at the same time he is in charge of the Kythira Folklore Collection (Chora), where he has organized several thematic exhibitions with its material. His research and articles have been published in scientific journals and other publications, and he has participated in many international conferences.
