Our Work, 2024-2025
As part of our collaboration with the eLearning program of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, we undertook the development and authorship of the educational seminar on wooden shipbuilding, “Wooden Shipbuilding: Construction and Maintenance Techniques of Greek Traditional Vessels.” The purpose of the program is to promote and disseminate scientific knowledge regarding the traditional shipbuilding craft in Greece. Specifically, the program explores the relationship between nautical science and wooden shipbuilding, while aiming to highlight the significance of this craft in Greece’s history, culture, and economy.
More specifically, the principles of naval architecture are analyzed, with an extensive presentation of the techniques for constructing traditional vessels, as well as the materials and tools used. In addition, the program examines the factors contributing to the deterioration of wooden ships (including environmental, chemical, and mechanical factors) and describes conservation and repair techniques that preserve both their authenticity and safety.
Professional Training and Education Program “Wooden Shipbuilding: Construction and Maintenance Techniques of Greek Traditional Vessels” | E-learning of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA) (Ongoing)
Ongoing (5 months Seminar)
01
Conservation study for the church and its relics.
The stone-built Church “Isodia (Presentation) tis Theotokou” in Stanos is at least 200 years old, constructed by the hands of local craftsmen. During the Ottoman period, as the population of Stanos grew, the church was expanded in size. The impressive wooden decoration of the iconostasis and the ceiling of the church is remarkable, as is the painted decoration that accompanies it, reflecting the Late Byzantine art of the local woodcarvers and iconographers. In the women's gallery, one can admire a rare collection of ecclesiastical and folkloric relics.
Holy Church “Isodia (Presentation) tis Theotokou”
2025- ongoing
02
Politistica is a member of the ELLIE project, within the framework of the European HORIZON Program. The project's goal is to showcase new technologies (AI, Internet of Senses, Digital Twins) for the development of a modern platform that will provide opportunities for innovative services in the Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs). The platform aims to support the creation of new experiences, facilitate the development of creative products, and enhance the understanding of user needs. The project is collaborative with universities and organisations from all around Europe.
ELLIE (On the UsE of Internet of Senses for the CuLturaL HerItagE )
2025- ongoing
03
Study for the restoration of the building's architectural elements, highlighting its unique typological and morphological characteristics, and reinstating its use as a residence.
Located on the island of Spetses, the building is classified as a work of art, as it is a representative example of 18th-century island architecture and features remarkable architectural elements. At the same time, it is also designated as a historic building due to its direct connection with significant historical figures and events of modern Greece. It is the birthplace of Diomedes A. Kyriakos, Prime Minister and President of the National Assembly (1863), as well as Alexandros Diomedes Kyriakos, Governor of the National Bank of Greece and Prime Minister (1949-1950). This house was also used for many years as the Spetses Municipal School.
Anastasios Kyriakou Residence
2024- ongoing
04
Systematic documentation and photography of objects connected to daily life and local traditions in private collections. The documentation focused on assessing the preservation status of the objects and identifying signs of deterioration. Targeted conservation methodologies were proposed in order to ensure their protection and long-term preservation. In this way, cultural memory and the living connection with local heritage are safeguarded.
Documentation of Folklore Objects - LEMMTH
2025
05
In Drama, significant funerary finds from an unlooted female grave were discovered in the context of works carried out over the past five years for the development of the natural gas distribution network. These grave goods were conserved and restored using specialized methods. The work focused on stabilizing and protecting the finds, with the aim of preserving their authenticity. Special care was given to the documentation and cleaning of the objects, so as to highlight their historical value. Through these interventions, the finds gain new resilience and remain vivid testimonies of the funerary tradition of ancient Drama.
Conservation of Archaeological Finds from an Unlooted Female Tomb | Drama
2025
06
The project concerned the stabilization of sections of the eastern wall of the acropolis of Stageira, dating to the 5th century BC. The acropolis, as well as a large part of the fortification of the ancient city, had been restored through a project of the 3rd Community Support Framework (CSF), during which wooden buttresses were placed on the eastern side for support.
However, the natural decay of the wood, along with the pronounced outward inclination of the wall, made it necessary to stabilize sections that had detached or were in danger of detachment, and to replace the wooden buttresses that had been installed in 1997 on the exterior face of the wall. Within the framework of implementing the works according to the prioritized needs of the monument, it was decided to restore the vertical alignment of the wall. Instead of replacing the wooden buttresses with steel ones and allowing the wall to remain inclined, a solution was chosen that strengthens both the structural stability and the authenticity of the construction.
Stabilization Works on the Eastern Wall of the Acropolis of Ancient Stageira | Stageira, Halkidiki
2025
07
Politistica had the honor of participating with a lecture in the project TSIATI | Apprenticeship and Workshop on Traditional Carpentry, which was successfully held with great attendance from September 2 to 27, 2024, in Frasta, Tzoumerka. The theme of the lecture was “Tar and Wood Protection.”
This workshop focused on highlighting traditional and sustainable techniques of wooden construction, from raw material to specialized applications. Tsiati mainly centered on the ambitious project of restoring and renovating the wooden roof of the former Primary School in Frasta, Tzoumerka. The project involved the complete restoration of the building’s wooden roofs and the addition of two lofts to provide the necessary functional space, which required partial reconstruction of the existing roof structure. A particular challenge and achievement was the design and application of thermal insulation using natural materials such as compressed sawdust (woodfibre), cork, and sheep’s wool, while special emphasis was placed on the reuse and recycling of discarded building materials, aiming to reduce the environmental footprint of the construction process.