History - Contribution
The Institution of the Rizarios Ecclesiastical School (Rizarios Foundation) was founded in 1841 by the Brothers Mantos and George Rizaris and is today one of the largest active National Legacies of our country.
Its founders, who came from Monodendri of Zagori in the county of Ioannina, emigrated to Russia at an early age. The brothers created there a colossal fortune from trade business which they granted entirely to the Greek nation for the reconstruction of it, soon after the establishment of the independent Greek state.
In the past, they actively supported the “Society of Friends” and the struggle of the Greek revolution with large sums of money, during the period of 1814-1824. In fact, Manthos Rizaris was one of the first members of the Society of Friends and was known to the Friends under the code name “Prothymos”.
In 1837, George Rizaris came to Athens and composed his will based on which, the plans of the two brothers for the foundation of the Ecclesiastical School of the same name were carried out. At that time, the School along with the National Kapodistrian University, the Evelpidon School and the Arsakeio, constituted the largest educational institutions of our country.
Today in the Rizarios Ecclesiastical School operates a general ecclesiastical high school (A, B & C classes). The R.E.S. has a remarkable teaching staff, with a very positive contribution to the training of the students. Graduates of the high school have the opportunity to access higher education.
The school is housed in modern and comfortable facilities in Halandri, where a boarding school operates. Students are provided with free feeding, accommodation, educational material, as well as medical care and supervision.
the legacy of the rizaris brothers
Goals
- Conservation and utilization of the cultural monuments of the region of Zagori, Epirus.
- Reopening of the boarding school for the children of the primary school in Monodendri, Zagori, Epirus.
- Establishment and development of a handicraft centre with a boarding school and a centre for apprenticeship and production of traditional, epirotic folk art.
- Operation of the Ecclesiastical School.
- Subsidy for pupils and teachers of the secondary school of Tsepelovo, Zagori, Epirus.
Organization
Administration
The foundation of the R.E.S. is governed by a ten-member Council, which consists of prominent members of Greek society, who offer their services without remuneration, and by a three-membered Board of Directors composed of members of the Council. The composition of the Tripartite of each triennium shall be determined on the basis of the provisions of the will.
The founder appointed the members of the Council to come from the following regions:
- Four from his hometown of Zagori, Ioannina
- One from the area of Ioannina
- Two from Smyrna
- One from Chios
- One from Thessaly and
- One from Crete
Multi-member Council
All members of the Multi-member Council are life members. Currently, the Rizarios Multimember Council consists of the following Councillors:
- Peter Anast. Gemtos – Homot. Professor of the University of Athens (from Thessaly)
- George St. Ioannidis – Engineer (from Zagori)
- Konstantinos Athanos. Liumas – Lawyer (from Zagori)
- Adonis Kyr. Kyrou – Journalist – Historian (from Zagori)
- Panagiotis Georg. Tsakiris – Educator (from Smyrna)
- Christos Vass. Massalas – Homot. Professor of the University of Ioannina (from Ioannina)
- George Konstantinos Matsopoulos – Professor of Electrical Engineering (from Zagori)
- Christoforos Georg Charalambakis – Academician – Professor Emeritus of Linguistics, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Athens (from Crete)
- Demetrios Con. Anagnostopoulos, Professor of Child Psychiatry, University of Athens (from Smyrna)
- For the post of Councillor from Chios, the procedure for the election of a new member is ongoing.
ASSOCIATIONS
Bequests
The Rizareios Ecclesiastical School manages the following Self-Administered Funds (ASF).
- Donation “Leonidas Georgiadou”.
- Legacy of “Archimandrite Gregory Kalagani from Agiassos Lesvos”.
- Legacy of “Archbishop Nikiforos Kalogeras of Spetses”.
- Donation “Antonios P. Komizopoulou from Plovdiv”.
- Donation “Hercules X. Kotsifas”.
- Bequest of “Colonel Demetrios I. Kriezis of Hydra”.
- Donation “Ioannou L. Lambrides from Ano Pedinon Zagori”.
- Legacy of “Ioannou A. Londou”.
- Donation “Anastasiou (Tassos) B. Martsopoulou”.
- Donation “Ioannis Ach. Saralis from Aristi Zagori”.
- Bequest “Petros Dim. Stefanitsis from Lefkada”.
- Bequest “Dimitrios N. Stini of Athens”.
- The “Spyridonos Chelios from Glinas B. Epirus”.
- Donation “Ioannos Saralis from Aristi Zagori”.