On Wednesday, May the 27th 1998, at 7 a.m., the Cultural Centre of FHW "Hellenic Cosmos" hosted the presentation of the book of Melpomeni Kesisoglou-Karystinou "The Parish of Agia in Constantinople-Tzimbali", which inaugurated the publishing activities of the Foundation.

The event attended journalists, intellectuals and people of the art who all embraced the book.

The first speaker was the President of FHW Lazaros Efraimoglou who briefly mentioned the work of the Foundation and announced its forthcoming publications. Then Kostas Stamatopoulos took the stand and described the course of the Greeks living at Constantinople, especially after the Fall. Consequently, Akilas Millas gave topographic and historical information on the area of Agia. At the closing of the event, Mrs Karystinou became emotional as she signed copies of the book.

The book presents the story of Agia, the "first in rank" parish of the Archiepiscopate of Constantinople, starting from the first years after the Fall till the middle of this century. It is based on unpublished archival material-codes, minutes of meetings, accounts lists, parish registers and rare traces-, texts of foreign travelers and testimonies based on old inhabitants of Agia. The publication includes old photographes and designs of the writer Akilas Millas who also prefaced the book.

The book may be purchased at the Foundation's Museum Shop in the Cultural Centre as well as at major bookstores in Greece.