Πέτρος Γιαννακούρης - The nights from now on ...

Selected by Θεόδωρος Στίγκας 13 Ιαν 2022

Οι νύχτες από εδώ και πέρα … και για πόσο;

Η σιωπή έχει αντικαταστήσει το χαμηλό βουητό της συζήτησης και το τσούγκρισμα των ποτηριών που διαπερνούσε τα καφέ των πεζοδρομίων σε όλη την Αθήνα. Οι καρέκλες και τα τραπέζια τους, κάποτε κατειλημμένα όλη την ημέρα στέκονται το βράδυ στοιβαγμένα σε άδειους σωρούς, μερικώς ασφαλισμένα με αλυσίδες.

Το φθινόπωρο του 2020 η κυβέρνηση επέβαλε δεύτερο lockdown. Καταστήματα λιανικής, μπαρ, εστιατόρια και καφετέριες βρέθηκαν κλειστά, αναγκασμένα να κλείσουν τις πόρτες τους στις αρχές Νοεμβρίου 2020 για να αποτρέψουν την ύπουλη εξάπλωση του ιού.

Σήμερα αρχές του 2022 το ίδιο σχεδόν σκηνικό … μετά τις 12.00 τα μεσάνυχτα …

Ο Πέτρος Γιαννακούρης στη διάρκεια του δεύτερου lock down μας χάρισε κάποιες φωτογραφίες νυχτερινές καθώς περιηγήθηκε σε δρόμους παλιούς, που αγάπησε και μίσησε ατελειωτα … επιβεβαιώνοντας κάποιους στίχους του Μ. Αναγνωστάκη… για τις αναπότρεπτες νύχτες των γυρισμών και την πόλη νεκρή.

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Bio
Ο Πέτρος Γιαννακούρης γεννήθηκε στην Αθήνα το 1974 και σπούδασε στο Κολλέγιο Εφαρμοσμένης Φωτογραφίας στην Αθήνα.
Εργάζεται ως επαγγελματίας φωτορεπόρτερ από το 1995, και συνεργάστηκε με πολλές εφημερίδες και τοπικά πρακτορεία ειδήσεων, πριν να ενταχθεί στο δυναμικό του Associated Press το 2003.
Έχει καλύψει πολλά θέματα στην Ελλάδα, συμπεριλαμβανομένης της χρηματοπιστωτικής και της προσφυγικής κρίσης της χώρας, και έχει συμμετάσχει σε αρκετές αποστολές συμπεριλαμβανομένου του πολέμου στο Ιράκ (2007-2009) και τα επακόλουθα του πολέμου Ισραήλ-Χεζμπολάχ στο Λίβανο το 2006, καθώς και σε αρκετές σημαντικές διεθνείς αθλητικές διοργανώσεις, συμπεριλαμβανομένων των Ολυμπιακών Αγώνων.
Το έργο του έχει βραβευτεί σε πολλούς σημαντικούς διαγωνισμούς φωτογραφίας, όπως ο Picture of the Year (POY), ο National Press Photographers Association Αwards (NPPA) και άλλοι.

Πέτρος Γιαννακούρης - A cat stands near coloured chairs and tables stored outside a closed traditional restaurant in Monastiraki, district of Athens, on Tuesday, March 16, 2021. Restaurants, bars and cafes, whose nature it is to gather groups of people closely together, have remained shut since November when the Greek government imposed a second lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19 infections. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
Πέτρος Γιαννακούρης - A cat stands near coloured chairs and tables stored outside a closed traditional restaurant in Monastiraki, district of Athens, on Tuesday, March 16, 2021. Restaurants, bars and cafes, whose nature it is to gather groups of people closely together, have remained shut since November when the Greek government imposed a second lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19 infections. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Πέτρος Γιαννακούρης - A replica of an ancient Greek column stands next to stored tables and umbrellas outside a shuttered coffee shop in Thission, district of Athens, on Thursday, March 18, 2021. Restaurants, bars and cafes, whose nature it is to gather groups of people closely together, have remained shut since November when the Greek government imposed a second lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19 infections. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
Πέτρος Γιαννακούρης - A replica of an ancient Greek column stands next to stored tables and umbrellas outside a shuttered coffee shop in Thission, district of Athens, on Thursday, March 18, 2021. Restaurants, bars and cafes, whose nature it is to gather groups of people closely together, have remained shut since November when the Greek government imposed a second lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19 infections. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Tables and chairs stand outside a shuttered traditional fish restaurant in Aspropyrgos, a northwest suburb of Athens, on Friday, March 26, 2021. Restaurants, bars and cafes, whose nature it is to gather groups of people closely together, have remained shut since November when the Greek government imposed a second lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19 infections. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
Tables and chairs stand outside a shuttered traditional fish restaurant in Aspropyrgos, a northwest suburb of Athens, on Friday, March 26, 2021. Restaurants, bars and cafes, whose nature it is to gather groups of people closely together, have remained shut since November when the Greek government imposed a second lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19 infections. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

A rope used for decoration is placed on a canvas that covers tables and chairs of a shuttered fish restaurant at the seaside suburb of Kavouri, district of Athens, on Thursday, March 25, 2021. Restaurants, bars and cafes, whose nature it is to gather groups of people closely together, have remained shut since November when the Greek government imposed a second lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19 infections. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
A rope used for decoration is placed on a canvas that covers tables and chairs of a shuttered fish restaurant at the seaside suburb of Kavouri, district of Athens, on Thursday, March 25, 2021. Restaurants, bars and cafes, whose nature it is to gather groups of people closely together, have remained shut since November when the Greek government imposed a second lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19 infections. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Πέτρος Γιαννακούρης - Two umbrellas lean against a wall with a painting depicting a scene of an old Greek movie outside a shuttered traditional restaurant in Plaka, district of Athens, on Tuesday, March 16, 2021. Restaurants, bars and cafes, whose nature it is to gather groups of people closely together, have remained shut since November when the Greek government imposed a second lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19 infections. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
Πέτρος Γιαννακούρης - Two umbrellas lean against a wall with a painting depicting a scene of an old Greek movie outside a shuttered traditional restaurant in Plaka, district of Athens, on Tuesday, March 16, 2021. Restaurants, bars and cafes, whose nature it is to gather groups of people closely together, have remained shut since November when the Greek government imposed a second lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19 infections. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Πέτρος Γιαννακούρης - Freshly painted white iron chairs stand outside a coffee shop in Psyri, district of Athens, on Thursday, March 18, 2021. Restaurants, bars and cafes, whose nature it is to gather groups of people closely together, have remained shut since November when the Greek government imposed a second lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19 infections. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
Πέτρος Γιαννακούρης - Freshly painted white iron chairs stand outside a coffee shop in Psyri, district of Athens, on Thursday, March 18, 2021. Restaurants, bars and cafes, whose nature it is to gather groups of people closely together, have remained shut since November when the Greek government imposed a second lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19 infections. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Πέτρος Γιαννακούρης - Tables and chairs, most of them covered with a canvas, are stored outside a shuttered fish restaurant at the seaside suburb of Kavouri, district of Athens, on Thursday, March 25, 2021. Restaurants, bars and cafes, whose nature it is to gather groups of people closely together, have remained shut since November when the Greek government imposed a second lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19 infections. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
Πέτρος Γιαννακούρης - Tables and chairs, most of them covered with a canvas, are stored outside a shuttered fish restaurant at the seaside suburb of Kavouri, district of Athens, on Thursday, March 25, 2021. Restaurants, bars and cafes, whose nature it is to gather groups of people closely together, have remained shut since November when the Greek government imposed a second lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19 infections. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Πέτρος Γιαννακούρης - Umbrellas outside a shuttered coffee shop in Thission, district of Athens, on Thursday, March 18, 2021. Restaurants, bars and cafes, whose nature it is to gather groups of people closely together, have remained shut since November when the Greek government imposed a second lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19 infections. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
Πέτρος Γιαννακούρης - Umbrellas outside a shuttered coffee shop in Thission, district of Athens, on Thursday, March 18, 2021. Restaurants, bars and cafes, whose nature it is to gather groups of people closely together, have remained shut since November when the Greek government imposed a second lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19 infections. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Πέτρος Γιαννακούρης - Tables are stored outside a shuttered coffee shop as a cat looks on, in Plaka , district of Athens, on Monday, March 29, 2021. Restaurants, bars and cafes, whose nature it is to gather groups of people closely together, have remained shut since November when the Greek government imposed a second lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19 infections. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
Πέτρος Γιαννακούρης - Tables are stored outside a shuttered coffee shop as a cat looks on, in Plaka , district of Athens, on Monday, March 29, 2021. Restaurants, bars and cafes, whose nature it is to gather groups of people closely together, have remained shut since November when the Greek government imposed a second lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19 infections. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Πέτρος Γιαννακούρης - Chairs, tables and heaters are piled outside a shuttered traditional restaurant in Plaka, district of Athens, on Tuesday, March 16, 2021. Restaurants, bars and cafes, whose nature it is to gather groups of people closely together, have remained shut since November when the Greek government imposed a second lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19 infections. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
Πέτρος Γιαννακούρης - Chairs, tables and heaters are piled outside a shuttered traditional restaurant in Plaka, district of Athens, on Tuesday, March 16, 2021. Restaurants, bars and cafes, whose nature it is to gather groups of people closely together, have remained shut since November when the Greek government imposed a second lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19 infections. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Chairs are stored outside a shuttered coffee shop in Plaka, district of Athens, on Monday, March 29, 2021. Restaurants, bars and cafes, whose nature it is to gather groups of people closely together, have remained shut since November when the Greek government imposed a second lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19 infections. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
Chairs are stored outside a shuttered coffee shop in Plaka, district of Athens, on Monday, March 29, 2021. Restaurants, bars and cafes, whose nature it is to gather groups of people closely together, have remained shut since November when the Greek government imposed a second lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19 infections. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

The nights from now on … and for how long?

The silence has replaced the low hum of the conversation and the clinking of glasses that pierced the sidewalk cafes throughout Athens. Their chairs and tables, once occupied all day, stand at night stacked in empty piles, partially secured with chains.

In the fall of 2020 the government imposed a second lockdown. Retail stores, bars, restaurants and cafes were found closed, forcing them to close their doors in early November 2020 to prevent the suspected spread of the virus.

Today, at the beginning of 2022, almost the same scenario … always after 12.00 at midnight …

During the second lock down, Petros Giannakouris gave us some photos, shooted at night as he toured old streets, which he loved and hated endlessly … confirming some lyrics by M. Anagnostakis … about the inescapable nights of his return and the city dead.

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Bio
Petros Giannakouris was born in Athens in 1974 and studied at the College of Applied Photography in Athens.
He has worked as a professional photojournalist since 1995, as a staffer for several newspapers and local news agencies, before joining the Associated Press in 2003.
He has covered a wide range of major stories in Greece including the country’s financial turmoil and refugee crisis, as well as being sent on multiple assignments that include the War in Iraq (2007-2009), and the aftermath of the Israel-Hezbollah war in Lebanon in 2006, along with several major international sporting events including Olympic Games.
His work has been awarded in many prestigious photo contests, like Picture of the Year (POY), National Press Photographers Association Αwards (NPPA) and others.

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Πέτρος Γιαννακούρης – The nights from now on …

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