Sophie and Levon Hakobyan School, Athens

11.01.2021

From the 5th-6th centuries, the Armenians began to settle in Greece, concentrating mainly in Athens, Thessaloniki, Komotini, Kavala, Orestiada, Didymoteicho, as well as on the islands of Crete and Kos. As in a number of European countries, a powerful Armenian community which has played a significant role in preserving the Armenian identity in the diaspora has developed there. Armenians in Greece are almost everywhere, from spiritual and cultural to socio-political, educational and other spheres. Here you can meet talented artists, doctors and entrepreneurs. There are about 40 schools in Greece, 4 daily schools, 8 one-day schools, media, cultural centers, groups, various social structures. The governing structures of the Armenian community in the country are the National Holiness and the National Government.

One of the most important Armenian schools in Greece is the school of Sophie and Levon Hakobyan which was founded in 1963 in the capital. The school was built with the support of Sophie Hakobyan in memory of her husband. It has a kindergarten (2 classes), a preschool (6 classes), as well as a Greek branch with Greek teachers, who are paid by the state, and the education is provided under the state program. Students study the Armenian language, Armenian literature, religion and history.

In Greece, along with the school of Sophie and Levon Hakobyan, some of the most important Armenian educational institutions are the schools of "Jenazyan", "Galpakyan" and "Zavaryan".