WHAT HAS RUSSIA EVER DONE FOR GREECE?

  

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has generated a debate in Greece on the historic relations between the two countries that share a common religion.

The destruction of towns and villages in eastern Ukraine, especially Mariupol where tens of thousands of ethnic Greeks live has led many Greeks to rethink and evaluate those relations. 

Greece is linked to Russia by strong historical ties of friendship based on shared spiritual and cultural values.  

An additional important factor contributing to the development of the relations between the two countries is the historical presence in the Russian Federation of a significant number of Russian citizens of Greek origin who reside, mainly, on the southern Russian periphery of the Black Sea. 

The Greek language is taught at a number of Russian universities including at the Byzantine and Modern Greek Department of the Moscow State Pedagogical University. the Greek Literature Department of Kuban State University, and the chair of philology of Petrozavodsk in the University of Saint Petersburg.