“His loss deprives us of a radiant man and, personally, of a dear friend,” said the Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni for Yiannis Boutaris who passed away yesterday at the age of 82.

In detail, the statement of the Minister of Culture:

“We bid farewell to Yannis Boutaris, a man of rare gifts, who left an indelible and profound mark wherever he passed. In entrepreneurship, in civil society, in culture, in sports, in public life.

His engagement with the public came as a very natural continuation of his long journey as an active citizen and his successful business career, with pioneering techniques and bold innovations. He founded “Arkturos”, supported the basketball department of “‘Ari”, contributed, with his active presence, to the operation of the Megaros Musikis and as president of the International Film Festival, in Thessaloniki.

With this solid background, Yiannis Boutaris moved easily to the mayoral position. In his nine-year tenure, he managed to change the character of the city, opening channels to channel its latent dynamism into the economy, culture, and tourism. It highlighted its historical burden, projecting its centuries-old past, honoring equally all the cultures that left their mark on the city. It attracted a large number of visitors, who were captivated by the coexistence of a long history with a dynamic present. Boutaris essentially contributed to the rise of Thessaloniki to what it has always been: Metropolis and crossroads of people, cultures, exchanges, osmosis.

The most important thing is that he managed all this without straying from his values, ideas and principles. Without rounding off his speech, without resorting to embellishments.

I had the fortune and pleasure of working with him for many years and on many things. To appreciate his rudeness. To see his persistence in what he believed. To confirm his love and concern for his city. To admire his civil gentility and political culture, even when our views were diametrically opposed. Our last discussions were focused on the revival, in innovative ways, of the wine-producing activity on the Tatoi estate. His loss deprives us of a radiant man and, personally, of a dear friend. I send my sincere condolences to his family.”