The book of the Associate Professor of Modern and Contemporary History of the University of Peloponnese Thanassis Christou “Petros Sokr. Kokkalis (1896 – 1962). The bourgeois revolutionary doctor from anti-Venizelism to Leninism” was presented in an event in the Old Parliament, on Friday 17th of May 2019, which was organized by Kokkalis Foundation and the University of Peloponnese.
On the occasion of the 123rd anniversary from the birthday and the 57th from the death of the great Greek doctor Petros Sokr. Kokkalis, the Associate Professor of Modern and Contemporary History, Thanassis Christou, published the book “Petros Sokr. Kokkalis (1896 – 1962). The bourgeois revolutionary doctor from anti-Venizelism to Leninism”.
The event started with the Dean of the University of Peloponnese Professor Thanassis Katsis, who characterized doctor Petros Sokr. Kokkalis ‘’as a scientist that we admire not only for his scientific excellence but also for his faith in his ideals and in Man but also in his selflessness’’.
Obviously moved, Sokratis Petr. Kokkalis, after thanking the author Thanassis Christou who as he pointed ‘’out undertook a difficult task by writing the story of a great and unique man’’, went on to talk about his father, their life, his experiences and his mother as well.
Subsequently, the doctor’s grandson who is named after him, Petros Sokr. Kokkalis, took over and gave his own answer to the emotionally charged speech by his father saying: “I will begin by saying that at least we all, who are here today, have the chance to live the spirit of my own father and I would like to thank him for this”. As far as the book is concerned, he characterized it as a ‘’lifelong endeavor’’, and added that he remembered Thanassis Christou to be searching, investigating and learning things about the story and life of Petros Kokkalis and their family for over 15 years.
The last one to speak was the author Thanasis Christou who pointed out that this book could not have been written in the way it was, without the support, contribution and criticism of the grandson, Petros Kokkalis, whom he first met in 2006. The author thanked him with feelings of gratitude and quoted, in the end, the favorite proverb of the Great Educator of Medicine Petros Sokr. Kokkalis: “When you ask to speak what you are going to say must be something more than silence”.
