List of Pontic Greeks

→This is a list of Pontic Greeks (Greek: Πόντιοι, Pontioi ), i.e. Greeks from the region of Pontus, in modern northern Turkey.

Ancient

• Diogenes (412/404 BC – 323 BC), also known as Diogenes the Cynic, was a Greek philosopher and one of the founders of Cynic philosophy
• Diphilus (342–291 BC), of Sinope, a poet of the new Attic comedy and contemporary of Menander
• Mithridates VI Eupator (132–63 BC), the most important king of the Kingdom of Pontus
• Laodice, Mithridates VI's sister and first wife
• Diophantus, son of Asclepiodorus, of Sinope, was a general in the service of Mithridates VI of Pontus
• Cleopatra of Pontus (born 110 BC), the Pontic wife of Tigranes the Great and daughter of Mithridates VI of Pontus
• Arcathius, a prince from the Kingdom of Pontus
• Machares, a Pontian prince and son of King Mithridates VI of Pontus and Queen Laodice
• Pharnaces II of Pontus, a prince, then King of Pontus and the Bosporan until his death
• Athenais Philostorgos II, princess from Kingdom of Pontus, was a Roman Client Queen of Cappadocia
• Stratonice of Pontus, a Greek woman from the Kingdom of Pontus, a mistress and fourth wife of King Mithridates VI of Pontus
• Xiphares, a Pontian Greek prince, son of King Mithridates VI of Pontus and Stratonice of Pontus

Roman

• Pythodorida of Pontus (30 BC or 29 BC – 38)
• Polemon I of Pontus (1st century BC, died 8 BC)
• Polemon II of Pontus (12 BC/11 BC–74)
• Strabo (63/64 BC–24 AD), a Greek historian, geographer and philosopher
• Saint Gregory of Neocaesarea, a Christian bishop of the 3rd century
• Saint Eugenios of Trebizond, martyred under Diocletian (284–305) and a cult devoted to him developed in Trebizond
• Anicetus (1st century), pirate, leader of unsuccessful anti-Roman uprising in Pontus in 69

Byzantine

Rulers of the Trebizond Empire

• Alexios I Komnenos (1056–1118/1048), Byzantine emperor from 1081 to 1118, and the founder of the Komnenian dynasty
• Andronikos I of Trebizond, Emperor of Trebizond from 1222 to 1235
• Ioannis I Megas Komnenos, Emperor of Trebizond from 1235 to 1238
• Manuel I Megas Komnenos, Emperor of Trebizond from 1238 to 1263
• Andronikos II Megas Komnenos, Emperor of Trebizond from 1263 to 1266
• Georgios Megas Komnenos, Emperor of Trebizond from 1266 to 1280
• Ioannis II Megas Komnenos, Emperor of Trebizond from 1280 to 1297
• Theodora Megale Komnene, Empress of Trebizond from 1284 to 1285
• Alexios II of Trebizond (1282 – 1330), Emperor of Trebizond from 1297 to 1330
• David Megas Komnenos (c. 1408 – 1 November 1463) Last Emperor of Trebizond from 1459 to 1461

Clerics

• Ecumenical Patriarch John VIII, patriarch of Constantinople from 1064 to 1075. (also saint)

Scholars

• Gregory Choniades (died 1302), astronomer
• Michael Panaretos (1320–c. 1390), historian, protosebastos and protonotarios in the service of Alexios III Megas Komnenos
• George of Trebizond (1395–1472 or 1473), a philosopher and scholar, one of the pioneers of the Renaissance
• George Amiroutzes (1400–1470), a Renaissance scholar and philosopher, a servant of Sultan Mehmed II
• Basilios Bessarion (1403–1472), a Catholic Cardinal Bishop and the titular Latin Patriarch of Constantinople, one of Greek scholars who contributed to the great revival of letters in the 15th century

Early Modern

• Sevastos Kyminitis (1630–1703), scholar who founded the Phrontisterion of Trapezous
• Constantine Mourouzis (died 1783), was a Phanariote Prince of Moldavia, and member of the Mourousis family
• Alexander Ypsilantis (1792–1828), leader of the Filiki Eteria, Greek military commander and national hero
• Demetrios Ypsilantis (1793–1832), second son of Constantine Ypsilantis, one of the early leaders of the Greek Revolution, general under John Capodistria
• Euklidis Kourtidis (1885–1937), Greek revolutionary leader of Pontos (a.k.a. Kapetan Euklidis)
• Nikos Kapetanidis (1889-1922), journalist and activist executed during the Amasya trials
• Anastasios Papadopoulos (1896-1922), Greek revolutionary leader of Pontos (a.k.a. Koja Anastas)
• Venetia Kotta (1897-1945), archaeologist and historian

Contemporary

Actors

• Pamphylia Tanailidi (1891–1937)
• Periklis Hristoforidis (1907–1983)
• Panos Papadopulos (1920-2001)
• Nikos Xanthopoulos (b. 1934)
• Martha Karagianni (b. 1939)
• Vasilis N. Triantafillidis (b. 1940) (a.k.a. Harry Klyn)
• Nikos Sergianopoulos (1952–2008)
• Ieroklis Michailidis (b. 1960)
• Denis Podalydès (b. 1963)
• Fanis Mouratidis (b. 1970)
• Victoria Haralabidou (b. 1971)
• Giorgos Kapoutzidis (b. 1972)
• Alex Dimitriades (b. 1973)
• Mary Akrivopoulou (b. 1975)

Artists

• Joannis Avramidis (b. 1922), sculptor

• Arkhip Kuindzhi (1842–1910), Russian landscape painter
• Sergey Merkurov (1881–1952), prominent Soviet sculptor-monumentalist of Greek-Armenian ancestry
• Nonda (1922-2005), leading Greek artist of the School of Paris

Athletes

Basketball

• Michalis Romanidis (b. 1966)
• Vasilis Lipiridis (b. 1967)
• Jake Tsakalidis (b. 1979)
• Dimitris Diamantidis (b. 1980)
• Lazaros Papadopoulos (b. 1980)
• Loukas Mavrokefalidis (b. 1984)
• Kostas Vasileiadis (b. 1984)

Football

• Georgios Amanatidis (b. 1970)
• Ioannis Amanatidis (b. 1981)
• Antonis Antoniadis (b. 1945)
• Christos Archontidis (coach also)
• Stefanos Athanasiadis (b. 1988)
• Elias Atmatsidis (b. 1969)
• Giorgios Georgiadis (b. 1987)
• Aristidis Kamaras (b. 1939) (mother)
• Kiriakos Karataidis (b. 1965)
• Yevhen Khacheridi (b. 1987) Ukrainian-Greek footballer for Dynamo Kyiv
• Savvas Kofidis (b. 1961) (coach also)
• Stan Lazaridis (b. 1972) former football player who represented his homeland Australia
• Yuri Lodygin (b. 1990) Russian-Greek goalkeeper for Zenit Saint Petersburg
• Takis Loukanidis (b. 1937)
• Dimitris Mavrogenidis (b. 1976)
• Kostas Nestoridis (b. 1930)
• Demis Nikolaidis (b. 1973)
• Antonios Nikopolidis (b. 1971)
• Andreas Niniadis (b. 1971) (assistant coach also)
• Dimitrios Papadopoulos (b. 1981)
• Mimis Papaioannou (b. 1942)
• Evstaphiy Pechlevanidis (b. 1960)
• Ilias Poursanidis (b. 1972)
• Ilias Rossidis (b. 1928)
• Dimitris Salpingidis (b. 1981)
• Giourkas Seitaridis (b. 1981)
• Ieroklis Stoltidis (b. 1975)
• Efstathios Tavlaridis (b. 1980)
• Ioannis Topalidis (b. 1962) (coach also)
• Vasilis Torosidis (b. 1985)
• Panagiotis Tsalouchidis (b. 1963)
• Zisis Vryzas (b. 1973) (mother)

Martial Arts

• Charalambos Cholidis (b. 1956), former wrestler
• Anton Christoforidis (b. 1918), former NBA world light heavyweight champion
• Michael Katsidis (b. 1980), Australian professional boxer, former WBO interim lightweight champion
• Stan Longinidis (b. 1965), retired professional Australian Heavyweight kickboxer and 8 time Kickboxing World Champion
• Andreas Michailidis, (b. 1988), Greek mixed martial artist
• Elisavet Mystakidou (b. 1977), taekwondo practitioner and Olympic medalist
• Alexandros Nikolaidis (1979-2022), taekwondo athlete and Olympic medalist
• Panagiotis Poikilidis (b. 1965), wrestler
• Mike Zambidis (b. 1980), professional kickboxer, a 13 time World Champion, and current W.K.B.F. super-welterweight kickboxing world champion

Track & Field

• Anastasia Kelesidou (b. 1972), discus thrower
• Voula Patoulidou (b. 1965), competed in the 100 metres, 100 metres hurdles and in the long jump events
• Ekaterini Stefanidi (b. 1990), pole vaulter
• Georgios Theodoridis (b. 1972), sprinter specializing in the 60 metres and 100 metres
• Athanasia Tsoumeleka (b. 1982) (mother), race walker

Water Sports

• Andreas Kilingaridis (1976–2013), sprint canoer
• Aikaterini Nikolaidou (b. 1992), rower
• Nikolaos Siranidis (b. 1976), diver

Weightlifting

• Ilya Ilyin (b. 1988) (Pontian maternal grandfather, Iakovos Fountoukidis)
• Valerios Leonidis (b. 1966)
• Kakhi Kakhiashvili (b. 1969) (grandmother)

Various Sports

• Eleni Daniilidou (b. 1982), tennis player
• Ioannis Melissanidis (b. 1977), artistic gymnast
• Ioannis Tamouridis (b. 1980), cyclist
• Elena Vesnina (b. 1986), tennis player (Greek Pontian grandfather)

Business

• Konstantinos Theofylaktos, was a banker and mayor of Trabzon from 1916 to 1918
• Filaret Galchev (b. 1963), Russian businessman, chairman of Eurocement group (real name Filaretos Kaltsidis)
• Mike Lazaridis (b. 1961), founder and co-CEO of Research In Motion (RIM), which created and manufactures the BlackBerry wireless handheld device
• Dimitris Melissanidis (b. 1946), founder of Aegean Marine Petroleum, president of AEK Athens F.C. from 1992 to 1995
• Ivan Savvidi (b. 1959), Deputy to the State Duma of the Russian Federation, Chairman of PAOK FC and FC SKA Rostov-on-Don, Businessman and president of the Federation of Greek Communities of Russia

Journalists

• Vicky Hadjivassiliou (mother)
• Nikos Kapetanidis Pontic Greek journalist and newspaper publisher
• Mary Kostakidis (b. 1954), former weeknight SBS World News Australia presenter
• Alexandra Pascalidou (b. 1970), journalist, television hostess and author
• Pantelis Savvidis (b. 1954)
• Tatiana Stefanidou (b. 1970)
• Makis Triantafyllopoulos (grandmother)
• Popi Tsapanidou
• George Valavanis

Military

• Achilles Sakis (Tsakeredes), United States Air Force - Retired, Flight test engineer & U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School graduate and instructor, later with Google X Project Wing
• James G. Stavridis, Retired United States Navy admiral & 12th Dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University
• Vladimir Triandafillov (1894–1931), Soviet military commander and theoretician (real surname Triantafyllidis)

Models

• Olympia Hopsonidou, Miss Star Hellas 2006

Music

• Aristotelis Koundouroff (1896–1969), composer of the Modern Era
• Iovan Tsaous (1893–1942), musician, and composer of rebetiko songs (real name Yiannis Eitziridis or Etseiridis)
• Odysseas Dimitriadis (1908–2005), classical music conductor
• Stelios Kazantzidis (1931–2001), Greek singer of Greek popular music, or Laïkó, he collaborated with many of Greece's composers (father)
• Chrysanthos (1934–2005), singer and songwriter (his surname is Theodoridis)
• Marinella (b. 1938) one of the most popular Greek singers whose career has spanned several decades (her surname is Papadopoulou)
• Pavlos Sidiropoulos (1948–1990), rock singer, guitarist, songwriter and the "father" of the Greek Rock (father)
• Diamanda Galas (b. 1955), US avant-garde composer, vocalist, pianist, performance artist and painter (Pontian ancestry on her father's side)
• Lefteris Hapsiadis (b. 1953) lyricist, poet and writer of novels
• Vasilis Karras (b. 1953), Greek folk singer (real surname Kesoglidis)
• Kelly Kelekidou Greek singer
• Lefteris Pantazis (b. 1955), Greek folk singer (real surname Pagozidis)
• Pantelis Pantelidis (1983-2016), Greek singer, Youtuber, songwriter and lyricist
• Lefteris Papadopoulos, lyricist, poet and journalist
• Antonis Remos (b. 1970), Greek laïko singer (real surname Paschalidis)
• Natassa Theodoridou (b. 1970), Greek singer
• Matthaios Tsahouridis (b. 1978), plays a range of stringed musical instruments including pontic kemenche, Ph.D. in musicology
• Despina Vandi (b. 1969), Greek singer
• Birol Topaloğlu (b. 1965), Pontic songwriter and singer
• Paola Foka, Greek singer (partial)

Politics

• Adonis Georgiadis (b. 1972), Greek politician, historian, publisher, and author
• Leonidas Iasonidis (1884–1959), political activist, congressman of Greek parliament and minister
• Ioannis Passalidis (1886–1968), a prominent member of the Greek Left and founder of the United Democratic Left party
• Dimitrios Partsalidis (1903/1905–1980), communist politician
• Nikos Papadopoulos (b. 1939) Greek-born Swedish Social Democrat politician
• Gavriil Kharitonovich Popov (b. 1936), former mayor of Moscow (real name Gavriil Papadopoulos)
• Savvas Tsitouridis (b. 1954), politician and member of the New Democracy and former Minister for Employment and Social Protection
• Markos Vafiadis (1906–1992), leading cadre of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) during the Greek Civil War

Science/academia

• George Gurdjieff (1866? – 1949), a mystic and spiritual teacher (real name Georgios Georgiades)
• Viktor Sarianidi (b. 1929), well-known Soviet archaeologist
• Fyodor Yurchikhin (b. 1959), cosmonaut and spacecraft's mechanical engineer (mother)
• John Ioannidis (b. 1965), American scientist, professor, and author

Writers

• Aris Alexandrou (1922–1978), a novelist, poet and translator (father)
• Christos Chomenidis (b. 1966)
• Thea Halo (b. 1941) (mother), author of Not Even My Name, a memoir of her mother's experiences during the Greek genocide
  • Sano Halo (1909-2014), survivor of the Greek genocide and nicknamed Grandmother of the Pontic Greeks
• Theodor Kallifatides (b. 1938) (father)
• Dimitris Psathas (1907–1979), journalist and satirical writer (mother)
• Nikolay Sherbina (b. 1821), Russian poet of 19th century (maternal grandparent)
• Stephanos Papadopoulos (b.1976) Greek American Poet (father)
• Nikos Grigoriadis (1931-2012), poet and educator.

Various

• A. I. Bezzerides (1908–2007), Greek-Armenian novelist and screenwriter, best known for writing Noir and Action motion pictures, especially several of Warners' "social conscience" films of the 1940s (father)
• Anastasios Papadopoulos (1896–1922), guerilla fighter and leading figure of Pontus
• Yanis Kanidis (1930–2004), Greek-Russian physical education teacher & hero who died to save the lives of his students during the Beslan school hostage crisis
• Filon Ktenidis (1889–1963), playwright, accountant, journalist, doctor and the founder of Panagia Soumela in Kastania, Vermiou in Greece

References

1. Pontic Greek
2. Caucasus Greeks
3. Pontic Greek folk dance
4. Greek genocide
5. Greek diaspora
6. Ottoman Greeks
7. Greeks
8. Greeks (disambiguation)
9. Nettle soup
10. Deportation of the Soviet Greeks
11. Varieties of Modern Greek
12. Greek Crimea
13. African Greeks
14. List of Greek letters
15. List of Greeks by net worth
16. Cappadocian Greeks
17. List of people from Greece
18. Greeks in Kazakhstan
19. Scythians
20. Greeks in the United Kingdom