By Lieutenant Commander Georgios Laiakis
On Tuesday, January 6, 2026, the ceremony of the Blessing of the Waters took place in Piraeus, in the presence of H.E. President of the Republic, Mr. Konstantinos Tasoulas, and His Beatitude Archbishop of Athens and All Greece, Mr. Ieronymos.
The ceremony was attended by representatives of the Parliament, the Parties, the Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff General Dimitrios Choupis, the Chief of the General Staff Vice Admiral Dimitrios-Eleftherios Kataras RN, the Chief of the Hellenic Navy Lieutenant General (I) Demosthenes Grigoriadis, the Chief of the Hellenic Navy-ELAKT Vice Admiral Tryfon Kontizas, the Chief of the Fire Brigade Lieutenant General Theodoros Vagias, the Inspector General of the Army – Deputy Chief of the Hellenic Navy Lieutenant General Andreas Koronakis, members of the Supreme Naval Council (ANS), representatives of the Church and the local government as well as active and retired Officers of the Armed Forces.
As part of the ceremony, the Greek Navy made available the Fast Patrol Boats (FPBs) KRYSTALLIDIS and GRIGOROPOULOS.