The Russian Hospital of Piraeus

In 1902, Queen Olga, wife of King George I and also known as Olga Constantinovna of Russia, personally funded the establishment of a Russian Hospital, which would be staffed by Russian citizens. Thus, the Russian Hospital was created and housed in former Meletopoulos buildings in Piraeus. It soon became one of the main centers for the Russian community in Greece. On February 19th, 1902, the hospital was officially inaugurated by the royal family, who arrived at Zea Harbor aboard the royal yacht Amphitrite. The entire staff of the Russian Embassy and the Russian Consulate in Piraeus were also present for the occasion. In 1912 and 1913, during the Balkan Wars, the hospital was made fully available for the treatment of officers and soldiers of the Greek army. During this period, it provided medical care to 29,646 patients, mainly family members of conscripted men. In 1925, a decree was issued to convert the hospital into a facility of the Hellenic Navy. In 1981, due to damage from the earthquakes of that time, it ceased operations. Starting in 1985, the Hellenic Navy General Staff took the initiative to renovate and reopen the Naval Hospital of Piraeus as a branch of the Naval Hospital of Athens. The renovation was finally completed in 2000, resulting in a facility with 39 beds. Pictured: A postcard showing an electric tram outside the Russian Hospital of Piraeus, early 20th century. ©Municipal Photography Museum of Kalamaria ‘Christos Kalemkeris’.