Elli Solomonidu-Balanu bequeathed to us the world, recognizable and special. For more than half a century, Elli Solomonidu-Balanou kept the cultural imprint of the country in her sketches. There was no show or concert without Ellie’s sketches…

With a notebook in hand, her figure has always stood out on countless occasions where art and spirit were in full swing. He was omnipresent, and now he looks back with pleasure on a journey that is unique in the Greek annals.

She herself in the apartment – a box of memories and relics in Pagrati, remains a witness to Athenian life throughout the entire post-war period.

The book titled “Infernal Athens” (published by Hermes), lovingly created by the architect and explorer of Athens, Maro Kardamitsi-Adami, brings together the Athenian sketches of Ella Solomonides-Balanou, brought to life again. They are joined in the new narrative by the pen of Maros Kardamytsi-Adamis and her intimate knowledge of Athens. Straightforwardness of speech goes hand in hand with elegance of outline.

The elegance of Elli Solomonidou-Balanou’s sketches is also known for her many years of collaboration with Kathimerini, ever since the days of Eleni Vlahos. Many readers of the newspaper remember the sketches that were published in Eleni Bistik’s Notebook and under the headings of theater, music and dance criticism.

Her ability to often sketch in the dark and under time pressure (especially when in the past she had to “clean up” a sketch and send it straight to the newspaper) has gone down in history. Elli Solomonidou-Balanou had an impressive mastery of costumes, sets and atmosphere in general, as she studied set design and costume design.

But in the small, dense book The Athens of Helles, a deep connection with the city is celebrated. She herself grew up in Psychic and Athens, where the root of Smyrna determined the family lineage on the paternal side and Constantinople on the maternal side. He grew up in letters, music, journalism, literature.

Maro Kardamitsi-Adami takes us on a journey through the memory, experience and history of Athens, guided by countless sketches of the buildings, people and performances that make up the “Athens of Hell”. Herodium, Panathenaic Stadium, Zappeion, Athens Trilogy, neoclassical palaces as well as popular neoclassical houses, Presidential Palace, Old Parliament, National Theatre, French School of Archeology, a parade in sketches embellished with a tour of Maros Kardamitsy-Adami.

This talisman book hides the confusion of the Athenian map that Ellie Solomonidou-Balanou has made with her pen for decades, maps with routes diverging in time.