€5,000,000 donation by Motor Oil to the Hellenic. Ioannis Vardinoyannis (Vardinogiannis) received the title of Reserve Officer of the rank of Rear Admiral in honor and the Grand Cross of the Order of Phoenix will be awarded to the late Honorary Rear Admiral Vardis Vardinoyannis
In a special ceremony held today, Thursday, February 20, 2025, in the “Ioannis Kapodistrias” hall of the Ministry of National Defense (MND), the contribution of Motor Oil (Hellenic) to the Navy and the contribution of the family of Vardis Vardinoyannis to the Homeland were honored.
The event was attended by the Minister of National Defense, Nikos Dendias, Deputy Minister Yiannis Kefalogiannis, the military leadership of the Armed Forces, as well as the President and CEO of the Motor Oil Group, Ioannis Vardis Vardinoyannis.
New donation of 5 million euros to the Greek Navy
During the event, the Motor Oil Group’s donation of 5 million euros to the Hellenic Navy was announced , in memory of the Honorary Rear Admiral Vardis Vardinoyannis, the late President of the Motor Oil Group, whose life was inextricably linked to the Hellenic Navy.
In detail, the amount will be allocated as follows:
- 4.5 million euros for the construction of the 4th and 5th floors of the Athens Naval Hospital (NNA) and the new hospital wings. The new wings will bear his name. In addition, a pioneering biosafety project is being implemented for these new wings of the Athens Naval Hospital, which aims to optimize the Hospital’s biosafety protocols, through metagenomic analysis by the company DNAsequence SRL.
- 500,000 euros for the reconstruction of the infrastructure of the Naval Cadet School ‘s infirmary and the purchase of new medical equipment.
Honorary distinction to Vardis and Giannis Vardinoyannis
As part of the event, Yiannis Vardinoyannis was awarded the title of Rear Admiral in honor, in recognition of his family’s long-standing support for the Armed Forces.
Furthermore, it was announced that the Presidency of the Republic will award the Grand Cross of the Order of the Phoenix to the late Vardis Vardinoyannis, at an upcoming ceremony.
In his greeting, the Minister of National Defense, Nikos Dendias, praised the contribution of the Vardinoyannis family to the Homeland.
“From now on, both I and the Armed Forces family will call you ‘Mr. Admiral'”, the Minister stated characteristically, pointing out that this honorary distinction places Yannis Vardinoyannis in the ranks of the active military, as a man who, with his actions, contributes substantially to the strengthening of national defense.
Special mention was also made of his father, Admiral Vardis Vardinoyannis, who distinguished himself as a Navy officer and was persecuted by the dictatorship due to his democratic beliefs. Vardis Vardinoyannis served the Homeland with dedication, while his contribution to the Navy and the Armed Forces is recognized to this day.
The Minister also referred to Vardis Vardinoyannis’ wife, Marianna Vardinoyannis, highlighting her enormous humanitarian work, particularly in the fight against childhood cancer. He even recalled the highest honor awarded to her by the UN, the Nelson Mandela Award, for her contribution to social service.
President and CEO of the Motor Oil Group, Yannis Vardinoyannis noted: “Our family and its history are inextricably linked to our Navy. My father always had the Navy in his heart and remained throughout his life, above and beyond all else, an Officer loyal to the principles and values it espouses. He inspired in us faith and love for our homeland and institutions, and today’s donation to the Naval Hospital and the Naval Cadet School infirmary continues the timeless and practical support of our family and the Motor Oil Group to the Armed Forces of our country.”