Athos is a target for the attack of anti-Christians. Farewell, Athos? What do the decisions of the Russian Orthodox Church to break with Constantinople mean?

The conflict between the Patriarchs of Moscow and Constantinople came to new level. At an off-site meeting in Minsk, the Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) on Monday, October 15, decided to completely break off relations with Constantinople, which is considered "first among equals" among 14 recognized Orthodox national churches.

The reason was the decision of the Synod of the Patriarchate of Constantinople to continue the procedure for preparing autocephaly, that is, complete independence for the future Orthodox Church in Ukraine, the removal of the anathema from the leadership of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate (UOC-KP) and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (UAOC) and the cancellation of the decision of 1686 on the transfer of the Kyiv Metropolis to the Moscow Patriarchate (MP). In fact, preparations are underway for the creation of a new church in Ukraine, which will compete with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), which has an autonomous status within the ROC.

What does the decision of the Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church mean in practice?

Ban on worship

The ROC decided to abandon the so-called Eucharistic communion with representatives of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. This means that its priests will not be able to serve together with the priests of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, and believers will not be able to take part in the sacraments, which include, among other things, baptism, communion, confession or marriage. “From a formal point of view, a ban on Eucharistic communion is a ban on participation in the liturgy,” Nikolai Mitrokhin, an expert on Orthodoxy, a researcher at the University of Eastern Finland (Jonsuu), said in an interview with DW. in worship."

At the same time, ordinary believers of the Russian Orthodox Church will most likely be able to go to the temples of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, for example, to light a candle or pray. But, according to Mitrokhin, the Russian Orthodox Church will not welcome this either, striving for a complete severance of contacts at the level of the laity.

Note to tourists and pilgrims

In the explanations of the ROC, which were made after the decision of the Synod, it is said that the break in relations will affect the churches of the Patriarchate of Constantinople in Istanbul and Antalya, as well as in Greece, including in Crete, Rhodes and Mount Athos in the north-east of the country.

Athos, which believers call the Holy Mountain, is one of the most significant places for world Orthodoxy. There has been a monastic republic there for more than a thousand years, which today consists of 20 monasteries. Most of them are Greek and are subordinate to the Patriarchate of Constantinople. There are also Serbian, Bulgarian, Romanian and Russian monasteries. The St. Panteleimon Monastery is considered Russian, which in recent years has received active support from the Russian Orthodox Church. Has developed new tradition, according to which every year in August Athos is visited by a delegation of representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church. The future of such trips is now in question. Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Mount Athos twice, in 2005 and 2016, the last time accompanied by Patriarch Kirill. Every year, Athos is visited by thousands of pilgrims and tourists, including from countries former USSR. True, only men - women are not allowed to enter there.

Context

"I think that contacts will not be seriously interrupted," Mitrokhin believes. "There is a Russian monastery there, there is a monastery that does not recognize the authority of the Patriarchate of Constantinople." "As a rule, in church practice there are strict laws that are based on the canons, but their actual implementation depends on real practical needs," the expert says. In his opinion, since in Russia "interest in Athos remains, there will be loopholes, reservations so that everything remains the same." The representative of the Russian Orthodox Church, Nikolai Balashov, in an interview with the Interfax agency, said that the ban imposed by the Synod does not apply to the worship of shrines in the churches of Constantinople, including Athos.

What threatens for violating the ban of the Synod

The current decision to refuse Eucharistic communion is the second wave of responses from the ROC in connection with autocephaly. The first was announced in mid-September in response to the decision of Constantinople to send two of its exarchs, envoys, to Kyiv to prepare autocephaly. Then the Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church decided to refuse to mention the Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew during the liturgy and from participating in church projects and structures in which Constantinople presides.

What threatens those who violate the ban is not yet fully understood. As Mitrokhin says, in case of repentance, the confessor will have to impose some kind of fine at his own discretion. At the same time, the expert notes that the majority of Russian tourists in Greece and Turkey will not take part in the liturgy anyway, and therefore the ban does not seem to affect them.

Finally, in a statement, the Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church warns its priests not to go over to the "schismatics", that is, the autocephalous church being created in Ukraine. "In any case, communication will not be maintained with them," says Mitrokhin. The question of church punishment is still open.

See also:

• Ukraine strives for autocephaly of the Orthodox Church

  The procedure for granting autocephaly to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (or issuing a tomos - a decree on the creation of a single local church) causes fierce controversy. Moscow and Kyiv react differently. Which of the key figures in the case says what?



Autocephaly for Ukraine: who says what

Bartholomew: Dialogue is the path bequeathed by God

"We believe in the power of dialogue. While the political leadership uses dialogue to resolve the problems of their countries, we, religious leaders, use dialogue even more, because this is the path that God himself bequeathed to us," said Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople in meeting in August 2018 with Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.



Autocephaly for Ukraine: who says what

Cyril: We believe that the gates of hell will not overcome the Church

“We know how difficult it is today on the brotherly Ukrainian land. We know how the enemy of the human race took up arms against the Orthodox Church, which is going through the most difficult trials. But we believe that the gates of hell will not overcome the Church,” Kirill himself later said.



Autocephaly for Ukraine: who says what

Filaret: Putin is the new Cain

"Putin is a believer. A Christian. But does he live by faith? No, he doesn't live by faith. I called him:" new Cain, "" Filaret, head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate, said in an interview with Zhanna Nemtsova.



Autocephaly for Ukraine: who says what

Onufry: Tomos does not solve problems, but a person

“Tomos does not solve problems, but a person, with his good effort, with his own hands, with his head, must solve problems. Sausage has not increased in price due to the lack of a tomos and will not be reduced if it is given,” assures Metropolitan of Kyiv, Bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church Onufry.



Autocephaly for Ukraine: who says what

Pavel: Separation - the split of world Orthodoxy

"The separation of the Ukrainian Church is a process that today is taking distinct forms of the church schism of the entire world Orthodoxy," Metropolitan Pavel, Primate of the Belarusian Orthodox Church, believes. Similar statements were made by other heads of local churches - Estonia, Abkhazia and others.

“I am the Mother of God the Word, and together with Him this monastery of the Archangels and St. Nicholas the Intercession and Intercession. And from now on, let them resort to Me in any need. I will quickly hear all the reverently Orthodox Christians who come running to me, because I am called the Quick Listener.

(from the book “Dohiar Monastery on Mount Athos”, published by Dohiar Monastery, Holy Mount Athos, 2012).

Bequeathed to bury himself quietly

We fell asleep before our head touched the pillow. And suddenly - a mallet. It thumps and thumps. And those alarm clocks for half past three. Nightmare. Don't go, right? Well, you can skip one. What is there! Taras from above stirs carefully: "Pavel, it's time!" Well, it's time - so it's time. Everything is fair, isn't that what we came for? The Greeks also rose. It's dark outside - gouge out your eyes. Some cells are illuminated - the monks rise to serve. We are behind them.

We enter from another entrance. These are the southern doors of the cathedral. On the left, on a marble jamb, the inscription is still visible: “1664. October fifth. The Turks came and we left."

The temple is in darkness. Following the monks, we venerate the holy images and stand in “our” places. But something is wrong. In the middle of the temple are large stretchers with handles. Looks like someone is in them. The mind tells, but the heart does not believe. We dare not ask. Everything speaks in favor of the fact that we were at the funeral. The service is incredibly long. And now the face of the deceased is opened and the monks say goodbye to him. Some cry. We decide to go. Apparently, this is Geronda Gregory. God rest his soul!

After a seven-hour memorial service, the geronda is transferred from the temple to the place of his repose: a niche in the wall of the temple, where the relics of another abbot, geronda Herman, lay for 400 years. We were surprised by the prosaic nature of the moment: no special celebrations. It seems that the closest circle of friends and - the inhabitants of the monastery. We were also struck by the fact that the stern monastic singing was accompanied by the joyful bird trills of a canary from the cell opposite.

Incompatible. Compatible. In the soul - light and silence.

Restrained male sobs. The monks throw handfuls of earth. We are too... The land here is in short supply, therefore, according to tradition, only the deceased is sprinkled with earth. When everyone said goodbye to the geronda, a marble slab was laid on top. A portrait of a geronda and a lamp are placed on it, the light of which will constantly illuminate the path of the monastic life of the inhabitants of Dohiar.

Everyone is invited to the memorial meal. There are many speeches in Greek. There was cahors and kolivo (kutya with pomegranate seeds and cinnamon). Again, not many guests. And only later, Father Alexander told that Geronda Gregory bequeathed to bury himself without unnecessary noise and confluence of people. But he was and remains one of the most revered elders of Athos, it was the geronda who raised the Dohiar monastery literally from the ruins in 1980.

Geronda Gregory. Photo: dmdonskoy.ru

Among the pilgrims there is also a story that recently the Ecumenical Patriarch came to Athos with a proposal to limit the arrival of Russians. To which the most respected elders, Geronda Gregory and the abbot of the Simonopetra monastery, answered with a decisive refusal. We believe that it was so.

Two bags of faki is not a pound of raisins for you.

This is how the new day began. New not only for us. I must say that life in the Dohiar monastery is so well-established that we did not notice any confusion. Everything went on in its long-established order.

And they either forgot about us, or reconciled with our presence. On the second day, the kitchen received us with the news that we needed to clean the “faks”. I had to ask again. It turned out that " and ' is a lentil. Here you are, grandmother, and St. George's Day! Two bags of faki is not a pound of raisins. Examination? Or vice versa, giving special trust? In general, this fakie reminded us of the fairy tale about Cinderella ... Oh, the service would be faster!

The service was not the same as yesterday. This is understandable, and Greek has nothing to do with it.

We withstood it without noticing fatigue, shocked by the morning event. It should be noted that Geronda Gregory reposed in the Lord on the day of the celebration of the memory of Saint Ambrose Optinsky. God rest his soul!

And in the evening, instead of the departed Greeks, a Serb, or rather a Montenegrin, was placed with us. This Montenegrin Sasha surprised us so surprised! It began with his confession that he became a believer thanks to Dostoevsky, which he re-read from cover to cover. (To my shame, I, for example, cannot boast of this.) In addition, he read Leo Tolstoy, Ivan Ilyin, Alexei Losev, Nikolai Berdyaev, Ignaty Brianchaninov.

He has two small children. They don't live well, but he travels a lot.

How did your wife let you go? Taras couldn't resist.

- And we believe that the one who travels to holy places, he prays for the whole family.

And therefore, Sasha, with family consent, has already bowed to many Orthodox shrines, and in Russia he was with Sergius of Radonezh, Seraphim of Sarov, John of Kronstadt, even with Alexander Svirsky.

And the next day we had such an embarrassment.

A bag and a half of faki was waiting for us in the kitchen. Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner, where can I get so much patience? The Greek pilgrims, who were sitting nearby at the faki, sang something. And then, somehow imperceptibly, they moved to the bow bulkhead. Something drastic had to be done. And we abandoned the method of sorting lentils accepted here: you pour a slide into an iron bowl and choose the husks, pebbles and weed seeds. This is for the whole day without rest. Where is our Russian ingenuity?

And we applied it. While our good angel, novice Seraphim, was laughing at the Russian name for this grain - “che-cheche-chchche-chchchche-vi-chcha?”, We undertook a brain attack. As a result, an accelerated way to sort out this product was found, and we nevertheless coped with the task. Looking at the rapid growth of a hill of pure faqi, Seraphim approached us incredulously and carefully turned over the seeds. "OK?" we asked. “Okay, good,” he replied thoughtfully.

Ours took! The soul rejoiced. “Oh, Taras, now let's sing our Russian!” - on a wave of inspiration, we were simply bursting.

Taras was embarrassed, and he had to sing alone. “From behind the island to the midstream, to the expanse of the river wave!” Nearby, a hefty Greek, Janis, was placing a small fish on a large frying pan. He even hovered with a fish in his hand.

Encouraged by the impression I made, I could not resist and hit: “Oh, it’s not evening, it’s not evening!” The success was stunning. All the Greeks stopped working, and Janis politely asked Taras: “Is this a troparia?” Taras was embarrassed: "No, this is folk, folk." “Ahhhhhh, okay. But you can't." Here is such a confusion!

There was nowhere to retreat, and then we sang something that at least somehow resembled a troparion. And, despite the fact that we were late for the service, but, with the permission of Father Ephraim, we still finished off this “chchchche-chche-chchche-…”, in short, “faki”! Seeing us off to the meal, Father Ephraim smiled. Phew, it looks like we'll be delayed another day. And there, you look, they’ll throw up more fakes ...

And - tossed. Taras - the final rooting in the kitchen, where he, as a cook, is the place, and my father Alexander, with the blessing of the acting. abbot of the monastery, introduced him to the local gardener, Father Onufry. Oh, what a joy it is to do what you love! Now, every day, after the service, Taras went to the kitchen, and I, taking a plastic bucket, secateurs and chemicals, went to my favorite plants, of which there is a great abundance in the monastery, especially since the weather was wonderful, about 25 degrees. But by the end of the day, hungry, I still ran to Taras for help. (Patera Ephraim or Janis will definitely treat him to something!)

We felt: we pray together!

Another amazing meeting: Father Alexander introduced us to a Russian-speaking monk living in a monastery skete. Monk Theodorit turned out to be a young man of thirty-two, his parents were believers from Kaliningrad. For four years he has been living alone in the skete. The look is pure, like a source, a kind smile, quiet speech. It is a pity to leave, but a passing car is waiting for him.

One question: "Not bored alone?" - “No, I myself asked for a skete with Geronda Gregory. And in the monastery - already 14 years, - Feodorit smiled. Save and save the Lord, Theodoret, on your difficult monastic path!

Icon of the Mother of God
"Quick listener"

Morning, disturbing rumble of an alarm clock. Half past four. It's time. Now next to us are pilgrims from Romania. Before that, there were Muscovites, Petrozavodsk residents, and Ukrainians. But the workers here are only Greeks. Well, we somehow got mixed up ... But among the monks there are several Russians. But they are reluctant to make contact, which is understandable, since the monks have their own lives. With groups of Russian and Ukrainian pilgrims, we have already defended the Akathist to the Skoroposlushnitsa several times. How could we dream about it!

We get up and go outside. There is enough lighting so as not to go astray. Our goal is to drink water from the holy spring of the archangels Gabriel and Michael. It has already become a tradition that before and after each service we approach the miraculous spring, the location of which was indicated by the archangels at the time of the monks' great need for drinking water. The depth of the well is 25 meters. How could one find it, and even right at the northern wall of the temple?! Only by prayer. It is delicious to drink from a tin ladle cool, crystal water, healing and strengthening. Thank God!

In the temple - the usual twilight, parted only by the light of crackling candles. The monks move like black shadows between miraculous images. I remember that on my first visit to Athos, these winged shadows frightened me greatly.

And today something happened for the sake of which, perhaps, we came here. As soon as we stood in “their” places, it burst out by itself: “Glory to God – in prayer!”

And no matter in what language, and no matter how, we felt: we pray together! Together with these ancient walls, together with Mother the Quick Hearer, with the Archangels, with a sensitive and attentive novice Seraphim, with the kind Father Ephraim, the strict archondaric Father Christopoulos, the sympathetic Father Alexander, with all the inhabitants of the Dochiar Monastery. Together with Geronda Gregory, whose blessing warmed and encouraged us, helped us not to lose heart. God rest his soul! After all, God is alive.

And he says in Russian: “Thank you, brother!”

Probably, there is nothing original in the statement that there are no clocks in the monastery, there is no time in its usual sense. Everything merges into a common thread of prayerful standing, in which there is its own, special course of life. A day is like a moment. And our “labor successes” for the monks are just an episode in the endless change of faces of the monastery’s visitors.

So thought your obedient servant, leaving the monastery of Dohiar after a week's stay in its ancient and hospitable walls. And suddenly, at parting, the gardener, a Greek, Father Onufry, hugs me, and says in Russian: “Thank you, brother!” This is not to be forgotten. And Taras remained in Dohiar. Do not be afraid, not for good - for another day. He did not want to leave the kitchen he loved.

And I was eager to find out how the Russian St. Panteleimon Monastery lives today. Moreover, walking from Dohiar to the Panteleimon Monastery is only an hour away.

The last time I was here was four years ago. And now he was again struck by the grandeur of the temple complexes, the well-equipped and well-groomed territory of the monastery. And how beautiful the alley with roses is here - just the joy of the gardener! Even a couple of bananas are growing. Miracles, and nothing more.

Interestingly, a young monk met me at the door of the monastery to take me to the hotel. And do you know what his name was? Guess three times. Panteleimon. He also treated me to several fruits of the feijoa tree, which grows on the territory of the monastery. Like, there is a lot of iodine in the air and these fruits are especially healing. God bless you, Panteleimon.

And here I am with mine. The main difference from the Greeks: the first, second and third are served at the meal. Barley soup with mushrooms, for the second meal there was borscht with sour cream. And most importantly: the last two services on Athos sounded for me in Slavonic.

During this visit to the St. Panteleimon Monastery, I noticed how many sick people come here to pray for their healing. Lord, save and save us sinners.

After my morning meal, I prepare to leave. Here, finally, is the ferry that will pick up the pilgrims on their way back to Ouranoupolis. For some reason, I remembered a young guy from a previous trip, who frantically mumbled, referring to the passengers. It turned out that he was dumb, missed his plane and now did not know what to do next ... Yes, you will see a lot here. Even this:

At the source on the pier

"Careful, the ferry is leaving, the next stop is the monastery of Dohiar."

Taras gets on the ferry at the Dohiar pier. Wow! He is not alone, our old acquaintance Roman is with him. For 8 days he went around 12 monasteries, conquered the peak of Athos, and returned to us, to Dohiar. Well, exactly iron Man! So we returned with the same line-up: Taras, Roman and Pavel.

Hold me, otherwise I'll fly away!

And the next day we were at home. Hello Moscow. How quickly it happened. During the entire trip, we never stopped anywhere. Wonders!

And now - again at the Quick Hearing One, again kneeling at the icon painted by the monks of Athos. Yes, yes, I did not say anything: only now - this is a list from the Athos image. Exactly three years ago he was brought to the Church of the Holy Trinity in Pushkino by the rector, dean of the city, Archpriest John Monarshek. With the funds raised by the parishioners, this miraculous icon was ordered on Mount Athos, which is now a link with the Holy Land of Athos. And today, November 22, is a holiday, in the temple they honor the Quick Hearer. The clergy gathered from all over the Pushkin deanery!

What a solemn service, the soul rejoices. “Hold me,” I say to Galya, my wife, “otherwise I’ll fly away!” She firmly took my hand and kept it that way throughout the service.

And so, through the prayers of the Quick Acolyte and with the blessing of Father Alexander Ilyashenko, Father John Monarshek and Father Thomas Dietz, our endlessly exciting trip to Athos ended successfully, where we labored for the glory of God in the Greek monastery of Dohiar, under the warm sun of Chalkidiki and the blessed cover Holy Mother of God Quick Hearers.

October, November 2018 Athos - Moscow - Pushkino

Recorded by Pavel Baryshnikov

P.S. We thank Archpriest Thomas Dietz and Mikhail Yuryevich Malama for their help in organizing the trip.

1. How to get from Thessaloniki Airport to Athos

If the group is large, you can contact Larisa Bushko in advance, according to one of the pilgrims, she is engaged in transporting "Afonites" to Ouranoupoli.

Skype: labush2

Mail: [email protected]. Minibus, passenger car.

If one or two people, we offer our option: from the airport - bus 1X, to the stop Aristotelous Square (Platia Aristotelous) (2 euros), then - up the square to the Orestias Kastorias hotel (you can book in advance) - 5 minutes walk. Spend the night in a hotel for two - 55 euros / day. In the morning, at 5 o'clock - call a taxi (11 euros). At 5.20 we are already at the station Ktel Xalkidiki (Ktel Halkidiki). And at 5.30 the bus leaves for Ouranoupoli (ticket - 13 euros). Ferry - at 9.30 (9 euros).

Receiving a previously ordered diamonitirion - 25 euros.

About the same way back: a bus from Ouranoupolis to Halkidiki station. Then bus number 45 A, B to the stop. A.Z.A.R.D (Aristotle's Square). Hotel. Visit to the Basilica of Demetrius of Thessalonica. In the morning - bus 1X to the airport. Airplane. Houses.

2. How to try not to be just a tourist on Athos

One monk from the skete of the Panteleimon Monastery answered this question that “you shouldn’t try to strictly follow the planned plan, on Athos you have to go where the Mother of God leads you.”

Holy Mount Athos. In sunny Greece, a huge number of fascinating and interesting places. It is so rich in islands, resorts, monuments of history and architecture, places of worship, monasteries, that it can gift everyone - be it a historian, archaeologist, traveler, tourist or pilgrim.

Order the organization of your pilgrimage trip to Athos

Every Orthodox person knows that in Greece there is the main stronghold of Christianity - a unique monastic state - Holy Mount Athos(Agion Oros) with an exclusively male population. This is the richest treasury of the Byzantine heritage, striking in its history and spirituality, and one of the rarest places in the world with such significance, where modern civilization has not yet penetrated. For more than 1,000 years, the monks have carefully preserved and passed on to their followers the high traditions of Orthodoxy.

In this place, all complex problems suddenly become clear, and life becomes easy and understandable.

Many Orthodox Christians, following visiting Athos acquire inner peace of mind and feel in the body the fullness of vital energy, because here is hidden the unique secret of being and an exceptional regenerating power.

It is impossible to describe this place in words, chants, artistic images or sculptural images. You need to see it, feel it, feel it, you need to dissolve in it, you need to breathe it, enjoy it, absorbing the incomprehensible energy of the universe with every cell of the body.

Agion Oros (2033 m above sea level) has both land and sea borders and is located in the northeastern part of Hellas (Greek Macedonia) on a mountainous peninsula covered with dense forests and pitted with numerous rocky ravines, which is washed by the azure waters of the Aegean Sea. This peninsula - Chalkidiki - named after one of the oldest Greek cities, Chalkis, has a very interesting configuration: it looks like a human hand with three fingers, and also resembles the trident of the god of the seas - Poseidon. The Holy Mountain is located on the outskirts of the easternmost "finger". Athos Peninsula from the neighboring peninsula Sithonia separates the Gulf of Singitikos.

The nature of the entire peninsula, it seems, has not changed since the creation of the world - pristine and virgin, all the most beautiful and enchanting has merged in it, it is at the same time mountainous, flat and seaside. The landscape is inspired by luxurious southern greenery, the rustling sea, the tops of low mountains in a bluish haze, vines hanging from the bushes, screaming either animals or birds ... and towering, wherever you look, crosses of dilapidated cells, sketes and still living monasteries. The paths that connect the monasteries are not mutilated with concrete and various building materials. And acorns and chestnuts mixed up cover well-worn paths, falling from century-old giants. Travelers are fenced off from cliffs by small masonry walls. Neat arched bridges are made of the same stone over winding mountain streams, from which almost nothing remains due to the heat in summer. Here one can feel the caring presence of a person, but the general natural harmony is not violated at all.

The northern part of the peninsula has an abundance of lush subtropical vegetation. The monks from the monasteries located here grow all sorts of olives and grapes, oranges and lemons, pears, various vegetables, and sometimes they even cut wood for trade, which is very valuable in Greece. Athos wring out olive oil and are engaged in winemaking, there are no other industries here. In contrast to the northern monasteries, the cloisters of the southern part of the peninsula are located on almost bare sheer cliffs. The monastic life of the inhabitants in this place is provided mainly by donations from the laity.

Monasteries of Mount Athos

The first monastic sketes arose on Athos in the 8th century. During the apogee of its glory, Athos had 180 Orthodox monasteries. In 972, under the rule of the Byzantine Empire, this unique monastic republic received its status of autonomy, and Orthodox emperors were its patrons. In the early historical period, they were also the rulers of the created cloisters. But a few centuries later - in 1313 - under the onslaught of the crusaders and Turkic tribes, Byzantium lost its power, and the emperor renounced the government of Athos, transferring his powers to the Patriarch of Constantinople. After that, the Holy Mountain, although it managed to maintain relative independence, nevertheless the monastic community was forced to endure persecution by the Latins and pay taxes to the invaders of the region.

As a result, only 25 monasteries “survived”.

Today, 20 monasteries of the 10th-14th centuries are inhabited and function on Mount Athos. with a large number of sketes and secluded cells. The oldest of the monasteries located on the peninsula, the Great Lavra, was founded in 963, and the latest - Stavronikita - in 1542.

According to the centuries-old charter of the monastic republic, the number of cloisters is not subject to change. The charter, however, allows, if necessary, the formation of new cells, sketes, etc., which are in the strictest monastic subordination.

Of the 20 existing monasteries, 17 are Greek, St. Panteleimon - Russian, Zograf - Bulgarian, Hilandar - Serbian.

The monasteries of Athos are divided into 5 groups:

1. Great Lavra, Xenophon, Dohiar, Esfigmen.

2. Vatopedi, Caracallus, Kutlumush, Stavronikita.

3. Iversky, Filofey, Pantokrator, Simonopetra.

4. Hilandar, St. Paul, Xiropotam, Gregory.

5. Dionysius, St. Panteleimon, Zograf, Constamonite.

The place in the hierarchy of the Holy Mountain is determined not by the luxury and size of the monastery, but by the period of its foundation, significance and influence. They are arranged in a hierarchy like this:

• Great Lavra
• Vatoped
• Iveron
• Hilandar
• Dionysius
• Cutlumush
• Pantokrator
• Xiropotam
• Zograf
• Dohiar
• Caracal
• Philotheus
• Simonopetra
• St. Paul
• Stavronikita
• Xenophon
• GrigoEsfigman
• St. Panteleimon
• Costamonite

Most of the existing monasteries are medieval fortresses with thick and impregnable walls that were built to protect against pirates. In the upper part of the built walls there are balconies and windows, and directly behind them are monastic and guest cells.

Until the beginning of the 90s. of the past century, the monasteries of Athos were cenobitic, in which the monks lived on a monastic joint allowance, and special monasteries.

Athos monasteries are self-governing, and apart from the Ecumenical Patriarchate, they are not subject to any other spiritual authority. Monasteries in the service must raise the name of the Patriarch, recognize the right of approbation of the abbot, the judicial and disciplinary power and the power of other monasteries; make annual contributions to the Patriarchate and report on economic affairs. The monks living on the Holy Mountain do not pay duties and taxes to anyone, since the Mother of God is the officially recognized supreme ruler of the monastic state.

In addition to the monasteries, Holy Mount Athos contains:

• 12 sketes (but without official status, settlements similar to monasteries);
• cells (settlements of monks, with cultivated land);
• kalyvas (constituent units of sketes);
• kathismas (single settlements located near the mother monastery);
• hesychasteria (abode for those who strive for perfect solitude (sometimes in a cave)) - there are a large number of them in the area of ​​​​Karoulia and in the south of the Athos Peninsula.

All other settlements differ from the monastery in that they have no rights to land and participation in the organization of self-government, which puts them in complete subordination from the monastery on whose land they are located.

In 1910, there were about five thousand monks from Russia on Mount Athos - much more than all the clergy of other nationalities taken together. On the budget Russian Empire there was an article according to which Greece was annually allocated one hundred thousand gold rubles for the maintenance of Athos monasteries. In 1917, by decision of the Provisional Government, this assistance was canceled.

In 2007, Russian President Vladimir Putin became the first Russian ruler to visit the Holy Mountain.

In 2014, Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople urgently appealed to the monasteries of Athos to limit the number of monks of foreign origin, and also brought to the attention of the decision to stop issuing permits to foreign monks in Greek-speaking monasteries.

Women have not been allowed on the territory of monastic villages for more than a millennium and a half. There is an ancient legend that in 422 the daughter of Theodosius the Great, Princess Plakidia, a wondrous voice that came from the icon of the Mother of God forbade entry into the Vatopedi Monastery. Since then, the elders of Athos have issued a law prohibiting access to Holy Mount Athos women, which was subsequently reinforced by royal decrees. According to Article 186 of the State Statute, there is an injunction: "In accordance with ancient custom, it is forbidden for any female being to set foot on the peninsula of the Holy Mountain."

For women for penetration and presence on the territory of Athos, there is a criminal liability from 8 to 12 months in prison. However, this unquestioning ban was violated twice: during the Turkish occupation and during the Greek civil war (1946-1949), when children and women fled from the punitive invaders in the Athos forests on the Holy Mountain. Athos can only be visited by men (regardless of religion), while the rules for staying on the territory of the Holy Mountain are very strict:

– for a visit, you must obtain a special permit - diamonitirion - which can be of 2 types: the general one is issued for 4 days in neighboring Thessaloniki and gives the right to visit all the monasteries, the individual one is issued for an unlimited period directly by the monastery and gives the right to spend the night on its territory.

- during your stay on Athos, it is forbidden to be in clothes of bright colors, above the knees and with bare shoulders, as well as sunbathing, swimming, talking loudly, swearing, video and photography.

Politically related to Greece. The state here is represented by a governor, as well as a small staff of police and administrative officers who are subordinate to the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Their main duties are to oversee the observance of civil law.

The state of monks lives according to its own Charter. Legislative power belongs to the Holy Council, represented by the abbots of the Athos monasteries. This abbot's meeting is held twice a year - fifteen days after the celebration Christ's Resurrection and 20 August. It makes the most significant decisions that affect the vital problems of the existence of St. Athos. The administration of the monastic state is carried out by the Holy Kinot, and each monastery has its own representation in it.

The Protata has concentrated executive power, and its members are elected for a term of one year.

The paramount person of the 4 epistats - Protoepistat or Prot - can only be elected from representatives of one of the 5 monasteries at the head of the traditional fours:

Great Lavra, Vatopedi, Iberian, Dionisiat and Hilandar.

KAREA

Geographically, the whole of Athos, similarly to the size of the monastic brotherhood and the size of the monasteries, is divided into 20 districts. The monasteries own all the buildings of Athos, not counting the capital of the Orthodox monastic state Agios Oros - the administrative center of the Holy Mountain - the city of Karei, located in the center of Athos in the northeastern part of Halkidiki.

The name Kareya means "nut", and this is really confirmed by the place where it is located - there are a lot of hazel here.

Karya includes konaki (farmsteads) of nineteen Athos monasteries, in which clergy who sit in Kinot live, as well as the police and customs departments, the telegraph, the medical center, the post office, and shops. The only monastery on Mount Athos that does not have its own courtyard is Kutlumush, since it is located very close to Karyes.

At the beginning of the last century there were 120 cells in Karey and they were inhabited by 700 monks. Now here, in addition to farmsteads, there are 82 cells that depend on monasteries, and they are inhabited by monks-owners, including Greeks, Bulgarians, Russians, Serbs and Romanians. The monks are masters of various crafts and make all sorts of items for trade.

Among other things, the current theological school "Athoniada" is located in Karey.

The oldest Karyan cathedral is the Temple of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, founded according to legend by Constantine the Great in 335. For many centuries, the building suffered from destruction and fires many times, and was restored by the efforts of Emperor Nicephorus Focas in the 10th century. In the XIII century, the Cathedral again suffered from the Catalans and was again revived by the kings of neighboring Bulgaria.

The temple was painted in the XIV century by the famous icon painter of the Macedonian school of painting Manuil Panselin with frescoes that have survived to this day. Inside, the temple is decorated with amazing icons of the 16th century, made by icon painters of the Cretan school.

The main shrines of this temple are the miraculous icons of the Mother of God “It is worthy to eat”, the “Mammary” and the image of the Savior.

History of Mount Athos

The oldest names of the Holy Mountain are Akti (Cliff) and Athos, the latter is associated with the name of the mythological Greek giant. In ancient times, this mountain was also called Apolloniada (after the temple of Apollo), and a little later, a temple of Zeus, in Greek called Aphos, was erected on its top.

The picturesque and colorful relief slopes of the peninsula, washed clear waters The Aegean Sea, and the majestic mountain with its priceless relics have always attracted the attention of invaders of all kinds. Athos carefully preserves its history and tells us about the times of prosperity and decline of this sacred place. No barriers could prevent the good spiritual destiny of Athos - the illumination of all mankind with the light of the Christian faith.

Antiquity and early antiquity

The history of the entire peninsula of Chalkidiki and Athos itself confirms that a person settled in this place in ancient times. The first inhabitants of the peninsula are the Thracians. In the 5th century BC. the Greeks of Chalcis joined them, thanks to which the Hellenization of the population took place. Their main activities were animal husbandry, agriculture and fishing. Sea routes connecting the East and Greece passed through the peninsula, and the majestic Athos became a natural beacon for sailors.

The opuses of the great ancient historians Thucydides Herodotus preserved evidence and confirmation of the presence on Athos of small urban villages - Olofixos Fissos, Akroafos, Kleone, Apollonia, Dion, which arose a thousand years before the onset of our era. At present, we are unable to confirm or deny the existence of these cities and determine their exact location.

In the IV century. BC. Holy Mount Athos, like the whole world then known, the name of Alexander the Great did not bypass. Inspired by the success of his campaigns, the young king dreamed of erecting many monuments to perpetuate their glory. The royal architect Deinocrates (who later planned the layout of Alexandria of Egypt) proposed a project in which Athos was supposed to be hewn, creating a giant sculpture. He described his idea to Alexander as follows: “... I made a project to make a statue from Mount Athos in the form of a man, in whose left hand would be a fortified city, and in his right hand a bowl that absorbs water from all the streams on the mountain, so that it flows out of it into sea…". The idea pleased the king, because it was truly grandiose, but for him alone, for well-known reasons, Alexander refused to implement this plan. Moreover, he demanded to leave Athos alone. He argued his refusal by the fact that, due to the geographical features of the mountain, such a city would not have enough pastures to feed its inhabitants. However, this does not look like a very convincing reason in the mouth of a man who changed the course of rivers and founded cities on the most complex landscapes of Central Asia. Perhaps Alexander was held back by some intuitive premonition about the importance of the role that Athos was to play in the future. And besides, I didn’t want to follow the example of the conceited Persian lord Xerxes, who commanded to dig a canal on the southern slope of the Athos peninsula (traces of it are still preserved in the small town of Provlakas). Xerxes feared that his fleet, in the event of a rounding of the peninsula, would perish forever off the coast of Athos in a turbulent sea. By the way, all the efforts made by Xerxes to build the canal were in vain - the ships transported through it were completely defeated by the Greek fleet.

After death Alexander the Great, the new king of Macedonia, Cassander, built the city of Ouranople near Mount Athos. This name is translated from Greek as "Heavenly City" and was given to it in honor of the patron saint of the sky, Uranus. At present, a small frontier village of the monastic republic is named Ouranopoulis.

The ancient Greek cities that once flourished on Mount Athos (the population reached 10 thousand people) for unknown reasons by the time the first Orthodox monks fell into decay, so by the time of the birth of monasticism on the Holy Mountain, everything there was in complete desolation.

The unique views of the beauties of Athos nature, the mild maritime climate and the outlandish terrain from ancient times helped a person to find himself while leading a solitary life here. The oldest church legend tells that the Mother of God, having received the grace of the Holy Spirit in fiery tongues, intended to go by lot to the land of Iveron, but from an angel she received the news that the apostolic work would appear to her in another land. The ship, on which she, along with the Apostles, went to see Bishop Lazarus on the island of Cyprus, fell into a storm and landed on Mount Athos. The pagans, who then lived on Athos, accepted the Mother of God, listened to her sermons, and then, having believed in them, were baptized. Many miracles were performed there by the Mother of God in her time. Before leaving for Cyprus, she appointed one of the Apostolic husbands in charge in those lands, instructing him to be a teacher for all who listened to him and, blessing the people, she said: “This place be for me in the lot given to me from my Son and my God. May the grace of God be in this place and on those who are here with faith and reverence, and who keep the commandments of the Son and my God. The blessings necessary for life on earth will be abundant for them with little labor, and heavenly life will be prepared for them, and the mercy of my Son will not fail from this place until the end of the age. I will be the intercessor of this place and a warm intercessor for him before God.

It was from those distant times that Athos entered the period of Christian history.

Roman authorities at one time severely persecuted Christians.

Constantine the Great, according to legend, having conceived the construction of a new capital of his empire, gave his preference to the Athos Peninsula. At a time when city planning plans were already being drawn up, a local bishop named Mark came to Constantine. He told the emperor that the place was chosen by the Mother of God herself. Hearing about this, the pious Bishop not only abandoned the planned buildings, but also erected three churches in honor of the Mother of God on the Holy Mountain near the villages where Kareya is now located, as well as the Iberian and Vatopedi monasteries, which were later turned into ruins by Julian the Apostate. Emperor Constantine also organized the resettlement of the laity (residents of Athos) to the Peloponnesian Peninsula.

In 313, the decree of Emperor Constantine granted Christians freedom of religion and the right to citizenship. At that time, monasticism flourished on the Holy Mountain, monasteries arose, and Christianity became quite developed. But there is another version, which assumes that this happened later, under the emperor Constantine Pogonata (668-685).

The formation of the monastic community on the Holy Mountain

Since late antiquity Mount Athos was deserted, except for the temple of Apollo on its very top, which was destroyed during the reign of Emperor Theodosius I.

It is assumed that the first Christian dwellings on Mount Athos date back to the 6th century BC. - the era of the reign of Emperor Constantine. It was then that lonely desert dwellers appeared here - the very first monks.

Athos turned into an exclusively monastic monastery after the Trulli Council (Constantinople, 691-692), when secular and ecclesiastical authorities adopted a decision to transfer Athos to the submission of monks expelled by Muslims from Palestine, Egypt and Syria.

The monks who came to the Holy Mountain initially settled in the mountains and lived mainly in caves and other natural shelters, arranging small chapels in them. Over time, only ruins remained from the built ancient monasteries of the monks. Written confirmation of the early time of the formation of Athos monasticism has not been preserved, just as the exact time of the appearance of the first monks here is unknown. But there is every reason to believe that the first Christians hid from persecution in the forests of Athos. Constant barbarian raids and invasions destroyed all available sources about the early life of the Orthodox monastic republic. Only countless Athonite legends can fill this void.

Byzantine period

The oldest documentary mention of the monks of Athos refers to the notes of the Byzantine historian Joseph Ginesius when he described the celebrations on the occasion of the restoration of icon veneration in 843 in Constantinople.

In the ninth century active construction of monasteries began on Athos, and soon it began to be called the Holy Mountain.

Initially, there were two types of monastic cloisters in this place: cells and kalyvas. Kalivas are small buildings, in each of which only one monk lived. They settled in barren and hard-to-reach places. Several kalyvas united and formed laurels. The names of the first Athos laurels - Zygos, Kliment, Karei - have been preserved in history. Over time, individual cells were rebuilt, expanded and turned into small hostels for 5-10 monks. Some of them eventually turned into large kinovia. Without exception, all Athos monasteries, cells, laurels and kalyvas from the very foundation were subordinate to a single central organization.

In the same ninth century Holy Mountain acquired the status of the leading monastic center in the East. Its inhabitants took an active part in the Seventh Ecumenical Council. At that time, there were three forms of residence of monasticism: skete, hermit and cenobitic. All of them were enshrined in the Charter of the Holy Mountain as equal in rights and equally permissible.

Initially, the monks shared the land of Halkidiki with the laity. From 883, a flourishing era began for the republic of monks on Athos. The exclusive right of the monks to live on the Athos Peninsula was testified by his decree to the ascended throne of Basil the Macedonian. After that, the shepherds and tillers left the holy lands.

In the ninth century The most famous Athos monks who worked on the Rule and represented various forms of monastic residence - a hostel and a hermitage - were the Monks Peter the Hermit and Euthymius the New (Thessalonica). The charter proclaimed the Holy Mountain self-governing and independent. The laity coming to Athos, striving to take monastic vows, were obliged to find a mentor for themselves and continue not to leave the monastery. In the choice between hostel, hermitage or skete life, they were free. The key rules of the monastic life of monks have remained unchanged to our time. The six subsequent Charters of the Holy Mountain and the changes made to them were mostly related to administration and economics.

In accordance with the imperial decree from 908, the head of the monastic autonomy was appointed prot - the council of monastic elders. The central city of the peninsula was Kareia, and prote meetings were held there 3 times a year: at Christmas, Easter and the Dormition of the Virgin.

Emperor Roman I Lekapin in 942 appointed for each of the Athos monks an annual subsidy of one nomisma (the main monetary unit of Byzantium, which was approximately 3.79-4.55 g of gold, and in the 4th-11th centuries was a model for coins East and Europe).

Emperor Nikephoros II Phocas (963-969) was not only an outstanding commander, but also the main benefactor of Athos, who made significant donations from the trophies captured from the Saracens during the liberation of Fr. Crete from the domination of Muslims (among them - the gate taken out of the palace of the Cretan emir).

By this time, a full-fledged management system had developed in the life of the monks of Athos and the main spiritual rules had been formed.

Venerable Athanasius of Athos appeared on the Holy Mountain when for several centuries it remained one of the main monastic centers of Byzantium. It was he who founded the Great Lavra here - the richest monastery with a huge number of inhabitants, significant real estate, land and even his own ship.

The holy ascetic Athanasius is the founder of the cenobitic Athos monasticism. The organization of life according to such a model was little familiar to Athos, and the deed of the monk who created the Great Lavra was not approved by everyone. Towers, huge buildings, roads - all this created unrest and caused significant controversy among the monks. However, misunderstandings and conflicts were eliminated over time. The result of this was the publication in 972 by Emperor John I Tzimisces of the first and main Athos Charter, which legitimized two types of being monks, the duties and rights of abbots and Prot, the relationship between laity and monks. After that, life on Athos harmonized.

Among other inhabitants of Athos, Saint Athanasius was distinguished by outstanding organizational skills, numerous virtues and exceptional piety. The Lavra he created turned into an exemplary monastery, in the image of which dozens of similar cenobitic monastic cloisters were created over time.

Young men from all over the world came to St. Athanasius of Athos for spiritual guidance. Among them were representatives of noble families and commoners. Of the 3,000 Athos monks, 2,500 were present at the funeral of the Saint. His disciples subsequently created many monasteries on the Holy Mountain, which increased annually.

Starting from the XI century. Athos, there were 180 monasteries and sketes. Monks from Greece, Italy, Armenia, Iberia, Serbia, Russia, Bulgaria lived in them. In the middle of the century, the main monasteries already appeared on the Holy Mountain: Big Lavra (St. Athanasius), Iveron, Vatoped Xeropotam, Esfigmen, Dohiar.

Athos monasteries, taking advantage of their favorable geographical position and privileges, at that time developed their maritime trade, which brought large profits. It was the time of the highest rise of Athos monasticism. However, pirate raids, political conflicts, earthquakes, fires and barbarian invasions prepared new trials for the Holy Mountain.

All monasteries of Mount Athos were originally directly subordinate to the emperor. But under the reign of Alexei I Komnenos (1081-1118), they were transferred to the Patriarch of Constantinople. The patriarch exercised his powers through a bishop from the adjacent city of Ierissa. The debilitating, uninterrupted, long-term wars of Komnenos in all directions ensured a fragile peace in the Mediterranean, but it was broken by the Crusades.

Prosperity of Athos lasted until the conquest of a significant part of Byzantium by the crusaders. The Holy Mountain was conquered by them in 1205. For a whole century, newcomers from the West devastated monastic settlements and monasteries. It was then that Athos lost many precious relics for the first time.

In 1206, Pope Innocent III gave political power over Athos to the Thessalonian kingdom, and ecclesiastical power to the papal bishopric in Thrace. With the advent of the crusaders on the Holy Mountain, robberies, murders, desecration of shrines, mockery of the monks began, and soon many monasteries were empty. The Despot of Epirus Theodore Duka in 1222, after the liberation of Macedonia, conquered the Holy Mountain from the Latins, and in 1261, when Constantinople again became the capital of Byzantium, Athos renewed its relations with the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

In 1274 the Union of Lyon was adopted. Four years later, a Uniate delegation arrived on Athos with a mission to persuade its inhabitants to unite, but the monks of the Holy Mountain remained devoted to Orthodoxy. They drafted a dogmatic epistle, which rejected any possibility of an alliance with the Latins. The main opponents of the unification are the Metropolitan of Ephesus Mark and George (Gennady) Scholaria. Saint Mark, before going to the cathedral, visited Athos and spent a long time there in prayer, which predetermined the failure of the union.

Feeling pressure from the pope, Emperor Michael VIII seeks to bring about the union of the Churches by force, sending an army to pacify the obstinate monks. Means of influence were used - imprisonment, exile, torture, confiscation of property. In this punitive campaign, many Athos monasteries were put on fire. Nevertheless, the authority of the opinion of the Holy Mountain on this issue had a significant impact on the result. The union of churches was rejected not only by the people, but also by the conciliar decision of the three Eastern Patriarchates: Jerusalem, Alexandria, and Antioch (1443).

After the death of his father, Andronik, the son of Emperor Michael VIII, had to make great efforts to make peace with the monks of Athos, after which a short restoration of Athos began. monks of many Orthodox peoples labored on Athos. They founded monasteries, collected priceless shrines, bought farmsteads and plots, painted icons, decorated churches, and compiled manuscripts.

In 1307-1309. a new stream of misfortunes and sorrows poured out on the Holy Mountain. The Catalans, hired to fight the Turks, advanced against Byzantium. The mercenaries turned part of the monasteries of Athos into ruins, plundered monastic values, terrorized the monks, not disdaining to kill both them and the laity. In conditions of confusion and anarchy, sea pirates operated unceremoniously and with impunity, not missing their chance.

During the stay of the Uniates and Catalans on Mount Athos, the number of monastic dwellings decreased from 300 to 25. The Holy Mountain became the heart of the hesychast revival, as hesychasm, the mystical practice of contemplation of God through prayerful self-deepening, became widespread and recognized. At this time, many famous elders populate the hermit places of Athos: Kerasyu, Kavsokalivyu, Karulya; the sketes of St. Anna and John the Baptist are settled.

14th century - the golden century of Athos monasticism. The Holy Mountain was finally spiritually formed, as a result of which its glory spread throughout the Christian Orthodox world. After the departure of the Catalans, the monasteries of Athos soon revived their wealth and developed thanks to the offerings of private benefactors and the main authorities. Monasteries were organized: Pantokrator, Simonopetra (Serbian), Grigoriat (Moldavian), St. Panteleimon (Russian), Dionysiat (Wallachian) and Kutlumush. Since then, Athos has rightly been considered the center of world Orthodox monasticism. But with the fall of Byzantium, major changes took place in the history of Athogorsk.

Holy Mountain under Ottoman rule

Athos monasteries periodically suffered from hostilities and raids by Turkish pirates. Being in the power of King Stefan Dusan of Serbia, the Holy Mountain was subordinate to the Serbian Patriarch. Dushan showed patronage to Athos monasteries, supported the creation of new monasteries, restored and decorated temples.

In 1371 Athos again fell under the control of Constantinople, and in 1383 the Ottoman Turks took possession of the peninsula. And although the Athonites procured from the Sultan an obligation on the inviolability of the monasteries and their property, this agreement was often violated by the Turkish side - the cloisters were periodically robbed, crops were set on fire, and the monks were taken prisoner. The Turks were outrageous until 1404, it was then that Emperor Manuel II Palaiologos agreed with Sultan Suleiman I on the complete withdrawal of Turkish troops from Athos. Under the Ottoman yoke, the forces of the Constantinople authorities dried up, although they tried to help the monasteries as much as possible.

In 1424, Athos was cut off from Thessaloniki, and there was a real danger of a Turkish attack on the peninsula. The monks who went to Sultan Murad II asked him for patronage.

After the capture of Thessaloniki by the Turks in 1430, Holy Mountain became a timar (estate) of the Catholic Bishop of Sebastia, who suppressed the forced regions. In 1453, after the fall of Constantinople, the Holy Mountain completely came under the rule of the Ottomans, who, without touching the spiritual inner life of the monasteries, imposed a monetary tribute on the inhabitants of Athos.

Athos, once independent, became a tributary for the sultans, was forced to pay payments to officials at all levels from Thessaloniki, Constantinople and Ierissos. In the conditions of the complete arbitrariness of the quartered soldiers and Ottoman officials, the Athonites were forced to use ingenuity in order to survive under heavy tax oppression.

Holy Mount Athos many times it was raided and devastated by robbers, pirates, Saracens, which created the need to build high fortress walls and watchtowers around the monasteries.

Sultan Selim I in 1566 by decree took away all the estates from the Athos monasteries. Under him, Svyatogorsk dwellings were deprived of all possessions outside Athos and faced with the need to accumulate a huge amount for their redemption.

In 1595, a kind of official from the Turkish government was sent to Karey, who oversaw the collection of taxes and performed the functions of a policeman. Many monasteries found themselves in a debt hole, others very rapidly became poor. Only the assistance of benefactors from Serbia, Greece, Georgia, Bulgaria, Moldova, Russia and Wallachia saved them from irrevocable disappearance.

The Holy Mountain remained the guardian of spiritual tradition, the highest school of Christian Orthodox asceticism, despite Muslim domination. The monasteries at that time generously did good to the needy and the poor, became centers of social and spiritual life, and helped the parishes. Svyatogorsk monasteries turned into spiritual centers, supporting national cohesion, they gave the enslaved Balkan people educated patriarchs, clergymen, theologians, and teachers.

In the XVII-XVIII centuries. Athos becomes a place of Greek learning, enlightenment, book publishing: in the middle of the XVIII century. a printing house was created under the Lavra, and the Athos Academy (Athoniada) was founded at the Vatopedi Monastery.

In the XVIII century. the whole of Athos was captured by the controversy about the commemoration of the dead and the frequency of communion, the Holy Mountain during this period becomes the center of the kolivads movement. Many of the ascetics were slandered, wrongly condemned for their beliefs and forced to leave the Holy Mountain. Most of them moved to the numerous Aegean islands. The traditionalists founded monasteries, which became glorified spiritual centers and played a paramount role in spreading the ideals of Athos monasticism. Today, scientists compare the "Kolivada monasteries" with Optina Hermitage.

18th century on the Holy Mountain in connection with the capture of this territory by the Ottomans and their repressions - the time of the general decline of monasticism

On the eve and during the national liberation uprising, many monks of Athos rushed to the aid of Russia and even sunk three Ottoman frigates, and were also forced to take up arms and financially help the rebels.

The uprising of 1821 was followed by the Turkish military occupation of Athos and subsequent repressions; the surviving monks settled on the islands of the archipelago. The Turks decided to drown this uprising in blood. Arson and massacre began in many villages in Halkidiki. Athos, as an exception, placed 8 thousand children and women, and also arranged for their resettlement in safe areas of southern Greece. The Turks placed an army of many thousands on the Athos Peninsula, from which they managed to free themselves only after paying an impressive indemnity.

The consequences of this intervention were very severe.

The inhabitants of Athos managed to safely hide the bulk of the manuscripts and icons, but many of the buildings of the monks suffered damage or were destroyed. Many monks were imprisoned - in Thessaloniki alone, 62 Athos monks were executed.

In 1829, the Adrianople peace treaty was concluded between Turkey and Russia. The situation on the Holy Mountain began to be gradually regulated, but after the Turkish troops left these places in 1830, the situation in the Holy Mountain monasteries was depressing - a small number of monks in the monasteries (2-3 in each), collapsed buildings and huge debts.

Over time, the monks who left the Holy Mountain began to return to Athos. With them, the monks brought valuable relics saved from the Turks, holy relics, and rare manuscripts.

19th century on Athos was marked by the strengthening of Russian influence.

Athos during the Balkan Wars

On November 2, 1912, the Athos Peninsula was taken from the sea by the armed forces of the Kingdom of Greece. The Russian government called for the immediate withdrawal of Greek troops, after which the Greeks left the territory of the Panteleimon Monastery. In a civilized sense, the Russian monks remained subordinate to the Russian embassy in Constantinople.

After the First Balkan War, Athos acquired the long-awaited independence. All Athosites enthusiastically greeted the Greek troops, but the further fate of the Holy Mountain no longer aroused similar unanimity.

In 1913 at the London Conference:

- Russia proposed declaring Athos an independent state headed by the Ecumenical Patriarch and under the protectorate of 6 Orthodox powers: Greece, Russia, Bulgaria, Romania, Montenegro, Serbia, giving it the status of an "autonomous monastic republic."

— The delegation of Bulgaria categorically insisted that the Holy Mountain be transferred to Romania.

- England and Austria-Hungary advised to give the government of Athos to the local Orthodox Church.

The Holy Kinot of Athos, having learned about such plans of the states, convened the abbots of all Athos monasteries for an urgent meeting. Greek monasticism demanded that Athos be annexed to the Kingdom of Greece.

In the Protat temple, after the All-Night Vigil, a decision was made and a decree was issued according to which the Athosites recognized only the Greek King Constantine as their ruler. The solemn act proclaiming the belonging of Athos was read before the icon “It is worthy to eat”, officially approved and signed by the abbots of 19 monasteries (excluding Russian).

A delegation of monks, having arrived in Athens, handed over to the King of Greece the text of the resolution of the Athos monasteries. A copy was sent to the London Conference.

The beginning of the First World War brought a new series of problems to Athos.

In 1917, a Franco-Russian detachment landed on Athos, which treated the Athos monks with extreme cruelty, placing some of them in prisoner of war camps.

Athos in Greece

In May 1924, the Sacred Kinot adopted the "Statutory Charter of the Holy Mount Athos" - "New Canonism". In 1926, it was legally recognized by Greece, but the representative of the St. Panteleimon Monastery was never signed. It was only in 1940 that his monks agreed to follow the rules of the current state statute.

With the outbreak of World War II and the occupation of Greece by German military units, the Bulgarians, allies of the conquerors, wanted to take Athos under their control. The Svyatogorsk fathers, knowing this and wishing to preserve the sovereignty of the Holy Mountain and the safety of its priceless relics and rarities, on April 13-26, 1941, sent a letter personally to Adolf Hitler. In it they asked to take the monastic republic under their protection. Hitler, flattered by such a monastic message and their request, by his order forbade the Bulgarian and German military from staying on the Holy Mountain, and control over the implementation of this order was entrusted to the Gestapo, located in the city of Ouranoupolis.

Soon a special commission arrived on Athos. The German scientist Steiger was placed in charge of the Holy Mountain, who, according to the memoirs of his contemporaries, did a lot to protect the rare spiritual and material heritage of Athos.

During the Second World War, the Holy Mountain became a refuge for the British military, often pursued by German units. With the assistance and participation of the monks, the British crossed first to Turkey, and then to their homeland. After such "impudence" on the part of the monks, the Germans deployed their military units on Athos and began to arrest and subject the monks to inhuman torture.

In May 1944, the Nazis left the Holy Mountain, but this was not the end of her misfortunes. Huge damage was done to Athos in the years civil war in Greece (1944-1949), when military actions were territorially transferred to the Athos Peninsula. Some monks were shot and thrown into prison.

In June 1963, the 1000th anniversary of monasticism on Mount Athos was festively celebrated.

In view of the fact that from 1910 to 1971 there was a significant reduction in the inhabitants of Athos (from 9900 people to 1145 people with an average age of 55), many assumed that the end of Athos was already near and put forward programs for turning the Holy Mountain into a grandiose tourist complex and museum center . Ascetics and elders did not acquire younger followers, and there was a real danger of a break in the thousand-year-old monastic traditions passed down from generation to generation. Huge monasteries and sketes, full of life in their time, are now deserted and destroyed.

But the unforeseen revival of the Holy Mountain began unexpectedly even for optimists. The number of monks currently reaches 1800 and is growing steadily.

Throughout history, Mount Athos of various origins labored on Mount Athos. People of different ages and professions arrived here, but the central role belonged to young people who received higher education. Among them were even outstanding scientists of world renown, moreover, they came to Athos not for its modernization and transformation, but in order to personally become, to some extent, part of the tradition of this holy place.

In all Athos monasteries, the number of inhabitants did not increase equally. The monks came to the monasteries from the desert and sketes, not singly, but in groups. And the mid 70s. of the last century, monks began to move from prosperous monasteries to monasteries that were in decline. The novices, who had lived for many years in monasteries and gained the necessary monastic experience, went to sketes and cells in search of even greater solitude. Since the 80s there was a return flow from the monasteries back to the cells and sketes. This period is also characterized by the fact that in the monasteries of Athos the coenobitic structure completely replaced the special one.

Modern charismatic elders, who introduced many people to monastic life and had a significant spiritual impact on the formation of the younger generation of monks, became the founders of the revival of Athos monasticism. Among them:

• father Joseph Hesychast, hermit, confessor for 6 monasteries of Athos;
• father Paisius Svyatogorets, father-confessor for a large number Athos monks and a huge number of laity;
• Father Sophrony, author of many Orthodox books and founder of the monastery of John the Baptist in England in the county of Essex;
• modern elders: Theoclitus of Dionysius, Ephraim of Katunak, Porfiry Kavsokalivit, Arseniy Peschernik.

The chain of living tradition on Athos has not been interrupted even now, there are hundreds of such ascetics.

At the end of the 20th century, after the inclusion of the Holy Mountain in the list world heritage UNESCO and the democratization of Greece, there has been a significant rise in tourist and religious interest in the original ancient Christian Orthodox monastic state of Agios Oros - Holy Mount Athos.

Admission to the Brotherhood of Athos

Everyone who has reached the age of majority Orthodox Christian can become a monk and be accepted into the brotherhood. Those who wish to be tonsured as monks are subjected to rather lengthy novice trials - from one to three years. Following the tonsure for moral and moral instruction in the ascetic life, the novice proceeds to complete obedience to his elder-leader and mentor. According to the level of their moral and moral impeccability, the monks are divided into manateiniks, cassocks and schemniks.

tonsure ceremony

One of the Saturdays of Great Lent is usually set aside for monastic vows. The ceremony is performed immediately after the end of the service just before dawn. During this period of time, the choir begins singing the psalm preceding the tonsure, and the novice is escorted from the adjacent chapel to the monastery's Main Church.

All the clothes of the novice during the ceremony are made of white wool - long pants, flannel, socks; his head is covered.

The novice for kneeling is first taken to the center of the cathedral, then, approaching the altar, he declares his only desire - "clothing in Christ" - and only after that he is brought to the large icons of the iconostasis and lectern, which he needs to kiss.

Then the novice is given to the abbot, before whom he bows and kisses his hand. The abbot, holding a candle in his hands, leads the novice to the Royal Doors - a ceremony takes place inside.

In perfect silence, the novice is asked countless questions concerning monastic life - virginity, obedience, renunciation of landed property. He, in turn, pronouncing the answers, with special zeal and conviction tries to assure those present of the perfect preparedness for his entry into the chosen new life.

After the completion of this dialogue, the reading of the Catechism is initiated, which tells about the unearthly existence of the monk. The novice is once again reminded that he will have to renounce all his beloved people, personal freedom, worldly habits and material wealth. “As a monk, you will remain hungry and thirsty, naked and outcast; many will scold and mock you. However, having endured all these hardships and difficulties, rejoice, great glory awaits you in heaven.

At the end of the reading, the novice is asked whether he really understands the responsibility of the step that he is taking and the affirmative answer ends with the reading of 3 blessings.

The clergyman in the first blessing wishes the novice that God become for him "an impregnable wall, a stone of patience, a reason for prayer, a source of determination and a companion in courage."

The reading of the second blessing is addressed to the Holy Trinity: "... Lord Almighty, do not disregard your humble servant." It is at this point that the novice is given the monastic name.

The third blessing is pronounced when the rite of tonsure is at the culmination of holiness and it is addressed to the foster father-elder with a plea to show protection to the newly tonsured. At the end of the received blessing, the monk hears the words: “Christ Himself is invisibly present here. Do you see that no one is forcing you to accept this schema? Do you see that you voluntarily want to be betrothed to the great angelic schema?

The rite of tonsure itself is carried out at the end of everything that happens. The monk is given by the priest the scissors that lay on the Holy Gospel. They must be transferred 3 times from the hands of a monk to the hands of a foster father, and then to a clergyman. The unhurried rhythm of what is happening further emphasizes the monk's freedom of expression and checks the immutability of his emotions and feelings before the monastic schema. The clergyman, taking the scissors in his hands for the third time, cuts the monk's hair in a cross-like manner, symbolically cutting off a few hairs from his head.

After that, with the help of the clergy, the monk puts on completely new clothes sewn for this ceremony, the choir sings “Lord, have mercy,” and two blessings are pronounced again, reminding the monk of the great vocation he has chosen.

At the end of the rite, a newly tonsured novice who has entered a new monastic life is given a cross, a lampada, a rosary, as well as hugs and blessings from the monastic brotherhood.

Service on Mount Athos

Every day before sunrise, before all the people in the world wake up, up to 300 liturgies are served on Holy Athos. 100 years ago, the daily cycle of divine services held on Mount Athos was at least 12 hours, and now, as usual, no more than 8. According to the old custom, every week on Saturdays and on a holiday for a week, all the brethren partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ.

From the point of view of the layman, the sign for the beginning of the service is given extremely exciting. 3-4 hours before the start of the service, the monks are awakened for the obligatory prayer big cell rule. The head of the monastery church skillfully knocks out a trill, bypassing the Main Temple three times. Then, on the bell tower, they alternately hit the “heavy tree”, the “iron beater” and the “riveted”; ends with the ringing of bells. According to this appeal, all monks must come to church.

The services held in the monasteries - "vigils" - are long (lasting from 12 to 14 hours), especially on holidays and Sundays. The longest worship service usually takes place at night, everyone is awakened to it by blows of a wooden mallet.

In the temple, each monk occupies a special standing chair - a stasidia, and listens to the service, leaning his elbows on its armrests. Stasidia - wooden chair with fairly high armrests. Its seat can be in one of two positions. It is comfortable to sit in a low position, but attempting to get up causes the edge of the seat to be pushed out of the stasidia. A special protrusion of the high position of the chair puts strong pressure on the back, so you have to sit leaning forward - the back gets tired pretty quickly from this, but you won’t be able to fall asleep, so even the elder will be able to endure the service to the end.

The most difficult thing during the all-night services is the “battle” with fatigue and sleep. In the rules of many monasteries, during night vigils, it is supposed to go around the monks and, touching their shoulders, awaken the dormant.

Food of the monks of Athos

Monks and pilgrims go to the refectory after the afternoon service. In the monasteries of Athos, the refectory is large, usually narrow and long, and decorated with paintings. Reception of food is the final act of the liturgy and its integral part. The place for the abbot is in the depths of the refectory. Near long table there is a pulpit behind which there is an appointed reader. All food is served at the same time, consecrated, since the unconsecrated is not eaten. The monks' meal begins after a certain sign of the abbot-abbot, and according to his gesture, it also ends. It is characteristic of the Athos Monastery that the abbot's diet is absolutely the same as that of the last cassock - all the monks are absolutely equal in food. All monks are given an equal amount of food, but each individual monk can eat and drink as much as allowed and blessed by his confessor.

Monks pray and listen to the lives of the saints silently dine - as a rule, it is porridge, bread, olives, vegetables, vegetable oil, beans, olives, pastries, wine is also not prohibited by the charter. Only on holidays monks are served fish. Meat is generally prohibited by the monastic charter.

On Sunday, Saturday, Thursday and Tuesday, the monks take food twice - after the Liturgy in the morning and in the evening. On Friday, Wednesday and Monday - only once and without oil - at lunchtime.

The abbot is the first to leave the table, followed by all the others in complete silence. At the door at the exit are a cook, a reader and a trapezar. Bowing low, they ask for forgiveness if something was wrong for someone. The food of the monks of Athos does not differ in variety and is very poor.

Monastic life and the daily routine of the Holy Mountain

All monastic cloisters have electricity, but in the old cathedrals only candles flicker. Therefore, at night, people dressed in black monastic robes almost hide in the dusk, but at the same time come to life and the faces of saints written on a golden background appear, which receive a third dimension from the internal candle sparkle. The rhythmic monotonous monastic singing, the swinging of the lamp suspended under the very dome - immerse those staying in the cathedral into some kind of unearthly state - not awake and not sleeping - and time in the monastery goes imperceptibly.

Until now, Byzantine time has been preserved on Athos, which is different from Greek. Every new day begins here with the sunset and the transfer of the tower arrow during this period to midnight. Further, the entire time system changes and adapts to the sunset. The difference with European time in May is about 5 hours. And only in the Iberian monastery is monastic life based on the Chaldean time reference system - from sunrise.

The main virtue of a monk is humility and they are not allowed to do anything at all if they wish. What is it like to live all your life on the shore, having a view from the cell to the sea, enduring the exhausting summer heat in a black cassock and knowing that swimming in this sea is forever forbidden?

Monastic life on Mount Athos is entirely devoted to the Orthodox Christian Church and takes place mainly in the service of God and prayers. In the monastery, the rules generally established for the brethren by the holy fathers have long been observed: nothing is considered one's own, everything is common.

The frequent revelation of the thoughts of the heart to the elders-mentors and constant confession stand at the pinnacle of monastic life on Athos. In the monasteries there are synodics, in which the names of benefactors and brethren are recorded for an indefinite commemoration at the proskomedia of the Divine Liturgy. In one of the churches, a constant reading of the Psalter for the benefactors and the departed brethren, as well as for the salvation and health of the living, has been introduced indefinitely in time.

Russian writer Boris Zaitsev, who visited Mount Athos in the late 20s of the last century, described the usual day of the Panteleimon Monastery in this way: “... Matins in the Panteleimon Monastery begins at six in the morning - at one in the morning in our time. It lasts 4-4.5 hours. It is followed by the liturgy - until 6 o'clock, therefore, almost the whole night is spent on worship - a characteristic feature of Athos. Rest until 7. From 7 to 9 - “obedience”, for almost everyone, even very old people go to work if they are more or less healthy (to the forest, to vineyards, vegetable gardens ...). At 9 am - a meal. Then until one o'clock - again obedience. At one o'clock - tea and rest until three. Obedience - until 6 pm. Vespers are served in the churches from half past five to half past six. There are few monks at these services (daytime) - most are at work ... At 6 pm - the second meal, if it is not a fast day ... Following the second meal, they call for Compline, it lasts from 7 to 8. Next comes the "cell rule", t i.e. prayer with bows and prostrations in the cells. After each short prayer the monk moves the rosary one ball and makes a bow from the waist. On the eleventh, large ball, he bows to the ground. Thus, a cassock monk (the lowest level of tonsure) makes six hundred belt bows daily, a manatee about a thousand, and a schemnik up to one and a half thousand (not counting the corresponding earthly ones). In the monastic language, this is called “pulling the canon”. The ryasofor pulls him for an hour and a half, the schemnik - up to three, three and a half. This means that the cassock is released around 10, the rest - around 11. The time before one o'clock, when matins begin, is the main sleep of the monk (two or three hours). Often one more is added to this morning hour and perhaps an hour in the middle of the day after tea. Since every monk still has his own affairs that take up time, we must assume that the monks sleep no more than four hours, or even less ... "

This testimony recreates the true life of the monastic brotherhood, which has undergone only small changes over the course of a thousand-year history to the present day.

Monasteries of Meteora - places of religious pilgrimage

At least once in his life a religious person should visit holy places. One of the countries where there are many such places is Greece and especially the area called Meteora. The monasteries here are real places of pilgrimage. What can you see here, what to worship, what memories to keep after an exciting excursion?

Nafplio.Peloponnese

Kathmandu. Wonderland.

A magnificent sight opened up before Manjushri's eyes - the crystal waters played with highlights and blinded the eyes, and the surrounding shores rose like cliffs above the majestic lake. Blooms in the center of the lake beautiful flower lotus. It is translucent and ephemeral, like the waters that gave birth to it. Surprisingly bright light comes from the lotus. The powerful god Manjushri wants to touch this magical flower and with one movement of his sword cuts the bowl of the lake. The waters of the lake burst out of the stone bowl in a raging stream. And at the bottom of the lake, the Self-Arisen Stupa is born. And around it grows the city of Kathmandu. It happened 15 or 20 centuries ago, no one knows for sure. So says the ancient legend. Today Kathmandu is a tourist center. The dynasties that ruled over the centuries left their capital in the form of beautiful monuments, such as Durbar Square, Pashu Pati, Budhanat, Patan and many other interesting places. The narrow streets and incessant movement, the diversity of shops and national clothes Nepalese women create an amazing flavor. And the majestic Patan Square takes you to the world of myths and ancient rituals. The Thamel area is a tourist center. Most of the hotels in Kathmandu are located here.

Mieza, Nausa. School of Aristotle Peripatos in Miez

Greek Macedonia is a land chosen by the gods, fascinating with its unique combination of beautiful natural landscapes and magnificence of ancient monuments. This area is one of the best examples of the coherence of the creative principle of man and nature, which has been continuously creating its works for millennia. One of them is the stalactite and stalagmite caves of Nympheion located in the vicinity of Mieza.

The State Duma of Russia condemned Kyiv for its desire to create its own autocephalous, and therefore independent from Moscow, church. Meanwhile, the split in Orthodoxy was felt all over the world. Our correspondents Igor Kulei and Denis Dziuba went to Mount Athos in Greece to see with their own eyes how the prohibitions of the Russian Orthodox Church affected the attendance of world-class shrines.

Athos is not just a holy land for Orthodox believers from all over the world. These are also two dozen monasteries that have been living in seclusion and according to their own rules for more than a thousand years. For an Orthodox believer, visiting this place is comparable to a pilgrimage to Mecca for a Muslim.

Every trip to Athos starts very early. It is now 5:20 am local time. The Holy Land is a separate state. Therefore, in order to get here, you must first obtain a visa.

Every day from half past six in the morning - when the permit center opens - hundreds of men come here for a visa. Women are strictly forbidden to enter Athos.

Everyone has their own reason for coming to the holy land.

Athos for every Orthodox is the center of Orthodoxy. I believe that it is even the center of the spiritual life of the entire planet. The soul of every Orthodox strives here,” says an Orthodox priest from Russia

Athos is part of our cultural heritage. One of our saints built a monastery there. This is part of our history,” says a pilgrim from Serbia.

“This is a treasure trove of great spiritual experience, people, monks who have renounced life. All this helps a person to carry his life's cross,” notes a pilgrim from Minsk.

“I was confirmed in my faith when I was 18 thanks to an Orthodox saint. And even though I am a Catholic, from that moment my dream was to get to Athos,” says a Catholic monk from Belgium.

There is no land border of Athos. The only way to get to the Holy Land is by sea through the small town of Ouranoupolis, which has become the Athos Gate for a quarter of a million pilgrims annually. It is here that the “visa center” mentioned above is located, and 99 out of 100 visitors to Athos sail from the local pier.

Representatives of local businesses have adapted to the needs of pilgrims and speak most languages ​​of Orthodox countries.

“There are quite a lot of pilgrims from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova. Therefore, the Russian language helps a lot. Knowledge of the language guarantees work all year round,” says waiter Grigory.

“I speak Russian because there are a lot of tourists here. Please come in here, we have seafood, squid, octopus, fresh red mullet, beautiful girl,” says Petros, the restaurant manager, laughing.

The split between the Moscow and Constantinople Patriarchates is a distant and exaggerated topic for local entrepreneurs, at least for now. Although most of the believers we met here assured that they would continue to visit Athos, despite the recommendations of the Moscow Patriarchate not to do this, the flow of visitors could still be reduced. First of all, at the expense of priests, whom Moscow can control, and especially devout believers.

“We were there and planned to stay longer, but we left. We plan to adhere to the ban of the Russian Orthodox Church, since our mother Church does not accept this,” says a pilgrim from Austria.

If there are more such pilgrims, this could become a significant problem for the settlement, which, thanks to tourism, has turned from a small village into a bustling town over the past 50 years.

“70% of tourists are those who go to Athos. Most of them, of course, are Russian-speaking. Only a third are tourists who come here to relax. But the financial crisis that prevails in Greece forced us to look for an alternative. Many local residents have their own vineyards, olive plantations and apiaries. The sale of fish and seafood brings a significant profit,” says Stata Adamopoulou, president of the Ouranoupoli Cultural Society.

After all, Ouranoupolis has additional protection from all the troubles associated with the church conflict between Moscow and Constantinople, which is provided by heavenly landscapes, crystal clear seas, fabulous weather, as well as tourists from France and Germany who are willing to pay for it.

Igor Kulei, Denis Dziuba, from Greece especially for Belsat

Photo on the intro to the video by Viktor Drachev/TASS/Forum

At a meeting of the Holy Synod, the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) decided to interrupt Eucharistic communion with the Patriarchate of Constantinople. The decision was made due to "the anti-canonical actions of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, which entered into communion with schismatics in Ukraine and encroaches on the canonical territory of the Russian Orthodox Church." On October 11, the Synod of the Patriarchate of Constantinople annulled the decision of 1686, by which Patriarch Dionysios of Constantinople handed over the Kyiv Metropolitanate to Moscow.

What does this mean in practice?

The end of Eucharistic communion means that followers of the two Orthodox churches can no longer freely participate in the sacraments of the other church. Bishops and priests of the Patriarchate of Moscow and Constantinople can no longer serve together, and parishioners will not be able to commune together.

The Russian Orthodox Church has already compiled a list of temples where you can not pray. These are temples in Istanbul, Antalya, Crete and Rhodes. According to Secretary of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate Igor Yakimchuk, for refusal to follow the ban for the clergy, punishments (bans) are provided, and for the laity - repentance at confession in disobedience to the Church. The jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Constantinople also includes the Athos peninsula, one of the main Orthodox shrines, where many pilgrims, including those from Russia, seek to go. It is also now closed to ROC parishioners.

Does this mean that it is no longer possible to visit Orthodox churches on Athos?

According to Alexander Dvorkin, doctor of theology at the University of Presov, head of the Department of Sect Studies of the Orthodox St. Tikhon University, now on Athos parishioners of the Russian Orthodox Church will not be able to receive communion in any monastery.

“It will be possible to come there, it will be possible to visit temples. But communion there until the end of this conflict is impossible, which largely makes trips to Athos pointless. Still, pilgrims tend to go there for spiritual purposes,” Dvorkin said.

Has something like this happened before?

Yes, in 1996 the Russian Orthodox Church already broke off relations with the Patriarchate of Constantinople.

Alexander Dvorkin:

- Then the situation concerned little Estonia and questions regarding its church affiliation. The country was under the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church. For a number of reasons, Constantinople also began to claim this territory. As now, Eucharistic communion between the two patriarchates was severed, but fortunately, after a few months, a compromise was reached and ties restored.

The patriarchates agreed that the jurisdictions of both churches would exist in Estonia. This compromise was absolutely anti-canonical, since according to church canons there can only be one bishop in one territory. The organization of Orthodox churches is territorial. The situation when there is an Estonian bishop and a Russian bishop in the same city is wrong - our church is not divided into nationalities. Spiritual presidency can be only one. But a bad peace is better than a good quarrel, so the parties agreed to a compromise. Unfortunately, this decision showed the Patriarch of Constantinople that he could continue to interfere in the affairs of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Will it be possible to reconcile like last time?

Alexander Dvorkin:

Ukraine is not Estonia. The situation is much more egregious. The Patriarch of Constantinople intervened in our judicial decision without having any authority to do so. He canceled the anathema of Filaret and accepted into communion the schismatics, whom he himself recognized as schismatics. He did it without any trial. In addition, he canceled the decision of his predecessors that the Kyiv Metropolis was transferred under the control of the Russian Orthodox Church, emphasizing that since Constantinople had made this decision, he could also cancel it. From the point of view of the canons, there is a thirty-year statute of limitations for making claims about changing the boundaries of the diocese. If there are no complaints within this period, then the status quo is approved. Here 300 years have passed, the question has not been raised, and suddenly, after 300 years, the decision is cancelled. This is an egregious case.

Imagine that they give you an apartment, draw up a deed of gift. You move into it, own it, repair it, and after a while the person who gave it to you, and who for a long time did not show any complaints, was friends with you, wants to take it back. Any court will return this apartment? Obviously not. Here is the same situation.

Therefore, the decision of the Patriarchate of Constantinople is illogical and illegal. Obviously, the responsibility for the gap lies with him.

What will happen next?

Experts are still wary of making any "long-term forecasts".

Alexander Dvorkin:

- Already now Filaret and President Petro Poroshenko completely distort the decisions of the Synod of Constantinople. They declared that the synod would recognize the Kyiv Patriarch, although the synod's resolution only stated that Filaret was given back the status he had at the time of the anathematization - "the former Metropolitan of Kyiv."

Further, the decision of the synod refers to the convening of a council, at which the creation of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church under the rule of Constantinople will be announced. And only then will the UOC be able to ask Constantinople for autocephaly. Filaret says that the schismatic church has already been recognized as legitimate.

The most interesting thing is that Patriarch Bartholomew, who could not but hear all this, kept silent. This may mean that he is not completely independent in his decisions, or that Filaret's position is much stronger.

How will the situation with the schism affect believers in Ukraine?

A number of experts and the media have already expressed concern that granting autocephaly to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate could lead to confrontation among Orthodox Christians. In particular, this gives rise to start pushing the believers of the UOC-MP "into the background" in relation to the UOC-KP openly supported by the authorities. There are also suggestions that this status of the UOC-KP gives the Kyiv authorities the reason they want to issue a law that would allow them to take away churches, monasteries and church property from the “wrong believers of the fifth column” and give them to the “correct” church.

Alexander Dvorkin:

— I am not sure that autocephaly is inevitable for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate, but if this does happen, the believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate will become second-class citizens. Because accusations will fall on them that they are the "fifth column", "traitors", "the hand of Moscow" and so on. We are already seeing alarming symptoms throughout Ukraine. Recent talk about ways to capture the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra is just the most egregious and high-profile case. By the way, one very influential Ukrainian religious scholar has already published a "recipe" for the legal removal of the Lavra.