Prince Charles talking to Athos monks.
You can find this picture in a fine black and white photo slide-show about Chilandariou/Athos on You Tube, made by Hadzi Miodrag Miladinovic at 8:45, and another one of the Prince of Wales at 0.19' (thanks to Giannis).
Wim, 16/3
In post nr 1012 I showed you a picture of a person visiting Mount Athos in 1906. At first I thought it might be Tsar Nicolas II, but readers of this blog convinced me that it could not be the Russian Tsar.
I did some more investication and it showed out that I did missed the backside of this photo, which I can show you now.
Although I do not understand Slavic languages, I was able to read (with the help of a Chech colleque) that it must be a Consul General named N.V. Kochmanski, who visited Athos on April 11th 1906, and who lived (?) in Thessaloniki (Solun). Does the text give us more information? Which language is it, old Russian, Ukraine or Bulgarian?
Wim, 12/3
A photo an official, who looks somewhat like Tsar Nicolas II, visiting Athos in 1906. The excact idendity is not known, who cuold it be?
I did not find out in front of which building they are posing, but it looks a Russian architectual style.
Wim, 9/3 + 11/3
Blog by john sanidopoulos
hv
The idea of this weblog started with the preparations of our visit to Athos May 2007. At first we started writing in Dutch, but soon we got the hang of it and were aiming at a wider audience by using the English language. To our surprise the audience come from all over the world: people from the US, UK, Greece of course but also visitors from countries which we did not expect such as Japan, United Arab Emirates and Brazil (in total 2009: 121 countries!). In time we bought more books about the Holy Mountain and our knowledge grew.
A handicap is that we can't understand the Greek language. Our intitiative had a follower in Keliotes/Giannis, who had already a nice Athos-website in Greek, but also discovered that the blog is a nice tool to tell the story of this beautifull place. We still are using his posts - using Google translate - and he does the same with some of our small discoveries. Not only we got more pageviews, but visitors started to make comments and began to inform us about Athos related stuff. We like to thank them in particular, because this interaction and feedback stimulated us very much. In September 2009 we again visited the Mountain. Wim for the 6th time and Herman for the 4th time. Accompanied by 5 good friends we had a wonderful time especially in Mylopotamos, which we shall show you in the coming months. We are not done yet. Already there are plans for another trip in 2011 and there are still stories we want to tell. We hope that you will keep on visiting this blog and give your reactions, comments and tips. Many thanks for that. This is a good opportunity to ask a couple of questions which we are curious about.
- What will be the effect of the economical and financial crisis in Greece at the moment for Mount Athos?
- Does anybody know if this weblog has followers on the Holy Mountain itself?
Wim and Herman Voogd, Amsterdam/Haarlem, The Netherlands
Wim having breakfast with father Joachim at Mylopotamos, 27 Sept. 2009
Herman on the path from Sografou to Konstamonitou. Sept 2009 (photo by B. Kamps)
Wim in our room at Mylopotamos, checking the route for the next day, 26 Sept. 2009
Herman on the beach of Ouranopolis, 25 Sept. 2009
A Belgian cartonist Gaëtan Evrard drew a Christian cartoon about the monk / Saint Silouan, who lived on the Holy Mountain, called “Starets Silouan a monk of Mount Athos: According to the biography of Father Sophrony” (ISBN : 978-2-930273-48-8 ).
This is his story:
Simeon Ivanovich Antonov was born in 1866 in the province of Tambov, Russia.
He leads the life of a poor farmer, practically illiterate, and then at the military service that of a simple soldier. In 1892 he moved to Mount Athos, the Garden of the Mother of God, amid the 2000 monks of the Russian monastery St. Panteleimon. He was tonsured as a monk by the name of Silouan and he lived, until his death in 1938, the seemingly ordinary life of a simple monk. In reality, the starets Silouan is an authentic witness of Christ and a spiritual of our time. The simple and powerful starets touches the heart. His testimony has saved many men from despair. On November 26, 1987, the universality of starets Silouan has been recognized by the Patriarchate of Constantinople, who has canonized him. In the act of canonization, the new saint is presented as the "prophetic and apostolic Doctor of the Church and the Christian people."
Wim, 15/12
When I saw this kid leaving the Holy Mountain `(sept. 2009) I was wondering what the minimum age is for entering Mount Athos. I read about a time when "beardless youths" were not welcome.
Does anybody know?
hv
Photos of the life of Elder Joseph who died recently in the monastery of Vatopedi.
hv
When, in 1974, the entire monastery relocated to Agios Grigorios (St Gregory) on Mount Athos, Simeon followed, living at the Agios Grigorios Monastery until 1987. He subsequently became a hermit, moving to the old hermit’s cell of Timios Stavros near the Stavronikita monastery, where he built a new dependency and formed a complex.
More.
hv
That is father Stefan, Serb by origin, he spent over 40 years on Karoulia,great ascetic,his kellia was burnt so he had to go back to Serbia,where he spent last days of his life in the monastery Slanci near Belgrade (capital of Serbia).He is burried there,returned to rest in peace in his homeland after 40 years of stunt in the most cruel part of mount Athos-Karoulia
text by Jovana, thanks!
hv
This picture is taken in 1917 and is from Erich Feigl's book: Athos, Vorhölle zum Paradies.
He gives this text: A rare encounter in a fairytale forrest: The doctor of Xerapotamou, who during the time of the first World War still wore a high hat and costume, sits with the French Byzantologist G. Millet in the romantic forrest called "Dry-river", which gave Xirapotamou its name.
In this weblog we showed more pictures from Millets book: see 191, 211, 537, 552 and 693.
Wim, 7/6
Photo by Arnold Genthe 1929 See also 799 Merci salam.
hv
Drawing by Le Corbusier. According to the Le Corbusier Foundation this is Mont Athos, 1911. I however do not recognize he location. I agree with Makis that this could be very well a drawing of the Akropolis in Athens.
The famous architect stayed 21 days on the peninsula.
Bookcover Journey to the East
1911
Rencontre avec Heinrich Tessenow, architecte de la cité-jardin
d'Hellerau - En mai, départ de Dresde pour le voyage d'Orient : Prague, Vienne, Budapest,Belgrade, Bucarest, Tarnovo, Gabrovo, Kasanlik, Istanbul, le Mont Athos (21 jours), Athènes et l'Italie méridionale en compagnie de son ami, Auguste Klipstein, étudiant en histoire de l'art - Au cours de ce voyage, nombreux dessins, croquis, notes consignés dans six carnets, ainsi que plusieurs centaines de photographies - Rédaction d'articles, extraits de ces carnets, pour la Feuille d'avis de La Chaux-de-Fonds.
Church in Ronchamp by Le Corbusier.
hv
Sveta Gora Atonska Атон Афон 阿索斯山 کوه آثوس Света гора جبل آثوس Άγιο Όρος הר אתוס アトス山 აიონ-ოროსი 아토스 산 atos
Tom Patrikarakos
Thodoris Tzalavras
(seen on http://photo.net/)
Wim, 18/5
My brother on my first trip in 1989.
hv
Meal with fish
raki
Photos by Netrebko Fan's.
hv
Parts of the article A TRIBUTE by Kerry Ross Boren about Chatwin relation with the mountain and orthodoxy.
He has been called the greatest novelist since Hemingway, and the foremost travel writer of modern times. The American novelist John Updike has described his style as "a clipped lapidary prose that compresses worlds into pages." It is no exaggeration; there were worlds within Bruce Chatwin.
He hated Greece and wasted no opportunity to say so. Plante met him in the walled town of Lucca, in Tuscany, Italy, on his way to Greece. Yet he told Plante, "I don't know about Greeks - and I have very, very little interest in Greece, and that only during the month of February." In Greece, he went to the monastery on Mount Athos, the sacred mountain where no women are allowed. When he returned to London, all he said to Plante about Mount Athos was, "My dear, those priests!"
It was only after his death in 1989 that it was learned even by his closest friends that he had been guarding another secret: he claimed to have had some sort of vision on Mount Athos and shortly thereafter he had converted to the Greek Orthodox religion, telling no one. According to his final wishes, he was given a funeral service in the Greek Orthodox Church, in Moscow Road, London.
According to his biographer Nicholas Shakespeare Bruce Chatwin found God before his death. This was on top of Mount Athos, after which he left for Katmandu. Chatwin visited Athos together with Patrick Leigh Fermor. (Roumeli: Travels in Northern Greece Harper 1966).
hv
Foto by Netrebko Fan.
hv
Xavier Zimbardo is a french photographer who made some fine pictures of Athos and the monks. For more look here on his website.
Wim, 24/3
Already in post nr 22 we showed you a picture of Putin visiting Athos. This is the complete collection:
Wim, 19/2
More climbers here.
Please mail us your Mount Athos summit picture. Click " mailformulier".
hv
Foto by Nephon of Chelandariou, monk 1930-1950
Foto by Nephon of Chelandariou, monk 1930-1950
Fotostudio Karyes
1898
Foto's from the site Athos memory. It is a pity that this interesting site with historical pictures has stopped. Did they have a lack of (European) funding? Is there no more material? Who knows more?
hv
For more usefull timetables (if they are still valid) here.
hv
A photographer in Karyes in 1941 with a, also in that period, very old camera shooting pilgrims. The photo is from the book Mönchland Athos by Dölger.
hv
Durer 1498
Read here an article of Elder Paisos of Mount Athos, Panagouda Cell of Koutloumousiou Monastery,
The article was written on Saturday, First Week of Lent, 1987.
This is Panagouda, the hermitage of Elder Paisos. Foto by Apostolos, digitalviews.
hv
In 1997 this monk guarded the Athos border. I believe he lived here for many years but in 2007 when we walked from Ouranoupolis to the border again we did not see him.
hv
Treasures of Mount Athos Athanasios A. Karakatsanis
(ISBN: 9608600901)
Book Description: Ministry of Culture, Museum of Byzantine Culture, Thessaloniki, 1997.
Catalogue of the treasures of Mount Athos exhibited at the Museum of Byzantine Culture at Thessalonike, Greece
hv
I found these three pictures/portrets in the Dutch magazine for docters "Arts en Auto" in 1980, just after I visited the Holy Mountain for the first time.
Most striking are the pictures of this monk with the friendly face:
WV, 9/9
From the book "The Russians on Athos" from Fennell I took over this interesting text:
"Today measures have been taken to restrict the numbers of pilgrims on the Holy Mountain: Greeks and foreigners alike are discouraged from staying more than four days and permission is given to very few non-Greeks to set foot on the peninsula each day. There were no such restrictions a century ago. History has taught the authorities today that too many people, particularly laymen, destroy the peace for which Athos is famous.
The population of the Holy Mountain in the first decade of the 20th century was just under ten thousand monks. This was greater than at any time in Athonite history. The figure does not account for laymen – pilgrims, officials, tradesmen and hired workers; nor does it account for those on the margin of Athonite society, the “siromakhi”, and other wandering mendicants. Monks Dorotheos calls them “kaviotes” and defines them as unattached “rasophors” or laymen in monk’s clothing.
People could consider the monk on the photo above as a "Siromahki" from the book by Sidney Loch. But Loch says that this is a "Hermit kissed by God". Our reader J.C. Grenier has let us know that this man is named P. Georges. J.C. Grenier continues:
"The monk in rags and on top of that there is a raven is not a "kaviote." He enjoyed on Athos a reputation as a saint despite its attempts to hide in infringing madness".
The Kaviotes lived some of the time in huts, known as “kavia”, but generally had no fixed abode, went from place to place doing odd jobs and received charitable donations of food and money.
The three Russian houses, particularly the monastery, were famous for the help they gave the “siromakhi”. On Thursdays, Sundays and feast days up to seven hundred would gather at the gates of St Panteleimon to receive small change and bread which was distributed from great wooden bowls.
Skiti Andreou 1905: hundreds of Russian monks (no siromahki !?) gather for a feast (from Erich Feigl's book)
The St Panteleimon guide-book to the Holy Mountain described the “siromakhi” as blessed non-possessors akin to the stranniki in Russia. At the beginning of the century, however, there was a significant criminal element among them. A Russian visitor wrote:
“The ‘siromakhi’ and wandering monks sometimes behave themselves in such a way that the St Panteleimon brethren did not advise to go without a guide far from the monastery into the woods where we might come across these monks”.
Book of Theunissen: Siromahki (?) 1965
Pavlovski spoke of the need to defend the Athonite houses from bands of brigands that committed robbery with violence. In 1908 Priest-schemamonk Moisey, the founder of the Kellion of St Ignatius the Godbearer, was murdered on Athos by bandits. The “siromakhi” continued to behave do disreputably in the following decades that they were banned from the Holy Mountain by official decree of the Koinotis on 16 april 1931."
Even in 1979, when Rolf Gross visited the Holy Mountain, there were still rumors of violent monks, that you might encounter on the path between Lavra and Skiti Anni.
"I had repeatedly inquired after the path across the steep southern escarpment of the mountain, but nobody I met had ever walked there. I was strongly warned of going there, just last year an Austrian had fallen to his death attempting the traverse, the path was dangerously exposed - besides the area was inhabited by wild monks who would roll stones into your way and try to rob you. When I heard this tale I firmly made up my mind to dare it; too obviously these were horror stories. Yet still next morning a Greek from a surveying party seriously tried to talk me out of my plan. "Alone, all by yourself, you are crazy!". It turned out to be the most beautiful walk on the whole mountain.”
I walked this trail in 1986 for the first time and did not meet any dangerous people, nor did I see any real “siromakhi” in 1980: I only saw one drunk monk in the old restaurant in Karyes.
Wim, 8/9
Photo's by hv may 2007
hv
Foto by Avallaunius
Nikos G. Pentzikis (1908-1993), author and painter from Thessaloniki, had been the most important author of this city in his time.
Stylianos Harkianakis, the Greek Archbishop of Australia, is a well-known poet.
Here, at Stavroniketa Monastery's refectory, painted in 1546 by Theophanes the Cretan, during a visit of theirs, conversating with its then Hegoumen (Abbot) Fr. Vasileios.
Text and photo by Theologos Tats, see also nrs. 537,527,526
hv
These images of laymen can be found om the Athos Memory site . This site is financed by the European Community but it is a pity that they apparrently are not active anymore.
I think the images are made at the beginning of the 20th century. Some of them are made in the photo studio of the Russian Skete Ag. Andreou in Karyes. Watch the (beardless) children on the pictures, the friendships and the (hand)game that they are playing.
hv
Most pictures taken on the Holy Mountain show you buildings, paintings and landscapes. Detailed pictures of monks are rare. Whenever you want to take a picture of a monk you have to ask it, and permission is seldom granted. Last year I had a conversation with a monk of Skiti Elias about his subject. He told that he once gave permission to make a picture of his face and a couple of years later his sister, who lived in Athens, found his image in a foreign newspaper advertisement. Since then he refused pilgrims taking pictures and I can understand his reasons !
This picture is taken WITH permission in 1997 in Chilandariou. It shows you a tall, young monk, who is about to open the library, talking with a (much!) smaller, older monk. This friendly monk was taken care of the gardens of the monastery and when we left we promised him to send some seeds of flowers and vegetables, which we of course did.
NB. The monk of Skiti Elias asked us by the way to send a book with Rembrandt drawings, because he painted icons and was interested in art.
Wim, 12-8
The visit of the king Petar Karađorđević to the Chilandar
Digital copies of the Album of photographs from Chilandar: His Majesty the King of Serbia Petar I. The Album represents a phonographic record of the Visit of the King Petar I Karađorđević to the Monastery Chilandar, in March 25th 1910, and it was completed by photographs displaying the exterior and interior of the Monastery complex. The Author of the Photography is D. Baubin. The Collection contains 30 digital files.
King planting a cypress.
Ruins of Vassiliou or St. Basils
Milutin tower
Here you will find all the photo's of this serbian book.
hv
The visit of the king Aleksandar Obrenović to the Chilandar
Digital copies of photographs which document the visit of the King Aleksandar Obrenović to the Monastery Chilandar, on Easter 1896. During his visit, Aleksandar Obrenović received the Miroslav Gospel, as a gift from the Chilandar Monks and brought it in Serbia
King planting a cypress.
hv
2005
Another occassion in the oldest church on Athos. Notice the iron structure to keep the place together and the frescos in the background.
hv
This 27 minutes English spoken film showes images of the 1997 exhibition in Thessaloniki: Treasures of Mount Athos, a procession with, I believe, the patriarch and monks bringing relics to a boat so that female pilgrims are able to venerate the objects. Here is the film by Christine Schiwietz.
hv
Αγαπητοι επισκεπτες απο την Ελλαδα,
Αν δεν μπορειτε να καταλαβετε μια λεξη σε αυτο το ιστολογιο αντιγραψετε το κειμενο και επικολληστε το στο Google Translate.
Webmasters hv + wv
hv
Bakery Sk. Prodromou may 2007
This young friendly Rumanian monk gave us large slices of fresh bread which we ate during the climb of the mountain.
Another bakery on the mountain. I do not know the location.
hv
Cooking in a kelli. Here is the full story.
This pictures are from the weblog Kafeneio with more interesting Athos Blogs written by a frequent Athos visitor from Canada. See also nr. 384.
hv
Rheinhold Zwerger, born in 1924, visited the holy Mountain for the first time in 1956. He was always on his way and stayed sometimes a month or so on the holy mountain. He also made drawing, paintings and made "Linolschnitts" in english linocuts (in dutch linoleumsnedes).
For pilgrims and people who love Athos he is very important because he made (in 15 years) his famous Athos map 1:50.000 1982. Without it many people on the peninsula would still be lost. There is no other map with so many detailed footpaths and roads and , very impotant for orientation, altitude lines (hoogtelijnen!).
He made diaries during his visits which he transformed into a book in German called " Wege am Athos". About his adventures and about the changes he saw from 1956 to 2005 on the holy mountain.
You can order his book here.
Detail of the Zwerger map. You can order the map by the man himself: Reinhold Zwerger, A-1020 Wien, Wohlmutstrasse 8, Austria.
hv with many thanks to Vasilis.
Foto's taken appr. 1900 -1920.
hv
There is a orthodox community on the web with an Athosforum. With some recent posts about visits to Athos, discussions about the orthodox faith but also with rather dated news. In English,
hv
This is a telegram (1892 Ottoman period) from Geranti of the skete (not monastery) of St.Andrew concerning money, a gift probably to someone in St Peterburg. But what was the scandalous affair?? And why is the language French? We will never know, I guess.
hv.
Photographer : Theodosios of Simonopetra, monk
Example of the use of the double-headed eagle on imperial vestments, from a chrysobull of Alexios III of Trebizond, mid-14th century. (Dionysiou Monastery)
hv
Allthough I visited a lot of churches in Greece, my memory of the smell of insence in the Athos-churches is the strongest, probably because there are so many services every day. Everytime I smell the Athos-insence, I get a lot of memories to all my travels on Mount Athos.
I recently found out how easy it is to burn the insence, because I discovered the MAGALOCHARI charcoal, whitch burns in just a minute (with a lot of smoke!).
This picture shows the insence and charcoal that is used in Orthodox churches:
Wim, 8/10
The book of Erich Feigl discribes (pages 50 and 51) the history of mount Athos during the First World War. French, Russian and English soldiers occupied this little piece of land and it would take to long the give you the details.
This first picture shown here was made by a photografer who accompanied G. Millet, a French Athos expert, who published his first book 1904 (Recuell des Inscription Chretiennes de Athos). After the first World War he published his book with the pictures shown below: "Monuments de l'Athos".
Wim 8/10
This is the text from the Feigl-book: The french general Maurice Paul Emanuel Sarrail (1856 to 1929) on his way to Karyes. Sarrail was leader in command of the 3th Army of Verdun and from the winter of 1917 on the Chef of the "Entente"-troops in the Thessaloniki area. In his accompany is Admiral Vigeaux (picture taken in 1918). Wim 8/10 
Een bijzonder lezenswaardig boek over de hedendaagse orthodoxie is "Waarom engelen vallen" van Victoria Clark. Een goede samenvatting vind je hier.
Victoria Clark's Waarom engelen vallen ISBN 90 450 0887 4
Met name deze passage op bladzijde 374 trok mijn aandacht:
Raspoetin begon aan de duizenden kilometers lange voettocht dwars door Siberië, over de Oeral, toen verder door Oekraïne, Moldavië, Roemenië en Bulgarije helemaal naar de indertijd nog Ottomaans-Turkse provincie Macedonië en de zuidelijkste punt daarvan aan de Egeïsche Zee- de berg Athos.
Maar de door Makarius voorgeschreven kuur was mislukt. Geschokt, en walgend van de enorme homoseksuele bedrijvigheid van de monniken van de Heilige Berg, had Raspoetin de Tuin van de Moeder Gods tot een plaats verklaard waar 'morele vuiligheid en ongedierte' welig tierden. In plaats van daar monnik te worden, had hij gemaakt dat hij wegkwam en zich naar huis gehaast, waar Makarius hem er fijntjes op had gewezen dat kloosters noodgedwongen broeinesten van ontucht waren.""Denk aan je opdracht", had zijn raad geluid, "nu je geen verlossing in het klooster hebt gevonden, moet je je ziel in de buitenwereld proberen te redden.'
Historici hebben zich dikwijls afgevraagd hoe het Rusland in de 20-ste eeuw zou zijn vergaan als de jonge troonopvolger geen hemofiliepatiënt was geweest. Maar is het misschien ook de moeite waard ons af te vragen hoe het Rusland zou zijn vergaan als de monniken op de Heilige Berg hun zondige vlees hadden weten te verzaken. Dan was Raspoetin daar waarschijnlijk zonder ophef ingetreden in het Russische klooster van Sint-Panteleimon en nooit meer naar Sint Petersburg teruggereist om de salons van de high society onveilig te maken, het vertrouwen van Nicolaas en Alexandra te winnen door het bloeden van de tsarevitsj te stelpen en het einde van het rijk te bespoedigen.
Het boek is een aanrader!
Wim, 23/9
Deacon Father Arthemios, Chilandar
Monk from Iviron
Blind monk, skiti Andreou (Serail)
In 1891 bezocht deze pelgrim, later monnik Athos. Ik kan niet vinden waar hij precies geweest is maar een klooster ligt zeker voor de hand. Hier nog een foto met bewonderaars die hij zeker niet op het schiereiland is tegengekomen.
hv
Op de Ferry naar Daphni - 2007
Zie hier de 3 PDF files van Fanta Voogd met het artikel in FORUM: veel leesplezier!
Download mannenzondervrouwen1.pdf
Download mannenzondervrouwen2.pdf
Download mannenzondervrouwen3.pdf
Fanta Voogd op weg naar het strand bij het russische klooster - juni 1989 (zie mannen zonder vrouwen 2)
Wim, 26 september 2006
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