Viktor Nikitin
Five years on Mount Athos 2013-2017

Introduction to Mount Athos

The Holy Mount Athos is a peninsula in northeastern Greece, the third and easternmost protrusion (the third "finger") of the Chalcidice peninsula, which juts out into the Aegean Sea. It is about 50 km long, 8 to 12 km wide, and covers an area of about 350 square kilometers. The peninsula is divided into twenty self-governing territories. Each territory has a governing monastery and other monastic settlements surrounding it.

Since the 1920s, the land administrative border of the Holy Mountain has been located to the east of the city of Ouranoupoli. Previously, it ran further west, along the dry bed of the Xerxes Canal, an ancient shipping canal at the narrowest point of the peninsula, built in 480 BC by order of the Persian king Xerxes I during the Greco-Persian Wars. The canal connected two gulfs of the Aegean Sea – Acanthus Gulf (now Ierissos Gulf) and Singitic Gulf (now Agion Oros Gulf). The territory of the monastic community is separated by land from the rest of Greece by a fence, about 9 kilometers long. The border runs along an imaginary line from the point of Frangokastro on the west coast to Cape Arapis on the opposite coast.

The monastic community of Mount Athos enjoys autonomy within the borders of the Athos peninsula. In the system of administrative regions of Greece, it is called the "Autonomous Monastic State of Mount Athos" and has the status of a self-governing community of 20 Orthodox monasteries, which have been under the jurisdiction of the Patriarch of Constantinople since 1312. Greece's sovereignty over the peninsula was secured by the Treaty of Lausanne in 1923. The self-government regime is based on the provisions of the first Charter of Mount Athos, approved by the Byzantine Emperor John Tzimiskes in 972 AD.

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Today, the monasteries of the Holy Mountain are home to about 2,000 Orthodox monks from Greece, Serbia, Romania, Moldova, Georgia, Bulgaria, Montenegro, Ukraine and Russia. The Athonite monasteries contain a rich collection of well-preserved artifacts, rare books, ancient documents and works of art of great historical value, and Mount Athos is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

All persons leading monastic life on Mount Athos acquire Greek citizenship upon their admission to the monasteries as novices or monks. Although Athos, like the rest of Greece, is legally part of the European Union, the monastic institutions of the Holy Mountain have special jurisdiction. This gives their authorities the right to restrict the free movement of people and goods within their territory; in particular, the monastic community prohibits the entry of women. The main purpose is to ensure the observance of chastity and celibacy of the monastics, but also because only the Virgin Mary represents the female sex on the Holy Mountain. The ban was officially proclaimed by several emperors, including Constantine Monomachos in 1046.

Each monastery is governed by an abbot, elected by the monks for life. Sketes and other monastic settlements are subordinate to one of the monasteries. Lay people can visit the monastic community of Athos, but they need a special permit, called a diamonitirion.

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In 17 monasteries live monks, mostly of Greek origin (Great Laura, Vatopedi, Iviron, Dionysiou, Agiou Pavlou, Koutloumousiou, Pantokratoros, Xeropotamou, Docheiariou, Karakallou, Philotheou, Simonopetra, Stavronikita, Xenophontos, Grigoriou, Esphigmenou, Konstamonitou.) The Hilandar Monastery is Serbian-Montenegrin, the Zograf Monastery is Bulgarian, and the Monastery of St. Panteleimon is Russian.

There are 17 sketes on Athos: the Skete of Saint Anne, the Skete of Kavsokalyvia, Prodrom, the Skete of Little Anna, the Skete of Basil the Great, the Skete of St. Andrew, the Skete of Saint Demetrius (Vatopedi), the Skete of John the Baptist (Iviron Skete), the Skete of Saint Panteleimon, the Skete of St. Elias, the New Skete, the Skete of Saint Demetrius (Lakkoskete), the Skete of the Annunciation, the Skete of the Dormition of the Mother of God (Panagia Xylourgou), the New Thebaid, the Old Russik and Kromnitsa (Krumitsa).

Since the 18th century, many sketes had a nationality different from that of the monastery on whose lands they were located. In particular, the St. Andrew Skete was Russian, and the Elias Skete was Ukrainian.

Greek is widely used in all Greek monasteries, but in some other languages are also used: in the Monastery of St. Panteleimon – Russian; in the Monastery of Hilandar – Serbian; in the Monastery of Zograf – Bulgarian.

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In 2018, the Athonite monastic community became a problem in relations between Greece and Russia when the Greek government banned entry to Russian clergy traveling to the Holy Mountain. Media reports emerged that the Russian Federation was using the Athonite monastic community as a base for intelligence operations in Greece. In October 2018, the Moscow Patriarchate broke communion with the Ecumenical Patriarchate in response to its decision to grant autocephaly to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.

It is interesting that on July 5, 2016, the Chairman of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, Sergei Naryshkin, who three months later, on October 5 of the same year, became the director of the Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation, visited the Russian St. Panteleimon Monastery on Mount Athos. Such are the curious metamorphoses.

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The gates of the monasteries are closed at sunset and opened at sunrise. Daily visits to the Holy Mountain are limited to 100 lay Orthodox Christians and 10 non-Orthodox pilgrims. All of them must obtain a special permit to enter Athos, called a diamonitirion. They present it in Ouranoupoli or Ierissos before boarding the ferry to the Holy Mountain. This permit is valid for three days unless the pilgrim requests an extension.

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On the steep rocky shores of the peninsula there are several large bays, the main one being Daphne, the port of the Holy Mountain, where ships arrive from the mainland and where the customs, post office and police stations are located. The administrative center of the Holy Mountain, Karyes, is located in the very center of Athos and is connected to Daphne by an asphalt road. Dirt roads, built mainly since the mid-1980s, lead from here to other ends of the peninsula. Almost all of Athos is covered with rich vegetation: spruce, chestnut and oak forests and dense bushes. There are many plane trees on the lower part of the mountain slopes, and heather wastelands in the upper zone. Citrus fruits, apple trees, pears, cherries and walnuts are grown here, vineyards and olive tree plantations are planted. Snow falls rarely and does not last long. The streams flowing down from the mountains serve as sources of drinking water.

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The lifestyle of the Athonite monks is subordinated to the main purpose of their stay on Athos – prayerful service to God. Monastic prayer can be common or private. During common prayers (vespers, compline, midnight office, matins, Divine Liturgy) the monks gather in the main cathedral church (katholikon) and small churches (paraklisis) of the monastery. The basis of private prayer is the short Jesus Prayer. The Mother of God, considered the only Mistress of the Holy Mountain, is especially revered on Athos. The main occupation of the ascetics is unceasing prayer. The cell monastic rule is obligatory for all monks.

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The usual greeting on Athos is "Eulogite" (Greek for "bless"), to which the response is "O Kyrios" (that is, "The Lord bless") or "En Kyrio Iesu" (that is, "O Lord Jesus"). Between Easter and Ascension, the greeting is "Christos anesti!" ("Christ is risen!"), with the response "Alifos anesti" ("He is risen indeed!"). Those wishing to enter a closed room say, while knocking on the door, "Through the prayers of our holy fathers…" and the response "Amen" serves as an invitation to enter.

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The calendar reform undertaken in Greece in the 1920s did not find support on Mount Athos, and the monasteries of the Holy Mountain continue to use the Julian calendar. In most monasteries, the day begins at sunset according to the Byzantine tradition; the difference with European time is, depending on the season, from three to seven hours. Civil departments on Mount Athos and some monasteries use European time. The day is divided into three eight-hour periods, set aside for prayer, work and rest.

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If we stay at a monastery or are just passing through at an appropriate time, we will definitely be invited to have lunch or dinner with the monks in the monastery refectory. The food is very tasty, vegetarian, but sometimes with cheese. Basically, it will be bread, olives and vegetables. Of the drinks, on fast days (Monday, Wednesday and Friday), only water will be served. During the year, on Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, two common meals are supposed to be held after the Divine Liturgy and Vespers. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, as well as on weekdays of Great Lent, one common meal is supposed to be held after Vespers.

Wheat bread, water, onion, garlic, salt and vinegar are offered daily at the meal. Salted olives and fruits are offered almost always, and in summer and autumn they offer vegetables and boiled chestnuts. On fast days, boiled Lenten food is prepared without vegetable oil. On non-fast days, dry red wine, olive oil, a dairy dish (usually sheep's cheese), sweets (halva) are offered at the meal; eggs are usually offered during the Easter period; fish – on Sundays and the Twelve Great Feasts, sometimes replaced by octopus, squid, mussels and other seafood.

With the blessing of the abbot, the brethren may also prepare tea or coffee in their own cells. On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of the first week of Great Lent, the brethren of most monasteries observe complete abstinence in food and drink.

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At the beginning of each year, the Council of Elders of each monastery appoints the brethren to obediences. According to the Holy Mountain custom, the inhabitants get new obediences every year, but if necessary, the Council can leave a brother in the old obedience for another year. At the end of the meeting of the Council, the brethren enter the abbot's room in order of seniority and take the blessing of the abbot (by kissing his hand, according to the Greek Athonite tradition), and he, in the presence of the elders, conveys the decision of the Council to everyone. The list of obediences is usually contained in the internal Charter of the monastery. It can only be changed by decision of the Spiritual Council. Most of the work is related to ensuring worship, preserving holy places, and serving the brethren and pilgrims.

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One of the ancient customs preserved on Athos is monastic hospitality. Each monastery on Mount Athos accepts all visiting pilgrims and tourists for the night, regardless of their religion, nationality, etc. They are provided with a place in a hostel (arkhondariki) and food according to the monastery Charter. Those arriving are offered refreshments – coffee, cold water in the hot season, sweets, a small amount (up to 50 grams) of strong alcoholic drinks – ouzo (aniseed vodka) or tsipouro (strong grape vodka). Guests are received and accommodated free of charge, to the glory of God. All Orthodox pilgrims are invited to services. They can confess and receive the Holy Mysteries, and to venerate the holy relics. All guests eat at a common meal with the brethren. Some monasteries organize talks and excursions for guests. According to the rules of the Holy Mountain, each pilgrim can stay in any monastery for one night; a longer stay in a monastery is possible with the blessing of its abbot. In Daphne and Karyes there are hostels for overnight stays.

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Pilgrims should arrive at the monastery at least 2.5 hours before sunset. The archandari (guest monk) will greet the pilgrims with refreshments, explain the internal rules and direct each pilgrim to his assigned room.

The first scheduled event for a pilgrim is usually Vespers, which begins 1-2 hours before sunset. This is a church service that lasts about an hour, followed by dinner in the refectory. After dinner, the monks may talk to pilgrims or give them a tour of the monastery grounds.

Both monks and pilgrims go to bed an hour or two after sunset, as the next service begins 9-10 hours after sunset. In winter, matins can last more than 4 hours. Another morning service takes place after sunrise, followed by lunch, which most pilgrims consider breakfast, as it begins around 8:00 AM.

The monks then help the pilgrims get to their next destination, usually by bus to Karyes, where the pilgrims can change to other transport.

Upon arrival at the monastery, you can see and venerate the relics of saints and miraculous icons, as well as receive a kind of tour and information about the history of the monastery.

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