For many centuries, the St. Panteleimon Monastery has stood on Mount Athos. Many people know it under a slightly different name - Rossikon. It has long been classified as Russian, but in fact it has been so for no more than a few centuries, since it has been controlled by the Russian Church. It is one of the twenty “ruling” monasteries in these blessed places.

Among the number he is assigned nineteenth place. In fact, he is directly subordinate to the Patriarch of Constantinople - the St. Panteleimon Monastery on Holy Mount Athos is among the stauropegies of the patriarch. Immediately upon admission, a person receives citizenship of the Greek Republic. This feature is spelled out in its charter, which was approved back in 1924.

Features of the monastery

In the southwestern part of the Athos peninsula stands the Panteleimon Monastery. It is located in close proximity to the coast. At first glance, attention is attracted by its special majestic, and even somewhat fabulous appearance with traditional white stone walls and churches and temples, the walls of which are also distinguished by white decoration.

The peculiarity of this monastery, unlike all the others, which are also located on this peninsula, is that it is located almost level with sea level. That is, travelers can already see its walls and majestic arches from the water. The building combines several styles at once - experts trace here not only classical features, but also elements inherent in Byzantine culture, as well as Russian churches located in the north of the country. Among such characteristic elements of the Panteleimon Monastery on Athos are tall and at the same time narrow windows along with squat onion domes.

Another feature of the monastery is its interiors. There is a gorgeous carved iconostasis and ancient frescoes, many ancient icons. A large number of other church relics are collected here.

The construction of the catholicon of the Panteleimon Monastery on Mount Athos dates back to the very beginning of the nineteenth century, when this place was consecrated in the name of the well-known great martyr Panteleimon. The relics of St. Panteleimon are also kept here, and everyone who visits these places has the opportunity to venerate them.

Another feature of the St. Panteleimon Monastery on Mount Athos is the ensemble of bells present here. Each of them was given to him by the Russian Tsars. The weight of the largest among them reaches 13 tons.

History of the monastery

The settlement of Russian monks in these places was formed approximately in the 11th century. And it was given the status of a separate full-fledged monastery only in 1169. For several centuries there were practically no Russian monks here. Although the monastery on Mount Athos was founded by our ancestors, for a long time the Russian voice was rarely heard within its walls.

First inhabitants

So, when the Tatar-Mongol yoke hung over Russia, Serbs, as well as Greeks, became predominantly local monks. But already in the 16th century, the Serbs had a clear numerical national superiority in the Russian St. Panteleimon Monastery on Athos. This has documentary evidence: in those days, the leadership of the monastery corresponded with the ruling authorities, which were then in Moscow. But Saint Panteleimon at that time did not really care about the authorities; the situation within the country itself was too difficult.

The 18th century turned out to be the most difficult for the monastery, when only four monks remained in it under the leadership of the Bulgarian abbot. Half of them were Russians, and the other half were Bulgarians. This was witnessed by Vasily Barsky, who managed to visit here in 1726. And less than a decade later, the Panteleimon monastery of Athos was completely declared Greek.

The resettlement of monks from the Panteleimon Monastery on Mount Athos occurred in 1770, when they all moved to a coastal cell.

Russian history of the monastery

The main history of the monastery dates back only to the 19th century, when Stary Rossik was used as a monastery. Times were hard then.

A measured life in these parts reigned only after which was the result of the end of the Turkish occupation of the territories. Despite the stabilization of the situation in the region, the monastery was unable to return its former possessions - they were taken away by other monasteries located in these areas to pay off old debts. The Russian St. Panteleimon Monastery on Mount Athos, naturally, experienced serious difficulties.

In those days, there was even a proposal to exclude the Panteleimon Monastery on Athos from the number of official monasteries, but Constantius I, who at that time held the high position of Patriarch of Constantinople, did not allow it to be implemented.

The Russian presence in the monastery was encouraged from that time on: Gerasim, who had been abbot of the Panteleimon Monastery on Mount Athos since 1821, despite his Greek affiliation, also favored this. But especially the Russian beginning began to develop here only after the 1830s, when Hieromonk Jerome and Hieromonk Anikita arrived here.

Moreover, after the death of the local leader, Elder Arseny, in 1846, it was Father Jerome who received the status of his successor - the abbot of the St. Panteleimon Monastery on Athos, despite the multinational composition of the inhabitants. Moreover, the establishment of Russian leadership then had a completely natural character - the hieromonk himself did not strive for a leadership position. He received his place thanks to his experience, participation in the needs of others and active ascetic activity. Hegumen of the St. Panteleimon Monastery on Mount Athos, both then and now, is a position highly respected in the circles of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Period of active development

In the second half of the 19th century, a period of active growth and reconstruction of the Panteleimon Monastery on Mount Athos began. This became possible largely thanks to the patronage and favor of the imperial court.

In 1861, the brethren of the Panteleimon Monastery on Mount Athos decided to send Arseny Minin to Russia. The main purpose of his visit was to collect donations. It was he who in 1867 brought a number of local shrines to the territory of the Epiphany Monastery, located in Moscow.

In 1875, the very first Russian hegumen of the St. Panteleimon Monastery on Athos was appointed. This was Archimandrite Macarius. Since that time, the Russian brethren of the monastery have especially grown and become active. The result of this process was the demand of most of the monks that the monastery receive official Russian leadership, like a number of other similar settlements on the peninsula.

In fact, the monastery came under Russian control to the Holy Synod only in the first years of the 20th century. But this was a direct contradiction to the monastery’s charter, which was adopted in 1924.

In fact, both the authorities of the Soviet Union and the Orthodox Church of the country itself continued to consider the Russian Panteleimon Monastery located on the Athos peninsula as their own, classifying it as a group of monasteries of the Russian Orthodox Church. But there was simply no documentary basis for this civil or church affiliation.

The Patriarchate of Constantinople, under the actual jurisdiction of which the monastery was located all these years, soon officially recalled its rights and announced a ban on offering tributes to the Patriarchate of Moscow within the framework of public services taking place on its territory.

Transfer of the monastery to Moscow jurisdiction

Meanwhile, the number of local inhabitants was constantly increasing. If at the beginning of the 20th century there were 1,446 monks here, then in 1913 this number exceeded 2,000. This greatly helped in protecting the monastery from regular fires, the largest of which occurred in 1307, as well as in 1968.

Throughout history, while the abbots of the Panteleimon Monastery on Mount Athos changed, his Russian brethren always came to his defense when necessary. Among the most famous, historians name Elder Silouan.

But over the years, the Patriarchate of Constantinople adhered to a policy aimed at the survival of the emerging Russian metochion of the St. Panteleimon Monastery on Athos. Moreover, Greece made every effort to limit the arrival of citizens of the Soviet Union on its territory. The consequences were not long in coming: at the end of the 20th century, the number of its inhabitants sharply decreased to 13 people.

Ultimately, the leadership of Constantinople officially recognized the plight of the monastery before the Moscow Patriarchate. When, in the absence of reinforcements from outside, the local elderly regularly died, a decision was made to transfer jurisdiction to Moscow. So this place became one of the Russian corners on the territory of Athos.

The All-Russian Patriarch first visited these holy places in 1972. At that time, the government of the country actively promoted the development of the monastery, so the current situation returned to normal over time.

"Renaissance" for the monastery

The Panteleimon Monastery received real active development only after the USSR state collapsed. This is actually confirmed by statistics: in 1981, the number of inhabitants here was only 22 people, but already in 1992 this figure increased to 40.

Since then, Russian church leadership has periodically visited the monastery. II, who headed the Russian Orthodox Church until 2008, visited here in 2002, and its current leader, Patriarch Kirill, visited here in 2013.

Among the country's top leaders, Vladimir Putin was the first to visit the territory of St. Panteleimon Monastery.

2011 was marked by the creation of a special fund and board of trustees for the Panteleimon Monastery on Athos. A corresponding proposal was made by D. Medvedev. This was necessary for the preservation and restoration of the spiritual and cultural population of the monastery. Today, this foundation is assigned missionary and publishing activities, work continues as part of the reconstruction of the monastery premises and the construction of new ones.

Today, there are more than 2,000 monks on the territory of Athos, representing various brethren. Of these, just over 70 belong to the Panteleimon Monastery. Each of them has Greek citizenship, which is given directly upon registration at the monastery.

Current state of the monastery

At the moment, the Panteleimon Monastery on Mount Athos is headed by Abbot Eulogius. He replaced Schema-Archimandrite Jeremiah, who had been the head here since 1979, in this post.

And today, just under eight dozen monks officially live on the territory of the monastery, mainly from Russia, there are also representatives of Belarus and Ukraine.

On the territory of the monastery there are one and a half dozen different churches - for Athos this is a huge number. On their territory there are many revered ancient relics, including the relics of several apostles and the icon of the Mother of God of Jerusalem, known for its miraculous effects.

Another local treasure is the monastery library. Its fund consists of 20 thousand printed publications from various times, as well as more than 1,300 manuscripts written in both Russian and Old Church Slavonic.

From the outside, the buildings here look like a small town. Above the small buildings here rise snow-white church domes, as well as buildings of several floors.

Previously, the archondarik of the monastery had a fairly spacious room, which, among other things, housed royal photographs. But after the largest fire that occurred in 1968 on the territory of the monastery, it was moved outside the monastery. Now it occupies an impressive structure near the seashore.

Now the Panteleimon Monastery has the status of a communal one. Of the several dozen monks, only one is Greek.

Premises of a modern monastery

Today, the complex of monastery buildings includes many rooms.

The largest among them are:

• Cathedral;
• refectory;
• several chapels;
• 4 exarthymas.

Construction of the local cathedral began in 1812, and the work was fully completed by 1821. This information is contained in the inscription that adorns the entrance to it. Its appearance is traditional - the building is similar to other monasteries operating on the territory of Athos. It was erected in honor of St. Panteleimon.

Pre-hewn rectangular stones were used for the walls of the building. Its roof is made up of eight separate domes, at the top of each of which there is a cross. Similar domes can be seen on each of the local chapels.

The interior of the cathedral was painted by Russian artists back in the 19th century. Every visitor can see beautiful frescoes along with a decorative iconostasis. Since 1875, after appropriate instructions, services in the monastery were held in parallel in two languages ​​- in Russian and Greek. This tradition is preserved today.

Another impressive structure, the refectory, is located opposite the entrance to this cathedral. This room is a rectangular building that occupies the central part of the monastery courtyard. It was also painted with frescoes almost a century and a half ago, shortly after the building itself was founded (1890). The hall itself has an impressive area - it can accommodate about 800 people at the same time.

The upper part of the facade is decorated with a belfry. There are many bells of various sizes collected here.

There are several small chapels on the territory of the monastery and nearby. The main ones are the chapel of St. Mitrofan near the library and the Assumption of the Virgin Mary next to the cathedral, as well as St. Dmitry, Vladimir and Olga, St. Alexander Nevsky and others. The monastery also owns five cells, and two of them are located in Karey.

Relics kept in the monastery

Today, the Panteleimon Monastery on Mount Athos houses about three hundred relics of various saints, along with many world-famous miraculous icons. Its main shrines are located in the cathedral. First of all, these are the icons of the Mother of God “Kazan”, “Jerusalem” and “Abbess of the Holy Mount Athos”.

Also stored here are mosaic icons and various items. Among other things, it is represented by crosses and medallions.

The famous thing in the monastery is the printed Gospel and the sacred chalice, which the monastery received as a gift in 1845 when Prince Konstantin Nikolaevich visited it.

The local library stores many riches and relics. A separate building two floors high is allocated for it. Of particular value are Slavic and Greek manuscripts, paper and parchment codices, along with printed publications, including ancient editions.

Founded at the beginning of the 10th century, the patronal feast is July 27/August 9, St. Panteleimon.
Hegumen: Archimandrite. Jeremiah. Tel. (30-377) 23252.

Panteleimon Monastery

The Monastery of St. Panteleimon or “Russian Monastery” or simply “Russik” (“Russian”) stands near a small bay behind the Xenophon Monastery and a short distance in front of Daphne, on the side of the Singitsky Gulf. The monastery is dedicated to Saint Panteleimon (feast day - July 27).

The location of the monastery in its current location, by the sea, is attested after 1765 and especially in the first decades of the 19th century. Previously, it was located where Paleomonastiro is now located, i.e. the old monastery of St. Panteleimon or the Thessalonian monastery, founded at the beginning of the 11th century. Then monks from Russia or Dalmatia arrived on Athos, who initially settled in the Xylurgov monastery. However, their numbers gradually increased, and the Holy Kinot, after appropriate petitions from Abbot Lawrence and the priest, ceded to them the Thessalonian monastery, which had been abandoned by that time. Subsequently, the Xylurgov monastery was transformed into the monastery of the Mother of God that still exists today.

Until the 13th century there is no information about the Painteleimon Monastery and its history. Perhaps the reason for this was a big fire, during which the monastery burned to the ground along with all its documents. Then, as is known, Andronikos II Palaiologos confirmed with his chrisovul the land holdings and rights of the monastery, and later many Serbian rulers provided the monastery with significant care and material assistance, who gave it, in particular, several farmsteads and various kinds of regalia.

Panteleimon Monastery

However, although the monastery is called Russian, its abbot in those days signed in Greek - evidence that at that time there were more Greeks than Russians among the monks here. This situation continued until 1497, after which Russians began to dominate here numerically, many of whom arrived here after the liberation of Russia from the Tatar-Mongol yoke.

In the Third Charter of the Holy Mountain (1394), the monastery of St. Panteleimon ranks fifth among the monasteries that existed at that time. However, after a short period of recovery, the monastery became so impoverished that it found itself in debt and was forced to pledge church utensils and vestments, as well as many of its land holdings. This situation continued until the middle of the 18th century, when the monastery gates were completely closed. According to traveler G. Barsky, during his first visit to the monastery he met four monks here - two Russians and two Bulgarians, and during the second he did not meet anyone at all. Thus, the Greeks settled in the monastery again, who decided to leave the old buildings and settle by the sea in the area where Bishop Christopher of Ieris built a small Church of the Resurrection in 1667. There they built a new monastery of St. Panteleimon with the help of the rulers of the Danube countries, in which they also sold their possessions.

Panteleimon Monastery

The construction of the current monastery, as mentioned above, dates back to the end of the 18th century and the first two decades of the 19th century. The main assistance was provided by the ruler of Moldovan Latvia, Scarlatus Callimachus, who built the monastery’s cathedral. Patriarch Kallinikos V made the monastery a cenobitic one in 1806 and gave it the name “Genuine Cenobius of Callimachides.”

However, with the outbreak of the National Liberation War of 1821, the monastery again fell into disrepair, and a little later it was embroiled in legal disputes over borders with the neighboring Xenophon Monastery. Finding itself in a truly pitiful state after all this, from 1840 the monastery again began to accept monks from Russia, who very soon increased in number and began to form the majority. Thus, as one would expect, in 1875, Russian monks, for the first time in the new period of the monastery’s history, elected an abbot from among themselves, and the monastery became completely Russian. By the end of the 19th century, the number of monks of the Panteleimon Monastery exceeded 1000, and many of their compatriots were in other parts of Athos.

The complex of buildings of the monastery resembles a small city with many multi-story buildings and high domes of churches. Until the last terrible fire (1968), the archontarik was located on one side of the monastery and had a spacious hall in which many photographs of the kings hung. After this, the archontarik is located outside the monastery in one of the large buildings near the sea, which were previously used for various needs, but are now closed.

Monastery Cathedral

Cathedral The monastery, as the inscription above the entrance to the lithium narthex says, began to be built in 1812 and completed in 1821. The cathedral is dedicated to Saint Panteleimon and resembles other Athonite cathedrals in its appearance. The walls of the cathedral are made of hewn rectangular stones, and 8 onion-like domes with characteristic crosses rise above the roof. The chapels of the monastery also have the same domes. The inside of the monastery was painted in the 19th century with frescoes made by Russian artists. The richly decorated iconostasis of the temple is also of Russian work. In accordance with the sigil of 1875, chants during the service are conducted in two languages ​​- Greek and Russian, which continues to this day.

Opposite the entrance to the cathedral is refectory The monastery is a separate rectangular building in the middle of the courtyard, founded in 1890 and painted with frescoes in 1897. This refectory is very large and spacious: it can serve about 800 people at a time.

Above the facade of the refectory rises a belfry, on which hangs many Russian bells of different sizes (one of them is unusually heavy and huge), and in front of the facade, to the left of the entrance, there is a bell that looks different from the others. vial Blessing of water

Panteleimon Monastery

In addition to the cathedral, there are a number of chapels on the territory of the monastery and beyond. On the territory of the monastery, these are primarily the chapel of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary in the rear part of the cathedral and St. Mitrophan to the west of the library: in the first of them the service is conducted in Greek, in the second in Russian. In the northern wing of the monastery there are the chapels of the Ascension, St. Stergius, St. Demetrius, Arkhangelsk, St. Gerasim, Saints Constantine and Helen, Russian Equal-to-the-Apostles Saints Vladimir and Olga and the chapel of St. Alexander Nevsky and Pokrovskaya, divided into two churches, with a richly decorated interior, many gold-trimmed portable ones icons and gilded iconostasis. On the south side, out of 8 chapels, two remained after the fire - St. Sava and St. Nicholas.

Outside the monastery, two chapels have been preserved - Saints Peter, Alexy, Jonah and Philip (all saints are Moscow metropolitans) in the cemetery and the Transfiguration chapel in the current archontarium. The monastery also has 5 cells - St. Euthymius, St. Unmercenary, Life-Giving Spring, St. Stephen and St. George. The last two of them are located in Kareya, with the cell of St. George being a representative office.

In addition, the monastery of St. Panteleimon also belongs to four exartimas - the monastery of Khromitsa or Khromitissa at the beginning of the peninsula, not far from Uranople (coenobitic with a few Russian monks), the monastery of the Xylurgi or Mother of God (coenobitic with only a few Bulgarian monks) in the area of ​​​​the Pantocrator Monastery, New Thebaid or Gurnoskite (an abandoned monastery on the southwestern side of Mount Athos) and Paleomonastiro (i.e. Old Monastery, currently closed).

Panteleimon Monastery

Among the treasures of the monastery, we should mention, first of all, many portable icons, including the Mother of God of Jerusalem, the Baptist, St. Panteleimon, a mosaic icon of St. Alexander Nevsky and a number of other icons, many church utensils, mainly Russian work, crosses, medallions, parts of the Life-Giving Tree of the Holy Cross , relics of saints, etc. In addition, the Intercession Chapel contains a wonderful sacred chalice and a precious printed Gospel - gifts from Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich, who visited the monastery in 1845.

The monastery is very rich library, located in a separate two-story building in the middle of the courtyard. About 1,320 Greek and 600 Slavic manuscripts are kept here, as well as many sheets of parchment and paper codices in envelopes. Of the many illustrated manuscripts, two stand out for the richness of their illustrations - the Gospel (No. 2) and the 16 Speeches of Gregory the Theologian (No. 6). In addition to the manuscript department, the library has more than 20,000 printed books in Greek and Russian, including very valuable old editions.

The Panteleimon Monastery has been a cenobitic monastery since 1803 and occupies nineteenth place in the hierarchical series of 20 Athonite monasteries. About 30 monks live here, of which only one is Greek.

Tradition.

Vmch. and healer Panteleimon

The holy great martyr and healer Panteleimon, especially revered in Russia, suffered for the faith of Christ, being beheaded by the sword. Tradition says that they tied him to an old olive tree to carry out his execution. The executioner's damask sword, however, became soft as wax and left no marks on the saint's neck. Seeing this, the soldiers refused to do what was indicated to them, but Saint Panteleimon ordered them to carry out the king’s order. When the head of the young saint of God rolled on the ground, everyone saw that instead of blood, milk was flowing from the wound. But this was only the beginning of miracles! The milky-white liquid was absorbed into the ground under the old dry olive tree, and everyone who was at the place of execution, not believing their eyes at first, saw beautiful ripe olives on it. It soon became clear that they were miraculous - those who ate the olive received healing from any disease right in front of the amazed people.

Then the wicked emperor Maximian ordered the olive tree to be cut down and burned - both it and the body of the saint. The olive burned, but the fire did not even touch the body. Soon the old root sprang up, and it was like a symbol of death and resurrection...

And a hundred years ago, a certain Russian monk took a seed from the fruit of a “resurrected” olive and planted it in the St. Panteleimon Monastery. The olive tree has grown, now an unquenchable lamp burns on it in a tin box, and the inhabitants of the monastery carefully look after it.
There is a legend that if this tree begins to dry out, it will mean the approach of an era of extinction for the entire Holy Mountain.

In contact with

Many Russian pilgrims use the St. Panteleimon Monastery as a base from which they travel to various places on the Holy Mountain. However, you should be prepared for the fact that, in accordance with Russian tradition, you will be asked to work for the benefit of the monastery.

In the East we have a very important point of support, created by our history itself or by the people, in addition to any direct participation of our authorities: Athos.

One of its meanings is purely ecclesiastical, Orthodox, considered without any relation to the nationality of the monks inhabiting it; if there were no Russians on Athos at all, if their number and influence did not increase every year, then Athos, as a Holy Place of Orthodoxy, would be important for us, as one of the main points of support for Orthodox policy in the East.

Konstantin Leontiev, Russian philosopher of the 19th century.

The first Russian monks appeared on Mount Athos during the time of Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duke Vladimir. It was on the Holy Mountain that the founder of Russian monasticism, the Monk Anthony of Pechersk, took monastic vows.

Monks from Russia labored in many Athonite monasteries, and there were hermits among them. Gradually, many Russian monks settled in the monastery of the Mother of God Xylurgu, located at a considerable (about 8 km) distance from modern Rusik. In 1169, Protat transferred to the brethren Xylurgu, due to its large number (the monastery, like many monasteries of that time, was of a mixed nature: Russians, Greeks and representatives of other nations lived in it), another monastery, which became known as Nagorny, or later - Old Rusik. Another name of it is the Thessalonian monastery (apparently, it is associated with the first founder of the monastery, a certain Thessalonian). Here the great Serbian Saint Sava took monastic vows.

The tall pyrgi (towers) of Old Russik on the southern and eastern sides defend themselves only with stone walls from the centuries-old shocks of time, appearing in gigantic form above the dead silence of the desert and above the undisturbed sleep of its humble inhabitants who have long since fallen asleep in Bose. The wooden work in the piers has decayed. The area of ​​the old Russian monastery

extremely quiet and fascinating with the serenity and severity of hermitage. The mountain forest hides the monastery on all sides, and only from the northwestern side does an amazing view of the sky-high heights of distant Olympus and the playing waves of Monte Santo open up. The noisy spring, coming out of the neighboring mountain and making its way through the stones and a picturesque clearing, easily and quickly covers the monastery from the north and not far from it, carried away into the wilds, lost in its low-lying bushes. On the southeastern tower of the monastery, the small temple of the Forerunner of the Lord has not yet crumbled to this day. A century-old wooden cross overshadows this orphaned shrine.

Hieromonk Sergius (Vesnin)

The Serbian Župan Stefan Uroš, the Byzantine emperors Andronikos II, John VII and Manuel II Palaiologos and the Wallachian rulers, the Greeks Gregory and Scarlatus Callimachi, greatly benefited the monastery. The eighteenth century was especially difficult for Russian monasticism, both because of the wars that Russia waged with Turkey, and because of the internal policies of Peter I and his immediate heirs. By the end of this century, the brethren were greatly reduced in number and moved to a new monastery on the seashore (its construction began in 1765). Greeks and Russian monks jointly began the construction of new monastery buildings. In 1803 the monastery became a dormitory, and in 1812 construction of the cathedral church began. The benefactor of the monastery, Scarlat Kalimakh, suffered martyrdom from the Turks along with Patriarch Gregory V. The revival of the monastery was suspended for several years. A new page in the life of the monastery opened with the growing number of Russian monks. This process began in 1840 and by 1895 the number of brethren of the Panteleimon Monastery reached a thousand people. In 1875, an abbot of Russian nationality was elected, and services began to be performed not only in Greek, but also in Russian. The names of the famous elders Arseny (Minin), Aristoklius and Kirik are associated with the name of the monastery.

The latter, having gone to the Panteleimon Monastery as a young man, was sent a few years later to the Athos courtyard in Moscow, where he participated in the publication of books by St. Theophan the Recluse. Later, the elder was appointed rector of the Athos metochion in Odessa. Here he found a wide circle of spiritual children “from the mayor to the merchant women.” Returning to the Holy Mountain, he entered into the fight against the heresy of name-glorification. After the October Revolution, Father Kirik remained in the St. Panteleimon Monastery, where he was the confessor of the brethren.

The elder was an experienced practitioner of heartfelt prayer and taught his spiritual children not with words, but first of all with the example of his ascetic life. Father Kirik often reminded that when standing for prayer, one must remember that God looks at the one praying; not on the garments of the garment, but on the secret heart of a person (see: 1 Pet. 3, 4).

The architectural appearance of the Russian St. Panteleimon Monastery is very different from the Greek monasteries traditional for Athos; The fact that it was rebuilt in the 19th century, when it was no longer necessary to erect fortifications to protect against pirate raids, also played a role in this. The internal structure of the monastery churches is also very reminiscent of Russia; only, perhaps, the refectory (built in 1890, and painted in 1897) and the Church of the Great Martyr. Panteleimon are decorated in the usual style for the Holy Mountain. In total, the monastery has 25 paraclises, including: the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Alexander Nevsky (accommodates 2000 people), the Great Martyr. Demetrius, St. Sergius, Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Mitrofan of Voronezh, app. Peter and Paul, Metropolitans of Moscow Peter, Alexy, Ionna, Philip, Archangels, Seraphim of Sarov and Theodosius of Chernigov, St. Evvula, mother of the Great Martyr. Panteleimon and the Transfiguration of the Lord. The main cathedral church of the monastery was built at the beginning of the 19th century. and painted in the traditions of the Russian icon painting school.

On the high and powerful bell tower of the monastery there is a bell weighing 818 pounds and 10 pounds, i.e. more than 13 tons. It was cast in Moscow at the factory of the honorary hereditary citizen Andrei Dmitrievich Samgin by master Joachim Vorobyovsky and brought to Athos in May 1894. When this bell is rung, the ringing can be heard on the opposite shore of the Sighiti Bay.

The twentieth century became a period of difficult trials for the monastery of St. Panteleimon. The October Revolution of 1917 made contacts between the Holy Mountain and the Russian Church impossible.

By 1959, the Russian monastery had fallen into complete decline, only 50 people remained in it, the youngest of whom was 54 years old, and most of the monks were ancient elders.

In 1959, a fire occurred in the Panteleimon Monastery, as a result of which the library was severely damaged. The number of brethren continued to decrease. Enormous damage to the monastery was caused by a devastating fire on October 23, 1968, when the entire eastern part of the monastery with six churches burned down, hotels and cells burned down.

In 1972, Patriarch Pimen of Moscow and All Rus' visited the Holy Mountain - this was the first visit to Athos by the Moscow Patriarch. In August 1974, two of the six candidates proposed by the Russian Church were given permission to settle on the Holy Mountain, but only one of them - the current abbot of the Panteleimon Monastery, Archimandrite Jeremiah - arrived on Athos the following year. In the summer of 1976, first four monks from the Pskov-Pechersk Monastery arrived at the Holy Mountain, then nine more monks. By that time, there were 13 inhabitants left in the Panteleimon Monastery.

From that time on, pilgrimage trips of delegations of the Russian Church began to take place annually on Easter, and then on the feast of the Great Martyr Panteleimon. In May 1978, to the monastery of St. Five monks arrived at Panteleimon.

On April 16, 1985, the Kinonot of the Holy Mountain, at an emergency meeting, accepted an appeal to the Greek Foreign Ministry with a request to allow six Russian, as well as Bulgarian and Romanian monks to enter Athos.

In March 1987, to the monastery of St. Seven monks arrived at Panteleimon, including the current confessor of the monastery, Hieromonk Macarius, and the representative of the monastery in Kinot, Hieromonk Kirion. This group was followed by others, and by the time of the visit of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus' to the Holy Mountain (June 1992), the brethren numbered 40 people.

Currently, seventy monks from Ukraine, Russia and Belarus are working in the monastery of St. Panteleimon.

The monastery contains: the chapters of the Great Martyr. Panteleimon and etc. Silouan of Athos, particles of the relics of the Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John, app. Alpheus, Timothy, James, Peter, Andrew, Luke, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew and Barnabas, First Hour. archdeacon Stephen, St. Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom, St. Cyril of Jerusalem, sschmch. Dionysius the Areopagite, St. Stefan Novy, VMC. Marina, mchch. Tryphon and Paraskeva, St. bessrr. Cosmas and Damian, St. Isaac of Dalmatia, right. Joseph the Betrothed and other saints. In the Church of the Intercession of the Virgin Mary there are miraculous copies of the “Kazan” and “Jerusalem” icons of the Mother of God. There are many other revered icons in the monastery. In particular, the ancient icon of St. Great Martyr Panteleimon, the image of John the Baptist and the mosaic icon of St. Alexander Nevsky. The paraclis of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos contains valuable printed Gospels and the Holy Chalice, presented to Russik by Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich in 1845.

The richest library of the monastery contains 1,320 Greek and 600 Slavic manuscript codexes and over 25,000 volumes of printed books.

The monastery is subordinate to several cells, including St. Euthymius, the Holy Unmercenaries, the Life-Giving Source, St. Stephen and St. George (the last two are located near Kareya, the first is notable for its unique frescoes and was recently restored, and the second houses the monastery’s representative office).

The monastery owns a monastery in Khromitsa (Chromitissa) at the beginning of the Athos peninsula near Ouranoupolis, a monastery in Xylourgou (the Greeks call it “Theotokos”), the New Thebaid monastery and (also known as “Palaeomonastiro”).

The Russian monastery is inextricably linked with the name of St. Silouan of Athos. This great modern ascetic is widely known, not only in Greece and Russia, but throughout the Orthodox world.

Saint Silouan is especially revered on the Holy Mountain; until recently on Mount Athos one could meet monks who were personally acquainted with him.

Semyon Ivanovich Antonov - the future elder Siluan - was born in 1866 into a simple peasant family in the Tambov province. He came to Athos in 1892, in 1896 he was tonsured into the mantle, and in 1911 into the schema.

“I brought some sins to the monastery,” he later recalled of his arrival at the Holy Mountain. The entire subsequent life of the Monk Silouan was devoted to daily spiritual struggle and the desire to acquire Divine grace. “All your life you have to cry about your sins - this is the way of the Lord,” the saint wrote, “and this is genuine Orthodox spirituality, in contrast to all other “raising to heaven” teachings that feed human pride.

In his notes, the Saint talks about the appearances of the Lord and the Most Holy Theotokos to him. The elder constantly recalled the appearance of the Savior and wrote about the feeling that settled in his soul: “The Lord loves us so much that we ourselves cannot love so much..” “And if people, through the Holy Spirit, knew what our Lord is like, then everything would changed: the rich would despise their wealth, scientists would despise their sciences, and rulers would despise their glory and power, and everyone would humble themselves, and live in earthly peace and love, and there would be great joy on earth.”

An Orthodox foreigner stayed for a long time at the Panteleimon Monastery, on whom his meeting with Elder Silouan made an indelible impression. He fell in love with the ascetic and often went to see him; The monks found out about this. Once one of the most influential cathedral elders, Hieromonk N., a well-read man, met him in the corridors of the monastery and said: “I don’t understand why you, learned academicians, go to Father Silouan, an illiterate man? Isn’t there anyone smarter than him?” “To understand Father Silouan, you have to be an academician,” the guest of the monastery answered him.

The same hieromonk N., still not understanding why Elder Silouan is revered and visited by “learned” people, while talking with Father Methodius, a monk who had been in charge of the monastery’s bookstore for many years, remarked: “I’m surprised why they go to him. He probably doesn’t read anything.”

“He doesn’t read anything, but does everything, while others read a lot, but do nothing,” answered Father Methodius.

The elder’s soul grieved at what was happening in Russia and throughout the world. He offered prayers for humanity with tears every day to the Lord for decades.

The Monk Silouan died on September 11 (24), 1938. After the blessed death of the elder, letters began to arrive at the Panteleimon Monastery testifying to his intercession for those who turned to him in prayer, and after the publication of the elder Sophrony Sakharov’s book “Elder Silouan. Life and Teachings” the question of canonization was raised, which took place in 1978 in the Patriarchate of Constantinople. In 1992, St. Silouan was included in the monthly calendar of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Royal archondarik of the monastery

Unique photo, one of a kind. Royal archondarik of the monastery. According to one version, it burned down in a fire, and according to another version, during robbery and arson, the monastery was burned down in 1968. It is not yet possible to establish the historical truth. Not a single photograph has survived except the one shown above.

Basic at the beginning of the tenth century, patronal feast day July 27/August 9, in St.'s day Panteleimon.

Hegumen: Archimandrite. Jeremiah.

Tel. (30-377) 23252.

Story

The original Russian monastic settlement on Mount Athos already existed in the 11th century and was recognized as a separate monastery in 1169 (monastery of the Thessalonian).

During the Mongol-Tatar yoke in Rus', most of the monks were Greeks and Serbs.

At the end of the 15th-16th century, the monastery was inhabited mainly by Serbs, which is evidenced by documents of correspondence between the monastery administration and the Moscow authorities of that time.

In the 18th century, the monastery reached such a disastrous state that in 1726, according to the testimony of Vasily Grigorovich-Barsky (“the first visit to Mount Athos”), only two Russian and two Bulgarian monks remained in it under the Bulgarian abbot. In 1735 the monastery was declared Greek.

The monastery enjoyed the patronage of the Russian imperial family and in the second half of the 19th century it grew quite large and was upset...

(Photo from personal collection. Published for the first time)

Around 1770, the Greek monks of the Panteleimon Monastery moved to the coastal cell that belonged to the monastery in honor of the Resurrection of Christ, where at the beginning of the 19th century the monastery was rebuilt by the ruler of Wallachia, Scarlatus Callimachi; and Old Rossik remained to act as a monastery.

Russian pilgrim-pedestrian Vasily (Grigorovich-Barsky) visited Iver in 1744. Wanderer This is how he described what he saw:

After the restoration of normal life on Mount Athos (with the end of the Turkish military occupation) in 1830, after the Peace of Adrianople, the monastery did not receive its former estates back, since they were transferred to other monasteries for debts; Protat even wanted to exclude the monastery from the list of monasteries, but such a decision was rejected by Ecumenical Patriarch Constantine I.

The Russian presence in the monastery began to revive with the arrival of Hieromonk Anikita (Prince S. Shirinsky-Shikhmatov) and Hieromonk Jerome (merchant son Ivan Solomentsov; † 1885) in the 1830s. Since 1821, the abbot was the Greek Gerasim, who favored the Russian presence.

(Photo from personal collection. Published for the first time)

The monastery enjoyed the patronage of the Russian imperial family and in the second half of the 19th century it grew quite large and fell into disarray. The significant increase in the number of inhabitants from Russia caused friction and conflict; Russian inhabitants wanted official recognition of Russian jurisdiction over the monastery, as well as other Russian settlements on Athos. (along with Ottoman citizenship), a practice which was expressly prohibited by the Statute of the Holy Mountain, adopted in 1924. Although after the Second World War the Moscow Patriarchate (ROC) and the USSR authorities listed the Panteleimon Monastery among the monasteries of the Russian Orthodox Church, there were no ecclesiastical or civil legal grounds for this. In the late 1980s, the inhabitants of the monastery were directly instructed by the Ecumenical Patriarchate that it was inadmissible to raise the name of the Moscow Patriarch at public worship.

By the end of the 19th century it became the largest monastery on the Holy Mountain in terms of area and number of brethren. By 1903 there were 1,446 monks there, and by 1913 there were more than 2,000. Rossicon suffered from fires many times, most famously in 1307, when the monastery was burned by Catalan pirates, and in 1968.

History is silent about who set fire to the monastery in 1968... Maybe Catalan pirates?

(Photo from personal collection. Published for the first time)

Tradition

www.site...

One day, on the eve of the first of October, when the all-night vigil is celebrated in honor of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, Father Anfim came to the monastery of St. Panteleimon, barely alive. Having met the brother known to us, he told him the following: “That night I was near the Zograf monastery, in the desert, and prayed, standing on a stone.

During prayer, I saw how the Mother of God descended from Heaven, heading to your monastery. Seeing this, I rejoiced and hurried here to find Her here and so that She would cover me, a sinner, with Her omophorion, along with the slaves glorifying Her. But as soon as I set off, a snake appeared out of nowhere, rushed at me and bit me hard in the leg. I realized that this was simply an obstacle inflicted on me by a misanthrope out of envy, and I did not attach any significance to the bite, but hastened to come to your monastery.”

Particularly revered icons

Icon of the Mother of God of Jerusalem

The miraculous icon of the Mother of God is located above the royal doors of the Intercession Cathedral.

Icon of the Great Martyr Panteleimon

An ancient mosaic icon, it was previously located in the mountain monastery of Thessalonians, on the site of which today is the “Paliomonastyrio” (Ancient Monastery). Today the icon is in the Intercession Cathedral. Saint Panteleimon is depicted in full height, holding medical instruments in his right hand. The convoy around the perimeter of the icon depicts the life of the saint.

More details about the history of the monastery:

Legend 1 version

In its current location by the sea, the monastery appeared donkey 1765 g. Before that, it was located in a different place, further from the coast - now the so-called “ old", "Mountain Russik", or "Thessalonian monastery", founded at the beginning of the 11th century. AND It was then that the first Russian monks came to the Holy Mountain; They initially settled in the Xylurgu monastery. Quite quickly it was filled with immigrants from Rus', so it soon became crowded here. Therefore, the Holy Kinot, at the request of Abbot Lawrence, handed over to the monks the Thessalonian monastery, which was empty by that time; the monastery of Xylurgu was transformed into a monastery and remains so to the present day.

Sources about the history of Russik until the 13th century. almost not preserved due to a fire that completely destroyed the entire monastery along with the archives and library. However, it is known that Emperor Andronikos II Palaiologos approved the property rights of the monastery with his chrysobul; later, many Serbian krali also took care of it, supporting the monastery with generous donations and giving it a number of farmsteads.

During the time of the Mongol yoke in Rus', the majority of the inhabitants of Russik were Greeks; The hegumen's signature on all documents of that era is written in Greek. However after 1497, a massive influx of Russian monks to the Holy Mountain began.

In the 3rd Charter (1394) Panteleimon Monastery is listed as fifth in the order of the hierarchy of Athonite monasteries. However, after a short period of prosperity, the monastery became poor and fell into debt. Then he loses a number of his possessions. By the middle of the 18th century. Russik's gates closed. As Grigorovich-Barsky writes, on his first visit to the Holy Mountain he found only four monks in the monastery - two Russians and two Bulgarians, and the second time - no one... So the monastery again fell into the hands of the Greeks. The Greek brethren decided to move closer to the sea, where in 1667 Bishop Christopher of Ierisson built a small temple consecrated in honor of the Ascension of the Lord. There, with the help of the rulers of the Balkan and Danube principalities, the current Panteleimon Monastery was built.

Particularly generous donations were made in the first quarter of the last century by the ruler of Moldo-Wallachia, Scarlatus Callimachus (it was with his funds that the cathedral church was erected). In 1806, Patriarch Kallinikos V, by his decree, approved the cenobitic charter in the monastery.

During the years of the Greek uprising, Russik, like most of the Athos monasteries, again fell into disrepair; Long-term litigation began with the Xenophon Monastery on the issue of borders. The monastery was in dire straits when, in 1840, Russian inhabitants began to appear in it again. Soon they, as before, made up the majority of the brethren. In 1875, for the first time after many years, a Russian abbot was elected, and Russik truly became a Russian monastery. By the end of the last century, more than 1000 monks lived in the Panteleimon Monastery alone (to be fair, it should be said that among them there were both Greeks and southern Slavs); many Russians lived in other monasteries, monasteries and cells of the Holy Mountain...

The architectural ensemble of the monastery with its numerous multi-story buildings and high domes of churches gives the impression of a small city. However, a severe fire in 1968 caused significant damage to the monastery.

Cathedral Church The monastery, as the inscription above the entrance to the narthex says, was built in 1812-1821. In its general plan it is similar to the cathedrals of other Svyatogorsk monasteries. Its walls are made of rectangular polished stone slabs; There are crosses erected on eight domes, and on the main one - traditional for Russia - eight-pointed. Temple paintings were also made in the last century. The richly decorated iconostasis was made by Russian craftsmen. According to the rule adopted in 1875, services in this temple are performed in two languages ​​- Greek and Slavic.

Opposite the entrance to the cathedral is the refectory, built in 1890 and painted in 1897; it can accommodate up to 800 people. Above the refectory rises a bell tower, where there are many Russian bells, famous throughout Athos, and opposite the bell tower, to the left of the entrance, is a holy bowl.

In Russika, in addition to the cathedral, there are other churches. TO a chapel of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary was added to the cathedral(services here are performed in Greek); to the west of the library is x Ram St. Mitrofan of Voronezh(here, as in other churches, they serve in Slavic). In the northern part of the monastery there are temples, as well as paraklis temples: in honor of the Ascension of the Lord, St. Sergius, martyr. Demetrius, Archangel Michael, St. Gerasima, St. Constantine and Helena, Equal App. knn. Vladimir and Olga, as well as the Church of the Intercession with the chapel of the Holy Blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky, richly decorated with icons in golden vestments and a gilded iconostasis. Unfortunately, after a devastating fire, of the eight churches located in the southern part of the monastery, only two survived: St. Savva and St. Nicholas.

Behind the walls of the monastery there are two temples: Saints of Moscow at the cemetery and the Transfiguration of the Lord in the hotel. The monastery owns 5 cells: St. Euphemia, St. Cosmas and Damian, the Life-Giving Source, first hour. Stefan and martyr. George (the last two are located in Kareya; in the cell of the Great Martyr George there is a representative office of the monastery at Kinot).

In addition, Russik owns Khromitsa (or Khromitissa) courtyard not far from Uranoupolis - several Russian monks live there, monastery of Xylurgu or, as it is called on Athos, “Theotokos”, not far from the Pantokrator monastery, deserted monastery "New Thebaid" in the southwest of the Holy Mountain and Old Russian.

The monastery contains the relics of many saints: the head of St. Vmch. Panteleimon, who in 1996 was brought to Moscow for worship (this was also the case in July-August 2000, when the honorable head visited Ukraine, St. Petersburg and some Moscow and Moscow region monasteries and churches, and before returning to Athos - to Church of Christ the Savior - A.V.), particles of the Holy Cross, as well as many icons, vestments, crosses, etc. In the Church of the Intercession there is a Holy Chalice of skillful work and a Gospel in a rich setting - gifts from Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich, who visited the monastery in 1845

The monastery library is rich, located in a separate two-story building. It contains about 1320 Greek and 600 Slavic manuscripts. Of particular note are the richly decorated miniatures of the Gospel and the 16 Words of St. Gregory the Theologian. In addition, the library has more than 20,000 printed Greek, Slavic and Russian books.

Now the Panteleimon Monastery occupies 19th place in the hierarchy of Svyatogorsk monasteries; the brethren number more than 50 monks, almost all of them are from Russia.

Miracle-working icons: Icon of the Mother of God, called “Jerusalem”,over the royal doors; icon of St. Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John; ancient icon of St. Great Martyr and Healer Panteleimon and an icon of St. Hieromartyr Charalampios.

Third great one here x frame in the name of St. Mitrophan of Voronezh miracle worker; then the paraklis, or smaller temple of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

In addition to these temples, there are also paraklis:

1) Ascension of the Lord;

2) Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary;

3) Introduction to the Temple of the Mother of God;

4) St. Archangels;

5) Dormition of the head of St. John the Baptist;

6) St. Godfather of Joachim and Anna and St. Joseph the betrothed;

7) St. Hieromartyr Charalampios;

8) St. Nicholas the Wonderworker;

9) St. great martyr Demetrius of Thessalonica;

10) St. Konstantin and Elena;

11) St. Savva the Sanctified;

12) St. Grand Dukes - Equal to the Apostles Vladimir and Alexander Nevsky;

13) St. Sergei of Radonezh, the Wonderworker;

14) Teacher Gerasim of Jordan and Jerome of Stridon;

15) in honor of all the Saints of Athos (at the fraternal hospital).

Near the monastery there is the so-called g a tomb, with a church in the name of the Apostles Peter and Paul, where the brothers who are migrating from this temporary life to the eternal rest rest. Not far from it is the Church of St. Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian. Nearby, in a new large building, is the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord, where sick monks and hermits and lay people receive healing. There are also two more paraclises: the Mother of God “Quick to Hear” and St. John Chrysostom and Macarius the Great. Recently, two churches in one building have been built and consecrated; in the name of Saints Peter, Alexy, Jonah and Philip and in the name of St. Archangel Raphael.

Outside the monastery, there are 36 churches in different places of the monastery land, hermitages, metochs and hermit cells.

Legend 2 version

(more detailed)

According to an old Russian legend, especially widespread in the 16th century, the monastery was founded by Saint Vladimir, Equal-to-the-Apostles, after the adoption of Christianity in Rus' (998).

After a century of stay in Monastery of the Blessed Virgin Mary Xylurgu Russian monks moved to the Thessalonian monastery, which is on the old road connecting Karyes with the current monastery. The transfer of the monastery to a new location was obviously associated with the growing number of monastic brethren: at this time dozens of monks from Russia arrived on Athos. This fact forced the abbot of the monastery, Lawrence, in 1169 to ask for assistance from the Holy Kinot. The governing body of Athos, after long meetings, decided to move the Russian monastery to the Thessalonian monastery, which by that time had been abandoned by Greek monks. At the same time, Russian monks were also allocated cells in the capital of Athos - Karyes. As for the previous location of the monastery - Xylurgu - it did not remain abandoned; a monastery dedicated to the Most Holy Theotokos was built there.

The first monastery, as we noted, was dedicated to the Most Holy Theotokos. The monastery of “Thessalonian” is to St. Panteleimon, as can be seen from Lawrence’s signatures on church documents: “abbot of St. Panteleimon the Thessalonian.” In a new place, on a beautiful hill, surrounded by virgin nature, the brotherhood of the Russian monastery was located for 700 years.

The history of the Russian monastery, like all other monasteries of Athos, is connected with the constant struggle of the monks against foreign invaders. The situation was complicated by the difficult financial situation of the monastery and the constant threat of fires to the Athonite monasteries. It was precisely because of a severe fire in the 13th century, which destroyed not only property, but also all documents, that little information has been preserved about the early period of the monastery’s activity. Monastic acts of later times indicate that the monastery managed to heal its wounds not only thanks to the Byzantine emperor Andronikos II Palaiologos. With a special golden bull, he confirmed the rights of the monastery, allocated large material assistance for its needs and assigned old and new possessions to it.

In the 13th century, the ties of the Russian monastery with Russia, suffering from the Mongol-Tatar invasion, were interrupted for a long time. At times, it was possible to export here, saving from destruction, precious relics of Russian culture: icons, manuscripts, church utensils.

According to Russian journalist V. Malyshev, Russian peasants fled to Athos to escape the oppression of the landowners. It was a kind of Cossacks dressed in monastic robes. Rolling up the sleeves of their cassocks, they erected log cells, built monasteries, cathedrals and monastery walls from stone, laid out gardens and planted vegetable gardens on soil brought in bags from Russia.

At this time, the monastic brotherhood of the monastery was not replenished from Russia and mostly consisted of Greeks. This is confirmed by monastic acts of the XIV-XV centuries, on which the abbot of the monastery always signs in Greek. The situation continues until 1497, when, having healed their wounds from the heavy foreign yoke, Russian monks again begin to arrive on Athos.

Let's go back a little, however. In 1307, according to Archbishop Daniel, Catalan pirates burned the monastery “like wild animals,” leaving only the tower intact.

But life doesn't stop there. Without receiving help from Russia, the monastery was treated kindly by the Serbian kings. Stefan Dusan, after expanding the borders of his state and capturing Northern Greece, visited the Holy Mountain in 1345. His attention is drawn to the Thessalonian monastery (by that time Russian), where his ancestor, St. Savva, was tonsured. The acts stored in the monastery indicate that Stefan Dusan provided generous economic assistance to the Russian monastery and appointed the Serbian theologian Isaiah as abbot of the monastery.

Having strengthened financially, the Russian monastery began to expand and strengthen its borders. In 1422, in the town of Kaliagra, a small pier and warehouse were built to receive cargo addressed to the monastery. The reliability of the monastery’s defensive structures built during this period is evidenced by the agreement concluded between “St. Panteleimon" and the Greek monastery of Rila. According to the agreement of 1466, some very valuable objects and church utensils of the Greek monastery were transferred to the Russian monastery for storage.

Of the Byzantine emperors, the monastery was supported by John V (1341-1376) and Manuel II (1391-1425), as well as Helen Palaiologos in 1407. The Serbian and Russian tsars did not stand aside. In 1509, the Serbian princess Angelina, who later became a nun, asked Grand Duke Vasily III to become the patron of the Russian monastery. In her address, she noted: “... all other monasteries have their own ktitors, but this one awaits your mercy.” The appeal of the one-time Serbian princess could not but find a response from Vasily III, in whose veins Greek blood flowed. His mother Sophia, the wife of Ivan III, was a representative of the last Byzantine dynasty of the Palaiologos. So the great Russian prince becomes the official guardian and patron of the Russian monastery.

At the end of the 16th century, Russian Patriarch Job (1591) and Grand Duke Fyodor Ivanovich (1592) allowed the collection of donations in Russia in favor of the monastery.

Among the Romanians, the monastery was patronized by the governors John Vlad (1487) and John Radu, who allocated large annual assistance to it.

The period of Turkish rule subjected the Russian monastery to serious trials, sometimes the monastery was completely abandoned. In 1574-84. The monks were forced to leave the monastery and the aid in the amount of 500 rubles sent by Ivan the Terrible did not find a recipient. The Great Russian Prince took upon himself the care not only of the Russian monasteries, but also of all the Athonite monasteries. It was concern for the fragment of the Byzantine Empire, the inheritance of which he claimed.

But in subsequent years the situation did not change for the better. In a letter from Ecumenical Patriarch Kirill I Lucaris (1620), it is noted that “... the monastery is in a difficult situation, debts are growing and for this reason the monks are put in prison. The church and walls surrounding the monastery have been destroyed. Fathers are deprived of even the most necessary things.” All of the above forced the Holy Kinot to take the Russian monastery under its guardianship at the end of the 17th century.

Positive changes began to emerge in 1708, when the Wallachian ruler Mikhail Rogovich transferred the Ntoshana monastery located in Wallachia to the Russian monastery. However, very soon, in 1730, the generous gesture of the Wallachian ruler was nullified: the Ntoshany monastery was captured by the Turks, and its church was turned into a minaret.

The growing contradictions between Russia and Turkey at the beginning of the 18th century had negative consequences for the Russian monastery on Mount Athos. The Turkish authorities began in every possible way to prevent Russian monks from accessing the Holy Mountain, which led to the decline of the Russian monastery. The famous Russian monk-traveler Vasily Barsky, who visited the monastery of St. Panteleimon in 1744, notes that “... the monastery only has a Russian name; Greek, Serbian and Bulgarian monks work in the monastery.” V. Barsky also mentions that “the monastery is very poor, badly destroyed and adheres to an idiorhythmic structure.”

The Russian monastery was saved from complete destruction by the Moldavian ruler John Callimachus (1758-1761). He gives her one of the chapels of his palace - Bogdan Serai, as well as the monastery of John the Baptist. Thanks to John Callimachus, restoration work is taking place in the Russian monastery, which is continued by his successor Scarlatus Callimachus (1773-1821) until the start of the Greek national liberation revolution of 1821. The help of this Greek family, originating from the Phanar quarter of Constantinople, was so significant that it prompted the Ecumenical Patriarch Kallinikos, by a special decree (1806), to rename the Russian monastery of St. Panteleimon to Callimahidon (monastery of Callimachos).

All this, however, was preceded by the transfer of the Russian brotherhood from the “Thessalonian” monastery to the third center, to the coastal zone, where today the current monastery “St. Panteleimon."

Regarding the second center of the Russian monastery (“Thessalonian”), we note that it receives the name “Old Russik” and subsequently becomes dependent on the monastery of St. Panteleimon.

The Russian monastery dates back to 1760 in its new location. It was founded where, at the end of the 17th century, the monk Christopher built a cell, a small church and a pier (arsana).

Monastery "St. Panteleimon” in the first years of its foundation adhered to an idiorhythmic structure, but in 1803, by a special charter of the Ecumenical Patriarch Callinicus, it was declared a cinnamon. Patriarch Kallinikos, foreseeing the future prosperity of the Russian monastery, decisively rejected the proposal of the Holy Kinot to abolish the Russian monastery and transfer its estates to other monasteries for unpaid debts. He motivated his opinion by the fact that “it would be indecent and impolitic to abolish the Russian Athos monastery at a time when Russia, through its last wars with Turkey, acquired such a decisive influence on the fate of Eastern Christians.”

The first abbot of the monastery of St. Panteleimon was Savva of Peloponnisa, a Greek by birth, who had previously labored in the monastery of Xenophon.

Thanks to his tireless energy, he was able to achieve not only the expansion of the monastery, but also the improvement of its financial situation. In this difficult field, Abbot Savva was supported by another circumstance. Dragoman (translator) of the Turkish Sultan Mahmud II (1785-1839) Scarlatus Callimachus was bedridden by a serious illness and in despair turned to the healing power of the Great Martyr St. Panteleimon. He invited Abbot Savva to Constantinople with a request to take with him the miraculous relics of the saint. After joining them, his health improved sharply, and he was appointed by the Sultan to replace the ruler of Wallachia (1809-1819).

The grateful Phanariot does not forget his healer and begins to finance the construction of new monastery buildings. For this purpose, he sends the chief engineer of the Turkish Sultan, a Christian by religion, to the Russian monastery. Thanks to the efforts of Scarlatus Callimachus, many buildings were built here (chapels, cells, a hotel, a hospital) and, first of all, the cathedral church of the monastery. The end of the Greek philanthropist's life was tragic: an angry Turkish crowd hanged him along with Ecumenical Patriarch Gregory V in 1821.

The miraculous relics of St. Panteleimon had visited Constantinople before, in 1744, where the plague was raging that year. It claimed hundreds of lives of city residents, and, of course, not only Christians.

Then the authorities and residents of the city turned to the monastery “St. Panteleimon." And that time the Holy Healer showed his power - the residents of the city were saved from mortal danger.

In the same year, the Moldavian ruler John Nikolaou made a similar request to the monastery, when the plague epidemic was raging in Moldova. After performing the miracle and healing the sick, the ruler of Moldavia appointed an annual allowance to the monastery, which was sent to Athos even after his death.

The end of the Greek revolution of 1821 allowed the Russian monastery (like others on Athos) to maintain relative independence - the Turks only imposed taxes on it. Let us note that the Holy Mountain contributed over 800 Turkish liras annually to the Turkish treasury. The tax was distributed among all monasteries according to the size of their brotherhood.

During this period, Gerasim, a Greek from the city of Drama, whose candidacy was indicated by Abbot Savva during his lifetime, became the abbot of the monastery. During his abbess, great changes took place in the monastery, and after almost a century-long break, Russian monks appeared in the monastery.

The first Russian monks arrive here in 1835. Among them were many prominent people of Russia at that time, including Prince Shirinsky-Shikhmatov. Hieromonk Anikita (the name of the prince after tonsure) contributed greatly to the improvement of the Russian monastery “St. Panteleimon" and allocated a significant part of his large fortune for these purposes.

The influx of Russian monks has especially intensified since 1840. Their arrival was facilitated not only by the Russian church, but also by the entire state machine. In 1845, the Russian monastery was visited by Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich, in 1869 by Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich, and in 1881 by Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich together with Grand Duchess Alexandra Petrovna.

The representative of the royal court, of course, did not leave the ship and was content with contemplating the beauties of Athos from the deck.

In 1850, the number of Russian monks became equal to the number of Greek ones, and subsequently grew rapidly and began to significantly exceed it. This fact caused friction between the Russians and the Greeks, the latter fearing, and not without reason, the complete numerical superiority of the Russians on the Holy Mountain. Later, at the beginning of the twentieth century, the number of Russian monks on Mount Athos amounted to 5,000 (of which over 2,000 were in the Russian monastery) with a total number of the Mount Athos community of 10,000 people.

Meanwhile, the oldest of the monks, abbot of the monastery Gerasim, dies. N the new abbot of the Russian monastery “St. Panteleimon" in 1875 becomes Makariy Sushkin, who remained in this post until 1889. Under him, the monastery strengthened its financial position, expanded significantly and moved to a leading position among the Athonite monasteries. Russian monks, with their characteristic generosity, organized the distribution of food, clothing and money every Sunday for poor monks and laity. The monastery was active in scientific and educational activities, published the magazine “Interlocutor” and had its own printing house. The scope and organization of the work is evidenced by the fact that only for the above purposes, 30 people were employed in the monastery.

All this, of course, would not have been possible without the generous support of the Holy Synod and the Russian government. 100 thousand gold rubles were allocated annually for the needs of the monastery. The subsidy was canceled in 1917 by the Kerensky government. “Alms collections” in Russia in favor of the monastery have also become a very common practice. The collection was especially abundant in 1863-67, when Hieroschemamonk Arseny traveled around Russia with the shrine. In Odessa, St. Petersburg and Constantinople, the monastery had farmsteads from which economic assistance came. Finally, we note the numerous donations from many individuals.

At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, a huge number of Russian pilgrims arrived on Mount Athos to venerate the miraculous relics of St. Panteleimon. Every year, up to 30 thousand people came to the Russian monastery through Odessa, where the gathering of pilgrims took place. All of them found shelter in the monastery, were accommodated in a hospice house (“fondarik”) and received free food. According to ancient tradition, the monastery provides everyone who knocks on its gate with an overnight stay and a free bowl of soup with a glass of wine. Pious Russian Christians, of course, did not remain in debt, making generous donations to the needs of the monastery.

The “open door” policy of the Russian monastery also had a reverse, negative side. Often among those arriving there were people far from religion, and sometimes simply criminal elements.

Attracted here by the glory of an easy life, the “earthly paradise” on Mount Athos and hiding from Russian justice, they introduced certain problems into the life of the monasteries, disturbing their idyllic tranquility. The Russian Foreign Ministry, the Holy Synod and the Ecumenical Patriarchate, very alarmed by this situation, were forced to take restrictive measures. So, in the future, every pilgrim arriving on Athos had to first receive a letter of recommendation from the diocesan authorities under whose jurisdiction he was.

The October Revolution of 1917 had tragic consequences for Russian monasticism on Mount Athos. From now on, all help from Russia stops coming here, and Russian monks find themselves cut off from their homeland. The situation is aggravated by the suspicious attitude towards all monks newly arriving on Athos from Russia. Fearing the penetration of communist ideology into the Holy Mountain, the countries that guarantee the international status of Athos are closing almost all doors to the replenishment of the Russian monastic community from Russia. From now on, minor replenishment will come only from Russian emigrants living in Western Europe.

Here is what the Russian writer B. Zaitsev, already mentioned by us, writes about this: “... However, there is still an influx. It now comes not from Russia, but from emigration. Russian Paris, Russian Serbia give reinforcements to Mount Athos. A lot is changing before our eyes. If previously people went to Athos mainly from the merchants, townspeople, and peasants, now I see a young hieromonk - an officer of the Volunteer Army, I see a former artist, the son of a minister, I know an engineer, etc.”

But even in Russia itself, a serious blow was dealt to the well-being of the Russian monastery: the communist regime confiscated all the property of the Panteleimon Monastery (farmsteads, shops, etc.).

A similar fate befell the farmstead of the Russian monastery in Turkey. In 1924, Kemal Atatürk handed them over to the then friendly Soviet state in exchange for widespread economic, military and political support.

One of the most tragic years in Greek history was 1922. The war with Turkey, which was unsuccessful for the Greeks (largely thanks to the help the Turks received from the Soviet government) ended in the so-called “Asian Minor catastrophe.” The post-war situation in Greece was especially difficult, the situation was complicated by the concern for 1.5 million Greek refugees from Turkey. During these years, the monasteries of Athos provided all possible assistance in solving the problems facing the state. The Russian monastery “St. Panteleimon." A military hospital was founded on its vast territory, where over 1,000 Greek soldiers were treated.

In the summer of 1927, the monastery “St. Panteleimon" was severely damaged by a forest fire. The fire started from the neighboring forest of the Hilandar estate and spread to the forest of the Panteleimon Monastery. The damage to the already poor monastery then reached 3 million drachmas (at prices of that time). The current deplorable state of the monastery was completed by another severe fire (1968), which caused irreparable damage to the monastery.

The Russian Orthodox Church, itself in a difficult situation, was unable to provide assistance to the monastery. Only in 1948, Patriarch Alexy, as part of the celebration of the 500th anniversary of the proclamation of the Patriarchate in Russia, managed to establish contacts with representatives of the Greek Church invited to the anniversary celebrations. The question that primarily interested the Russian Patriarch concerned permission for Russian monks to arrive on Athos.

The civil war in Greece (1946-1949) and the frankly bad relations between Greece and the USSR left no hope for resolving this vitally important issue for the Panteleimon Monastery.

The end of the Cold War and the entry of the Russian Church into the World Council of Churches (1961) weakened the previous contradictions. In 1965, the Greek government granted Greek citizenship (a prerequisite for asceticism on the Holy Mountain) to five monks from the Soviet Union and allowed them to come to Athos.

Of the five monks, two were unable to come to Mount Athos due to poor health, and the third asked for political asylum in the West. After such an unusual turn of events, only in 1970, the two remaining monks, Archimandrite Abel and the monk Vissarion, receive permission from the Soviet authorities to arrive on Athos. Archimandrite Abel managed not only to win the trust and respect of the Greek monastic brethren (not an easy matter for that time), but also to become in 1975, after a rather long break, the abbot of the monastery of St. Panteleimon.

The changes that took place in the former USSR had a beneficial effect on the life of the Russian monastery. The number of Russian monks in the monastery has increased and today is about 40 people (there are 2000 monks in total on Mount Athos). For several years now, a major overhaul of the dilapidated buildings of the monastery has been underway. For restoration work, a group of restorers from St. Petersburg, Kyiv, Vladimir arrived at the Panteleimon Monastery, and significant funds were also allocated by the Greek government and philanthropists from Russia and Ukraine.

The following relics are placed here: part of the honorable and life-giving cross of the Lord; a piece of stone from the Holy Sepulcher; the honorable head of the holy great martyr and healer Panteleimon; the honest head of the blessed elder Silouan; parts of the relics of St. John the Baptist; Saint John Chrysostom; righteous Joseph the Betrothed; Apostle Thomas; Great Martyr George the Victorious; Martyr Tryphon; Martyr Eustratius; Martyr Kirik; Hieromartyr Charalampios; Great Martyrs Marina and Paraskeva; the upper part of the head of the evangelist bow; the head of the hieromartyr Anthimus, Bishop of Nicomedia; head of the Venerable Martyr Ignatius of Athos; head of the Venerable Martyr Euthymius of Athos; head of the Venerable Martyr Akakios of Athos; the foot of the Apostle Andrew the First-Called in a silver ark; part of the right hand of holy righteous John the Russian; small relics (more than 300) of Greek, Russian, Georgian.

Handwritten map of the monastery and the trails around it

Paths Panteleimon - Daphne - Kareya

Map of the territory belonging to the monastery:

Good afternoon Kalimera*! I am a pilgrim from Russia... And... is it possible to stay with you?
- Kalimera. For the night. No more. Come after five, after the service and meal. You can leave your things on the racks.
To put it bluntly, they did not greet me very warmly in the archondarite of our Russian St. Pantileimon Monastery. Not a traditional shot of raki on Athos, not a cup of coffee, not even a glass of water...
“I have here... a letter from Bishop...” I handed him a letter of recommendation on the company diocesan letterhead from our ruling bishop with the humble request to accommodate me, dumbfounded, for a couple of days in the monastery hotel, but he didn’t even look at him.
- Yes, at least for us from the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew himself! We have our own rules here. All. I'm leaving.
Fondarichny, as they are called in some places on Athos, Father Igor, a young, about thirty-something, thin monk, wearing glasses, pushed me beyond the threshold of the reception room, locked the door and quickly disappeared somewhere.
"Yes! - I said to myself. - So it goes..."
And I remembered: “Where are you? On Athos! So, humble yourself and be patient.”
Racks, exactly the same as those that used to be in storage lockers at train stations, were located directly opposite the reception door. I loaded my backpack and saddle bag onto the bottom shelf, placed my staff next to it and went to look around to see what was there...

The hotel had five floors. A very large hotel, with wide flights of stairs, with platforms, halls... All this was, of course, built before the revolution, when up to three thousand pilgrims and workers alone were accommodated in St. Panteleimon's. Now, apparently, only two floors were involved, the one on which the reception was located, and one more, higher, the third floor... However, when I entered along the bridge thrown over the moat separating the hotel from the alley, on the first floor, below, at the very bottom of the ditch, loomed some people, as I later found out, Georgian workers.

Having risen to the third floor, immediately not far from the stairwell I discovered a small “boot” with a balcony running along the entire outer perimeter of the wall. The balcony was, however, heavily locked, but outside the window and the doors leading onto it, the Aegean Sea opened up. The hotel hung right over the edge of the shore, and it was clearly visible how foamy waves splashed against the coastal boulders...

Under the sound of the wave, I lay down as I was on some sofa, upholstered in artificial leather, in the corner against the wall and... at that very moment I fell asleep. Sleepless, many hours of standing all night long until the morning at the patronal festive service in the Xiropotamus monastery, then a hearty meal with raki and grape wine, an eight-kilometer walk, without a single stop, with full equipment, along a narrow mountain path above the seashore - all this, Of course, it couldn’t help but make itself felt... I fell asleep like the dead.

I woke up - it was five minutes to five. I almost skipped to the Church of St. Panteleimon. I found a free stasidium in the twilight and dozed there for another forty minutes. The service was short, apparently small compline. After which all those present at it, about fifteen monks, in front of the clergy: the abbot, the abbot of the monastery, the confessor and everyone else moved to the refectory, fortunately, almost all the refectories on Athos that I saw before and then are located strictly opposite the catholicon - the main temple, ten to fifteen meters away. In Xiropotam, you don’t even need to go outside - you enter the refectory through a covered glass gallery.
The refectory of the St. Panteleimon Monastery is something between the royal chamber and another temple proper, only without an altar, designed for more than one hundred people eating at the same time. Along the long, high hall there are two rows of wooden tables and benches. The walls are painted with gospel scenes, and the pillars with life-size images of saints, among whom was St. Seraphim of Sarov. The paintings, therefore, were no earlier than 1903... Nowadays it is calm here, at two small tables, one of which is the abbot's, all those present at the service, including monks, novices and several pilgrims, were seated, among whom, besides me, was one from St. Petersburg and two from the DECR line.
There was some kind of porridge, there were beans, gray bread, onions, pickled garlic, a little wine and, as everywhere on Athos, a lot of salted olives: eat it - I don’t want to...
Upon exiting the refectory, Father Igor, the fundarian, quickly slipped past me, without looking back, and said over his shoulder:
- I am waiting for you.
At the reception he asked for my diamontirion.
- What is your occupation?
- Editor-in-Chief of the magazine.
Fondarichny didn’t even react. Why did you ask then? At least he would have asked which one... Nothing “rolls” here: neither a letter of recommendation, the very brother of the abbot of the Moscow metochion of the monastery Nikon (Smirnov), nor his venerable age, nor the “chief”...

So. Just For One Night. Do you understand me?
“That’s right,” I wanted to say, but I didn’t, so to speak, aggravate...
- Come on, I'll show you. Third floor...
He reminded me very much... I just don’t understand who, either a Narodnaya Volya revolutionary, as I always imagined them to be, or our deputy for science, concerned not so much with science as with reports and formal discipline: who came and left at what time and etc.
By the way, having already arrived home, I came across the following words of the Athonite elder Paisius (Svyatogorets): “The biggest disorder in the monastery is the worldly order with military discipline, which not only tires, especially the modern tired world, but also drives out holy simplicity, wastes spiritual and bodily forces for earthly things, because of which a person forgets God.” And there is also: “People to the organizers of this system seem to be blocks of wood, and they mercilessly hew them, and, despite the fact that people suffer from this, they rejoice at the squares that are made from them (in the style of the Cubists).”
Yes! No matter how you twist it or turn it, those who warned me about St. Panteleimon’s Monastery were still right, and there were at least three of them. The representative of the Pilgrimage Service, Victor, told me that in Panteleimonovo they are very reluctant to accept those who are not traveling along the line of their own pilgrimage service from Podvorye. Friends said: “Why do you need Panteleimon? Experienced "Afonites" have been avoiding it for a long time and only at the end of the trip do they drop in there for a couple of hours to venerate the relics.” . I didn’t want to believe them, but I was convinced... Although I had to meet other things - this, by the way, for example, evidence: (late, I think, 90s - early 2000s):
“It is impossible for a Russian pilgrim to meet Hieromonk Isidore on Mount Athos. In accordance with obedience, he is Panteleimon’s gostinnik (locally, archondaric), and it depends on him where you will be able to lay your head after the long Svyatogorsk journey... So, Father Isidore is usually the very first Panteleimon’s man you meet. The obligatory “from where?” and an entry in the book of pilgrims (diamonitirion, that is, a residence permit, he does not ask, like the archondarites in other monasteries - Athonite ethics is built on trust). Then - tea. Without haste, but with delight. After the presentation of the icon of St. Panteleimon, you will be escorted to a place of temporary shelter... it is difficult to imagine a more ideal host than Fr. Isidore, who greets you as his dearest, long-awaited relatives. His long beard cannot hide his joyful smile, just like his glasses cannot hide his radiant eyes. Add to this always friendly, almost enthusiastic intonations. But I also think something else - maybe this is the essence of monastic work, in which, after cutting off one’s “ego”, one’s own will, the place begins to “color a person.” The archondarite must greet guests as if they were Christ Himself, and that is how he greets them.”

However, everything is God’s will (in everything, they also say, God’s providence), and if everything had been perfect, without a hitch, I would probably have relaxed and not gone for a walk along the embankment in upset feelings... But I wouldn’t have gone to go there for a walk - I would not have gone out in the dark to Silouan's mill - I would not have met the orphan** Barnabas on the way back - I would not have gotten with his help, the next day, to Stary Rusik, to Father Pachomius... And so on, right up to spending the night in a real - ancient - monastic cell at the Tikhvin Church... If we had not drunk tea in the morning with a 76-year-old elder, a native of Pochaev, in a gazebo entwined with vines with bunches of grapes, we would not have had conversations with him about the Faith, “for life”, for the Fatherland, and so on, so on, so on...