Pantokrator Monastery: location, history of foundation, interesting facts, photos

2024 Author: Miguel Ramacey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 06:11

On the northeast coast of the Greek peninsula of Athos, a two-hour drive from the large administrative center of Karye, is the convent of Pantokrator. Rising on a 50-meter cliff and surrounded by a wall with loopholes cut through it, in the old days it was not only a major spiritual center, but also a powerful fortification. Let's dwell on the history of this world-famous monastery.

Events of bygone centuries

The honor of founding the Pantokrator Monastery is traditionally attributed to two Greek aristocrats of the 13th century - the stratopedarch (commander) Alexei and his brother Ivan, who was awarded the rank of "primikirius", which in those days meant belonging to the highest court circle. However, many scientists believe that the monastery is the brainchild of another historical person - the Byzantine emperor Alexius Komnenos (1181-1222), who became the founder of the dynasty that then ruled for many decades.

Both one and the other base their statements only on hypotheses that exist in the scientificthe world; The first documentary mention of the monastery dates back to 1358. It is also known for certain that in 1362 the monastery was expanded and significantly rebuilt by order of the Patriarch Kallistos I of Constantinople. Byzantine church Kallistos II Xanthopoulos.

Above located in the citadel

The Monastery of Christ Pantokrator, which in Greek means "Almighty", currently ranks seventh in the hierarchy of Athos monasteries. As mentioned above, due to the peculiarities of its layout, over the past centuries it was able to perform the functions of a defensive structure. To this end, its interior is divided into two separate sections. In one of them there are various outbuildings - hotels, workshops and food barns, in the other, fenced off by a powerful wall, there is the main temple, consecrated in honor of the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ, a refectory and a bell tower.

The first major fire in the monastery

Built on the sacred Mount Athos, the Pantokrator Monastery has experienced many troubles over the long centuries of its history. The first in a long line of them was a fire that engulfed it in 1392 and led to the destruction of most of the buildings. However, thanks to generous donations from a number of high-ranking Greek and Byzantine officials, restorationwork was completed within a year.

An important role in the case was played by the fact that, by order of the Patriarch of Constantinople, shortly before the catastrophe broke out, several ancient but small monasteries built in the name of the saints: Dorotheus, Auxentius, Falakra, Fakin and Ravdukh were included in the Pantokrator monastery. All of them had their regular pilgrims and donors, who did not fail to respond by contributing feasible sums to the general fund.

The troubles that befell the monastery in subsequent centuries

There is information about two other equally destructive fires. One of them occurred in 1773 due to the fault of lightning that struck the dome of the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord. However, even here pious people came to the rescue, not sparing funds for the restoration of the shrine. In addition, the largest fire disaster broke out on the territory of the monastery in 1948. The destruction caused by him was so significant that it called into question the possibility of the continued existence of the monastery. But even in this case, the brethren of the monastery, supported by the Orthodox community in different countries, managed to overcome the hardships that befell them.

The most difficult period in the history of the monastery is considered to be the times of the Ottoman yoke and the economic crisis caused by it. During this period, she was repeatedly robbed, and many monks martyred their earthly path. At present, life in the Pantokrator monastery is built on the basis of a very stricta coenobitic system established in the 1990s by one of the former abbots, Elder Bassian, and strictly supported by his current leadership.

Stages of construction of the main monastery church

The main temple or, as they say on Athos, the katholikon, consecrated in honor of the Transfiguration of the Lord, was founded simultaneously with the foundation of the monastery itself, but was subsequently rebuilt twice. The first time this happened in 1614, and then in 1847. However, the surviving historical documents make it possible to get a very complete picture of its original appearance.

It is characteristic that the construction extended over time left its mark on the architectural features of the building. In general, corresponding to the canons of the classical Athos type, it at the same time includes a number of elements inherent in other areas. According to art historians, this applies primarily to the elongated eastern arch and two additional structures installed at the corners of the altar.

Catholicon frescoes

The frescoes decorating the inner walls of the temple deserve special attention, most of which date back to the second half of the 14th century and contain the characteristic features inherent in the works of people from the school of the outstanding master of that era - the Greek icon painter Panselin. However, here, as in the case of the construction of the katholikon itself, there are elements inherent in different historical eras. In addition, some, albeit insignificant, part of the early pictorial layer turned out to bepainted over during the reconstruction of the temple, carried out in 1847. Now, in place of the lost frescoes, one can see wall paintings by a prominent master of the mid-19th century, Matthew John.

Masterpieces and shrines of the main temple

The name of the creator of its unique iconostasis, the master Chrysanf Kliend, has forever entered the history of the main temple of the Pantokrator monastery. This work, completed in 1640, brought him fame as an unsurpassed master of wood carving and decorative gilding. In the same place, in the katholikon, the main relic of the monastery is also kept - the image of the Most Holy Theotokos Gerontissa, which is translated from Greek as "Old Lady". This icon, which is very large (1.96 by 0.76 meters), depicts the Mother of God in full growth without Her Eternal Son. The author captured her at the end of her earthly life, ready to move into the Kingdom of Heaven.

Besides this icon, many other shrines are kept in the monastery, to which pilgrims from all over the Orthodox world flock. First of all, these are particles of the Life-Giving Tree, on which the Savior was crucified, the relics of the holy Great Martyr of the 4th century Theodore Stratilates, as well as the unmercenaries Cosmas and Demyan. Visitors to the monastery look with unfailing reverence at the fragment of the shield of the Holy Great Martyr Mercury stored here.

Monastery on the island of Corfu

Note that the name of the monastery uses a term that is often found in the Orthodox East and in the countries of the Mediterranean. Enough to rememberattraction of the Greek island of Corfu - the monastery of Pantokrator. Located on the territory of the administrative district of Kamarela, according to researchers, it was founded in the 16th century, although some of them also name an earlier period that precedes the named one by two or even three centuries. Like most Orthodox centers in Greece, this monastery had to witness the Ottoman occupation and then go through a long and difficult path of revival. Suffice it to say that only during the 17th century, after the expulsion of the invaders, the monastery of Pantokrator (Kamarela) twice found itself in a critical situation due to the destruction caused by the outbreak of hostilities around it.

Icon from an Egyptian monastery

In addition, this Greek term is well known for one of the most famous icons of the Savior. This is "Christ Pantocrator" from the Sinai Monastery (see photo below). Under this name, she entered all the world publications dedicated to Byzantine art.

Created in the middle of the 6th century by an anonymous Constantinopolitan painter, the icon was donated by Emperor Justinian to Sinai as a gift to a Christian monastery, where a separate basilica was built for it. In the same place, on the territory of Egypt, it is located to this day. In 1962, the surface of the icon was cleared of later pictorial layers, which were the result of renovations carried out in the 17th and early 19th centuries. This image is considered one of the most strikingmasterpieces of Byzantine and world icon painting.