About discrimination against women in the Church: why they are not allowed into the altar, why wear a headscarf, what an ideal woman should be like. Why women are prohibited from climbing Mount Athos

Even in the 21st century you can find Orthodox monasteries where women are prohibited from entering. Women are not allowed to go to Athos and at least two other monasteries. Is there gender discrimination in the Church? Why do only men become priests and enter the altar? Read more about this in the article.

Nowadays, Orthodox monasteries are less and less perceived as places of deeply secluded life for brothers or sisters. Crowds of pilgrims from different parts of the world regularly visit Christian monasteries. But there are still places where monks completely seclude themselves from worldly temptations.

Previously, everything was completely different: the monasteries were more closed, not everyone could get into them. Moreover, representatives of the weaker sex were not allowed into Byzantine monasteries. Even in our time, there are Orthodox places where women are prohibited from entering. The most famous example is that women are not allowed to go to Mount Athos. But we will tell you about at least two more monasteries where no woman has ever set foot. But first, let's look at some important aspects of “Orthodox discrimination.”

Women are not allowed on Mount Athos and other restrictions

Women in the Orthodox Church often have to “humble themselves”, starting from childhood. During baptism, boys are brought into the altar, but girls are not. Men become priests, but women are prohibited. In Orthodoxy, it is not customary for women to preach, and the Apostle Paul even calls on the fairer sex to remain silent altogether (“Let your wives be silent in the churches”).

Moreover, women are not allowed on Mount Athos, one of the prayer centers of Orthodoxy. If you look at the history of the Church, you can find an explanation for all these facts.

Why are priests only men?

Indeed, only men become priests. Why? Because the priest is the image of Christ. As Deacon Andrey Kuraev writes, the priest is a liturgical icon of Christ. The Savior was incarnated in the male gender.

Why are women not allowed to enter the altar?

If the question itself arises, “Why are women not allowed to enter the altar?”, then there is some basis for it. This basis was the 44th rule of the Council of Laodicea (about 360):

It is not proper for a woman to enter the altar.

But this is not the only ban. The 69th Rule of the Trullo, or Sixth Ecumenical Council (692) reads:

Let none of all those belonging to the class of laymen be allowed to enter the interior of the sacred altar. But according to some ancient legend, this is by no means forbidden to the power and dignity of the king when he desires to bring gifts to the Creator.

What does it mean? Only temple servants, as well as those who are going to bring gifts to God, can enter the altar (at that time kings could allow this).

If before the decisions of these councils it was not forbidden for the laity to enter the altar, then after the adoption of the rules it was allowed only for clergy.

What if this is a convent where one priest and deacon serve, and everyone else is nuns? Today, in women's monasteries, nuns after 40 years of age are allowed to enter the altar, as well as widows and virgins (for example, they can become altar servers, that is, perform a certain cleaning service).

An exception. Every pilgrim to the Holy Land, when he enters the Edicule and venerates the Holy Sepulcher, is unlikely to ask the question “Why are women not allowed to enter the altar?” Only a few people think about the fact that the Edicule is the altar of the temple where they serve, and the marble slab of the Holy Sepulcher is the throne.

Baptism and churching. Not everything is so simple with the tradition of bringing a boy into the altar during baptism (girls are not brought in). Previously, everything was different: babies, regardless of gender, were brought to the temple on the fortieth day - they were churched - they were brought into the altar and even laid to the throne. Children were baptized much later. Nowadays, everything has changed places: usually people are baptized first and then churched. Girls are no longer brought into the altar, and boys are only brought in, but not placed at the throne.

Strict morals of Byzantine monasteries

The ancient monasteries had very strict rules. In order not to tempt the inhabitants who wanted to completely devote themselves to God and took a vow of celibacy, entry into the monastery was closed to a representative of the opposite sex. If it is a monastery - for women, if it is a monastery - for men.

It must be said that at that time monasticism was predominantly male. Accordingly, the ban for women was used more often. This tradition was widely strengthened in Byzantium, where representatives of the weaker sex were not allowed into the male monastery under any pretext. In some monasteries in Greece it has still been preserved (women are not allowed on Mount Athos - and this is not the limit). More on this later.

Three main shrines where women are prohibited from entering

The following monasteries have survived to this day where no woman has ever set foot:

Orthodox monasteries on Mount Athos;
Lavra of Saint Sava in Israel;

Holy Mount Athos

Almost everyone knows that women are not allowed to go to Mount Athos. But how did this ban come about and how strictly is it observed?

The Holy Mountain is also called the earthly inheritance of the Mother of God. It is believed that the only Woman whose foot has set foot on this earth is the Blessed Virgin.

According to legend, in 49, the Mother of God, together with the Apostle John the Theologian, was caught in a storm on Mount Athos - their ship washed ashore. The Most Pure One liked this area so much that she even asked the Lord to make the Holy Mountain Her inheritance. God said that Athos would become not only the Mother of God’s earthly inheritance, but also a refuge for those who wish to be saved.

For a long time, only a few hermits found solitude on the Holy Mountain. But at the beginning of the 8th century their number increased significantly. In 963, the first monastery was founded - the Great Lavra. Over time, Athos turns into a kind of monastic state.

Nowadays, there are 20 active monasteries on the Holy Mountain, where about 1,500 monks and inhabitants live. To get to Mount Athos, a pilgrim needs to obtain a special visa - daimonitirion. It is only available to men and male children. Women are not allowed to go to Mount Athos. Not only to the monasteries, but also to the territory of the Holy Mountain in general.

There are many legends about the end of the world associated with Athos. According to one of them, if women are allowed to enter the Holy Mountain, the end of the world will soon come.

This is one of the most ancient monasteries. It is located in the Judean Desert. It is believed that back in 484, Savva the Sanctified founded this monastery. In addition to Saint Sava, many famous ascetics joined the monastery. Among the most famous - John of Damascus, with which the history of the image of the Mother of God “Three Hands” is connected, and John the Silent.

For more than 15 centuries, monastic life has never faded here: even in the most difficult moments, the monastery did not close. Time passes, but life in the monastery does not change, the degree of severity does not decrease. Not only are women not allowed into the Lavra, as well as on Mount Athos, they also don’t use electric light and mobile communications, divine services are held at night, and only the abbot himself confesses to the brethren and everyone who wants to.

It is interesting that the founder of the monastery is considered to be a woman. It was Queen Helen, Equal to the Apostles, who in 327 stopped at the island during a storm. The idea of founding a monastery here was suggested to her by an Angel. The queen, having landed on the shore, noticed the disappearance of the cross of the prudent robber. But then I saw a shrine on the top of a nearby mountain. Here she founded a monastery, to which she donated the cross of a repentant thief and a piece of the Life-Giving Tree of the Lord with one nail, which was used to bring the Savior.

Over time, the cross of the prudent robber was stolen, but part of the Life-Giving Tree remained in the monastery. Today this particle is considered the largest shrine of Stavrovouni.

The monastery repeatedly succumbed to robbery and destruction, and for a certain period passed into the hands of Catholics. Today it belongs to the Cypriot Orthodox Church and is open to the public. True, only for men. Women are not allowed entry. They can only enter the temple of all Cypriot saints, located near the Stavrovouni monastery.

We invite you to watch a film about life on the Holy Mountain, where you will learn why women are not allowed to go to Mount Athos and what life in a monastic republic looks like from the inside:

Take it for yourself and tell your friends!

REFERENCE

Woman on Mount Athos

Athos holds many secrets. Everyone knows that today the peninsula is a settlement of Orthodox monks. But in Ancient Greece, Athos was also considered a holy place; temples to Apollo and Zeus were built here. The sanctuary of the latter was called Afos, hence the name of the peninsula. Another feature of this island is that women are not allowed here. First, in order to understand such injustice, you need to know the history and customs of the local monks, and then I will tell you whether a woman has the opportunity to visit the peninsula.

History and myths

When the Greeks adopted Christianity, as the legend says, in 44 after the Nativity of Christ, the mother of Jesus along with the apostles went to the island of Cyprus, but on the way the ship got into a storm right next to Athos. As soon as the ship approached the shore, the pagan temples collapsed, and marble idols announced in human language the arrival of the Virgin Mary on the peninsula. Everyone who saw this miracle instantly believed and was baptized, and Athos itself has since become the earthly inheritance of the Mother of God. Then, according to legend, the icon of the Iveron Mother of God came to Athos by water. It is believed that when she leaves the Holy Mountain, the world will end.

But for a long time the settlement of Orthodox monks was small. The first large monastery was founded in 963 by Saint Athanasius of Athos, who is considered the founder of the entire way of monastic life adopted on the Holy Mountain. Now the monastery of St. Athanasia is known as the Great Lavra. And just half a century after its founding, in 1016, the first Russian monastery called Xylurgu appeared. Later, the monastery of St. Panteleimon was transferred to the Russian community.

At the time of its glory, Holy Athos included 180 Orthodox monasteries. The first monastic hermitages appeared here in the 8th century AD, and the republic received the status of autonomy under the auspices of the Byzantine Empire in 972. After several centuries, Byzantium lost its former strength under the pressure of the crusaders on the one hand and the Turkic tribes on the other... Athos had to exist independently, endure persecution from the papacy, and pay taxes to the conquerors of the region.

As a result, only 25 monasteries “survived”. Only in the middle of the 19th century, after the proclamation of Greek independence, did peaceful times begin for the Holy Mountain.

Russian monks appeared here during the time of the baptist of Rus', St. Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir, and the Russian monastery on the site of the current Panteleimon Monastery was founded at the end of the 18th century. The monastery, which was once inhabited by 3 thousand monks (today there are only 40), houses the head of St. the Great Martyr Panteleimon, numerous holy relics, miraculous icons, priceless books and manuscripts.

There is a legend that since ancient times, 12 hermit elders have lived in secret cells on Athos, who almost never appear to people, even to the Athos monks themselves. If one of the elders dies, the rest bury him in the rocks and in return call for a new novice. According to legend, at the hour of the end of the world, these 12 elders will leave their cells and serve the last liturgy.

Now all the monasteries on Mount Athos live according to the laws and regulations that developed in the Byzantine era. Even the existing rules for visiting the Holy Mountain are based on the Golden Bull of the Byzantine Emperor Constantine the Monk (1060), which has been only slightly modified over the past millennium.

Despite the fact that at the beginning of the 20th century the Orthodox Church of Greece switched to the Gregorian calendar (new style), on Athos they continue to use the Julian calendar (old style), as in Russia.

Life and customs

Mount Athos is an independent state. It is owned by a special Orthodox monastic association. Management is carried out jointly by representatives of each of the 20 monasteries. And the highest church power on Athos belongs not to the Patriarch of Athens, but to the Patriarch of Constantinople, as in the Byzantine era.

The life of monks in Athonite monasteries is spent in works and prayers; it is entirely devoted to serving God. Divine services are held in strict accordance with the charter in the morning and evening hours. In their free time from prayer, the monks cultivate the land, care for domestic animals, paint icons, and study the writings of the holy fathers of the Orthodox Church.

The monasteries of Athos are real museums of Byzantine times. These are majestic fortresses built right on the rocky mountain slopes, with thick impregnable walls to provide protection from enemies. Even during the wars, neither the Turks nor Nazi troops touched the monastery out of respect for the monks. That is why unique collections of ancient books, extensive libraries, collections of precious church utensils, priceless ancient frescoes and mosaics have been preserved in monasteries to this day. The most important Christian relics are also kept here: the belt of the Most Holy Theotokos, particles of the Venerable Tree of the Holy Cross, the incorruptible relics of saints, including the head of the holy martyr Panteleimon in the Russian monastery. The main Athonite shrine is the Gifts of the Magi, located in the Monastery of St. Paul. They were secretly transferred here from Constantinople after the fall of the Byzantine capital in 1453.

Women can join the Athos shrine only from afar, by sailing around the Athos peninsula. Motor ships departing from the city of Ouranoupolis sail off the southwestern coast of the peninsula at a distance sufficient to see the monasteries, including the famous Russian monastery of St. Panteleimon.

Those wishing to visit Holy Mount Athos must obtain a special permit - “diamonitirion”. Priests must have the blessing of the Ecumenical Patriarch or local bishop.

About women

Whether women were allowed or not allowed onto this island in ancient times is a controversial issue, since in the first typicon of the Holy Mountain, which is kept in Protata, Article 16 states that children, youths and eunuchs are prohibited from entering Athos - and, of course, All of them are forbidden to be tonsured as monks. Nothing is said about women here - but, most likely, it was implied that women in monasteries have nothing to do at all. The tradition of avaton (the so-called ban on women appearing on the island) was consolidated under Emperor Manuel II Paleologus at the beginning of the 15th century. That's the story. And most guidebooks will tell you that a woman has never set foot here.

True, there is a legend that at the beginning of the 5th century. Palakidia, the daughter of the Byzantine emperor Theodosius, returning from Rome to Constantinople, wished to settle the Holy Mountain and especially one of the monasteries built at the expense of her father. As soon as Placidia approached the entrance to the temple, she heard the voice of the Mother of God coming from the icon in the wall niche. The voice ordered Placidia to leave if she considered herself a virtuous Christian and did not want to tempt the monks with her presence. The shocked princess left, and entry has since been prohibited for women and even female pets. According to popular beliefs, birds do not build nests on Mount Athos and do not raise chicks, obeying the will of the Mother of God.

There is also a legend that in 1470, the Serbian princess Maro, the wife of Sultan Murat 1, arrived here on a luxurious ship. She brought rich gifts to the local inhabitants, but even she was not able to walk more than ten steps on this land. According to legend, an angel met her and asked her to return to the ship. She returned.

Local guides love to tell tourists a bloody tale about a French feminist who snuck onto the island in men's clothing. And when she realized that she was being mistaken for a man, she undressed and went swimming. Out of nowhere a shark appeared and dined on the brave but unlucky woman.

But this is a legend, but the truth is this: recently, many media outlets were making noise about the fact that illegal immigrants from Moldova accidentally ended up on the island of Athos. The shocked monks saw four beautiful young women on their land, after which they immediately called the police. When law enforcement officers arrived at the scene, it turned out that the beautiful women were natives of Moldova, 27-32 years old, who were trying to illegally move to Greece from Turkey. They were also accompanied by their 41-year-old male fellow countryman, who organized the trip. They said they paid $6,300 to Ukrainian smugglers living and working in Turkey and relied on their knowledge of local geography. But as a result, the company still got lost and landed on a lonely peninsula, which turned out to be Athos. The travelers apologized to the monks, saying they were unaware of local laws, and "the women were forgiven by the monks," police said. According to laws adopted in 2005, a lady who sets foot on Mount Athos can be sentenced to a year in prison. The law was also not adopted by chance, since in the age of feminism and emancipation it is very difficult to prohibit something for a woman.

Moreover, in addition to the ancient queens, the mythical Frenchwoman and runaway Moldovan women, a lot of women visited the island. Judge for yourself:

Among the oldest cases of violation of avaton, we note the sheltering of refugees on Athos after the so-called Oryol uprising in 1770, in 1821 - after the pan-Greek uprising against Turkish rule, in 1854 - after an unsuccessful uprising against the Turks in northern Greece. Refugees arrived with their families and took refuge on Mount Athos.

In 1931, the French journalist Marie Soisy spent a considerable time on Mount Athos and wrote a book about it, “A Month with Men” (the source of this information is not specified – author’s note). The first Greek woman to win the title of Miss Europe, Aliki Diplarakou (1929) and Eleni Skoura (1932), the future first female member of the Greek Parliament, were also here with the same goal of becoming famous.

In 1940, during the Greek-Italian war, refugees of both sexes came here from Kavala. In 1948, Eugenia Peiu, a 17-year-old member of a detachment of communist partisans, took refuge on Mount Athos after the defeat caused during the Greek civil war. Peyu recalled in an interview that when she realized where she was, she was overcome by fear and remorse. She refused to enter the monastery and was left on guard outside. The girl prayed all the time that an enemy would not appear in her field of vision and she would not have to attempt murder in a holy place.

In 1954, a group of women, specialists in Byzantine studies, disembarked from a boat ashore and walked to the fences of the monasteries. That same year, a Greek journalist secretly entered the Holy Mountain and wrote a series of articles about it for the newspaper.

In the late 60s, five tourists from France and Italy entered the territory of Mount Athos, and when detained, they stated that they knew nothing about the ban.

Finally, in 1989, a couple from Germany arrived on the rocky shore of the Simonopetra monastery and indulged in lovemaking there.

According to one of the bloggers who communicated with the famous Svyatogorsk Elder Augustine from the Skete of Agiou Vasiliou, he heard the following story from him: “During the Uprising, women found themselves on Mount Athos, and the monks of the monasteries to which they joined took advantage of this circumstance and adapted them for household work. And they liked it so much that they wanted to cancel the Avaton. For this purpose, they called the Kelliot hermits and ordered them to go with the appropriate embassy to the patriarch, threatening, if they refused, to deprive them of the allowance they received from the monasteries. They knew that the then monk-loving patriarch especially revered hermits. And so the Kellyots, although or unwillingly, went to the Patriarchate. But at the same time, a certain Svyatogorsk elder Arseny, who enjoyed deliberate authority with the patriarch, was in the City on some business of his own. And so, having received the delegation, the patriarch invited him to take part in the conversation. And when those elders expressed the wish of the Holy Mountain residents to abolish the avaton, the patriarch, being ready to agree with their arguments, nevertheless asked Arseny in order to dispel the last doubts. But he said: “If you leave women on the Mountain, holy lord, then the race of monks will multiply.” And then the patriarch refused the delegates.

The same o. Augustine told me: “If the avaton is canceled, we will leave the Mountain” - “But why, Geronda? After all, wherever you go, there will also be women, so what’s the difference then?” - “You don’t understand: a decent woman will not come here, but only whores will come to seduce monks.”

Here's the story. From which we can conclude that a very stubborn woman will still make her way to Athos.

What awaits ordinary women on Mount Athos is a sign “No women allowed” and tanned guys in open jeeps with machine guns mounted on the roof, looking out for adventurers in men’s dresses in the crowd of male pilgrims.

Several free campsites are specially set up outside the boundaries of the peninsula - a narrow strip of land 70 km long - for short-sighted travelers who take their wives or daughters with them. While waiting for the men, the ladies swim and sunbathe, while the latter, squeezing their shirts from sweat, climb with backpacks to a height of 2000 meters and kiss the icons at the very top of the Holy Mountain. On one side of the border they wear bikinis, on the other - men cannot even wear short shorts. It is forbidden to smoke and eat meat, play cards and listen to light music.

However, there are rumors that for the first time in centuries, women can gain access to one of the shrines of Mount Athos, a monastic state in northern Greece. According to the Greek Church News Agency, local authorities have decided to allow access to the Zigou monastery, the oldest monastery on Mount Athos, to everyone, including women.

The Zigu Monastery may be an exception to the rule, since it is located about forty meters outside the official border of Mount Athos, which women are prohibited from crossing. The monastery is located about two kilometers from the city of Ouranoupolis, where pilgrims begin their journey to Mount Athos, and is easily accessible to visitors.

The Byzantine monastery of Zigu, one of the oldest on Mount Athos, was first mentioned in chronicles under 942 AD. The monastery continued its existence until the end of the 12th century. The fortress walls of the monastery with eleven towers, as well as the ruins of the cathedral, built at the beginning of the 11th century, have remained to this day. Extensive excavations are currently underway here, carried out by the Greek Ministry of Culture.

When a monk dies, he is buried without a coffin, wrapped in a robe. A cross is placed over the grave. Three years after death, the body of the deceased is removed again. If it has decayed, it means that the ascetic has been forgiven and is in heaven. If the body does not decay, it means that the monk has passed on to another world with unrepentant sins. In this case, the body is buried for another year, during which they intensely pray for the salvation of the soul of the deceased. After this period, the body, as a rule, decays. Then the skull with a name inscribed on the forehead, or less often with a brief biography, is placed in the ossuary on special shelves. The remaining bones are piled in the corner of this crypt. Now in the ossuary of the Russian monastery there are 2040 skulls.

Athos is a state within a state, a country with its own laws, traditions and customs. And among these traditions is a strange, at first glance, custom of not allowing females onto the Holy Mountain. Neither a young girl, nor a venerable old woman, nor a middle-aged wife are allowed to Athos. Why?

Tradition takes us to the 5th century, to a time when women could still visit the Holy Mountain. Placidia, the daughter of Emperor Theodosius, arrived on Athos to venerate its shrines. However, approaching the temple, she heard the voice of the Most Holy Theotokos, commanding her to immediately leave the peninsula. “From now on, let no woman set foot on the ground of the Holy Mountain,” said the Most Pure One. From that time on, women were closed to Athos. The monks strictly respect this tradition and do not even take female animals for agricultural or construction work. Popular rumor says that on Mount Athos even birds do not build nests or raise chicks.

Thus, since at least the 5th century, even if a woman can end up on Mount Athos, it is by accident, as recently happened with four Moldavian women who illegally made their way from Greece to Turkey and got lost on the way. By the way, since 2005, a woman’s deliberate violation of the tradition of avaton (the ban on women being on the Athos peninsula) is punishable by a year in prison.

In the 9th century, Emperor Manuel II Palaiologos legislated this ban, and Constantine IX Monomakh contributed to the adoption of a special Charter for the Athosites, which specifically prohibited women from being on Athos. Maintaining this ban was one of the conditions for Greece's entry into the European Union. Of course, this is the reason for repeated attacks on Athos from all sorts of human rights organizations, but the Holy Mountain unshakably adheres to its traditions, without sacrificing them to please the corrupt world.

Placidia is not the only woman who was ordered to leave the Holy Mountain by a command from above. According to legend, in 1470, the Serbian princess Maro brought a rich donation for the monasteries to the Holy Mountain, but did not take even a few steps along the peninsula when she was stopped by the Angel of God, who told her that she must immediately return to the ship. And yet women have been to Mount Athos. Athonites more than once hosted refugee families during uprisings and hostilities. This happened in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. However, after the cessation of unrest, all those who arrived immediately left the Holy Mountain and the divinely established order was restored.

Now it is difficult to say whether there was once a time when women were allowed to be on Mount Athos. The very first Typikon of the Holy Mountain forbade children, youths and eunuchs to set foot on the land of Athos. Women are not mentioned in this document. However, it should be said that Avaton is not an invention exclusively of Athos. According to Byzantine tradition, women are forbidden to enter any monastery, as well as men are prohibited from entering any monastery (except for the clergy serving in it). This tradition is still observed in Greece. Women are not allowed into most monasteries. So, most likely, this prohibition was observed until the 5th century. Now women are given the opportunity to sail by ship along the borders of the peninsula and admire the views of the Holy Mountain from afar, while their husbands, with backpacks on their shoulders, climb the rocky paths of Athos.

Athos is the only place on Earth where women are officially prohibited from being. However, it is this Holy Mountain that is considered the earthly inheritance of the Mother of God.

1. Athos was considered a sacred place even in pre-Christian times. There were temples of Apollo and Zeus here. Athos was the name of one of the titans, who, during the war with the gods, threw a large stone. Having fallen, he became a mountain, which was given the name of titan.

2. Athos is formally considered Greek territory, but in fact it is the only independent monastic republic in the world. This is approved by Article 105 of the Greek Constitution. The supreme power here belongs to the Holy Kinot, which consists of representatives of Athonite monasteries delegated to it. The executive branch is represented by the Sacred Epistasy. The Holy Kinot and the Holy Epistasia are located in Karyes (Kareya), the capital of the monastic republic.

3. Secular power, however, is also represented on Mount Athos. There is a governor, police officers, postal workers, merchants, artisans, staff from a medical center and a newly opened bank branch. The governor is appointed by the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs and is responsible for security and order on Mount Athos.

4. The first large monastery on Mount Athos was founded in 963 by Saint Athanasius of Mount Athos, who is considered the founder of the entire way of monastic life accepted on the Holy Mountain. Today the monastery of St. Athanasius is known as the Great Lavra.

5. Athos is the earthly Destiny of the Mother of God. According to legend, in 48 the Most Holy Theotokos, having received the grace of the Holy Spirit, went to Cyprus, but the ship was caught in a storm and washed up on Mount Athos. After her sermons, local pagans believed in Jesus and adopted Christianity. Since then, the Most Holy Theotokos herself has been considered the patroness of the Athonite monastic community.

6. The cathedral church of the “capital of Athos” Kareya - the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary - is the oldest on Athos. According to legend, it was founded in 335 by Constantine the Great.

7. Byzantine times are still preserved on Mount Athos. A new day begins at sunset, so Athonite time differs from Greek time - from 3 hours in summer to 7 hours in winter.

8. During its heyday, Holy Athos included 180 Orthodox monasteries. The first monastic hermitages appeared here in the 8th century. The republic received autonomy status under the auspices of the Byzantine Empire in 972.

9. Currently, there are 20 active monasteries on Mount Athos, in which about two thousand brothers live.

10. The Russian monastery (Xylurgu) was founded before 1016; in 1169, the monastery of Panteleimon was transferred to it, which then became the center of Russian monks on Athos. The number of Athonite monasteries, in addition to the Greek ones, includes the Russian St. Panteleimon Monastery, Bulgarian and Serbian monasteries, as well as the Romanian monastery, which enjoy the right of self-government.

11. The highest point of the Athos Peninsula (2033 m) is the peak of Mount Athos. Here is a temple in honor of the Transfiguration of the Lord, built, according to legend, by the Monk Athanasius of Athos in 965 on the site of a pagan temple.

12. The Mother Superior and Patroness of the Holy Mountain is the Most Holy Theotokos.

13. A strict hierarchy of monasteries has been established on Mount Athos. In first place is the Great Lavra, in twentieth place is the Konstamonit Monastery.

14. Karuli (translated from Greek as “reels, ropes, chains, with the help of which monks walk along mountain paths and lift provisions up”) is the name of a rocky, inaccessible area in the southwest of Athos, where the most ascetic hermits labor in caves.

15. Until the early 1990s, the monasteries on Mount Athos were both communal and special. After 1992, all monasteries became communal. However, some monasteries still remain special.

16. Despite the fact that Athos is the earthly Destiny of the Mother of God, women and “female creatures” are not allowed here. This prohibition is enshrined in the Charter of Athos.
There is a legend that in 422, the daughter of Theodosius the Great, Princess Placidia, visited the Holy Mountain, but was prevented from entering the Vatopedi monastery by a voice emanating from the icon of the Mother of God.
The ban was violated twice: during Turkish rule and during the Greek Civil War (1946-1949), when women and children fled to the forests of the Holy Mountain. For women entering the territory of Mount Athos, criminal liability is provided - 8-12 months of imprisonment.

17. Many relics and 8 famous miraculous icons are kept on Mount Athos.

18. In 1914-1915, 90 monks of the Panteleimon Monastery were mobilized into the army, which gave rise to suspicions among the Greeks that the Russian government was sending soldiers and spies to Athos under the guise of monks.

20. One of the main relics of Athos is the belt of the Virgin Mary. Therefore, Athonite monks, and especially the monks of the Vatopedi monastery, are often called “holy belts.”

21. Despite the fact that Athos is a holy place, not everything is peaceful there. Since 1972, the monks of the Esphigmen monastery, under the slogan “Orthodoxy or death,” have refused to commemorate the Ecumenical and other Orthodox patriarchs with ties to the Pope. Representatives of all Athonite monasteries, without exception, view these contacts negatively, but their actions are not so radical.

22. Before sunrise, before people in the world wake up, up to 300 liturgies are served on Athos.

23. For access of the laity to Athos, a special document is required - diamanterion - paper with the Athos seal - the double-headed Byzantine eagle. The number of pilgrims is limited; no more than 120 people can visit the peninsula at a time. About 10 thousand pilgrims visit Athos every year. Orthodox clerics must also obtain prior permission from the Ecumenical Patriarchate to visit the Holy Mountain.

24. In 2014, Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople called on Athonite monasteries to limit the number of monks of foreign origin on Mount Athos to 10%, and also announced a decision to stop issuing permits to foreign monks to settle in Greek-speaking monasteries.

25. On September 3, 1903, in the Russian St. Panteleimon Monastery on Mount Athos, the monk Gabriel captured the distribution of alms to the poor Syrian monks, pilgrims and wanderers. It was planned that this would be the last such distribution. However, after developing the negative, the photo showed... the Mother of God herself. Of course, they continued to give out alms. The negative of this photo was found on Mount Athos last year.

26. St. Andrew's monastery on Mount Athos, as well as other Russian settlements, was a hotbed of name-glorification in the early 1910s; in 1913, its inhabitants were expelled to Odessa with the help of Russian troops.

27. The first ruler of Russia to visit the Holy Mountain was Vladimir Putin. His visit took place in September 2007.

28. In 1910, there were about 5 thousand Russian monks on Mount Athos - significantly more than the clergy of all other nationalities combined. There was an article in the budget of the Russian government according to which 100 thousand rubles in gold were allocated to Greece annually for the maintenance of the Athos monasteries. This subsidy was canceled by the Kerensky government in 1917.

29. After the end of the Civil War in Russia, the arrival of Russians to Athos was practically prohibited both for persons from the USSR and for persons from the Russian emigration until 1955.

30. Many people, without knowing it, come across the word “Athos” when reading the novel “The Three Musketeers” by Alexandre Dumas. The name Athos is the same as "Athos".
The spelling of this word contains the letter “theta”, which denotes an interdental sound, which does not exist in the Russian language. It was transliterated differently at different times. And as “f” - since the spelling of “theta” is similar to “f”, and as “t” - since in Latin “theta” was rendered with the letters “th”. As a result, we have a tradition of calling the mountain “Athos” and the hero “Athos”, although we are talking about the same word.

An unheard of scandal occurred in Greece in 1930, the culprit of which was the winner of the Miss Europe contest, eighteen-year-old Greek Aliki Diplarakou. Dressed as a man, she entered the Holy Mount Athos and visited monasteries.

She was nicknamed Satan after this incident. A severe illness that soon overtook her forced the girl to rethink her life and repent of what she had done. In her letter to the clergy and the brethren of the monasteries of the Holy Mountain, sincerely repenting, she asked to forgive her daring act.

Alika Diplaraku

repentant Greek woman

“Reverend fathers, I want to confess and repent with all my soul for the mistake I made... I put on the clothes of my fiancé and went around churches and other places with him... Since then, dear fathers, I have lost my health... I, however, knew firmly I am convinced that this is the punishment of the Most Holy Theotokos, for Whom I showed my disrespect...”

The Lord accepted Alika’s repentance and gave her healing. She died at the age of 90 in 2002.

For almost a millennium, Athos has been a forbidden territory for women.

This is the only place on earth where representatives of the fair sex are officially prohibited not only from being, but even from approaching the coast of the peninsula closer than 500 meters.

Holy Mount Athos is the habitat of Orthodox monks, where women are forbidden to be

Athos is an autonomous monastic republic within the Greek state, on which there are 20 ruling monasteries and many hermitages. This is the largest Orthodox community in the world. A sacred place for all Christians. Why are women not allowed to be in this place, which is considered the lot of the Virgin Mary?

The Virgin Mary, finding herself on the Holy Mountain, asked the Lord to give her the land of Athos as her inheritance

According to church tradition, when in Jerusalem, in the Zion upper room, the apostles cast lots to whom in which country of the world would preach the Gospel teaching, the Mother of God also expressed a desire to go to preach. And her lot fell on the land of Iveria (Georgia). But the Angel of God said to Her:

“The country that has fallen to You will subsequently be enlightened, and Your dominion will be established there; after some time has passed. You have before you the work of preaching the gospel in the land into which God will direct you.”

In 49, the Mother of God, together with the apostles, went to the island of Cyprus to visit Bishop Saint Lazarus. Their ship, caught in a storm, washed ashore near the Iveron Monastery, whose population was pagans.

the year when the Mother of God with the apostles went to the island of Cyprus, but ended up on the Land of Athos

The idol temples announced the truth to people with loud cries and began to call on everyone to accept the Mother of God. Taking this as an instruction from the Lord God, the Virgin Mary came ashore and preached the Gospel to the inhabitants, showing miracles. Believing in her, everyone without exception accepted holy baptism.

The beauty of these places struck the Most Holy Theotokos, and she turned to the Lord to give her the Land of Athos as her inheritance. God granted her wish. Since then, the Athos peninsula also began to be called the earthly inheritance of the Virgin Mary or “Garden of the Virgin Mary.”

Blessed Virgin Mary - Abbess of Holy Mount Athos

In the 5th century, according to legend, the daughter of the Byzantine Emperor Theodosius I, Placidia, went to the Athos peninsula to look at the monastery built by her father. Approaching the temple, she heard the voice of the Mother of God, ordering her to leave the Holy Mountain and not to embarrass the monks if she considered herself a righteous Christian. Plakidia, amazed by what had happened, immediately left the island.

The official ban on women visiting Mount Athos was introduced by Emperor Constantine IX Monomachos in 1045

this year the charter of the Sacred Mountain approved a ban on the presence of women on the peninsula

The Charter of the Sacred Mountain, approved in 972, prohibited the presence of female animals on the peninsula. There was no mention of the presence of women on the island, since at that time the church prohibited the presence of representatives of the fair sex in any monastery.

An official decree of the Byzantine Emperor Constantine IX Monomakh dating back to 1045 established a ban according to which women were not allowed to be on the Athos peninsula.

Since 1953, according to a decree introduced by the President of Greece, women who knowingly broke the law and entered the territory of the peninsula are punished with up to a year in prison.

Female representatives have repeatedly violated the ban

During the period of internecine war in Greece at the end of the first half of the 20th century, residents of neighboring villages raided the Athos lands in search of livestock and food. Among them were representatives of the fair sex.

This year, Greece passed a law criminalizing women entering the Holy Mountain.

In 1953, the Greek woman Maria Poimenidou, dressed in male attire, entered the territory of Athos, where she stayed for three days. It was this incident that prompted the Greek government to pass a law banning women from entering the Holy Mountain. Those who violate it face criminal liability.

In 2008, police detained four women from Moldova who were landed on the Athos peninsula by illegal carriers. They were released because they were forgiven by the monks.

It is worth noting that in Greece the ban on women visiting monasteries was preserved not only on Athos. Women are not allowed to enter most monasteries.

Neglect and infringement of women's rights?

No! On the part of the Afonites, this is just a desire to protect and preserve the established way of life. Athos is a special place, just like thousands of years ago, life here follows its own laws - constant work and prayer. Far from worldly temptations, in order to be closer to the Lord.

There are cases when the ban was temporarily lifted by monks. During the period of the Turkish invasion and civil strife in Greece from 1946 to 1949, they provided assistance to refugees, including women, by providing shelter.

Can women venerate the shrines of Athos and not violate the ban?

Every day, early in the morning, a pleasure boat departs from Ouranoupolis, which goes around the shore of Holy Mount Athos at a distance of half a kilometer. Not only men, but also women can become passengers.

This is not just a walk - it is a pilgrimage, the only opportunity for representatives of the fair half of humanity to see and worship the shrines of Athos.

During the cruise, the boat moored to one of the piers, not far from the St. Panteleimon Monastery. Monastery of Russian monasticism on Mount Athos. Monks come aboard to join the pilgrims, bringing with them miraculous shrines.

The miraculous icon of the All-Tsaritsa, which is shown to pilgrims of Athos

For example, the belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary from the Vatopedi monastery. Prayer to the Blessed Virgin at this shrine has helped many women heal from infertility. The miraculous icon “The Queen of All” helps cancer patients cope with the disease.

A particle of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord, part of the head of the great martyr and healer Panteleimon, the right hand of the great martyr George the Victorious and the relics of St. Mary Magdalene are brought by monks from the Xenophon monastery. The monks of the Dionysiata Monastery give women the opportunity to venerate the relics of the Forerunner of the Lord John.

A cruise along the shores of the Holy Mountain is not the only opportunity for women to see and touch the shrines kept on Mount Athos. They can also visit the land border with the autonomous republic not far from the foot of the Holy Mountain.

Athos is an autonomous monastic republic, with its own laws, traditions and governance system

Monks have inhabited Athos since the first centuries of Christianity. The mild climate of Athos, the beauty and amazing topography of these places favored a solitary life. Today, the current inhabitants of the Holy Mountain continue to honor thousand-year-old traditions.

so many years ago the first Russian monks appeared on Mount Athos

All peoples who adhere to the Orthodox tradition are represented here - Greeks, Bulgarians, Serbs, Russians, Georgians. They all live together on the peninsula.

The first Russian monks appeared on Mount Athos a thousand years ago. The monasteries of the Most Holy Theotokos Xylurgu, Thessalonian and St. Panteleimon Monastery are the abode of Russian monasticism on Athos.

One of the monasteries of Russian monasticism on Mount Athos - St. Panteleimon Monastery

The rector of the Russian St. Panteleimon Monastery is Hegumen Archimandrite Evlogiy (Ivanov). The abbot is not only the most important figure in the monastery, but also a kind of governor of the territory under his control. For monks, the abbot represents Jesus Christ, and his task is to help them in spiritual growth.

Great Lavra, the premier monastery on Mount Athos

Today there are two dozen monasteries on Mount Athos, among which a strict hierarchy has been established. The main place is occupied by the Great Lavra. Monasteries on Mount Athos have magnificent architecture, luxurious frescoes, amazing shrines, miraculous icons.

Athos is considered one of the inheritances of the Mother of God, lands that are under the special protection of the Mother of God, therefore, since ancient times, numerous pilgrimages have been made to the sacred land.

But getting here is not easy; every pilgrim must obtain an entry permit in advance - daimonitirion. Only male persons can receive it.

According to one of the legends, if the centuries-old ban on women visiting the Holy Mount Athos is lifted, the end of the world will come.