Ancient Abkhazia. New Athos (monastery) - the world heritage of Christianity

New Athos as if hid from other people's eyes in the gorge of the river Psyrha, near Sukhum, the resort city of Abkhazia. Clean sea air, dense forests and ancient history attract numerous travelers to this region.

Alleys of slender cypresses, a majestic cathedral with blue domes, corps-monastery monasteries, green man-made gardens and a boundless sea - this is the monastery in Novy Afon (Abkhazia) today, admiring the travelers.

The beginning of the monastery complex

The history of the Orthodox monastery began at the end of the XIX century, when a large amount of money and a vast territory were donated to the monks of the Russian monastery in Greece from the tsarist treasury. The earth was notorious, because here in the I century Simon Kananit, a Christian missionary in the Caucasus, died. And the mountain itself with its appearance reminded the Greek mountain Athos.

Architect Nikonov created a project through which the monks began the construction of the monastery a year later. The primeval mountainous terrain was difficult to access and difficult to master, the monks needed a lot of time and effort to clear the territory. It was necessary to fill the abysses, refine the soil, level the land for construction. The monastery itself consisted of the lower and upper parts. Thanks to the incredible efforts of the monks in 1884, there was already a temple of the Intercession of Our Lady, a shelter for pilgrims, farm buildings and the pride of the complex - a school for boys. The building of the upper monastery was finished. Only in 1911 he gained the upper part of his New Athos (Abkhazia).

The monastery stands out among other similar monasteries by its grandeur and is truly a work of art. In the north-west of the monastery there is a bell tower 50 meters high, under which the refectory, hospital and laundry were comfortably arranged. The monastery complex itself consists of several temples: a temple in honor of the Icon of the "God-Bearer" icon, in the name of Hieron-martyr, in honor of the Reverend Fathers of Athos, the Church of St. Andrew the First-Called and the Church of the Ascension of the Lord. The Cathedral in the name of the Great Martyr Panteleimon is the most important and impressive building on the territory of the monastery. The walls of all churches, including the refectory, are decorated with frescoes.

Abkhazia. New Athos (monastery) - the largest center of Orthodoxy

The monastery of St. Simon the Cananite became the center of Orthodoxy in the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus. The number of pilgrims who visited the monastery annually was estimated at thousands. Among them were well-known guests: Prince Michael Romanov, Emperor Nicholas II, writers Maxim Gorky and Anton Chekhov. Monks labored a lot of work both in the development of the monastery itself and of the district as a whole. A pier for passengers and cargoes, a hydroelectric power station, a railway with a locomotive donated by Alexander III was built. At the monastery several factories for the production of candles, oil, bricks, and craft workshops were opened. In the gardens on the carefully cultivated land grew the usual fruits and unprecedented mandarins, olives, lemons and oranges. There was own apiary, a winery and a stud farm. Abkhazia, New Athos, the monastery are the first associations that arise in any Orthodox believer in the Caucasus. The scope and influence of the monastery were truly grandiose.

Contradictory 20th Century

With the advent of Soviet power for the monastery monastery began a difficult time. For seven years the monks courageously tried to defend the complex, but in 1924 it was still closed for counter-revolutionary propaganda. In different years of the Soviet period the monastery was used as warehouses, a tourist center or a military hospital.

Only in the late 90-ies of the XX century, Abkhazia, New Athos (monastery, in particular) began to rise from their knees. Within the walls of the complex, divine services began, the male chorus and church music began, and the church economy revived. In 2001 the school and the regency school were opened. Till now repair and restoration works are conducted, after all constructions of a monastic complex have strongly suffered without sensitive management of monks.

Invariably attracts pilgrims and tourists to ancient Abkhazia. New Athos (monastery) is a unique world heritage of Orthodox Christianity, every believer aspires to touch the shrines.

The pilgrimage to the mansion is open daily, except Monday, from 12 pm to 6 pm.