Archbishop Christodoulos Called to Chilandar
Archbishop Christodoulos has asked the acting governor of Mount Athos Mr Aristos Kasmiroglou to keep him informed about the situation there. Yesterday, Archbishop called the abbot of Chilandar Stephanos to express his sympathy.
Chilandar was established in 1198, by monk Simeon, know in his secular life as Stefan Nemanja, the founder of Nemanjic dynasty and ruler of the first Serbian state, and his son Rastko Nemanjic, who, under the monastic name Sava, became the first Serbian Archbishop, educator, and establisher of Serbian literary language. The monastery quickly became a center of literary and religious education of medieval monks.
In churches and treasuries of Chilandar there are icons of high artistic value, and in the library there are many scripts with miniatures from 13th century, as well as rich collection of Serbian charters. Chilandar also keeps precious items made of metals, ivory, wood, and the exceptional embroideries.
(photo: Zbigniew Kosc)
Chilandar Damage Ten Million Euros
The fire which broke out in the Serbian Orthodox Chilandar or Hilandar Monastery on Mt Athos, caused about ten million euros in damage to the buildings, Belgrade’s ambassador to Greece, Dusan Batakovic, said today.
Sixty per cent of the monastery’s accommodation has been destroyed, together with four chapels built into the walls of the monastery compound.
Batakovic said that the damage would take en years to repair. He emphasised hat the Greek authorities had responded immediately with fire crews which localised the fire.
The Serbian Press on Chilandar Catastrophe
On its front pages today’s Serbian press writes about a catastrophic fire that burst night before yesterday, in the most significant Serbian monastery – Chilandar, located on the Holy Mount of the Athos peninsula, in the northern Greece.
As reported by the POLITIKA daily, there were no injured in the fire, but one half of this most significant monument of medieval art and Orthodox Christianity, Serbian heritage of cultural and spiritual treasure. Fire completely destroyed recently renovated overnight stay premises, built in 1821, in which there were reception room, prior’s premises, monks’ cells, as well as "White shelter", built in 1598, a small church from 17th century, administration premises and a bookstore. Fortunately, the central church, dedicated to the Mother of God, the library and the treasury were not damaged.
According to the NOVOSTI daily, the cause of fire in Chilandar is not known at the moment, but it is supposed that it was caused by some heating device that was left turned on during the night. According to information from the Serbian Patriarchy, the damage probably would not have been this great, if the Chilandar had not been built as a small town – the buildings are stringed together, and the fire spread quickly from one to another. Immediately after the news of fire were reported, the Serbian Government has announced that it will help the renovation of Chilandar, and numerous believers contacted the Serbian Orthodox Church with the same wish. When it comes to the renovation, reads the NOVOSTI daily, according to earlier contracts, the priorities should be opening the treasury, and new covering of the overnight stay premises, which must be completely reconstructed again, and that part of the job would be financed by the Greek Government, as promised.
In his statement to the POLITIKA daily, General Consul in Thessalonica Jugoslav Vukadinovic, who came quickly to the site, pointed out that he was impressed with unbelievable sacrifice from monks and local inhabitants, who hurried to help Serbian monastery. Everything was done to save every icon, every item, which is piece not only of Serbian history, but that of the entire Orthodox Christianity, Vukadinovic underlined, as quoted by the POLITIKA daily.
