FOTOGRAFIA ZILEI: SCHITUL SF. ANDREI

Romanian

Schitul Sf. Andrei este un aşezământ monastic în Kareya, Sf. Munte. Este of dependinţă a Mănăstirii Vatoped şi găzduieşte Academia Athoniană.

Schitul îşi trage originile de la decizia Patriarhului Constantinopolului Atanasie al II-lea Patelarul care retrăgându-se în Sf. Munte la mijlocul sec. XV după căderea Constantinopolului, s-a stabilit într-o chilie pe vechiul aşezământ al fostei Mănăstiri Xistru, chilie pe care patriarhul a dedicat-o Sf. Antonie cel Mare. Această chilie mai apoi a devenit baza schitului. În 1761, Patriarhului Constantinopolului Serafim al II-lea care de asemenea s-a retras în Sf. Munte a înlocuit chilia cu o nouă construcţie pe care a dedicat-o Sf. Ap. Andrei şi Sf. Antonie.

Datorită creşterii continue a numărului de vieţuitori a schitului o biserică centrală dedicată Sf. Ap. Andrei a fost construită în 1867 şi târnosită în 1900 de Patriarhului Constantinopolului Ioachim al III-lea. Biserica este cea mai mare din Sf. Munte şi printe cele mai mari din Balcani, având o înălţime de 30m şi o lungime de 60m.

La începutul sec. XX, schitul a crescut foarte mult. Înainte de primul război mondial, schitul avea între 700 şi 800 de monahi ruşi. Însă datorită evenimentelor din Rusia din perioada respectivă afluxul de monahi ruşi a dispărut.

În 1958, aripa vestică a schitului şi biblioteca au ars şi în 1971 ultimul monah din vechea obşte, părintele Samson, s-a mutat la Domnul. Schitul a rămas părăsit. În 1992 o nouă obşte de limbă greacă au adus o nouă suflare de viaţă în schit. În 2001, câţiva monahi tineri s-au alăturat obştii şi cu un nou stareţ au adus speranţa unui viitor luminos.

Greek

Η Σκήτη του Αγίου Ανδρέα είναι ένα μοναστικό ίδρυμα στις Καρυές, Άγιον Όρος. Είναι μετόχι της Μονής Βατοπαιδίου και είναι η περιοχή της Αθωνιάδας Εκκλησιαστικής Ακαδημίας.

Η σκήτη ιδρύθηκε όταν ο Αθανάσίος ΙΙ (Πατελλάρος) ως Πατριάρχης Κωνσταντινουπόλεως αποσύρθηκε στο Άγιον Όρος στα μέσα του δέκατου πέμπτου αιώνα μετά την άλωση της Κωνσταντινούπολης και εγκαταστάθηκε σε ένα μοναστικό σπίτι στην περιοχή της παλιάς Μονής του Ξύστρου που ήταν αφιερωμένο στον Άγιο Αντώνιο τον Μέγα. Αυτό το σπίτι αργότερα έγινε το θεμέλιο της Σκήτης. Το 1761, ο Πατρ. Σεραφείμ II της Κωνσταντινούπολης, επίσης, αποσύρθηκε στον Άθωνα και αντικατέστησε το παλιό σπίτι με ένα νέο κτίριο που αφιέρωσε στον Απόστολο Ανδρέα, καθώς και τον Άγιο Αντώνιο…

Με την συνεχή ανάπτυξη της Σκήτης σε μοναστικούς αριθμούς, ένας κεντρικός ναός, αφιερωμένος στον Άγιο Ανδρέα, χτίστηκε το 1867 και εγκαινιάστηκε το 1900 από τον Πατριάρχη Ιωακείμ ΙΙΙ της Κωνσταντινούπολης. Η εκκλησία είναι η μεγαλύτερη του Αγίου Όρους και συγκαταλέγεται ανάμεσα στις μεγαλύτερες στα Βαλκάνια, έχοντας 30 μέτρα ύψος και εκτείνεται σε 60 μέτρα σε μήκος.

Στην αρχή του εικοστού αιώνα η Σκήτη είχε μεγαλώσει σε μεγάλο βαθμό. Πριν από τον Πρώτο Παγκόσμιο Πόλεμο ο πληθυσμός της Σκήτης περιελάμβανε 700 – 800 Ρώσοι μοναχοί. Όμως, τα γεγονότα της περιόδου του πολέμου έφεραν καταστροφικά αποτελέσματα, καθώς η πιθανότητα για νέους μοναχούς μηδενίστηκε στη Ρωσία.

Το 1958, η δυτική πτέρυγα της Σκήτης και η βιβλιοθήκη καταστράφηκαν από την πυρκαγιά και, το 1971, ο τελευταίος μοναχός της παλαιάς κοινότητας, π. Σαμψών, έχασε τη ζωή του. Η κοινότητα ερήμωσε. Το 1992 μια νέα, ελληνόφωνη αδελφότητα έφερε νέα ζωή στην Σκήτη. Το 2001, αρκετοί νέοι μοναχοί εντάχθηκαν στην κοινότητα και με ένα νέο Ηγούμενο, η αδελφότητα φαινόταν πολλά υποσχόμενη για ένα φωτεινό και ελπιδοφόρο μέλλον.

English

The Skete of Saint Andrew is a monastic institution in Karyes, Mount Athos. It is a dependency of Vatopaidi Monastery and is the site of the Athonias Ecclesiastical Academy.

The Skete was established when Athanasius II (Pattelarus) as Patriarch of Constantinople retired to Mount Athos in the mid fifteenth century after the fall of Constantinople and settled in a Monastic House on the site of the old Monastery of Xistrou that he dedicated to St. Anthony the Great. This house later became the foundation of the Skete. In 1761, Patr. Serapheim II of Constantinople also retired to Mt. Athos and replaced the old house with a new building that he dedicated to the Apostle Andrew as well as St. Anthony.

With the continued growth of the Skete in monastic numbers, a central church, dedicated to St. Andrew, was built in 1867 and consecrated in 1900 by Patriarch Joachim III of Constantinople. The church is the largest on Mount Athos and is amongst the largest in the Balkans, rising to 30m in height and extending to 60m in length.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, the Skete had grown greatly. Prior to World War I the population of the Skete included 700 to 800 Russian monks. But, the events of the war period brought disastrous results as the potential for monks from Russia disappeared.

In 1958, the western wing of the Skete and library were destroyed by fire and, in 1971, the last monk of the old community, Mnk. Sampson, died. The community became deserted. In 1992 a new, Greek-speaking brotherhood brought new life to the Skete. In 2001, several young monks joined the community and with a new Abbot the brotherhood looked promising for a bright and hopeful future.

Source: http://vatopaidi.wordpress.com