Keliotes has found the location of the vintage photo on the previous blogpost. It is not building F but the old wall. His story here in Greek. Here an interesting collection of images
There are a lot of unanswered questions about this spot:
1. How many monks are living in Old Roussikon? We saw one monk in sept. 2009.
2. What are the plans for this place for 2016 (I understand there is budget)? In 2016 the Russians will be 1000 years on the Holy mountain and there will be festivities.
3. Are there plans to restore f.i. the “wooden church” building F?
4. They are developing a large piece of land north of this spot. What for? Agricultural reasons?
5, What can be seen in the interior of the churches?
We are curious for the answers. Who could give them?
The old wall by hv sept.2009
hv
When I visited the PM in 1997 I knew already from Reinhold Zwerger (the source I have forgotten; maybe an article or interview) that there was only one monk from the Ukraine living there. The tiny and very friendly hermit welcomed me, gave me hot coffe (in a metal mug !) with a piece of very hard bread. He confirmed he was the only inhabitant of the PM. On my question if I could visit the large church he responded that the abbot of Panteleimonos possed the keys. After giving me two large tomatoes our ways separated.
As a student of Athonias, we visited Paleomonastiron annually on the 1st of May public holiday for a full day excursion. I will email you some photos from 1992 or 1993. Every year we would conduct vespers in the main church of St. Paneleimon. It seems as though much work has been done since those days on some of the buildings and roads etc. During those years monks would come from the Rossikon to open the main church for us. Nearby is the cell of St. Silouan (if Im not mistaken) which we also visited as well as the artificial lake which back in those days was full of goldfish.