The room in 1908 with the large Monstera deliciosa plant.
The guesthouse in 1918 by Frenchman Millet.
The same room in february 1917 when the French Russian troups left the peninsula. Officers and monks.
1917-18 photo by French “Aviateur”.
Details of the images, click to enlarge.
The room in 1942 when the German expedition of Dolger visited the monastery.
Detail of the image above with the portrait of Hitler in the middle.
This picture is photographed after the Second World War. The portrait of Hitler is replaced by portraits of Queen Frederica (1917 – 1981) and beside her king Paul (1901 – 1964).
This image is shot in 1964 and is published in the book Mount Athos by John Julius Norwich, Reresby Sitwell and A. Costa. Gallery of Romanos portraits in the reception room of Panteleimonos. Sitwell writes when they first entered the monastery:
On reaching the gatehouse a Cossack-booted lay brother indicated the expected further climb up mouldering staircases, past huge and ramshackle edifices in various stages of disrepair into the mammoth guestwing, constructed to accommodate hordes of Slavic pilgrims and now graced by a few idle and gawping tourists. We were shown into the assembly hall on the top storey with Bessarabian rugs on the floor and tables and complete gallery of Romanov portraits, and then chewed squares of Turkish delight on a rickety balcony overlooking the nightmare proliferation of cracked roofs and cupolas of spiky onions topped with lemon globes and rusting crosses.
In 1968 the whole guestwing of the monastery including the reception room was destroyed by fire. In the next picture the destroyed parts 18 years later in 1986. The arrow is pointing to what probably was the guestwing.
This picture is shot in 1980 by Wim Voogd
Newspaper photo of the fire in 1968.
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