Here, in one of the dormitories of Esfigmenou we met Div Rajkovic in May 2017, a very friendly man from Serbia also known as Lazar(us), his Athonian name. We had an interesting conservation about Esfigmenou and how friendly the monks where when he started talking about a Dutch blog about Athos which he liked very much. With proud feelings and gratefull for this recognition we told him that Bas and I (and my brother Wim) were the authors/webmasters of Athosweblog. This surely broke the ice.
Div Rajkovic told us that he travelled between the monasteries and sketes with a great interest in monastic and hermit life. On his Facebookpage he writes that he studied at the Karoulian Lifestyle School but his profession is photographer and he showed us some nice images that he made with his phone. I asked him to send me some examples of his photographic work which he did and which I hereby present:
Anonymous locations on the Holy Mountain which speak for themselves.
The islet of Vasiliou near the arsanas of Chilandariou.
Windmill of Profitou Eliou with Pantokratoros in the background.
The photographer clearly visited the dwellings of the hermits of Karoulia which are very difficult to reach, only by using chains to climb up and down. He even climbed to the famous hole in the rock at Karoulia.
I will end this beautiful serie of photo’s with two sunsets over the Holy Mountain.
More photo’s on his Facebookpage. Thanks Div!
Herman Voogd
Mister Div Lazar Rajković is my respected and beloved godfather, the first canonically baptized orthodox in Serbia from the year of 1950. An adoring man , living encyclopedia of Orthodoxy , kind as an walking angel , the master of spreading God’s Love and forgiveness , the true benediction for every place he visits. His father Milutin transmised the profession of photographer to Lazar , so they are partners for long time. My godfather speaks , reads and writes on Serbian, English , Greek , Hungarian , , Liturgical Russian , and five more regional languages. So it’s a great privilege to know the human treasure he is. God bless you my dear Godfather.
Your Danilo