In 1917  a French Russian army occupied Mount Athos. On this picture from the French magazine Le Miroir a soldier, two monks and a Greek policeman are posing for the photographer, not at the monastery of Panteleimonos, as is suggested in the text, but in the harbour of the monastery of Lavra. 100 years later I photographed the same spot. The harbour is not as lively anymore as it was in the Great War. Hardly any boats are coming to this arsanas. The pilgrims nowadays come by mini-bus to the Lavra monastery.When the allied soldiers entered Mount Athos in 1917 they found 500 enemy rifles with ammunition made in Austria. They burned the weapons on the spot.  French officers were invited at the monastery of Zografou for dinner with the monks. Le Miroir 4th March 1917.The following images are from after the war (Le Miroir 9th November 1919) and , more importantly, after the Russian revolution. The Russian monastery Panteleimonos is still in full swing. Thousands of monks are living in and around the monastery. They have their own dentist. But from now on there will be no new monks coming from Russia. Monks are painting icons in Panteleimonos.Monks are making candles in Panteleimonos.Tailor monks in Panteleimonos.
In the 1990ties only a couple of monks were left in the monastery. With the end of Sovjet Russia it all changed again and it seems that old times are returning. The buildings of Panteleimonos are completely renovated and the pilgrims are back.
2017: Russian pilgrims are leaving Panteleimonos and waiting for the boat.

Herman Voogd