On August 28th 2023 a new kelion was opened on Athos. This is a special occasion, because the opening of a new habitation does not happen regularly on The Holy Mountain. Although, in 2018 I posted a blog with the news that a new Georgain settlement was being build near Kolitsou, not far from Vatopedi monastery.
According to the Athonite statutes, there are 20 ruling monasteries on the Holy Mountain, and all other sketes and cells are dependent upon one of these main monasteries. The new Georgian habitation is dependent upon Lavra. The first is dependent upon Simonopetras (where could this building be?) and the second upon Vatopedi- Kolitsou.
The news is announced on the official website of the Georgian Patriarchate. It does not tell us where the new skete/keli is located, but if you look at the picture above it must be somewhere in the Provata area near Karakallou (with the top of the Holy Mountain insight).
The new skete was founded by the initiative and direct efforts of Father Hilarion, a Georgian monk who has already been laboring on Mt. Athos for more than 20 years, and with the financial help of Georgian believers.
Wim Voogd, 4/9/2023
source: Orthochristain.com and Facebook Vasilis, photos thanks to sazu.ge.
Japetus wrote in a comment that a new settlement on Athos cannot be called a skete because there is a maximum of 12 on the Holy Mountain, so it must be named a keli/kelion.
A quick remark here as this is a very common misconception in regards to athonic terms. This is clearly a keli and not a skete. Russians and the orthodox churhes that once belonged to the influence zone of the Moschow patriarchate call ‘skete’ every bigger than a kelion and smaller than a monastery building in Athos.
In Athonite rite however, a skete is one of the twelve only settlements (or buildings) in Athos. As there are only twenty monasteries so there are only twelve sketes and can be no more. Moreover, according to athonic law, no new building is allowed to be built anywhere in Mount Athos, unless it is a reconstruction of a former establishment.
So, all these establishments with georgian monks, are kelia and not sketes..
My Athosfriend Andreas knows a lot about the Holy Mountain. He tells me that the new keli/kelion is in Provata a bit further than keli Agia Triada. On Google Maps you may see only the church for now.
This is not a skite. This is the cell of Kimisis Theotoku. Georgian monk Hilarion Lavriot (ex Hilandarac) resides. It has two churches: Kimisiš (big, new) and the small (separate) St. Hilarion. It is located in Provata on the right side of the road to Morfono. The closest cell is St. Andrej. A little closer is the building of the former kyriacon (skete) of St. George.
The Georgian kelion of Simonas Petras is right below the monastery, when aproaching the harbor you can see it.