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March 5, 2004 ERP KIM Newsletter 05-03-04
Vesti Serbian language émigré newspaper, Frankfurt, Germany Serbian monastery on Holy Mt. Athos in Greece
struck by a great tragedy • Flames swallowed medieval church next to St. Sava Tower with iconostasis and frescoes from the 17th and 18th centuries, a part of the residence hall built in 1821, the restored White Dormitory, built in 1598, said Jugoslav Vukadinovic, the General Consul of Serbia-Montenegro in Thessaloniki • Abbot Mojsije and monks in shock
The greatest of Serbian Orthodox holy shrines, the monastery of Chilander on Holy Mt. Athos in northern Greece (Halikidiki Peninsula), was engulfed by catastrophic fire early Wednesday morning just after midnight. More than one third of the monastery complex was destroyed in the fire. Fortunately, there were no casualties or injuries among the monks, and the cause of the fire and extent of the material damage have yet to be determined. Battling against the fire on Thursday were monks and firefighters, who were joined by Serbia-Montenegro citizens living in that part of Greece.
"The fire broke out between one and two o'clock on Thursday morning on the roof over the library, which is right next to the large dining room. It spread with lighting speed across the rooftops of connected buildings and destroyed a large part of the monastery complex as far as St. Sava Tower. The northwest part of the residence hall, built in 1821 and recently completely restored, was destroyed. The fire also devoured the northeast residence hall or so-called White Dormitory, built in 1598, which was undergoing a general restoration," said Jugoslav Vukadinovic, the General Consul of Serbia-Montenegro in Thessaloniki. Twenty-five Serbian monks were joined at dawn by a firefighting team from Karyes, the administrative seat of Holy Mount Athos, as well as firefighters from Polygiros, a town on the Halkidiki peninsula, who rushed to their aid. After hours of battling the flames, the fire was extinguished on Thursday afternoon.
"Abbot Mojsije and the monks are in complete shock. They fought the fire all night in tears. At dawn Greek firefighters with cisterns ran to their assistance; however, airplanes were not included in firefighting efforts because the Greek Ministry of Culture believed that huge water jets from the sky would further damage Chilander," said Mr. Vukadinovic. He added that Serbia-Montenegro citizens living in that part of Greece (northern Macedonia and Thrace) began to arrive at dawn to help the Chilander monks, as well as that representatives of the Republic of Serbia's Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments and senior officials of state were on their way to Chilander.
"The tragedy is great because Chilander is of incalculable spiritual, cultural and historical value. I am afraid that the consequences will be long-lasting, and the cause of the fire and extent of the damage have yet to be determined. Destroyed in the northwest wing were Chilander's administrative offices, the abbot's cell, the first and second monastery epitropos, the receiving room for guests and the bookstore. Telephone lines with the monastery are not in service and, according to reports by Studio B, the burned residence halls have begun to collapse. Also destroyed was a medieval church next to St. Sava Tower, where the fire destroyed the iconostasis and frescoes from the 17th and 18th centuries. Luckily, in spite of the tragedy, the fire did not spread to the Church of the Holy King Milutin, the monastery treasury, the archive and the library, all containing priceless treasures, despite the fact that they are connected with parts of the monastery destroyed by the fire, said Mr. Vukadinovic.
Bank accounts for donations with blessing of the
Serbian Patriarch By R. Loncar
MESSAGE of H.R.H. Crown Prince Aleksandar II
Karadjordjevic to Patriarch Pavle
Belgrade, March 4, 2004 - H.R.H. Crown Prince Aleksandar II sent a message to His Holiness the Serbian Patriarch Kyr Pavle regarding the catastrophic fire that broke out early Thursday morning in Chilander Monastery on Holy Mt. Athos. "It is with great shock and concern that I received news of the catastrophic fire that occurred at Chilander Monastery. I pray to God that the damage inflicted by the fire is not irreparable, and was relieved to learn that there were no human casualties in this horrible tragedy. "The Serbian Imperial Laura, the priceless treasure of Serbia and all her citizens, left an unforgettable impression on me during my visit, both by its breath taking beauty and by its treasury of the historical and cultural heritage of our people."It is my hope that Chilander Monastery, the center of Serbian spirituality and the oldest Serbian holy shrine, will continue its beneficial influence in centuries to come."
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