The celebration of the millennium of Athos in 1963 and its significance

The great importance for the inhabitants of the Holy Mount and the entire Orthodox world was the celebration in 1963 of the 1000th Anniversary of the founding of the Great Lavra by the monk Athanasius of Athos. At the same time, the anniversary of the entire organized monastic community on the Holy Mountain was celebrated. In previous decades, economic difficulties caused the decline of the Athos monasteries and a reduction in the number of monks. However, it was the anniversary celebrations on Mount Athos that became the starting point and an important incentive for the subsequent revival of his monasticism. After the celebration of the Millennium of the Holy Mount returned to life and renewed Athos monastic communities, some of which were already considered to be fading. Young intellectuals who are looking for a living spiritual tradition came to them. A few years after the anniversary began the growth of the number of Athonites. The most important result for The Russian Orthodox Church was the actual removal of the complete ban on the replenishment of the Russian brotherhood of the Athos monasteries, which saved the St. Panteleimon monastery from extinction.