Posts in category: Η Ιστορία της Μονής 3 – Ξενοφώντος

During the beginning of the 18th century, only Serbian and Bulgarian monks resided at the Monastery, as we are informed by Ioannis Komnenos and foreign travellers. Moreover, the famous Russian monk-traveller Vasileios Barski visited the Monastery twice during the first half of the 18th century, and commented on the unfortunate situation which he found there: A lack of residents, with only three or four monks living there at that time.

The start of Ottoman rule in 1424 in the area of Mt Athos was not initially accompanied by important changes. However, over time, because of the heavy burden of taxes, the Monastery faced a serious crisis, with the result that Slavic-speaking monks entered the Monastery. However, conditions began to improve around the end of the 15th century, as is evidenced by the construction works which were undertaken at that time. The contributions of the Christian leaders of Moldovlachia played a crucial role in the completion of those projects.
The confiscation of properties belonging to the Monastery by the Sultan Selim II in 1569 led to a new economic crisis, which forced the Monastery to adopt an idiorhythmic system of monastic life, something which all the other Athonite monasteries had also done.