NEWS

Mount Athos The cell of Burazeri

The cell of Burazeri, also Belozyorka, is a dependency of the Monastery of Chilandari on Mount Athos. It is located in Karyes, south of the Skete of Saint Andrew (Sarai).

In the past, Karyes was much smaller and the cell was outside of the skete on the road from the sea. According to a legend Archbishop Sava, in the late twelfth century, had gone to Jerusalem soon after restoring the abandoned monastery of Chilandari. On his return he debarked from the boat on the east side of the Athos peninsula. However, he lost his way to Karyes and spent a night in an almost deserted cell he found on his way. In the morning Sava thanked the care taker who in return presented the cell to Saint Sava. Saint Sava restored the cell and came to it when he needed to search for solitude.

In 1882 the pupil of well-known Hadzhi-Georgiy lodged in it – Russian monk Antoniy on the blessing of Russian abbot Makariy and confessor Ieronim. 12 Russian novices followed him.

Peter, the elder son of the monk Antoniy who subsequently became the prior of the cell, was made a monk there. He took the burden of the cell’s renovation. Peter had to ask for the help in Russia writing pleading letters.

The cell had two churches: the main one in honor of Saint Nicholas and the other one dedicated to the Protection of the Theotokos. The cell has become well known on Mount Athos and is more of a small monastery than a cell.