Ukrainian Monks and Pilgrims on the Holy Mount Athos

The article deals with the tradition of pilgrimage from the Ukrainian lands to the territory of St. Athos. The context for this is the religious and civilization processes in the European territories from the time of the Middle Ages. The article emphasizes the special importance of Athos precisely for Orthodox travelers. The Russian position regarding the study of this issue is also noted to be determined by the great-power position of the Russian clergy and the concept of “Third Rome”. It is noted that the Ruthenians (Ukrainians) presence in Athos for many centuries was a reflection of the international situation. The most famous monasteries of the Ukrainian pilgrimage on the Holy Mount Athos were the monasteries of St. Pantaleon and St. Andrew.

With the Orthodox Church of Ukraine obtaining autocephaly in 2018, it allows us to look into the issues the Ukrainian lands ties with Athos in a new context. Therefore, there is a need to create a broad international scientific team of historians, philologists, culturologists and religious scholars for the purpose of its detailed study. This idea is important not only for the Ukrainians but also for the Poles, since there is a need to confront Russian nationalism and the idea of the “Third Rome”, been the basis of the dictatorial power of Russia over other Slavic nations.