The Russian monastery of St. Great Martyr Panteleimon is on the western coast of the Athos peninsula between Daphne’s dock and Xenophon monastery. The monastery is celibate a feast day on July 27. Over the centuries, this monastery has a lot of Russian monks, because of which it is often called simply «Russik».

The monastery was founded in the times of Prince Vladimir Equal-to-the-Apostles and his son Yaroslav, as mentioned in the History of the Russian State. It contains manuscripts of Russian tsars and the All-Russian Patriarch Job. The rules in the monastery are obided by the terms since olden days established by the holy fathers for the common organization brethren: nothing to consider as their own, but to have everything in common.

The monastery crowned with typically Russian onions domes and gilded crosses. According to the decree of 1875, the services here are conducted in the Church Slavonic and Greek languages. Near the cathedral stands a huge, building of the refectory decorated with frescoes for eight hundreds people. The richest library contains 20000 book tomes of Greek and Slavic printed editions. The monastery also owns a large number of small temples and chapels, many of which are dedicated to Russian saints.

In the monastery are the relics of St. John the Baptist, the holy apostles Peter, Andrew, Matthew, Bartholomew, Thomas, Varnava, as well as St. Luke, St. Stephen, St. Prokhor, St. Ambrose of Mediolan, St. Gregory Palamas and St. Silvanus, Modern era (1866 -1938).

According to the style of architecture, the monastery differs from Greek monasteries with its magnificent buildings, which are crowned with pointed cooper covered domes on their tall spiers are seen a majestic crosses. In these Athos buildings the generosity of the Russian soul shows, which in search for holy places reached the coasts of Holy Mountain.

In St. Panteleimon monastery there is honest head of Great Martyr Panteleimon and many parts of the relics of other various saints. There are many evidences due to a visit of Athos, amazing changes happen to the person — he is transformed spiritually, strengthened body and soul, and the circumstances of his life change for the better.

PROGRAM FOR 5 DAYS:

1st. Thessaloniki — Ouranoupoli

Arrival to the airport of Thessaloniki. Meeting at the airport «Macedonia». Group transfer to the Ouranoupoli. Accommodation in the hotel Ouranoupoli.

2nd day. Ouranoupoli — Holy Mount Athos

Breakfast in the hotel. Receiving diamonitirion (permission to stay on Athos) in the pilgrim’s office of the Holy Mountain in Ouranoupoli. Buy tickets for the ferry. Departure by ferry to Holy Mountain at 9:45. Debarkment from the ferry to the wharf of the Russian St. Panteleimon Monastery. Meeting with an archondaric monk responsible for pilgrims. Accommodation in the hostel of the monastery.

3rd day. Athos

Stay in St. Athos in a Russian monastery. During their stay in the Holy Mountain pilgrims live according to the charter of the monastery, attend church services. In the monastery meal — 2 times a day: morning and evening, during the fasting — once. The opportunity to visit the monastery of Xenophon and venerating the relics of St. George, St. Marina, St. Demetrius. It is in 20 minutes walk from the «Russian«, as well as the monastery Dohiar with the icon «Gorgoepikoos«.

4th day. Athos — Ouranoupoli

In the afternoon departure from the wharf of the monastery to the port of Ouranoupoli. Hotel accommodation.

5th day. Ouranoupoli — Thessaloniki

Breakfast in the hotel. Transfer from the hotel to the airport “Macedonia». Departure.

Cost of the tour per person:

Group 3 — 5 people — 230 euro.

Group 6 — 18 people — 180 euro.

The cost of the tour includes:

— group transfer airport — Ouranoupoli — airport

— 2 nights accommodation in double/triple rooms

— meals in the hotel — breakfast

— accommodation and meals on Athos

— preliminary permission to visit Athos

— medical insurance

Diamonitirion (25 euro) and tickets for the ferry are paid on the spot.

Memorable gifts to the pilgrims — rosary, pouch of frankincense, consecrated and venareted to the relics of the monastery of Iveron (more than 180 relics of Orthodox saints) and to the gifts of the Magians of the monastery of Saint Paul.