The Skete of Prophet Elijah
Crowned by one of the largest churches on the Holy Mountain, the Skete of Prophet Elijah rises above Pantokratoros — a skete built on the scale of a cathedral, and once the heart of a whole movement of monastic renewal.
Founded: 18th century · Dedicated to: The Prophet Elijah
The Skete of Prophet Elijah stands on the north-east side of the peninsula, above the Monastery of Pantokratoros to which it belongs. It was founded in 1757 by Saint Paisius Velichkovsky, the great renewer of Orthodox monasticism whose teaching on the Jesus Prayer spread across the Slavic world.
A church like a cathedral
Unlike most sketes of scattered cells, Prophet Elijah grew into a large, centralised community with an immense katholikon — one of the biggest churches on Athos — reflecting its wealth and importance in the 19th and early 20th centuries, when it was a major Russian centre.
Saint Paisius and the Philokalia
Through Saint Paisius Velichkovsky, the skete is linked to the revival of hesychast prayer and the spread of the Philokalia — the influence of Athos reaching far into Russia, Romania and beyond.
In the series
The seventh journey of the documentary is filmed at the Skete of Prophet Elijah.
Frequently asked questions
Who founded the Skete of Prophet Elijah?
Saint Paisius Velichkovsky, in 1757, the great renewer of Orthodox monasticism and the hesychast prayer tradition.
What is special about the Skete of Prophet Elijah?
It has one of the largest churches on Mount Athos and was a major centre of Russian monasticism.
Which monastery does the skete belong to?
The Monastery of Pantokratoros.