Cozy, homely, the monastery, like a blanket, wraps its pilgrims with care.
Kutlumush is the hospitable doors of Mount Athos, once opened by militant ill-wishers, who martyred 16 ascetics steadfast in Orthodoxy for Orthodoxy. Thus the glorious martyrs of Kutlumush were sadly revealed to the world. It was the hermitage of this monastery that was the first home of the world-famous Starets Paisii Svyatogorets!
The cozy, homely monastery, like a blanket, wraps with the care of tired pilgrims who have just arrived on the Holy Mountain. It is literally just a stone's throw from the capital of Kareia (Karies - as the Greeks call it), a five minute walk from the cathedral square. So if there is no hope of getting an overnight stay elsewhere, the Mother of God will always take care of her loving child, with all her motherly foresight giving rest to body and soul before the arduous journey through the many shrines.
This monastery was wrapped by the Blessed Virgin Mary with her cloak of love and mercy when imminent destruction almost came from the terrible praetas. Kutlumush became invisible in the fog, which saved it. Perhaps that is why the monastery got its name: "saved from enemies" ("Kur-tur-mush" is a Turkish word). This is one version of the origin of the name of the monastery, but there are others, and quite curious ones. Perhaps it is the name of an Arab who converted to Christianity and later became a monk, perhaps the monastery is named after St. Kulumusa, who was originally from Ethiopia - a ruler or a noble rich man from the distant XI-XII centuries, who became a Byzantine subject. There are scientific hypotheses that a monastery dedicated to the Transfiguration of the Lord has existed here since the 10th century; one manuscript from the Zografu monastery mentions the hegumen Gabriel of the Transfiguration. There is evidence that the establishment of the monastery took place under the Byzantine emperor Alexios I Komnenos (1081-1117). However, the first official document about the Kutlumushi monastery dates back to 1169.
In the central part of the ensemble of severe walls, like a fortress surrounding the courtyard, there is the Holy Transfiguration Cathedral Church (kapholikon), built in 1540. Around the same time, it was painted by unknown Greek painters of Cretan origin. However, the ancient frescoes, alas, have not survived. Here, too, in the southwest corner of the monastery, there is a pyrgos (i.e. tower) which already existed in 1774. In 1773 the church was renovated, today you can admire the frescoes, which in 1774 decorated the lithium vestibule. In 1913, was built by the refectory, as well as unchanged for St. Serpents fiale (bowl for the consecration of water). The arched passageways, the same type throughout the courtyard, may seem dull, but Kutlumush is very interesting for its later history.
Despite the fact that the beginning of the monastery is associated either with its Turkish or Ethiopian founder, Kutlumush had serious links with the Slavic world, only a little later in time. In the documents of the XVI century, the monastery was called "Lavra of the Romanian Church. In the XIV-XVI centuries it was inhabited not only by the Greeks, but also by many Slavs: Ivan Asen, one of the sons of the Bulgarian king Ivan-Alexander, asceticized here. In 1416-1439, just before the conquest of Byzantium by the Turks, he was Patriarch of Constantinople. In 1372, Metropolitan Chariton of Kutlumush became the abbot of the "Ugrovalsh" (modern territories of Hungary, Romania). He was much loved by the Serbs and Romanians, he communicated with the rulers of these countries, and in 1372 he became metropolitan of Wallachia. And even after that Blessed Chariton remained hegumen of Kutlumush, moreover - for 2 years he was elected Athos protom! There is no doubt that thanks to him, many people from Romania became Athonite monks, and most often they remained in this monastery. Wallachian rulers and governors rebuilt Kutlumush after all the fires, destruction and devastation. The XIV century is the period of prosperity of the monastery. After the fire in 1497, the monastery was restored, and soon the number of monks was about 700! Coming from this cloister was the Patriarch of Alexandria, Pope Matthew III, who undoubtedly supported his native Kutlumush during his patriarchal ministry (1747-1769), then he returned here before his death...
In the middle of the nineteenth century, the monastery restored the kinovia, i.e. the communal rule. But in the XX century there was a period of decline and desolation. A fire in 1981 severely damaged the monastery, and torrential rains later compounded the plight. Nevertheless, the monastery has been resurrected again, rejoicing both in its outward splendor and active monastic life. The revival began under the abbot Christodoul. The tight-knit brotherhood of Kutlumush Monastery has managed to restore the buildings and the refectory. And not to despair! The monastery takes the sixth place in the hierarchy of Svyatogorsk monasteries.
Despite its modest appearance, Kutlumushki monastery keeps remarkable shrines. The icon of Our Lady, which is called "Amazing Intercession" or "Dreadful Intercession," is kept here, and Russian speakers know it as Passion and have been worshipping it for a very long time. It was before her that the monks prayed, asking for deliverance from the pirates. And help was not slow to come! The miracle is that this ancient XIII century icon did not perish in numerous fires, and the Virgin Mary shows many miracles to those praying before this image. There is also a miracle-working icon of the Mother of God donated by Theodora, the daughter of the Byzantine emperor John Kontakuzin. Kutlumush keeps a part of the Holy Cross, parts of the relics of many saints - saints. Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, Charalampios and James the Persian, the M. M. Panteleimon and Eustathios the Plakida, the M. M. Eustratios, Marinas and Kirikos, the Mts. of Anastasia the Confessor, Matrona and Paraskeva Friday, the Saints Alipy the pillar-bearer and Nilus the Mirotochi, the Nov. The new saints are: Panagiot of Cessaria; St. Eleutherius; St. Anne, the mother of the Most Holy Mother of God; St. Paul of Cessaria; and St. Joseph of Cessaria. Anna, the Mother of the Most Holy Theotokos.
Besides the Sobornaya Temple, the monastery also has minor churches-parakels and chapels consecrated in honor of the holy Martyr Natalya, All Saints, John the Baptist, Cosmas and Damian, and Saint Spiridon. Beyond the territory of the monastery are three more churches: St. Tryphon, St. Nicholas and the Holy Archangels. The monastery also belongs to 18 cells, three houses of hermitage, and Greek hermitage in honor of the Great Martyr and Healer Panteleimon, which in 1785 founded monk Haralampy. Not far from it, in the cell of Panagud, the recently canonized, beloved by many, Blessed Starets Paisii Svyatogorets carried out his exploits. In the Kutlumush monastery the remarkable Starets Gabriel and, of course, many ascetics unknown to us.
- This is probably not the right word to describe the monastery, but one can say so about the monastery of Kutlumush with full confidence: it is located approximately in the middle of the peninsula from north to south and from west to east, closer to the Aegean Sea. Although the monastery does not stand by the shore, it has one of the best marinas of the Holy Mount Athos - called Kamegra. The extremely beautiful location cannot fail to impress the visitor - the small, well maintained monastery is bordered by groves, vineyards and gardens, and is literally buried in verdure. As one pre-revolutionary pilgrim wrote of the monastery, the monastery stands "in a place equal and cheerful, with the waters flowing and the red mountains". Like the "flowing waters", many pilgrims flow "merrily" from this "home" monastery throughout the whole of blessed Mount Athos in an endless river of inspiration!
