New Athos or Akhali Atoni[b] is a town in the Gudauta raion of Abkhazia[a] situated some 22 km (14 mi) from Sukhumi by the shores of the Black Sea. The town was previously known under the names Nikopol, Acheisos, Anakopia, Nikopia, Nikofia, Nikopsis, Absara, and Psyrtskha.
The excavations at the Anakopia Fortress which is located at the edge of the town showed that it functioned in the 5–12 centuries CE,[1] though some archeologists date the construction of the defences to 7th century. Anakopia is associated with the fortress of Tracheia mentioned by Prokopius.[2] Anakopia was the capital of the Abkhazian princedom in the orbit of the Byzantine Empire and then of the Abkhazian Kingdom after the archonLeon II declared himself a king in the late 8th century. Later, the capital was moved to Kutaisi.
Anakopia was ceded to Byzantine Empire by Demetre in 1033 but was retaken by Georgians in 1072 among the other territories Georgia gained as a result of the Empire's defeat at Manzikert at the hands of Seljuks.
According to a tradition Simon the Zealot died in Abkhazia having come there on a missionary trip and was buried in Nicopsis. His remains were transferred to Anakopia in the 14–15 centuries.[3]
Vitali Smyr was reappointed as Mayor on 10 May 2001 following the March 2001 local elections.[4]
On 8 May 2003, Smyr was appointed Minister for Agriculture and released as Mayor of New Athos.[5] On 19 May, Feliks Dautia was appointed his successor.[6]
St. Simon the Canaanite church in the New Athos (VI–VIII cc.)Psyrtskha railway stationNew Athos Cave
In 1874 Russian monks from the overcrowded Rossikon Monastery on Mount Athos arrived to the Caucasus in order to find a place for possible resettlement. They feared that the Ottoman Empire would oust the Russians from Athos after the outbreak of the impending Russo-Turkish War. They selected Psyrtskha, and the Neo-ByzantineNew Athos Monastery, dedicated to St. Simon the Canaanite, was constructed there in the 1880s with funds provided by TsarAlexander III of Russia. Eventually Russian monks were permitted to stay in the "old" Athos, and the New Athos monastery had much less occupancy than anticipated.
In 1924, during the Soviet persecution of religion, the monastery was closed. It was later used as a storage facility, tourist base, hospital and museum. Its return to the Orthodox Church began in 1994, after the end of the war in Abkhazia.
The scenic setting of the New Athos monastery by the sea has made it a popular destination with Russian tourists visiting Abkhazia.[8] An older church of St. Simon the Canaanite, dated to the 9th-10th century and reconstructed in the 1880s, is located near the town, on the Psyrtskha stream.
Hydroelectric power stationedit
New Athos has a small hydroelectric power station and artificial lake on the Psyrtskha river, close to the old Church of St. Simon the Canaanite. The station was built by the monks of the monastery between 1892 and 1903 and repaired in 1922. It remained broken for over forty years before being repaired again – it was re-opened on 4 June 2012. It produces an estimated 100 kW "per hour [sic]" for the monastery which still owns it.[9][10]
^ abThe political status of Abkhazia is disputed. Having unilaterally declared independence from Georgia in 1992, Abkhazia is formally recognised as an independent state by 5 UN member states (two other states previously recognised it but then withdrew their recognition), while the remainder of the international community recognizes it as as de jure Georgian territory. Georgia continues to claim the area as its own territory, designating it as Russian-occupied territory.
^Амичба, Г. А. (1988). Новый Афон и его окрестности (in Russian). Сухуми: Алашара. p. 4.
^David, Braund (1994). Georgia in Antiquity. A History of Colchis and Transcaucasian Iberia 550 BC AD 562. Calendon Press. p. 301. ISBN0198144733.
^McDowell, Sean (2016). The Fate of the Apostles: Examining the Martyrdom Accounts of the Closest Followers of Jesus. Routledge. p. 247. ISBN9781317031895.
^"Выпуск № 92". Apsnypress. 10 May 2001. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
^ abВыпуск № 088. Apsnypress (in Russian). 8 May 2003. Retrieved 18 April 2011.
^ ab"Выпуск № 095". Apsnypress. 19 May 2003. Retrieved 27 January 2012.
^Kazenin, Konstantin (19 May 2003). "Первый месяц "окопного" правительства: Абхазия в СМИ 1-18 мая 2003". REGNUM News Agency. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
^. Apsnypress. 29 May 2012. Archived from the original on 9 November 2013. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
^. Apsnypress. 4 June 2012. Archived from the original on 11 August 2014. Retrieved 6 June 2012.
^New Athos Cave at showcaves.com 3 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine
^New Athos Cave Railway at metro-novyafon.narod.ru
External linksedit
Media related to New Athos at Wikimedia Commons
New Athos travel guide from Wikivoyage
Hydroturbine Pelton on Mount Athos 100 kw Athos Greece (video)
January 01, 1970
athos, akhali, atoni, town, gudauta, raion, abkhazia, situated, some, from, sukhumi, shores, black, town, previously, known, under, names, nikopol, acheisos, anakopia, nikopia, nikofia, nikopsis, absara, psyrtskha, ახალი, ათონი, Афон, Ҿыц, Новый, Афон, Νέος, Ά. New Athos or Akhali Atoni b is a town in the Gudauta raion of Abkhazia a situated some 22 km 14 mi from Sukhumi by the shores of the Black Sea The town was previously known under the names Nikopol Acheisos Anakopia Nikopia Nikofia Nikopsis Absara and Psyrtskha New Athos ახალი ათონი Afon Ҿyc Novyj Afon Neos A8wsAkhali Atoni Afon Ch yts Novy Afon Neos AthostownNew Athos MonasteryLocation of New Athos in AbkhaziaCoordinates 43 05 3 3 N 40 49 2 64 E 43 084250 N 40 8174000 E 43 084250 40 8174000Country GeorgiaPartially recognized independent country Abkhazia a DistrictGudautaGovernment MayorFeliks DautiaPopulation 2011 Total1 518Time zoneUTC 3 MSK Summer DST UTC 4 New Athos Cave is one of Abkhazia s tourist attractions Contents 1 History 2 Geography 3 Administration 3 1 List of mayors 4 Main sights 4 1 Monastery 4 2 Hydroelectric power station 4 3 Cave 5 Twin towns sister cities 6 See also 7 Notes 8 References 9 External linksHistory edit nbsp Anakopia fortress The excavations at the Anakopia Fortress which is located at the edge of the town showed that it functioned in the 5 12 centuries CE 1 though some archeologists date the construction of the defences to 7th century Anakopia is associated with the fortress of Tracheia mentioned by Prokopius 2 Anakopia was the capital of the Abkhazian princedom in the orbit of the Byzantine Empire and then of the Abkhazian Kingdom after the archon Leon II declared himself a king in the late 8th century Later the capital was moved to Kutaisi Anakopia was ceded to Byzantine Empire by Demetre in 1033 but was retaken by Georgians in 1072 among the other territories Georgia gained as a result of the Empire s defeat at Manzikert at the hands of Seljuks According to a tradition Simon the Zealot died in Abkhazia having come there on a missionary trip and was buried in Nicopsis His remains were transferred to Anakopia in the 14 15 centuries 3 Geography editLocated between the Black Sea and the Iverian Mountain New Athos is 17 km far from Gudauta 22 from Sukhumi and 84 from the Russian borders at Vesyoloye a village near the city of Sochi Administration editVitali Smyr was reappointed as Mayor on 10 May 2001 following the March 2001 local elections 4 On 8 May 2003 Smyr was appointed Minister for Agriculture and released as Mayor of New Athos 5 On 19 May Feliks Dautia was appointed his successor 6 List of mayors edit Name Entered office Left office President Comments Heads of the Town Administration Vitali Smyr 1995 7 8 May 2003 5 Vladislav Ardzinba Feliks Dautia 19 May 2003 6 12 February 2005 12 February 2005 29 May 2011 Sergei Bagapsh 29 May 2011 Present Alexander AnkvabMain sights editMonastery edit nbsp St Simon the Canaanite church in the New Athos VI VIII cc nbsp Psyrtskha railway station nbsp New Athos Cave In 1874 Russian monks from the overcrowded Rossikon Monastery on Mount Athos arrived to the Caucasus in order to find a place for possible resettlement They feared that the Ottoman Empire would oust the Russians from Athos after the outbreak of the impending Russo Turkish War They selected Psyrtskha and the Neo Byzantine New Athos Monastery dedicated to St Simon the Canaanite was constructed there in the 1880s with funds provided by Tsar Alexander III of Russia Eventually Russian monks were permitted to stay in the old Athos and the New Athos monastery had much less occupancy than anticipated In 1924 during the Soviet persecution of religion the monastery was closed It was later used as a storage facility tourist base hospital and museum Its return to the Orthodox Church began in 1994 after the end of the war in Abkhazia The scenic setting of the New Athos monastery by the sea has made it a popular destination with Russian tourists visiting Abkhazia 8 An older church of St Simon the Canaanite dated to the 9th 10th century and reconstructed in the 1880s is located near the town on the Psyrtskha stream Hydroelectric power station edit New Athos has a small hydroelectric power station and artificial lake on the Psyrtskha river close to the old Church of St Simon the Canaanite The station was built by the monks of the monastery between 1892 and 1903 and repaired in 1922 It remained broken for over forty years before being repaired again it was re opened on 4 June 2012 It produces an estimated 100 kW per hour sic for the monastery which still owns it 9 10 Cave edit Main article New Athos Cave New Athos cave is a karst cave in the Iverian Mountain few km far from the town 11 Since 1975 it is served by the New Athos Cave Railway 12 Twin towns sister cities editSee also List of twin towns and sister cities in Georgia country New Athos is twinned with nbsp Sergiyev Posad Russia nbsp Sarov Russia nbsp Ryazan RussiaSee also editMount AthosNotes edit a b The political status of Abkhazia is disputed Having unilaterally declared independence from Georgia in 1992 Abkhazia is formally recognised as an independent state by 5 UN member states two other states previously recognised it but then withdrew their recognition while the remainder of the international community recognizes it as as de jure Georgian territory Georgia continues to claim the area as its own territory designating it as Russian occupied territory Georgian ახალი ათონიAbkhaz Afon Ҿyc romanized Afon Ch ytsRussian Novyj Afon romanized Novy AfonGreek Neos A8ws romanized Neos AthosReferences edit Amichba G A 1988 Novyj Afon i ego okrestnosti in Russian Suhumi Alashara p 4 David Braund 1994 Georgia in Antiquity A History of Colchis and Transcaucasian Iberia 550 BC AD 562 Calendon Press p 301 ISBN 0198144733 McDowell Sean 2016 The Fate of the Apostles Examining the Martyrdom Accounts of the Closest Followers of Jesus Routledge p 247 ISBN 9781317031895 Vypusk 92 Apsnypress 10 May 2001 Retrieved 24 April 2016 a b Vypusk 088 Apsnypress in Russian 8 May 2003 Retrieved 18 April 2011 a b Vypusk 095 Apsnypress 19 May 2003 Retrieved 27 January 2012 Kazenin Konstantin 19 May 2003 Pervyj mesyac okopnogo pravitelstva Abhaziya v SMI 1 18 maya 2003 REGNUM News Agency Retrieved 14 March 2013 International Crisis Group Abkhazia Deepening Dependence Archived 27 April 2010 at the Wayback Machine p 6 4 iyunya v Novom Afone torzhestvenno otkroyut GES na reke Psyrcha Apsnypress 29 May 2012 Archived from the original on 9 November 2013 Retrieved 31 May 2012 V Novom Afone vveli v ekspluataciyu maluyu GES na reke Psyrcha Apsnypress 4 June 2012 Archived from the original on 11 August 2014 Retrieved 6 June 2012 New Athos Cave at showcaves com Archived 3 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine New Athos Cave Railway at metro novyafon narod ruExternal links edit nbsp Media related to New Athos at Wikimedia Commons nbsp New Athos travel guide from Wikivoyage Hydroturbine Pelton on Mount Athos 100 kw Athos Greece video Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title New Athos amp oldid 1213041149, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
