Politically, the monastic republic consists of a peninsula (except for its northernmost part), the so-called autonomous monastic republic (autonomous monastic state) within Greece. Mount Athos is named after its 2033 m high peak. The area of the monastic republic is 336 km², there are 20 self-governing monasteries, the population exceeds 2000 Orthodox Christian monks. It is the only place in the world inhabited exclusively by men, whose main goal is the glorification of the Trinitarian God and the fight against passion in the pursuit of eternal life, next to the throne of God. Women and children are prohibited from entering the territory of the monastic republic.
Visitors are granted four-day permits to stay on the peninsula, which could be extended under certain circumstances. According to the unwritten law of hospitality, monasteries provide visitors with free accommodation and food. If someone wishes, he can stay in one of the monasteries for a longer period of time, participate in their daily life and help with various tasks.
In the spring of 1986, the monastery was without a telephone for more than five months, an event not unusual on Mount Athos. It happened that one of the brothers, who was working in the garden, was hit in the eye by a fragment of a stone. Only after two days did he get to the AHEPA hospital in Thessaloniki. When Mr. Georgiadis, Professor of Ophthalmology and Chairman of the Radio Amateur Union of Northern Greece at the time, heard this story, he recommended that someone in the monastery become a radio amateur to guarantee communication in case of emergency, for the safety of the monks as well as the treasures, important medieval written and artistic monuments stored in the monastery.
After his studies, Monk Apollo embarked on a path of total devotion to Christ and became a monk in 1973. He has been a member of the board of directors of Dochiariou Monastery on the Holy Athos Peninsula since 1980. His competencies include hydraulics, electricity, heavy machinery and other general duties related to the maintenance of the monastery.
In 1988 he received a concession, he is the only active radio amateur on Athos. He made the first connection in 1990. Every year, radio amateur friends from all over the world visit him. He had an unforgettable, very moving meeting with the Russian cosmonaut Valery Korzun, R0ISS, with whom he had contacts by exchanging digital photos during his six-month mission on the ISS in 2002. During his visit to the monastery, he showed him his hamshack, from where he established connections with the space station. He also showed him the candlestick where he lit a candle for him and his crew every night.
As a monk, he must constantly remind himself that he is carrying a heavy legacy of more than a thousand years on his shoulders. It is a legacy that he deeply respects and feels obligated to spread throughout the world. From distant Athos, a place that continues to live undisturbed according to its own ancient rhythms and unchanged way of life...
With Monk Apollo, SV2ASP/A I had a rare connection on the evening of January 1, 2016 on the 80 m band. I listened to him for a while as he gave the challenge. It was strange to me that no one called him, I heard him just fine. I said my call sign, he gave me report 59. I asked him his name just to be sure, said Monk Apollo. And then it started, the stations were calling him head over heels like a hornet's nest!
YOU 73! Villa, OM3CAQ