The Russians and Mount Athos

[ORAC]

What is behind Vladimir Putin?s curious interest in Mount Athos? (http://www.spectator.co.uk/2016/09/what-is-behind-vladimir-putins-curious-interest-in-mount-athos/)

[Rosevidney1]

Curious indeed. A modern enigma.

[T28B]

It seems to me that the reporter is a busybody who ought to mind his own business. The tradition of monastic life, while curious and to me baffling, is something that those of that particular faith take seriously. The Orthodox faith community is a couple of millenia old. The EU? A few decades. The author's juxtaposing the two makes me skeptical of his agenda and intent in presenting this article.

Put another way, the bias screams off of the page.

[Royalistflyer]

T28B You got that exactly right. Without smart remarks, Prince Charles and his father visit Mount Athos regularly too, as do many men from this country.

[beardy]

Following the split between Roman Catholicism and Orthodox churches the Czar and Russia saw themselves as the bastion and upholders of the Orthodox traditions. Nothing has changed really. Mount Athos is special in that Orthodox tradition.

[JENKINS]

A variety of British authors, spies, antiquarians, and artists have produced excellent accounts of their visits to Mount Athos. Try James Lees Milne or Bruce Chatwin. One must wonder, Beardy, if the implications of the Spectator article could be applied to the important centre for the British Orthodox churches in the various Walsingham villages. I visited frequently during my time working at Horsham Saint Faith. On my next visit to Norfolk I will watch closely for those with 'snow on their boots.'

Regards.

[Wander00]

Jenkins - used to live in that area, firstly in Horsham St Faith MQ (for Neatishead) and then in our cottage in Lt Snoring. Walsinghams just up the road. never noticed anything odd. However, loca butcher had the licence to shoot deer on a local estate - last lot a £ a lb - but it was in about 1996!

[racedo]

Religious site which author of article detests, calls it a spy site.

Putin has been supportive of Christianity for a while be it in Syria or in Russia for a considerable period of time

[JENKINS]

Little Snoring, Great Massingham, Keith Miller, Australian cricket, Princess Margaret. Good for gossip!

Last picnic at Little Snoring 2014. Interesting church. Swannington equally interesting, with Harrier sadness.

[dead_pan]

Vlad playing to his key demographic and a key sponsor methinks. Got to keep the old folk on side, given he's probably going to have to cut their pensions soon.

Wasn't Athos where Bruce Chatwin had his, erm, conversion? Can't think of any connection with Vlad there though...

[ORAC]

With the villas being built, and the tax free status of the Church, it just seemed someone had found an excellent location to not only avoid taxes, but also bypass all Us and EU sanctions...... plus have a nice secure and secluded holiday home of course.

[Lonewolf_50]

I'm with ORAC. Legal loophole diving is a time honored tradition in Western Civilization. (Might Vlad be playing a bit to the Greek audience as well, given Greece and the EU still having some issues?)

[ExRAFRadar]

I'm going to have to ask what is the link to Military Aviation?
Not normally one for posting this kind of "What is this doing here" but this one seems a bit tenuous to say the least.

[Wageslave]

Historically the Russians have long had close ties with Mt Athos, including an invasion of it in the 1920s (?).

Whatever the thug in the Kremlin's motives are you can be certain they are aimed squarely at Advantage Russia or Advantage Putin at some point in the future.

What better place to undertake nefarious activities against the West than a strategically placed severely off-limits security mad religious community where every visitor is documented to the hilt?

[Buster11]

Time magazine last week had an interesting article on just this, pointing out that Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Albania, Moldova, Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro all have some variant of the Orthodox wing of Christianity, and ingratiating himself with the inhabitants of this contiguous range of countries is probably no bad thing for Vlad.

[Lonewolf_50]

@ExRAFRadar: a fair question, and I think the answer is, in terms of relation, real estate and geopolitical strategy. The latter ends up having an influence on where the folks who fly the hardware operate, in war or in peace.


All those years of playing tag with the Sovs and their keeping an eye on us are subservient to geopolitical strategy.

[ExRAFRadar]

Thanks Lonewolf, my apologies if I came across as 'One of Them'

I stand corrected.

[Lonewolf_50]

@ExRAF No apology needed, particularly when I consider the linked article. Maybe my explanation is a reach. :)

[A_Van]

First, I share the question posed by ExRARRadar concerning “... and what is the relation of this topic to mil. aviation?”


Second, as for the subject, I see neither secrets, nor place for conspiracy there. Putin is on good terms with patriarch Cyrril (or Kirill) whom I also call “the CEO of the Russian Orthodox Church, Inc.” and supports his efforts on consolidation of all orthodox folks in Europe, plus improving the links with the Catholics (I recall there was a meeting with the Pope not long ago, after many decades of ignoring each other). Who would call those efforts counter-productive while facing the raise of radical Islam (also in Europe)?