Skete of Saint Demetrios (Lakkoskiti)

History and present days

Lakkoskiti is considered to have been founded as early as the 10th century. In the first half of the 14th century the area was granted by the Protaton of Mount Athos to Serbian monks, who borrowed money from the Holy Monastery of Vatopaidi in order to construct the buildings of the Skete. Later, unable to repay the debt, the monks returned to a certain area of Vatopaidi which, due to its great distance from the Skete, was granted to the Monastery of Saint Paul.

The presence of the Serbian monks has left an indelible mark. Today we can still distinguish the Slavic inscription on the hut of Saint Nicholas, the oldest of the existing huts of the Skete. It is inscribed: "In memory of Hieromonk John, the founder, and his parents, 1606". Since the middle of the 18th century (1754), the Skete has been inhabited by Moldavian monks. For several years it remained abandoned and then it was restored by the Moldavian monk Daniel (1760). Since then, the hermitage of Saint Demetrios has been inhabited by Romanian monks.

Hermitage Guide

The huts are scattered along the hillside, hidden in the lush vegetation. The highest hut is that of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary, where Orthodox books and texts are published and translated into Romanian. On the southern slope, there is the Hut of the Ascension of the Lord. The inscription on the wall dates its foundation on October 30, 1897. Even higher up there is located the Hut of Saint Simeon. These three huts are remarkable for their size, as well as for the fact that they are kept in excellent condition. In fact, they have recently been renovated, which demonstrates the renewal of the population and the increase in the number of monks living in the Skete in the recent years.

The other huts, those of Saint Antonios, Saint Artemios and the Athonite Fathers, are examples of traditional Athonite structures that have unfortunately suffered a lot of damage over time. There was also the Hut of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, which has been completely destroyed.

The cathedral is located on the northern slope. It was built in 1899 and resembles the main church of Saint Paul's Monastery. The cathedral follows the standard Athonite architectural type, with a central dome in the nave and a smaller one above the narthex. The narthex was added in 1903. In the western part there is a two-storey building with a bell tower. Its ground floor space serves as the church's exterior narthex. Inside, the church resembles again the cathedral of the Monastery of Saint Paul. The narthex is not separated from the nave by a wall, but by two marble shrines with images of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary. The iconostasis is made of grey-white marble. The architectural complex of the cathedral formerly included hospitality rooms, a dining room and a library.

On the south side of the cathedral, there is the cemetery church of the Intercession of the Virgin Mary, founded by the Moldavian monk Iakovos in 1849.