It is also called Seragi. It is built in the position of an old monastery witch was called “monastery of Xistri or Xestrou”.
Agiou Andrea Russian Skete lies 500m away from Karies. It is also called Seragi (from the Sei-rai=paradise for the Russians).
It is built in the position of an old monastery witch was called “monastery of Xistri or Xestrou”.
Until the 17th century it was cell with the name “Agios Antonios”. In this cell come in the middle of 17th century, the Ecumenical Patriarch of Konstantinoupolis, Agios Athanasios Patellaros and became a monk. In 1763 another Ecumenical Patriarch, Seraphim B’, comes in the cell.
In 1768, he demolished the cell and built a new one in honor of Antonios the Grate and Apostol Andrew. He also built a temple in honor of Apostol Andrew which it was a miniature of the Grate, Agias Sofia’s temple in Konstantinoupolis.
Today we can see only the ruins of this temple. In 1841, the Russian monks, Vissarion and Varsanoufios come in the cell. It was become a coenobitic Skite on 1849.
The main temple of St. Andrews Skite was founded in 1842 by Russian monks and is the largest in Balkans (60m long by 33m wide and 29m height. The library was destroyed by fire in 1958.
The early days of the 20th century, it was home for 800 Russian monks. The last monk of the old –Russian- brotherhood, Father Sampson, died in 1971. After 20 years of desolation, a new –Greek- brotherhood comes in 1992.
The Dikeos Father Efrem and many young monks come in 2001. It belongs to Vatopedi monastery
