In Oxford hosted the presentation of a book about the Ukrainian Athonite elder Avvakum (Vakarov)
October 10, 2023A lecture on the history and spiritual heritage of Athonite monasticism on the Holy Mountain in the 20th century was held in Oxford at the office of the Anglican-Orthodox Fellowship of Saint Alban and Saint Sergius on 4 October 2023.
The event included the presentation of a book by Ukrainian historian Serhii Shumylo, “Elder Avvakum of Mount Athos. The Life of Athonite Hieroschemamonk Avvakum (Vakarov)”, – about the Ukrainian Athonite elder Avvakum (Vakarov), who came from Transcarpathia and was a disciple of the famous Orthodox saint St Silouan of Mount Athos.
The presentation was conducted by the author of the book, Director of the International Institute of the Athonite Legacy in Ukraine Dr Serhii Shumylo and Dean of the Orthodox Theological Faculty of the University of Presov in Slovakia Dr Archpriest Stefan Pruzinsky. Also participating in the event was Archpriest Stephen Platt, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Institute of Orthodox Studies at the University of Cambridge and Secretary General of the Fellowship Saint Alban and Saint Sergius (Oxford, UK). The event was also attended by Professor Dimitri Konomos, Professor of Oxford and London Universities, who has long been an advisor to the British Royal Family on Orthodoxy. Also joining the event were Oxford University professors Serafima Konstantinovska, Marina Samsonova and others.
The lecture and presentation of the book took place in the room where Professors Nikolai Zernov, Georgy Florovsky, Metropolitan Anthony Bloom, Metropolitan Kallistos Ware and others had once spoken.
The book on the Ukrainian Athonite elder Avvakum (Vakarov) is a joint publication of the International Institute of Athonite Heritage in Ukraine and the British Society “The Friends of Mount Athos”. It is one of the last publications realised during the lifetime of Metropolitan Kallistos Ware with his blessing and begins with his introductory remarks. The elder Avvakum (Vakarov; 1899-1972) was a disciple of the famous Orthodox St Silouan of Mount Athos and an associate of St Sophrony (Sakharov) of Essex. He also maintained close relations with St Paisios of Mount Athos, St Porphyrios of Kafsokalyvia, Bishops Vasily Krivoshein, Kassian Bezobrazov and Anthony Bloom.
