Confession of a Ghost. F.M. Dostoevsky award. Playing Another Reality. Alexandra Kryuchkova

my friend and believe in God, as he does, and one day you’ll write a book about us. Vasilios offered to include our miracle in it. Scientists from the Greek Academy of Sciences are exploring the chapel of St. Theodora in the mountains of Greek Arcadia. The stone chapel, standing on the water, is sprouted with high trees, as if hairs were growing upwards from its walls and roof, but it doesn’t fall apart, despite the multi-ton weight of the trees. Theodora was a Byzantine martyr from a Peloponnesian village near Megalopoli. At the age of 17, dressed in men’s clothes, she replaced her sick and impoverished father, who couldn’t go to war. Theodora fought bravely and after the war decided to leave for the monastery, but a woman fell in love with her. After the refusal, she slandered Theodora, saying she was pregnant, and demanded their wedding. Theodora didn’t betray the secret so that her father wouldn’t be harmed, and she was martyred, asking Christ, ‘Let my blood become a stream, my body – a temple, and my hair – trees.’ Whatever people can do out of love!”

      “No, Dimitra, slander is not out of love. True Love fulfilled Theodora’s wish!”

      Dimitra translated my words to Vasilios, and he handed me the olives. I opened my wallet, but Vasilios shook his head categorically.

      “He sees you different from others, Alice, and won’t take money, but asks you to pray for him. Oh, man of God, our Vasilios, God’s man! Take your olives and let’s go back! My husband doesn’t speak English well and might miss the customers!”

      Tower of Ouranoupoli

      I was sitting on the seashore, wondering what to do next, when I suddenly noticed a Ghost Ship slowly sailing from the islands towards the Holy Mountain.

      “Lack of humility,” I heard, turned around and saw a monk. He was alive, and, sitting down next to me, he continued, “Humility is perhaps the only way to Salvation. A patient one can endure hardships and adversity, but won’t humble oneself and …”

      “I am a ghost,” I whispered in surprise.

      “Do you think monks cannot see ghosts? This Ship has been sailing the same route for hundreds of years, and each time it crashes at the foot of Cape the Killer, next to Karoulia. Its captain is one of the stubbornest ghosts in the world!”

      “Is Karoulia the place where invisible hermits live?”

      “It’s a wilderness, hard-to-reach place, from that side even pirates couldn’t approach the Mountain. The word “karoulia” means ropes, chains. There are caves in the crevices of sheer cliffs above the abyss, and the cells-huts on the ledges look like swallows’ nests. Most of the monks on Athos live in luxury, and those with strong spirit go to Karoulia. They fish from 80-meter cliffs, collect rainwater, since summer is the time of drought, it’s usually 50 degrees, and in winter it’s very cold because of the wind. On bare rocks there are ropes and chains for hermits to move, and winches for food.”

      “Are there many cells and caves there?”

      “Nobody counted them, but 12 are the active ones.”

      “12… as the invisible hermits?”

      “And the Apostles,” the monk smiled. “Mostly Russians and Serbs lived in Karoulia, although the territory belongs to the Great Lavra. The cells cut off from the outside world by a gorge are called horrible. Monks come there for a while, having taken a vow – there are too many devils, they pull you into the abyss, but humility is a great thing, if you pray, you humble yourself, and they retreat.”

      “Is it the abyss, the depth of which is equal to the height of the Mountain?”

      “Has anyone been there? Measured? Whatever they invent about the abyss, even that some octopus the monster lives in it. It’s the abyss of the Devil, who can draw anyone even from a high rung of the Stairs of the Spirit. There are many devils there – temptations, especially strong at night – they throw stones, make you fear. However, like snakes, they cannot harm those who is strong in Spirit. Although, at night, out of habit, it seems, here it is, the Apocalypse, so stormy the weather is there! Humility and prayer give us a chance to reach Heaven.”