Mount Athos holds a special place in the East Christian world. The Russian monastery founded in the 11th century experienced its height in the 19th - early 20th centuries, when it received an official title “Russian” and its brethren numbered up to 1800 people. The deep respect towards the Holy Mount in Russia, the diplomatic support from the Russian Embassy at Constantinople and the rich donations contributed to the prosperity of “Russian Athos”. The systematic indepth study of the sources made it possible to rewrite the history of this unique phenomenon on the Balkans.