Entrepreneurs are experiencing the absolute disaster in Ouranoupoli, Halkidiki -his gate Mount Athos– since the beginning of the Russian – Ukrainian involvement. Few businesses are open, some are down, ships for Mount Athos depart with minimal passengers, and the local economy bleeds. “There is a dead body, everything is ‘frozen’, not only by Russians but also by Balkans,” says the president of Ouranoupolis Michalis Lemoniadis.
Desolation is the image that prevails lately, in Ouranoupolis, on the third peninsula of Halkidiki, in Before Mount Athos area. The main reason is the start of the war between Russia and Ukraine. THE Ouranoupolis is the village of about 1,000 permanent residents that welcomes tourists all year round, since, from there the boats depart daily for the monasteries of its west side Mount Athos.
The image has changed this season, there is almost no human circulation. “If last year, at such a time, and during a pandemic, at least 100 people passed by every day for it Mount Athos“now there are only a few, a few Romanians, Bulgarians and 90% Greeks” says the president of Ouranoupolis Michalis Lemoniadis.
Going back to the pre-pandemic period, in the years 2019, at least 1,000 people went through such an era on a daily basis. “From 6.30 in the morning that the ship has’Saint Anna‘and then the ferry until sunset, count the speedboats and water taxis’ with the big ships departed and 400 people every day, now to be 30 – 40 “he says with emphasis Mr. Lemoniadis.
March – April the blood donors of the local economy
More than 100 companies (restaurants, folk art items, hagiography items, cafes, markets, small hotels, etc.) are active in Ouranoupolis. At this time to operate or under-operate any of 10 – 15 of them.
“Ouranoupoli is a dead city these months, until the summer, it is the blood donor of its economy OuranoupolisSays the local community member and hotelier Tryfon Mitintzis explaining how war, huge increases and pandemics have led the local economy and entrepreneurs to total destruction
Currently there are two taverns, two other grocery stores that are also property, the shops with folk and religious art are closed. “They would open in early March, open now to do what? “There is no mood, from Easter and if, they say,” he says Mr. Mitintzis.
The same hotelier with a small hotel of 20 rooms on its main road Ouranoupoliswhich operates all year round, as he says “now, we only open when they call us and they are our customers” adding “for tonight (s.s. last night) I have two rooms, yesterday (s.s. the day before yesterday) I had none »When other years such a season was full.
Asked o Mr. Mitintzis about how much money is lost from the ‘freezing’ of Russian tourists from the area, he answers “thousands, what can I tell you, when Russians came and bought very expensive pictures that cost between 20,000 and 30,000 euros, you understand”.
Uncertainty, dreams, hopes
Undoubtedly, the passage of dozens of pilgrims through Ouranoupolis with destination Mount Athos until recently, it was a source of life for the local community.
As its president explains Ouranoupolis and restaurant Michalis Lemoniadismany strangers came with their wives, the males went to Mount Athos, then they stayed in Ouranoupoli, they ate, they toured. “Now, all that is lost, and I, who normally open in mid-February, now I’m thinking of opening for March 25, am hesitant,” he says.
A small window of optimism he sees Mr. Lemoniadis from Easter onwards, who, speaking to tour operators in Thessaloniki and Athens, conveyed optimistic messages about the arrival of groups of tourists from Central and Western Europe.
For his part the member of the local community and hotelier Tryfon Mitintzis characteristically states “you may dream that in summer there is a possibility of reversing the climate, but until then” adding “I see another year as catastrophic as 2020”.
Ukrainian refugees
Refugee village the Ouranoupolis created by refugees from the Marmaris Islands and Caesarea, shortly after 1924. The area of ​​today Ouranoupolis belonged to the monastery of Vatopedi, as early as 1018, and was called Prosforion. Its current name was given in 1946, in memory of the ancient city located in the area of ​​Nea Rhodes.
Nowadays, with the Russian invasion of Ukraine in progress and which has forced thousands of Ukrainians to leave their country, as Mr. Lemoniadis informs, he has given two of his apartments to Ukrainians. These are two families, one with five children and the other with one.
The Tower and the Monastery of Zygos
Her trademark Ouranoupolis is the Offer Tower, in the port, one of the largest and best preserved partial towers of Halkidiki, with a height of 22 m.
It is not open at this time of year – it usually operates from April – but when you are in the area, it is worth visiting, which contains information about the history of the Tower, the offer of the offer, the refugee Ouranoupolis and the art. of carpet in the village. There are also some items of the Locke couple that had settled in 1928, as well as their history etc.
Also, in the place of Frangokastro, just 40 meters, outside the border of Mount Athos, are the ruins of the Mount Athos Monastery of Zygos, with the first report coming from a document of 942. The Monastery of Zygos, for the most part, has been restored and is a unique readable example of an early Mount Athos monastery, open to women. It is 2 km (dirt road) from its center Ouranoupolis.
As for the peninsula of Mount Athos, it has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988, and is one of the most important centers of ascetic life. The community of 20 monasteries has a number of religious and other buildings of unique architecture
GRTIMES
Follow Skai.gr on Google News
and be the first to know all the news
