By George-Fivos Sargentis
With the blessing of my much-beloved Elder Gregory, abbot of the Sacred Monastery of Docheiariou at Mount Athos, for the last eight months I have been making two Archangels for the Monastery.
I feel this project to be the "Guardians of the Avaton".*
The model for this project was done in the icon studio of the Monastery in February of 2014.
I started working on the model of the project on March 1, 2014 in the workshop of the sculptor John Bardis whose help was invaluable in setting up the project.
During the creation of the models Prof. Panagiotis Touliatos was kind enough to visit the place I worked, and I mention it here because the observations were crucial for the development of the project.
I finished the models at about the beginning of July 2014.
The molds of the project, the casting in bronze and the preparation of the metal took place at the artistic foundry GAVALA.
After the molds of the project came out, the waxwork came out in pieces and worked the waxwork until mid-September 2014.
The work was cast and finished on 10/25/2014.
On Thursday 10/30/2014 we went to Mount Athos with the sculptor John Bardis, who did the installation of the project.
On Sunday 11/02/2014 we did the doxology and sanctification.
Throughout the time that I was making this project I did not talk much, nor write as I used to write. I said that I will post later, but I think that the experiences that I lived cannot be written, although I have been very chatty in the past.
Unfortunately, I cannot bring to visualization what I experienced into words, but I felt like my repentance took shape in matter.
It is certain, however, that I am unqualified to write spiritual texts and now I do not feel that I can analyze this project further.
I pray, however, that I managed to depict my prayers there.
At the sculptures of the Holy Archangels in the Monastery Docheiariou.
May we have their prayers.
* The prohibition of entry for women to Mount Athos is called "avaton".
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
