Venerable George the Builder of Athos (+1029)

The Venerable George the Builder was the third hegumen of the Iviron monastery on Athos. As George the Athonite (commemorated 27 June), who wrote the lives of the holy Athonite fathers, tells us, the first hegumen of the monastery, the Venerable John (commemorated 12 July), handed over the abbacy to his son, the Venerable Euthymius (commemorated 13 May), and charged him: “After thee… leave the fatherhood to George, who was one of their own, a man of renown and careful in bodily affairs.” According to some accounts, George was John’s nephew.

After Euthymius stepped down, George took an active part in governing the monastery. Under his direction the main church of Iviron, dedicated to the Dormition of the all-holy Theotokos, was built. The inscription of the church says: “I have established the pillars thereof, and they shall not be moved for ever. George the monk, the Georgian and the builder.”

The superior of Iviron was greatly honoured at the court of the Byzantine emperor: “George was greatly exalted before the Emperor Romanus and was very intimate and honoured”; and afterwards, “how it came about, God knows, they accused him of rebellion and disloyalty”; he was exiled to the island of Monovat and died there.

George’s exile proved fateful for the lavra of the Iberians: the slanderers found a new pretext, “bent all the great men of Greece and the dignitaries of the palace”, and brought the Athonite Georgians into grave straits. At this time the wealth of the monastery, “acquired by our fathers”, won by blood and sweat, was plundered and destroyed.

Under the pious and Christ-loving Emperor Michael the monastery of the Iberians recovered the property that belonged to it, and the former sweetness spread again over the brotherhood of the house.

The Georgian monks carried George’s body from Monovat to Athos.

In the Iviron monastery on Athos the commemoration of Saint George the Builder is kept together with John and Euthymius.