Petr Sevast’anov and his expeditions to Mount Athos (1850s): two cartons from the French Photographic Society

Abstract

The Russian antiquarian and explorer of the Orthodox East Petr Ivanovich Sevast’anov was one of the first to take photos of the architectural monuments, art treasures and manuscripts of Mount Athos. During the 1850s he organized several expeditions. In 1856, Sevast’anov studied photography in Paris at the atelier of Belloc and bought the materials and equipment needed. In March of 1857, he arrived at Athos and started his work in St. Andrew’s Skete. With the assistance of the librarian of St. Panteleimon’s Monastery Azarii, Sevast’anov got access to many Greek and Slavonic manuscripts. In October of 1857, he returned to Paris and presented the results of his work in a photo exhibition, followed by a public lecture at the Academy on February 5, 1858. The recently discovered two large format cartons of Sevast’anov’s photos at the French Photographic Society, along with the correspondence preserved in his archives, are an important contribution to the history of Byzantine Studies.