At St. Andrew's Skete, where disputes over the veneration of the name of God continued throughout the autumn of 1912 and the winter of 1912-1913, the absolute majority of monks also adhered to imiaslavie. However, passions there are heating up every day. After Hegumen Jerome went to Macedonia on November 19, 1912, the situation became even more complicated. In December, a certain "seditious paper" appeared, which was circulating in the hands of the monks: it was announced that "during dinner, plates will be struck, and after that the beating of all Jerome's supporters will begin." The imiaslavtsy attributed the compilation of this paper to their opponents, and they considered it a provocation of the imiaslavtsy. As a result, most of the monks did not appear at the supper on the evening at which the beating of the supporters of Hegumen Jerome was allegedly planned [1113].

All these battles are taking place against the backdrop of real military operations that had a direct impact on the fate of Mount Athos. On October 9, 1912, the First Balkan War began between Turkey and the Balkan Alliance, which included Bulgaria, Serbia, Montenegro and Greece. As a result of the war, Turkey lost almost all of its European territories, including Mount Athos, which it had owned since the 15th century. On November 2, a Greek landing force consisting of 67 sailors under the command of Telemachus Kourmouris occupied Athos, expelling the Turks from there and raising the Greek banner over the protatus instead of the Turkish one [1114]. On November 3, a landing force of 800 infantrymen, artillerymen and cavalrymen of the Greek army arrived at the Athos pier of Daphni on a transport steamer. All this landing force was divided into detachments that made a tour of the monasteries. One of the detachments, led by Demosthenes Zantopoulos, arrived at the Russian Panteleimon Monastery on November 7, where it was solemnly greeted by the monks [1115]. In January 1913, Greek soldiers were accommodated in all the monasteries of Athos, including St. Panteleimon, under the guise of pilgrims [1116]. The monks of the Greek monasteries petitioned for the annexation of Athos to Greece; Russian monks, on the contrary, actively support the idea of transforming Athos into an independent monastic republic under the protectorate of Orthodox states. They motivate their position by the fact that there are more than 5,000 Russian monks on Mount Athos, while there are less than 4,000 Greeks [1117]. Nevertheless, since the capture of Athos by a Greek landing force in November 1912, Athos had already become the de facto territory of the Kingdom of Greece; de jure, this situation was enshrined in the Treaty of Bucharest of the Great Powers of August 26, 1913, according to which Athos was ceded to Greece [1118].

Let us return to the events in St. Andrew's Skete. On January 8, 1913, Hegumen Jerome arrived at the skete after a long absence and immediately felt the hostile attitude of the imiaslavtsy monks, many of whom did not approach him for a blessing and demonstratively avoided him. The monks Clement and Mercurius, the most active opponents of the imiaslavtsy, reported to the hegumen about the discontent of a significant part of the monks against him and suggested that he expel from the skete the "leaders of the committee" for organizing the revolt. The abbot convened a council of elders, consisting of twelve of the most respected monks of the skete, for the trial of the monk Peter, the monk Victorinus and the hieromonk Iliodor, who were declared "leaders of the committee." However, its senior member, the ktitor of the monastery, Archimandrite David, who sympathized with imiaslavie [1119], was not invited to the council. The accused demanded his participation, to which Fr. Jerome was forced to agree. When Fr. David appeared, the abbot said to him: "I hear that you call me a heretic." Fr. David answered: "Not only do I name you, but here, at the council, I affirm that you are a heretic, a blasphemer of the Name of God." Fr. David's argument with the abbot ended with Fr. David leaving the courtroom with the words, "Brethren, run, your abbot is a heretic"; the other elders followed him [1120].

Then Hegumen Jerome convened a general council of the elder brethren, consisting of about sixty people. However, at this council it turned out that the abbot, who had previously been a supporter of imiaslavie, finally took the position of its opponents. The Council, which took place in a very stormy atmosphere (during the meeting, the younger brethren of the skete also entered the hall), ended with the fact that the monks began to demand a change of abbot. Fr. Jerome, saying, "Well, do with me what you want," was forced to leave the hall. Thus, the council convened to expel the "rebels" from the skete ended with the deposition of the hegumen Jerome himself [1121]. On the same day, Hegumen Jerome sent a complaint to the Vatopedi Monastery and asked for help from the Russian consul in Thessaloniki [1122]. The imiaslavtsy also sent a complaint to Vatopedi against Hegumen Jerome, who had "fallen into heresy," with a demand to bring him to trial together with his like-minded people [1123].

On January 10, Hegumen Jerome summoned to St. Andrew's Skete the pro-esto-owls [1124] of the Vatopedi Monastery to help in "quelling the revolt." Almost at the same time as the Vatopedi proestos, Hieroschema-monk Anthony (Bulatovich) arrived at the skete. The proestos went to the abbot's chambers, and Fr. Anthony went to the church, where the general council of the monastery brethren was meeting at that time. With the help of Fr. Anthony, the following "Confession" was compiled: "I, the undersigned, believe and confess that the Name of God and the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ are holy in themselves, inseparable from God, and are God Himself, as many Holy Fathers have confessed. I reject the blasphemers and despiseers of the Name of the Lord as heretics, and therefore I demand the replacement of Hegumen Jerome" [1125]. Confession" was signed by more than 300 monks of the skete, that is, more than 4/5 of all the brethren. After that, the election of a new abbot took place, which took place, characteristically, under the leadership of Hieroschemamonk Anthony (Bulatovich), who enjoyed the unconditional respect of the brethren:

They began to elect a new abbot," Fr. Anthony later recalled, "and I proposed to name several candidates and hold a secret ballot, as was usually done. But the elders and all the brethren unanimously objected: "What other candidates are there, we all ask Father David." "Whoever desires Father David, go to the right. Those who do not want to - to the left!" exclaimed Father Sergius, and all 300 people were on the right side. The voice of the people is the voice of God. The election was considered complete, and immediately a moleben of thanksgiving to the Lord God was served, and all the brethren, venerating the cross, the Gospel and the miraculous icon of the Mother of God, approached Father David, made him a prostration to the ground and received a blessing from him as from their new abbot. Thus, without a premeditated plan, the deposition of one abbot and the election of another was accomplished [1126].

Having finished collecting signatures in favor of the new hegumen, the monks went to the chambers of Hegumen Jerome, where the Vatopedi proestos were still sitting. The latter refused to take the papers with signatures from the monks, but suggested that they collect the signatures again and the next day come to Vatopedi themselves. On January 11, after Liturgy, a new collection of signatures began: 302 signatures were collected for Fr. David, and 70 for Fr. Jerome. The lists were attributed to the proestos, who recognized Hegumen Jerome as deposed. The proestos dined not with Fr. Jerome, but with the newly elected Hegumen David. After lunch, they left the skete.

On January 12, representatives of St. Andrew's Skete, including Fr. Anthony (Bulatovich), reported to the Council of Elders of the Vatopedi Monastery about all the events that had taken place. The Council of Elders sent a letter to St. Andrew's Skete, in which 1) the deposition of Fr. Jerome was recognized as a fait accompli; 2) the election of Fr. David was declared invalid and it was proposed to re-elect the abbot from four candidates by secret ballot; 3) there was a demand to remove Fr. Anthony (Bulatovich) from the skete; 4) it was announced that those who "accept the new faith preached by Fr. Anthony and Fr. Hilarion in the book 'On the Mountains of the Caucasus' will be recognized as heretics, expelled from the Holy Mountain and excommunicated from the Church" [1127].

Having received this paper from the hands of the Vatopedi elders and having learned about its contents, the deputies of St. Andrew's Skete announced to the elders that they would not accept it and would not hand it over to the brethren of the skete. Returning to the skete, the deputation met a group of monks at the gate, who reported that the supporters of Hegumen Jerome continued to win over the younger brethren to their side. What should we do now?" asked Fr. Anthony (Bulatovich). We will expel Jerome – and nothing more," replied the cathedral elder Fr. Sergius. The imiaslavtsy, headed by Hieroschemamonk Anthony (Bulatovich), immediately went to the chambers of Hegumen Jerome and demanded his immediate removal from the skete. The abbot did not want to voluntarily give up his positions. Then the imiaslavtsy went on the attack at Bulatovich's command:

Итак,«во имя Отца и Сына и Святаго Духа — ура!» — и я сделал движение по направлению к игуменскому столу, но в тот же момент был окружен имяборцами, причем два атлета, о. Иаков и о. Досифей, схватили меня обеими руками за шею, один спереди, другой сзади, и начали душить. О. Иероним в это же мгновение протянулся через стол и нанес мне сильный удар кулаком в левое плечо. Братия–исповедники сначала опешили и не поддержали меня, но потом, увидев, что я окружен и что меня душат, бросились выручать и стали наносить удары Иакову и Досифею и наконец пересилили и, освободив меня из их рук, потащили их из игуменской кельи. На других иеронимовцев мое»ура»произвело ошеломляющее впечатление. Некоторые<…>как бы остолбенели, другие<…>бросились к окнам и стали разбивать их, чтобы выброситься в окно, до чего не допустила братия<…>Иероним продолжал восседать на своем игуменском кресле, окруженный все еще густой толпой своих сторонников. Итак, что же? Имяборческая позиция нами не взята<…>И я снова с криком»ура!«ринулся в атаку и снова был встречен ударами<…>Глава же имяборцев продолжал восседать на своем игуменском кресле, окруженный еще не малым числом сторонников. И снова я пошел на»ура», и снова был встречен ударами<…>Наконец, когда ряды имяборцев значительно опустели, тогда один из братии, инок Марк, подошел к о. Иерониму и сказал:«Что же вы, батюшка, до сих пор сидите? Зачем противитесь братии? Идите же наконец из кельи. Мы вас и пальцем не тронем». О. Иероним послушался и вышел<…>Но о. Клименту не удалось пройти неприкосновенным, хотя и он вышел вместе с о. Иеронимом, ибо его хулы против Имени Господня были чересчур велики, и поэтому ему досталось несколько колотушек<…>[1128]

Игумен Иероним в своем описании событий, происходивших в Андреевском скиту, приводит некоторые дополнительные подробности:

<…>[Булатович] явился ко мне в комнату и стал к столу, за которым я сидел, не произнося ни слова, ожидая, когда войдут единомышленные ему из братии. Когда же вошло достаточное число их, он произнес молитву:«Во Имя Отца и Сына и Святаго Духа», и, изобразив на себе крестное знамение, обратился ко мне с требованием о добровольной сдаче управления скитом и удалении из оного. На требование мое дать письменное распоряжение монастыря Ватопеда, он повторил то же свое требование о сдаче и удалении из скита. Я ему возразил, что, как он уже не принадлежит к числу нашего братства, то и может уходить из скита, ибо дело мы можем уладить между собою и без его участия. Пришедшие с ним закричали, что он наш, а не чужой. В это время он, поддерживаемый кричавшими, вскочил на стол, предварительно крикнув:«Ура! Берите!» — причем хотел схватить меня, но его удержали. После этого бывшие с ним бросились избивать находившихся при мне отцов, единодушных со мною. Меня не били и вывели за порту из скита, предварительно обыскав меня. От страха трое из отцов выскочили из окна из второго этажа и разбили себе ноги; других же, избитых и израненных до крови, в одних подрясниках и без шапок выбросили также за порту из скита, — из которых, кроме меня, 3 иеромонаха, 1 иеродиакон и 12 монахов. У нескольких братии, запершихся от страха в своих кельях, взломали двери и избили их до беспамятства [1129].

Для полноты картины приведем еще одно свидетельство — монаха Николая (Протопопова), одного из активистов имяславской партии, очевидца и участника сражения в Андреевском скиту. Его рассказ написан не без доли крепкого крестьянского юмора:

Отец Антоний вскочил на стол для того, чтобы его не задавили, так как он из себя малосильный и небольшого росту. Первым долгом о. Гавриил и иеромонах Иаков (сторонники о. Иеронима) ухватили о. Антония за горло и начали душить, так как его считали всему делу головой, сильным в деле и на словах. Им хотелось его убить и этим погасить все дело. Но их попытки оказались тщетными. Гавриилу дали одну»столбуху», и он онемел, выпустил о. Антония. На Иакова бросился о. Афанасий и, вцепившись в бороду, оттащил от о. Антония, и последний стал невредим<…>