Georgia church. Orthodox Georgia

Georgia(cargo. საქართველო , Sakartvelo) is a state located in Western Asia and the Middle East, in the western part of Transcaucasia on the eastern coast of the Black Sea. Georgia borders Armenia and Turkey in the south, Azerbaijan in the southeast, and Russia in the east and north. The capital is Tbilisi. The official language is Georgian.

Largest cities

Batumi
Kutaisi

Georgian Orthodox Church

Georgian Orthodox Church(official name: Georgian Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church, cargo. საქართველოს სამოციქულო ავტოკეფალური მართლმადიდებელი ეკლესია ) - an autocephalous local Orthodox Church, having sixth place in the diptychs of Slavic local Churches and ninth place in the diptychs of ancient Eastern patriarchates. One of the oldest Christian churches in the world. Jurisdiction extends to the territory of Georgia and to all Georgians, wherever they live, as well as to the territory of partially recognized Abkhazia and South Ossetia and northern Turkey. According to legend, based on an ancient Georgian manuscript, Georgia is the apostolic lot of the Mother of God. In 337, through the works of Saint Nina, Equal-to-the-Apostles, Christianity became the state religion of Georgia. The church organization was within the Antiochian Church. The issue of the Georgian Church receiving autocephaly is a difficult one. According to the historian of the Georgian church, priest Kirill Tsintsadze, the Georgian Church enjoyed actual independence since the time of King Mirian, but received full autocephaly only in the 5th century from the Council convened by the Antioch Patriarch Peter III.

Article 9 of the Constitution of Georgia states: “The state recognizes the exclusive role of the Georgian Orthodox Church in the history of Georgia and at the same time proclaims complete freedom of religious beliefs and religion, the independence of the church from the state.”

Story

Early period

According to Georgian legendary history, Georgia is the apostolic lot of the Mother of God.

Soon after this event, Apostle Andrew went to preach Christianity. First he went north from Palestine, then turned east, reached the city of Trebizond, which at that time was located within Egrisi (modern Mingrelia), after preaching the Gospel there, he moved to the borders of Iberia, to the land of Did-Adchara.

There, the apostle, by preaching and performing miracles, converted many people to Christianity and baptized them. According to the story of Tsarevich Vakhushti, the son of Tsar Vakhtang V, a healing spring opened in the place where Apostle Andrew placed the icon of the Mother of God. Having appointed priests and deacons to the newly converted Christians, built a temple in honor of the Mother of God and established church order, the apostle left them.

Before Saint Andrew left that land, the converts asked him to leave the icon of the Mother of God, but the apostle did not agree to such a request, but ordered to make a board as large as this icon and bring it to him. When the board was ready, he placed it on the icon of the Mother of God, and the icon was completely depicted on the board. The Apostle gave the Christians a new image, which they placed in their new church. Then Saint Andrew went to other lands.

Having crossed the mountain called the Mountain of the Iron Cross and the Dzarkhi gorge, he entered the borders of Samtskhe and stopped in the village of Zaden-gora. From here he went to the city of Atskuri, called Sosangeti in ancient times. Having reached Atskuri, the apostle chose one house near the main temple of the city and settled in it. At that time, there reigned a widow who had an only son, whom she loved more than anything in the world, who was the only heir to her kingdom. Unfortunately, the widow's son died shortly before the apostle arrived in Atskuri.

According to legend, during the stay of the Apostle Andrew in Atskuri, several miracles occurred - the main one of which was the resurrection of the widow’s son and the destruction of the statues of pagan gods. Then, having appointed a bishop, priests and deacons for the converts, Saint Andrew wanted to go to other countries, but the queen and her subjects asked Andrew not to leave them, or to leave them the miraculous icon of the Mother of God. The icon left by Saint Andrew was placed in a new church erected in honor of the Mother of God.

Soon after the events described, Andrei went to Nigli, Klarjeti and Artan-Pankola, where, after a long sermon, he converted the inhabitants of those places to Christianity and baptized them. He then returned to Jerusalem for the Passover holiday.

After Pentecost, Saint Andrew took with him the Apostle Simon the Canaanite, Matthew, Thaddeus and others. With them he initially went to King Abgar, where, having preached the word of God and baptized the inhabitants, he left the Apostle Thaddeus to establish the new Church. The others, going around preaching the cities and villages of Cappadocia and Pontus, finally reached Kartli (Kartala country) (Iberia). Further, they walked part of the Mtiuleti land to the Chorokhi River.

Then the apostles visited Svaneti, during the reign of the dowager queen, wife of the murdered Pontic king Polamon Pythodora, who, along with many of her subjects, accepted Christianity and was baptized by Andrew himself. In Svaneti, the Apostle Matthew and other disciples remained with the queen to establish the newly enlightened in Christianity, as Blessed Jerome testifies to this. From Svaneti, Andrei, together with Simon Kananit, went to Ossetia, where he reached the city of Fostafora. Here the apostles converted many to Christianity. Leaving Ossetia, they went to Abkhazia and reached the city of Sevasti (now Sukhumi), where they also converted many. Here Andrei left the Apostle Simon the Canaanite with others to confirm the converts, while he himself went to the land of the Jiketes. The Djikets did not accept Christianity, and, moreover, the apostle himself was almost killed. Leaving them, Andrei went to Upper Suadag.

The inhabitants of Upper Suadag accepted religion from the apostle. From here he went to the upper shores of the Black Sea, visiting cities and villages, and finally reached the city of Patras in Achaia, where he died on the cross from the Anthipat Aegeates in 55.

The faith preached by St. Andrew and the apostles who remained after his departure, began to take root among the people. Aderki, or Farsman I, who reigned in Kartli (Iberia) three years BC and ruled the country for sixty-three years, heard that his subjects had turned from paganism to Christianity, and began persecuting Christians. Many of them suffered martyrdom during this persecution along with the Apostle Simon the Zealot. Christianity, apparently suppressed by the fury of the king, was not actually defeated: Christians remained, hiding in the mountains and forests, having places of general meetings and prayers. Soon, the grave of Simon the Canaanite, located in the mountains of Abkhazia near Sukhumi, became an object of deep veneration.

Since the time of this persecution, for almost half a century, Iberia no longer received preachers of Christianity from anywhere and did not have leaders who would confirm the converts in their confession.

Already in the hundredth year, the holy martyr Clement, Bishop of Rome, exiled by Emperor Trajan to the deserted places of Tauris, by working miracles and teachings helped many Colchians to remain faithful to Christianity. According to Mikhail Sabinin, among the seventy churches built by the saint during his lifetime on the shores of the Black Sea, there was Colchis.

Meanwhile, the final establishment of Christianity and the fact that it became the dominant religion was the fruit of the long-term and diligent preaching of the Apostle of All, the holy enlightener, Blessed Mother Nina.

Christianity as a state religion

In the period between 318 and 337, most likely in 324-326. Through the works of Saint Nina, Equal-to-the-Apostles, Christianity became the state religion of Georgia. The church organization was within the Antiochian Church.

In 451, together with the Armenian Church, it did not accept the decisions of the Council of Chalcedon and in 467, under King Vakhtang I, it became independent from Antioch, acquiring the status of an autocephalous Church with its center in Mtskheta (the residence of the Supreme Catholicos). In 607, the Church accepted the decisions of Chalcedon, violating canonical unity with the Armenian Apostolic Church.

Under the Sassanids (VI-VII centuries) it withstood the fight against Persian fire worshipers, and during the period of the Turkish conquests (XVI-XVIII centuries) - against Islam. This exhausting struggle led to the decline of Georgian Orthodoxy and the loss of churches and monasteries in the Holy Land.

In 1744, reforms similar to those of Patriarch Nikon in Rus' took place in the Georgian Church.

Georgian Exarchate of the Russian Church

In 1801, Georgia became part of the Russian Empire. According to the project developed by the chief administrator, General A.P. Tormasov and presented to Alexander I in 1811, instead of 13 dioceses, 2 were established in Eastern Georgia: Mtskheta-Kartali and Alaverdi-Kakheti. On June 21, 1811, the Holy Synod removed Catholicos-Patriarch Anthony II from office.

From June 30, 1811 until March 1917 (de facto) the Church in Georgia had the status of the Georgian Exarchate of the Russian Church; the title of Catholicos was abolished. Varlaam (Eristavi) became the first exarch on July 8, 1811 (August 30, 1814 - May 14, 1817;

By the end of the 1810s, the Abkhaz Catholicosate, which was included in the Georgian Exarch, was also abolished.

After Varlaam (Eristavi), non-Georgian bishops were appointed as exarchs, which often led to friction with the local clergy and excesses, such as the murder of Exarch Nikon (Sofia) on May 28, 1908 in the building of the Georgian-Imereti Synodal Office.

Restoration of autocephaly. Recent period

On March 12 (March 25), 1917, at the Mtskheta Council, the autocephaly of the Georgian Church was proclaimed; Bishop Leonid (Okropidze) of Guria-Mingrelia was elected guardian of the throne of the Catholicos. On March 13, the latter notified the Exarch of Georgia, Archbishop of Kartalin-Kakheti Platon (Rozhdestvensky), of his removal from the see, which was not recognized by the Russian Orthodox Church.

On March 27, 1917, the Provisional Government recognized the autocephaly of the Georgian Church in principle. On July 10, 1917, a joint meeting of the Provisional Government and the Synod decided to establish the Caucasian Exarchate for the voluntary entry into it of Russian parishes of Tiflis, Elizavetpol, Baku, Erivan, Kutais, Black Sea provinces and Kars, Batumi regions, Artvinsky, Zagatala and Sukhumi districts. Theophylact (Klementyev), who was soon removed from Georgia by the Georgian bishops, was appointed bishop in Tiflis.

Moscow Patriarch Tikhon, in his message of December 29, 1917 to Catholicos Kirion II (Sadzaglishvili), elected at the Council in September 1917, condemned the arbitrary nature of the restoration of autocephaly of the more ancient Georgian Church. Communication between the Moscow Patriarchate and the Georgian Church was interrupted.

In 1927, the Georgian Church switched to the New Julian calendar, but under pressure from believers it had to “postpone” its decision.

Officially, communication was restored by the Decree of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church on November 19, 1943.

In 1997, the Georgian Orthodox Church left the World Council of Churches.

Primate since December 23, 1977 - His Holiness and Beatitude Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Archbishop of Mtskheta and Tbilisi and Metropolitan of Pitsunda and Tskhum-Abkhazeti Ilia II.

The Church consists of 35 dioceses, uniting about 300 communities; After 1992, the Abkhaz diocese is de facto not part of the Georgian Church. There is also canonical unsettlement in South Ossetia, where, according to Catholicos Ilia II, “representatives of the Russian Church Abroad are present.”

Relations with the Moscow Patriarchate

The official representative of the Moscow Patriarchate, Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, said in August 2008 in connection with the military conflict in Georgia: "Political the decisions do not determine questions of ecclesiastical jurisdictions and areas of pastoral responsibility. These issues must be resolved on the canonical field in the course of dialogue between the two Churches.”

On November 9, 2008, Metropolitan Kirill, Chairman of the DECR MP (now Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'), in an interview with the Vesti channel, said, in particular, about the “Alan Diocese”: "Need to to say that this is not just a schismatic diocese, but the fact is that the head of this diocese received his episcopal ordination from the Greek Old Calendarists. [- This is also an unrecognized hierarchy] Absolutely right, from the so-called Synod of Cyprian. All the activities of this synod in relation to Russia are aimed at weakening the Russian Orthodox Church. And what happens: on the one hand, Russian soldiers shed blood for the Ossetian people, in order to protect South Ossetia, and on the other hand, the spiritual leaders of this country are under the jurisdiction of a schismatic church, which sets its main goal to destroy the unity of the Russian Orthodox Church. But that doesn't happen. Therefore, the first thing that needs to be done is, of course, to resolve the issue with this schismatic jurisdiction.”

On September 12, 2009, during a meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club, the position of the Moscow Patriarchate on the issue of the territory of the Georgian Church was confirmed by the Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the MP, Archbishop Hilarion (Alfeev) of Volokolamsk.

The Saints

Shrines

Temples

Trinity Church (Gergeti)

Trinity Church in Gergeti (Georgian: გერგეტის წმინდა სამება, Gergetis Tsminda Sameba) is located at an altitude of 2,170 m at the foot of Kazbek along the Georgian Military Road in the Georgian village of Gergeti on the right bank of the Chkheri (tributary of the Terek), directly above the village of Stepantsminda.

Built in the 14th century, the shrine is the only cross-domed church in the Khevi region. A medieval bell tower has been preserved near the temple.

During Soviet times, the church was closed, but has now been returned to the Georgian Orthodox Church. Popular among tourists.

Directions: If you decide to climb Kazbek, then the route runs right past the temple. So it's kind of a free cultural app. Climbers have a custom of spending their first night here in order to adapt to the altitude.

You can walk to the Church of the Holy Trinity in Gergeti on foot. Don’t let its height scare you, if you’re willing to spend an hour or two climbing and your physical fitness allows you to do it, then why not? The hike to the top takes about three hours. You will need to go through the village of Gergeti, wind along a small, harmless forest serpentine, sometimes taking shortcuts along well-trodden paths, and climb to the top along a path that goes up at a large angle.

Svetitskhoveli (Mtskheta)

Among the surviving historical buildings, Svetitskhoveli (Georgian: სვეტიცხოველი - life-giving pillar) is the largest in Georgia. For centuries it has been the center of Christian Georgia. Back in the 4th century, King Mirian III, who converted to Christianity, on the advice of Equal-to-the-Apostles Nina, built the first wooden church in Georgia, which has not survived to this day.

One of the foundations of the temple was cedar, which marked the burial place of Christ's robe. In the second half of the 5th century, the pious king Vakhtang I Gorgasal built a basilica on the site of this church, the upper foundations of which were uncovered by Soviet researchers (led by V. Tsintsadze) in the 1970s. and left for public viewing.

In the 11th century, on the site of the damaged basilica, Catholicos of Georgia Melkizedek I (1012-1030, 1039-1045) erected a temple. The current cross-domed, four-pillar, three-nave church in the name of the Twelve Apostles was built from 1010 to 1029 under the supervision of the architect Arsakidze (mentioned in the inscription on the facade).

Address: Located in the south-eastern part of Mtskheta, in the ancient city center

Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Batumi)

The temple was erected in 1898-1903 by Stepan Zubalashvili in memory of his deceased mother Elizabeth, who asked to build a Catholic church in Batumi. Stepan invited artists and architects from Italy for construction. In total, construction cost 250 thousand rubles.

During the years of Soviet power, the temple was under threat of destruction. Among those speaking in his defense was the writer Konstantin Gamsakhurdia. Director Tengiz Abuladze made the film “Repentance” based on this story. As a result, the building was preserved and was used for different purposes over the years: there was a high voltage laboratory, an archive and other institutions.

In the 1970s, the temple was restored, and in the 1980s it was transferred to the Georgian Orthodox Church. On May 16, 1989, Catholicos-Patriarch of Georgia Ilia II consecrated the temple, after which about 5 thousand people were baptized.

By order of the Minister of Culture and Monument Protection No. 3/31 dated February 21, 2011, the cathedral was included in the list of cultural heritage sites, historical and cultural monuments of Batumi.

Currently, the temple is the current cathedral of the Batumi and Laz diocese of the Georgian Orthodox Church.

Address: Georgia, Batumi, st. Chavchavadze, 25

Monasteries

Gelati Monastery of the Virgin Mary (Kutaisi)

The monastery was founded by King David IV the Builder in 1106 and became his tomb. The cathedral church was built before 1125 and for another five years it was decorated with mosaics, which are considered the best in all of Transcaucasia. At that time, the monastery was the seat of the Gelati Academy, whose members were keenly interested in ancient Greek philosophy.

In the 13th century, the churches of St. Nicholas and St. George, as well as a three-tier belfry. The murals date back to different periods of Georgian history, from the 12th to the 18th centuries; The portrait images of crowned persons are especially noteworthy. Previously, the monastery preserved many valuable icons and objects of applied art; during Soviet times they were confiscated and distributed to museums.

Address: Georgia, Gelati (11 km from Kutaisi).

Directions: The monastery is located a little away from the Kutaisi-Tkibuli highway. The turn has a pointer. From the highway you need to walk along a winding road for about three kilometers. There is parking in front of the entrance and several stalls with souvenirs.

David-Gareji Monastery

“On the slope of the highest peak of Georgia, Mount Kazbek, there is the Betlemi Cave, in which the famous Betlemi monastery complex is located. I was the first to notice the entrance to a cave near the top of the mountain, and...

“Near the foot of Kazbek, at an altitude of 2170 meters above sea level, surrounded by magnificent nature, is the Daryal Monastery - one of the oldest spiritual centers in Georgia. There is a legend, according to...”

“Sioni is the main historical temple of Tbilisi and the second most important in the Georgian Orthodox Church. It was named after Mount Zion, and consecrated in honor of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is located...”

“On Rustaveli Avenue, opposite the parliament building, there is the Orthodox Church of St. George - Kashveti. It was built in 1904-1910 according to the design of local architect Leopold Bielfeld,..."

“In the historical part of Tbilisi there is the Armenian Church of St. George, built in the 13th century. It is one of the oldest Armenian churches in the Georgian capital, and to date... "

“From the right bank part of Old Tbilisi, the best view is of a yellowish-gray rock that drops steeply to the river. The Metekhi Church, built in the 13th century, looks beautiful on it, and became for many...”

“Not far from Kutaisi, near a picturesque gorge, on a mountain overgrown with lush vegetation, the Motsameta monastery hides the remains of the martyrs Constantine and David, who died for their faith in Christ. M..."

“In Tbilisi on Mtatsminda (Holy Mountain) there is a pantheon where public figures, national heroes, artists, scientists and writers of Georgia are buried. This necropolis is located on the slope of Mount Mtatsminda,...”

“In the southwestern part of Tbilisi there is Mount Mtatsminda (which means “holy mountain”). This name was assigned to the mountain around the 10th century. At its top there is the domed Church of Mam...”

“The Karapi Church, dedicated to St. George, is located in Kldisubani - one of the oldest districts of Tbilisi. Until 1991, it belonged to the Armenian Apostolic Church, and then came under the control of...”

“Not far from the ancient city of Mtskheta there is an equally ancient Shio-Mgvim monastery, standing in a narrow gorge between limestone rocks on the northern bank of the Kura. From here it’s about 30 kilometers to Tbilisi...”

“Between Akhaltsikhe and Borjomi there is a unique architectural landmark - the Green Monastery, built at the beginning of the 10th century. This is one of the most ancient places of worship in Georgia. N..."

“Every year the number of pilgrims heading to the Monastery of the Holy Cross - Jvari is growing. It is located on the top of a mountain in the picturesque area of Mtskheta. Reviews from tourists mention the lines of the poet...”

“In Kakheti, a couple of kilometers from Sighnaghi, there is the Orthodox monastery of Bodbe, which houses the remains of St. Equal-to-the-Apostles Nina, the enlightener of Georgia. She died in 347 at the age of 66..."

“At the foot of Kazbek, at an altitude of 2170 m, there is the Trinity Church. The Georgian Military Road passes nearby, on the right bank of the Terek Chkheri tributary there is the village of Gergeti, and right under the church there is a..."

“Initially, the Maiden Monastery located in Tbilisi was subordinate to the Armenian Apostolic Church, but at the end of the last century it was appropriated by the Georgian Orthodox Church. It was built on the initiative of..."

Address: Located in the south-eastern part of Mtskheta, in the ancient city center

Assumption Church in Tsesi (Barakoni)

Barakoni (Georgian: ბარაკონი) - the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a monument of old Georgian domed architecture, is located in Racha, Ambrolauri municipality, the village of Tsesi.

It was built by master Avtandil Shulavreli by order of the Rachin prince Rostom in 1753.

The building is in the shape of a cross with right angles, without extensions. The dome rests on the corners of the altar walls and two columns. The outside walls of the building are richly decorated with patterned stone carvings, the oldest examples of which are in the niches of the eastern facade. The church was built on a steep cliff, at the base of which flows the rapid stream of the Rioni River, with which the Lukhuni River merges at this point.

There is a rural cemetery in the church yard.

Address: Georgia, Racha, Ambrolauri municipality, village of Tsesi.

Directions: If you drive from Ambrolauri to Oni, then Barakoni is located right next to the highway, 7 kilometers away, on the very outskirts of the village of Tsesi. It is clearly visible from the road and it is impossible not to notice it.

Church of St. George the Victorious in Bolnisi (Tsugrugasheni)

Tsugrugasheni is a 13th century temple in the Bolnisi region of Georgia. The temple is located 11 kilometers from the city of Bolnisi and 2 kilometers from the village of Bolnisi - to the east across the river. It is clearly visible from the village of Bolnisi and from the Bolnisi-Poladauri road. There are almost no buildings nearby, the place is quite deserted. Now here you can see a temple and a temple fence with two gates: the main southern one (of little interest) and the old western one. In fact, this is a monastery, the monastery buildings are located on the north side, they are inconspicuous.

It is known that the temple was built sometime between 1212 and 1222, during the reign of George IV. The temple is distinguished by particularly refined proportions of architectural volumes, which makes it possible to classify it as the final chord of Georgian architecture of the Golden Age. There is an assumption that later it was slightly rebuilt, because the filigree stone carving of the high domed drum is somewhat different in style from the decor of the facades.

There are paintings inside, but not many. The iconostasis is very modest, there are only two large icons. The top of the temple in the interior is also almost not painted; there is a large cross in the dome.

Address:

Directions: The temple is located 11 kilometers from the city of Bolnisi and 2 kilometers from the village of Bolnisi - to the east across the river. It is clearly visible from the village of Bolnisi and from the Bolnisi-Poladauri road. There are almost no buildings nearby, the place is quite deserted.

Cathedral of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker (Nikortsminda)

Cathedral of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker - Nikortsminda (Georgian: ნიკორწმინდის ტაძარი) is a cathedral of the Georgian Orthodox Church, located in the Georgian historical region of Racha. It is located 14 km southwest of the city of Ambrolauri. Inside the cathedral there are paintings dating from the 16th-17th centuries. There are rich stone carvings on the facades of the temple.

The cathedral in Nikortsminda is a cross-domed church in plan. The dome rests on a drum, which has 12 windows with an arcature belt and a decorative architrave. The drum rests on six sails. Five apses adjoin the dome space, and the massive dome rests on semi-columns. The altar apse and the western sleeve adjacent to the dome volume create a large internal space. The porches on the south and west were added later, but also in the 11th century. The interior is decorated with 17th-century frescoes and rich ornamentation.

The outer outline of the plan is cruciform. The stones from which the facades are laid are smoothly hewn.

Address: Georgia, Racha-Lechkhumi, Ambrolauri municipality, Nikortsminda village

Directions: from Kutaisi through Tkibuli and then past Lake Shaori, right behind the lake there will be the village of Nikortsminda

Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ (Samtavisi)

Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ - Samtavisi (Georgian: სამთავისი) is the cathedral church of the Samtavis and Kaspi diocese of the Georgian Orthodox Church, located in the village of Samtavisi, Kaspi municipality, 30 km from the capital of the Shida Kartli region, the city of Gori, a candidate for inclusion in the World Heritage List.

One of the most famous monuments of medieval Georgian architecture. Built in 1030 by the architect Illarion Samtavneli.

Address: Georgia, Shida Kartli region, Kaspi municipality, Samtavisi

Directions: From Tbilisi along the E60 highway, turn off at the Igoeti junction, turn under the bridge, after the bridge turn right, drive under the highway again, 1 km to the village of Samtavisi.

Cathedral of the Blachernae Icon of the Mother of God (Zugdidi)

Ekvtime Takaishvili notes that “The Church of the new Zugdidi was built of stone, Georgian style, under the reign of Levan V Dadiani, construction began in 1825 and ended in 1830.”

Russian Emperor Alexander I allocated money for construction, and he also returned one of the copies of the Blachernae Icon of the Mother of God, which, according to legend, more than once saved Constantinople from enemy invasion.

In the 10s of the 18th century, George IV Gurieli launched a campaign against the Imeretian Tsar Alexander IV. Among the treasures taken to Guria, the Blachernae icon is also mentioned. In 1805, the Mingrelian princess Nino (the widow of Grigol Dadiani), together with a deputation of Mingrelian princes, presented the icon to Emperor Alexander I, who richly decorated the icon and returned it to the Mingrelian people.

The Blachernae icon came to Megrelia from Constantinople and represented one of the main values of the Dadiani princes.

Address: Georgia, Zugdidi.

Holy Dormition Church (Timotesubani)

Timotesubani (Georgian: ტიმოთესუბანი), officially the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is located in the Borjomi region of Georgia, 18 kilometers from the city of Borjomi, on the right bank of the Gujarula River. Belongs to the Borjomi-Bakurian diocese.

The temple was built on the ruins of an ancient monastery by the ruler of those places, the holy martyr, Prince Shalva Toreli-Akhaltsikheli, the national hero of Georgia. Construction began in 1195 and was completed in 1215.

The ruins of residential and outbuildings are still preserved on the territory of the monastery. The entrance to the temple territory is an arched oblong structure made of red brick. A bell tower was presumably built above it, and on the sides there were two-story rooms that served as the core of the monastery complex.

Address: Tsaghveri-Kimotesubani-Tadzari, Georgia

Directions: A minibus to Tsagveri departs from Borjomi three times a day - at 10:30, 13:30 and 17:00.

Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Batumi)

Currently, the temple is the current cathedral of the Batumi and Laz diocese of the Georgian Orthodox Church.

Address: Georgia, Batumi, st. Chavchavadze, 25

Cathedral of Christ the Savior (Tsalenjikha)

Built in the XII-XIV centuries, the Tsalenzhikha Cathedral is a cross-domed temple with a narthex and three arcaded galleries, of which two, located on the southern and northern sides of the temple, were converted into the family chapel of the Dadiani family, the rulers of the Megrelian principality.

The church is surrounded by a wall with a two-story bell tower in the northwest corner.

In the western corner of the courtyard there are ruins of the Dadiani Palace.

An underground passage was dug to the west of the church, 40-50 meters long and 3-4 meters high.

In the 19th century a new floor was laid.

Between 1960 and 1980, the church was partially renovated, and the frescoes, which were in disrepair, were preserved.

Address: Georgia, Samegrelo-Upper Svaneti, Tsalenjikha district, Tsalenjikha

St. George's Cathedral (Surami)

The Church of St. George was built in the early 18th century and was once part of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Already in the 30s of the 20th century, the Armenian community turned to the authorities with a request to restore the cathedral. Despite numerous appeals, the requests were not satisfied, and soon the temple was transferred to the Georgian Church.

Today, all the attention of travelers and pilgrims is attracted by the magnificent architecture of the church, traditional for Georgia. The building has been perfectly preserved to this day and delights all visitors with its light brown facade and sharp silver dome. A cross proudly rises on it, which can be seen from afar.

Near the church there is a bell tower; it was built a little later than the main attraction. The interior is a collection of paintings and ornaments on the walls. Near the altar you can see several ancient icons and artistic depictions of Saints.

Address: Georgia, Shida Kartli, Khashuri district, village. Surami

Directions: Surami is located on the Tbilisi-Kutaisi highway, approximately in the middle. Church next to the highway.

Temple of St. Eustathius of Mtskheta (Ertatsminda)

Ertatsminda (modified form of Estate Tsminda - St. Estate) is the Georgian Orthodox Church of St. Evstate (Eustathia), built in the first part of the 13th century. Located in the village of Ertatsminda, Kaspi municipality.

Built from processed stone, the church stands on two pillars. On both sides of the altar, rooms were built on two floors. Despite the existence of the painting, the church is most famous for its façade. All four sides of the church are decorated with a large decorated Cross.

Ertatsminda Temple stylistically repeats the churches of the 12th-13th centuries, in particular the churches of Ikorta, Pitareti, Betania, Kvatakhevi and others.

Since the 17th century, the temple was managed by the Tarkhnishvili family. It became the resting place of representatives of the Saakadze family. It is here that the head of the murdered son of George Saakadze, Paata, is buried.

Address: Georgia, Shida Kartli, Caspian region, village. Ertatsminda

Directions: Public transport goes to Ertatsminda twice a day. The minibus leaves from Tbilisi at 11:00 and 17:00; you need to get off at a stop near the railway station, where "Children's World" is located. You can also take a minibus to Kaspi, and from there by taxi, or hitch a ride to Ertatsminda.

Holy Assumption Cathedral (Bolnisi Zion)

Bolnisi Zion (Georgian: ბოლნისის სიონი) is the oldest Georgian temple in the form of a basilica. Located in the village of Bolnisi, Bolnisi municipality, Kvemo Kartli region.

Construction began in 478 and completed in 493, this is the oldest and, moreover, well-preserved basilica in the country. Some of the most ancient inscriptions in the Georgian language were found in the temple.

The temple was built on a three-stage plinth. The three naves had vaulted ceilings and were placed under a common gable roof. The central nave had a box vault, and the side ones had a half-box vault. Galleries with larger roofs were built on the north and south. A closed baptismal chapel was built on the eastern side. The eastern altar part has a semi-cylindrical projection.

Address: Georgia, Kvemo Kartli, Bolnisi village

Directions: to the south from the city of Bolnisi, after 5 kilometers - the village of Kvemo-Bolnisi, and already a kilometer further will be Bolnisi itself.

Holy Assumption Cathedral (Manglisi)

According to Georgian chronicles, the temple was founded in 326.

For a long time, one of the Christian shrines was kept here - a nail from the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified.

This nail was given to Georgian Christians by the Roman Emperor Constantine I.

It is interesting that the Manglisi temple, unlike most temples in Georgia, was never destroyed.

It was rebuilt in the 7th and 11th centuries.

In the 11th century, the interiors of the temple were painted by Georgian artists; the frescoes were preserved until the mid-19th century, but now only remain in the dome.

In 1852, the temple was repaired by the Russian regiment stationed in Manglisi.

Traces of this repair are clearly visible in fragments of the external decor. At the same time, the walls from inside the temple were plastered.

Address: Georgia, Kvemo Kartli region, town. Manglisi.

Holy Assumption Cathedral in Kutaisi (Bagrati)

Bagrat Temple is a temple erected in Kutaisi during the reign of Bagrat III as the main cathedral of his united Georgian kingdom and consecrated in honor of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary in 1003.

The temple, majestic in size and proportions, became a fundamentally new word in the history of Transcaucasian architecture, was magnificently decorated with carvings and mosaics and played an exceptional role in the medieval history of Georgia. In particular, it was here that David IV the Builder was crowned.

During the Turkish attack in 1691, a gunpowder explosion destroyed the roof and dome of the cathedral, which was subsequently not restored. In 1770, the artillery of the Russian general Totleben destroyed the Kutaisi fortress and the entire eastern part of the Bagrati Temple.

In 1994, the Bagrati Temple was listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, and in 2001 it was transferred to the Georgian Orthodox Church, which periodically held services in the ruins.

Address: Georgia, Imereti, Kutaisi

Church of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel (Gremi)

The complex of the Church of the Archangels is located on a hill and consists of the Church of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel, a bell tower, a three-story palace and a wine cellar (marani). The complex is surrounded by a wall, with towers and embrasures. The remains of a secret underground passage leading to the river have been preserved.

The Church of the Archangels was built by order of King Levan of Kakheti in 1565 and painted in 1577. This is a stone cross-domed church. Traditional Georgian stonework incorporates a local interpretation of Iranian architectural tastes. The building has three entrances - the main western one and two side ones - northern and southern. The dome of the temple rests on the corners of the altar apse and on two supporting pillars. The dome drum has an arcature belt and eight narrow windows. The façade is divided into three arched sections.

The church's bell tower displays several archaeological exhibits and a 16th-century cannon. The walls are decorated with a series of portraits of the kings of Kakheti by the contemporary Georgian artist Levan Chogoshvili (1985).

Address: Tianeti-Akhmeta-Kvareli-Ninigori, Georgia

Cathedral of the Holy Trinity (Tbilisi)

The construction of the new Tsminda Sameba Cathedral (Georgian: წმინდა სამება - “Holy Trinity”) was planned in 1989 in connection with the celebration of the 1500th anniversary of the autocephaly of the Georgian church and to commemorate the 2000th anniversary of Christianity. The competition for the construction of the temple was won by Archil Mindiashvili’s retrospective project. The height of the upper church is 68 m (without the dome cross, the cross is 7.5 m); length from east to west - 77 meters, from north to south - 65 meters; total area - more than 5 thousand square meters.

The temple was founded on November 23, 1995; construction was carried out with donations from ordinary citizens and large businessmen. The first service in the cathedral under construction was held on December 25, 2002. Consecrated exactly 9 years after its foundation, on the day of St. George the Victorious - the heavenly patron of Georgia; The rite of consecration was performed by Patriarch-Catholicos Ilia II in the co-service of bishops and clergy of the Georgian Church, as well as representatives of the Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Russian, Serbian, Romanian, Cypriot, Greek, Polish, Albanian Churches, and the Orthodox Church in America.

After the consecration, the chair of the Catholicos of Georgia was moved to the Trinity Cathedral from Sioni.

Address: Hill of St. Elijah, Tbilisi.

Metekhi Assumption Church (Tbilisi)

Metekhi Assumption Church, like many other ancient Orthodox shrines, is located in the old city of Tbilisi. Metekhi Church was founded in the 12th century. At the end of the 13th century it suffered a fire. During the Mongol operation, the temple was burned and only thanks to King Demeter it was rebuilt, but two hundred years later the church again suffered the same fate, only this time at the hands of Persian soldiers.

The shrine was rebuilt several times, the last time being rebuilt from red brick.

The temple keeps one secret; on its territory lie the remains of the martyr, Princess Ranskaya Shushanika.

A fortress was built next to the temple in the 17th century, which was later converted into a prison, and completely demolished in the middle of the 20th century. And the temple itself was subjected to desecration when in the 19th century it was turned into the barracks of a Cossack regiment. In the middle of the 20th century, it barely survived the demolition of a nearby fortress, and in 1987 it was thoroughly restored and returned to the possession of the Georgian Orthodox Church.

Address: Georgia, Shida Kartli, Kaspi region, Metekhi (about 10 km west of Kaspi).

Zion Cathedral (Tbilisi)

The founding of the Sioni Temple (სიონი) is attributed to Vakhtang I Gorgasal. It is more likely that the initiator of the construction was the Kuropalat Guram I at the end of the 6th century (he was probably buried here). This original church was demolished by the Arabs after the establishment of the emirate.

In 1112, David IV the Builder, having freed Tbilisi from the Arabs, erected a new cathedral in the city, which was repeatedly destroyed and restored. Particularly significant work was required after the invasion of Jalal ad-Din Mankburna and the earthquake of 1668.

In September 1795, the cathedral was severely damaged by the invasion of Agha Mohammed Khan. The wooden choir and iconostasis were burned, the frescoes were covered with soot and soot. The cathedral was soon restored and in 1817, Menai de' Medici wrote that "it is vast and magnificent, painted inside with pictures from the Bible."

Some hierarchs of the Georgian Church are buried in the cathedral, in particular Catholicos-Patriarchs Kirion II (canonized in 2002), David V (Devdariani).

After restoration in 1980-1983, the Sioni Temple, despite its complex construction history, retained its medieval appearance. At a distance from the cathedral there are two bell towers - one is an ancient, three-tiered one, built in the 15th century, destroyed by the Persians and restored in the 20th century, the other is a typical example of Russian classicism (built in 1812).

The interior of the temple contains frescoes by the Russian artist G.G. Gagarin.

Address: Georgia, Tbilisi, st. Sioni, 6.

Anchiskhati Church (Tbilisi)

Anchiskhati Church (Georgian: ანჩისხატი) was built at the beginning of the 6th century by King Dacha Ujarmeli on the banks of the Kura River. It was a three-nave basilica made of cut stone with 3 pairs of pillars, a three-part altar and a southern aisle, which included a baptismal chapel. In the 60s of the 17th century, under Catholicos-Patriarch Domentius III, it was restored: the brick vaults were restored, 2 pairs of pillars were erected separating the naves. In 1675, a few meters from the basilica, a bell tower was built with a cube-shaped volume of the 1st tier, lined with brick, and a tower on columns with a hipped roof.

In 1664, the miraculous icon of the Savior was transferred to the temple from the monastery in c. Anchi in the South-West. Georgia (now within Turkey) - hence the name of the Anchiskhati temple (lit. - Anchi Image). Obviously, at the same time Anchiskhati became the metochion of the Catholicos-Patriarch in Tbilisi. In 1683, by order of Catholicos-Patriarch Nicholas IX (Amilakhvari), fresco painting was done (preserved in the altar). In 1755, a seminary was opened at the temple. In 1814, Anchiskhati was renovated by abbot Dmitry Aleksi-Meskhishvili, and was later re-painted. In the middle of the 19th century, the appearance of the temple was distorted by the addition of small forms; in 1876, a bell tower was added.

The original forms of Anchiskhati were returned after the restoration in 1958 (under the direction of R. G. Gverdtsiteli). During Soviet times, the temple was closed.

Divine services were resumed in the late 80s of the 20th century with the blessing of Catholicos-Patriarch of Georgia Ilia II.

Address: st. Shavteli, 9, Tbilisi

Church of Alexander Nevsky (Tbilisi)

The Church of the Holy Blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky was built in 1864 with donations from believers; in addition, the Holy Synod allocated 5,000 rubles. In 1886, a bell tower was added to the church. There are two refectories: Alexander Nevsky and St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, which was built in 1900 in honor of Emperor Nicholas II. In 1913, a chapel was erected next to the church in honor of the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty.

From 1950 to 1982, the rector of the temple was Metropolitan Zinovy (Mazhuga), who was buried near the northern wall of the temple.

Since the 1970s, Elder Schema-Archimandrite Vitaly (Sidorenko) labored in the church; buried in the courtyard, near the altar.

Address: st. Marjanishvili, 38, Tbilisi

Church of St. David of Gareji (Tbilisi)

The church was built from 1859 to 1871 and was consecrated in honor of David of Gareji (according to legend, the ascetic settled here in the 6th century). In memory of this, the church holiday Mamadavitoba is celebrated annually.

The source of water gushing from the mountain near the church is considered healing and helps against infertility. The northern wall of the temple was strewn with small pebbles, stuck by those praying for the fulfillment of their wishes.

The necropolis existing near the church since 1929 (official opening) has been declared the “Mtatsminda” pantheon; outstanding people of Georgia are buried here - famous writers, artists, scientists and national heroes.

Address: Georgia, Tbilisi, Mount Mtatsminda, st. Mama Daviti Rise

Church of the Holy Cross in Tbilisi (Jvaris Mama)

Church of the Holy Cross (Jvaris Mama, Georgian: თბილისის ჯვარის მამის ეკლესია) - an Orthodox church in the Tbilisi Old Town on Kote Abkhazi Street, 41. Small brick domed building, rectangular in plan, elongated along the east-west axis.

It is considered one of the oldest temples in Tbilisi (according to Plato Ioseliani, among the five initiated by Vakhtang Gorgasali (5th century): Sioni, Anchiskhati, Holy Cross, Zemo Betlemi and Archangel Michael). The church was built at the Tbilisi courtyard of the Georgian Jerusalem Monastery of the Holy Cross.

The church was destroyed several times - by the Mongols (XIV century), by the Persians (1795), but was restored each time. Modern construction from 1825. A fresco from the 19th century paintings has been preserved.

Until 1921 it belonged to the Patriarch of Jerusalem.

Address: Georgia, Tbilisi, st. Kote Abkhazi, 41

Directions: Located in the historical center of Tbilisi, in the “Old Town”

Church of the Nativity in Tbilisi (Zemo Betlemi)

In the 15th century, the Armenians of Tbilisi built the monastery of the Holy Mother of God (Pekhain) here.

In 1884, the church was reconstructed with the renovation of the facades and the construction of a dome.

During Soviet times, worship was stopped, and the premises were occupied by manufacturing enterprises.

In 1994, the church was returned to believers.

Address: Tbilisi, Old Town, Kala

Church of St. George the Victorious in Tbilisi (Kashveti)

The Kashveti Church was built from 1904 to 1910 according to the design of the Tiflis architect Leopold Bielfeld, who took the medieval Samtavisi Cathedral as a model. The church was erected on the site of another brick church, built here by order of the Amilakhvari family in 1753 and which had fallen into disrepair. The frescoes of the church were painted in 1947 by Lado Gudiashvili. It is believed that in the guise of Christ he embodied the portrait features of the sculptor B. Avalishvili, who was beginning in those years.

The name of the church “Kashveti” comes from the Georgian words kva (“stone”) and shva (“to give birth”). According to legend, in the 6th century a woman in Tbilisi accused David of Gareji of being pregnant with his child. David predicted that her wrongness would become apparent when she gave birth to the stone. After this happened, the place received the name “k(v)ashveti”.

General Grigol Orbeliani is buried in the church, and the Sarajishvili couple are reburied near the church. D. Z. Sarajishvili is a famous Georgian entrepreneur and philanthropist.

The modern church building is a remodel from 1996 (architect Tariel Kiparoidze), erected on foundations discovered in 1966 during archaeological excavations.

The Church of St. Nicholas in the fortress has been known since the 12th century.

Mentioned by Prince Vakhushti.

After the annexation of Georgia to Russia, the Narikala fortress lost its significance; a gunpowder warehouse was built on its territory in 1818 by order of General Ermolov. A powerful warehouse explosion in 1827 destroyed St. Nicholas Church almost to the ground.

The new St. Nicholas Cathedral was solemnly consecrated in 1997 by Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II.

Address: Georgia, Tbilisi, Mount Mtsatminda, Narikala fortress

It should be noted that Georgians, like us (meaning not Tatars, but Russians) are an Orthodox people. It was this fact that, after the capture of ancient Byzantium by the Turks, led to the fact that Orthodox peoples and kingdoms sought help and protection from the Russian Empire.

And the more the Turks and Persians slaughtered and drove Christians into slavery, the more Georgia and Armenia gravitated towards Russia.

Moreover, the famous Armenian genocide occurred in 1915-1918. - and this is quite recent by historical standards, but few people know that in addition to the Armenians, Greeks, Georgians, Assyrians, Kurds and other Christian and non-Christian peoples were killed and expelled in the Turkish Empire.

At present, when the belt of instability is flaring up around our countries, color and brown revolutions are breaking out - the factor of aggressive Islam can return Transcaucasia 500 years ago, and then everything will return to normal!

Trinity Monastery at the foot of Kazbek

The Georgian Orthodox Church is an autocephalous local Orthodox Church, having the sixth place in the diptychs of the Slavic local Churches and the ninth place in the diptychs of the ancient Eastern patriarchates.

One of the oldest Christian churches in the world.

Jurisdiction extends to the territory of Georgia and to all Georgians, wherever they live, as well as to the territory of partially recognized Abkhazia and South Ossetia and northern Turkey. According to legend, based on an ancient Georgian manuscript, Georgia is the apostolic lot of the Mother of God.

In 337, through the works of Saint Nina, Equal-to-the-Apostles, Christianity became the state religion of Georgia. The church organization was within the Antiochian Church.

The issue of the Georgian Church receiving autocephaly is a difficult one. According to the historian of the Georgian church, priest Kirill Tsintsadze, the Georgian Church enjoyed actual independence since the time of King Mirian, but received full autocephaly only in the 5th century from the Council convened by the Antioch Patriarch Peter III.

Christianity as a state religion

In 607, the Church accepted the decisions of Chalcedon, breaking canonical unity with the Armenian Apostolic Church.

(remember that the Council of Chalcedon recognized the dogma of the unity of the divine and human principles in Christ!)

In 1744, reforms similar to those of Patriarch Nikon in Rus' took place in the Georgian Church.

Gelati Monastery Churches and temples of Georgia

Georgian Exarchate of the Russian Church

On June 21, 1811, the Holy Synod removed the rank of Catholicos-Patriarch from Anthony II (Temuraz Bagrationi; 1762-December 21, 1827).

From June 30, 1811 until March 1917 (de facto) the Church in Georgia had the status of the Georgian Exarchate of the Russian Church; the title of Catholicos was abolished. The first exarch on July 8, 1811 was Varlaam Eristavi (Prince Eristov) (August 30, 1814 - May 14, 1817; March 20, 1825 appointed manager of the Danilov Monastery; † December 18, 1830). By the end of the 1810s, the Abkhaz Catholicosate was also abolished.

Subsequently, exarchs were appointed from non-Georgian bishops, which often led to friction with the local clergy and excesses, such as the murder of Exarch Nikon (Sofia) on May 28, 1908 in the building of the Georgian-Imereti Synodal Office.

Javari Monastery Churches and temples of Georgia

History of Georgian temple architecture

The history of Georgian temple architecture goes back approximately 1500 years, or more precisely 1536 years (at the moment). This era is divided into separate periods with their own characteristics. At the same time, unlike the Russian one, the Georgian one was more conservative, did not go into experiments, and not everyone can distinguish a 6th-century temple from an 18th-century temple. Georgia did not know Gothic, Baroque, and modernism did not particularly take root.

Of the surviving temples, the earliest was built in 477, although there are contenders for an earlier chronology. No temples from the pagan era have survived, although there is something that claims to belong to Zoroastrianism. In some places, only foundations remain from pagan temples, from which it is difficult to determine anything.

The largest is probably the foundation of a Zoroastrian temple near the Nekresi monastery.

Christian churches in Georgia were of two types - basilica and domed church. The Basilica, if anyone doesn’t know, is a quadrangular building with a gable roof. The domed building is a little more complex in design. There are hybrids: for example, the Church of the Nativity in the Shio-Mgvime monastery was built as a domed one, then the dome collapsed and the temple was completed as a basilica. The Assumption Cathedral in the Khobi Monastery is a rare case of a cross church: there is no dome, but still it is not a basilica.

CATHEDRAL TEMPLE IN TBILISI

Tsminda Sameba - Holy Trinity Cathedral - the main cathedral of the Georgian Orthodox Church, built for the 2000th anniversary of the Nativity of Christ on the hill of St. Ilya in the very center of Tbilisi. Tsminda Sameba Cathedral is the third tallest Orthodox church in the world.

Myths and facts

The idea of building a new cathedral arose in 1989, when the Tbilisi Patriarchate announced the architectural competition "Cathedral of the Holy Trinity". Out of hundreds of submitted projects, the work of architect Archil Mindiashvili was chosen.

The plan of the Holy Trinity complex included a church, chapel, monastery, seminary, academy, hotel and other auxiliary buildings. The Tbilisi authorities allocated 11 hectares of land on St. Hill. Ilya. But due to unrest in the country, the construction of the grandiose temple was postponed.

In 1995, the first cornerstone was finally laid. According to ancient tradition, objects brought from holy places were placed at the base of the foundation: stones from Mount Zion and the Jordan River, soil from Jerusalem and the tomb of St. George, etc. The priests of Tbilisi laid gold coins, and the Patriarch and President of Georgia laid memorial plaques with by their own names.

Tbilisi Tsminda Sameba has become a symbol of Georgia's new achievements and the consolidation of the nation. Funds for construction were collected by the whole world: some with donations, some with help in construction, many enterprises provided building materials and necessary equipment.

Over the course of several years, the golden dome of a huge cathedral grew over old Tbilisi, more than 100 m high (without the dome cross 98 m and the cross 7.5 m), with a total area of more than 5000 sq.m and a capacity of 15 thousand parishioners. The consecration of the cathedral took place in 2004, exactly 9 years after it was laid on the day of St. George by Patriarch Ilia II of Georgia.

Ananuri Churches and temples of Georgia

TEMPLES AND CHURCHES OF GEORGIA

Georgia is a country of stone architecture. With such a history, if Georgia had built from wood, the traces of the ashes would have long ago been irretrievably overgrown and lost.

Georgia did not need to build pyramids - nature did it for it. It remains for man to crown the natural pyramid. And I think it would not be a great exaggeration on my part to say that in Georgia, on almost every more or less high hill you can see either a fortress or a temple.

A few years ago

Where they merge, they make noise,

Hugging like two sisters

The streams of Aragva and Kura,

There was a monastery...

M.Yu. Lermontov

In fact, not a few years, but almost 16 centuries... there was and is a temple, one of the oldest and most beautiful in the Caucasus. But Kura and Aragvi really merge there, murmuring tirelessly and affectionately, as the poet described.

Sometimes even the border between the clayey waters of the Kura and the greenish waters of Aragvi is visible to the naked eye, as in the photo.

Aragvi and Kura Churches and temples of Georgia

Amazing, incredible place. A place from which space opens up. In recent years, groups of tourists have been almost constantly present in Jvari, which, of course, distracts and spoils the impression, so let me give two pieces of advice - go up to the temple early in the morning, while there are still not many people, and be sure to go up on foot. Believe me, it's worth it.

Manglisi Churches and temples of Georgia

What a priceless covenant

was left to us for centuries!

And the light is limitless,

and the stone is harmonious.

G. Tabidze

One of the most beautiful churches in Georgia (although, in my opinion, they are all beautiful) is Manglisi (Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary).

Barakoni

Georgian churches amaze with their ideal fit into the surrounding nature and harmony with it. They do not overwhelm with grandeur, like the Gothic cathedrals of Europe; they do not sparkle with the richness of colors and gilded domes of the East. Their simplicity is multidimensional and ingenious, it gives an incomparable feeling of the unity of man and nature with the Creator of all things.

Katskhis shine

Medieval Georgian architects created by adapting to the relief, merging into it, no matter how diverse and amazing it was.

The small church of Maximus the Confessor was built in the 9th century on a natural rock island known as Katskhis Sveti.

Vanis Kvavebi Churches and temples of Georgia

Chapel in a rock cleft (Vanis Kvavebi, 8th century).

Monastery complex David Gareja.

The masonry tortures the gaze,

as if hiding a treasure.

Rock lace

Ironed by whom?

Who made the music?

The one who rubbles rocks

re-enchanted

in church...

G. Tabidze

The apparent simplicity and poverty of the decoration, when approaching, turns into such music in stone. Conquerors came and went, taking with them gold and silver, priceless icons and relics. The stone remained. It often remained the only visible confirmation of its former glory and greatness.

Nikortsminda

Who painted you

fed from the brush, lovingly,

nurtured, toiling away,

Nikortsminda Church?

G. Tabidze

Actually, all the verses of Galaktion, quoted above and below in the text, are taken from praise specifically for it - the church of Nikortsminda (St. Nicholas, built in 1010-1014). Paintings, unlike stone patterns, are much more fragile and much is irretrievably lost or hopelessly damaged. The frescoes burned in the flames of the fires, they were painted over, “decorated” with inscriptions like “Vasya was here.” The little that has been preserved in Betania, Bodbe, Bugeuli, Vardzia, Gelati, Kintsvisi, Nikortsminda makes one marvel at the strength of human genius and his barbaric aggressiveness.

Kvatakhevi dome Churches and temples of Georgia

Exactly twelve lamps

looking out of twelve windows.

What kind of lights are burning

in your high house?

G. Tabidze

Some temples are equipped with sundials. Small, unnoticeable, but making it clear that in addition to harmony with the relief and spatial orientation of the structures, their creators provided much more.

Shio-Mgvime Churches and temples of Georgia

The master was brave and strict:

this fire is guarded in the soul,

saved my soul between the walls

Nikortsminda Church.

G. Tabidze

Sometimes more than just their soul was put into construction. But more on that later...

Svetitskhoveli Churches and temples of Georgia

Your temple is thunder-winged,

Its arches are unyielding,

Years keep it

The columns sing loudly.

G. Tabidze

The eleventh century begins in the bosom of Svetitskhoveli...

This temple is always beautiful. In the morning, illuminated by the sun, it casts the color of a lizard; by sunset all washed with gold; and at dusk, when the starry vault looks at it, its contours, full of stern harmony, seem to cut through the sky.

An unknown master carved on the wall an image of a man’s right hand holding a square. The signature under it reads: “The hand of the slave Konstantin Arsakidze, for the remission of sins.”

Near this inscription there is a carved figure of a beardless young man dressed in Georgian chokha.

That beardless one over there is Konstantin Arsakidze, the builder of Svetitskhoveli. I'll show you a picture of another person...

He brought an ancient Georgian coin. It depicted a horseman with a hawk on his right shoulder. The inscription on the back of the coin, written in capital letters, read: “King of kings George - the sword of the Messiah.”

That's all...

K. Gamsakhurdia

Look to the right! - the guide woke up. - Before us is Svetitskhoveli!... The architect who built this cathedral, by order of the king, had his right hand cut off...

Why so? - Nestor asked.

Intrigue... Someone reported him...

Did you somehow appropriate the building materials? - said the driver.

N. Dumbadze

All over the world there are legends about architects who were punished instead of rewarded for creating a masterpiece. Daedalus, locked in the labyrinth he created, the blinded creators of St. Basil's Cathedral, the severed hand of Konstantin Arsakidze - phenomena (or myths) of the same order, carrying an ancient, sacred meaning - to create a masterpiece, the creator must suffer, balance his gift with a great sacrifice and great suffering.

Although, for the customers, probably, the meaning was much more prosaic, and consisted in not paying the builders for the work done.

Martkopi Churches and temples of Georgia

Wings, wings for us,

Strength to living wings,

Rule the space, temple,

G. Tabidze

Martkopi Monastery, standing alone on the top, among the forests. The name “Martkopi” itself means “secluded”.

Motsameta

Martkopi's brother in secluded location and architecture is the monastery of Motsameta (Martyrs of David and Constantine). One (Martkopi) is located in Eastern Georgia, the other (Motsameta) - in Western Georgia.

Alaverdi

Higher! - to the cloud,

for the highest good

bursting with wings

blue, strong.

G. Tabidze

The Cathedral of St. George, or in common parlance Alaverdi, built at the beginning of the 11th century, is the most grandiose construction site in medieval Georgia. The cathedral is visible from almost all ends of the Alazani Valley, in the middle of which it stands, its height is a record for all Georgian architecture located in an earthquake-prone region - 50 meters. The word "Alaverdi" is of Turkic-Arabic origin and is translated as "given by God." Around the temple, with the exception of the fortress wall, there are only ruins: the remains of a palace, a refectory, a bell tower, a garrison barracks and even a public bath.

There are two main temple holidays in Georgia - Svetitskhovoloba (October 14) and Alaverdoba (September 28). Alaverdoba - the temple holiday of Alaverdi - has been celebrated since the 6th century. From the point of view of church tradition, the holiday is dedicated to the founder of Alaverdi, Joseph, one of the 13 Syrian fathers who laid down the traditions of monasticism in Georgia. From the point of view of history and the peasants, who from time immemorial on this day brought the fruits of the new harvest to the temple, held races and made sacrifices - this is, rather, an ancient pagan harvest festival, combined with church history and in this form continued to exist already in the Christian era.

Gergeti Sameba

Let the centuries roll by

and generations pass by

hidden from view

my shelter.

I. Abashidze

If Alaverdi is the highest temple in Georgia, then the Church of the Holy Trinity (Sameba) in Gergeti is the highest. The church was built at an altitude of 2170 meters, presumably in the 14th century. The backdrop for the temple is almost always Mount Mkinvartsveri (in Russia better known as Kazbek) covered with snow and ice.

In historical chronicles, the Gergeti Trinity is sometimes called the “repository of the Mtskheta treasure” - during times of raids and wars, the main Georgian shrine, the Cross of St. Nino, was raised here along steep mountain paths in order to protect it from invaders.

A treasure with church manuscripts was found in one of the caves high in the mountains - one of the monks picked it up and hid it there. The mountains have always been home, protection, refuge, and native walls for the people of Georgia.

But they didn’t always save...

Kvatakhevi

Wild forests climbed the steps of the mountains. The steep cliffs were interrupted by the persistent attacks of enemies, and, seduced by this protection, King David the Builder erected the Kvatakhevsky monastery over the steepness.

Kings changed, centuries fled...

But one day a yellow storm came... And the bells begged for help, but broken Georgia lay under the blue boots of the merciless Timurleng... the bells begged in vain, the arrows whistled from the loopholes in vain, the corpses defended the entrance to the monastery in vain. The heavy gates fell. A yellow stream poured into them...

A.A. Antonovskaya

The nuns were all tied together and burned alive, and the monastery was plundered. Since then, no woman has set foot in Kvatakhevi again. Only men are allowed entry.

I never understood why it was necessary to make a bonfire of already defenseless women. Just as I don’t understand those people who call their sons Tamerlane, in honor of the lame, bloodthirsty freak. I just don’t understand the medieval church hierarchs who decided not to let any woman into the monastery anymore, in order to avoid desecration of the memory of innocently murdered nuns.

Martvili

How far away and still visible

Martvili, unreached Martvili,

High blank verse of Odisha mountains.

I. Abashidze

A very nice small 10th century church, Mtsire Chikvani (Martvili Monastery). Its roof and dome are covered with tiles. Many other churches have had their roofs covered with metal since Soviet times for reasons of economy. It seems to me that the tiles look much better, more delicate, more harmonious.

Ninotsminda

And again masonry. This time it's embossed. This type of masonry is typical specifically for Eastern Georgia (Gremi, Sighnaghi, Bodbe). And one more characteristic feature is the dome, made of the same material as the walls. Built in the 6th century, the temple complex was severely destroyed by an earthquake in the first half of the 19th century.

Tsugrugasheni

A creation from the reign of Lasha-George, completed after the first appearance of the Mongols in Georgia (1213-1222). According to the ktitor's inscription, it was built by a certain Hasan Arsenidze. The last flashes of light before plunging into the darkness of an eight-hundred-year abyss of almost continuous invasions and devastation. Then more and more often it was necessary not to build, but to restore.

Above the steep Metekhi rock, where Gorgasali, now seated on a stone horse, warns drivers with his raised right hand to be careful when turning, and from where in the old days desperate Tbilisi residents made their last journey in life - with a stone around their neck into the muddy waters of Mtkvari, Metekhi Castle used to stand ( the word "castle" here should be understood in the sense of "prison").

N. Dumbadze

The name of the quarter - Metekhi - appeared in the 12th century and means “neighborhood of the palace”. The temple contains the burial place of Saint Shushanik, the first Christian martyr of Georgia, an Armenian by origin. And near Metekhi in 1961, a monument to the founder of the city, King Vakhtang Gorgasali, was erected.

Metekhi Temple, built in 1278-84. under King Demeter II the Self-Sacrififier, at first it was the palace church of the Georgian kings, from the 17th century it was located on the territory of the fortress, with the annexation of Georgia to Russia, the fortress was converted into a prison, and in the middle of the 20th century the prison was demolished.

The temple itself was repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt. In the 13th century, the church was razed to the ground by the Mongols, but it was quickly restored. In the 15th century it was destroyed by the Persians, and in the 16th-17th centuries it was constantly rebuilt by the Georgian kings. During the time of Beria, when the fortress-prison was demolished, they wanted to demolish the church (the artist Dmitry Shevardnadze paid with his life for protesting against its demolition, so in this part the plot of “Repentance” is documentary).

Metekhi

And immediately the bells of Tbilisi churches began to ring. Each bell ringer rang the bell phrases of his temple.

Kar...tli...I...li...I... Kar...tli...I...li...I,” the Anchiskhat Church called back.

Egre...iho...egre...ari... Egre...iho...egre...ari, the Zion Cathedral roared.

Velit... mepes... mepes... orders... gamarjvebit... mepes... velits... - the Metekhi Church began to roar.

A.A. Antonovskaya

Sioni Churches and temples of Georgia

So it was... so it is... - translated means the bell phrase of the Zion Cathedral. Sioni has been worth almost as much as Tbilisi - since the 5th century - and all these one and a half millennia has shared the fate of the city.

The first temple on this site was demolished by the Arabs. After the liberation of Tbilisi from the Arabs in 1112, Sioni was rebuilt. In 1226, the city was captured by the Shah of Khorezm Jalal ad-Din. The Shah ordered to remove the dome from Sioni, throw the icons on the bridge and force the residents of Tbilisi to walk over them. Georgia commemorates one hundred thousand martyrs who refused to step over the shrines annually on November 13 on the Metekhi Bridge, where the severed heads of those executed were flown to Mtkvari (Kuru).

Tamerlane destroyed Tbilisi Sioni at the end of the 14th century, but the church was restored.

In 1522, by order of Shah Ishmael, the icon of the Mother of God was taken out of Sioni and thrown into the river. The icon was found and returned to the cathedral. In 1724, the icon was stolen again, this time by the Muslim ruler of Kakheti, Ali Quli Khan.

In 1668, the temple was severely damaged by an earthquake, but was restored again.

In 1726, the Turkish Sultan ordered Sioni to be turned into a mosque. Prince Givi Amilakhvari managed to convince the Sultan to abandon his intention at the cost of expensive gifts.

After the invasion of the Persians under the leadership of Aga Mohammed Khan in 1795, the cathedral was restored by Prince Tsitsianov. Minai de Medici, who visited Sioni in 1817, wrote that “it is vast and magnificent, painted inside with pictures from the Bible.” Some of the frescoes in the temple were made by Russian artist G.G. Gagarin.

Sioni has stood and will stand as long as Tbilisi stands, as long as the faith of the people lives. The Cross of St. Nino is kept here.

Bagrati temple

Bachana removed his hand from the pulse and put it to his heart. The heart was silent...

So you only had ischemia of the posterior wall, but he didn’t have a wall, but the ruins of Bagrati!

N. Dumbadze

Bagrati is the second of four cathedrals of medieval Georgia (the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary), built in the 10th century by King Bagrat III and blown up by Turkish troops in 1691.

In 2007, it was decided to recreate the temple. Precisely to recreate, because what is left of it does not in any way fit the cautious concept of “reconstruction”. At the first stage of work, a female burial was found, judging by the abundance of jewelry, belonging to a person of royal blood. It was even suggested that the grave of Queen Tamar had finally been discovered, but the burial turned out to be ancient (8th century).

The Bagrati Temple is included in the UNESCO list of World Cultural Heritage sites and it is due to this fact that the reconstruction was suspended twice. The reason for the first stop in 2010 was the use of new modern materials, which contradicts the very concept of preserving cultural heritage in its original form. The reason for the second stop was the appearance of a glass elevator in the model.

Another key problem with the reconstruction was that there were no surviving images that give a clear picture of what the western wing of the temple, which was most severely damaged by the explosion, looked like. There are also supporters of conserving the ruins, but it seems to me that it would be better to have an elevator than this.

In September 2012, the main stage of restoration work was completed.

I can’t help but remember the first of the four cathedrals - Oshki (Cathedral of John the Baptist). Built in the 10th century, a little earlier than Bagrati and Manglisi, this beautiful temple is very similar to them in style. Alas, the temple, now located in Turkey, is slowly dying. All negotiations between the government and the Catholicos-Patriarch of the Georgian Orthodox Church have not yet led to a positive solution. The Turkish authorities refuse not only to allow clergy to perform services, but even to allow Georgia to carry out the restoration at its own expense.

______________________________________________________________________________________

SOURCE OF INFORMATION AND PHOTO:

Team Nomads.

http://world.lib.ru/d/dia/georgian_temples.shtml

Joerj, Alexey Mukhranov,

Irina Kalatozishvili, Skitalаc, taki-net, tetri info,

World monument fund, Ivane Goliadze, paata.ge,

Paata Liparteliani, Tina Sitnikova.

http://allcastle.info/asia/georgia/

Georgia is the Transcaucasian country closest to Russia, with which it is connected not only by faith, and the baptism of Georgia occurred 664 years before the baptism of Rus', but by history and culture. Many glorious names of Orthodox saints, kings, great generals, poets, writers, musicians and actors connect the two great countries. But the most important thing is the spiritual kinship of the peoples living in our countries.

Lot of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Christianity in Georgia originated during the time of the first apostles. Iberia went to the Mother of God by lot, when the first apostles chose countries to preach Christ. But by the will of God this mission was entrusted to the Apostle Andrew.

According to legend, the apostles Matthew, Thaddeus, and Simon Cannait, who suffered martyrdom there, also carried out preaching activities there. The emergence of Christianity was not easy. At the very beginning of its development, it was subjected to persecution for almost three hundred years. King Farsman 1st in the first century carried out brutal persecution of Christians citing hard labor in Tauris.

The history of the formation of Orthodoxy in Georgia deserves special attention, because all the events associated with the baptism of Georgians have specific historical dates, and individual facts of miracles associated with this phenomenon are taken not from legends and traditions, but from actual events witnessed by eyewitnesses .

Orthodoxy received official recognition in Georgia in 324. This great event is associated with the names:

Saint Nino of Cappadocia. Her preaching contributed to the adoption of baptism by Georgians.
King Mirian, who turned to faith thanks to Saint Nina and miraculous healing from the blindness that struck him when he turned to the Lord.
Holy Queen Nana.

It is impossible to imagine Orthodox Georgia without these names.

She was born in Cappadocia into a Christian family and received an appropriate upbringing from childhood. Even in her youth, fleeing the persecution of Emperor Diocletian in 303, she, among 37 Christian girls, fled to Armenia, where she miraculously escaped death, and then to Iberia, where she preached Christ.

Baptism

The ruling Georgian king Marian and his wife Nano were convinced pagans. Thanks to Nino’s prayers, the queen, who had been seriously ill for a long time, was healed and received baptism from the saint, which aroused the wrath of the king, who was ready to execute both women. But on July 20, 323, a story similar to what happened to the Apostle Paul happened to him.

While on a hunt and learning that his wife, Queen Nano, had been baptized, he angrily vowed to execute her and Nino. But as soon as he began to threaten Nino and the queen with execution and blaspheme, he immediately became blind. He received no help from his idols and in despair turned to Christ in prayer. His vision returned.

These events took place in the spring of 323, and on May 6 of the same year, healed from sudden blindness and believing in the power of Christ, the Georgian king Mirian converted to Orthodoxy. This event became a turning point in the history of Georgia, since after his conversion the king became a staunch promoter of Orthodoxy in his country.

On October 14, 324 (according to some sources in 326) in Mtskheta on the Kura River, Bishop John, specially sent for this purpose by Tsar Constantine the Great, baptized the people. Tens of thousands of Georgians were baptized that day. This date is the time of the beginning of the baptism of Georgia. Since that time, Orthodoxy has become the official state religion.

To commemorate the victory of Christianity, crosses were erected in the Kartli mountains. And in Mtskheta, King Mirian, who laid the foundation for the construction of churches, built the first Orthodox church in the temple history of the country, Svetitskhoveli (life-giving pillar), that is, the Cathedral of the Twelve Apostles. If you happen to visit Georgia, be sure to visit this temple.

After baptism she never returned to paganism. Crowned apostates who tried to persecute believers in Christ appeared periodically. But the Georgian people never abandoned their faith.

Moreover, there are many known facts of the massive feat of Georgians in the name of the faith of Christ. A well-known historical fact is that in 1227, Muslims led by Shahinshah Jalal Ed Din took Tbilisi and the townspeople were promised the preservation of their lives in exchange for the desecration of the icons placed on the bridge over the Kura River. 100,000 townspeople, including women, old people and children, simple monks and metropolitans chose death in the name of Christ. There are many such examples in the history of Georgia.

Throughout the history of Orthodoxy in Iveria, it had to withstand repeated attempts not only to forcefully destroy it, but also to pervert the purity of its teaching:

Archbishop Mobidag (434), tried to introduce the heresy of Arianism. However, he was exposed, deprived of power and excommunicated from the Church.
There were attempts to introduce the heresies of Peter Fullon.
Albanians (in 650) with their heresy of Manichaeism.
Monophysites and others.

However, all these attempts were failed, thanks to the Council of Shepherds who harshly condemned heresies, the people who did not accept such attempts, Catholicos Kirion, who forbade believers from any communication with heretics, and the metropolitans who stood firm in the faith and enlightened the believers.

Georgians, who have managed to defend the purity and piety of their faith for many centuries, have earned the respect of even foreign believers. So the Greek monk Procopius wrote: “The Iverians are the best of Christians, the strictest guardians of the laws and regulations of Orthodoxy.”

Today, 85% of Georgians consider themselves Orthodox; the Constitution of the state notes the large role of the Church in its history. This was confirmed once again in his speech by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, who wrote: “The Church has always fought for the freedom of Georgia.”

Christianity in Armenia and Georgia

Armenia became Christian before Iveria (adopted Orthodoxy before Rus'). The Church of Armenia differs from the Orthodoxy of Byzantium on some issues, including rituals.

Orthodoxy officially established itself here in 301, thanks to the active preaching activities of St. Gregory the Illuminator and King Tridate the Third. The latter previously stood for paganism and was an ardent persecutor of Christians. He was responsible for the execution of 37 Christian girls who fled from the persecution of the Roman Emperor Diocletian, among whom was Saint Nino, the future enlightener of Georgia. However, after a series of miraculous events that happened to him, he believed in the Lord and became an active promoter of Christianity among the Armenians.

Some existing differences in dogma with the Church of Georgia and Russia have their origins during the Fourth Ecumenical Council, held in Chalcedon in 451 regarding the Monophysite heresy of Eutyches.

Christians of the Armenian Apostolic Church recognize the decisions of only three Ecumenical Councils, due to the fact that the Armenians did not participate in the fourth, since their arrival was prevented by the war. But it was at the Fourth Council that quite significant dogmas of Christianity were adopted concerning the heresy of Monophysitism.

Having abandoned the decisions of the last Council due to the absence of their representatives, the Armenians actually went into Monophysitism, and for the Orthodox, denying the dual unity of the nature of Christ is a fall into heresy.

Also the differences are as follows:

In the celebration of the Eucharist.
Execution of the cross performed in the Catholic manner.
Differences between some holidays by dates.
The use of an organ during worship, like Catholics.
Differences in the interpretation of the essence of the “Holy Fire”.

In 491, at a local council in Vagharshapat, Georgians also abandoned the decisions of the Fourth Ecumenical Council. The reason for this step was the vision in the decrees of the Fourth Council on the two natures of Christ of a return to Nestorianism. However, in 607, the decisions of 491 were revised, they were abandoned, and relations with the Armenian Church, which continued to maintain its previous positions, were severed.

Autocephaly, that is, the administrative independence of the church, was obtained at the end of the fifth century under the ruler of Iberia, Vakhtang Gorgasali. The first head of the unified church of Georgia, the Catholicos-Patriarch, was John Okropiri (980-1001). After joining Russia in the 19th century, the Georgian Church became part of the Russian Church, losing autocephaly.

This situation lasted until 1917, when everything returned to its previous place and the autocephaly of the GOC was restored. In 1943 it was officially recognized by the Moscow Patriarchate, and on March 3, 1990 by the Patriarchate of Constantinople.

Today in the diptych of Churches it ranks first after the Russian Orthodox Church. The head of the Georgian Orthodox Church is Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II.

Georgian and Russian Orthodoxy are no different. Only politicians try to set apart brothers in faith. Any excuse is used for this, including attempts to change the name of the country. So the word Sakrtvelo is translated from Georgian into Russian as Georgia, and the indigenous people inhabiting the country are called Georgians. These names, in slightly modified form, have been used in the languages of other peoples for centuries.

However, today some pseudo-patriotic Georgian politicians find Russian influence in these names. Referring to the fact that in the West many people call Georgia Georgian or Georgia, which, in their opinion, is more correct, since traditionally accepted common names are associated with the fact that Georgia is part of Russia. Some leaders in the government of the state allow themselves to voice such statements.

However, Orthodoxy takes an active part in the internal life of the country and plays an important role. This is evidenced by only one fact: on significant Orthodox holidays the state announces pardons for convicts. It has become an annual tradition for Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II to conduct the baptism ceremony personally. This event takes place on October 14, in memory of the baptism of Georgians by Bishop John in October 324 in Kura. A book has been published containing photographs of tens of thousands of the patriarch's godchildren. If you want your child to become the godson of the patriarch, then try to come here by this time.

The Old Believers feel quite comfortable here. About twenty of their communities are located in the country. Jurisdictionally, they belong to the Russian Orthodox Old Believer Church in Romania (Zugdiya Diocese) and the Russian Old Orthodox Church.

The Georgian Orthodox Church includes 36 dioceses, which are headed by 36 Georgian metropolitans. Patriarchates are located in Mtskheta and Tbilisi. In addition to the dioceses located within the state, there are six foreign dioceses, which include:

Western European with a department in Brussels.
Anglo-Irish, the department is located in London.
Diocese of Eastern Europe.
Canadian and North American with a department in Los Angeles.
Diocese in South America.
Australian.

The GOC is called the Georgian Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church. In international transcription - Georgian Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church.

THE BELL

Largest cities

Georgian Orthodox Church

Story

Early period

Christianity as a state religion

Georgian Exarchate of the Russian Church

Restoration of autocephaly. Recent period

Relations with the Moscow Patriarchate

The Saints

Shrines

Temples

Trinity Church (Gergeti)

Svetitskhoveli (Mtskheta)

Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Batumi)

Monasteries

Gelati Monastery of the Virgin Mary (Kutaisi)

David-Gareji Monastery

Assumption Church in Tsesi (Barakoni)

Church of St. George the Victorious in Bolnisi (Tsugrugasheni)

Cathedral of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker (Nikortsminda)

Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ (Samtavisi)

Cathedral of the Blachernae Icon of the Mother of God (Zugdidi)

Holy Dormition Church (Timotesubani)

Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Batumi)

Cathedral of Christ the Savior (Tsalenjikha)

St. George's Cathedral (Surami)

Temple of St. Eustathius of Mtskheta (Ertatsminda)

Holy Assumption Cathedral (Bolnisi Zion)

Holy Assumption Cathedral (Manglisi)

Holy Assumption Cathedral in Kutaisi (Bagrati)

Church of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel (Gremi)

Cathedral of the Holy Trinity (Tbilisi)

Metekhi Assumption Church (Tbilisi)

Zion Cathedral (Tbilisi)

Anchiskhati Church (Tbilisi)

Church of Alexander Nevsky (Tbilisi)

Church of St. David of Gareji (Tbilisi)

Church of the Holy Cross in Tbilisi (Jvaris Mama)

Lot of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Baptism

Christianity in Armenia and Georgia

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THE BELL