The Georgian Church is different from the Orthodox. Chapter I

Initially, the Primate of the Georgian Church bore the title of "Catholicos-Archbishop", and from 1012 - "Catholicos-Patriarch".

Gradually, from the Iberians, Christianity spread among the Abkhazians, as a result of which, in 541, an episcopal see was established in Pitiunt (modern Pitsunda). Even in ancient times, Abazgia (Western Georgia) usually served as a center of exile. During the persecution of Christians under the emperor Diocletian, the martyr Orentius and his 6 brothers were exiled to Pitiunt; on the way to Pitunt (in Komany - near modern Sukhumi) in 407, St. John Chrysostom died. But in the church and political relations Abazgia until the end of the 8th century. was dependent on Byzantium. official language administration and the Church was Greek. Probably only at the turn of the VIII - IX centuries. the Abkhazian (Western Georgian) kingdom appeared independent of Byzantium (with its center in Kutaisi). At the same time, tendencies began to appear towards the formation of an independent Church here.

7.2. Georgian Church under Arab and Turkish rule ( VIII - XVIII centuries). Division into Catholicosates

From the end of the 7th c. North Caucasus begins to experience the wave of Arab conquests. The Byzantine Empire acted as a natural ally of the Christian Caucasian peoples in the struggle against the Muslim conquerors.

Nevertheless, in 736, the Arab commander Marvan ibn Muhammad (in Georgian sources - Murvan the Deaf) with a 120,000-strong army decided to conquer the entire Caucasus. In 736 - 738 years. his troops devastated southern and eastern Georgia (Kartli), where in 740 they met fierce resistance from the Aragveti princes David and Constantine. These princes were taken prisoner, subjected to severe torture and were thrown by the Arabs from a cliff in the river. Rioni. Following this, the Arab army moved further to Western Georgia (Abazgia), where, under the walls of the Anakopia fortress, they were defeated and were forced to leave Western Georgia. According to the historian Dzhuansher, the victory of the Christian Abkhaz army over the Arabs is explained by the intercession of the Anakopia Icon of the Mother of God - "Nikopeia". However, on the territory of Western Georgia, the Tbilisi Emirate was created, subordinate to the Arab Caliph.

As a result of these wars, the dynasty of the rulers of Abazgia - Western Georgia - grew stronger. This contributed to the unification of the region of Laziki (Southern Georgia) with Abazgia into a single West Georgian (Abkhazian) kingdom. In parallel with this process, an independent Abkhazian is also taking shape in Abazgia. Most likely, this happened under the Abkhazian king George II (916 - 960), when, regardless of the interests of Byzantium, an independent episcopal Chkondid see was formed here. By the end of the ninth century Greek language in worship gradually gives way to the Georgian.

In 1010 - 1029. in Mtskheta - the ancient capital of Georgia - the architect Konstantin Arsukisdze built the majestic Cathedral "Sveti Tskhoveli" ("Life-Giving Pillar") in the name of the Twelve Apostles, considered the mother of Georgian churches. The enthronement of the Georgian Catholicos-Patriarchs has since been performed only in this Cathedral.

Under King David IV the Builder (1089 - 1125), Georgia was finally united - Western (Abkhazia) and Eastern (Kartli). Under him, the Tbilisi Emirate was liquidated, and the capital of the state was transferred from Kutaisi to Tiflis (Tbilisi). At the same time, a church unification took place: the Mtskheta Catholicos-Patriarch extended his spiritual authority to all of Georgia, including Abkhazia, as a result of which he received the title of Catholicos -Patriarch of all Georgia, and the territory of Western Georgia (Abkhazia) became part of the single Mtskheta Patriarchate.

Thus, at the turn of the XI - XII centuries. the position of the Iberian Church has changed. It has become one - the division into the West Georgian and East Georgian Churches has disappeared. King David was actively engaged in the construction of new temples and monasteries. In 1103, he convened a Church Council, at which the Orthodox confession of faith was approved and the canons concerning the behavior of Christians were adopted.

The golden age for Georgia was the time of David's great granddaughter, St. Queen Tamara (1184 - 1213). She expanded the territory of Georgia from the Black Sea to the Caspian Sea. Works of spiritual, philosophical and literary content were translated into Georgian.

A particular danger to Georgia since the XIII century. began to represent the Mongol-Tatars, especially after they accepted. One of the most cruel for Georgians was the campaign of Timur Tamerlane in 1387, which mercilessly destroyed cities and villages, hundreds of people died.

Under the influence of the ongoing conquests and political unrest at the turn of the XIII - XIV centuries. there is a violation of order in church life. In 1290, the Abkhazian Catholicosate separated from the united Georgian Church - it extended its jurisdiction to Western Georgia (the center was in Pitsunda from 1290, and in Kutaisi from 1657). The title of the Primate is the Catholicos-Patriarch of Abkhazia and Imereti.

On the territory of Eastern Georgia, the Eastern Georgian Catholicosate (center - Mtskheta) simultaneously appeared. The title of Primate is the Catholicos-Patriarch of Kartalya, Kakheti and Tiflis.

The long series of disasters for the Georgian Church was continued by the Ottoman Turks and Persians. During the XVII - XVIII centuries. they periodically made predatory and devastating raids on the territory of Transcaucasia.

It is not surprising that until the second half of the XVIII century. there were no theological schools in Georgia. Only in the middle of the XVIII century. in Tiflis and Telavi, theological seminaries were opened, but before they had time to get stronger, they were destroyed by the conquerors.

According to the Georgian historian Platon Iosselian, for fifteen centuries there was not a single reign in the Kingdom of Georgia that was not accompanied by an attack, or ruin, or cruel oppression by the enemies of Christ.

In 1783, King Erekle II of Kartal and Kakheti (Eastern Georgia) formally recognized Russia's patronage over Georgia. As a result of negotiations with Russia, in 1801 Emperor Alexander I issued a manifesto, according to which Georgia (first Eastern, and then Western) was finally annexed to Russia.

Prior to the accession of Georgia to Russian Empire The Georgian one consisted of 13 dioceses, 7 bishops, 799 churches.

7.3. Georgian Exarchate within the Russian Orthodox Church. Restoration of autocephaly in 1917

After reunification with Russia, the Georgian Orthodox became part of the Russian on the basis of the Exarchate. Western Georgian Catholicos-Patriarch Maxim II (1776-1795) retired to Kyiv in 1795, where he died the same year. From that moment on, the spiritual authority over both Catholicosates passed to the East Georgian Catholicos-Patriarch Anthony II (1788-1810). In 1810, by decision of the Holy Synod of the Russian Church, he was removed, and the Exarch of Iveria, Metropolitan Varlaam (Eristavi) (1811 - 1817) was appointed in his place. Thus, the Georgian Church became directly dependent on the Russian Orthodox Church and was illegally deprived of its autocephaly.

On the other hand, the presence of Orthodox Georgians under the wing of the Russian Church revived and stabilized the spiritual life in Georgia, which could not be achieved under the previous conditions of constant conquest.

During the existence of the Georgian Exarchate, important positive changes took place: in 1817 a theological seminary was opened in Tiflis, in 1894 a seminary in Kutaisi. Diocesan women's schools and parochial schools were opened.

Since the 1860s The journal "Georgian Spiritual Bulletin" (in Georgian) began to be published. Since 1886, a two-week church-religious magazine "Mtskemsi" ("Shepherd") began to appear in Georgian and Russian, which was published until 1902. From 1891 to 1906 and from 1909 to 1917. The weekly official journal "The Spiritual Herald of the Georgian Exarchate" began to be published in Russian and Georgian languages ​​with a mandatory subscription for the clergy.

Under Exarch Archbishop Pavel (Lebedev) (1882 - 1887), the "Brotherhood Holy Mother of God”, which published spiritual and moral literature in Russian and Georgian, organized religious and moral readings, spiritual concerts, etc. In 1897 it was reorganized into the Missionary Spiritual and Educational Brotherhood.

From the 70s of the XIX century. in Abkhazia, the construction of small stone and wooden churches and monasteries is developing. At the same time, it was here, thanks to the Russian monks who arrived here from the Holy Mount Athos, that the center of Orthodox monasticism was being revived. The point is that, according to church tradition, on this land the Apostle Simon Kananit was buried, also in the Middle Ages Abkhazia was one of the famous centers of Orthodoxy in Western Georgia.

Having received here a significant plot of land (1327 acres), the Russian monks of the St. Panteleimon Athos Monastery from 1875 - 1876. began to build up this area, as a result of which the monastery was founded. By 1896, the monastery complex was completely built, and by 1900, the New Athos Cathedral was erected. The painting of the monastery and the cathedral was carried out by the Volga icon painters Olovyannikov brothers and a group of Moscow artists led by N. V. Malov and A. V. Serebryakov. New Monastery was named New Athos Simono-Kananitsky (New Athos), which still exists today.

A special direction in the activities of the Georgian exarchs is missionary work among the highlanders. The preaching of Christianity among the Chechens, Dagestanis and other Caucasian peoples began as early as the 18th century. In 1724 St. John Manglissky spread Orthodoxy in Dagestan by founding the Exaltation of the Cross Monastery in Kizlyar. On his initiative, a special mission was created, headed by Archimandrite Pakhomiy, in the course of which many Ossetians, Ingush and other highlanders were converted to holy Orthodoxy.

In 1771, a permanent Ossetian spiritual commission was created (with its center in Mozdok). In the 90s. 18th century its activities temporarily stopped and was resumed in 1815 under the first exarch Varlaam. On the basis of the Ossetian Spiritual Commission in 1860, the "Society for the Restoration of Christianity in the Caucasus" arose, the main tasks of which were, firstly, the preaching of Orthodoxy, and, secondly, the spiritual enlightenment of the Caucasian population.

By the beginning of the twentieth century. The Georgian Exarchate had 4 eparchies, 1.2 million Orthodox believers, over 2 thousand churches, approx. 30 monasteries.

With the beginning of the revolutionary events of 1917 and the sharpest political crisis Russian state in Georgia began a movement for political and ecclesiastical independence.

The entry of the Georgian Church into the Russian Church in 1810 was envisaged on the basis of church autonomy, but soon nothing remained of the autonomous rights of the Georgian Exarchate. From 1811 bishops of Russian nationality were appointed exarchs to Georgia; church property of Georgia was transferred to full disposal Russian authorities and so on. The Georgians protested against this situation. The autocephalous sentiments of Orthodox Georgians especially intensified in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. during the work of the Pre-Council Presence (1906-1907), convened for the purpose of preparing and studying a draft of the forthcoming reforms in the Russian Orthodox Church.

On March 12, 1917, shortly after the overthrow of the emperor's power in Russia, Orthodox Georgians independently decided to restore the autocephaly of their Church. The Georgian church hierarchs informed the Exarch of Georgia Archbishop Platon (Rozhdestvensky) (1915-1917) that from now on he ceases to be an Exarch.

The church administration of Georgia transmitted its decision to Petrograd to the Provisional Government, which recognized the restoration of the autocephaly of the Georgian Orthodox Church, but only as a national Church - without geographical boundaries, - thus leaving the Russian parishes in Georgia under the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Being dissatisfied with this decision, the Georgians filed a protest to the Provisional Government, where they said that the recognition of the Georgian nature of national, and not territorial autocephaly, strongly contradicts church canons. The autocephaly of the Georgian Church must be recognized on a territorial basis within the ancient Georgian Catholicosate.

In September 1917, the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Kirion (Sadzaglishvili) (1917 - 1918) was elected in Georgia, after which the Georgians began to nationalize religious and educational institutions.

The hierarchy of the Russian Orthodox Church, headed by Patriarch Tikhon, opposed the act of the Georgian hierarchs, declaring that it was not canonical.

The Georgians, represented by the new Catholicos-Patriarch Leonid (Okropiridze) (1918-1921), declared that Georgia, having united more than 100 years ago with Russia under a single political power, never showed a desire to unite with her in a church relationship. The abolition of the autocephaly of the Georgian Church was a violent act of the secular authorities, contrary to church canons. Catholicos Leonid and the Georgian clergy were completely confident in their rightness and the immutability of observing church rules.

As a result, in 1918 there was a break in prayerful communion between the Georgian and Russian Churches, which lasted 25 years. Only the election of Patriarch Sergius of Moscow and All Russia served as a good pretext for the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Callistratus (Tsintsadze) (1932-1952) to restore relations with the Russian Orthodox Church on the issue of autocephaly.

On October 31, 1943, the reconciliation of the two Churches took place. In the ancient cathedral cathedral of Tbilisi, the Divine Liturgy was performed, uniting in prayerful communion the Catholicos Kallistrat and the representative of the Moscow Patriarchate, Archbishop Anthony of Stavropol. After that, the Holy Synod of the Russian Church, chaired by Patriarch Sergius, issued a ruling, according to which, firstly, prayerful and Eucharistic communion between the Russian and Georgian Orthodox Churches was recognized as restored, and, secondly, it was decided to ask the Catholicos of Georgia to provide Russian parishes in the Georgian SSR to preserve in their liturgical practice those orders and customs that they inherited from the Russian Church.

7.4. The current state of the Georgian Orthodox Church

Monasticism and monasteries. The spreaders of monasticism in Georgia were 13 Syrian ascetics, headed by St. John of Zedazne, sent here in the 6th century. from Antioch, St. Simeon the Stylite. It was they who founded one of the first monasteries in Georgia - David Gareji. The most ancient monasteries of Georgia also include Motsameti (VIII century), Gelati (XII century), where kings are buried Georgian kingdom, Shio-Mgvimsky (XIII century).

Since 980, the Iberian Monastery, founded by St. John Iver. The monk asked the Byzantine emperor for a small monastery of St. Clement on Athos, where the monastery was subsequently founded. The Iberian monks were honored with the apparition of the icon of the Mother of God, named after the Iberian monastery, and according to its location above the monastery gates, the Vratarnitsa (Portaitissa).

In 1083, the Byzantine feudal lord Grigory Bakurianis founded the Petritson Monastery (now Bachkovsky) on the territory of Bulgaria - one of the largest centers of medieval Georgian culture and monasticism. Through this monastery, close cultural ties were established between Byzantium and Georgia. Translation and scientific-theological activity was actively going on in the monastery. At the end of the XIV century. The monastery was captured by the Ottoman Turks and destroyed it. From the end of the 16th century the monastery was taken over by the Greeks, and in 1894 the monastery was transferred to the Bulgarian Church.

Of the saints of the Georgian Orthodox Church, the most famous are St. equal to ap. Nina (d. 335) (Comm. January 14), Martyr Abo of Tbilisi (VIII century), St. Hilarion the Wonderworker (d. 882), ascetic of the monastery of St. David of Gareji (Comm. 19 November), St. Gregory, rector of the Khandzo monastery (d. 961) (Comm. 5 October), St. Euthymius of Iberia (d. 1028) (Comm. 13 May), Queen Ketevan of Georgia (1624), who died at the hands of the Persian Shah Abbas (Comm. 13 September).

Of the martyrs (although not canonized saints) of recent times, the Georgian theologian Archim. Grigory Peradze. He was born in 1899 in Tiflis in the family of a priest. He studied at the Faculty of Theology at the University of Berlin, then at the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Bonn. For his work "The Beginning of Monasticism in Georgia" he was awarded degree Ph.D. He taught at the University of Bonn and at Oxford. In 1931 he accepted monasticism and the priesthood. During the years of the Great Patriotic War ended up in the Auschwitz concentration camp, where he died in a gas chamber.

Management of Georgian Orthodox and modern life. According to the Regulations on the Administration of the Georgian Orthodox Church (1945), legislative and supreme judicial power belongs to the Church Council, which consists of clergy and laity and is convened by the Catholicos-Patriarch as needed.

The Catholicos-Patriarch is elected by the Church Council by secret ballot. Under the Catholicos-Patriarch, there is a Holy Synod consisting of the ruling bishops and the vicar of the Catholicos. The full title of the Primate of the Georgian Church is “His Holiness and Beatitude Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Archbishop of Mtskheta and Tbilisi.”

The diocese is led by a bishop. The dioceses are divided into deanery districts.

The parish is governed by the Parish Council (it includes members of the clergy and representatives from the laity, elected by the Parish Assembly for 3 years). The chairman of the Parish Council is the rector of the church.

The largest centers for the training of Orthodox clergy are the Mtskheta Theological Seminary (operating since 1969), the Tbilisi Theological Academy (operating since 1988), and the Gelati Theological Academy.

Divine services in the Georgian Church are performed in Georgian and Church Slavonic languages. In the Sukhumi-Abkhaz diocese, where there are Greek parishes, services are also performed in Greek.

Georgian is a member of the World Council of Churches (since 1962), participated in all five All-Christian World Congresses (second half of the 20th century).

At the Pan-Orthodox Conferences, the Georgian Orthodox Church did not take its rightful place, since the Patriarchate of Constantinople treated its autocephaly ambiguously. In the 1930s The Ecumenical Throne recognized the autocephaly of the Georgian Church, and later took a more restrained position: it began to consider it autonomous. This follows from the fact that the Ecumenical Patriarchate invited only two representatives of the Georgian Church to the First Pan-Orthodox Conference in 1961, and not three (according to the established procedure, autocephalous Churches sent three representatives-bishops, and autonomous ones two). At the Third Pan-Orthodox Conference, the Church of Constantinople believed that the Georgian Church should occupy only 12th place among other Local Orthodox Churches (after the Polish one). The representative of the Georgian Church, Bishop Ilia of Shemokmed (now Catholicos-Patriarch) insisted that the decision of the Patriarchate of Constantinople be revised. Only in 1988, as a result of negotiations between the Constantinople and Georgian Churches, the Ecumenical Throne again began to recognize the Georgian Church as autocephalous, but in the diptych of the Local Orthodox Churches put it in 9th place (after the Bulgarian Church).

In the diptych of the Russian Orthodox Church, the Georgian Church has always occupied and continues to occupy the 6th place.

From 1977 to the present, the Georgian Orthodox Church has been headed by the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II (in the world - Irakli Shiolashvili-Gudushauri). He was born in 1933. Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II continued the revival of the Georgian Church begun by his predecessors. Under him, the number of dioceses increased to 27; the ancient Orthodox Gelati Academy, seminaries and the Theological Academy in Tbilisi again turned into centers of education, with their theologians, translators, scribes and researchers; the construction of a new cathedral in the name of the Holy Trinity in Tbilisi is nearing completion, the main icon for which was painted by His Holiness; edited and published translations of the Gospel and the entire Bible in modern Georgian.

In October 2002, there was major event in the life of the Georgian Orthodox Church: a concordat was adopted - “The Constitutional Agreement between the State of Georgia and Autocephalous Orthodox Apostolic Georgia” - this is a unique document for the Orthodox world, covering almost all aspects of the life of the Church with its ancient canonical order in the modern Orthodox state. In addition to the "Law on Freedom of Conscience", the state and the Church confirm their readiness to cooperate on the basis of observing the principle of independence from each other. The state guarantees the observance of church sacraments, recognizes marriages registered by the Church. The property of the Church is now protected by law, its property ( Orthodox churches, monasteries, land) cannot be removed. Church valuables stored in museums and depositories are recognized as the property of the Church. The twelfth holidays become holidays and weekends, and Sunday cannot be declared a working day.

The canonical territory of the Georgian Orthodox Church is Georgia. The episcopate of the Georgian Orthodox Church has 24 bishops (2000). The number of believers is up to 4 million people (1996).

As one of the first countries to recognize Christianity as the state religion, Georgia has many Orthodox shrines. Stored in ancient monasteries and temples, they allow you to feel the true value Christian faith and immerse yourself in the fertile atmosphere of past centuries. It is almost impossible to see all the relics of the state within one pilgrimage tour, but any tourist can visit the most interesting places where the most valuable icons and relics are kept.

Famous holy places in Georgia

Bodbe Monastery

The ancient Bodbe Monastery, located at a distance of 2 km from the town of Sighnaghi in Kakheti, keeps within its walls the relics of St. Equal-to-the-Apostles Nino, the great Enlightener of Georgia, whose sermons led all the inhabitants of the country to Christ. Born in 280, for 35 years the preacher was engaged in apostolic asceticism, and before her death she retired to the miniature town of Bodbe, where she was buried. After a while, a church of St. George was erected over the grave of Nino, next to which the monastery complex arose.

The relics of the preacher are kept in the southern aisle of the temple. Every year, thousands of pilgrims come to them, seeking to bow to the sacred remains and visit the source of St. Nino, the water in which is considered healing. Along with the relics, the monastery contains another revered shrine - the myrrh-streaming Iberian Icon of the Mother of God. During the Soviet period, a hospital operated in the monastery, and traces of a scalpel are still visible on the image, which remained there as a memory of the hospital past of the building.

Patriarchal Cathedral of Svetitskhoveli

Svetitskhoveli Temple is one of the most important spiritual centers of the Orthodox inhabitants of Georgia. The Cathedral is located in the city of Mtskheta and is one of the largest historical buildings of the state. Due to its rich and rich history, as well as its significance for Christianity, it is included in the honorary list of objects. world heritage UNESCO.

The history of the shrine goes back to the 4th century, when, on the advice of Equal-to-the-Apostles Nino, the Iberian king Mirian III built the first wooden church in the state. In the second half of the 5th century, a stone basilica was erected on the site of the church, and already in the 11th century, the building was replaced by a modern three-aisled church, erected under the supervision of the architect Arsakidze.

According to the legend, under the vault of the cathedral is kept the coat of Jesus Christ, which was brought to Georgia by Rabbi Eleazar. During the execution, the clergyman was in Jerusalem and witnessed the casting of lots for the clothes of the Savior. The Life-Giving Pillar points to the burial place of the tunic, at which many miracles and healings took place in the old days.

Monastery Samtavro

At the confluence of the Aragvi and Mtkvari rivers, on the territory of the city of Mtskheta, the majestic Samtavro monastery complex rises, consisting of the monastery of St. Nino and the Samtavro-Transfiguration Church. The construction was erected in the 4th century by order of King Mirian, who was later buried within the walls of the temple. Despite repeated destruction and restoration, the complex has managed to preserve the original ornaments, which have no analogues in Georgian architecture.

Inside the building contains many interesting shrines:

• the icon of St. Nino, which has a miraculous effect;
• the relics of the anchorite Shio Mgvimsky and the preacher Abibos Nekressky;
• Iverskaya icon Mother of God;
• tomb of Queen Nana;
• part of a stone from the burial place of Nino in the Bodbe monastery.

Cathedral of Sioni

Sioni Temple in Tbilisi is one of the two main Orthodox buildings in Georgia. The building got its name in honor of Jerusalem's Mount Zion, which in the Bible is called "the habitation of God." The cathedral rises on the coast of the Kura in the historical center of the capital. The date of its foundation is called the VI century, but over the past years the temple has been destroyed and rebuilt more than once.

The most valuable shrine of Sioni is the Cross of St. Nino, which, according to legend, the preacher received from the Virgin before visiting Georgia. Woven from a vine, after the death of Nino, it was kept for a long time in the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, then traveled to Armenian churches, visited Russia, and in 1801 returned to Georgia again. Today, the cross is placed in a silver icon case next to the northern gate of the altar of the Sioni temple.

Jvari monastery

In terms of perfection and originality of architectural forms, the Jvari Monastery near Mtskheta has no equal in Georgia. Being a masterpiece of Georgian architecture, the temple was the first in the country to be included in the UNESCO list. The building rises on the top of the mountain, where, according to ancient chronicles, St. Nino installed life-giving cross Lord.

The building was built in the 6th century. It was originally a small church, which today lies in ruins. In 604, next to her took place Grand opening a larger building consecrated in honor of the Exaltation of the Cross. On its facades, ancient reliefs depicting ktitors have been preserved, and inside there is a modern cross, in which particles of that ancient cross, installed by Nino, are kept.

Other Georgian shrines

Traveling through the territory of Georgia, in the cities and small villages of the country, you can see many other churches, cathedrals, monasteries, which contain truly revered relics:

• Monastery complex of Shemokmedi – preserves the oldest Georgian icon dating back to 886. The image of the Transfiguration of the Lord was brought to the temple from the Zarzma monastery in the 16th century. Since that time, the icon has been gathering thousands of pilgrims and tourists who come to rest in Western Georgia.
• Gelati monastery - revered thanks to the tomb of King David the Builder. It is believed that Queen Tamara was buried under its foundation, although according to other sources, her ashes were later transported to the Holy Cross Monastery in Jerusalem.
• Cathedral of the Blachernae Icon of the Mother of God - the relics of Saints John, George and Marina, a particle of the belt and robe of the Mother of God, as well as a part of the sponge from which the Savior drank vinegar are placed in the temple.
• - in it Holy place pilgrims travel to venerate the relics of Saints Constantine and David, who were martyred by the Arab invaders.
• Metekhi Temple- is the burial place of St. Abo of Tbilisi and St. Shushanik, the first great martyr in Georgia, who died at the hands of her fire-worshipping husband.

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. Official language- Georgian.

Largest cities

• Batumi
• Kutaisi

Georgian Orthodox Church

Georgian Orthodox Church (official name: Georgian Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church, cargo. საქართველოს სამოციქულო ავტოკეფალური მართლმადიდებელი ეკლესია ) is an autocephalous local Orthodox Church, which has the sixth place in the diptychs of the Slavic local Churches and the ninth 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 to the north of Turkey. According to a legend based on an ancient Georgian manuscript, Georgia is the apostolic lot of the Mother of God. In 337, through the labors of St. Nina Equal to the Apostles, Christianity became the state religion of Georgia. The church organization was within the boundaries of the Antiochian Church. The issue of obtaining autocephaly by the Georgian church is a difficult one. According to the historian of the Georgian church, priest Kirill Tsintsadze, the Georgian Church enjoyed de facto independence from the time of King Mirian, but received full autocephaly only in the 5th century from the Council convened by Patriarch Peter III of Antioch.

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 the complete freedom of religious beliefs and beliefs, 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.

Shortly after this event, the 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 within the boundaries of Egrisi (modern Mingrelia), after preaching the Gospel there, he moved to Iveria, to the land of Did-Adchara.

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

Before the departure of St. Andrew from that land, the new 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, the size of this icon, and bring it to him. When the board was ready, he put it on the icon of the Mother of God, and the icon was fully depicted on the board. The apostle gave the Christians a new image, which they placed in their new church. Then St. Andrew went to other lands.

Having crossed the mountain called the mountain of the Iron Cross, and the Dzakhi gorge, he entered the limits of Samtskhe and stopped in the village of Zaden-gora. From here he went to the city of Atskuri, called in ancient times Sosangeti. 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 only son, whom she loved most in the world, who was the only heir to her kingdom. Unfortunately, the widow's son died shortly before the arrival of the apostle in Atskuri.

According to legend, during the stay of the Apostle Andrew in Atskuri, several miracles occurred - the main of which is the resurrection of the widow's son and the destruction of statues of pagan gods. Then, having appointed a bishop, priests, and deacons as new converts, Saint Andrew wanted to go to other countries, but the empress and her subjects asked Andrew not to leave them, or else leave them the miraculous icon of the Mother of God. The icon left by St. 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. Then he returned to Jerusalem for the Passover feast.

After Pentecost, Saint Andrew took with him the Apostle Simon the Zealot, 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. Others, bypassing the cities and villages of Cappadocia and Pontus with the sermon, finally reached Kartli (Kartalinskaya countries) (Iveria). Further, they passed part of the Mtiuleti land to the Chorokhi River.

Then the apostles visited Svaneti, during the reign of the dowager queen, the wife of the murdered Pontic king Polamon Pythodora, who, with many subjects, converted to Christianity and was baptized by Andrew himself. In Svaneti, the Apostle Matthew remained with the queen with other disciples to confirm 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 Fostaphora. 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 Andrew left the Apostle Simon the Zealot with others to confirm the new converts, while he himself went to the land of the Djikets. The Jiquets did not accept Christianity, and, moreover, the apostle himself was almost killed. Leaving them, Andrey went to Upper Suadag.

The inhabitants of Upper Suadag adopted 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 Ahai, where he died on the cross from the Anfipat Aegeat 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 before our era and ruled the country for sixty-three years, heard that his subjects had converted from paganism to Christianity, and began persecuting Christians. Many of them during this persecution were martyred along with the Apostle Simon the Zealot. Christianity, apparently suppressed by the fury of the king, in reality was still not defeated: there were Christians hiding in the mountains and forests, who had places of common meetings and prayers. Soon the grave of Simon Kananit, located in the mountains of Abkhazia near Sukhumi, became the subject of deep reverence.

Since the time of this persecution for almost half a century, Iberia no longer received preachers of Christianity from anywhere and had no leaders who would confirm the new converts in their confession.

Already in the 100th year, the Hieromartyr Clement, Bishop of Rome, exiled by Emperor Trajan to the deserted places of Taurida, helped many Colchisians to remain faithful to Christianity by working miracles and teachings. 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 assertion of Christianity and the fact that it became the dominant religion was the fruit of the long-term and zealous preaching of the apostle of all, the holy educator, blessed mother Nina.

Christianity as the state religion

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

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

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

In 1744, the Georgian Church underwent reforms similar to the reforms of Patriarch Nikon in Russia.

Georgian Exarchate of the Russian Church

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

From June 30, 1811 to 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. On July 8, 1811, Varlaam (Eristavi) became the first exarch (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), 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.

Restoration of autocephaly. Newest period

On March 12 (March 25), 1917, the autocephaly of the Georgian Church was proclaimed at the Mtskheta Council; Bishop of Guria-Mingrelian Leonid (Okropidze) was elected guardian of the throne of the Catholicos. On March 13, the latter notified the Exarch of Georgia, Archbishop of Kartalo-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 the Russian parishes of Tiflis, Elizavetpol, Baku, Erivan, Kutaisi, Black Sea provinces and Kars, Batum regions, Artvinsky, Zakatala and Sukhumi districts. Feofilakt (Klementiev), 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 unauthorized nature of the restoration of the 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 due to pressure from the faithful, it had to “postpone” its decision.

Communion was officially restored by the Resolution of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church on November 19, 1943.

In 1997, the Georgian Orthodox Church withdrew from 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; The Abkhaz diocese after 1992 is not de facto part of the Georgian Church. There is also a canonical unsettledness 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, in August 2008, in connection with the military conflict in Georgia, stated: "Political the decisions do not define questions of ecclesiastical jurisdictions and spheres of pastoral responsibility. These issues should be resolved on the canonical field in the course of dialogue between the two Churches.”

On November 9, 2008, the Chairman of the DECR MP, Metropolitan (now Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia) Kirill, in an interview with the Vesti channel, said, in particular, about the Alan diocese: "Need to say that this is not just a diocese, as it were, schismatic, but the fact is that the head of this diocese received episcopal ordination from the Greek Old Calendarists. [- This is also an unrecognized hierarchy] Quite right, from the so-called Kipriyanov Synod. 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 their 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 the schismatic church, which sets as its main goal the destruction of the unity of the Russian Orthodox Church. But that doesn't happen either. Therefore, the first thing 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)

The 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 Highway in the Georgian village of Tergeti directly on the right bank of Stemindayol settlement (Gergeti village)

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

AT Soviet time the church was closed, now returned to the Georgian Orthodox Church. Popular with 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 habit of having their first overnight stay here in order to adapt to the altitude.

The Church of the Holy Trinity in Gergeti can be reached on foot on foot. Don't let its height scare you, if you are ready to spend an hour or two climbing and your physical form 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 cutting off the road with trampled paths, and climb to the top along the path that goes up at a steep 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 a cedar, which marked the burial place of the robe of Christ. 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 (headed by V. Tsintsadze) in the 1970s. and left for public viewing.

In the 11th century, on the site of the damaged basilica, the Catholicos of Georgia Melkizedek I (1012-1030, 1039-1045) erected a temple. The currently existing cross-domed four-pillared 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 southeastern part of Mtskheta, in the ancient center of the city

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

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

In the years Soviet power The temple was in danger of destruction. Among those who spoke 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 in different years It was used for various purposes: 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, the 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 Monuments 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 Mother of God (Kutaisi)

The monastery was founded by King David IV the Builder in 1106 and became his tomb. The cathedral church was built until 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 mural refers to different periods Georgian history, from the 12th to the 18th centuries; portrait images of crowned persons are especially noteworthy. Previously, many valuable icons and objects were preserved in the monastery. applied arts; in Soviet times they were confiscated and distributed among 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 have to go along a winding road for about three kilometers. In front of the entrance there is a parking lot and several stalls with souvenirs.

David Gareji Monastery

Besides St. app. Andrew in Georgia was preached by St. Apostles Simon the Zealot and Matthias. The most ancient sources report about the preaching in Eastern Georgia of St. app. Bartholomew and Thaddeus.

For the first centuries, Christianity in Georgia was persecuted. By the beginning of the second century, the martyrdom of St. Sukhiya and his retinues (Comm. 15/28 April). However, already in 326, Christianity became the state religion in Iberia thanks to the preaching of St. equal to ap. Nina (commemorated January 14/27 and May 19/June 1 - in the Georgian Church these days are considered among the great holidays). Fulfilling the will of the Most Holy Theotokos, St. Nina from Jerusalem came to Georgia and finally confirmed her faith in Christ.

Initially, the Georgian Church was under the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Antioch, but already in the 5th century. according to the established opinion, she received autocephaly. This, apparently, was facilitated, among others, by the fact that Georgia was an independent Christian state outside the borders of the Byzantine Empire. From the 11th century The primate of the Georgian Church bears the title of Catholicos-Patriarch.

Throughout its history, Georgia has been fighting against the invaders, who sought not only to seize the country, but also to eradicate Christianity in it. For example, in 1227 Tbilisi was invaded by the Khorezmians led by Jalal-ad-Din. Then the icons were brought to the bridge and all the inhabitants of the city had to spit on the faces of the icons when passing over the bridge. Those who did not do this were immediately cut off their heads and pushed into the river. On that day, 100,000 Christians in Tbilisi were martyred (they are commemorated on October 31/November 13).

The difficult situation of Orthodox Georgians forced them from the 15th century. from time to time to ask for help from the same-faith Russia. As a result, at the beginning of the XIX century. Georgia was annexed to the Russian Empire and the autocephaly of the Georgian Church was abolished. The Georgian Exarchate was formed, which was ruled by an exarch in the rank of metropolitan, later in the rank of archbishop. During the existence of the Exarchate, order was put in place in church life, the financial situation of the clergy improved, religious educational institutions were opened, and science developed. At the same time, the Georgian language was being squeezed out of worship, teaching in seminaries was also conducted in Russian. The number of dioceses was reduced, church property was at the disposal of the Russian authorities, bishops of Russian nationality were appointed exarchs. All this caused numerous protests.

At the end of XIX - beginning of XX centuries. there was a clearly expressed desire of Orthodox Georgians for autocephaly. In February 1917, a revolution took place in Russia, and on March 12, the restoration of the autocephaly of the Georgian Church was proclaimed in the ancient capital of Georgia, Mtskheta. On September 17, 1917, at the Council in Tbilisi, Bishop Kirion (Sadzaglishvili) was elected Catholicos-Patriarch. The Russian Church at first did not recognize the restoration of autocephaly, as a result of which there was a break in prayerful communion between the two Churches. Communication was restored in 1943 under Patriarch Sergius (Stargorodsky) and Catholicos-Patriarch Kallistrat (Tsintsadze). In 1990, the Ecumenical (Constantinople) Pariarchy recognized the autocephaly of the Georgian Church.

Since 1977 His Holiness and Beatitude Ilia II has been the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia.