Georgian Orthodox. History of the Georgian Orthodox Church

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 state 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 ) 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 Tsar 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 exceptional role of the Georgian Orthodox Church in the history of Georgia and at the same time proclaims 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 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 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 to 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.

Shortly 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 nearly killed. Leaving them, Andrei 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 hundredth 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 performing 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 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 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, instead of 13 dioceses in Eastern Georgia, 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, Batumi 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 defend South Ossetia, and on the other hand, the spiritual leaders of this country are under the jurisdiction of the schismatic church, which sets its main goal to destroy 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 Archbishop Hilarion (Alfeev) of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate.

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.

In Soviet times, the church was closed, now it has been 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 build a Catholic church in Batumi. Stepan invited artists and architects from Italy to build. In total, the construction cost 250 thousand rubles.

During the years of Soviet power, the temple was threatened with 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 survived and was used for different purposes in different 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, 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. Murals belong to different periods of Georgian history, from the 12th to the 18th centuries; portrait images of crowned persons are especially noteworthy. Previously, many valuable icons and objects of applied art were preserved in the monastery; 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

Georgia is the closest Transcaucasian country to Russia, with which it is connected not only by faith, but the baptism of Georgia took place 664 years earlier than the baptism of Russia, 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 in the time of the first apostles. Iveria went to the Mother of God by lot, when the first apostles chose the countries for the preaching of Christ. But by the will of God, this mission was entrusted to the Apostle Andrew.

According to legend, the apostles Matthew, Thaddeus, Simon Kannait, who was martyred there, conducted their preaching activities there. The rise of Christianity was not easy. At the very beginning of its development, it was subjected to persecution for almost three hundred years. Tsar Farsman the 1st in the first century staged a cruel persecution of Christians who referred to 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 that occurred associated with this phenomenon are taken not from legends and traditions, but from real events that were witnessed by eyewitnesses. .

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

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

It is impossible to imagine Orthodox Georgia without these names.

She was born in the city of Cappadocia in 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 staunch 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 caused the anger of the king, who was ready to execute both women. But on July 20, 323, a story similar to that which happened to the Apostle Paul happened to him.

Being on the hunt and learning about the acceptance of baptism by his wife, Queen Nano, in anger vowed to execute her and Nino. But, as soon as he began to threaten the execution of Nino and the queen and blaspheme, he immediately went blind. He received no help from his idols, and in desperation turned to Christ with a prayer. His sight returned.

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

Crosses were erected in the mountains of Kartli to commemorate the victory of Christianity. And in Mtskheta, King Mirian, who laid the foundation for the construction of temples, 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 organize persecution of believers in Christ periodically appeared. But the Georgian people have never retreated from the faith.

Moreover, many facts are known of the mass 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 life in exchange for the desecration of the icons laid out on the bridge across the Kura. 100,000 citizens, including old women and children, ordinary 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 Iberia, she had to endure repeated attempts not only to destroy violently, but also to pervert the purity of the teaching:

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

However, all these attempts were failed, thanks to the Council of Pastors, who harshly condemned heresies, the people who did not accept such attempts, Catholicos Kirion, who forbade believers from any communication with heretics, metropolitans, who stood firm in the faith and enlightened 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 Iberians are the best of Christians, the most strict guardians of the laws and regulations of Orthodoxy."

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

Christianity in Armenia and Georgia

Armenia became Christian earlier than Iveria (adopted Orthodoxy before Russia). In the church of Armenia there are differences from the Orthodoxy of Byzantium on some issues, including ritualism.

Officially, Orthodoxy was established here in 301, thanks to the active preaching work of St. Gregory the Illuminator and Tsar Tridat the Third. The latter previously stood on the positions of 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 St. 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 conductor of Christianity among the Armenians.

Some of the existing differences in dogmas with the churches of Georgia and Russia originate at the time of the Fourth Ecumenical Council, held in Chalcedon in 451 on the occasion of the Monophysite heresy of Eutyches.

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

Having abandoned the decisions of the past Council due to the absence of their representatives, the Armenians actually went into monophysitism, while for the Orthodox, the denial of the dual unity of the nature of Christ is a fall into heresy.

Also the differences are as follows:

1. in the celebration of the Eucharist.
2. Produced in the Catholic manner, the execution of the cross.
3. Differences of some holidays by dates.
4. Use in worship, as in Catholics, organ.
5. Differences in the interpretation of the essence of the Holy Fire.

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

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

This situation lasted until 1917, when everything returned to its former places 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 the Churches, it ranks first after the Russian Orthodox Church. The head of the Georgian Orthodox Church is the Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II.

Georgian and Russian Orthodoxy are no different. Only politicians try to quarrel brothers in faith. For this, any reason is used, up to attempts to change the name of the country. So the word Sakrtvelo is translated from Georgian into Russian, like Georgia, and the indigenous people inhabiting the country are called Georgians. These names in a 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 the traditionally accepted familiar names are associated with the fact that Georgia is part of Russia. Such statements allow themselves to be voiced by some leaders in the government of the state.

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 that on significant Orthodox holidays the state announces pardons for convicts. It has become an annual tradition to conduct the rite of baptism personally by the Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II. 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, which contains photographs of tens of thousands of godchildren of the patriarch. 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 (Zugdi diocese) and the Russian Old Orthodox Church.

The Georgian Orthodox Church has 36 dioceses 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:

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

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

According to legend, Georgia (Iveria) is the apostolic lot of the Mother of God. After the Ascension, the apostles gathered in the Zion Upper Room and cast lots on which country each of them should go to. The Blessed Virgin Mary wished to take part in the apostolic preaching. The lot fell to her to go to Iveria, but the Lord ordered her to stay in Jerusalem. St. went north. app. Andrew the First-Called, who took with him the miraculous image of the Virgin. St. Andrew traveled with the preaching of the Gospel to many cities and villages of Georgia. In the city of Atskuri, near the modern city of Akhaltsikhe, through the prayer of the apostle, the widow's son, who had died shortly before his arrival, was resurrected, and this miracle prompted the inhabitants of the city to accept Holy Baptism. Ap. Andrew appointed a newly enlightened bishop, priests and deacons, and before setting off on his journey he left an icon of the Mother of God in the city (the celebration in honor of the Atskur Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos takes place on August 15/28).

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 other things, 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, theological 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) Pariarchate recognized the autocephaly of the Georgian Church.

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

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 ecclesiastical and political relations, Abazgia until the end of the 8th century. was dependent on Byzantium. The official language of the 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. The North Caucasus is beginning 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 Abkhazian army over the Arabs is explained by the intercession of the Anakopia Icon of the Mother of God - "Nikopia". 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 the Greek language in worship is gradually giving way to 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 the 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 Paul (Lebedev) (1882 - 1887), the Brotherhood of the Most Holy Theotokos was established, 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 fact is that, according to church tradition, the Apostle Simon the Zealot was buried on this land, also in the Middle Ages Abkhazia was one of the well-known 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. The new monastery was named the 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, during 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 most acute political crisis of the Russian state, a movement for political and ecclesiastical independence began in Georgia.

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; the church property of Georgia was transferred to the full disposal of the 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 such a decision, the Georgians filed a protest to the Provisional Government, where they said that the recognition of the Georgian character 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 with Russia under a single political authority more than 100 years ago, never showed a desire to unite with it in church terms. 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 Kallistrat (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 with 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 the kings of the Georgian kingdom are buried, Shio-Mgvime (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 appearance of the icon of the Mother of God, named after the Iberian monastery, and after its location above the monastery gates, the Vratarnitsa (Portaitissa).

In 1083, on the territory of Bulgaria, the Byzantine feudal lord Grigory Bakurianis founded the Petritson Monastery (now Bachkovsky) - 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 the work "The Beginning of Monasticism in Georgia" he was awarded the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. He taught at the University of Bonn and at Oxford. In 1931 he accepted monasticism and the priesthood. During the Great Patriotic War, he 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 occupy its proper 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, the most important event in the life of the Georgian Orthodox Church took place: 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 dispensation in 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 plots) cannot be alienated. 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).

The Church of the Holy Great Martyr George the Victorious is one of the inconspicuous ones. Excursion tours around the capital bypass it. Not even all the indigenous inhabitants of the city know where the Georgian church is located in Moscow. Nevertheless, it exists. And this is not just a temple, of which there are many in Moscow. This is a real little corner of Georgia.

In addition, the church has a very interesting history. And its interiors, as well as its appearance, are worth visiting this temple. And if you are a believer, then it will be interesting for you to know that the church has the status of a patriarchal courtyard, which is connected by Christian ties with the Seraphim-Znamensky Skete, the Cathedral of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God in the village of Puchkovo and the chapel of the Virgin Mary of Iverskaya.

Georgian Church in Moscow: address, how to get there

This temple is located in the central part of the Russian capital, on Presnya. The exact address of the church is 13 Bolshaya Gruzinskaya Street. As you can see, the spirit of Iberia is present in the names of places. There are also Malaya Gruzinskaya and Gruzinskiy Val streets. As well as the lane and square of the same name. Why such an abundance of Georgian streets? We will talk about this below. In the meantime, let's be clear: many people think that the Georgian church is located in Moscow on Malaya Gruzinskaya Street. But it is not. Just on Malaya Gruzinskaya there is a spectacular-looking Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary. It was built in the Neo-Gothic style and seems to be a corner of Western Europe in the center of the Russian capital, misleading some citizens.

Now back to the Georgian Church of George the Victorious. It is extremely easy to get to. You can get off the metro at the station "Barrikadnaya" and from there move on foot or take the trolleybus number 66. An even easier way to the temple is from the station. metro station "Krasnopresnenskaya" Walk for about ten minutes, constantly moving along the fence of the zoo.

Historical facts

Now it's time to figure out the reason for the so common Georgian street names in this area. To do this, we need to make a small historical digression. In the first quarter of the eighteenth century Turkey attacked Georgia. The tsar, Vakhtang Levanovich the Sixth, came to Moscow in 1725 to ask for intercession from the Emperor of Russia Peter II. The Georgian monarch arrived not alone. He was accompanied not only by his sons Bakar and George, but also by a large retinue. In 1729, Vakhtang Levanovich was granted the sovereign's court, which was located on the Presnya River. Then, on the site of the palace of the Georgian king, the merchant V. Gorbunov built a house. In the 1970s, the German embassy was located in this mansion. Now the house houses the workshop of Zurab Tsereteli.

Well, the retinue of the Georgian king settled not far from their sovereign. So, in a few years, a fairly large diaspora has formed in Moscow. So big that the whole area on Presnya began to be called simply - "Georgians". That is why the monument was erected here, in Georgievsky Square. But the Georgian church in Moscow appeared, of course, much earlier than the monument to the poet of the twelfth century.

Temple history

The diaspora from Iberia needed a place to worship. The money for the construction of the temple was allocated by the son of Vakhtang, Tsarevich George. The place in the settlement for the sacred building was not chosen by chance. After all, there had previously been an Orthodox church dedicated to the Evangelist John. But the temple burned down. And in its place, the Georgian community erected a new wooden church. Already in April 1750, the temple was consecrated by the Georgian archbishop, who lived in Russia, Joseph. This church stood for almost thirty years. But wooden structures too often fall prey to fire. This fate did not bypass the “Temple on the Georgians”. The community decided to rebuild it in stone.

The new Georgian church in Moscow began to be built in the autumn of 1788, nine years after the fire. After all, it was necessary to write a petition to the Metropolitan of Russia Platon (Levshin) in order to obtain permission to build a temple. The bell tower was erected in 1870.

Recent Church History

At the end of the 19th century (1895-1899), the Georgian church in Moscow was completely rebuilt. The architect V. Sretensky increased the size of the temple and gave it the appearance of a Byzantine basilica. This new building organically adjoined the old building on the east side. With the advent of Soviet power, difficult times came for the church. In 1922, everything more or less valuable was taken out of it. The bells were taken down and the library was plundered.

In 1930, the temple was completely closed. The bell tower was dismantled, and the church building was divided by floors. All this was done in order to instill an electromechanical technical school in the cult building. Only in 1933 the old part was returned to believers. An agreement was reached between the Russian and Georgian Orthodox Churches on the joint use of the temple. In 2015, the technical school was also evicted from the new part of the building. But much of its former splendor has been lost.

Church of St. George in Moscow

The Georgian community has invested and continues to invest a lot of money to restore the desecrated building to its former appearance. Now there is a complete restoration of the old part of the temple. Officially, the Church of St. George belongs to the Russian Orthodox Church, the Moscow Patriarchate. But according to the agreement, a priest of the Georgian Orthodox Church also conducts services in it. The church also has a refectory and a children's Sunday school. Georgians in Moscow honor customs and want their children not to forget the traditions of their ancestors. Therefore, language is also taught at school.

It is worth entering under these arches to admire the patterned lectern and the most revered one located in a gilded icon case to the right of the altar. Beautiful interior paintings are amazing. The frescoes were made by the famous artist Lasha Kintsurashvili, who specially came from Georgia. They shimmer with bright colors.

Shrines of the temple

Services are held in Church Slavonic and Georgian. The frescoes also depict universal saints. It is good to visit the temple during the liturgy. Then you can listen to the many-voiced Georgian singing of the church choir. There are many icons in the temple. These are the images of the Lord Almighty, the Most Holy Theotokos, St. George the Victorious. The Georgian Church in Moscow also contains relics of Saints Matryona of Moscow and Seraphim of Sarov.