Mount Athos - Iveron Monastery, Pantocrator Monastery, Great Lavra. Monastery of Iveron Athos Iveron cell

The Athos Peninsula is the cradle of Orthodoxy, attracting thousands of pilgrims with its prayerful and miraculous atmosphere. 20 monasteries were founded on the holy lands, of which the Iversky Monastery is considered the third in political significance, but the first in terms of the presence of Orthodox relics. The history of these walls goes back more than 1000 years, and the fame of the miraculous shrines kept in the local temples has spread far beyond the borders of Greece and Europe.

History of the Iveron Monastery

The Iversky Monastery (also known as Iveron) is located on the eastern coast of Mount Athos.

An ancient legend says that it was to this part of the peninsula that the ship of the Virgin Mary moored. Struck by the beauty of nature, the Mother of God came ashore, and at the same time as her first step, a healing spring unexpectedly emerged from the ground, the waters of which flow vigorously to this day. This place was later called Clement's Pier, and another important and interesting history of the Iversky Monastery will be connected with it. But first things first.

Construction of the monastery

The foundation of the temple began in 980 by the Georgian nobleman John of Iveron. The word “Iveria” itself is an ancient designation for Georgia. The name of the monastery pays tribute not only to its founder, but also to all his compatriots who participated in the construction of the shrine.

John of Iveron and his son at the beginning of their stay on Athos served with the elder St. Athanasius in the Great Lavra (therefore, today these monasteries are twinned). They led a decent life and for their virtues they earned the respect and blessing of St. Athanasius. Over time, more and more Georgians began to arrive on Athos in search of monastic shelter, so that the walls of the Lavra became crowded. Then John decided to found a separate monastery.

As a result of negotiations between the Georgian king and the Greek emperor, the ruins of the ancient Clement Monastery came into the possession of the Georgians. At this place John began the construction of a new monastery. He was helped in the construction by the Georgian warrior Torniky, who had lived on Mount Athos for a long time and was held in high esteem by the local residents. The financial side of the issue was managed thanks to the generous donations of King David Kuropalat and the Georgian people.

Construction was completed in 983. John himself became the first rector of the temple, and after his death this place was taken by his son. The expansion of the monastery and the construction of new churches continued after the death of the founders of the monastery.

Legend of the main shrine

The most ancient and legendary relic of the monastery is the Iveron Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, also known as the Goalkeeper and Gatekeeper. These names are associated with a legend about the appearance of an icon within the walls of the monastery.

This story took place near the city of Nicaea at a time when the policy of iconoclasm was still being pursued. Saving the image of the Mother of God from inevitable death, one widow, with incessant prayers on her lips, lowered it into the sea waters, in the hope that the waves would save it and carry it away from the shore. Indeed, the icon was not found.

Centuries later, in 1004, the image of the Mother of God was washed up on the pier of a newly built monastery. Elder Gabriel discovered the blessed find. The day before, the Mother of God appeared to the monk and ordered him to walk on the water and transfer the shrine to the temple. The icon appeared before the elder in a bright pillar of light stretching to the heavens. Gabriel valiantly fulfilled the duties assigned to him and placed the icon on the altar.

Read also: Athos Monastery in Greece - monasteries and shrines

However, in the morning the image, for unknown reasons, appeared above the gates of the monastery. The icon was returned to the altar, but the disappearance story repeated itself again. This went on for several days until the Mother of God appeared to the elder and said:

I do not want to be protected by you, but I want to be your Guardian... As long as you see My image in this monastery, until then the grace and mercy of My Son towards you will not fail.

The image was left outside, placed in a special case and secured above the gate. Since then, the icon has been nicknamed the Goalkeeper. Now the Iveron Icon is kept in the interior of Iveron in a small temple located to the left of the monastery gate.

The Fall and Rebirth of Iveron

For two centuries from the moment of its foundation, the monastery led a measured and calm life, without being exposed to any dangers. But in 1259 this prosperity was disrupted by an attack by Western Uniates. As a result of their outrageous actions, 200 monks were drowned, and the surviving monks fell into slavery.

26 years after this tragedy, the monastery was attacked by the Latins, and another 20 years later, Catalan pirates reached the monastery. The latter completely ravaged the entire Athos for three years.

A series of disasters and robberies by 1500 brought the monastery into complete decline: the number of monks fell sharply, and numerous financial debts accumulated. Only by 1602, with the help of the Kakheti king Alexander VI and donations from the laity, Iveron was able to recover from the injuries inflicted on him. It took another century for the situation to completely stabilize.

The monastery experienced another tragedy along with the entire country during the war with the Turks, which broke out in 1821. The monastery made generous donations to fight the invaders, jeopardizing its own economic position. Then Iveron was completely captured by the Greeks: by 1866, not even a single Georgian inscription remained on the monastery walls.

In the same century, the monastery experienced major fires twice – in 1845 and 1865. Numerous donations again helped the monastery recover after the devastating fire.

Iveron – monastery temples

The Iveron Monastery, located on Mount Athos, is a temple complex.

The main cathedral of Iveron, dedicated to the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, was erected at the beginning of the 11th century by the abbot of the monastery, George. The original building lasted until the 16th century, when it was extensively rebuilt. The marble cladding with an inscription in honor of the founder of the cathedral has been preserved from the first temple. The interior is decorated with frescoes painted from the 16th to the 19th centuries.

In addition to the main cathedral, the monastery contains almost two dozen more paraklis (temples) dedicated to saints and great martyrs. The full list of churches of the Iversky Monastery is presented in the table.

Iviron or Iversky Monastery is a Greek monastery on Mount Athos, occupying third place in the Svyatogorsk hierarchy.

The monastery was founded by Georgian monks at the end of the 10th century at the expense of the Georgian royal house "Bagration" and the first abbot of this monastery was the saint John of Iveron, revered by both Orthodox and Catholics.

In this monastery, Georgian monks wrote a list from the main shrine of the monastery, the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God, and the Athos icon copy from the Iviron monastery was delivered to Moscow, this happened October 26, 1648. On this day the Russian Orthodox Church celebrates the Day of the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God.

The initial list sent to Moscow from Athos

Valdai Iversky Monastery

However, the last exact mention of that icon dates back to 1913 and it was known that before the Revolution the icon was in the Moscow Novodevichy Convent, in the Smolensk Cathedral.

Novodevichy Convent

Now a copy of this original copy of the icon of the Iveron Mother of God is in the Bulgarian Compound in Moscow.

Bulgarian farmstead

When the icon was taken from Moscow to Valdai, the Russian Tsar, Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov sent a Russian icon painter to Athos at the Iviron Monastery to make another copy of the Iveron Icon for Moscow. The list, made by Russian icon painters, arrived in Moscow and was placed with the triumphal Neglinensky Gate of Kitay-Gorod, through which Russian tsars traditionally entered Red Square. In 1669, these gates were rebuilt and named Resurrection. To protect the icon from wind and rain, a small wooden canopy was made, and later in 1680 a chapel was erected where the monks of the Iveron community served.

Chapel

The Iverskaya Chapel is located at the Resurrection Gate leading to Red Square. It was repeatedly ruined and destroyed. It was rebuilt after Napoleon left Moscow, and was blown up in 1929 by the Bolsheviks. The modern chapel was restored in 1994-1995.

As for the holy icon from the Iveron Chapel, its fate is contradictory. According to some information, she disappeared when the Bolsheviks closed the chapel, and according to other information, she is still in Church of the Resurrection of Christ in Sokolniki.

Temple in Sokolniki

It is true that the Iveron icon from the Iveron chapel is there, but whether the icon was painted on Mount Athos by order of the tsar or a copy that until 1929 replaced the missing original in that very chapel, it was difficult to say.However, recently, thanks to the efforts of historians and restorers, it was possible to establish that the list from the Iveron Chapel is kept in the State Tretyakov Gallery. He entered there in 1933 without indication of origin.

A number of signs indicate that this icon is the shrine of the Iverskaya Chapel: the size of the linden board, the characteristic loss of the paint layer in the lower part, a metal runner at the bottom for placing the icon in the carriage that transported the icon around the city, traces of linings for rings at the ends for threading towels when lifted. Since 2002, restoration of the icon has been carried out in the restoration workshop of the Tretyakov Gallery. The work had not yet been completed, but experts considered it possible in April 2009 to temporarily transfer the icon to the Church of St. Nicholas in Tolmachi for veneration.

Often the icon was taken out in a special carriage for prayer services in the homes of townspeople. During this time, a copy of the icon was exhibited in the chapel. Over two hundred years, several such “deputies” of the Moscow Iverskaya were made. Apparently, one of these spare icons is the revered icon located in the Church of the Resurrection of Christ in Sokolniki. Another spare icon taken from the chapel by the French in 1812 , located in Paris, in the Church of the Three Saints on the Rue des Petelles. There are also copies of the Iveron Icon in the Yelokhovsky Epiphany Cathedral, in the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Kuznetsy, and in the refectory church of the saint. Sergius of Radonezh in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra.

New icon of the Iveron Chapel

The new icon for the chapel was painted on Mount Athos in 1995.
A new copy was made from an ancient icon by the Athonite hieromonk Luke on a board made of ancient Svyatogorsk chestnut. On October 25, 1995, the icon arrived in Moscow. On the morning of October 26, the shrine was moved in a religious procession from the Elokhovsky Epiphany Cathedral to the restored Iverskaya Chapel, which was consecrated on the same day. Since then, an akathist has been read at the image every day from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

In total, three identical chapels were built in honor of the Iveron Mother of God, the other two are located in the cities Tomsk and Belgrade. The Tomsk Chapel was also demolished in 1932, but has now been rebuilt. In Belgrade, the original chapel, built by Russian emigrants in 1931, has been preserved.

Former Nikolo-Greek monastery

For the copy of the icon brought to Moscow (later exhibited in the Iverskaya Chapel), Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich in 1653 gave the Iversky Monastery the St. Nicholas-Greek Monastery in Kitay-Gorod. Nikolskaya Street got its name from its name.

As for the Iviron monastery on Athos, then There is not a single Georgian monk in it today. And all because in 1830 the Iversky Monastery was captured by the Greeks, who in 1866 replaced all Georgian inscriptions with Greek ones, and the Georgians were forcibly expelled from the monastery. Today, near the monastery there is only a Georgian cell, in which 40 Georgian monks live.

To this day, the main shrine of the monastery is located in Iviron, this is the ancient icon of the Iveron Mother of God, but on Athos it is called the Icon Goalkeeper. The icon has been located in Iviron since the 9th century.

In the 9th century, during the reign of Emperor Theophilus, in order to save the icon from the iconoclasts, the image was lowered into the sea by a woman who lived near the city of Nicaea. Two centuries later, the monks of the Georgian Iveron Monastery on Mount Athos saw an icon in the sea supported by a pillar of fire. The Monk Gabriel the Svyatogorets, having received instructions from the Mother of God in a dream, walked across the water and brought the icon to the Catholicon, but in the morning it was discovered above the gates of the monastery. Tradition says that this happened several times, so the icon was left at the gate and called Goalkeeper .

Goalkeeper on Mount Athos

In the 16th century, the icon was decorated with a chased silver frame made by Georgian craftsmen. The frame leaves open only the faces of the Mother of God and the Infant God.

Guardian Joseph Muñoz

Another copy of the Iveron Icon made on Mount Athos in 1981 year by the Greek monk Chrysostomos. According to numerous testimonies, the icon continuously streamed myrrh for 15 years. In 1997 her custodian Joseph Muñoz(a Chilean who converted to Orthodoxy) was killed, and the icon disappeared without a trace.

Today the Iviron monastery on Mount Athos has many holy relics, more than any other monastery on Mount Athos. In particular, the monastery contains the following shrines:
Chlamys, Cane and Lip from the Passion of Christ(parts); Rev. Peter Afonsky(part of the relics), heads of St. Hierotheus of Iveron, martyr. Nikita, Photius and Theodore of Perga; St. Vasily Amasisky (hand) and Mikhail Sinadsky (foot), schmch. Cyprian (foot), much Panteleimon the Healer(hand), mts. Photinia Samaritan (leg and shoulder), Paraskeva-Pyatnitsa(hand), Marina(hand) and Eupraxia (hand), right. Macrina (foot); icon of the Mother of God "Iverskaya" ("Goalkeeper") .

Of course, the Iveron Icon is highly revered in Georgia.

Iveron Icon in Bodvi

Mount Athos is located in Greece on the Chalkidiki peninsula; the height of the mountain is more than 2 km, but this is not what is famous throughout the world. Athos is translated from Greek as “Holy Mountain” and this is not surprising, since there are twenty Orthodox monasteries here. The most famous monasteries of Athos: Iversky, Pantokrator, Stavronikitsky and Great Lavra will be discussed further.

Mountain location

Athos is located on the Greek peninsula, which is washed by the Aegean Sea. The peninsula itself has a bizarre shape in the form of three fingers, the easternmost of which measures 335 thousand square meters. m. - this is Athos. In the east it is washed by the Gulf of Ierisou, in the west by Singitikos. You can get to Mount Athos from mainland Greece through the city of Ouranoupolis, which is located on the Isthmus of Xerxes.

The origins of monasticism on Mount Athos

The peninsula has been inhabited by people since ancient times, as an important trade route passed through it. There is no exact information about when the first Christians appeared on Mount Athos; many researchers suggest that the first Christians appeared here during Roman rule, when they were hiding from persecution. If we talk about monasticism on the mountain, there is a legend according to which the first monks lived here already during the time of Emperor Constantine. There is also a version according to which the monks moved to Athos during the time of Emperor Pogonat.

Iveron Monastery on Mount Athos. Story

This monastery was founded by the Georgian monk John of Iveron in 980-983. John came from a noble Tiflis family, but decided to become a monk. Initially, he and his son read sermons in Constantinople, but soon went to Athos and carried out spiritual service in the Great Lavra. A few years later, with the blessing of the abbot of the Lavra, Athanasius, John founded a new monastery on Mount Athos, which was named in honor of the ancient Georgian kingdom of Iveria. From that time on, the Georgian rulers provided him with all kinds of assistance; after three fires in the Iveron Monastery on Mount Athos, only thanks to the financial assistance of Georgia it was possible to restore the shrine each time. At the beginning of the 19th century, the temple came under the control of the Greek Church.

Monastery today

The surroundings of the Iversky Monastery, thanks to the picturesque mountains and gray stone buildings with brick tiles, are reminiscent of rural Georgia. The temple itself was consecrated in honor of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, however, only the foundation and part of the walls remained from the original construction of the 10th century, since the temple was rebuilt at the beginning of the 16th century. The interior of the temple is decorated with magnificent frescoes of the 16th century, as well as various icons, the most valuable is the miraculous icon of the Mother of God “Goalkeeper”, which dates back to approximately the 10th century. Also, the monastery on Mount Athos (Greece) stores many relics of saints, which any parishioner can venerate. In addition, the monastery library contains more than 2,000 manuscripts, including the book of Psalms, donated to the temple by Peter the Great. Currently, thirty monks and novices live in the monastery.

Monastery of Pantokrator. Story

This monastery is located in the northeast of Athos, not far from the ruins of the ancient city. The exact date of construction is unknown. Researchers believe that the Pantokrator monastery on Mount Athos was built at the beginning of the 14th century. The founders of the temple were noble Byzantine figures John and his brother Alexei, who received significant support from the Byzantine emperor John 4 Palaiologos. In 1362, the monastery was rebuilt by Patriarch Callistos the First, as a result of which other monasteries were included in the Pantocrator, for example, St. Auxentius, St. Dorotheos, etc. The elder brother Alexei died in 1368. John took monastic vows in 1384 and became the abbot of this monastery on Mount Athos (Greece). In the first years, the temple existed on donations from Byzantine rulers, but after the fall of Constantinople in the 16th century, donations stopped. The Pantokrator Monastery was significantly destroyed three times as a result of fires, but, fortunately, it was restored each time. Such famous religious figures as Patriarchs Kallistos II and Simeon, Archbishop of Thessalonica lived within the walls of the monastery.

Monastery today

The Pantokrator Monastery in appearance is similar to a medieval fortress with towers at the corners, the courtyard is divided in half. In the first part there are the monks' cells, workshops and refectories, in the second there is the main temple of the monastery, the Transfiguration Cathedral. The cathedral was built together with the monastery, but was seriously remodeled in the mid-19th century. The temple itself is small in size and built of white marble; the founders of the monastery are buried here.

The most valuable relics of the temple are the miraculous icon of the Mother of God “Gerontissa” and the miraculous icon of the Great Martyr George the Victorious, which dates back to the 16th century. The Pantocrator Monastery contains particles of the tunic of Jesus Christ, as well as particles of the relics of the Apostle Andrew, Saints Theodore Stratilates and Nikephoros, the Great Martyrs Photina the Samaritan, Antipas and Charalampios. The library contains more than 3,500 books, the most valuable being the Gospel of John.

Monastery of Stavronikita on Mount Athos. Story

Reliable information about the time of the founding of the Stavronikitin monastery has not been preserved. According to legend, the monastery was founded in the 10th century by the hermit monk Nikita, who was engaged in making crosses, hence the name of the monastery Stavronikita, i.e. “Nikita's Cross”. Over its long history, the monastery suffered many difficulties: in the 12th century, the monastery was subject to pirate raids, at the beginning of the 13th century it was almost completely destroyed by the crusaders, and restored only in the 16th century with the blessing of Patriarch Jeremiah. There was also a fire in the monastery five times, as a result of which it was almost completely burned out, but each time, thanks to the support of the Serbian rulers, the monastery was restored.

Monastery today

The temple itself is located on the eastern coast of Athos, not far from the monasteries of Iveron and Pantokrator. The monastery is surrounded by a fortress wall and is small in size, so on its territory there are 4 churches and the main temple, consecrated in honor of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. The cathedral was founded in 1546, its construction took five years. The famous Greek master Theophanes and his son Simeon painted its walls; they also decorated the refectory of the monastery; the artist depicted twelve main holidays here. The main relic of the monastery is the mosaic icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, which was miraculously found at sea. The monastery also houses a piece of the Holy Cross, parts of the relics of John the Baptist, John Chrysostom and Basil the Great. The Stavronikita library contains 2,500 books and 150 handwritten manuscripts, the most valuable of which is a 12th-century psalter written in gold paint. Today, 30 monks and novices perform spiritual services in the monastery.

Great Lavra

The founding date of the Great Lavra on Mount Athos is considered to be 963. The monastery was founded by Athanasius of Athos, who was a native of Cappadocia; he introduced a new system, cenovia, into monasticism, which at that time led a hermitic lifestyle. This is one of the forms of organization of monasticism, based on the communal living of monks. The Byzantine emperors played a big role in the prosperity of the Lavra, who supported the monastery in every possible way. Thus, the emperors Nikephoros Phocas and John Tzimiskes donated a significant amount of gold for the construction of the main ensemble of the monastery, in addition, many neighboring monasteries were transferred by order of the Byzantine emperors to the management of the Great Lavra. However, various disasters in the form of pirate raids, earthquakes and fires greatly undermined the activities of the monastery, and its decline began in the 16th century. The restoration of the greatness of the Lavra began in the mid-17th century, when Patriarch Dionysius 3 Vardalis provided financial assistance to the monastery and organized restoration work in it. At the end of the 17th century, under the new Patriarch Paisius 2, all privileges were returned to the Great Lavra.

Monastery today

The monastery is located in the southeast of the peninsula, not far from Mount Athos itself. The main church of the monastery was consecrated in honor of the Annunciation and was built at the same time as the monastery itself. The cathedral has two chapels, one dedicated to the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste, the second to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. The interior of the temple is decorated with magnificent frescoes, which were painted in the 16th century by the master Theophan of Crete. Among the relics kept in the temple, the most revered are the miraculous icons “Ekonomissa” and “Kukuzelissa”, a particle of the Cross of the Lord, particles of the relics of the Apostle Andrew the First-Called, and also particles of the relics of Saints Basil the Great and Michael of Sinada. The monastery's library contains 20,000 books and more than 2,000 manuscripts, the most valuable of which is the Codex Athos of the Great Lavra.

In 2015, the Iversky Monastery on Holy Mount Athos turns 1035 years old.

IVERSKY MONASTERY(in Greek IVIRON) in honor of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary- formerly an Orthodox Georgian (now Orthodox Greek) monastery on Holy Mount Athos (Greece, Chalkidiki Peninsula), occupying third place in the Holy Mountain hierarchy after the monasteries of the Great Lavra and Vatopedi. The monastery was founded in 980-983 by Georgian monks. The monastery received its name - “Iversky” - from its founder, John of Iversky. Another name of the monastery - Portaitsky - is explained by the fact that the monastery is located in the north-east of the peninsula, at the entrance to Athos, right at the gates of the entire Mount Athos (in Greek “Porta” - gate).

The Iversky Monastery is located on the shore of a small bay, where the ancient city of Kleona with the sanctuary of Poseidon was previously located. According to legend, the Most Holy Theotokos landed here with the Apostle John the Theologian when their ship was carried by a storm to the shores of Athos. The inhabitants of this city were converted to Christianity by Bishop Clement (III-IV centuries) who came from Jerusalem. The pier and the monastery that arose here in the 8th century received the name of the bishop - Clement, the church was consecrated in the name of St. John the Baptist.

FOUNDATION OF IVERSKY MONASTERY

John of Iveron Svyatogorets(in the world of Varazvache Chordvaneli) - a Georgian monk, revered as a saint - came from a noble Georgian family close to the royal house of the Georgian kingdom of Tao-Klarjeti, at one time he was a military leader (eristav) and was married.

In the 60s In the 10th century, the Monk John, at the age of about 30, took monastic vows and settled in the Otkhtaeklesia monastery in the Klarjet desert, where he soon became famous as an ascetic and hermit, and people began to come to him. Seeking solitude, he moved to a monastery on Mount Olympus in Bithynia, where, hiding his high origins, he performed menial work. Having learned that his young son (later the Venerable Euthymius of Athos the Holy Mountain), along with other children of Georgian nobles, was brought to Constantinople as a guarantor of the union of Byzantium and the Tao-Klarjet kingdom, John arrived in the capital of Byzantium. After a meeting with the Byzantine Emperor Roman II, he took the boy first to Bithynia, then in 965 to Athos. At first they lived in the Great Lavra of St. Athanasius of Athos, with whom they were connected by spiritual closeness and close friendship.

Around 969, a famous Georgian commander appeared on Mount Athos Tornike Eristavi, who then appeared as John of Iveron (Tornike also took the name John as a monk). Other Georgians also arrived with him. Thus, a small Georgian community was formed on Mount Athos and the need arose to create its own monastic settlement.

On the advice of St. Athanasius, 1.5 km from the Lavra were built Georgian church in the name of St. John the Baptist and cells, called "cells of John the Evangelist". The Charter of the Great Lavra, created by the Monk Athanasius, stated that Georgian cells should not be more than 8, which meant limiting the number of monks to 8 people, the inhabitants of the cells had to obey the abbot of the Great Lavra, the cells could not be sold or rented. The ancient manuscripts list the names of the first group of 8 people who settled in the cells - the monks John of Iveron the Svyatogorets, John-Tornike Eristavi, Euthymius, as well as Arseny, Theodore, George, the copyist of the Sava manuscript and the housekeeper Hilarion.

In 979, already a monk, Tornike Eristavi was forced to leave Athos. By order of the king of Tao-Klarjeti, David III Kuropalat, he led a 12,000-strong Georgian army that came to the aid of the reigning Byzantine Emperor Vasily II the Bulgarian Slayer and suppressed the uprising of the Byzantine commander Varda Skleros, who wanted to declare himself emperor. Returning to Athos, Tornike Eristavi brought with him rich trophies, granted to him as a reward for his assistance. Many Georgians also arrived with him. The need arose to found a separate monastery on Mount Athos.

In an effort to win over the Athonites and establish themselves on Athos, the Monks John of Tornike and John of Iveron the Svyatogorets made significant donations to the Athonite monasteries. Income from lands (granted by the Byzantine emperor), part of the Honest Life-Giving Cross of the Lord, precious liturgical vessels, utensils, icons, liturgical books, vestments, etc. were transferred to the Great Lavra in gratitude for the maintenance of the Georgian brethren.

And so in 980-982. John of Iveron, with the financial assistance of John-Tornike, Eristavi founded Iversky Monastery. He was also elected abbot of the new monastery (979/80-1005); St. John-Tornike became a housekeeper; St. Evfimy was engaged in translations. In gratitude for the help provided by Tornike Eristavi in ​​suppressing the rebellion, Emperor Vasily II the Bulgarian Slayer took the Iversky Monastery under special protection and granted it the statute of complete self-government. St. Athanasius of the Great Lavra continued to surround the Georgian monks with attention and showed them high trust and respect.

The Iversky Monastery possessed significant wealth. In the 90s In the 10th century, Iviron provided financial assistance in the construction of the only Latin Amalfi monastery on Mount Athos (this monastery was destroyed at the end of the 13th century).

After the death of St. John (1005), his son, the Monk Euthymius, became the abbot of the monastery. John of Iveron the Svyatogorets was buried in the monastery, over his grave St. Euthymius built a church in the name of All Saints.

EUTHIMIUS IVERSKY Svyatogorets

Venerable Euthymius of Athos, Also Evfimy Novy, Svyatogorets, Iversky(c. 955-c. 1028) - Georgian and Byzantine philosopher and scientist, Orthodox monk. Revered as a saint.

In the abbess of St. Euphemia (1005-1019) Iviron became one of the largest monasteries on Athos, about 300 monks already lived in it. The monk willingly accepted monks experienced in economic affairs, most of whom were Greeks. Euthymius ruled the monastery for 14 years. He acquired large territories for the monastery both on Mount Athos and beyond. Under him, a strict monastic charter modeled on the Palestinian monasteries was introduced and strictly observed, as well as liturgical rites (a traditionally established sequential combination of prayers, chants and actions for a specific divine service). The monk often addressed the brethren with sermons, edifying them with examples from the lives of God's saints. He himself also served as the highest example of monastic life.

The Monk Euthymius also proved himself to be a prominent theologian and scribe. According to his life, Euthymius even refused to be abbess in order to focus on translating the entire Holy Scripture and many other religious works into Georgian. In 1019, Euthymius transferred the leadership to his relative George I (1019-1029), while he himself retired to his cell and devoted himself to scientific works and translations.

Knowing Georgian, Greek and other languages, he translated about 100 religious and philosophical works. His translations of works of Greek philosophy, theology and jurisprudence into Georgian are of great importance. The translations of St. Euthymius are distinguished by the beauty of the style and the richness of the language. They usually contain additional information and their own comments, for which the Monk Euthymius was deservedly awarded the high title of interpreter (mtargmneli). Bearing in mind the mental needs of his compatriots, he threw out some things from the works he translated, brought in information from other sources, or combined sections and paragraphs in them in his own way. His additions and comments reflect solid theological scholarship, comprehensive erudition, and a deep and subtle mind. A list of translations of St. Euthymius is given by St. George Mtatsmindeli (1009-1065) in his “Life of John and Euthymius”.

The Monk Euthymius was not only a translator and interpreter, but also an original writer, the author of several independent works. The original work of St. Euthymius on asceticism, written in Greek, has reached us. Another original creation of St. Euthymius preserved in the Georgian language is a prayer chant. It is filled with soulful lyricism and a sense of deep faith.

The Monk Euthymius compiled a list of renounced (apocryphal) books that “are not accepted by the Greek Church.” This list, which generally reproduces the well-known index of Pope Gelasius (492-496), was sent by the Monk to the Georgian king David Kuropalates for the needs of the Georgian Church, warning against the use of the books named in the list.

The Monk Euthymius died in 1028. His body was buried in the Church of St. John the Baptist.

IVERIAN ICON OF THE HOLY VIRGIN

It was during the period of abbotship in Iviron that St. Euphemia, the church tradition of the 19th century connects the appearance on Mount Athos of the icon of the Mother of God “Portaitissa”, which is revered in many Orthodox countries of the world.

Iveron Icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Goalkeeper or Gatekeeper(in Greek - Portaitissa) - Orthodox icon of the Virgin Mary and Child, revered as miraculous. The original is in the Iveron Monastery on Mount Athos; According to Orthodox tradition, the icon was painted by the Evangelist Luke.

The legend about the discovery of the miraculous icon says that in the 9th century, during the reign of the iconoclast emperor Theophilus (813-842), a certain pious woman who lived near the city of Nicaea, in order to save the icon from the iconoclasts, lowered the image into the sea with prayer. Two centuries later, the Athonite monks, a few days later, seeing a pillar of fire in the sea rising to the sky, came to the shore and saw the holy image standing on the water, but when the monks approached, the icon moved away.

At that time, not far from the Iversky Monastery lived the pious elder monk Gabriel Gruzin. The Mother of God appeared to him in a dream and commanded: “Tell the abbot and the brethren that I want to give them My icon, My protection and help; then go into the sea - walk with faith straight along the waves, and then everyone will know My love and favor for your abode.” Under the prayerful singing of the brethren, Gabriel stepped onto the water and, supported by that faith that moves mountains, miraculously walked across the waves as if on dry land and took the holy icon into his hands. The brethren of the Iveron monastery with great reverence transferred the found miraculous image to their monastery. For three days in a row, the monks served prayer services, thanking the Most Holy Theotokos for the mercy shown.

The relic was placed in the temple near the altar, but in the morning it was discovered above the gates of the monastery. Tradition says that this was repeated several times, so the icon was left at the gate and called the “Goalkeeper” or “Gatekeeper”, and on behalf of the monastery it became known to the world as “Iverskaya”. Initially, the icon was located outside, in an icon case directly above the entrance, but later a special one was built a small temple inside the monastery, to the left of the gate, where she remains today. In the 16th century, the icon was decorated with a chased silver frame with precious stones made by Georgian craftsmen. The frame leaves open only the faces of the Mother of God and the Infant God.

In front of the icon hangs an unquenchable lamp, equally wonderfully decorated, it is called the “Lamp of the Goalkeeper.” The lamp has a wonderful property - without the slightest external influence during the hours of worship, it sometimes begins to swing like a pendulum, so much so that even oil sometimes splashes out over the edges. Thus, she warns of the approach of disasters of enormous magnitude - epidemics, earthquakes with fatal consequences, invasions of enemies. This is how the Most Holy Theotokos reminds people of Her presence and intercession and calls them to repentance.

The history of the Iversky Monastery has preserved many cases of the intercession and mercy of the Most Holy Theotokos: the deliverance of the monastery from barbarians, the miraculous replenishment of wheat, wine and oil, the healing of the sick. Many miracles are described in the modern chronicle of the monastery. As the famous Athonite chronicler Svyatogorets writes, according to legend, before the coming of the Lord, prayerful Athos will plunge into the abyss of passions, and Portaitissa will leave the Holy Mountain in the same miraculous way as she appeared.

GEORGE I THE BUILDER AND STRENGTHENING OF GREEK INFLUENCE IN THE MONASTERY

In 1019-1029 became the third abbot of the monastery George I the Builder. According to some information, George was the nephew of the first abbot of the Iversky Monastery - St. John the Svyatogorets.

After the Monk Euthymius left his abbotship, George actively began to manage the monastery. In the superiorship of St. George, the property of the monastery increased, and its possessions expanded (several small monasteries and an orchard were purchased). Under his leadership, the main temple of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary was built. St. George the Builder changed some of the rules introduced by St. Euthymius, in particular, began to patronize the cinema’s residence. This policy is prp. George changed the ratio of Georgian and Greek monks in the monastery. The Greeks were more willing to follow the ceremonial life, and they began to occupy certain positions in the monastery. Conflicts began between the Greeks and Georgians, which often reached the point of open confrontation and even assault.

In 1029 St. George was accused of participating in a conspiracy against Emperor Romanus III Argyrus. St. George was arrested, convicted and exiled to the Monovata monastery, where he soon died. Iviron lost imperial support, and part of his land holdings was confiscated.

The Greek part of the community achieved the right to perform divine services in Greek in the Church of St. John the Baptist: the division of the brethren along linguistic lines continued to create conflicts between groups. The Greek monks of the monastery wanted, but still did not dare, to install a Greek as abbot. However, some Georgian monks who came over to their side proclaimed the pro-Greek Georgian George II (1029 - ca. 1035), whom his compatriots nicknamed “the scoundrel,” as abbot, and the monk Gregory (probably St. Gregory Iver) was considered the spiritual head of the monastery. To improve their financial and political situation, Iveron monks often traveled to Constantinople (and Georgia), asking for help from influential Georgians. However, until the death of Emperor Romanos III Argir, their efforts remained fruitless.

The new Byzantine emperor Michael IV Paphlagon (1034-1041) rehabilitated the name of St. George the Builder. The lands taken from him were returned to Iviron. The relics of St. George the Builder were transported from the Monovat monastery to Iviron and laid to rest in the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

THE FLOWING OF THE MONASTERY UNDER GEORGE MTATSMINDELI AND HIS SUCCESSORS

In 1044-1056 held the position of rector of the Iversky Monastery St. Georgy Svyatogorets (George III in the hierarchy of monastic abbots), who played a significant role in the history of Iveron. He reorganized the monastery, turning it into one of the most important centers of Georgian culture.

Georgy Mtatsmindeli or Georgy Iversky, Svyatogorets(1009-1065) - from a Georgian princely family, born in the south of Georgia, in Trialeti. At the age of seven, George was sent to study at the monastery closest to his home in Tadzrisi (they say that his mother had a vision in a dream). From the age of 10 he was already brought up in a famous Khakhul Monastery, then in 1022 he left for Constantinople, where he carefully studied science and received a comprehensive education. George mastered Greek and Latin perfectly, studied the Holy Scriptures, and comprehended theological wisdom... He lived in Byzantium for 12 years. Returning to Georgia in 1034, he became a monk in the same Khakhul monastery.

Later he made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, lived in Syria - on the Black Mountain near Antioch, and then on the Divnaya Mountain in the monastery of St. Simeon the Divnogorets († 459). There he chose as his confessor a Georgian ascetic, the elder George the Silent († 1068), who lived in a cleft in the rock. Here he began translating church books. Seeing that George was fluent in Greek, Georgian and Latin, the elder (George the Silent) advised him to go to Athos, to the Iveron Monastery, and continue the work on translating the liturgical books begun by the Monk Euthymius the Svyatogorets. St. George was convinced that this work would be useful for the entire Georgian Church; he fulfilled the will of the elder and the command of his inner voice.

So, in 1039, George became a monk in the Iveron Monastery on Mount Athos. At this time, the Iveron monks wished to compile the history of the Iveron Monastery and the biography of the famous ktitors - John, Tornike and Euthymius for the edification of posterity. This important matter was entrusted to the Monk George, who agreed. St. George reviewed the monastery records, leafed through the manuscripts of Saints John and Euthymius, and only after that began to write the essay entrusted to him. “The Life of Saints John and Euthymius” is the oldest document that has reached us, which sets out the history of the Iveron Monastery for almost a century (980-1060) and provides a lot of precious information about Georgian medieval writing. The “Memorable Book” (synodics, or agapes), appended to the “Life”, is a very important paleographic monument of Georgian writing. Funeral records (agapes) provide us with a clear picture of the development and changes in Georgian writing over a number of decades. Georgy also had a good ear for music. There is an opinion that it was he who composed the famous “Evening Bells” (monastery song) and a number of other Athonite chants, which were subsequently translated into European languages.

In 1044, St. George was elected as the new abbot of the monastery. The Monk George, first of all, restored to its original form the monastic charter introduced by the Monk Euthymius, which had been changed by his predecessors.

In the western wall of the inner porch of the main church of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the relics of Saints John the Holy Mountain and Euthymius, transferred from the Church of Saint John the Baptist, as well as the relics of John Tornike, were solemnly placed.

An important area of ​​activity of Rev. George was the material support of the monastery: the return of lost possessions and privileges and the acquisition of new ones. The monk often visited the court of the Byzantine emperors, where he sought various subsidies.

In 1054 in Constantinople, St. George met with King Bagrat IV of Georgia (1018-1072) and his mother Queen Mariam, whom the monk tonsured as a nun. The king invited him to occupy the vacant chair of the Chkondidi Archbishop, but Venerable. Georgy refused. The support of the king and queen allowed the Iveron Monastery to receive new privileges from the Byzantine emperor.

In 1056 St. George left the position of abbot of Iveron and moved to the monastery of St. Simeon near Antioch. In 1057, he visited Antioch itself, where he appeared before the Patriarch of Antioch Theodosius III (1057-1076) to justify the brethren of the Iveron Monastery, suspected by the Greeks of non-Orthodoxy (Erisi). Reverend George managed not only to cope with this task, but also to convince the Patriarch of Antioch of the canonical legality of the autocephaly of the Georgian Orthodox Church, preserving the apostolic succession from the holy apostles Andrew the First-Called and Simon the Canonite. The Patriarch recognized the autocephaly of the Georgian Church.

In 1060 St. Georgy by request king Bagrat IV arrived in Georgia, where he was involved in the education of the heir to the throne, Tsarevich George, became the confessor of the king and his family, Catholicos-Patriarch of all Georgia George III Taoeli (c. 50s - 60s of the 11th century) and many nobles. He carried out reforms of the church, regulating its relations with the growing royal power. Over the course of several years, Rev. George went around almost the entire country and gathered 80 young men from among orphans and from poor families in order to educate them in the Iveron Monastery and replenish the Georgian brethren of the monastery (some researchers believe that for these young men St. George created a theological school in Iveron).

On the way to Athos in 1065, St. George stopped in Constantinople, where he was invited by Emperor Constantine X for a theological debate. Before reaching Athos, St. George died in Athens on June 29, 1065. He was buried in the Iveron Monastery on Mount Athos.

He authored the essay “The Life of Our Father Jovan and Euthymius.” He translated works of church literature of almost all genres, among them: “Davitni”, “New Testament”, individual hagiographic works, hymnographic literary monuments; in total he left about sixty translations to his descendants. The activities of George Mtatsmindeli himself were described by his student George Mtsire (Khutsesmonazoni).

Almost until the end of the 10th century, the Iveron Monastery continued to enjoy the patronage of the Byzantine emperors, increased its possessions and received new privileges.

MONASTERY IN THE XI-XIV CENTURIES

From the middle of the 11th century, as a result of the invasion of Transcaucasia (including Georgia) by the Seljuk Turks, Georgia’s influence in the Middle East decreased, which also affected the Iveron Monastery. Bagrat IV's successor, the Georgian king George II (1072-1089), was forced to pay tribute to the Seljuks; he and his successors could not take care of Iviron. The monastery was supported only by Georgian and partly Greek nobles from Constantinople and other cities of Byzantium.

Significant donations from Georgia began to arrive from the middle of the 12th century, during the reign of the Georgian King George III(?-1184), and then his daughters, Queen Tamar (1166-1211/13).

In 1204, the Georgian part of the community tried to strengthen its position in the Iveron Monastery with the help of Rome. The Greek monks of Iveron took advantage of this and filed a complaint “about Georgian treason” with the archbishop. The Archbishop of Ohrid condemned the behavior of the Georgians, but did not protest the management of Iveron by the Georgians, as the Greek community had hoped, stating that “according to the tradition of church forgiveness, those who have compromised church rules can repent and return to church rules again.” These words saved Iveron from internal split. However, from the middle of the 13th century, not only Georgians, but also Greeks became abbots of Iviron.

In the 40s In the 13th century, “Italian pirates” (Genoese) plundered the Iveron Monastery and destroyed part of its archive.

In 1274, due to the difficult political situation, the Byzantine Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos concluded the so-called Union of Lyons between the Western and Eastern Churches. Among the conditions for the unification of the Churches, the Pope set forth the acceptance by the Greeks of the Latin reading of the creed (with the acceptance of the teaching of the Western Church about the procession of the Holy Spirit and from the Son) and recognition of the primacy of the Pope. Since the Second Ecumenical Council (381), the Orthodox Church, with regard to the doctrine of the personal property of the Holy Spirit, has firmly adhered and adheres to the definition of the procession of the Holy Spirit only from God the Father.

The Uniates landed on Athos and, trying to persuade the Athonite monks to accept the Union of Lyons, resorted to violence. Many Athonite monks died. The monks of the Great Lavra, where the Uniates came first, under pressure from the priest, accepted the union. At the Iversky Monastery the Latins met resistance. About 200 oldest monks, later revered as Iveron Martyrs, were put on the monastery ship and drowned with it in the sea; the young were sold into slavery. The Vatopedi and Zograf monks also offered resistance. The earthquake, which occurred after the monks of Xiropotamus met the Uniates with branches in their hands and accepted from them as a gift part of the loot in other Athos monasteries, led to much destruction and loss of life and prompted the Latins to leave the peninsula.

In 1306 and 1308 The Iveron Monastery was attacked by Catalan and Arab pirates. According to legend, when a fleet of 15 ships approached the monastery, the monks took refuge in the tower with the miraculous Iveron Icon. The pirates plundered the monastery, but then their ships were caught in a storm and many died. The leader of the Arabs, seeing God's punishment in this, repented and tried to compensate the damage to Iviron. During one of the pirate attacks, an Arab who stabbed the icon of the Mother of God “Portaitissa” with a knife, at the sight of the blood gushing from the icon, believed in Christ, was baptized and remained in the monastery. Subsequently, he took monastic vows with the name Damascene.

Until the middle of the 14th century, the abbots of the Iveron Monastery were still Georgians. In 1353, due to the small number of the Georgian monastic community in Iviron, management and all positions were transferred to Greek monks, but the Georgians did not submit to this, arguing their position by saying that the name of the monastery was Iversky, i.e. Georgian. In 1356, the following compromise was reached: representatives of Greek monks occupy the positions of abbot and ecclesiarch (overseeing the church building and the order of worship), and Georgian monks occupy the rest. The very name of the monastery as “Iversky” was also abolished. Now it began to be called the Monastery of the Blessed Virgin Mary “Portaitissa”. The Greek monks began to own the main temple of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the Georgian monks were given the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary “Portaitissa”.

OTTOMAN PERIOD (XV-XVI CENTURIES)

The fall of the Byzantine Empire caused the destruction of the Athonite monasteries, including Iveron. The Holy Mountain was subject to a huge tribute. The share of the Iversky Monastery was the 2nd largest after the Great Lavra. In some cases other taxes were added. Iviron's possessions of this period were significantly reduced, with only a small part of the old monastic domains remaining. The number of monks was reduced to 50 people.

At the end of the 15th - beginning of the 16th century. Iviron enjoyed the patronage of the Jakeli-Tsikhisdzvareli family, representatives of the ruling dynasty of the Georgian principality of Samtskhe-Saatabago (southern Georgia). The monastery received generous donations from them; With their funds, the bastion towers and part of the cells were restored, the main tower and hospital were rebuilt, the side domes of the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary “Portaitissa” were built on, and the outer gallery of the temple was erected and painted. Just at this time, the Archbishop of the Principality of Samtskhe-Saatabago - Ambrose - decorated the icon of the Mother of God “Portaitissa” with a silver frame with precious stones.

In the 16th century, the revival of Iviron was facilitated by the rulers of Wallachia. The main temple was rebuilt and water was installed. In 1582, Iviron took possession of the Monastery of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Bucharest.

By this time, the number of Georgian monks had greatly decreased and the Greeks gradually took possession of the entire monastery. However, for a long time, Iviron actually continued to be considered the property of Georgia, since the Iverian monks continued to turn to the Georgian kings and princes for help. So, in 1592, the monks of Iviron, as a sign of obedience, handed over the keys to the monastery to the Kakheti king Alexander II (1574-1605), and the king paid the debts of the monastery.

REVIVAL OF THE MONASTERY IN THE 17TH CENTURY

In 1600, there were already 300 monks in Iviron. In 1604, under the abbot Gabriel of Athens, who returned from Georgia, cells and the Church of All Saints were built in the monastery at the expense of Georgian Christians. The monastery received generous donations from Georgia every year. In 1610, donations were used to build a new hospital and the Church of St. Modest. In 1617-1619. Georgians financed the construction of a water supply system in the monastery. In 1622-1626 a ship was built, as well as a tower, a ship pier, and a barn for storing wheat on the seashore. At the tower, with funds received from Wallachia, a church was erected in the name of the Three Youths of Babylon and the Prophet Daniel.

In 1648, at the invitation of the Russian Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, the Iveron monks arrived in Moscow. The Tsar asked to deliver the miraculous icon of the Iveron Mother of God to the capital, hoping that it would help heal his seriously ill daughter. The monks brought a copy of the icon as a gift to the king. The miracle really took place, and the grateful king donated a large sum of money to Iviron, and also gave him the monastery of St. Nicholas in the center of Moscow.

In the 17th century, the monastery acquired new possessions. During the period of Ottoman rule, the Greeks, in order to avoid the seizure of real estate by the Turks, tried to transfer it to large and famous monasteries, after which it became inviolable. Iviron also received rich possessions in Wallachia. The Radu Vodă Monastery in Bucharest was the largest Iviron monastery in Wallachia. Then the Iveron farmsteads appeared in Moldova.

At the end of the 17th century, Ashotan Mukhranbatoni (1637-1692), a famous representative of the Mukhrani branch of the reigning house of Bagrationi, made generous donations to Iviron. At his expense, in 1672, they painted the monastery’s refectory and installed arches in it, replacing the ceiling and ceilings; in 1680, to the west of the main temple, a small church of the Most Holy Theotokos “Portaitissa” was erected, where the miraculous icon was placed.

LIFE AND ACTIVITY OF THE MONASTERY IN THE 18th-19th CENTURIES

In the 18th century, the Iveron Monastery greatly expanded its holdings in Greece. At the same time, the monastery received large donations from the Georgian kings ( Irakli II- the king of Kartli-Kakheti and Solomon I- the king of Imereti), clergy and nobles.

The Iveron Monastery, like other Athonite monasteries, participated in the Greek national liberation uprising against Turkey (1821-1829). But if other monasteries of Athos helped the rebels on the Chalkidiki Peninsula, then Iviron supported the southern regions of Greece. The archives of the monastery preserved a letter of gratitude from the 1st ruler of free Greece, John Kapodistrias, dated 1830, in which he lists a lot of jewelry donated for the uprising (silver vessels of the monastery melted down for the needs of the Greek state).

The Greek uprising of 1821 was followed by the Turkish occupation of Mount Athos. During the occupation, the Greek monks left Iviron; only 2 Georgian hieromonks remained in the monastery - Hilarion Gruzin (Kanchaveli) (1776-1864) and Venedikt (Kiotishvili) (? -1861/1862). Elder Hilarion was sent among the representatives of the Athonite monasteries to the head of the Turkish army Abdul Robut Pasha. If Hilarion’s admonitions had not had an effect on the pasha (he was a Georgian who had converted to Islam), the consequences of the Turks’ stay on Mount Athos could have been more destructive. Hilarion’s also merit is the compilation of a catalog of Georgian manuscripts and an extract from them in 12 chapters, which was published under the title “Flower Garden”.

During the 18th-19th centuries, the monastery was severely damaged by fires several times. But thanks to donations and own funds, Iviron quickly recovered each time.

In 1834, the Greeks evicted the Georgians to the cell of the Prophet Elijah (outside the territory of the Iveron Monastery), but with the right to perform services in the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary “Portaitissa”. In the 60s In the 19th century, a ban was introduced not only on the admission of Georgians to the brethren of Iviron, but also on any visit by them to the monastery.

The final “Grecization” of the Iversky Monastery manifested itself in the replacement of signatures and dedications of icons and frescoes with images of Georgian saints with Greek ones(Georgian scientist G. Nadareishvili, who visited the Iveron Monastery in 1882 and 1887, recorded these changes during his 2nd trip). This is how the long confrontation between the Georgian and Greek brethren, which arose back in the 11th century, ended pitifully.

Despite the fact that Iviron had already become completely Greek, it continued to maintain ties with Georgia, which became part of the Russian Empire. By the beginning of the 20th century, Iveron had a total of 29 farmsteads: 22 in Turkey, 3 in Greece, 3 in Georgia and 1 in Russia. In 1905, the monastery buildings were damaged by an earthquake. In 1916, Iviron lost possessions in Georgia and Bessarabia.

CURRENT CONDITION OF IVERSKY MONASTERY

For several centuries the Iversky Monastery existed as an idiorhythmic one. In 1990, by decree of the Patriarch of Constantinople Demetrius I, a communal charter was introduced in Iveron.

Currently, about 30 monks and novices live in the monastery. There have been no Georgians among them for a long time, but not far from Iviron there is a cell where about forty Georgian monks live.

Iviron, unlike other Svyatogorsk monasteries, does not use Byzantine time, but inherited its own system of calculating time from the founders of the monastery. According to it, the day begins not with sunset, but with sunrise.

The Iveron Monastery has many holy relics, more than any other monastery on Mount Athos. The miraculous icon of the Iveron Blessed Virgin Mary - “The Goalkeeper”, revered since the 9th century, is also located in Iviron.

Iviron contains perhaps the largest number of holy relics: parts of the holy relics of the Great Martyr Theodore Stratelates; left hand of St. Basil; left foot of St. Michael (Bishop of Sinada); the hand of the Great Martyr Panteleimon; leg and shoulder of the martyr Photinia the Samaritan; head of the martyr Theodore of Perga; left hand of the Venerable Eupraxia; right hand of the martyr Paraskeva; a particle of the relics of St. Basil the Great; Great Martyr George; Saint John Chrysostom; holy unmercenary Cosmas and Damian; First Martyr and Archdeacon Stephen; Apostle Bartholomew; Saint Athanasius the Great; Martyr Mercury; Saint John the Faster, Patriarch of Constantinople; Venerable Martyr Stephen the New; Saint Hypatius; John the Baptist; the foot of the righteous Macrina; foot of the holy martyr Cyprian; part of the head of the martyr Photius; the head of the Monk Hierotheus of Iveron, the head of the martyr Nikita; a particle of the relics of St. Epiphanius of Cyprus and the Chrism of the Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessalonica. There is also a mantle, a lip and a cane, through which the Lord was mocked by the Jews, part of the Life-Giving Cross.

The monastery has one of the richest libraries on the Holy Mountain. It houses more than 2,000 manuscripts on various materials (parchment, silk fabric, paper) and various contents (for example, the 8th century Gospel written on parchment), as well as 15 liturgical scrolls and 20,000 printed books (most of them in Georgian, Greek, Hebrew and Latin languages). The library also stores very valuable documents of emperors and patriarchs: chrisovulas of the emperors Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus (946 and 958), Roman II (960), Basil II (980), etc.

The main temple of the monastery was built in the first half of the 11th century by the Georgian monk George Varashvadze (he was the abbot of the monastery for many years) and restored in the 16th century. The temple was built in the Byzantine-Athos style. The frescoes date back to the 16th-19th centuries. It is famous for its magnificent marble floor and richly carved iconostasis with icons of Christ and the Mother of God.

In front of the temple there is a vial of the blessing of water and opposite the facade - monastery refectory(XIX century). The monastery has 16 chapels. Two chapels - St. Nicholas(XIX century) and Arkhangelskaya(XIX century) are located respectively to the right and left of the lithium vestibule. The Arkhangelsk Chapel carefully preserves the relics of one hundred and fifty saints (including the apostles Peter, Luke and Bartholomew, Saints Athanasius of Alexandria, Basil the Great and John Chrysostom), parts of the instruments used in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and part of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord.

Chapel of Our Lady of the Goalkeepers And John the Baptist are in the yard. In the first of them (XVII century), which is located at the old entrance to the monastery, the miraculous Iveron Icon of the Mother of God is kept. Frescoes of the chapel of the 17th century, iconostasis of the 18th century. The Chapel of John the Baptist is located east of the first. It was built and painted with frescoes in the 18th century. The iconostasis of the chapel is a wonderful example of the art of wood carving. The remaining 12 chapels contain only portable icons.

Outside the monastery there are 12 of its kathismas and 26 cells. One of them - cell of St. Demetrius- is a representative office of the monastery. The Iversky Monastery also belongs to Monastery of the Forerunner (Iversky Skete), located west of the monastery (half an hour's walk). This is a Greek idno-rhythmic monastery (XVIII century). The monastery has 8 kalivas, where 6 monks live.

Very rich sacristy Iversky Monastery (the most significant on Mount Athos). It is located together with the library in a one-story building in the courtyard. Priceless treasures are kept here - sacred vestments embroidered with gold, church utensils, crosses, communion cups, medallions, miter, full bishop's vestments of Patriarch Dionysius IV and Gregory V, as well as other sacred objects and regalia. The sakkos (the main part of the festive attire) of the Byzantine emperor John Tzimiskes is also kept here. Of the artistic attractions, the most impressive are the Persian-style chandelier, two ancient Greek columns from the Temple of Poseidon, which once stood on this site, and a golden lemon tree with silver leaves, made in Russia.

The tradition of the monastery tells of a miracle performed by the Mother of God. One poor man asked to spend the night in Iviron, but the monk-goalkeeper demanded payment from him. The poor man had no money, and, dejected, he went along the road to Kareya. Soon he met a mysterious Woman who gave him a gold coin. The poor man returned and gave the gold coin to the gatekeeper. The monks, paying attention to the antiquity of the coin, suspected the unfortunate man of theft. After his story about the mysterious Woman, they went to the Goalkeeper icon and saw that this coin was one of many donated to the Mother of God. The repentance of the monks was great. Since then, the vow of free hospitality has been strictly observed on the Holy Mountain.

Georgian monasteries: predecessors of the universe

Situated between the Caucasus Mountains and the Black Sea, Georgia has for centuries been a historical crossroads of trade routes connecting East and West. Thanks to its geographical position, the country has always had close relations with the civilized world and has benefited not only materially, but even in more important cultural ties.
In the second half of the first millennium, two states increased their power - Iberia in the East and Colchis in the West, along the Black Sea coast. According to legend, Colchis was the country where Jason and the Argonauts searched for the Golden Fleece.
Established between Asia Minor and the Mediterranean, Georgia was at the very core of civilized life and took an active part in the founding of cultural and scientific centers. In the fourth century BC there was already a serious philosophical institute in Colchis - the Academy of Rhetoric. According to ancient Greek sources, what was kept in Colchis was not the legendary Golden Fleece, but only a text describing methods for extracting and processing gold. In 337, the Georgian people changed their historical perspective when they were converted to Christianity. After this, Georgia intensified its relations with Byzantium and other Western states, while never breaking off relations with the East. In Central Asia, cultural life took place mainly in monasteries. Founded to protect religious faith, they soon became centers of cultural life and pedagogy. The number of monasteries increased significantly after the arrival of monks from Syria in the fifth century. They founded the Davido-Gareji, Shio-Mgvim, Zedazen, Chirs, Ikalta, and Tsilkan monasteries.
From an architectural point of view, the most interesting monasteries of the early Middle Ages are Ksandzta, Satberdi, Parkhali, Opiza, Iskhan and Oshki. Georgian monasteries also exist in other countries such as Syria, Palestine, Bulgaria and Greece (Mount Athos). But it is possible that Georgia's most important cultural center abroad is the Monastery of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem, the refuge of the Georgian philosopher Peter of Iberia. The latter wrote a philosophical treatise on Areopagetics, attributed to the mysterious image of Denis the Areopagite, who played such an important role in the development of medieval philosophy and art.
Georgian culture reached its scope in the 11th and 12th centuries, when the country was reunited into a single whole. At this time, Georgia was a powerful state capable of influencing the cultural life of its neighbors in the Middle East. But this was not a one-sided process and other countries were involved in it in reverse order. Georgia has always accepted the great cultural achievements of both the Western Christian and Eastern Islamic worlds. Typical of Georgian culture was ultimately this mixture of Western and Eastern spirit with its own national traditions.
This opening to the outside world allowed the country to emerge from the closed gloom of medieval dogmatism, and break free from the claustrophobic scholastic inheritance. The Georgian Renaissance flourished in the face of religious legalism, placing man at the center of thought. In the first quarter of the 12th century, the largest cultural and pedagogical center in the Middle East arose in the Academy at the Gelati Monastery. It was led by the philosopher John Petritsi, who became famous for his works written during his stay at the Petrikon Monastery in Bulgaria. The Academy performed similar functions to educational institutions that appeared around the same time in Europe, such as universities in Bologna, Paris, etc. Other major monasteries of the 12th century included Sapara, Zarzma, Ikalto and the cave complexes of Davido-Garejia and Vardzia. These monasteries had a remote location and their distinctive feature was an attempt to build their own internal, isolated world.
The architecture of Georgian monasteries, on the other hand, is marked by a kind of admiration for life. For all their monumentality, buildings with solid, majestic walls never press, and, moreover, do not have any mystical, almost tragic solemnity, typical of monasteries in other countries. The self-isolation of the monasteries has survived to the present day, and outwardly is not much different from modern university campuses.

Akhali Shuamta (XVI century)

The current convent was built in the 16th century near Telavi. Initially, the monastery temple was covered from the inside with rich frescoes, but after the abolition of Georgian autocephaly in the 19th century, the walls of the temple were painted over with white paint and only in the 20th century they tried to remove the paint, but only individual fragments of the frescoes were restored.
According to legend, the monastery was built by the Kakheti queen Tina, the daughter of a Gurian prince. Even as a child, she had a dream that she would have to build an Orthodox church. She was shown in a dream the place where it should be, but it was not revealed where it was. And only when she was already the wife of the Kakheti prince Levan, Queen Tina recognized the place she had seen in a dream during her trip to Georgia. There a monastery was founded, where Tina herself later took monastic vows.

Not far from Telavi, 7 kilometers to the southwest along the Tbilisi highway, in the village of Shuamta (the word “shuamta” means “place between the mountains”), fragments of the monasteries of Dzveli Shuamta and Akhali Shuamta (literally Old Shuamta and New Shuamta) have been preserved. These two monasteries are completely different from each other in architecture and were created at different times.
Monastery Dzveli Shuamta (Old Shuamta) is a more ancient monument. It is an ensemble of several ancient churches. The small church in the foreground, a three-nave basilica, dates from the 5th century, the other two - a large and small domed church - date from the 7th century. The large church is very similar to the Jvari temple in Mtskheta. The churches have preserved paintings from the 12th century. The buildings are in very good condition and for the most part do not give the impression of being extremely ancient. Maybe it’s the climate, the piety of the population, or restoration work. Everything here is quiet, calm, relatively deserted, and there is a special atmosphere. There is a nice mountain forest around. They say that Boris Godunov's embassy once stayed here.
The Akhali Shuamta (New Shuamta) monastery was built later, in the 16th century. This is a convent and is still in operation today. The monastery complex includes a large temple, a bell tower, and a fence. According to legend, the monastery was built by the Kakhetian queen Tina. Even as a child, she had a dream that she would have to build an Orthodox church. In a dream, she saw the site of its future construction. The place turned out to be unfamiliar, and only when she was already the wife of the Kakheti prince Levan, Queen Tina recognized the place she had seen in a dream during her trip to Georgia. There a monastery was founded, where Tina herself later took monastic vows.
The monastery has strict rules, everything is done with the permission of the inhabitants. There is a small bell that must be rung before opening the doors in the monastery wall. The point is to give the opportunity to get out of sight to those nuns who, for some reason, cannot or do not want to meet with visitors. This is written in a warning on the door near the electric bell - you can also signal your presence in this way. There is no special atmosphere, nor any architectural delights. At one time this monastery was the burial place of the princes Chavchavadze.
Sources: Website "Georgia for All", Telavi - Shuamta Monastery Complex

Aten Sioni
Founding time: 7th century.
Location: in the village of Ateni, 12 km south of Gori.

History: The main temple, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, was built at the beginning of the 7th century, the paintings date back to the 11th century, and the ancient temples of Orbeliani (VIII-IX centuries) and Tsminda Giorgi (XI century) were also preserved on the territory of the monastery.

[Cargo. ატენის სიონი], temple in honor of the Dormition of the Most Holy. Mother of God. Located in c. Ateni south of the city of Gori, in the gorge of the river. Tana (Georgian historical province of Shida Kartli). Erected to the 2nd floor. VII century during the reign of Erismtavar of Kartli Nerse (682/86-689), belongs to the circle of architectural monuments of the so-called. transitional period such as Jvari. From sir. epistles of the 6th century, in which bishop. Simeon from the monastery of Beit Mar (Syria) threatens with anathema to the bishops of Kartli gathered in Ateni; the existence of a church here is known even before the 7th century. (Draguet R.P. 59-89). Archaeological excavations 1969-1970 on the site (24´ 19 m; height 22 m), where A.S. is located, they showed the presence of remains of a basilica of the 5th century under its base. (fragments of drums, bases, capitals, tetrahedral columns from the pulpit or altar barrier made of Prokones marble, fragments of stone crosses). The fact of the construction of the currently standing central-domed temple is noted in a one-line note. epigraphic inscription to the south. façade, dated by paleographic features to the 7th century. It indicates the name of the builder A.S. - the architect Todosak, together with whom those mentioned also worked in Armenian. inscriptions by masters Aaron, Giorg, Grigor, Daps. According to another concept, inscriptions in Armenian. language and a number of relief compositions, accompanied by inscriptions in Armenian, were created during the restoration work of the con. X century On the walls southeast. and north-west corner rooms in the 80s. VII century Inscriptions were carved with a list of donations from Erismtavar Nerse I for the construction of the temple. Among many other cargo. inscriptions on Asomtavruli (including Greek and Hebrew texts), Nuskhuri and Mkhedruli - an inscription from 711, which tells of the accession to the throne of Stepanoz Mampala, the son of Erismtavar Nerse I, and the sending of the Byzantine crown to him. Caesar Philippicus (Vardan). There is also an inscription about the establishment of a memorial day for Nersa and a ten-line fresco inscription made by George, the son of Stepanosa, about the death of Stepanoz Mampala on October 14. 739. Nearby are epitaphs for Queen Guaramaurus (837) and feudal lord Sumbat (885). To the south apse - rhymed verses on the load. language 1st gender 9th century and an inscription from 835 telling of the invasion of the Bugi Turk. From the inscription of 980 in the west. the apse is aware of the facing work carried out in the interior of the temple under King Bagrat III; in a lengthy inscription to the south. The facade of the temple records that Mirian, the son of Tarhun, and the head of the Aten fortress Gurganeli took part in the construction of the city of Ateni (1060-1068) by order of King Bagrat IV. On the facades of the temple, Syriac, Greek, and Arabic are also preserved. , Persian, Church Slav. inscriptions, many inscriptions of pilgrims and inscriptions of officials. character.
The central-domed temple was erected on a three-stepped plinth; the material was purely hewn squares of fine-grained tuff of grayish-yellow, reddish-pinkish and greenish shades. The walls in the interior are composed of even rows of stone masonry, not designed for painting. The basis of the plan is a tetraconch, elongated along an east-west axis. The dome drum rests on the projections of the apses and is connected to the central square by means of 3 rows of conical tromps. The dome vault is decorated with a relief stone cross. The space under the dome on 4 sides is organized by deep apses that form a cross in plan, between the arms of which there are 4 pastophoria: 2 served as an altar (north-east) and a deacon (south-east), the 3rd (south-west) ) was a department where women prayed, and the 4th (northwest) was possibly a place for clergy. The corner rooms communicate with the main space through deep three-quarter niches. The light sources are the windows in the dome drum (4), in the apses (5, in the altar - 3) and in the pastophoria (5). The altar space is emphasized by a two-stage solea, in the semicircle of the apse there is a stone synthron with 3 ledges with a bishop's place in the center. The spatial organization of the interior is reflected in the external forms of the temple. The original tiled roof in the 10th century. replaced by a slab floor.
The facades of A.S. are decorated with sculptural reliefs from 3 periods. The earliest are fragments of the 5th century basilica: an image of 2 deer,
fallen to the source (on the tympanum of the northern entrance), the mythical creature senmurva (on the western facade), anthropomorphic capitals of semi-columns (northern portal). From the decoration of the 7th century. The image of the church ktitor standing before St. has been preserved. First Martyr Archdeacon. Stefan (middle edge of the projection of the northern apse), and a scene of equestrian deer hunting (on the western facade). The remaining reliefs were completed during the renovation of A.S. at the end. X century representatives of the Bagvashi clan, Kldekar eristavis, into whose possessions in the 2nd half. X century The Aten Gorge was also included. To the east The façade presents sculptural portraits of Rata Bagvashi with a model of the church in his hands and his son Liparit. Reliefs with images of masters (Gergium, son of Erhasan, Grigori Daps, Todosak; the latter is lost) were placed on the west. and sowing facades and in the dome drum. To the south On the façade there is a carved image of Mikael Bagvashi, who is named as the builder of the fence. To the west The façade has preserved a cross from the 14th-15th centuries.
Architectural and structural parts in the interior of the temple are decorated with aniconic painting. VII century The drawing is made according to the unpainted texture of the facing stone. In the conchs of apses, soffits of windows and doors, the painting imitates masonry; in the large trumpos there is a fan-shaped pattern, in the conchs of three-quarter niches there are radiant sun-shaped figures. The dominant feature of the aniconic painting is a large red cross in the dome vault, symbolizing Christ the Savior. On the dome ledges and architraves of the corner rooms there are 12 flourishing crosses painted in red and white, symbolizing the 12 apostles. The crosses are painted on lime plaster, which was used to cover the lower part of the interior walls shortly after the completion of the temple. Numerous graffiti have been preserved on the plaster.
In the 90s XI century The walls of A.S. were completely covered with paintings using the secco technique. Trompos depict personifications of the heavenly rivers: the Nile, Pison, Tigris and Euphrates in the form of youths of the ancient type reclining in the waves. In the conch of the altar apse there is the Mother of God “Nicopea” with the Infant Christ, on the sides are the archangels Michael and Gabriel. Below are the apostles in prayer poses, facing the cross; on the walls of the vima is the composition “Eucharist”. In the lower register there are frontal depictions of monumental figures of saints (Blasius, Gregory the Theologian, Basil the Great, Athanasius of Alexandria, etc.), in the opening of the central window - the stylites Simeon of Aleppo and Simeon of Divnogorets, on the ledges of the apses - the archdeacon. Stephen the First Martyr and St. Roman Sladkopevets. In the vault of the vima there is a medallion with a chest-length image of Christ Pantocrator, on both sides of it there are figures of prophets and saints. John the Baptist in full size. To the south in the apse there are scenes from the apocryphal life of St. Virgin Mary (14 scenes); in the north - festive cycle (11 scenes); in the zap. - the composition “The Last Judgment”.
The altar apse also contains clitoral images of King David IV the Builder and the royal mtsignobartukhutsesi (chancellor) bishop. Chkondidsky George in the presence of the Savior, whose image is inscribed in the segment of the sky, kings Bagrat IV and George II, Queen Isdukht and the feudal lord Sumbat, son of Ashot, facing the Mother of God, represented in the segment of the sky. The image of Sumbat from the Klarjet branch of the Bagrationi clan, the original rulers of Ateni, instead of the Kldekar Eristavis from the Bagvashi clan is additional evidence of the changes that took place in the country at the beginning of the reign of David IV, which took place in 1093-1094. Liparit Bagvashi was captured and deported from the country. The painting was completed shortly after this event by a team of painters.

Betania

Time of foundation: XI century.
Location: in the gorge of the Vere River, 16 km from Tbilisi, near the village of Samadlo.
Current status: active monastery in honor of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Shrines: relics of unknown martyrs.
History: The monastery is named after the village of Bethany, where Martha and Mary lived and where the Lord raised Lazarus. Here, according to legend, the holy Queen Tamara often rested. In the Middle Ages, the monastery fell into disrepair and was accidentally discovered in the middle of the 19th century by the artist G. Gagarin, after which Hieromonk Spiridon settled in it and restored Betania. In Soviet times, this was the only monastery in which monastic and liturgical life continued (the monks were officially designated as museum caretakers). The last monk, Elder George (Mkheidze), died in 1962, and in 1978 new monks arrived here and Betania became the first monastery to open in Soviet times.

The time of foundation is unknown, but there is information that by the 11th century. The monastery already existed as a tomb for the princely family of Orbeli, which owned vast territories in Kvemo Kartli. Local legend says that initially the ktitors intended to build a monastery on the other side of the Samadlo cave, on the flat top of a high mountain, from where there was a view of the entire surrounding area, and had already begun to transport stones there, when in the morning they were perplexed when they discovered their disappearance. Finding their building materials stacked together deep down at the bottom of the gorge, the builders decided to build a temple in the place God had designated. Another legend tells that in ancient times there was a large and rich Lavra here, and St. Tamara, who spent the last years of her life asceticizing in the cave monastery of Vardzia, often came here in the summer for solitude and prayer. In ancient times, the territory of the monastery was surrounded by a massive wall, the remains of which have survived to this day. Among the forest on the slopes of the mountain there are small pits with a pile of stones - the remains of monastic cells. It is known that in the Middle Ages the monastery fell into disrepair and was the tomb of the Baratashvili family.
In the middle of the 19th century. the artist G. Gagarin found an abandoned temple in the mountains, cleared the stone blockage and discovered a portrait of St. Tamara, which attracted public attention to the monument. The first restorer of the monastery was Hieromonk Spiridon (Ketiladze) from Kutaisi, who labored alone for a long time and hired local peasants for restoration work. During the clearing of the territory in the courtyard of the temple, a large burial was discovered, most of the bones in which were completely white and clean, which indicates the holiness of the deceased. Now the relics of unknown martyrs rest in a crypt under the altar of the church. By 1894-96 the monastery was already so equipped that it became suitable for the life of a small brethren.
Among the volunteer helpers, Hierarch. Spiridon was a 12-year-old boy originally from the village. Eredvi (South Ossetia), Vasily Maisuradze. In 1903 he labored in the monastery of St. ap. John the Theologian on Athos, in 1920, already hieromonk John, he returned to his homeland along with other Georgian monks and settled in the Armazi Monastery in Mtskheta. In 1921, in the monastery, in addition to Hieronymus. John had only one more monk left. One day, two security officers came to the monastery, took the monks out of the monastery into the forests of the mountains and opened fire on them. The sisters of the Samtavro monastery in Mtskheta left the miraculously saved monks, after which Hierarch. John returned to the place of his first spiritual experience - the Betan monastery hidden in the mountains, where Fr. Spiridon. Having decided to return to the West. Georgia, o. Spiridon handed over the abbess of the monastery to Hierom. Elijah, and after some time he handed over the leadership to the priest. John. In 1924, priest came to the monastery. Georgy (Mkheidze), a man of amazing destiny. He was born in 1887 in the village of Nizh. Krikhi, (historical province of Georgia, Lower Racha) in a large family and belonged to an impoverished princely family. Father, Methodius, was a village councilor, was a member of the people's militia, participated in the Caucasian battles and had awards, including the St. George Cross for the capture of Shamil. George began his education at the Cheliagel school, then he was sent to Tbilisi, to his rich uncle Ivan, where the boy continued his studies for some time and worked as a secretary for the writer St. Ilia Chavchavadze. Later he was sent to St. Petersburg to a military school, but soon returned to his native village due to the mystical death of his elder brother Polyacter. Having taken monastic vows, Polyacter renounced everything worldly, spending his life only in solitude and prayer. He saw mysterious heavenly revelations and visions and died very soon. Returning home in 1909, Georgy read the deceased’s notes and dramatically changed his lifestyle. The brothers who came from Tbilisi, fearing for the mental state of their younger brother, tried to talk to him, but he answered only one thing: “I sacrifice myself to God. I heard a voice from Heaven that told me that this is my path.” After this, George retired somewhere in a cave in the mountains, then went to Megrelia. From this period of his life, all that is known is that he took monastic vows from Metropolitan. Nazarius and for some time labored in the Khir Monastery. The Khirsky monastery was closed in 1924, and Hierarch. George returned home. Two of his brothers were already communists (one of whom, Peter, was Beria’s deputy and even changed his patronymic so as not to be the monk’s brother; he was shot in 1938. ) and, despising his brother for his faith, insulted him and tried in every possible way to seduce him.
Hieromonks John and George lived in Betania until their death - at first in terrible poverty, but over time the inhabitants managed to start a small farm: they sowed wheat and corn, looked after cows, set up an apiary, and in 1936 they launched a mill near the stream. It is known that by this time John was already an archimandrite, and George was ordained abbot by Patriarch Melchizedek. Officially, the inhabitants were listed as guards of a “valuable architectural monument,” the monastery was considered inactive, however, icons hung in the temple, lamps burned, services were held, religious processions were held, baptisms and weddings took place here. For many years the monastery remained almost the only monastic community in Georgia. During the Great Patriotic War, during the famine, the inhabitants not only spiritually, but also physically cared for the surrounding population. From sources of that time, a unique notebook “The Book of Impressions” for 1934-58 is known, the pages of which reveal all the pain and feeling of loss that gripped the post-revolutionary generation; After communicating with the elders, a reassessment of values ​​took place in the hearts of many. Located 5-6 km from the monastery, a rest house of all-Union significance attracted entire excursion groups of representatives from all regions of the country to Betania, which made the service of the Betan monks truly missionary. The elders collected a rather extensive library of the Patristic writings for those times, the pages of many books of which contain copious notes from Fr. George. Eyewitnesses say that there were cases of healing through the prayers of the fathers. They noticed that all the predictions, even the fleeting remarks of the elders, came true.
In 1954, with the blessing of his confessor, Archimandrite. Valentin Pirtsekhlava (born in 1923, in the village of Mukhuri, Chkhorotsky district) came to Constantine from the Teklat monastery. Soon he took monasticism here with the name Vasily and was ordained hieromonk. After spending several years in strict asceticism, he, severely beaten by 4 unknown men in the forest on the way to the monastery, became seriously ill and died in 1960, being a very young man. Elder John died 3 years earlier. Elder George passed away 5 years after him, in 1962. Mystical events accompanied his death.
Elder George was visited by spiritual visions: once the Mother of God appeared to him in a dream and healed him from severe pain with her touch, another time a monk appeared to him during prayer. Thekla gave her a bunch of grapes. The third time, when the elder, after the operation, lived for some time in Tbilisi with his brother, an Angel appeared to him and ordered him to go to the monastery. Seriously ill Fr. George, despite the entreaties of his relatives, immediately returned to Betania. After some time, the priest who sometimes visited the elder urgently arrived there. Gabriel, who felt an urgent need to visit him. The elder asked him to serve the liturgy and give him communion, after which he reposed.
5 years before the death of Fr. George accepted the great schema with the name John; probably Fr. was also a schema monk. John, who bequeathed to his brother the great schema and name before his death. Both elders were buried near the eastern side of the temple.
A few years later, art historians and restorers were stationed here to study the Betan temple. The monastery complex fell into complete disrepair. In 1978, with the blessing of Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II, two monks arrived here, and Betania became the first monastery to open in Soviet times. The rector of the monastery from the day of its opening is Archimandrite Lazar (Abashidze).
The cross-domed Betan Church, belonging to the “inscribed cross” type (20.5x14.5x22.5, dome height 27 m), was erected from cut stone in the time of St. Queen Tamara at the turn of the XII-XIII centuries. on the site of a destroyed brick temple of the 10th-11th centuries. The architectural structure of the temple repeats those developed back in the 11th century. composition: a pair of pillars divides the internal space into 3 naves, the dome is shifted to the east, its abutments merge with the walls of the altar apse. According to some researchers, elements of the early church were included in the new building: it is possible that the entire modern altar part belonged to it, as well as part of the altar frescoes and the brick-lined western porch, under which the crypt is located, and where in 1986 it was located built the church of St. Tamara.
The arms of the cross in the church plan are decorated with gable roofs and rise slightly above the gable roofs of the corner rooms. Traditional niches have been preserved on the eastern façade; however, there is no unifying system of decorative arches. The main attention is paid to the distribution of window openings and the creation of ornamental accents. The vertical axis of the eastern facade is emphasized by the central window with a decorative cross above it and the medallion of a small window under the cornice. The northern and southern facades are characterized by paired windows with small decorative crosses above them. The round drum is covered with an arcature with 12 (according to the number of apostles) windows.
Fragments of paintings from the time of the founding of the church have been preserved, with a rather unusual for the 12th-13th centuries. painting scheme. The altar conch depicts “The Savior on the Throne” (instead of the traditional “Majesty of the Mother of God”), below is a prophetic row, which once again confirms the possibility that the altar part belongs to the ancient church. It is possible that the temple was originally dedicated to the Savior or one of the Lord's holidays. Below the row of prophets is the apostolic row and the row of saints, rewritten in the 14th or 15th centuries. The altar is richly decorated with floral patterns, among the weaving of which are inscribed short prayers or verses from a psalm. These autographs brought to us the names of the Betan icon painters - Demeter and Sofrom.
Among the paintings, the fresco of the lower part of the northern wall, executed ca. 1207, which depicts King George III, his daughter St. Queen Tamara and her son George-Lasha, flanked by the figures of two holy warriors. This fresco was rewritten several times, but modern restorers managed to reproduce the original face of the queen, containing many portrait features of her face, using X-ray and ultraviolet methods. The frescoes in the windows to the north are rare in iconography. wall: “Judas receiving 30 pieces of silver”, the scene of washing the feet, divided into 2 parts, “Prayer for the Cup”, “Betrayal of Judas”, “Suffering Peter”, “Pilate washing his hands”. The Crucifixion cycle is enriched with historical details - a vessel for the octa, a torn veil of the temple.
In the openings of the western wall, scenes of the Savior’s miracles are preserved: “Healing of the Possessed”, “Healing of the Blind”, below the composition “Paradise”, from the south “Abraham’s Bosom”, from the north “The Prepared Throne and the Righteous Coming to It”, Angels weighing sins, animals , spewing out the dead, a unique image of the head of Mohammed in a white turban protruding from the fiery river. The scenes of “Herod’s Feast” and “Communion of Mary of Egypt” are recognizable.
On the southern wall of the temple there is a portrait of the church ktitor Sumbat Orbeli in monastic vestments with a model of the church in his hands, next to it is the figure of his son Liparit with hands raised in prayer, the eristavi of Kartli. At first, Sumbat was depicted in secular attire, which is confirmed by both the inscription listing only his secular titles and fluoroscopy, but after he was tonsured a monk with the name Simeon as a result of an unsuccessful conspiracy against King George III, the fresco was rewritten, which allows us to date the painting to the period before 1177-1179 On the southern wall, the earliest known cycle of 9 images of the prophets with the prototypes indicated by them, symbolizing the Mother of God, is preserved. The image of the dancing prophet is well preserved. David next to the Ark of the Covenant and a vessel with manna from heaven in his hands, “Ezekiel before the closed gates”, “Gideon and the bowl of fleece”, “Moses and the Burning Bush”, “Jacob’s Ladder”, “Aaron with the flourishing staff”, “Daniel” are visible before the mountain", "Three youths in the cave of Babylon".
Near the main church there is a small church in the name of St. St. George the Victorious 1196 and an arched passage - apparently the remains of the lower floor of a tower or belfry.

Bodbe

Time of foundation: IV century.
Location: two km. from the town of Sighnaghi, near the village of Kedeli

Shrines: Relics of St. Equal to the Apostles Nina, who was buried here, a miraculous spring in honor of St. Nina.
History: in the 9th century the main monastery church was built in honor of St. Nina, it contains frescoes from the same time. After the Mongol devastation of the 13th century, there is no information about the monastery until the 15th century, when it again regained its glory as a religious center. Due to the Persian invasion in the 16th century, monastic life here was interrupted. In the next century, the monastery began to operate as a men's monastery; it is known that a school operated under it for more than two centuries. The last monk died in 1837, and only half a century later, by order of Emperor Alexander III, the monastery was revived as a convent, which soon became one of the largest in Georgia. During Soviet times, the monastery was closed and reopened only in 1995.

Convent in Bodbe (Georgia)
Bodbe Monastery is 2 km away. from Sighnaghi, approx. With. Kedeli. According to the Georgian chronicle “Conversion of Kartli”, the construction of a church over the grave of St. Nina dates back to the reign of St. blgv. King Mirian: having founded a nunnery here, the king donated many villages and lands to him.
The royal dynasty of Kakheti and Kartli took special care of the material support and well-being of the monastery. It can be assumed that until the 30s. XIII century Bodbe Monastery remained a significant Christian center in Georgia. Since the 30s. XIII century to the 15th century information about the monastery has not been preserved, which is due to the Mongol invasions and the severe destruction of both the diocese and the monastery. In the 15th century, with the formation of the independent kingdom of Kakheti, Bodbe regained its former glory as a religious center. However, already in the 16th century. The situation again deteriorated sharply due to Iranian expansion, which led to the abolition of the nunnery.
But the ruling dynasty has always shown special care for Bodbe - kings Levan (1520-1574), Alexander II (1574-1605), Teimuraz I (1606-1616, 1634-1648), Archil II (1664-1675), Teimuraz are known for their care II (1709-1715, 1733-1744, 1744-1762), Irakli II (1744-1762, 1762-1798), George XII (1688-1703), as well as other members of the royal family - Prince Teimuraz, grandson of King Levan, princess Helena (sister of Irakli II) and Queen Ketevan (wife of George XII), which was manifested in the grant of precious church utensils, manuscripts and books, the strengthening and restoration of monastery churches and premises, in exemption from state taxation, the granting of villages and significant land holdings.
According to the information of the German scientist and traveler Johann Gyldenstedt, by the time he visited Bodbe in 1772, a men’s monastery was already operating here, abolished after the death of the last bodbeli, John (Makashvili) in 1837. On May 7, 1889, at the request of the population of Kakheti, the Russian emperor Alexander III issued a decree on the restoration of the women's monastery of St. Nina, which was solemnly consecrated by Archimandrite Nikolai (Mikeladze) with the special blessing of the Exarch of Georgia Palladius (Raev). According to Bishop Kirion (Sadzaglishvili), the active work of Abbess Yuvenalia soon brought the monastery to one of the largest monasteries in Georgia: 110,300 rubles, donated by the population of Kakheti, were spent on the restoration of the monastery complex, 150 acres of arable land and fishing along the river were provided to the monastery. Alazani is 25 miles away. The church, school building, abbot's house, house of the monastery clergy, buildings for sisters, a hospice, a fence, various outbuildings and a courtyard in Tiflis were restored. Initially, there were 6 or 7 nuns from Russia in the monastery, but soon the number of ascetics increased to 200.
According to D. Purtseladze, even during the primacy of Archbishop Basil of Bodbe, a school was established at the Bodbe monastery in 1617, in which, in addition to church subjects, secular sciences were also taught: philosophy, physics, geometry. This school was the subject of the bodbeli's special concern; after Georgia joined Russia, it was transformed into a 3-year theological school, which, due to the small number of students, was merged with Telavi in ​​1838. OK. In 1889, a monastery school with handicraft and drawing departments was founded at the Bodbe Church.
The Bodbe monastery owned a rich library. According to D. Purtseladze, 40 ancient manuscripts were transferred from the Bodbe Book Depository by order of the Georgian-Imereti Synodal Office to the Tiflis Theological Seminary (approx. 70s of the 19th century), and 12 were left in the monastery book depository. P. Iosseliani and D. Purtseladze list the most notable of them: “The Rite of the Consecration of the Church” (XVI century), “Monthly Menaion” (XVI century), “Trebnik” (XVII century), “Sex Day” of Basil the Great (XVII c.), "Typikon" 1756, miniature Georgian "Four Gospels", probably redacted by St. Euthymius of Svyatogorets, in gold binding, donated by Tsarevich George (son of Irakli II) in 1776 (and the Gospel itself is of what antiquity? - probably edited by George of Svyatogorets), “Gospel” in Georgian, printed in Moscow and richly decorated (XVIII century .), short “Trebnik” (XVIII century), “Interpretations” of the Gospel of Matthew (2 copies) and the Gospel of John, donated bodbels by Onuphrius, “Words” of Gregory the Theologian and “Martirik” of Catholicos-Patriarch Anthony I, donated to the monastery John (Makashvili). In addition to church literature, the library possessed such works as “Georgian Grammar” by Catholicos-Patriarch Anthony I, “Guzin Lexicon”, “Rhetoric”, etc. (all lost in the Soviet years after the nationalization of church property).
P. Iosseliani and D. Purtseladze also provide a list, also lost and preserved only in the descriptions of historians, of the most remarkable items of church utensils of the Bodbe monastery: this is a large altarpiece gilded silver cross of the ancient style, donated by an unknown person in 1627, an icon of the Mother of God of Russian work , donated by George XII in 1776, his gift in 1740 - a gilded silver cross; a cross decorated with precious stones to be worn in front of the bishop; a precious cross depicting the twelve feasts of the Lord, elegantly carved from ivory, inlaid with gold with a massive tray and decorated with 28 yachts, 76 emeralds, 10 diamonds and other stones, donated to the bodbeli by John (Makashvili) in 1834; a very valuable silver chandelier donated by Tsarina Elena in 1779. Of the bishop's panagias, the most remarkable are the panagia with the image of the Savior, decorated with yachts and diamonds, and the panagia with the image of a double-headed eagle, decorated with what researchers call diamond-like stones.
After the revolution, the monastery was closed. In 1995, the Holy Synod of the Georgian Church decided to renovate the Church of St. Nina, in connection with which the Catholicos-Patriarch of Georgia Ilia II blessed the beginning of archaeological excavations, during which the following were discovered: a small vessel with an inscription of the 17th century, fragments of a faience vessel with a blue ornament of the 11th-12th centuries, a copper vessel with an inscription about him belongings to Bishop John of Bodbe, a bowl with multi-colored ornaments, similar in style and technique to East Georgian ceramics of the 1st century, a bell dating from the Middle Ages. The items found are kept in the Church of St. Nina.
Archaeological excavations also revealed that the legend told in 1920 by the abbess of the Vachnadze monastery about the transfer of the relics of St. Nina from the chapel under the altar of the main church, undertaken out of fear of desecration by the Lezgins, does not correspond to reality. An old refectory was also discovered, consisting of two parts and similar in shape to the lower refectory, characteristic of Georgian architecture of the 9th-10th centuries, which suggests that it is contemporary with the founding of the church. Archaeological research has not been completed and will continue in the future.
In the gorge to the northeast of the monastery there is a source of St. Nina (“Ninos Tskaro”) with healing water. Currently, a bathhouse and a small church have been built there in the name of the parents of St. Nina, Saints Zebulun and Susanna.
Bodbe Cathedral in the name of Saints George the Victorious and Nina of the Bodbe Monastery is a three-nave basilica of the 9th century, built of brick, with corners and openings lined with travertine. A short high naos, divided into naves by just one pair of pillars in the east, ends with a three-part altar with three apses protruding on the facade, and in the west - a narthex. Relics of St. Nina rests in a now inaccessible crypt under the south-eastern room corresponding to the deacon. The central altar is dedicated to St. George the Victorious, and the southern aisle where the saint was buried - St. Nina.
The church was greatly altered and changed during the 19th century restoration, which makes it much more difficult to recreate its original appearance. Based on information from the medieval Georgian chronicler Vakhushti Bagrationi, a number of scientists (P. Iosseliani, A. Khakhanov, D. Bakradze, Bishop Kirion Sadzaglishvili) erected a church over the grave of St. Nina is associated with the name of King Bakar; according to A. Khakhanov, the first stone temple on this site was built by King Vakhtang Gorgasali, which, however, is not directly indicated in the sources. G. Chubinashvili shares the opinion about the antiquity of the temple, suggesting that the chapel over the grave was later included in the plan of the entire basilica, making it the southern aisle. Thus, the Bodbe basilica retained the outer semicircle of apses, as it was apparently used in the original church.
The temple has been restored several times. The first information about the renewal dates back to the 12th century: according to the lapidary inscription of that time in the western corner of the southern facade, a certain George, during the reign of the son of St. blgv. King David the Builder King Demetrius (1125-1156) rebuilt the Bodbe Temple. The next restoration of the complex, damaged by the Persian invasion, according to available historical sources, was carried out by King Teimuraz I c. 1631, when the building was surrounded by masonry along its entire perimeter.
After this, restoration measures were carried out on the initiative of Bishop John of Bodbe in 1823, as evidenced by the inscription above the western entrance of the church. The church was equipped with new utensils, the monastery gates were restored, domed porticoes and the false dome of the church were erected, which were removed during the restoration of 1986-1989. (at the same time, 17th-century bricks were knocked down along the western facade), the temple was painted with scenes from the Old Testament (vaults of the wall of the middle nave), the Passion of the Lord (narthex, altar), Miracles and Parables of Christ (middle nave), and the Last Judgment ( the western wall of the middle nave and the northern nave), the hagiographic cycles of St. George (middle nave) and St. Nina (south-eastern part of the chapel), images of individual saints and a portrait of Bishop John of Bodbe. Scenes from the cycle of the Lord's feasts (except for the Descent of the Holy Spirit in the altar conch) were transferred to the iconostasis created at the same time.
The Bodbe paintings are the most outstanding work of painting of the 18th - early 19th centuries, representing the final stage of medieval fine art in Georgia, which is characterized by an increasingly strong influence of modern European art and at the same time preserving the traditions of Orthodox icon painting and unique national features.
In the same 1823, Bishop John built a new two-story stone building, where a small house church with an iconostasis was built, renewed under the care of Archimandrite Macarius at the expense of the village. Saradzhov in 1859. According to D. Purtseladze, in 1857, Archimandrite Macarius covered the roof of the church and whitewashed the outside walls. In 1862, construction began on a 3-story brick bell tower, which was completed by the rector of the church, Hieromonk Nikolai (Mikeladze) in 1885. The bells, as well as many valuable icons, through the efforts of M. Sabinin, were donated by various individuals in Moscow and other cities of Russia.
In the church, the relics of St. The Enlighteners of Georgia are one of the greatest shrines of the Georgian Church. Apparently, along with restoration work, a tombstone image of St. was created in 1823. Nina, hidden at the end of the 19th century. a marble tombstone with an image of the saint, created under the care of M. Sabinin. Erected on this site on January 27, 1997, St. Nina, with funds from the Georgian football players Arveladze brothers and the Tetri Mandili charity, a new marble tombstone from Cappadocia, the saint’s homeland, has reopened this painting.
Since ancient times, the tombstone of the grave has been decorated with a blanket with the image of a saint, elegantly embroidered in gold. According to P. Iosseliani, one of the best such bedspreads was a gift from Princess Nina Chavchavadze-Griboyedova to her namesake saint.
The Bodbe Temple also kept the little finger of St., lost to this day. First Martyr Stephen in a small golden reliquary with the inscription of 1620: “We, Diasamidze of Bodbe Eudemos, bound this little finger of St. Stephen in holy intercession for us and for the longevity of our days.” According to P. Iosseliani, an image of St. was forged on the reliquary. Stefan. There is a legend according to which this shrine was brought to Georgia by one of the 13 Syrian fathers of St. Stephen of Hirs, who founded the Hirs monastery.
The Bodbe temple is a tomb: Princess Elena (+ 1786), Metropolitan Kirill (Georjadze) of Bodbe, killed by the Lezgins in 1792, Exarch of Georgia Theophylact (Rusanov), who fell ill while viewing the churches of Kakheti (+ 1821), Metropolitan of Bodbe John (Makashvili) are buried here ) (+ 1837).
In 1995-1997 Research work was carried out in the temple, revealing fragments of painted plaster (what time?) and a painted throne of the 17th century. in the southeast aisle. In addition, a carved stone throne of the 9th century was discovered in the mass of the throne of the main altar.

Vardzia

Time of foundation: XII century.
Location: near the village of Vardzia in the valley of the river. Kura, 70 km south of Borjomi.

History: This cave monastery was built in 1156-1205 with the support of St. Queen Tamara, who often prayed here. Saint Iann Shavteli also labored here. In 1551, the monastery was destroyed by the troops of the Persian Shah Tahmasp, and at the end of the 16th century it was captured by the Turks, who burned the monks right in the temple. In the 19th century, after the liberation of this region by Russian troops, Greek monks came to Vardzia and revived monastic life here. In 1938, the monastery was closed and turned into a museum; in the 1990s, the monks returned here.

Vardzia. Cave Monastery (Castle of Roses)
Vardzia is an ancient cave monastery complex of the 12th-13th centuries, located in southern Georgia near Akhaltsikhe (about 70 km south of Borjomi). Vardzia is an outstanding monument of Georgian fortification, architectural and artistic arts. The ensemble was created mainly in 1156-1205, on the southwestern border of Georgia as a fortress and monastery in order to block the Kura River gorge to protect against Iranian raids.
The complex carved into the rocks is located on the left bank of the Mtkvari River. Originally planned as a tower-fortress, the complex became a heavily fortified monastery, playing an important role in the political, cultural, educational and spiritual life of the country. Nineteen tiers stretch from west to east along the mountain with a length of 800 meters, a depth of up to 50 meters and a height of nine floors. Three secret passages led outside, from which thousands of Georgian soldiers unexpectedly appeared for the foreign invaders. Here there are one-, two-, three- and four-room living quarters, including two-story rooms, galleries and vertical tunnels, secret passages and pharmacies.
In the middle of the complex is the Church of the Assumption, almost completely covered with frescoes, which have been preserved under a thick layer of soot. The fact is that in 1551 the monastery was destroyed by the troops of the Iranian Shah Tahmasp, and at the end of the 16th century it was captured by the Turks. These barbarians made a fire of exhausted and sick monks right in the middle of the Assumption Church, so the frescoes immediately became smoked and subsequently continued to smoke from the fires of the Turkish shepherds who took refuge in the monastery in the winter.
Behind the church there is a pool that served as a reservoir for spring water and was considered sacred.
The origin of the name of the monastery is interesting. The young Queen Tamara, under the supervision of her uncle, played hide and seek in these caves. Deciding to play a trick on the unfortunate old man, she hid so that he could not find her for a long time. Already beginning to panic, he rushed through the dark passages, calling the name of the future queen. Suddenly she suddenly jumped out behind him and shouted: “Ak var, dzia!” (I'm here, uncle). The old man grabbed his heart, staggered, but survived. Later, he told this incident to the nobles, and they, after whispering, decided to name the monastery under construction in honor of the queen.
After a major earthquake in the 13th century, a layer of rock up to 15 meters wide separated from the mountain and fell into the Kura, as a result of which the monastery was exposed and it lost its significance as a fortress. In general, the complex has over 600 residential, religious and utility rooms carved into the steep tuff rock rock at the level of 9 floors and connected by passages to each other - temples, rooms, halls, libraries, baths, dining rooms. In the event of an enemy attack, the monastery became a refuge for civilians and could accommodate up to 20 thousand people. Frescoes have been preserved, including a portrait of Queen Tamara.
For a long time, the monastery was not only the defender of the Georgian kingdom, but also the collector and bearer of the unique spiritual culture of the Georgian people. Troubled and difficult times have sunk into oblivion, but the memory of the mountain settlement is alive.

Vachnadziani

Time of foundation: XV-XVI centuries.
Location: 8 kilometers from the village of Vachnadzian, Gurjaani district.

Kvelatsminda (Georgian: ყველაწმინდა) is an Orthodox monastery in the Gurjaani region of Georgia, eight kilometers from the village of Vachnadziani (formerly Shroma). In the 6th - 7th centuries, the monastery housed a three-nave basilica, the western part of which was damaged by a landslide. Fragments of the building can still be seen today. Later, at the end of the 8th - beginning of the 9th century, the domed church of Kvelatsminda (All Saints) was built. The church is built of stone and brick. Kvelatsminda belongs to the transitional period of Georgian architecture (VIII - first half of X), it is one of the most significant and highly artistic monuments. The monastery had a high fence with a gate on the western side. Among the temple buildings, it includes a basilica and a domed church, and the first is in critical condition. Only the eastern wall has survived from it. The apse is destroyed from the ground to the window level. The condition of the remaining part of the north wall and a larger fragment of the south wall is also deteriorating over time. Vachnadzian Church of the Holy Trinity is a small room (3.88 by 5.5 meters) from the 16th-17th centuries. built from cobblestones. It is covered with ceramic tiles, which have crumbled in some places. In some places in the temple, fragments of frescoes from the same period have also been preserved.

Gelati

Time of foundation: XII century.
Location: five km northeast of Kutaisi.
Current status: active monastery.
Shrines: relics of St. blessed king David the Builder.
History: Founded by St. by King David the Builder in 1106, in honor of the annexation of Kakheti to the Georgian state and victories over the Seljuk Turks. Here the king created the Gelati Academy, the largest educational center in Georgia, in which such outstanding minds as Saints John Petritsi, Arseny Ikaltoeli and others worked. The monastery became the tomb of the Georgian kings. There was also a hospital operating under him. In 1510, the Turks sacked Kutaisi and devastated the Gelati monastery. But very quickly the Imeretian king Bagrat III restored it. From the second half of the 16th century. until 1814, the residence of the Catholicos was located here. In the 1860s, the monastery was robbed. During Soviet times it was turned into a museum, and in the 1990s it was transferred to the Church.

The Gelati monastery formally belongs to the Tkibul municipality, although it is often said that it is located in Kutaisi. Kutaisi is visible from the territory of the monastery, the city is only 2-3 kilometers away, but between the city and the monastery there is a small ridge, so the proximity of Kutaisi is not felt. The monastery was built on a high, cool place, from which there is a good view of the surrounding area and the distant Racha-Lechkhumi mountains. In general terms, the monastery is a large church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary from the 12th century, and two more churches from the 13th century. And several outbuildings. Everything is surrounded by a wall. Gelati is a symbol of the Georgian Golden Age. The monastery was founded by King David the Builder in 1106, a little later than the Ruis-Urbnis Cathedral (1103), during the period of church reforms. The first and main building was the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which was built before 1130. King David himself and all subsequent kings up to Queen Tamara are buried in this cathedral (although the latter’s grave is not exactly known). The tombstones have been preserved, but there are no inscriptions; you need to ask knowledgeable people. Here in the cathedral there are the iron gates of the city of Ganja, which were brought here by King Demeter in 1139. Around 1200, already under Queen Tamara, two more temples were built in Gelati. One of them is the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, very small, but for some reason raised up to an entire floor, so that you can walk freely under the temple. There is also a spring of water nearby. The second temple is in honor of St. George. Almost all the kings of the Golden Age are buried in the monastery, as well as several kings of Imereti - for example, Solomon I and Solomon II. The latter was first buried in Trabzon and only recently reburied in Gelati.
In addition to these three temples, there is a bell tower, a refectory, and several other buildings. In 2010, some were under renovation.
In the 14th century the monastery was destroyed by the Mongols and restored in the 15th century.
In 1994 included in the UNESCO World Heritage List

The Gelati Monastery was founded and built by King David Agmashenebeli (the Builder) in 1106 on a hill overlooking the valley of the Tskal-Tsitela River, not far from the residence in Kutaisi (after the liberation of Tbilisi from the Turks, the royal throne was moved there). From the monastery complex, the catholicon (12th century), the church of the Great Martyr. George and St. Nicholas (both XIII centuries), Academy building, refectory, bell tower. The Catholicon, dedicated to the Mother of God, was built in 1106-1130. The walls of this monastery had the honor of receiving and reverently preserving the remains of the greatest Georgian Christian ruler, intelligent, educated and who never parted with the Gospel during his lifetime.
It is a well-preserved complex rich in mosaics and frescoes. There are paintings on the walls from the 12th and 16th centuries. In the conch of the apse there is a mosaic from the 12th century. - The Virgin and Child between two Archangels. Frescoes and mosaics in Georgia differ from the usual Byzantine ones in their huge sizes and different types of faces. For many years, the Gelati Monastery was the cultural and educational center of Georgia and had its own academy. This academy employed many theologians, philosophers, orators and translators who had previously worked in various monasteries abroad, including the Mangan Academy in Constantinople. Among the staff of the Gelati Academy were such outstanding scientists as Ioan Petritsi and Arsen Ikaltoeli. During that time, while extensive educational work was spreading from the walls of the Gelati Academy, contemporaries called the Academy “new Hellas” or “second Athos”.
The Gelati Monastery belongs to those few architectural ensembles in Georgia that have preserved their fundamental design in parallel with information about their builders and founders.
In the 14th century, Gelati was destroyed by the Mongols, but in the 15th century, the Georgian king George VI rebuilt it. During the 7th century, the Gelati monastery lost its former purpose, and in the 18th century, King Solomon I of Imereti (part of Western Georgia) restored the temple complex. From the day of its foundation, Gelati also served as a necropolis for the kings of Georgia.
The Gelati monastery has preserved a great many wall paintings that date back to the 12th-18th centuries. And therefore, the most wonderful thing about the architecture of the Gelati complex is its frescoes and mosaics, which bring back bygone days and remind us of its creators.
The enchanting beauty of the Gelati Monastery attracts many guests. Thousands of people visit it every year.

Gurdzhiani

Founding time: VIII century.
Location: two km from the village of Gurjaani, Kakheti region.
Current status: active convent in honor of the Dormition of the Mother of God.
Shrines: holy spring.
History: The monastery was founded in the 8th century. During Soviet times there was a sanatorium here. Currently, the monastery is being revived. The Kvelatsminda Church in Gurjaani (IX-XVII centuries) is a unique monument of medieval Georgian architecture. This is the only two-domed church in Georgia. The ubiquitous wine jugs lie in the courtyard. They cannot be taken out of the territory. The temple is the only two-domed church not only in Georgia, but throughout the Christian world.
The Monastery of David of Gareji in Akura (in the Telavi region) was founded in 855 by the outstanding church leader Hilarion the Gruzin for his mother and sister. Originally it was a convent. The church is a three-nave basilica, but the northern nave is divided by a transverse partition into two independent chapels (apparently for Hilarion’s mother or sister). The interior space is high, the longitudinal axis is not emphasized. The building is built of cobblestones and broken stone (walls, vaults) and brick (one of the pillars, one internal arch, decorative arches of the eastern facade). Large size bricks (eg: 8x18x25 cm, 9x26x38 cm, etc.). Pattern bricks were also used. Both in terms of the plan and the facades, on which the search for new artistic means is clearly visible, Akura is a typical monument of a transitional time. And you can order a mobile crane manipulator on the friends website stroi-tehnik.ru.
The Kvelatsminda Church stands some distance from the regional center of Gurjaani (in Kakheti), on the slope of a mountain.
This is a unique two-domed basilica in Georgia. The central, high nave consists of those square divisions (bays); the two outermost ones are crowned with octagonal closed vaults on trompe l'oeil. The altar apse has a horseshoe-shaped plan. There is a two-tier bypass around the central nave from the south, west and north.
The walls are made of cobblestones laid in even, clear rows; large squares of water tuff are used for the corners; brick is used for the internal walls and domes. The domes on the low drums do not play a significant role in the interior space. On the outside, the drums are octagonal in shape and in general appearance still strongly resemble the domes of the 6th - 7th centuries. The eastern facade, divided by decorative arches (more precisely, flat arched recesses), was later somewhat modified. On the southern facade, above the entrance, the arches of the second floor bypass gallery opened up. The roof apparently was tiled.

Houri:
Guria is the western part of Georgia, known since ancient times for its unique monasteries. Not all of them have reached us in their original form. The reason for this was the numerous raids of Asians, which the Georgian state could not resist. Only thanks to its annexation to the Russian Empire, Georgia was able to resume monastic life and monastic construction. Under the patronage of the Orthodox emperor, many monasteries were restored, seemingly lost forever. One of them is the ancient monastery of Dzhikheti, founded in the 14th century, destroyed to the ground and rebuilt again in the 19th century.

Dzhikheti- The nunnery is located in the village of Dzhikheti on Mount Nigoeti. The monastery was rebuilt at the turn of the 19th century, based on the foundation of an old monastery from the 11th century. The main temple is the Vvedenskaya Church of the Virgin Mary, which was built in 1896 by Hilarion Menabde, a resident of Ozurgeti. The Dzhumat Monastery is located in the Ozurgeti region of Georgia. It is located 14 kilometers from the regional center and stands on one of the mountains of the Chokhataur ridge, in the gorge of the Supsa River. The monastery was erected in honor of the angels Michael and Gabriel; the date of its foundation is unknown. There once was a metropolitan see in Jumati, which was restored by the Catholicos of Abkhazia and Western Georgia Maxim Abashidze in 1776-1777. There are stone towers around the monastery, the entrance is in the courtyard from the belfry. The upper part of the domed stone belfry is partially destroyed. The basilica-type temple in 1847 was faced with gray stone, and the porch of Our Lady was built on the south side. And on the western side of the temple in 1904 a belfry was also added. The frescoes on the walls date back to the 16th-18th centuries. The Dzhumat monastery is known for its ancient unique things: there were many expensive icons and inscriptions that testified to the dates of history. A special place in the monastery’s treasury is occupied by a huge primate’s cross with golden balls in the shape of a domed church. The arms of the cross contained images of saints, and the cross itself was covered in precious stones.

In 1910, during an expedition to Svaneti, in the village of Supa, one of the icons of the Dzhumat monastery was found by the famous custodian of Georgian treasures, Saint Ekvtime Takaishvili. One of the famous shrines of this monastery is the Jumat icon of St. George, which disappeared in 1921. It was large in size, minted in gold in the 11th-12th centuries. On it, George is depicted with a shield, without a horse. Two fragments of the icon were purchased years later from a private person at the Tbilisi bazaar and are now kept in the Hermitage (St. Petersburg). The Dzhumatsky monastery was a significant center of church and educational life. In the 15th-16th centuries, the abbot of the monastery, Nicholas, traveled around Klarjeti and brought ancient Georgian manuscripts from the Shatber monastery: the Adish Gospel, a polybook, the Code of Laws, a book of monks. In 1827, the last Bishop of Jumatia, Nikolai, died, after which the monastic brotherhood began to decline. In 1844, by decision of the exarch, the Jumat episcopal see was closed and the Guria diocese was created, which included the monastery. In Soviet times, only one monk, John, lived in the Dzhumat Monastery, who steadfastly endured insults from atheists, but went around and secretly baptized people. John died in 1959, and after that a military unit was located on the territory of the monastery for several years. The military fired a cannon and destroyed the monastery's belfry, famous for its unique ringing. As they say, the ringing of its bells could be heard even in Kutaisi, Zugdidi and Ozurgeti. Until the 80s, there was a pioneer camp here, which was closed after an unexpectedly raging hurricane blew the roof off the temple that stood on top and brought it directly to the buildings of the pioneer camp. Monastic life in Jumati was restored on November 21, 1990. Today there are three functioning churches on the territory of the monastery - the Temple of Angels, the Church of the Good News, cylindrical in shape, and the Church of the Assumption. The latter was built in 1998 on the initiative of Archimandrite Andrey. Since 2000, a three-story complex has been built here, on the first floor of which there will be a refectory, on the second floor the monks’ cells, and on the third floor the residence of the Catholicos-Patriarch.

Monastery in honor of John the Baptist I. Location: Chokhaturi, Adjara.
Current state: active monastery in honor of St. John the Baptist.
History: this is the oldest monastery in the region of Guria. In previous centuries it was a center of culture and education; it had a rich library and a school. During Soviet times, the monastery was closed, one of the monks suffered martyrdom from the Bolsheviks. The desert revival began in 2001.

Monastery complex Shemokmedi It is located in Guria, in the Ozurgeti municipality, on the left bank of the Mzhuzhi River, southwest of Ozurgeti, on a low mountain.
The complex includes: the Divine Cathedral (Deification), the domed church of Zarzma, buildings of various accessories and a belfry.
The monastery was built under Vakhtang I Gurieli specifically for the Zarzm icon transported from the Zarzm monastery. The cathedral is decorated with frescoes.
The head of the Shemokmed monastery bore the title of metropolitan or chief bishop and represented the supreme spiritual leadership in the area between the Supsa and Choloki rivers.
The monastery was rich in its library. Works from this library have reached us: “Gulani” (Church Code), “Putkari”, “Zatiki”, etc.
According to Dimitry Bakradze, Shemokmed “Gulani” contains 1004 pages and weighs 32 kg. The book contains many paintings, made in different colors and styles, depicting saints. The historical events described include the period from the 16th to the 18th centuries.
"Putkari", which tells about the lives of many Greek saints, contains, among other things, the history of the schism of the Georgian and Armenian Churches, after the Council of Chalcedon in the 6th - 7th centuries.
The Shemokmed Monastery was the owner of large plots of land. The monastery had many expensive icons and church equipment, which were mainly made on site, or were brought from other parts of Georgia (mainly from Samtskhe-Saatabago). We should especially note the Zarzm Icon of the Transfiguration. Of the surviving Georgian icons, it is the oldest and dates back to 886.

Monastic complex of Davido-Gareji

Time of foundation: VI century.
Location: on the border of Georgia and Azerbaijan, in the mountains of Kakheti, 60 km from Tbilisi.
Current condition: active monastery.
History: The Venerable David of Gareji, having come to these lands at the beginning of the 6th century, founded the first cave monastery here, called the David Lavra. His disciples, Saints David and Lucian, founded two more monasteries - Dodos Rka and Natlismtsemeli. In the 9th century, the Monk Hilarion Iver led the monastery to prosperity. In the XI-XIII centuries the monasteries of Udabno, Bertubani and Chichkhituri appeared. This is the heyday of the David-Gareji monasteries. The monasteries suffered greatly during the invasion of Tamerlane at the end of the 14th century, and in 1615 the troops of Shah Abbas I exterminated all the monks in one night - then six hundred (according to other sources - six thousand) Martyrs of Gareji suffered. Monastic life was revived here only after 1690, through the works of St. Onuphrius of Gareji. In the 19th century, only the Natlismtsemeli monastery was inhabited by monks.
David-Gareji monastery complex (VI century)
David Gareja, a complex of cave monasteries 60 km southeast of Tbilisi. The most ancient monasteries of D.G. - the Lavra of David, the Dodo Monastery and Natlis-Mtsemeli - were founded in the 1st half of the 6th century, in the 10th-13th centuries. other monasteries were formed. In many churches and refectories there are frescoes from the 8th to 14th centuries. with portraits of historical figures.
The David-Gareja monastery complex, in its grandiose scale and historical and artistic significance, occupies a special place among the monuments of the material culture of Georgia of the feudal era. This cave complex is located in Gara Kakheti; it stretches for 25 kilometers along the slopes of the semi-desert Gareji ridge. As an outstanding image of construction art, also distinguished by the high artistic level of its paintings, it still delights visitors. According to literary sources that have reached us, the historical beginning of the complex dates back to the first half of the 6th century, when one of the 13 Syrian fathers, named David, settled in the natural cave of Gareja and soon founded the first monastery there, called the Lavra of David.
In the same 6th century, his students and followers Dodo and Lucian founded two more monasteries - Dodos Rka and Natlismtsemeli.
The name of a prominent figure of the 9th century, Hilarion Kartveli, is associated with a cell, a church and a refectory built south of the Lavra on the slope of the Lavra. He also expanded and rebuilt the church built by David, which was then landscaped by David the Builder’s son Dmitry, the author of the brilliant chant “You are the vine,” which is still considered a masterpiece of Georgian music.
The architectural form of this church, called Transfiguration, became canonical for the construction of the complex in subsequent times.
In the 11th century, the invasion of the Seljuk Turks delayed the development of the monastery, although life in it remained. and didn't stop.
Davidgareja reached its greatest prosperity in the 11th-13th centuries. At this time, new monasteries appeared - Udabno, Bertubani and Chichkhituri. The Lavra of David, erected on the slopes of a small gorge, expanded and improved. In the monastery where David first settled, a terraced courtyard was built, new cells, a refectory and a church were built. Soon a pool, canals and reservoirs were built.
The only spring in this area, the “Tears of David,” from which the first desert monks quenched their thirst, becomes a sacred relic.
The painting of churches and refectories dates back to the same period, which coincides with the unification of Georgia and the subordination of the Gareja monastery to the royal court.
The Gareji school of painting arose in the Udabno monastery, which reached creative maturity in the paintings of Bertubani. The frescoes of the David-Gareja monasteries in their historical development are associated with the monumental painting of medieval Georgia, and at the same time they are characterized by originality, expressed in a new solution to religious subjects, especially graphics, in increased expression and a completely original color.
The Gareji school of painting is one of the most outstanding phenomena in the cultural life of medieval Georgia. The significance of the Davidgarej paintings also lies in the fact that some of them are portraits of historical figures - David IV the Builder in Natlismtsemel, Queen Tamara and George Lash in Bertubani, Demetrius the Self-Sacrificing and a number of ktitors in Udabno.
In the 12th century, when Onufriy Garejeli became the head of the monasteries, David-Gareja turned into a cultural and educational center for all of Eastern Georgia.
In the 13th century, during the Mongol invasions, the monasteries were plundered and destroyed. Manuscripts and examples of art were consigned to the fire.
Life in Bertubani froze, the monasteries of Lavra David, Natlismtsemeli, and Dodos Rka were turned into ruins. Only a few centuries later, with the direct support of the people of Kartli and Kakheti, the revival of the monasteries began, although the feudal fragmentation of Georgia during this period did not give them the opportunity to achieve their former strength and glory.
On the verge of the XIV-XV centuries, Tamerlane (Temurleng - B.S.) subjected Georgia to fire and sword. The devastation of the country, naturally, affected the monasteries of Davidgarej. Even more economically weakened, they lose their cultural significance.
At this time, the Gareji school of painting ceased to exist.
In 1615, the hordes of Shah Abbas killed all the monks and plundered the monasteries in one night.
Since the end of the 17th century, King Teimuraz and then Archil have been trying to restore the Davidgareji complex.
Its revival actually begins in 1690, when Onufriy Machutadze was appointed rector of Gareja.
During his fruitful forty years of activity, the old rights of the monastery were restored, the lands that belonged to it were returned, fortifications were erected for protection from enemies, an entrance and refectory were built.
In the 18th century, as a result of frequent attacks on monasteries and their destruction, and starting from the 19th century, due to the emergence of theological and secular schools in the cities of Georgia, interest in Davidgareja gradually subsided. In the second half of the 19th century, the monasteries were empty, and only a few monks remained in Natlismtsemel.
Throughout its centuries-old existence, the David-Gareja monastery complex suffered pogroms and devastation many times, but withstood the test of centuries, playing a significant role in the spiritual development of the country. Today its ruins speak of the former spiritual strength of the Georgian people and call us to repentance, who brought these monasteries to desolation and destruction.

Jvari (Monastery of the Holy Cross)
Time of foundation: VI century.
Location: at the confluence of the Kura and Aragvi rivers, near the city of Mtskheta.
Current condition: active monastery.
History: The first temple was built in the second half of the 6th century next to the previously installed St. Nina with a worship cross. Jvari (Monastery of the Holy Cross) (VI century) - a famous temple located on a mountain at the confluence of the Kura and Aragvi rivers, opposite the ancient capital of Georgia, Mtskheta (later, the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral was built directly opposite it in Mtskheta). It was built by the ruler of Eastern Georgia over a wooden cross placed on Mount St. Nina. From written evidence it is known that in the middle of the 6th century the cross rose openly and was visible from afar, being an object of worship, and in honor of it a celebration was established in the Georgian church. In the second half of the 6th century, the ruler of Guaram built a small temple of Jvari next to the cross. In 586, Guaram's son Stepanoz I began construction of the large Jvari, which was to become a worthy shell for the national shrine - the cross of St. Nina. Construction was completed in 604, and the temple has reached us almost unchanged. The Jvari Temple is one of the most remarkable achievements of ancient Georgian architecture, and without exaggeration, the most popular monument in Georgia, perceived as an immortal symbol of national genius. The temple is built on a steep cliff, at the very edge of the cliff, which it continues and completes. It is visible from all sides from a long distance and actively participates in the surrounding landscape. Distinguished by its harmonious proportions, it is a tetraconch covered with a dome on an octagonal drum (22m x 18.4m), with 4 adjacent corner rooms. On the facades there are reliefs including images of ktitors. Adjacent to Jvari is the cruciform church of Small Jvari (preserved in ruins). It is impossible to imagine the Mtskheta landscape without Jvari - it seemed to connect the surrounding mountains. Mtskheta Jvari is a brilliant creation of Georgian religious architecture, full of simplicity, tranquility, severity and harmony. The interior space of Jvari is equally harmonious: pure, full-bodied and complete classics enchant with their perfection. The reliefs of Jvari are of exceptional artistic value, especially the “Ascension of the Cross” in the tympanum of the southern entrance. After all that has been said, it is not surprising that it was precisely this harmony and mystery that at one time attracted Lermontov’s attention to this place, “where, merging, the streams of the Aragva and the Kura make noise, embracing like two sisters,” and it was here that he transferred the scene of the poem “Mtsyri” "
Now the monastery is being restored by monks and novices.

Zedazeni

Time of foundation: VI century.
Location: on the left bank of the river. Aragvi, east of Mtskheta.
Shrines: relics of St. John of Zedazeni.
History: the monastery was founded by the Monk John of Zedazenia at the beginning of the 6th century on the site of the former temple of the idol Zaden. The buildings that have survived to this day were built in the 7th-8th centuries. There is a well-known holy spring flowing near the monastery church. In the 17th century, the monastery fell into disrepair and was revived only in 1849. By the end of the 19th century, Bishop Alexander Okropiridze completely restored the monastery. In Soviet times, until 1946, the last monk, Fr. Euthymius.

One of the oldest buildings of Georgian architecture, the Zedazeni Monastery, is located to the northeast of Mtskheta, on the left bank of the Aragvi River on the slope of a mountain, not far from the ruins of the Zedazeni fortress. It was founded by the Assyrian Father John (one of the 13 Assyrian Fathers - John of Zedaznia) in the 40s of the 6th century; a small church was then built over his grave. What remains of the buildings of the monastery complex is a three-nave basilica named in honor of St. John the Baptist, which was built by Katalikos Klementos towards the end of the 8th century in place of that small church. Masonry walls made of hewn stone. Entrance to the temple from the south. In the eastern part there is an altar, where abbot John of Zedazeno (501 - 531) is buried under a horseshoe-shaped stone canopy. Fragments of frescoes on the walls that have been preserved and have survived to this day date back to the 17th century. There is a spring near the Zedazeni church; water from this spring accumulates in a stone pool. Believers considered the spring to be healing. “From under the foundation of this church,” writes Prince Vakhushti, “water flows, which is collected in a stone basin so that it does not spill when it is scooped up with something, and ailments are treated with this water.”
During its existence, the monastery was empty several times for long periods of time. The last time monastic life and church services were restored at this site was in the 1990s. The buildings included in the monastery complex today are: a basilica (8th century), a bell tower (18th century), a cell and the remains of a stone fence.

Ikalto
Time of foundation: VI century.
Location: near the village of Ikalto, 7 km from Telavi.
Shrines: relics of St. Zeno of Ikalti.
History: The monastery was founded by the Monk Zenon of Ikalti. In the 12th century St. King David the Builder built an Academy under him, which was destroyed during an attack by the troops of Shah Abbas I in 1616.

The monastery was founded by the Monk Zenon of Ikalti in the 6th century near the village of Ikalto, 7 km from Telavi. This complex currently has an active church, where the relics of its founder, St. Zeno of Ikalti.
Just like in Gelati, the monastery had its own academy built in the 12th century by David the Builder and therefore was one of the cultural centers of Georgia. The famous philosopher Arsen Ikaltoeli taught there, one of whose students was the great poet Shota Rustaveli.
The monastery ensemble consists of several buildings erected at different times - it contains a small domed church of the 6th century. Sameba (Holy Trinity), domed church of the 9th century. Khvtaeba (Holy Spirit), single-nave hall church of the 12th-13th centuries. and the ruins of the famous Academy. The academy was an example of civil architecture, but has not survived to this day - it was destroyed by the hordes of Shah Abas I in 1616. The temple has undergone many reconstructions, the last of which was completed in the 19th century.

In the distant 6th century, the famous Syrian ascetic Simeon the Stylite sent his disciples all over the world to preach the teachings of Jesus. 13 of them ended up in Georgia and had a direct impact on the spread of Christianity in the country. They founded many temples and monasteries, among which was Ikalto.
Over time, Ikalto became a large spiritual school and educational center: many centuries later, even the famous Georgian poet Shota Rustaveli managed to study at the Ikalti Academy, built in the 12th century. By the way, in the 9th century, the faculty of winemaking was established at the Ikalto Academy. So Ikalto became the world's first scientific institute for the study of grapevines.
Nowadays, Ikalto, of course, has lost its former luster, but still remains a place worth visiting. Here you can see several temples of the 6th-13th centuries, the ruins of that very academy and the burial place of one of the Syrian fathers - Zeno of Ikalto. And the landscapes visible from Ikalto Hill are even more worth stopping by for half an hour.

Kakhtuvni
Time of foundation: VIII-IX centuries.
Location: on the left bank of the Kakhtuvni River, Kartli.
Current condition: active monastery.
History: The ancient monastery was empty during the invasion of the troops of Shah Abbas - the brethren left it, hiding the revered icon of the Mother of God. In the 19th century, new monks, on instructions from above, found the hidden icon. During communist persecution, the monastery was closed and one of the believers hid the icon; to this day it has not been found. In 1993, liturgical and monastic life resumed here.

Kvatakhevi
Time of foundation: XII century.
Location: near the village of Kavtiskhevi, 55 km. west of Tbilisi.
Current status: no effect.
History: Founded in the 12th century, it was significantly damaged during the invasion of Tamerdan at the end of the 14th century, and was completely restored in the middle of the 19th century.
Kvatakhevi or Kvabtakhevi (Georgian: ქვათახევი, ქვაბთახევი) is a medieval Georgian Orthodox monastery in Shida Kartli, Georgia, 55 km west of Tbilisi.
The Kvatakhevi monastery complex is located near the village of Kavtiskhevi at the end of a gorge cut by a stream, in the northern slopes of the Trialeti ridge, protected on three sides by steep mountain slopes. It was founded in the 12th-13th centuries, and resembles the monasteries of Georgian Betania and Pitareti with its architectural forms and decoration, reflecting the modern canon of Georgian temple architecture. The cross-section of the temple is almost square, with a dome placed on two free-standing pillars and on two pillars descending from the eaves of the altar. The interior space of the church is formed by the intersection of a cruciform room and a dome.
The building has two portals (entrances), one in the south, the second in the west. The façade is covered with finely hewn white square stone tiles. The decoration is abundant in stucco, especially around the windows and the base of the dome; the eastern façade is decorated with a large ornate cross.
Historically, Kvatakhevi was also a literary center where several manuscripts were copied. He also possessed significant treasures of medieval Georgian jewelry, much of which was subsequently acquired and is currently exhibited in Moscow at the State Historical Museum.
The monastery was significantly damaged during Timur's invasion of Georgia in the 14th century, but was subsequently restored almost completely under the patronage of Prince Ivan Tarkhanov-Mouravov in 1854. The bell tower was added in 1872.

Kintsvisi
Time of foundation: XII century.
Location: Dzama River gorge, 7 km southwest of the village of Kareli.
Current condition: active monastery.
History: the main temple of the monastery, which has survived to this day, was built at the end of the 12th century. The medieval monastery is located in the picturesque gorge of the Dzama River, 7 km southwest of the village of Kareli (Georgia). The monastery is active, for men. It currently consists of three temples, a bell tower and the ruins of various minor buildings. In the main, domed rectangular brick church of St. Nicholas (the turn of the 12th-13th centuries) there are many famous frescoes of the same time. Among the surviving paintings you can see images of the angel from the Annunciation, the myrrh-bearing women, St. David of Gareji, John Zedazneli, St. Nina, martyr. George, patron portraits of King George III, Queen Tamar, Tsarevich George, Anthony Sagirisdze, the first minister of Queen Tamar.

Coziphas

Founding time: 7th century.
Location: Dzami gorge, near the city of Gori.
Current condition: active monastery.
History: The first church was built here in the 7th century, later the monastery was built in the 13th century. Over the centuries, many monks suffered from enemy invasions. In the 17th century, the monastery was mentioned as inactive. The restoration of the monastery began in 1997.

Since ancient times, the Dzama Gorge, due to its favorable geographical position (passage from East to West Georgia), was considered one of the most important junctions of Kartli. Not far from the ancient city of Mdzoreti (modern village of Ortubani), the Dzama fortress was built - an outpost of the region. Sat. cargo. chronicles of Kartlis Tskhovreba mentions this fortress in connection with the campaign of his brother Abkh. (Western Georgian) king Demeter III - Theodosius III (Abkh. king in the 70-80s of the 10th century), raised under the Byzantines. courtyard and sought to “take possession of his patrimony on his own.” The chronicle tells that Theodosius, defeated in Samtskhe by the troops of Demeter, went to Kartli and, with the help of the dzama mtavar Adarnase, held the fortress for 3 months (KTs. T. 1. P. 271-272; Berdzenishvili. 1975. T. 8. P. 171- 172).
The first monastery founded in the gorge was her husband. monastery Coziphas(VII-IX centuries) in honor of the Entry into the Temple of the Most Holy. Mother of God (35 km from Kareli). The monastery complex consists of 5 churches, the earliest - the Entry into the Church of the Most Holy. Virgin Mary - dates back to the 6th-7th centuries. The church is made of hewn basalt slabs with traces of painting, and the ornamented iconostasis is made of Kankli stone. Church in the name of St. Shio Mgvimsky has been preserved almost in its original form, c. All Saints was greatly destroyed, the church in the name of the Great Martyr. George and in honor of the Resurrection of Lazarus in the present day. time turned into ruins. The shrine that was placed in ancient times under the floor of the Lazarevskaya Church has survived. According to the descriptions of D. Megvinetkhutsesi, Y. Tsitsishvili (19th century) and S. Makalatia (20th century), the monastery complex occupied a vast territory where cells and outbuildings were located; Mont-Re had running water. In the 17th century the monastery fell into decay. Resumed on June 17, 1997 Met. Ruissko-Urbnissky Job (Akiashvili). The rector is the abbot. Efrem (Gamkrelidze). A hieromonk, 11 monks and novices labor in the monastery.

Martvili
Time of foundation: VI-VII centuries.
Current condition: active monastery.
History: Was founded on the site of the suffering of ancient martyrs. For many centuries the monastery was a religious and educational center; John the Gymnographer (10th century), Archbishop John (11th century), Saint Anthony (Tsagareli) (17th century) and many others worked here. The development and construction of the monastery continued in the 19th century. Saint Euthymius (Takaishvili) (+1953) admired his beauty. After being abandoned during the Soviet era, the monastery reopened in 1998.

Chkondidi Monastery (ჭყონდიდი) is an ancient Mingrelian monastery near the city of Martvili. The first and main monastery in Samegrelo - despite the fact that in general there are not a lot of monasteries in Samegrelo. It was built under the Abkhaz kings as a royal tomb, and was later used for the same purposes by the princes of Samegrelo. The monastery became, as it were, a city-forming monastery for the city of Martvili. Historically, it was one of the most respected monasteries in Georgia, but all its greatness is, as it were, in the mind, and the monastery itself is small - there are two churches and a tower.
The foundation of the monastery dates back to the end of the 7th century. The name comes from the Mingrelian word “chkoni” (ჭყონი) - oak. That is, this is the “Big Oak” - Chkoni-Didi. It is not known what it originally looked like and how it survived the Arab invasion of 736. The main temple of the monastery was built by the Abkhazian king George II (929-960), who transferred the relics of the saints there and founded the Martvili diocese. (Sometimes they write that the temple was built by Leon III) That is, the cathedral was immediately built as a cathedral. Perhaps the original temple was built earlier, then destroyed by the Seljuks, and George, as it were, restored it. Subsequently, the cathedral became a cultural and educational center like the Gelati monastery, and a lot of literary works were written here, as well as a lot of things were translated. Under David the Builder and Queen Tamara, the Chkondidi bishop was one of the main figures in the state. For example, Giorgi Chkondideli was one of the main advisers to David the Builder, and Anthony Chkondideli was the minister of Queen Tamara. At the end of the 18th century, Bishop Anthony of Chkondidi gained great fame, and was later canonized as a saint. (October 13 is the day of St. Anthony Chkondideli.) In 1903, Nikolai Dadiani, the last prince of Samegrelo, was buried in the monastery. During Soviet times, the monastery was closed, but since 1998 it has been reopened. The largest and most noticeable thing on the territory of the monastery is the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, which is often called Martvili Cathedral in literature. This is a very impressive structure, considering the time of its construction - the mid-10th century. This is the first large cathedral on the territory of Georgia. A little later, a temple will be built in Kumurdo, and half a century later - the Bagrati temple in Kutaisi. The series of monumental Georgian churches begins precisely with the Martvili Cathedral. The cathedral is domed, the dome itself is conical, that is, it is still in the Persian style, and not in the Byzantine one. The dome rests on the walls (and not on pillars), and this seems to be the tradition of “Jvari style” temples. There is an amazing Assumption Cathedral in Chkondidi. Nearby, to the northeast, another small church was built, known as the Church of the Nativity or Chikvani. This is also the 10th century. To the west of the cathedral there is a high tower, which was used by the monks as a "pillar". There are not many pillars in general in Georgia. I only know one like this in the Martkop Monastery. Chkondidsky was built in the 11th century. Next to it is a bell tower, it seems to be late. The territory of the monastery is brought into decent shape, cultivated and equipped with lighting. Everything there is clean, neat and under supervision. Below the temple there is a parking lot, from there there are stairs leading to the temple. From the territory of the monastery you can clearly see the city of Martvili and the mountains in the distance.

Motsameta
Time of foundation: 10th century.
Location: near Kutaisi
Current status: no effect.
History: The main temple is dedicated in honor of the holy brothers-martyrs David and Constantine of Argvet, who died at the hands of the Arab invader Murwan Ibn Muhammad in the 7th century. Here, in the monastery, their relics rest.

This is a small, very beautiful monastery with round turrets topped with pointed hipped domes. The monastery stands above the stormy Rioni River and is surrounded by greenery of coastal vegetation. According to legend, the monastery was built on the site where Muslim invaders executed the Georgian princes David and Konstantin Mkheidze, who refused to convert to Islam. In a small hall of the monastery on a dais there is a large rectangular reliquary with the relics of pious princes canonized as saints of the Georgian Church. Motsameta attracts crowds of tourists with an ancient belief: if you crawl under the ark three times and, venerating the relics, ask Princes David and Constantine for something, they will definitely help. King Bagrat III rebuilt the church in the 10th century. The building was reconstructed once again in the 19th century.

Nekresi
Time of foundation: IV century.
Location: beyond the Alazani River in the Kvareli region of Kakheti.
Current state: inactive monastery.
History: the oldest basilica, built here at the end of the 4th century, has been preserved. In the 6th century, Saint Aviv, one of the saints who arrived from Syria, became the bishop of Nekres and had a residence here. The monastery was an important cultural center of Kakheti.
Nekresi Monastery was built in the valley of the small Kakheti river Alazani. This monastery complex consists of several buildings, striking in their beauty, that were built in different eras and times. The church, built at the end of the 4th century, is the oldest of them. It was created in honor of Georgia's adoption of Christianity as the main state religion. After several decades at the end of the 6th - beginning of the 7th centuries. here they built the main temple in honor of the Blessed Virgin. In addition to them, you can now see here, built a little later, the Dome Church of the 9th century and the Bishop's Palace, created in the 16th century.
Also preserved here is a small three-nave basilica dating back to the end of the 4th century, which was built during the reign of the eldest son of King Mirian named Trdat. It is made of rough cut stone and placed on a foundation, which was later converted into a tomb. It was called a basilica only because of its external shape.
Later, in the 6th-7th centuries, the main temple of the Blessed Virgin was rebuilt here, deciding to make it also of the basil type. Its walls contain several very important inscriptions and frescoes dating back to the 16th century. This complex previously included: a domed church in the shape of a square (IX century) and an episcopal palace, which was built in the 16th century.
The small monastery basilica served for many centuries as one of the main cultural centers of Kakheti. It was built almost immediately after Christianity was declared the main state religion in Georgia.
Aviv, one of the then famous 13 Syrian Holy Fathers, became the head of the Nekres diocese in the second half of the 6th century.
The monastery was often attacked by Muslims. There is such a legend: when Nekresi was once again attacked by Muslims, the monks decided to release many pigs on them. Seeing the animals blocking their path, the Muslim warriors changed their anger to mercy and left the monastery in peace. Since then, pigs began to be considered the protectors of the monastery, and in our time the Church of the Virgin Mary remains the only one in which the pig is still considered a sacrificial animal.

Pitareti
Time of foundation: XIII century.
Location: in the Tetritskaro area, far from populated areas.
Current status: no effect.
History: built in 1216-1222 during the reign of King Lasha-George. After repeated raids and destruction, the monastery was closed in 1731. The buildings were heavily damaged by the 1988 earthquake.
Pitareti Monastery is located in the Kvemo Kartli region, in the municipality of Tetritskaro, in the gorges and surrounded by forests, in the valley of the Khrami River. It was built in the 13th century and is famous for its unique bas-reliefs. The frescoes are in poor condition and only fragments are visible. The monastery can only be reached by jeep. The monastery was the family tomb of princes Orbeliani and Baratashvili.
The main building of the complex is the Holy Mother of God - one of the best examples of Georgian religious domed architecture during the reign of King George. It is decorated with a great number of masterfully curved stone ornaments, and its interior contains frescoes from various periods. The temple was abandoned a long time ago, but currently the frescoes are in a restored and protected state. Prominent throughout the early 18th century, the monastery was closed for good in 1731 after numerous invasions. The building then fell into gradual decay. Earthquakes and uneven subsidence of the foundations have caused masonry and important 15th-century frescoes to collapse, leaving them vulnerable to water leaks. A devastating earthquake in 1988 damaged the dome, monolithic roof structure, and stone plaques. The political upheaval of the 1990s entailed the abandonment of the village and the loss of permanent human presence in these places. Now the Georgian government hopes to return Pitareti to its previous state.

Transfiguration Monastery in Tbilisi
Time of foundation: XVIII century.
Location: Tbilisi.
Current status: active convent.
History: In 1789, the buildings of the ancient prison and palace were transferred to the Church, where a monastery was founded, consecrated in 1824, as well as a theological seminary and parish school. Saint Alexander (Okropiridze) lived in this monastery for a long time, and from 1906 to 1908 the priest-confessor Ambrose (Khelaya). Under communist rule, the monastery was closed. In 1991 it was returned to the Church, at which time monastic life resumed within its walls. Since 2003, a school of Sisters of Mercy has been operating under it.

Rkoni
Founding time: 7th century.
Current status: no effect.
History: The construction of the monastery, which began in the 7th century, continued and was completed during the 11th-12th centuries. The Rkonsky monastery was built in the seventh century, but as follows from the memorial plaque on the basilica of the monastery, construction had only just begun in the 7th century, but it was already ongoing throughout the XI-XII centuries.
Currently, the monastery is in critical condition and needs urgent restoration.

Rkoni (რკონი) is a little-known Georgian monastery in the Kaspi region. Moreover, it is little known not only in the world, but also in Georgia itself, and the reason for this is its inaccessibility. At the moment it can only be reached by car or on foot. Moreover, you still have to walk a couple of kilometers on your feet.
Rkoni is one of many hundreds of monasteries in the Trialeti gorges. Other similar ones are Kvatakhevi, Dzami and the monasteries near Ateni. People left the plains here during enemy invasions. It is specially built to be difficult to reach. The monastery itself has the appearance of a basilica and was built in the 7th century, possibly even before the Arab invasion. In the 13th century, two more hall churches were added, and much later the refectory and the famous Rkonsky bridge were built. By the way, there were two bridges, apparently. Only a small piece remained from the second one. The remains of towers and walls have been preserved, so the monastery was apparently seriously fortified. The bell tower at the monastery was also built very late.
Now Rkoni is not actually active, but is considered a monastery, and the area around it has a special status. It is not recommended to pitch tents or be noisy here. In some cases, it is possible to obtain permission, although it is not clear where or from whom. The Rkonsky Bridge is a well-known structure in certain circles, presumably built in the era of Queen Tamara. This is a narrow arched stone bridge, it is very reminiscent of the one on which Gandalf fought with Barlog. There are only a few such bridges in Georgia now.

Samtavro
Time of foundation: XI century.
Location: Mtskheta.
Current state: active convent in honor of the Transfiguration of the Lord.
Shrines: relics of St. King Mirian and St. Queen Nana, the relics of St. Abibos of Nekres, relics of St. Shio Mgvimsky.
History: the first temple here was built by the holy king Mirian, the baptist of Iberia, who was buried here. Later a monastery was formed. In the 19th century, a women's school operated at the monastery. Elder Gabriel, one of the most revered ascetics of modern times, is buried on the territory of the monastery; many pilgrims come to his grave.
Samtavro-Preobrazhenskaya Church and Convent of St. Nino is located at the confluence of Mtkvari and Aragvi. The monastery is under the jurisdiction of the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Archbishop of Mtskheta and Tbilisi Ilia II. Mtskheta in old sources was called the second Jerusalem. The conversion of Georgia (Iberia) is closely connected with the Equal-to-the-Apostles, Cappadocian Virgin St. Nino, who gathered the Georgian people and brought them to God.
In these places there is a "blackberry forest" (Makvlovani), where St. Nino preached Christianity, the light of which illuminated all of Georgia, and therefore in 324 Christianity was declared the state religion during the time of the holy kings Mirian and Nana.
Blackberry St. Nino, as a source of spiritual grace, finds an analogue in the Bible, in the “burning bush” of Moses. According to the expression of His Holiness and Beatitude Patriarch of All Georgia Elijah: “Following the Divine path of Andrew the First-Called and Simeon the Canaanite, following the path of St. Nino, or the road of every Georgian, and this path is the Light of Christ.”
It is known that for centuries Samtavro was the center of Christian church life and spiritual achievement. "Kartlis Tskhovreba", in the words of St. King Mirian says: “and he built a church on this “blackberry” (meaning a small church in Makvlovani), and built the upper church (Samtavro) for himself and the Georgian people, because the lower church (Svetitskhoveli) was called the Holy of Holies and did not dare to always touch to her door."
After the repose of St. Nino, Equal-to-the-Apostles King Mirian, who returned from Bodbe, wished to build the Samtavro temple: “the king and all the people went and built the upper church of stone and finished it in the fourth year.” The participation of “the whole people,” the desire of the king and four years of construction is a sign that the temple was quite large-scale.
According to the testimony of Vakhushti Bagrationi, “Mirian built a church with a stone dome, magnificent, and he himself was buried there.” The Samtavro Church became a tomb, “and Mirian was buried south of the middle pillar, and in the fourth year Queen Nana died and was buried west of the same pillar, where the king was buried." Due to the fact that the holy monastery from the day of its foundation became the tomb of the primates of the church, it was called “Samtavro” (Mtavari-head). From the surviving chronicles it is clear that thanks to large donations, the temple was one of the richest in Georgia.
In the first half of the 11th century, during the reign of George I, by order of Catholicos Melchizedek, the temple was expanded, the southern gate was added and decorated with original ornaments. The temple interior was also decorated. After Tsar Mirian, the Transfiguration Church was destroyed and rebuilt many times. The renovation of the temple took place under King Archil, Vakhtang Gorgasali, during the time of Catholicos Melchizedek, etc.
In the second half of the 19th century. During the exarchate, the temple was renovated by the abbess of the convent of St. Nino, Nino Amilakhvari. A women's theological school (4-grade gymnasium) was also founded, which was later moved to Tbilisi. According to Jacob Gogebashvili: “many Georgian women in this monastery school were given a real Christian upbringing, a good education, knowledge of handicrafts and were raised by wonderful parents, real mothers.”
From the multi-colored complex of Samtavro, the Transfiguration Church, the small church of St. Nino (Makvlovani), bell tower, fortress tower, temple iconostasis of the 15th century, frescoes of the 17th century. In the southern gate is the Church of Michael the Archangel. There are two churches in the northern wing of the temple. Eastern - St. John the Baptist, Western St. John Chrysostom. To the left of the large altar is the altar, to the right is the Church of St. Miriana and Nana. The temple is cross-domed and framed with original ornaments, which have no analogues in Georgian architecture. The cylindrical tower was built in the 18th century, the bell tower in the 15th-17th centuries.
In the Samtavro temple there are many shrines, part of the life-giving pillar, the miraculous icon of the Iveron Mother of God, on it it reads: “Holy Iveron Georgian Monastery 1919”, the miraculous icon of St. Nino, donated from St. Petersburg by Tsar George XII to his grandchildren in 1870, the graves of St. kings Mirian and Nana, St. relics of St. Abibos of Nekres, under the holy throne in the altar, St. relics of St. Shio Mgvimsky, part of the stone from the grave of St. Nino from Bodbe and others.

Sapara
Time of foundation: XIII century.
Location: in the mountains near Meskheti.
Current condition: active monastery.
History: founded by Saint Sava in the 13th century.
Sapara Monastery is located near the city of Akhaltsikhe, about 30 km from Vardzia. The name translated means “hidden”. It is really difficult to spot it in a forested mountain gorge.
You need to get to it from Akhaltsikhe through the village of Khreli, it’s about a kilometer, and from there there’s a direct road to the monastery. Sapara was built in the 10th - 11th centuries. Now a functioning monastery, it took a long time to restore and restore it. Now it is available for visiting, you can even stay overnight. Beautiful frescoes have been preserved on the walls of Sapara.

Timotes Ubani
Time of foundation: XIII century.
Location: near the Tsagveri resort in Borjomi.
Current condition: active monastery.
History: The main church was built in the 10th century, and the monastery buildings in the 13th century. This amazingly beautiful monastery in the Borjomi gorge was built and painted in the 12th century (like Betania). He has an interesting story.
Once upon a time, the Toreli brothers, Shalva and Ivane, came to this ancient dilapidated ancestral monastery to pray before military campaigns. After one of their victories, in gratitude to the Mother of God, they built the Assumption Church here. The military exploits of Shalva, according to historians, greatly contributed to the glory of Queen Tamara. The famous commander was known outside of Georgia. In 1225, a battle took place that was vaguely reminiscent of the Battle of Thermopylae. Shalva and Ivane with a small army held off the onslaught of Sultan Jala-Ed-Din; the main Georgian troops should have arrived, but for some reason they did not come. Ivane and most of the soldiers died, and the exhausted Shalva was captured. The Sultan held him captive with great honors as a prince. Then he offered a deal: he gives Shalva several cities to rule, lets him go in peace, but in return Shalva must convert to Islam. He refused and was brutally tortured by his enemies. It is believed that it was the holy warrior-martyr Shalva Toreli-Akhaltsikheli who served as the prototype of the Knight in the Tiger Skin of Rustaveli. And it is precisely because of this that in the paintings of the Assumption Church of Timotesubani there are so many images of warriors and martyrs for the faith.

Shio-Mgvim Monastery
Time of foundation: VI century.
Location: on the northern bank of the river. Kura, about 30 km from Tbilisi.
Current condition: active monastery.
Shrines: Relics of St. Shio Mgvimsky. The relics of six hundred venerable martyrs of David-Gareji, transferred here, also rest in this monastery.
History: founded by the Monk Shio (Simeon) of Mgvim, one of the thirteen holy enlighteners who came to Georgia from Syria in the 6th century. It quickly became the largest Georgian monastery. The old church has been preserved since the 6th century, and other buildings were built later. The surviving frescoes date back to the 16th century. The monastery was destroyed during the invasion of the troops of Shah Abbas in 1616, sixty years later it was restored, but in 1720 it was again devastated, now by the Turks. Subsequently, the monastery was revived again, in Soviet times, like others, it was closed, and currently has new inhabitants.

Shio-Mgvim Monastery is a medieval monastic architectural complex in Georgia, near the city of Mtskheta. It is located in a narrow limestone gorge on the northern bank of the Mtkvari (Kura) River, approximately 30 km from the Georgian capital Tbilisi. According to historical tradition, the first monastic community on this site was founded in the 6th century by the monk Shio, one of the thirteen Assyrian fathers who arrived in Georgia as Christian missionaries. Saint Shio spent his last years as a hermit in a deep cave near Mtskheta, later called Shiomgvime (Shio's Cave). A large number of different buildings were built in the monastery complex, but its old part has retained its original forms. The monastery is rich in frescoes dating from the end of the 16th century. To date, the relics of 6,000 Gareji martyrs have been transferred to the monastery, and services are held regularly. Among the architectural buildings that have been preserved is the domed church from the 60s. 6th century, refectory of the mature Middle Ages, large church of the 12th century (1123), restored in the 17th century. The Shio-Mgvima monastery quickly became the largest monastic community in Georgia, and by the end of the 6th century it was inhabited by more than 2000 monks. The monastery became a lively center of cultural and religious activity and was under the personal patronage of the Catholicos of Georgia. David IV the Builder made the Shio-Mgvim monastery a royal domain and dictated the rules (typikon) for the monastery (1123). The fall of the united Georgian kingdom and the continuous foreign invasions led the monastery into decline.

Shio-Mgvim Monastery is a medieval monastic architectural complex, not far from the city of Mtskheta. It is located in a narrow limestone gorge on the northern bank of the Mtkvari (Kura) River, approximately 30 km from Tbilisi. The first monastic community on this site was founded in the 6th century by the monk Shio, one of the thirteen Assyrian fathers who arrived in Georgia as Christian missionaries. Saint Shio spent his last years as a hermit in a deep cave near Mtskheta, later called Shiomgvime (Shio's Cave). The Shio-Mgvima monastery quickly became the largest monastic community in Georgia, and by the end of the 6th century it was inhabited by more than 2000 monks. The monastery became a lively center of cultural and religious activity and was under the personal patronage of the Catholicos of Georgia. The fall of the united Georgian kingdom and the continuous foreign invasions led the monastery into decline. A period of relative revival began when the Georgian king George VIII (reigned 1446-1465) granted the Shio-Mgvim monastery and its lands to the noble Zevdginidze-Amilakhvari family, which until the 1810s. used it as a family tomb. Several times the monastery was emptied and ruined, and in the end it was completely closed by the Soviet authorities, although services continued in secret. Now the monastery operates and attracts many pilgrims and tourists.