Georgia refers to the Orthodox or Catholics. Religion in Georgia (country) - Wikiwand Religion in Georgia (country). The role of the Orthodox religion in cultural life

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Georgia is one of the most ancient countries professing Christianity. The Orthodox religion of Georgia played a crucial role in the formation of this country, it simply cannot be overestimated. But people of other religions also live in Georgia. Different confessions have learned to coexist peacefully here, showing religious tolerance and respect for each other, these qualities are inherent in the population of Georgia.

Orthodoxy is the main religion of the country. Georgia in terms of Christianization is second only to Armenia, it already in 326 (according to other sources, in 337) made Christianity the official religion.

Orthodoxy

Here, a legend is popular, according to which, for the apostolic sermon, the Mother of God had to go to Georgia, bringing the teachings of her divine son to new lands. Therefore, the Most Holy Theotokos became the patroness of this country. But she was destined to stay in Jerusalem, and she was replaced by the Apostle Andrew, who carried her with him. miraculous image, with whom he went around the villages and cities of Georgia, preaching the Gospel. In the city of Atskuri (near the current Akhaltsikhe), the prayer of the apostle resurrected the deceased, after which the inhabitants of the city hurried to receive Holy Baptism. Here the apostle left the icon of the Virgin. November 28 in honor of the Atskur Icon Holy Mother of God noted religious holiday. These events are broadcast by Georgian, Greek and Latin church chroniclers. At that time, Georgia consisted of two states: Iberia (Kartli) in the east and Colchis (Egrisi) in the west. The Apostle Andrew walked around both parts with sermons.

The first Christians in Georgia were also persecuted. But after the sermon in 327 of St. Nina Equal to the Apostles, Orthodoxy became the official religion in Georgia. She, in fulfillment of the will of the Holy Mother of God, came from Jerusalem to Georgia, where she finally established Christianity. Saint Nina was the initiator of the construction of many churches dedicated to George the Victorious, who was chosen by Georgia as a heavenly patron.

The non-sewn tunic of Christ (shroud) is the oldest Georgian shrine, it is kept in the Mtskheta Cathedral, which has been and continues to be the spiritual center of Georgians for centuries. Here stands Cathedral Svetitskhoveli, dedicated to 12 apostles. Another ancient shrine Georgia is the grave of Simon the Zealot, who was the companion and disciple of the Apostle Andrew.

Since the firm entry into the path of Christianity in the 4th century, Georgia has stood unwaveringly in defense of the teachings of Christ. And there were many enemies-conquerors and infidels: Iranians, Arabs, Mongol-Tatars, Seljuk Turks, Ottomans - they all tried to plant their religion in Georgia. Many people - clergy and ordinary citizens - have accepted martyrdom for the Christian faith. An unprecedented event in world history was when about 100,000 people simultaneously accepted the crown of a martyr - residents of Tbilisi, who refused to fulfill the will of the Khorezm Shah Jalaletdin, who demanded to pass over the icons laid out on the bridge and desecrate them. Then everyone was executed for refusal, including children and the elderly, and this was in 1226. In Georgia, their memory is commemorated on November 13. Tamerlane's horde killed the nuns of the Kvabtahevsky monastery in 1386, and during the invasion of Shah Abbas in 1616, 6 thousand monks of the David Gareji monastery were martyred. By these events, Georgia set the Christian world an example of self-sacrifice and perseverance in defending its faith.

Other religions

Despite the unconditional dominance of Orthodoxy, in Georgia, with due respect and very tolerant attitude towards adherents of other religions, of which there are also many. First of all, these are Muslims, because many Abkhazians and residents of the southern and southwestern regions of Georgia have become adherents of the Sunni version of Islam. The majority of Azerbaijanis are also Muslims. 80% of Assyrians are also Christians, Russians, Armenians and Greeks have their own Orthodox churches. There are also a few Catholics in Georgia.

In general, the population of Georgia is distributed by confession as follows:

• 65% are Orthodox;
• 10% - Muslims (about 400,000 people). Islam is the second religion in terms of importance and coverage of the population in modern Georgia. That is how many Muslims were identified during the 2002 Georgian census.
• 2% - Catholics (approximately 100,000 people);
• Protestants (German-Lutherans) began to settle in Georgia after 1817. Now, according to various estimates, 20,000-34,000 Protestants live in Georgia, as well as parishioners of other branches of the Christian church. The first Pentecostal church was established in Georgia in 1929. There are now 12,300 Pentecostals and 10,000 Baptists in the country.
• The remaining part of the Georgian population is divided between adherents of Judaism, other beliefs, as well as atheists.

), almost all of whom are ethnic Armenians. Adherents of Islam make up 10.7% of the population and are mainly found in Adjara and Kvemo Kartli regions and, as a significant minority, in Tbilisi. Catholics of the Armenian and Latin churches make up about 0.8% of the population and are mostly found in southern Georgia and a small number in Tbilisi. There is also a significant Jewish community in Tbilisi served by two synagogues.

Georgian Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church is one of the oldest in the world Christian churches, founded in the 1st century by the Apostle Andrew the First-Called. In the first half of the 4th century, Christianity was adopted as the state religion. This provided a strong sense of national identity that helped maintain a national Georgian identity despite repeated periods of foreign occupation and attempted assimilation.

Georgia has a long history of religious harmony within its borders, despite historical conflicts with surrounding nations. Various religious minorities have lived in Georgia for thousands of years, and religious discrimination is virtually unknown in the country. There are Jewish communities throughout the country, with major concentrations in two largest cities Tbilisi and Kutaisi. Azerbaijani groups have been practicing Islam in Georgia for centuries, as have the Adjarians and some of the Abkhazians who are concentrated in their respective autonomous republics. The Armenian Apostolic Church, whose teaching differs in some respects from that of Georgian Orthodoxy, has autocephaly.

Religious demographics

The country has a total area of ​​about 25,900 square miles (69,700 km) and a population (as of 2014) of 3.7 million people.

According to the 2014 census, 83.4% of Georgia's population identified themselves as Eastern Orthodox Christian, 10.7% Muslim, 3.9% Armenian Apostolic and 0.5% Roman Catholic. Orthodox churches serving other non-Georgian speaking ethnic groups, such as Russians and Greeks, are subordinate to the Georgian Orthodox Church. Non-Georgian Orthodox Churches usually use the language of their communicants.

In addition, there is a small number of ethnic Russians, mostly believers from two dissident Christian movements: the ultra-orthodox Old Believers, and spiritual Christians (the Molokans and Doukhobors). Most of these groups have left the country since the mid-1980s.

Apart from the Georgian Orthodox Church, Christianity in Georgia is represented by the followers of the Armenian Apostolic Church and the Russian Orthodox Church, and the Catholic Church of Georgia, which mostly follows either the Latin Rite or the Armenian Rite.

A 2015 study estimates about 1,300 believing Christians from Muslim backgrounds in the country, most of them belonging to some form of Protestantism.

Islam

Botanical street and Sunni mosques, Tbilisi. Mid 1880

Islam was introduced to Georgia in 645 AD. during the reign of Islam's third caliph, Uthman. During this period, Tbilisi ( al-Tefelis listen)) grew into a center of trade between the Islamic world and northern Europe. The history of Islam continues in Georgia throughout the late 14th and early 15th centuries with Tamerlane's invasions of Georgia and during the 16th and early 19th centuries, Iranians (Safavids, Afsharids, Qajars) and Ottomans commanded influence in the region until its annexation to Russia in 1801. In 1703 Vakhtang VI became the ruler of the Kingdom of Kartli, and he converted to Islam. Other notable Georgian Muslims from that era include

Apostolic Church of Armenia ; among Russian-speaking commentators, the name introduced in tsarist Russia is widespread Armenian Gregorian Church, however, this name is not used by the Armenian Church itself) is one of the oldest Christian churches, which has a number of significant features in dogma and ritual, distinguishing it from both Byzantine Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism. In 301, Greater Armenia became the first country to adopt Christianity as a state religion. , which is associated with the names of St. Gregory the Illuminator and the Armenian king Trdat III the Great.

AAC (Armenian Apostolic Church) recognizes only the first three Ecumenical Councils, because at the fourth (Chalcedon) her legates did not take part (it was not possible to come because of hostilities), and at this Council very important dogmas of the Christian dogma were formulated. The Armenians refused to accept the decisions of the Council only in view of the absence of their representatives on it and de jure deviated into Meophysitism, which means that (de jure again) they are heretics for the Orthodox. In fact, none of the modern Armenian theologians (due to the decline of the school) can say for sure how they differ from the Orthodox - they agree with us in everything, but they don’t want to unite in Eucharistic communion - national pride is very strong - like "this is ours and we are not like you." In worship, the Armenian rite is used.The Armenian Church is the Monophysites.Monophysitism is a Christological doctrine, the essence of which is that in the Lord Jesus Christ there is only one nature, and not two, as the Orthodox Church teaches. Historically, it appeared as an extreme reaction to the heresy of Nestorianism and had not only dogmatic, but also political reasons.. They are anathematized. The Catholic, Orthodox and Ancient Eastern Churches, including the Armenian, unlike all Protestant churches, believe in the Eucharist. If we express faith purely theoretically, the differences between Catholicism, Byzantine-Slavic Orthodoxy and the Armenian Church are minimal, the commonality is, relatively speaking, 98 or 99 percent.The Armenian Church differs from the Orthodox in the celebration of the Eucharist on unleavened bread, the sign of the cross "from left to right", calendar differences in the celebration of the Epiphany, and so on. holidays, the use of the organ in worship, the problem of the "Holy Fire" and so on
There are currently six non-Chalcedonian churches (or seven, if the Armenian Etchmiadzin and Cilician Catholicosates are considered as two, de facto autocephalous churches). The ancient Eastern churches can be divided into three groups:

1) Syro-Jacobites, Copts and Malabars (Malankara Church of India). This is the monophysitism of the Severian tradition, which is based on the theology of Severus of Antioch.

2) Armenians (Etchmiadzin and Cilicia Catholicasates).

3) Ethiopians (Ethiopian and Eritrean churches).

ARMENIANS- the descendants of Fogarma, the grandson of Japheth, call themselves Haikami, after the name of Haiki, a native of Babylon 2350 years before the birth of Christ.
From Armenia, they subsequently dispersed throughout all the regions of the Greek Empire and, according to their characteristic spirit of enterprise, became members of European societies, retaining, however, their outward type, customs and religion.
Christianity, brought to Armenia by the Apostles Thomas, Thaddeus, Judas Jacob and Simon the Zealot, was approved in the 4th century by St. Gregory the “Illuminator”. During the IV Ecumenical Council The Armenians separated from the Greek Church and, due to national enmity with the Greeks, separated from them to such an extent that the attempts made in the 12th century to unite them with the Greek Church were unsuccessful. But at the same time, many Armenians under the name of Armenian Catholics submitted to Rome.
The number of all Armenians extends to 5 million. Of these, up to 100 thousand Armenian Catholics.
The head of the Armenian-Gregorian bears the title of Catholicos, is confirmed in his rank by the Russian Emperor and has a cathedra in Etchmiadzin.
Armenian Catholics have their own Archbishops, supplied by the Pope

Head of the Armenian Church:His Holiness Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians (now Garegin II).

Georgian Orthodox Church (officially: Georgian Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church; cargo. — Autocephalous Local Orthodox Church, having the sixth place in the diptychs of the Slavic local Churches and the ninth in the diptychs of the ancient Eastern patriarchates. One of the oldest Christian churches in the world . Jurisdiction extends to the territory of Georgia and to all Georgians, wherever they live. According to a legend based on an ancient Georgian manuscript, Georgia is the apostolic lot of the Mother of God. In 337, through the labors of Saint Equal-to-the-Apostles Nina, Christianity became state religion Georgia. The church organization was within the boundaries of the Church of Antioch (Syria).
In 451, together with the Armenian Church, it did not accept the decisions of the Council of Chalcedon, and in 467, under King Vakhtang I, it became independent from Antioch, acquiring the status of an autocephalous Church. centered in Mtskheta (residence of the Supreme Catholicos). In 607, the Church accepted the decisions of Chalcedon, breaking with the Armenians.

Georgia is unusually interesting for tourists to visit. It is a country with a rich cultural heritage. On its territory there are many shrines, which are visited annually by thousands of pilgrims.

Religion

Georgia has become Orthodox country back in 337(according to other sources in 326). This is the second (after Armenia) country that adopted faith in Christ at the state level. Prior to that, pagan traditions were widespread in the country.

Georgians are very devout, some Religious holidays have national status.

Reference! To the great Orthodox holidays the practice of pardoning prisoners is widespread.

How many times has the country changed faith?

Favorable geographical position, the richness and beauty of Georgia's nature attracted many conquerors. She was attacked by:

• Arabs;
• Persians;
• Ottomans;
• Mongols.

For many centuries the country waged bloody wars with Islam.

In the eighth century, the Arabs, led by the merciless Murvan, attacked Georgia, subjugated many lands and divided the country, which led to the Islamization of some territories.

In the tenth century, Islam was planted in a number of places in Georgia.. However, Orthodoxy remained among the Georgians themselves.

Georgia selflessly defended its faith. According to the chronicle, in 1226, 100 thousand people were martyred at once for refusing to walk on the icons laid on the bridge by order of the Persian Shah Khorezmshah Jalaletdin.

Georgia officially changed its religion only once, in the fourth century, when it abandoned paganism and adopted Orthodoxy.

Religious composition of the population

Despite the fact that the majority of the population professes Orthodoxy, in 2011 an amendment to the Civil Code was adopted, which equalizes all religious denominations. Georgians are tolerant towards representatives of other religions. And there are a lot of them.

These are primarily Muslims. Part of the Abkhazians, Azerbaijanis, Georgians of the southern and southwestern regions profess Islam. Besides, Representatives live in Georgia:

• Catholicism;
• Judaism;
• Protestants;
• atheists and others.

Orthodoxy

According to the results of the 2014 census, 83.41% of the population are Orthodox. Official the Orthodox Church in Georgia is called the Georgian Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church. This means a separate, administratively independent church, which has the right to:

• cook myrrh on your own;
• issue decrees;
• appoint a head.

On the territory of autocephaly, others local churches do not work, while maintaining unity in the liturgy with other autocephalous churches (for example, with the Russian Orthodox Church, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and others).

Story

Tradition says that Georgia is the chosen country of the Most Holy Theotokos, since initially it was she who had to go to the territory of this country to preach. However, she remained in Jerusalem by the will of the Savior. Saint Andrew the First-Called went instead. He walked around the villages and cities with the image of the Mother of God and preached the teachings of Christ.

In one of the cities, through his prayer, the deceased was resurrected. This miracle inspired the inhabitants to be baptized. in the making Christian faith the apostles Simon and Matthew also participated. In Batumi, on the territory of the Gonio-Apsaros fortress, there is the grave of Matthew.

At first, Christianity was persecuted by the ruling power. But thanks to the preaching of St. Nino, who, fulfilling the will of the Mother of God, came to Georgia from Jerusalem, Christianity was finally established. At that time, Queen Nana fell ill. Neither healers, nor prayers to idols (she was a zealous fan of paganism) helped her.

Nana had no choice but to seek help from Nino, who, according to rumors, worked miracles. After the healing, the queen believed in Christ and was baptized, and later King Mirian also accepted Christianity. Thanks to this, the Baptism of Georgia took place.

Shrines and temples

There are 36 churches and cathedrals in Georgia, about 46 objects of historical and architectural sights.

1. Svetitskhoveli- Church of the 12 Apostles in the city of Mtskheta. It was erected in 1010-1029. Is the main and most big temple Georgia. It contains a cross with a part Life-Giving Cross of the Lord, a particle of the relics of the Apostle Andrew. The temple is on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
2. Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary(Batumi). The temple was erected in 1898-1903 by Stepan Zubalashvili in memory of his mother, who asked to be built in Batumi catholic church. Architects and artists from Italy were invited for the construction. 250 thousand rubles were spent on the construction. In the 1980s, the temple was transferred to the Orthodox Church.
3. Tsminda Sameba(Holy Trinity Cathedral) - located in Tbilisi. The total area is more than 5 thousand square meters, the height of the upper temple is 68 meters. On the floor - marble tiles with mosaic patterns, the walls are covered with frescoes. The main saints stored in it are a handwritten Bible and the icon "Hope of Georgia". In the center is the Mother of God, surrounded by almost four hundred Georgian saints. The size of the icon is 3 meters in height and the same width.
4. Sioni Temple- located in Tbilisi. The main value of the temple is the cross of Nino, which, according to legend, was given to her by the Mother of God before being sent to Georgia. There are two bell towers on the territory of the cathedral. One of them is an old three-tiered building of the fifteenth century, the other is from the beginning of the nineteenth century.
5. David-Geredzha- complex cave monasteries stretching for 25 km. It is divided into two parts by the state border between Georgia and Azerbaijan. In some refectories of the monastery and churches, frescoes from the eighth and ninth centuries have been preserved.
6. Jvari Monastery- located on top of a mountain in the Mtskheta area. Also included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Reference! Tbilisi has an area of ​​​​5 churches, which simultaneously houses the Orthodox and Armenian Church, Catholic cathedral, Jewish synagogue and mosque.

Islam

According to the Tbilisi mosque There are about 500,000 Muslims in Georgia. Mostly Islam is practiced by local Azerbaijanis. There are about 310 operating mosques and prayer houses in Georgia.

In Tbilisi, there is a united mosque preserved from the times of the Soviet Union - the only one of its kind where Shiites and Sunnis pray together.

Judaism

Jews arrived in Georgia from time immemorial and shared its historical fate with the Georgian people. Georgia even has the term "Georgian Jews" which appeared in the tenth century. Mostly they speak Georgian. The Jewish community is about 4 thousand people. There are 19 Jewish shrines on the territory of Georgia.

Catholicism

The number of those who profess Catholicism in Georgia, according to various sources, is 40-100 thousand people. They mostly live in big cities. In 2012, the first Catholic contemplative monastery in Georgia was opened in the city of Akhaltsikhe next to the temple of Our Lady of the Rosary rebuilt from the ruins.

Protestants

There are about 20-35 thousand Protestants in Georgia. Representatives of various branches of Protestantism live in the country, including Baptists, Adventists, evangelical Pentecostals, representatives of the Evangelical Lutheran churches and Protestant Church Holy Trinity. Tbilisi is the center of Protestantism.

Other currents

What other faiths are represented in the country? In a small number in Georgia, there are both Buddhists (a few dozen people) and Hare Krishnas (about 200 people). Approximately 110 thousand people belong to the Armenian Apostolic Church. There are about 12,500 Jehovah's Witnesses.

In total, more than 40 different religious organizations are registered in the country.

Atheists

According to the 2014 census, 63,000 people consider themselves atheists. Mostly they are residents of big cities.

Percentage of confessions

1. Orthodoxy - 83.41%.
2. Islam - 10.74%.
3. Armenian Orthodox Church - 2.94%.
4. Catholicism - 0.52%.
5. Judaism - 0.04%.
6. Protestantism - 0.07%.
7. Atheists - 1.7%.
8. Others - 0.58%.

Major church holidays

1. Mtskhetoba-Svetitskhovloba- October 14 is a great holiday, which is based on the acquisition by Georgia of the tunic of the Lord. In honor of finding such a relic, the Svetitskhoveli temple was built. This day passes holiday service and a mass baptism is carried out.
2. tamarooba– May 14 is one of the main national holidays in honor of the wise Queen Tamara. She is numbered among the saints.
3. Ninooba- June 1 - a holiday dedicated to the arrival of St. Nino in Georgia.
4. Saint George's Day- 23 November. St. George is very revered in Georgia. On this day, all temples ring their bells, and believers kneel in prayer. This is an official holiday.
5. Christmas January 6 is one of the most important Christian holidays. On Christmas Eve it is customary to light a candle and put it near the window.
6. Easter- significant Christian holiday. By this day, wheat is germinated, Easter cakes are baked and eggs are painted. Starting from good friday Monday inclusive, the country sets days off. On Monday, it is customary to go to the cemetery and commemorate the dead.

Undoubtedly, Georgia is a country with an unusually interesting history. her culture, family values and traditions are inextricably linked with Orthodoxy. Despite this, the indigenous population of Georgia is distinguished by exceptional tolerance towards other faiths.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Today, 90.6% of the population of Georgia professes Christianity, most of them are adherents of the Georgian Orthodox Church. About 2% are adherents of the Russian Orthodox Church, 4.9% of the Armenian Apostolic Church and 1% Roman Catholic.

Christianity became the state religion in Kartli in the 4th century. This significant event in Georgian history is associated with Equal-to-the-Apostles St. Nino, Enlightener of Georgia, with St. King Mirian and St. queen Nana.

A native of Cappadocia, a close relative of St. George, St. Nino in Kartli from Jerusalem, in fulfillment of the will of St. Virgin, after St. apostles once again preached and strengthened Christianity in this region. By the grace and power of St. Nino, King Mirian and Queen Nana accepted Christianity.

At the request of Tsar Mirian, the Byzantine emperor Constantine the Great, for the baptism of the king, his family and people, sent clerics, under the leadership of the bishop ...

In the Caucasus, between the Black and Caspian Seas, is the country ancient history and culture - Georgia. The beauty of Georgian nature, the originality of Georgian art and the unique color of the Georgian character delighted great poets and famous travelers. At the same time, it is one of the oldest Christian countries in the world, which is impossible to imagine without holy Orthodoxy.

Throughout its history, Georgia has been fighting against the invaders, who sought not only to enslave the country, but also to eradicate Christianity in it. Many conquerors were close to destroying Orthodox Iveria. But the Christ-loving Georgian people defended their homeland and preserved the right faith. Georgia is still one of the outposts of Orthodoxy in the modern world.

Portion of the Most Holy Theotokos

Georgia (Iveria) - apostolic lot Mother of God. According to Church Tradition, after the Ascension, the apostles gathered in the Zion chamber and cast lots, in ...

Protopresbyter Theodore Zisis

professor at the University of Thessaloniki

ARE ARMENIANS ORTHODOX?

VIEW OF ST. PHOTIOS…

In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Merciful!

Praise be to Allah - the Lord of the worlds! Peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah, his family and companions. Whoever Allah guides, no one will lead him astray, and whom Allah leads astray, no one will guide him. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah alone, Who has no partner. And I testify that Muhammad is the servant of Allah and His messenger.

Georgia was a Muslim country

The history of Georgia, like the history of the entire Caucasus, is the history of the struggle for their freedom, faith and original culture. During its existence, the Georgian people had to face in the struggle for freedom with many states, conquerors and peoples who spread various beliefs and ideologies.

Romans, Arabs, Mongols, Persians, Ottomans - this is not a complete list of those peoples and representatives of states that in various historical periods time clashed in interests for the possession of truly fabulous corners of the world - ...

“All European travelers who have ever visited Georgia unanimously recognize the beauty and charm of Circassian and Georgian girls. Turks, Arabs, Persians, of course, share this idea, because with all their hearts they wanted to ennoble their people with Georgian blood, which the Persians managed to achieve.”

(Immanuel Kant - German philosopher, founder of German classical philosophy)

“When describing the Persians, the ancient traveler Chardin says: “Their blood is now extremely ennobled due to frequent marriages with Georgians and Circassians, two nations that surpass all others in beauty. In Persia, there is hardly one noble person whose mother would not be Georgian or Circassian. +

(Charles Darwin - English naturalist and traveler)

» Most beautiful people The world, according to aristocratic features and a slender figure, are Georgians.

(German scientist Ritzel ("Tsnob. Purtseli" No. 1020))

The famous Chardin writes in 1671:

HIS RULE WAS NOT CLEAR. Having become the Byzantine emperor in 976, a stern warrior, tough, sometimes cruel, but consistent ruler, Basil devoted all his strength to increasing the power of Byzantium. Already in 976-979. together with the commander Barda Sklir (920-991), he managed to suppress the uprising of the Asia Minor nobility. A little later, he crushed another uprising of the nobility - now led by Varda Fok.