Gelati Monastery

Gelati Monastery is a Georgian architectural complex and one of the most important cultural centers of medieval Georgia. It is located 11 km northeast of Kutaisi, in the valley of the Tskaltsitela River. It was founded by King Davit IV Aghmashenebeli (the Builder).

The monastery's territory is enclosed by a high wall. The complex includes three domed churches, a bell tower, an academy building, a porch and some old and rebuilt structures datig to various centuries. Construction began in 1106. It was the property and burial place of the royal family. Almost all the kings of the united Georgia are buried here.

From the 12th century, Gelati was a significant ecclesiastical, scientific, educational, and cultural center. From the onset, Gelati Monastery was considered both a prominent center for secular-philosophical science (often referred to as the "Another Athens") and theological education. Many famous writers, translators, and scientists worked here, including Arsen Ikaltoeli, Ioane Petritsi, Arsen Bulmaisimisdze, Petre Gelateli, Evdemon Chkhetidze (1557–78), Ekvtime Sakvarelidze (1578–1616), Gedeon Lortkipanidze (17th century), and others. The manuscripts of Gelati Monastery include the Gospel (11th century), the so-called Gelati Bible (12th century), translations of the works of John Xiphilinus, the "Didi Sjuliskanoni" copied by Grigol Chakhrukhzade, and others, dating from the 12th to the 13th centuries.

In the 12th to 15th centuries, Gelati Monastery enjoyed immunity (judicial and tax exemption, etc.) and recognized only the king's supreme authority. Due to political and economic decline from the second half of the 13th to the 15th centuries (caused by Mongol and Temurid invasions, and intensified internal feudal struggles), the monastery’s economic and cultural life slowed down. However, King Giorgi V the Brilliant partially restored its former state.

After the political disintegration of Georgia in the 15th century, Gelati Monastery passed into the hands of the eastern Georgian kings. On 23 November 1510, it was burned down by the Ottoman army that invaded Imereti. King Bagrat III of Imereti and King Giorgi II carried out extensive reconstruction works in Gelati, repairing the foundation and painting the churches, restoring abandoned churches and chapels, and donating new lands to the monastery. The main entrance was on the south side and another one is in the east. In front of the southern entrance there is a small square. In the porch (it was altered), where King Davit the Builder is buried, lies his tombstone with an epitaph. Those entering the monastery have to step on the stone – such was the King’s will. There is also the iron door brought from Ganja by his son Demetre I in 1138-39.

Bagrat III's contemporaries referred to him as the "second builder" of Gelati. He was supported by the bishop of Gelati, Melkisedek Sakvarelidze, and the catholicos-patriarch of Eastern Georgia, Evdemon Chkhetidze. All these "builders" are depicted in the wall paintings of the Gelati churches and are mentioned in memorial inscriptions. In the 1520s, Bagrat III established an episcopal throne at Gelati Monastery, which improved the monastery’s political, moral, and economic situation. In the second half of the 16th century, the residence of the catholicos-patriarch of Eastern Georgia was moved from Bichvinta to Gelati.

In the 18th century, the monastery owned 42 villages. Gelati Monastery, as a protected place, became home to numerous works of art and literature, some of which have survived to this day, including the icons of Khakhuli, the Savior, and the Virgin Mary of Gelati. After the annexation of the Kingdom of Imereti by the Russian Empire in 1810, Gelati was transformed from a church senatorial property to a state monastery.

The main building of the monastery complex is the central dome church of the Dormition of the Virgin, located in the center. The church is rectangular in plan (35,5X35,0 m., height in the interior is 33,5 m.) and is terminated by three projecting apses in the east. The wide dome abouts on the corners adjacent to the apse and the two piers in the west. The eastern and western crossarms are deeper than the southern and northern ones. In the south, west and north, the church is adjoined by extensions: a narthex in the west and on the other side there are chapels with chambers – they date back to various periods. The main part of the building has five entrances: one in the north and south arms and three in the west arm.

In the dome's neck, there are 16 windows, and there are 3 windows in each of the arms. In the main apse, there is a brilliant mosaic composition depicting the Virgin Mary and two angels on a golden background. In the west stoa, there are 12th-century frescoes showing ecclesiastical assemblies, while in the southern chapel, there are two portraits of David Narini, painted in the 13th century. In addition to biblical scenes, there are also portraits of historical figures (16th century). On the north wall, members of the Imeretian royal family are depicted, including a fresco of King David the Builder.

To the east of the main temple, there is the church of St. George, built in the middle of the 13th century. The church stands on a two-step pedestal, with tall proportions and simple decoration.

To the south of the main church, there is the church of St. Nicholas, built in the 13th-14th centuries. The lower rectangular part is constructed from rough-hewn stone, while the upper part, is made of finely cut stone.

The bell tower, built in the 13th century, stands to the southwest of the main church. The Gelati ensemble also includes the academy building, which has reached us in a damaged form. The building, which is rectangular in plan (approximately 300 m²), originally had three entrances on the east side. Later, a richly decorated gate was added to the central entrance. Stone benches were placed along the wall and the building was illuminated by large windows.

The monastery’s wall has entrances from the east and south sides. The main entrance is located on the south side, where King Davit Aghmashenebeli is buried. Outside the wall, to the northeast (approximately 150 m²), there is the Sokhasteri complex from the medieval period. To the southwest, on a raised platform, two small churches stand.

In 1923, the Gelati Monastery was closed. Until 1988, it served as a branch of the Kutaisi State History and Ethnography Museum, but in 1988, monastic life was restored.

In 1990, the Gelati Academy was revived. On September 21, 2006, the 900th anniversary of the monastery and the academy was celebrated. Between 1988 and 2007, the following churches were restored and became active in the monastery complex: the main church of the Nativity of the Virgin, the Churches of St. George, St. Nicholas, the Prophet Elijah, and the Virgin of the Life-Giving Spring. Since 2007, the following monasteries have been opened and are active: the Monastery of St. Saba the Sanctifier, the Monastery of the Archangels, and the Upper Gelati Monastery of St. Nino.

In 2007, the NNLE "Entrepreneurs of Georgia" (headed by Kakha Trapaidze) prepared a restoration and rehabilitation project for the main building of the monastic complex — the Church of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary. Architect-restorer Giorgi Sosanidze and art historian Giorgi Gagoshidze were also involved in the project preparation. In 2013, the "International Center for the Arts" (headed by Mariam Dvalishvili) joined the church’s rehabilitation project and, together with its subcontractor (LLC “Ikorta 2007”), began the restoration of the monument. Financial support for the restoration process was provided by the Embassy of the United States of America and the World Bank.

During the restoration work, the church was re-roofed with low-quality tiles. Due to improperly installed roofing, water leaked into the church in 2020 and damaged the wall paintings. To prevent further damage, a temporary cover was installed. Nevertheless, in 2021 water once again leaked into the church, and the damage significantly increased.

Since February 2023, the restoration work at the monastic complex has been overseen by the Patriarchate of Georgia (headed by the Archimandrite of the David Gareji Monastery and Deputy Head of the Patriarchate’s Department for the Search and Protection of Holy Relics, Kirion Oniani). The restoration and rehabilitation works are still ongoing.

Literature: ლომინაძე ბ., გელათი, თბ., 1955; მენაბდე ლ., ძველი ქართული მწერლობის კერები, ტ. 1, ნაკვ. 2, თბ., 1962; Вирсаладзе Т. Б., Фрагменты древней фресковой росписи Главново Гелатского храма, «ქართული ხელოვნება», 1959, ტ. 5; Меписашвили Р. С., Архитектурный ансамбль Гелати, Тб., 1966.

B. Lominadze

R. Mefisshvili

V. Tsintsadze

L. Menabde