On March 23, Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University (TSU) hosted events dedicated to the 100th anniversary of restoration of autocephaly of the Georgian Orthodox Church. Rector of TSU, Giorgi Sharvashidze; Metropolitan Ioane (Gamrekeli) of Rustavi, director of the Patriarchate’s Education Center; Rector of Tbilisi Ecclesiastical Academy and Seminary, Protopresbyter Giorgi Zviadadze; Zaza Vashakmadze, chairman of the State Agency for Religious Issues; Sergo Vardosanidze, rector of the St. Andrew the First-Called Georgian University of the Patriarchate of Georgia, TSU professors, students, representatives of the Patriarchate, the Ecclesiastical Academy and invited guests attended the events.
Rector Giorgi Sharvashidze said that the events dedicated to the 100th anniversary of restoration of autocephaly of the Georgian Orthodox Church have been launched at TSU and they will continue at other higher educational institutions, Patriarchate and Parliament. “Early in the 1920s, establishment of the first Georgian university – Tbilisi University as well as declaration of Georgia’s independence has become the cornerstone of Georgian statehood, determining the country’s future. In the 1970s, following the launch of the process of revival of Georgian church by Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II, the struggle for the country’s independence and future began. The exhibition and academic conference organized at TSU are just dedicated to the relations between the church and the state, the role of the church in the development of statehood, the activities of Catholicos-Patriarchs,” TSU Rector Giorgi Sharvashidze said.
“Restoration of autocephaly of the Georgian Orthodox Church is not only a church holiday, but it is a holiday of entire nation. The autocephaly of the church confirms the nation’s ability for self-identity, independence. 100 years ago the restoration of autocephaly preceded the declaration of Georgia’s independence, like its world recognition preceded the restoration of Georgia’s independence. It means that when the nation has a spiritual force to restore its independence, it gets realized in the physical world,” Metropolitan Ioane (Gamrekeli) of Rustavi said.
Academic staff from various Georgian higher educational institutions and representatives of the Georgian Patriarchate, who participated in an academic conference dedicated to the 100th anniversary of restoration of autocephaly of the Georgian Orthodox Church, delivered reports on ecclesiastical and historical realities of restoration of autocephaly of the Georgian Orthodox Church. The conference was organized by the TSU Faculty of Humanities.
An exhibition “Autocephaly 100” was opened at the 1st Building of TSU, where unique church editions and manuscripts with historical, polygraphic and calligraphic values kept at the TSU Library and Museum are exhibited. Among them is the first Georgian printed book released in Rome in 1629 – Georgian alphabet with prayers; as well as Georgian grammar released in 1679; the Psalms printed in Moscow in 1705; Gospel printed in 1709 and other rare editions.
Head of the TSU Library, Zurab Gaiparashvili said: “The books kept by those Georgian Patriarchs, who were linked with the autocephaly and the university, are especially important for us. Among the exhibits are the books belonging to Kyrion II, the first Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia. The library belonging to Kyrion II is kept at the university’s library. The books donated by Kalistrate Tsintsadze, as well as the books presented by Patriarch Ilia II are also exhibited. Visitors will be able to recollect the major stages of Georgian book history and polygraphic centers functioning in Georgia and outside its limits.”
The exposition also offers the photos of those clerics, who participated in the process of restoration of autocephaly and later became Georgian Patriarchs (Kyrion II, Leonidas, Kalistrate Tsintsadze, Ambrosi Khelaia and Ilia II). Visitors will find especially interesting those unique archival manuscripts, which document the difficult process of restoration of autocephaly 100 years ago. The exhibition will last for a week.
