Kashveti Church

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Kashveti Church is a beautiful religious building located in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia. It was built in the early 20th century on the site of an old church that was gradually falling apart.

Kashveti Church is an important monument of Georgian architecture and art, as well as one of the most famous temples in Tbilisi.

The name of the church translates from Georgian as "to give birth to a stone". According to a legend passed down from generation to generation, a long time ago, around the middle of the 6th century AD, a woman-monk came to the Assyrian saint David of Gareji and said that she was carrying his child, which was a lie. The saint replied to the woman that her lie would be revealed when she gave birth to a regular stone instead of a child. And so it happened, the deception was uncovered, and the place where the temple now stands became known as "kashveti" - from the Georgian kva ("stone") and shva ("to give birth").

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Church History

In 1753, another religious building was built on the site of Kashveti Church. However, it collapsed 50 years later, leaving room for the construction of a new temple. In 1904-1910, the current Kashveti Church was erected at the request of Georgian aristocracy and entrepreneurs.

A significant part of the payment was made by the Georgian entrepreneur, scientist, and patron David Sarajishvili (1848-1911). He, together with his wife E. Porakishvili, is buried near the church - their graves were moved to the church from the pantheon in 1995.

The project was developed by the famous architect from old Tiflis - Leopold Bilfeld, and the construction was supervised by the Italian master Leonardo Lorenzetti, and the stone carving was done by the Rachin brothers - Neophyte, Lado, Iakinte, and Niko.

The appearance of the new Kashveti Church was inspired by the famous Samtavisi Cathedral, built during the Middle Ages.

Church Architecture

Kashveti Church is of medium size and was built of brick. Inside the church, you can see frescoes painted by the famous local artist Lado Gudiashvili in 1946. However, Gudiashvili violated the canons of iconography, making the frescoes less spiritual. The work did not please the church, and Gudiashvili was fired from the academy of arts. He managed to paint only the altar niche - the image of the Mother of God, the scene of the Last Supper, an angel on the right, and a female figure on the left.

Kashveti Church is an important cultural and historical object of Tbilisi, attracting many tourists every year. It is also a place for conducting religious ceremonies and prayers. If you visit Tbilisi, don't miss the opportunity to visit this amazing temple.

Tbilisi

The capital and largest city of Georgia. The population of Tbilisi in 2022 is about 1.2 million people. It is the cultural center of the country, where an active life takes place.

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All the necessary information for moving to Georgia and living in it

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