Khatuna Kokrashvili
PhD in History
The University of Georgia
Tamaz Beradze Institute of Georgian Studies
Senior Research Fellow
Tbilisi, Georgia
Khatuna Kokrashvili
PhD in History
The University of Georgia
Tamaz Beradze Institute of Georgian Studies
Senior Research Fellow
Tbilisi, Georgia
The Museum of Ecclesiastical Antiquities in Georgia
In the second half of the 19th century, during the rise of the national liberation movement, great importance was placed on the preservation and research of cultural heritage. These processes presented new challenges and perspectives to Georgian society. Efforts began to collect and uncover sacred relics and ancient manuscripts found in churches and monasteries across Georgia.
The Museum of Ecclesiastical Antiquities, also known as the "Ecclesiastical Treasury of the Brotherhood of the Most Holy Virgin Mary in Georgia," played a significant role in preserving "antiquities" and "ecclesiastical relics." It was opened in Tbilisi in 1888 at the initiative of historian Dimitri Bakradze and operated until 1921.
The purpose of the Museum of Ecclesiastical Antiquities was defined by its charter, which aimed at the collection, preservation, study, and publication of antiquities scattered across Georgia, such as ancient manuscripts, printed books, ecclesiastical and liturgical equipment, sacred relics, epigraphic monuments, and charters. The museum was overseen by a scientific committee, whose chairman was appointed by the Exarch of Georgia.
The scientific committee of the Museum of Ecclesiastical Antiquities began its work under the direct leadership of Dimitri Bakradze. Over time, it was chaired by notable figures, including Archimandrite Nicholas, Dean Grigol Petriashvili, Archimandrite Leonide Okropiridze, and bishops such as Kirion Sadzaglishvili, Dimitri Abashidze, Ekvtime Eliashvili, Petre Konchoshvili, David Kachakhidze, and Anton Giorgadze.
The management of incoming materials and their registration was the responsibility of the museum director. After Dimitri Bakradze, this position was held by Tedo Zhordania (1889-1897), later by Mose Janashvili (1897-1918), and Korneli Kekelidze (1918-1921). They compiled the descriptions and catalogs of the museum’s manuscripts. At various times, the museum collaborated with well-known Georgian public and ecclesiastical figures such as Kalistrate Tsintsadze, Markoz Tkemaladze, Polievktos Karbelashvili, Ilia Peradze, Niko Tvarelishvili, Ekvtime Takaishvili, Nikolai Kalistov, and others.
From 1888 to 1916, the "Ecclesiastical Treasury of the Brotherhood of the Most Holy Virgin Mary in Georgia" was located in Sioni Church, and from 1916 to 1918, it was housed in the Tbilisi Classical Gymnasium. During the period of the Democratic Republic of Georgia (1918-1921), the treasury was moved to the newly established Tbilisi State University, where it was renamed the "Museum for the Protection of Antiquities." Korneli Kekelidze was appointed as the museum director, with Mose Janashvili as his deputy.
On March 21, 1921, after Georgia's Sovietization, the "Museum for the Protection of Antiquities" was closed, and the collection remained in the university building. In 1930, the manuscript collection of the former ecclesiastical museum was separated and transferred to the Manuscripts Department of the Georgian State Museum.
The Ecclesiastical Museum made an invaluable contribution not only to enriching the source base of the history of the Georgian Church but also to the archeographic study of historical sources. Under its auspices, nearly 20 works and manuscripts of unique value were published, including the manuscript of the Iviron Monastery of Mount Athos (1074), the Akathist of Saint Nino, the Life of Saint Nino by Catholicos Arsen, and the Sermons of Ioane Bolneli.
The Ecclesiastical Museum played a crucial role in consolidating research in Kartvelology, including ecclesiastical history, organizing historical sources into a unified system, and facilitating their qualified archeographic study. It also provided foreign researchers access to Georgia's historical treasures and past.
Today, the sacred relics of the Ecclesiastical Museum are preserved in the Museum of Art, while the collection of manuscripts and documentary sources has been housed in the special fund of the Korneli Kekelidze National Center of Manuscripts since 1956.
Keywords: Ecclesiastical History of Georgia; Museology; Ecclesiastical Museum of Tiflis; Museums in Georgia.