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  • the talking while trouble shooting between cultures

    the talking while trouble shooting between cultures

    In 2016 29 January the project “mediation- (including religious) trouble shooting conflicts with the help of talking way” within, it was held the lecture about the issue “the talking while trouble shooting between cultures”.

  • Mediation - Conflict Resolution (Including Religious) Through Negotiations

    Mediation - Conflict Resolution (Including Religious) Through Negotiations

    On November 3, 2015, the "Intellectual-Educational Studio" at the International Foundation of the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia has started a new series of lectures under the program - "Mediation - conflict resolution (including religious) through negotiation."

  • The Program of Intellectual and Spiritual Development of Youth

    The Program of Intellectual and Spiritual Development of Youth

    On November 5, 2015, the "Intellectual-Educational Studio" at the International Foundation of the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia has started a new course of lectures under the "Programs of Intellectual and Spiritual Development of Youth."

  • “The Program for the Intellectual and Spiritual Development of the youth” 2014-2015

    “The Program for the Intellectual and Spiritual Development of the youth” 2014-2015

    "Intellectual-Educational Studio" was founded by the International Foundation of the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, with the financial support of the International Organization “World Vision”. As in the “Intellectual-Educational Studio-Laboratory”, founded in 2011, “The Intellectual and Spiritual Development of youth” has held very interesting lecture cycles in 2014-2015 school year:

  • The 9th International Festival “From Easter to Ascension”

    The 9th International Festival “From Easter to Ascension”

    With the blessing of the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, the festival was founded in 2006. The International Charitable Foundation of the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia and “Akaki Ramishvili Foundation – Tradition and Innovation” are the founders of the festival.

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St George

Saint George

23/11/2012

On November 10 (23) the Georgian Orthodox Church commemorates the day of St George's martyrdom.

Saint George is a patron saint of Georgia, and it is claimed by Georgian author Enriko Gabisashvili that Saint George is most venerated in that nation. An 18th century Georgian geographer and historian Vakhushti Bagrationi wrote that there are 365 Orthodox churches in Georgia named after Saint George, according to the number of days in one year. There are indeed many churches in Georgia named after the Saint; Alaverdy Monastery is one of the largest.

Devotions to the saint in Georgia date back to the fourth century. While not technically named after the saint (Sakartvelo is the Georgian name for the country), its English name is an early and well-attested back-derivation of Saint George. The name is reputed to be an anglicisation of “Gurj”, derived from the Persian word for the frightening and heroic people in that territory, and hence assumed by early medieval chroniclers to translate as George, due to the existing patronage.

The Georgian Orthodox Church commemorates St. George's day twice a year, on May 6 (O.C. April 23) and November 23. The feast day in November was instituted by St Nino of Cappadocia, who was credited with bringing Christianity to the land of Georgia in the fourth century. She was from Cappadocia, like Saint George, and was said to be his relative. This feast day is unique to Georgia, and it is the day of St George's martyrdom.

There are also many folk traditions in Georgia that vary from Georgian Orthodox Church rules, because they portray the Saint differently than the Church does and show the veneration of Saint George by the common people of Georgia. Different regions of Georgia have different traditions, and in most folk tales Saint George is venerated very highly, almost as much as Jesus himself. In the province of Kakheti, there is an icon of St George known as White George. This image is also seen on the current Coat of Arms of Georgia. The region of Pshavi has icons known as the Cuppola St. George and Lashari St. George. The Khevsureti region has Kakhmati, Gudani, and Sanebi icons dedicated to the Saint. The Pshavs and Khevsurs during the Middle Ages used to refer to Saint George almost as much as praying to God and the Blessed Virgin Mary. Another notable icon is known as the Lomisi Saint George, which can be found in the Mtiuleti and Khevi provinces of Georgia.

An example of a folk tale about St. George is given by author Enriko Gabidzashvili:

"Once the Lord Jesus Christ, the prophet Elias and Saint George were going through Georgia. When they became tired and hungry they stopped to dine. They saw a Georgian shepherd man and decided to ask him to feed them. First, Elias went up to the shepherd and asked him for a sheep. After the shepherd asked his identity Elias said that, he was the one who sent him rain to get him a good profit from farming. The shepherd became angry at him and told him that he was the one who also sent thunderstorms, which destroyed the farms of poor widows.

"After Elias, Jesus Christ himself went up to the shepherd and asked him for a sheep and told him that he was God, the creator of everything. The shepherd became angry at Jesus and told him that he is the one who takes the souls away of young men and grants long lives to many dishonest people.

"After Elias and Christ's unsuccessful attempts, St George went up to the shepherd, asked him for a sheep and told him that he is Saint George who the shepherd calls upon every time when he has troubles and [to protect him from all evil]... The shepherd fell down on his knees and adored him and gave him everything." The tale shows the degree to which St George was venerated in Georgia, and similar tales are told in parts of Georgia today.

Some interesting tales come from Georgian sources, some of which are also attested to by Persian ones, that the Georgian Army during many battles was led by a knight on a white horse who came down from Heaven, that’s why Georgia won battles with 10 times smaller army.

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