Territories owned in Georgia by the Mount Athos (Vatopedi) Monastery (In the Russian occupied territories, in Liakhvi Gorge)
Journal Title: Pro Georgia. Journal of Kartvelological Studies - Year 2018, Vol 0, Issue 28
Abstract
Mount Athos Vatopedi Greek Monastery owned a church in Patara Liakhvi Gorge. Vatopedi Monastery is one of the largest monasterys on Mount Athos. One of the oldest ecclesiastical centers is located on the North-Eastern part of Mount Athos. As according to the information provided by Gerasime Smyrnak there were 966 monks serving at Mount Athos Vatopedi (Vatopedion). Among the monks serving at Mount Athos Vatopedi there were 570 ethnic Russian Monks and 366 ethnic Greek Monks. By the time approximately 456 monks served at Mount Athos Iviron monastery. Vatopedi Monastery, as an operational ecclesiastical center is known to exist in 985 as according to the historical sources. However, it is belived that the establishment of the monastery is linked to the miraculous survival of Emperor Arkadi. As according to the ancient narration, his ship was wrecked, but he was casyed ashore, where he was sheltered under the nearby bushes. The name of the Monastery, “Vatopedi” (a boy under the bushes) derives from the abovementioned story. As according to the historical source of the 2nd part of the 18th century, Mount Athos Batopedi monastery owned a church in Patara Liakhvi Gorge, in particular, near the shores of river Potori. Supposedly, this place should be a merging point of River Potrisi and River Patara Liakhvi. From our point of view, in 17th the ecclesiastic center of Mount Athos Vatopedi monastery lost control of the church and the lands owned in Patara Liakhvi Gorge. The church owned by the center had been damaged by river Patara Liakhvi. With the help and fi nancial contribution of Queen Mariam of Kartli there was established a new church on the shores of rover Patara Liakhvi. However, in the 2nd half of the 17th century Vatopedi Monastery ceased any connections with the church. In case the greeks had any infl uence on the Potori Saint George Church, Queen Mariam would not have a chance to apoint a archpriest there. Makhniashvili, an archpriest selected by Queen Mariam at the church owned by Vatopedi Monastery was appointed by the catholicos, whereas the following catholicos renewed his terms to archpriest. In the 2nd half of the 18th Mount Athos Vatopedi Monastery decided to claim its rights to the church located in Patara Liakhvi Gorge, therefore King Erekle II ordered a special commission to investigate the case. It seems that after Potori Saint George church ceased any relations with Mount Athos monastery, they lost all the lands previosly owned by the church. The exact information about the lands owned by the church was known nor to the rulling Royal house and nor to the Abbot Ioasaf, who had been sent by Vatopedi monastery for the investigation. This is attested in the document: “and in case if afterwards we fi nd any lands or any other property, which will be under false ownership, should be returned to the wonership of Mount Athos Vatopedi Monastery.” The rulling Roayal house and the Patriarchate had information about Queen Mariam’s donation to the Mount Athos Vatopedi monastery. As according to the document of the 18th century, we can presume that Mount Athos Vatopedi monastery regained its lands in Patara Liakhvi Gorge. They had sent an emissary in the face of abbot Ioasaf, who was supposed to serve in the church built with the support of Queen Mariam and also, manage the property of the Mount Athos Vatopedi Monastery, however, the Mount Athos Vatopedi Monastery lost its ties to Saint George church once again. We do not encounter any sources provided by the Georgian travellers regarding the Mount Athos Vatopedi Monastery’s ownership of lands on Georgian soil during the end of 18th century and the beginning of 19th century. The “Kashueti” church (In the document mentioned above, we encounter the name “Kasheti” rgarding the name of church owned by the Mount Athos Vatopedi monastery) built by Queen Mariam is still preserved. It is located east of village Beloti, approximately 1.5 km-s away. The mentioned cultural site was described during the expedition in 1982 by the Department of the Preservation of Cultural Sites of Georgia. By the time, the church vastly damaged. The fragments of the southern wall were preserved, whereas there were semi-demolished parts of the eastern and western walls and remainings of the fence on the northern and western parts. The church is built with the ragged stones. The important hearth of the Christian religion is nowadays on the territory occupied by Russia and unfortuantely Georgian scholars do not have an ooportunity to conduct any kind of examination of the cultural site.
Authors and Affiliations
Giorgi Sosiashvili
Keywords
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