Inspiring Characters of Georgia, by Tiko

for eTwinning project The Tale of Two Cities

1. Inspiring Characters of Georgia Prepared by Tiko Ekvshaurashvili 2024

2. Vakhtang Gorgasali Vakhtang Gorgasali - the king of Kartli in the second half of the 5th century. " Gorgasal " (Persian: wolf) was named by the Persians. Vakhtang Gorgasali became king at the age of 15, reigned for 45 years, served for 60 years. He was canonized as a saint by the Georgian Orthodox Church. His memorial day is December 13. A copy of Vakhtang Gorgasli's Svetitskhovli fresco. Performed by Pierre Ross. Then this mural was washed away in the Church of Remembrance

3. VAkhtang I Gorgasali was a great statesman and political figure. If it is possible for a historical person to be legendary at the same time, this is true of King Vakhtang. His great achievements in domestic and foreign policy, amazing physical strength, appearance, height (2 m. and 40 cm.) were an inexhaustible source of legends and stories. Anyone who has been to Tbilisi at least once, or has heard something about this city, must have heard the legend of the founding of Tbilisi by Vakhtang Gorgasli .

4. This flag was a symbol of the unity of Georgia. Georgians fought for independence and freedom for centuries under this flag. The name of the flag is love for two great kings - Vakhtang Gorgasali and Davit Agmashenebeli . The Persians named him Gorgasali , which means "wolf's head". According to historical sources, a wolf's head was depicted on his battle helmet. According to the legend, the Persians, frightened by the appearance of Vakhtang on the battlefield, shouted "Dur az gograsar ", which meant that the "wolf" should be avoided. After all, Vakhtang was famous for his unparalleled bravery and strength. Monument to Vakhtang Gorgasali in Tbilisi

5. E very Georgian has known this verse since childhood:​ ​ Vakhang , the king, was loved by God, A ringing sound was heard from the sky, He stepped onto Elbrus, The great mountains began to shake. ​

6. Vakhtang Gorgasali on a Georgian postage stamp. The grave of Vakhtang Gorgasli   in Svetitskhoveli  . Abanotubani is the oldest district of Tbilisi

7. Ilia II  (as a layman -  Irakli  Shiolashvili ) born on January 4, 1933- is a Georgian cleric and public figure. His Holiness and Blessed,   Catholicos Patriarch of All Georgia  and  Archbishop  of Mtskheta-Tbilisi  since 1977  .​ According to the decision of the Synod  session of  December 21,  2010 , the title of the Catholicos-Patriarch of Georgia was defined as follows: His Holiness and Blessed Ilia II, Catholicos-Patriarch of Georgia, Archbishop of Mtskheta-Tbilisi and Metropolitan of Bichvinti  and Tskhum -Abkhazia. ​ Ilya II

8. On December 23, 1977, he was elected as the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia; With the blessing of Ilia II, the Bible, theological collections, brochures, books, magazines, three types of calendars were published in the modern Georgian language; newspapers were established; In 1988, under the patronage of Ilia the Second,  Mtskheti  Theological Seminary was transferred to Tbilisi and Tbilisi Theological Academy-Seminary was founded; Theological schools were opened in different parts of Georgia: theological seminaries in Batumi, Akhaltsikhe and Kutaisi. A theological school and gymnasium were established in  Khulo  ; Centuries later, the Gelati Theological Academy and the Gelati Academy of Sciences under the auspices of the Church were again restored; In twenty years, the number of dioceses of the Church of Georgia increased from 15 to 33; of monasteries - up to 53; Clergy - up to 1000; New saints were canonized; The Holy Trinity Cathedral was built. 

9. About Ilia II, it is necessary to mention his creativity in music ,  church singing and iconography. Today, he is the author of many musical works and hymns. On April 2 , 2015 , on the International Day of Autism, a charity gala concert was held in Tbilisi's Great Concert Hall , where all works of the Catholicos-Patriarch were performed.  Ilya II is the author of about 20 icons. They are thematically and technically quite diverse. Among them are: "Most Holy Trinity", "God is with us", "The days of the ancients", "Our Lady of Iveria ", " Platytera ", "Archangel Michael", "Archangel Gabriel", "Saint David the Prophet", "God-protected Georgia", "Holy Kings Solomon", "Vakhtang and Tamar".

10. "Your Holiness, Patriarch of All Georgia and World Souls, allow me to address you like this, congratulate you and attend many times, so that we can wish you a happy birthday many times." In January 2010, the diva of the world opera scene, Montserrat Caballe, congratulated the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II on his 77th birthday from Spain with the following words: Montserrat Caballe

11. In October 2016 , Pope Francis visited Georgia , who shared his impressions of Georgia with media representatives after his visit to the Vatican , and referred to the Catholicos Patriarch of Georgia as a "man of God" with special respect:  "I met two surprises in Georgia, one was Georgia itself, I could never have imagined such a place full of the Christian faith, my second discovery was the Patriarch of Georgia, a man with great and very deep faith, he is a man of God, I was moved by getting to know the Patriarch and I had this feeling every time I met him. I left with the feeling that I had found a real man of God." Pope Francis 

12. This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY-NC . 2003 - Ilia Medal, "Always and everywhere, Georgia, I am with you“ for special contribution to Georgian culture and spirituality​ The highest award of the Romanian Patriarchate​ Honorary Doctorate of Divinity from New York Theological Academy​ Golden Order of Saint George (the highest award of the Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Georgia)​ The highest award of the Bulgarian Patriarchate​ St. Tikhon Theological Seminary of the Orthodox Church USA, Doctor of Divinity Honorary Degree The highest award of the Greek Patriarchate​ The highest award of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem​ The highest award of the Patriarchate of Antioch​ The highest award of the Patriarchate of Alexandria​ The highest award of the Russian Patriarchate​ The highest award of the Patriarchate of Georgia​ The highest award of the Ecumenical Patriarchate​ AWARDS, BONUSES AND PRIZES​

13. Ekvtime Takaishvili Ekvtime Takaishvili - historian, archaeologist, teacher, and public figure. He was born on January 5, 1862, in the village of Likhauri , Ozurgeti Mazri . Father (noble Simon Takaishvili ) died shortly after his birth, and mother (Nino, daughter of Gituli Nakashidze herself) died when he was at the age of 5. Relatives took care of the orphaned child's upbringing.

14. Ekvtime Takaishvili during his studies at the Kutaisi Classical Gymnasium , Kutaisi, 1883,

15. Returning to Georgia after four years of study in St. Petersburg, young Ekvtime Takaishvili   started working as a Latin language teacher at the Tbilisi Public School. Since he had no experience of teaching classical languages yet, he once attended the classes of notable classicists working in Tbilisi gymnasiums. Then he worked as a teacher of history and Latin language in the second girls' and boys' sixth gymnasiums of Tbilisi.

16. Ekvtime Takaishvili made a significant contribution to the establishment of Tbilisi University. Together with Ivane Javakhishvili, he was elected to the "Georgian University Society" commission to draw up the university's charter and to resolve other organizational issues.

17. ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXPEDITIONS WERE HELD IN DIFFERENT REGIONS OF GEORGIA UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF EKVTIME TAKAISHVILI.

18. GOSPELS OF ANCHIS (XII-XIII CENTURIES) AND TROUT CASTLE (1534) Ekvtime Takaishvili came to Tsalka in 1895 for both gospels and described them. He also left us invaluable information about these Gospels, since by 1923, when the Gospels entered the archives for storage, the manuscripts had already suffered significant losses, including manuscript miniatures and testaments.

19. Venetian cross of the altar. Latali community, village In Ena, the expedition of Ekvtime Takaishvili to Svaneti . 1910 "It is found only in Svaneti and it is still unknown in other places of Georgia", - said Ekvtime Takaishvili about the Venetian cross.

20. Due to the establishment of Soviet power in Georgia on February 25, 1921, the Menshevik government, which had been evacuated to France, transferred the banking currency, the museum treasures of our history and culture, and manuscripts. Ekvtime Takaishvili , along with his wife, went as their protector. It is necessary to recall the composition of the treasure: the currency of the state treasuries of Tbilisi and Kutaisi, the treasures of the local museums, the most important items from the Borjomi Grand Duke's Palace and the Khobi Monastery's treasures, all placed in a total of 249 large boxes. At the exchange rate of the time, they were valued at 10,471,770 gold rubles.

21. The treasury, filling 39 immense boxes, was shipped to Marseille and placed in a bank depository. Subsequently, this precious cargo was transferred to one of the banks in Paris. Although the treasury was officially the property of the Georgian government-in-exile, it was actually Ekvtime Takaishvili who supervised this huge collection. The treasury passed into the possession of the French state. In 1935, Takaishvili urged the French government to hand the collections to Georgia, but it was not until the end of the World War II when he was able, in November 1944, to attract the attention of the Soviet ambassador Aleksandr Bogomolov to the fate of the Georgian treasury. Joseph Stalin's good relations with General Charles de Gaulle enabled Takaishvili to bring the treasury back to Georgia. However, Takaishvili had to spend his long days in Tbilisi under house arrest, seemingly considered to be too old to be imprisoned.

22. On February 21, 1953, Ekvtime Takaishvili , who was in extreme poverty, died as a result of heart paralysis. He was an author of numerous scholarly works on the history and archaeology of Georgia and the  Caucasus  which are of special value even today. In Tbilisi, Tbilisi Second Gymnasium has been named after him. He has been canonized by the  Georgian Orthodox Church . In 2013, he was posthumously awarded the title and Order of  National Hero of Georgia