Tsminda Sameba - Orthodox Cathedral in Tbilisi: description, history

2024 Author: Miguel Ramacey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 06:11

Tsminda Sameba Cathedral is one of the first places that tourists tend to visit in Tbilisi. It rises majestically on the hill of St. Elijah above the Georgian capital and is the Orthodox center of the country. Let's get acquainted with the history, architectural features and shrines of the temple.

History

The story of Tsminda Sameba begins in November 1995. It was then that the first stone was laid. Although, according to the plan, construction work should have begun as early as 1989, when the day of the 1500th anniversary of the Autocephalous Church was celebrated. The construction of the cathedral was funded by donations from citizens and large entrepreneurs. The collection lasted for 10 years. True, there is another version. According to it, the construction of Tsminda Sameba was financed by the Georgian oligarch Bidzina (Boris) Ivanishvili. Today he is also known as a shareholder of Gazprom, the owner of the Unicor group and Prime Minister of Georgia in 2012-2013.

According to ancient customs, sacred objects should be laid in the foundation of the temple. As for Tsminda Sameba, earth from Jerusalem was used here. At the end of 2002, inThe first worship service was held in the church under construction. And two years later, on the day of the patron saint of Georgia - George the Victorious - the cathedral was consecrated by Patriarch-Catholicos Ilia II. The service was attended by bishops and clerics from the Russian, Constantinople, Alexandrian, Cypriot, Romanian, Serbian and other churches. After the ceremony, the cathedra of the Patriarch was transferred to the cathedral from the historical temple in Tbilisi - Siona.

Location

Tsminda Sameba translated from Georgian means Holy Trinity. The Cathedral is the main one in the Orthodox Church of the country. It is easy for tourists to find it. The temple is located in the historical district of Tbilisi - Avlabari. In the 90s there were no high-rise buildings here, only small private houses and narrow streets paved with paving stones. Life flowed measuredly, people were in no hurry to go anywhere. In the center of this peaceful, picturesque corner on the hill, the cathedral was erected. Currently, one of the main attractions of Avlabari is the residence of the President of Georgia.

Due to its convenient location on a hill, the cathedral can be seen from anywhere in Tbilisi. Any local resident will tell you the exact address of Tsminda Sameba. The cathedral can be reached by metro, getting off at the Avlabari station. Or take bus 91 or 122 (Sameba stop).

Construction scandal

During the construction of the temple there was a serious scandal. The place for laying the foundation was the old Armenian cemetery of Khojivank. When the builders were digging a pit, they unearthed old burials withhuman remains. They were mistaken for destroyed tombstones, monuments. Therefore, the reburial did not take place. Such disrespect caused a wave of indignation on the part of the Armenian diaspora in Georgia and the inhabitants of Armenia. The Georgian media did not stop talking about this for a long time. Local residents also expressed dissatisfaction.

Description

Before the construction of Tsminda Sameba in Tbilisi, a competition was held. It was won by the architect Archil Mindiashvili with a retrospective design of the temple. He was the only one who took into account the fact of frequent earthquakes in the area. According to the architect's calculations, the cathedral can withstand up to six points on the Richter scale.

Tsminda Sameba is not just a single cathedral, but a whole Orthodox complex. It includes several churches, a bell tower, a theological academy, a monastery, a clerical seminary, the residence of the Catholicos, a hotel and a restaurant for tourists. There are also many auxiliary buildings on the territory.

Nine chapels belong to the cathedral. Five of them are underground at a depth of about 20 meters. Bells for ground belfries were cast in Germany on special order. They work in mechanical and electronic mode. The weight of the largest bell reaches eight tons. The facades of the temples are decorated with arches with rows of unique carvings.

The cathedral itself is striking in its size. Its area is 5005 sq. m, and the height is more than 100 m (according to some sources, 75.5 m).

Tsminda Sameba has 13 thrones. The floors and the altar are lined with marble tiles with mosaic patterns. The picturesque frescoes and paintings in the temple were made by the Georgian artist Amiran Goglidze. Several icons for the cathedral were painted by Patriarch Ilia II himself.

When describing Tsminda Sameba, it is important to mention the handwritten Bible of an impressive size, located near the altar. It is handwritten in ancient script. The tome is also the result of the craftsmanship of contemporary artists.

In the daytime, the cathedral impresses with its majesty, reminiscent of medieval buildings. At night, the facades are illuminated by yellow lanterns, which makes no less effect.

Icons

The interior of the temple resembles in many ways a museum. So, next to each icon there are small plates with names and brief descriptions. Here you can bow to the image of Sergius of Radonezh and Seraphim of Sarov. At the entrance to the temple there is an icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, painted by Patriarch Ilia II.

But the most amazing in its beauty is the icon "Hope of Georgia". It depicts all the Georgian saints. Among them are the great fasting and ascetic Shio, St. Nina, who brought Christianity to Georgia, King David IV the Builder, who defended Iberia from invaders, and others.

The size of the image is three meters high and the same width. The icon is the real value of the cathedral. Her canvas is made in the style of enamel, and the frame is made of pure gold. The image was also created with donations. And for the salary, the townspeople themselves brought jewelry: rings, earrings, chains, watches, which were latermelted down. Thanks to the joint efforts of believers, the temple of Tsminda Sameba in Tbilisi has become a symbol of the religious unity of the country.

Fire

On March 20, 2016, a service was held in the temple in honor of the Triumph of Orthodoxy. After the end, a fire started. The epicenter of the fire was the printing house on the first floor of the cathedral. Rescuers initially cited a faulty electrical wiring as the cause. However, this version was later rejected.

The fire started at about two o'clock in the afternoon, and only by six it was possible to eliminate it. Due to the large amount of smoke, the work of firefighters became more complicated. 1/5 of the area of the spiritual complex burned down. At the time of the fire, there were many people in the temple. They were promptly evacuated. No one was hurt.

Recovery

Already two days after the incident, a fundraiser was announced for the restoration of the Tsminda Sameba Cathedral. The authorities also joined in. Prime Minister of Georgia Giorgi Kvirikashvili officially announced in the media that the restoration construction work will be carried out as soon as possible. And in May of the same year, about 4 million lari were allocated from the reserve fund. At this time, the monastery complex was closed. Divine services are held in four small churches located on the adjacent territory.