BLACK SEA REGION AT THE CROSSROADS OF CIVILIZATIONS

The Role of Greek Hierarchs in the Process of Church Separation of the Samtskhe-Saatabago – The Atskuri Diocese

2024-05-29T16:27:58+04:00

The purpose of the research «The role of Greek hierarchs in the process of church separation of the Samtskhe-Saatabago – the Atskuri Diocese,» is to present the church separation process and the role of Greek hierarchs in Samtskhi Saatabago in the late Middle Ages on the example of the Aksuri Diocese. In the late Middle Ages, the Atabags of Samtskhi actively fought to gain independence from the unified Georgian state.

A struggle for church separation accompanied the struggle for political independence. Atabags of Samtskhe, led by the Archbishop of Atskuri, tried to withdraw Samtskhe from the subordination of the Catholic Church of Kartli.

The struggle for the independence of the Samtskhe Church was greatly damaging to the united Georgian ecclesiastical-state space. Greek clergymen, especially the Patriarch of Antioch Dorotheus III (Patriarch 1497-1523), were actively involved in separating Samtskhe-Saabago from the Catholic Church of Samtskhe.

Our interest in the issue, in addition to scientific research interests, was driven by one noteworthy fact in the May 2021 Patriarchate of Antioch. In particular, the Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch, John X (Patriarch since 2012), received an official visit Aslan Bzhania, President of the so-called occupied Abkhazia (so-called President since 2020). The Patriarch of Antioch referred to Aslan Bzhania as President of Abkhazia. The official delegations of Syria and Abkhazia attended the meeting. At the meeting, the Patriarch of Antioch said – «We are ready to provide your country with the help you need, including Christian and ecclesiastical matters.» This statement and action of the Patriarch of Antioch derives from the geopolitical situation in the Caucasus and also reminds us of the threats that may be theoretically. Due to the historical experience, the so-called Abkhazian President Aslan Bzhania's official acceptance by the Patriarch of Antioch John X at the Patriarchate's residence is noteworthy.

The present study analyzes specific historical precedents regarding what drove the Patriarchs of Antioch to grossly invade the Catholic Church Kartli and what caused it. I think it is necessary to have scientific research and, in general, an academically reasonable response to all the ambitious claims that have historically been or may have been in perspective concerning the Church of Georgia from the Patriarchate of Antioch.

Some New Considerations in the Light of Source, Historiographic and Ethnological Studies of The Golden Fleece Phenomenon

2024-05-29T16:54:04+04:00

Georgia is considered one of the oldest centers of mining and processing of precious metals in the world. This is confirmed by the reports of Strabo, Marcus Ternetius Varon, Pliny the Elder, Appian, Eustathius of Thessalonica, etc. On the example of Svaneti, it is visible the ancient empirical knowledge in collecting of precious metals using sheepskin. Apparently, knowledge like those is widespread in the civilizations of both the Ancient Near East and the Aegean world. On this matter there are interesting the lines 420-434 of the Sumerian epic Enmerkar and the Lord of Aratta (ca. 21st century BC), which still remains obscure for researchers. Based on the context of the existing text, where only the presented words can be recovered from the damaged line: the king picked up an unknown object covered with hair - munšub. After twisting the munšub, he crushes the obtained material in a pestle like a plant. Here it becomes obvious that we are dealing with an unknown ritual of alchemy which is intertwined with the method of crushing metals. The next lines of the text tell us about the knowledge of obtaining certain materials, admixtures, and chemical processes.

The Problem of Ethnic-linguistic Relationship between Georgians and Basques from the Point of View of Spanish Authors

2024-05-29T17:02:11+04:00

The problem of ethnic and linguistic kinship of Georgians and Basques has been a subject of considerable interest since ancient times. Starting from the sixth century BC, Greek and Roman chroniclers have expressed very significant opinions regarding this problem. According to many of them, Iberians and Georgians living in the Pyrenees, or the Iberian Peninsula are ethnically and linguistically related people. As for the Georgian chroniclers and writers, the interest in the mentioned problem has been manifested in their thinking since the 8th-9th centuries. According to many of them, the Basque language has a lot in common with Georgian and Caucasian languages in terms of its structure and grammatical categories. The mentioned circumstance essentially determined the fact that the research of the mentioned problem became not only the subject of research of Georgian, Basque, and Spanish scientists, but also one of the main directions of the study of scholars of other nationalities. In this paper, several particularly interesting works are briefly analyzed from this point of view, the authors of which express very important opinions regarding the ethnic and linguistic kinship of Georgians and Spaniards, in particular Basques. These authors are Ruben Mendoza, Francisco López Seivané and Martina Mintegui Bilbao. They emphasize their ethnic and linguistic kinship based on the analysis of the linguistic and socio-ethnographic relationships of the mentioned peoples. As can be clearly seen from the thinking of the named authors, many representatives of Basque and Spanish scholars clearly support the ethnic and linguistic kinship of Georgians and Basques and actively try to find arguments confirming this.

A Notice by French Scholar about the Religious Situation in Soviet Georgia

2024-05-29T17:21:23+04:00

The contribution of the famous French orientalist Maurice Brière to the development of Kartological sciences is more or less known to scientists interested in these issues. In 1936, the mentioned person was in Georgia and wrote a report full of very interesting impressions. The mentioned text was translated from French into Georgian and brought into scientific circulation by the famous Georgian translator, doctor of philology, professor Tsisana Bibleishvili, when it was published in the pages of the second issue of "Kldekari" magazine in 1996, the famous Georgian scientist Tamaz Natroshvili had an interesting response to the mentioned publication.

If we do not take into account the mentioned review of Tamaz Natroshvili, the extremely interesting material described by Maurice Brière is not paid attention to in Georgian scientific reality as far as we know, but it provides very interesting information.

In this paper, we critically examine the information provided by Maurice Brière about the religious situation in Georgia against the background of the Soviet atheist policy, especially since he was particularly interested in these issues as a clergyman and attended religious celebrations.

Our paper also clarified some issues from Maurice Brière's biography. The impressions written by the mentioned author provide interesting information for studying the daily history of Soviet Georgia, therefore, it should be considered as an important source.

Charity of Georgian Public Figures The Role of Spreader of literacy among Georgians in Community Activities

2024-05-29T17:28:02+04:00

During the tsarist reign, the Society for Spreading Literacy among Georgians was one of the institutions that served the national cause of the Georgian people, the development of their language and culture. In the 70s of the 19th centuries, in particular, the "Book-Knowledge Spreading Society" founded on May 15, 1879, later the K.S.K.G. Society began active activities throughout Georgia. It was an organization that has withstood the work of governments of three different views and directions for several decades. The public organization operated until 1927 and was engaged in great cultural and educational activities.

The activities of the organization founded on public foundations were mainly based on charity: charity evening concerts were often held in various parts of Georgia, cities and villages, where their founded Georgian primary schools (schools) existed, for the purpose of material support. Help came from permanent members of the society, both through membership fees and simultaneous financial assistance. Special mention should be made of the bequests given by our family members, which were determined by the transfer of movable and immovable property. The Foundation of the Literacy Society of Georgia preserved in the National Archives of Georgia and the personal funds of our public figures preserve very interesting material about Georgian charity, their support, and their support for the Georgian education system at the beginning of the last century.

In the topic, I present the selfless help and charity of our great Georgians Davit Sarajishvili, Yakob Gogebashvili, Niko Ghogoberidze, Grigol Dadiani, Giorgi Zdanovich, Dimitri Nakashidze, Kita Abashidze preserved in the funds of the National Archive, to the community of spreading literacy among Georgians and their contributions to charity, their manuscripts, with scanned material of their wills and their photographs.

Ancient Megalithic Settlements from Ajarian Highland

2024-05-30T10:03:27+04:00

The Paleolithic dolmen houses are found in the Ajara highlands, particularly to the southeast of Goderdzi pass, near the Beshumi resort area. They are presented individually and in some places in groups resembling urban designs.

The dolmen building, which is believed to have been a pagan temple, is unique for having a small interior measuring 2 to 2.20 meters, standing half in the ground and half above the ground, 300 meters away from the houses. (J. Mikeladze).

The numerous scuffs on the stones next to the homes make the aforementioned area significant and fascinating. According to the archaeologist S. Gogitidze, these scuffs serve as reference signs. They must represent the writing of the people who hunted here in antiquity; in fact, there is no trace or evidence of writing like this anywhere else in the world's history. (J. Mikeladze).

The aforementioned location should be recognized as an open-air museum-reserve with adequate infrastructure for the purpose of preserving its public awareness and to welcome and host tourists and visitors.

Modification of Traditional Housing on the Example of Meskhuri Oda

2024-05-30T10:11:15+04:00

The traditional dwelling of Samtskhe-Javakheti, the darbazi house with a "swallow dome roof, was prevalent in eastern Georgia and adjacent regions. These dwellings, typically concentrated in densely populated settlements, constituted a complex comprising both residential and agricultural structures under a unified roof. Regional variations of the darbazi house have emerged due to ecological, geographical, and socio-economic differences across Georgia. The scholarly discourse delineates three primary local variants: Kartlian, Tsalka/Trialetian, and Meskhetian (in Samtskhe-Javakheti).

In southern Georgia (Samtskhe-Javakheti), as well as in Trialeti and other locales, the segmentation of darbazi houses by adding new sections marks the initial phase in transitioning from the swallow dome-type to modern housing. This transition necessitated structural alterations, particularly by replacing the hearth – which held paramount and sacral significance in traditional housing – with stoves and fireplaces. These structural modifications also influenced the interior of the room. In some cases, complex outbuildings appeared (fireplace-bakery-stove). Due to the construction of a special chimney, the zenith window (erdo) lost its smoke ventilation role. The threat of enemy invasion and the defensive purpose of dugouts are a thing of the past. Dramatic changes, which, among other things, manifested themselves in the dissolution of the traditional social unit, the family community, led to a disruption of the social function of darbazi-type buildings.

The transition to above-ground housing witnessed significant shifts, including the introduction of stone walls, windows for interior illumination, and the gradual replacement of domes and zenith windows with chimney roofs. This evolution led to the separation of agricultural structures from residential areas, with walls assuming a supportive role for the roof.

Despite these transformations, dugout dwellings persisted in Samtske-Javakheti, even during the Soviet era, caused by certain factors such as ecology, climate, and agricultural conditions. Similar buildings are still preserved in Javakheti, although they are mainly utilized for economic and tourism (museum, exotic) purposes today; these structures present a fusion of old and new lifestyles. For example, electricity is used for lighting, the rooms have modern attributes: internet, plasma TV, refrigerator, etc.

The Avar Language Functioning in Georgia

2024-05-30T10:47:46+04:00

The Avar language belongs to the Ibero-Caucasian family of languages. The Georgians call the Avar speakers “Khundzis”. The Avars are one of the most numerous ethnic groups among the Dagestanis, (There are about 1 million in the world).

Their settlement in Georgia began in the second half of the 19th century. The Avars in Georgia mostly live in the Kakheti region, in the villages of Tivi, Saruso and Chantliskure (Kvareli district). According to the general census of 2014, their total number in Georgia is 954 people.

The Avar language is classified in UNESCO's Atlas of Threatened Languages (which aims to determine the status of endangered languages and monitor their performance) as a language in critical danger of extinction.

In the article, I present a number of factors that affect the functioning and vitality of the Avar language. In October 2023, I conducted a sociolinguistic survey in Kakheti, in the villages of Kvareli municipality, where Avars live compactly.

To analyze the results of the research, I used the factors determining the functioning of languages developed by UNESCO, namely: socio-linguistic situation, ethno-demographic situation, peculiarities of population education and others.

Based on the analysis of the available statistical data, I tried to present the level of vitality of the Avar language in Georgia, to highlight the causes of the problems and the existence of programs supporting the functioning of the language.

The Pronoun eme in the Fereydanian Dialect (Formal and Functional-semantic Analysis)

2024-05-30T11:12:23+04:00

The Fereydani dialect was formed on the basis of the speech of the Georgians who emigrated to Iran in the XVII century. Fereydanian has still preserved the main systemic and structural features of the Georgian language in a foreign linguistic and cultural environment. The development of the dialect is primarily determined by the internal rules of the Georgian language, although at the same time, the influence of the Persian language is also noticeable.

In general, dialectical speech is characterized by a variety of fillers. In this regard, the data of the dialect isolated from the Georgian environment and its comparison with other dialects of the Georgian language are particularly interesting.

The presented article discusses the formal and functional-semantic characteristics of the pronoun eme (filler); The new dialectal material recorded by us in Fereydan, as well as the published Fereydanian speech samples, are analyzed.

In the Fereydani dialect, the pronoun eme is quite common as a filler, which differs from the personal pronouns both in form and function.

The pronoun eme comes in various case forms (eme, emem, emes, emit...); The plural is produced with the suffix –eb (emebi, emebma, emebs...). Affixes can be added (emechi, emeze...).
The pronoun eme is often found in combination with the verb kna (to do). The verb usually changes according to person, number, and tense. With the forms of the I series eme is in dative (emes-vikt, emes-ikmen), and in the II and III series - in the nominative (eme-vkna: eme-giknia).

In terms of the use of the pronoun eme, the Fereydani dialect shows similarities with different dialects of the Georgian language (Imerkhevian, Taoian, Livanian, Adjarian, Kakhetian...), which is an indicator of the common Georgian regularities in the Fereydanian dialect.

Baroba/Barze Posposition in Imerkhevian and Taoian Dialects

2024-05-30T11:45:15+04:00

The Imerkhevian and Taoian dialects existing outside of Georgia have been separated from their motherland for centuries and are intensively influenced by the Turkish language. The relationship between the Turkish and Georgian people with different languages and traditions was also reflected in their speech. The influence of Turkish can be seen at all linguistic levels: in phonetics, morphology, vocabulary...

The article discusses the formal-semantic analysis of the adposition baroba/barze in relation to other dialects of the Georgian language.

According to the Explanatory Dictionary of the Georgian Language, baroba – mis barobaze - for him, for his share; (visime) barobit- verb prefix, for (someone’s) sake, for (someone). Word forms with baroba in the function of adpositions are quite common in Imerkhevian and Taouian. It is added to the genitive case form, mostly to pronouns and nouns. In most cases, the element -s as the case marker, is cut off. It is used in different forms: in Imerkhevian, the variations of barobai, barze, barobaza are confirmed, while in Taouian - the variations of barze, baaze are verified.

Cf.: Data from the Georgian language dialects: bara, baraze, barobaze (Meshketian), baradan (Ingilo), balaze (Fereydanian), barobaze, barobit (Imeretian), baroba, barobai (Adjarian).

The semantics of the analyzed adposition in Imerkhevian and Taouian is diverse; By means of it, the aim, purpose, reason, etc. is expressed; In different contexts, they correspond to the prepositional forms - tvis, -gamo, -ze, shesakheb (about) and the content expressed by the words miznit (for the purpose), amitom (since).

As a result of the analysis of Imerkhevian and Taoian material, interesting facts about the use of the preposition baroba were revealed, both from the point of view of its form and function-semantics.