Abkhazia In the Hagiographic Work of Giorgi Merchule

Abstract

Georgian hagiography reflected the political-social, ideological and cultural-historical situation of different parts of Georgia, the kingdom, the principality, which also has the context of the physical condition and symbolic understanding of a certain geographical space. The area of ​​activity of these works is Kartli, Kakheti, South Georgia, Western Georgia; Each of them is referred to by different names in different historical epochs. The reflection of Abkhazia in Georgian hagiography is a problem that includes the depiction of the actions and events taking place here on the basis of the political-ideological and cultural background of Abkhazia as Western Georgia of the VIII-X centuries. Or related to it.

I will single out the following from the Georgian hagiographic works of X centuries St. The Life of Grigol Khantsteli by Giorgi Merchule, in which the main characters' working area extends to Abkhazia. Hagiographic work Giorgi Merchule present the political-ideological, religious-ecclesiastical, social and cultural situation of one epoch. 

The working area of ​​the holy characters of the above three works is Abkhazia, which is a political-cultural space as an integral part of „Every Kartli“, with which the state language and religion have in common with the land, the territory. The point of view expressed in the hagiographic works of Giorgi Merchule – „Kartli is the one of the states where the worship of the God in the churches are in Georgian and Greece cyrillicon „Lord have Mercy“ is made in Georgian (stories 1963/1964; 290). - Reaches and includes Abkhazia as a full-fledged part and member of „Every Kartli“. „Prayer is every“ is a complete liturgical process and it is performed in Georgian on the territory of „Every Kartli“, and „Kurieleison“ in Greek, in Georgian „Lord, have mercy“ or „Lord, have mercy on you“ unites the Georgian Church with the whole Orthodox world, thus strengthening the unity of churches.

Due to the genre specificity of the hagiographic literature, the theme of Abkhazia is not and could not be leading in the named work, because the purpose of the hagiography is to show the image of a saint. Political-ideological, social, cultural background The hagiographer needs to better imagine the face of a saint, but in reality it also shows the situation in which they have to live, work, martyr end.

Therefore, the historical facts and historical geographical area presented in hagiography are important, because hagiography is the best historical source to reflect these events and space, especially since the historical works reflecting the situation in modern Georgia about George Merchuli have not survived. Late historians tell us.