Orthodox in the Caucasus

[Anthony]

I have become very interested recently in the history of Christianity in the Caucasus area, and thought I would take advantage of the fact that we now have an expert here to open a new thread. The fact that three (or four, depending on who you believe) of the twelve Apostles were martyred in the area attests to its importance from early Christianity onwards.

What I hope will not happen is for this to turn into another sterile discussion of Orthodox vs non-Chalcedonian doctrine, whether christology or ecclesiology. I am interested, however, in the different customs of the Georgian and Armenian churches and the historical relations between them; the same for the "Caucasian Albanians" (or Aghvanians), the main Christian people in Azerbaijan before the Turkic conquest.

I hope this is all consistent with the Terms of Use.

[Fr Raphael Vereshack]

I haven't had time to read it yet but there's a book recently put out by the St Herman of Alaska Brotherhood (Platina) called Lives of the Georgian Saints.

Just taking a quick look through it, it seems to be very well put together.

In Christ- Fr Raphael

[Anthony]

Thank you, Father, that will be a good place to start. Nearly twenty centuries of saints, and most of them so little known, at least to me.

I forgot to mention the Ossetians. I would be interested if anybody knows in what circumstances they became Orthodox, before or after they settled in the Caucasus?

[Nicolaj]

Just the other day I saw on Russian TV a documentary about a monastery in Ossetia. Needless to say it was destroyed by the communists and they are rebuilding it, with the few they have. but the monks and the surrounding villages are full of joy to be there again and it was from the landscape very beautiful and peaceful there.
But what was most interesting about this documentary that they did find on the site of the monastery evidence that there was already a monastery on that site in 6e century! Now they are excavating this site!

Christos voskrese! Nicolaj

[Anthony]

Dear Nicolaj,

Many thanks for this. I have found a nice article on this monastery in (of all places) the Christian Science Monitor. At least it is possibly the same place?

http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0922/p06s01-woeu.html

[Nicolaj]

Yes I think it is the same monastery. And now they have found at their site this church from the 6th century and also many artefacts. First there were some troubles with governmental officials about the excavating the monks made. But this was all cleared as they saw how pious they were about every inch they removed there. They did it like real professionals because they were aware excavating the roots of the region and of Orthodoxy there.

Christos voskrese! Nicolaj

[Anthony]

That is very interesting. There is nothing hidden that shall not be revealed...

[Anthony]

There is a considerable amount of material on the Georgian saints at www.pravoslavie.ru (http://www.pravoslavie.ru/enarticles/070306192614). Possibly this is the book referred to by Fr Raphael in his earlier post.

[Fr Raphael Vereshack]

There is a considerable amount of material on the Georgian saints at www.pravoslavie.ru (http://www.pravoslavie.ru/enarticles/070306192614). Possibly this is the book referred to by Fr Raphael in his earlier post.

From the photo of the book's cover on the webpage it is the same book.

In Christ- Fr Raphael