The Youth Department of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia year by year expands the geography of cognitive visits to the spiritual and architectural monuments in different regions of Georgia. This time the route of the Armenian youth cognitive visit was the crossing of the Rikoti Pass and pilgrimage to the spiritual centers of Imereti, Georgia.
On May 19, 2018, students of the volunteer training courses established at the initiative of the Youth Department of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia, activists of the “Surb Grigor Narekatsi” (“Saint Gregory of Narek”) Spiritual, Educational, Cultural and Youth Center in Rustavi, representatives of Armenian youth in Tbilisi led by Director of the Youth Department Valeri Badalyan and Youth programs coordinator Nina Seropova visited the Gelati Monastery.
The Trip of Armenian youth in Georgia started early in the morning at the Saint Etchmiadzin church in Avlabari. More than four dozen young people, receiving fatherly blessings and good wishes of the Primate of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia, His Grace Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan, hit the road.
The way was wonderful, in particular, the 1722-meter long automobile tunnel built in Rikoti Mountain Pass, in 1982.
One of the biggest medieval monasteries of the Georgian Orthodox Church in Kutaisi, the Gelati Monastery is included in the World Heritage list of UNESCO since 1994. The Gelati Monastery was founded in 1106 by King David IV the Builder. Later this temple became a mausoleum. The King of Georgia and the great friend of the Armenian people David the Builder was buried in the temple of Gelati.
From the second half of the 16th century to the 1814, the temple was the residence of the Catholicos of Georgian Orthodox Church, as well as one of the main spiritual and cultural centers of the state.
The youth watched with great interest all the buildings of the monastery, fixed in their memories the amazing appearance of the ancient buildings.
The monastery in the village of Motsameta of the Tkibuli Municipality was also very interesting. This monastery is one of the most important ancient Georgian monuments surrounded by nature and beautiful forests. It was built in commemoration of martyrs David and Constantine Mkheidze. The brothers were indescribably persecuted and tortured, but they did not renounce their faith and were deceased courageously. The relics of David and Constantine Mkheidze brothers are kept in this church.
The next stop of the youth group was at the Bagrati Cathedral of Kutaisi, which is a testimony of ancient cultural traditions of the city. The Bagrati temple was built in the 11th century during the reign of King Bagrat III of Georgia. It was the main temple of the United Kingdom of Georgia and was consecrated in 1003 in honor of slumber of the Holy Mother of God.
In the group of Armenian youth there were young people who was visited these historical, cultural and spiritual monuments for the first time. They noted with satisfaction and gratitude the importance of such visits as it gives an opportunity to Armenian youth of Georgia to get acquainted with historical and spiritual values of their birthplace, as well as to enjoy the beauty and charm of spring nature in countryside with friends.
At the end of the day, after the Lord's Prayer, the group of young people returned to Tbilisi with a great and joyful mood and unforgettable memories of the cognitive visit.