General

The richness of Georgian architecture is fully manifested in the existence of numerous churches. The history of this field of architecture is connected to the development of Georgian domed churches with a square central bay and four arms around it forming a cross. The versatile folk architecture is also worth being pointed out here. The Darbazi type of dwelling was typical to the Eastern regions, whereas the Oda type prevailed in the West of Georgia. Fortresses and towers were widespread in the  mountainous regions.

Georgian folk music, which has been evolving over three millennia, contributed particularly to the world culture. One of the most peculiar features of it is itss free polyphonic composition (2,5 or 4 voices).

Georgian school of painting and icon painting, frequently exhibited in and outside of the country is also worth being pointed out here. The unique ancient frescoes reveal the specifics,  traditions and skills of their creators.

Georgian literature, especially poetry, is of non-less importance than the above-mentioned fields of culture.

Georgian theatre and cinema are well known abroad. Even the "iron curtain", which had separated Georgia from the rest of the world. could not prevent it from recognising those.  Georgian opera singers and musicians are also well-known overseas.

Georgian choreography (folk dances, modern compositions) holds a particular place in the country's culture.

History

In most of types of art, Georgia has traditions spanning millennia.. The Golden Age of  Georgian Empire (the early twelfth century  through the early thirteenth century) represented a period of greatest development in its various aspects. Subsequently, centuries of occupation brought decline and dilution. However, music and dance remain to be significant parts of Georgia's unique culture, by which Georgian people have contributed greatly to the progress of theatre and cinema worldwide. 

Religion and Church

The Constitution of Georgia provides every single citizen of Georgia with the right of choosing religion and belief, therefore it is prohibited to  persecute people by their religious belonging.

Christianity represents the dominant religion, and the Georgian Orthodox Church has been so far the largest of  churches. Georgia adopted Christianity in 337 A.D.

Traditionally Non-Orthodox religions have existed in Georgia along with the Christianity. Jewish communities have existed throughout the country, with major concentrations in Tbilisi and Kutaisi. Azerbaijani groups have practiced Islam in Georgia for centuries, as have some Abkhazians and Georgians living in Adjaria. The Armenian Gregorian church has it's congregation.

Georgian Orthodox 65%* Muslim 11%* Russian Orthodox 10%* Armenian Gregorian 8%* Other 6%*

*Data based on 1993 figures

Georgian Orthodox Church

In the V century The Georgian Orthodox church gained its autocephaly (became independent). Thus it is the oldest in the East.

After Georgia was annexed by the Russian Empire, the Russian Orthodox Church took over the Georgian in 1811. The colorful frescoes and wall paintings typical of Georgian cathedrals were whitewashed by the Russian occupiers.

The Georgian Church regained its autonomy only when Russia's ruling over Georgia ended in 1918. The Soviet power brought severe purges of the Georgian church hierarchy and constant repression of Orthodox worship. Many churches were destroyed or converted into secular buildings. When ILIA II became the Patriarch (catholicos) of the Georgian Orthodox Church in the late 1970s, he brought order and new morality to church affairs. In 1988 Moscow gave the patriarch a permission to begin consecrating and reopening closed churches and a process of restoration on a large scale began. After Georgia gained independence buildings of all orthodox churches were given to Georgian Orthodox Church.

According to the Constitution of Georgia adopted in 1995, the Church is separated from the state.

Literature

Among works written in Georgian, Shota Rustaveli's poem "A Knight in the Tiger-Skin" has kept unique position as the Georgian national epic. Supposedly Rustaveli was a government official during Queen Tamar's reign (1184- 1212), late in the golden age. In describing the questing adventures of three hero-knights, the poem includes rich philosophical musings that have become proverbs in Georgian. Even during communist rule, the main street of the Georgian capital was named after Rustaveli.

Architecture

Starting in its earliest days, Georgia developed a unique architectural style that is most visible in religious structures dating as far back as the sixth century AD The cupola structure typical of Georgian churches probably was based on circular domestic dwellings that existed as early as 3000 BC Roman, Greek, and Syrian architecture also influenced this style. Persian occupation added a new element, and in the nineteenth century Russian domination created a hybrid architectural style visible in many bui ldings in Tbilisi. The so-called " Stalinist architecture" of the mid-twentieth century has also reflected the architecture of the capital.

Painting & Sculpture

Like literature, Georgian wall-painting reached its zenith during the golden age of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Featuring both religious and secular themes, many monuments of this and the later Byzantine and Persian-influenced periods were dest royed by the Russians in the nineteenth century. Examples of Georgian religious painting remain in some of old churches. Stone-carving and metal-working traditions developed in the antique period, when Roman and Greek techniques were combined. In the golden age, sculpture was applied mostly to the external side of buildings.

In the twentieth century, several Georgian sculptors gained international recognition. Among them is Elguja Amashukeli, whose monuments are the landmarks of Tbilisi. Metalworking was well established in the Caucasus among the ancestors of the Georgians as early as the Bronze Age (second millennium BC). This art form, applied to both religious and secular subjects, declined in the Middle Ages.

Music & Dance

Georgia is known for its rich and unique folk dance and music. The Georgian State Dance Company, founded in the 1940s, has traveled around the world performing spectacular renditions of traditional Georgian dances. Unique in folk-dancing tradition, Georgian male performers dance on their toes without the help of special blocked shoes.

Georgian folk music, featuring complex, three-part, polyphonic harmonies, has long been a subject of special interest among musicologists. Most Georgian folk songs are peculiar to individual regions of Georgia. The inspiration is most often the church, work in the fields, or special occasions. The Rustavi Choir, formed in 1968, is the best known Georgian group performing a traditional repertoire.

In today's Georgia, folk songs are most frequently sung around the table. The ceremonial dinner (supra), a frequent occurrence in Georgian homes, is a highly ritualized event that itself forms a direct link to Georgia's past. On such occasions, rounds of s tandardized and improvised toasts typically extend long into the night.

Georgian cuisine, which includes a variety of delicate sauces and sharp spices, is also an important part of the culture that links the generations. In the Soviet period, the best restaurants in the large cities of other republics were often Georgian.

Cinema & Theatre

In the postwar (The Second World War) era, Georgian film making and theatre developed an outstanding reputation in the Soviet Union. Several Georgian filmmakers achieved international recognition in this period. In 1993, despite chaotic political conditio ns, Tbilisi hosted the Golden Eagle Film Festival of the Black Sea Basin Countries, Georgia's first international film festival.

Georgia is also famous for its theatrical art. The Tbilisi Rustaveli Theatre has been acclaimed internationally for its performances (in Georgian) on the works of William Shakespeare and the German drama writer Bertold Brecht.