FROM THE HISTORY OF THE GELATI MONASTERY TREASURY IN 1918-1923

Abstract

For centuries, Gelati Monastery was one of the largest and richest repositories of church treasures in all of Georgia. In addition to the goldsmith’s works of art created on site and donated to the monastery, you could also find church treasures brought here from various parts of Georgia for safekeeping. Despite frequent at tacks and robberies, Gelati housed many ancient manuscripts, unique examples of precious metal engravings, and other items until 1923 (when the monastery was
closed by the Soviet government), which later found their home in various muse ums in Georgia.
The period of the Russian Exarchate was particularly difficult for the Gelati Monastery, during which it was robbed several times. The Exarchate authorities and the local judicial police did not solve any of the crimes of that time. After the restoration of the autocephaly of the Georgian Church (March 12 (25), 1917), a new era began in the history of Gelati, which was reflected in the strengthening of the care and protection of the monastery’s treasures.
The article, based largely on archival documents, describes the state of pres ervation of the Gelati treasure in 1918-1923 and tells about the contribution of the inhabitants of the village of Gelati to it. Moreover, it includes several facts of the inspection of the treasure, the history of the removal of church items and jewelry from the Jrucha Monastery, and the episode of the removal of the treasure from the monastery by decree of the Georgian government on November 24, 1920.