REORGANIZATION OF THE GEORGIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH IN THE XIX CENTURY

Abstract

In this article, his Eminence Melkhisedek Khachidze analyzes the reorganization of the Georgian Orthodox Church by the Russian Empire in the nineteenth century. In 1812, instead of Anton Catholicos (who was exiled to Nizhny Novgorod), Varlam Eristavi was appointed as Exarch of Georgia, who automatically became a member of the Holy Synod of Russia. But The reorganization of the Georgian Church was not limited by this. During this reorganization, in the Georgian Church, established a position of "Blagochin" (Russ. Благочинный). The "Blagochins" had very serious authority inside of Georgian Church. At the same time, the Georgia-Imereti Synod Bureau was established in Georgia. In the beginning, the Bureau operated only under the instructions of the Emperor or the Synod, which were translated in Georgian. The article discusses the main essence of the reorganization of the Georgian Church by the Russian Empire, the dangers that these processes contained and the situation that accompanied the implementation of all this.