Mtskheta, Georgia, September 17, 2020
Photo: about.ge
Jvari Monastery is one of the great jewels of the Georgian Orthodox Church. Built in the 6th century near the ancient capital of Mtskheta, its Church of the Holy Cross is a rare case of an early medieval Georgian church that has survived nearly unchanged till today. The monastery is listed as UNESCO World Heritage site together with other historic structures in Mtskheta.
The ancient monastery is currently undergoing major repairs, thanks in part to the U.S. Embassy in Tbilisi.
The embassy announced yesterday that the Jvari Monastery preservation project was selected by the Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP). The project, being carried out by the George Chubinashvili National Research Center for Georgian Art History and Heritage Preservation, will be granted $506,250.
The embassy’s grant program initially awarded $100,000 to the project in November. With the new funding, the ongoing preservation works “will now extend to cover the entire outer sandstone masonry of the building, including all four facades and all eight sides of the drum, about 1200 square meters of the wall surface.”
This second phase covers 30 months, from September 30, 2020 to March 31, 2023, reports 1tv.ge.
“The spiritual, cultural and historical significance of the Jvari church in Mtskheta is well known. This place is associated with the first years of the establishment of Christianity in Georgia. The cross installed here was a shrine known throughout the Caucasus. The church, built later, at the end of the sixth century, is one of the best examples of ancient Georgian Church architecture. Jvari in Mtskheta is a UNESCO world heritage site, which increases its international significance,” notes an embassy statement.
Ambassador Kelly C. Degnan, His Eminence Metropolitan David, and other public officials and distinguished guests attended an announcement ceremony and presentation at the monastery yesterday.
