Tbilisi: July 1, 2024
Photo: sputnik-georgia.ru
On June 27, 2024, Georgian Orthodox clergy and faithful rallied outside the Embassy of the European Union in Tbilisi, Georgia to protest the EU’s silence in the face of open persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
Several dozen clergy and parishioners participated in the event, expressing solidarity with Orthodox Ukraine, and held a prayer service.
Photo: sputnik-georgia.ru
Leaders of public organizations such as Gulbaat Rtskhiladze from the Eurasia Institute and Viktor Kusiani from the Euro-Asian Alliance were present at the rally, reports Sputnik Georgia. The location was chosen deliberately, because as Fr. David Isakadze, the organizer of the prayer service, stated after the conclusion of the prayers service, “The EU is effectively supporting, funding, and arming the Kiev regime.”
Photo: sputnik-georgia.ru
Journalist and event organizer Zaza Davitaya added that the Orthodox Church in Ukraine, which is an autonomous Church under aegis of the Moscow Patriarchate, is being attacked by the authorities. Several bishops have been detained on false charges, churches are being destroyed and seized, and events inappropriate for an Orthodox church are being held there afterwards. Davitaya noted that these processes are being supported by international structures.
Photo: sputnik-georgia.ru
Georgian politician Jondi Bagaturia emphasized that the current Ukrainian government is openly persecuting Orthodoxy and the clergy, and pointed out the EU’s conspicuous silence regarding these persecutions. He stated that several Ukrainian metropolitans were detained for refusing to betray the true Ukrainian Church.
Photo: sputnik-georgia.ru
Archpriest David Isakadze delivered a sermon after the prayer service, in which he compared the current events to what happened in Georgia in the 1920s–30s, calling it ordinary fascism and persecution of the Orthodox Church.
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The persecution of the Georgian Orthodox Church in the 1920s-30s occurred during the early years of Soviet rule in Georgia. This period was marked by severe repression of religious institutions and leaders under the Communist regime.
From around the turn of the 19th century, the various Georgian principalities were united and subsumed into the Russian Empire. Because of the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia, Georgia declared itself independent in 1918. In 1921, the Red Army invaded and annexed Georgia to the Soviet Union. Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili, now known as Joseph Stalin, was a Georgian who had been expelled from an Orthodox seminary. He became one of the early Bolshivik revolutionaries, and came to power in the Soviet Union in 1921, ushering in the persecution of the Georgian Orthodox Church.
The Soviet government pursued a policy of state atheism, aiming to diminish the influence of all religious institutions, including the Georgian Orthodox Church. The regime viewed religion as a threat to its ideology and sought to eradicate its presence.
The Soviet authorities seized church property, including land, buildings, and valuables. Monasteries and churches were closed, and many were repurposed for secular uses or
Many members of the Georgian clergy were arrested Those who were not executed faced imprisonment, exile, or were forced to renounce their religious duties. The Church’s leadership was decimated, and those who survived often faced intense surveillance and harassment.
Numerous churches were destroyed or converted into warehouses, museums, or other non-religious buildings. The Church’s ability to function and maintain its traditions was severely restricted.
The Soviet government launched aggressive anti-religious campaigns. Propaganda portrayed the Church as backward and counter-revolutionary. Religious education and practices were suppressed, and efforts were made to indoctrinate the population with atheistic views.
Lay believers also faced persecution. Attending church services or participating in religious activities could lead to dismissal from jobs, expulsion from educational institutions, and social ostracism.
Many of the Church’s leaders, including Patriarch Ambrosi (Khelaia), were arrested and persecuted. Patriarch Ambrosi, who courageously protested Soviet policies, was arrested in 1924, imprisoned, and later died in 1927 as a result of the harsh conditions he endured. The hierarchical and organizational structure of the Georgian Orthodox Church was severely weakened. Many dioceses were left without bishops, and the administrative and pastoral capabilities of the Church were crippled, although many practiced their faith in secret. Persecution only eased after Stalin’s death.
The Soviet period of persecution is now recognized as a dark chapter in the history of the Georgian Orthodox Church. It is remembered for the suffering and martyrdom of many clergy and laypeople who remained steadfast in their faith.
