The Heart of Orthodox Georgia - Mtskheta and Ananuri Castle, Frozen above Water

What to expect

Majestic Jvari
As if by magic, winding up the mountain slope, rising higher and higher, you will be transported to the Jvari monastery. Small yet majestic, symmetrical and strict, it amazes with its grace and unique beauty. The eternal father in the monastery sometimes falls into a nap, and then, so as not to disturb his fragile sleep, we exchange a coin for a candle and quietly move towards the large pedestal where a simple wooden cross stands. Here I will tell you the history of Orthodoxy in Georgia, as well as the legend of the cross abduction by non-believers and the reasons for its return. While you are at the top, in your memory, like lace butterflies, will flutter the beautiful words: "...where the flowing streams noisily merge, embracing like two sisters, the Aragvi and the Kura..." And only here, at the mountain top, at the doors of the temple, you will truly see all the beauty of these enchanting words.

Svetitskhoveli - the heart of Orthodox Georgia
We will continue our journey to the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral (Living Pillar), the burial place of the robe of Jesus Christ, the mantle of the Prophet Elijah, and the relics of Andrew the First-Called, the heart of Orthodox Georgia, the place of coronation and burial of Georgian kings… Very close, in ten minutes, you will be awaited by the Samtavro Monastery, where the miraculous blackberry bush grows and the cell of Saint Nino stands, where she lived and preached. I will tell the story of the first Georgian Orthodox kings - Queen Nana and King Mirian, who are buried on the monastery grounds. Here also lie the relics of the holy elder Gabriel of Samtavro.

Ananuri - a castle frozen above water
Just 30 kilometers from Mtskheta stands the ancient residence of Aragvi princes. My story will be about the secrets and tragedies of this beautiful place, about how in 1829 the Russian poet Pushkin visited the medieval Ananuri Castle - the first Russian tourist: it is known that he walked the entire way from Pasanauri to Ananuri and then to Dusheti in one day. And in 1885, the castle was depicted by the Russian artist Levitan. The fortress walls survived fierce battles, something has already passed into history, but the perfectly preserved Assumption Church brings joy, which is a rare example of a 17th-century building with a 13th-century design.