Georgia celebrates 1000th anniversary of Nikortsminda Cathedral

Today is a special day for Georgia, and especially for its remote western Racha region.

Today marks the 1000th anniversary of the Nikortsminda Cathedral of St. Nicholas, one of the most important architectural monuments of medieval Georgia.

The Cathedral, which is on the Tentative List for status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is located in the village bearing the same name in the mountainous region Racha in western Georgia. According to the epigraphy on the western entrance, the Nikortsminda Cathedral was built during the reign of King Bagrat III in 1010-1014.

Nikortsminda. Photo by Paata Vardanashvili.

A set of special events were planned to celebrate the 1000th anniversary of the cathedral. The celebrations will take place in the Nikortsminda village and a gala concert will take place in Ambrolauri, Racha’s administrative centre, later this evening. 

The concert will feature well-knonw Georgian musicians, including famous opera star Anita Rachvelishvili.

The concert is one of the events within Check in Georgia, a Governmental cultural project bringing together dozens of festivals and cultural events across Georgia under one umbrella.

The Nikortsminda Cathedral is interesting because of its plan: it is inscribed within a hexagonal whose sides, with the exception of the West one, are flanked by the apses; from the outside, it is cruciform. The chapels were added later, but also in the 11th century.

Nikortsminda. Photo by Ilona Margalitadze

The Cathedral is generously decorated with rich ornamental relief depicting Transfiguration, Doomsday and other evangelic subjects, figures of the Saints, and of real and fantastic beasts.

Nikortsminda lapidary decoration testifies to the fantastic skill of the craftsmen and the artistic standards, which make this cathedral one of the most outstanding examples of Georgian architecture.

The interior is decorated with wall painting of the 16th and 17th centuries with numerous portraits of feudal rulers.