Bagrati Cathedral
Bagrati Cathedral is a Georgian architectural monument built on the cusp of the 10th–11th centuries. This cathedral was built during the rule of Bagrat III (975–1014). Dedicated to the Dormition of the Mother of God, the building is located in Kutaisi, on the right bank of the river Rioni, on Ukimerioni Hill. According to the inscription near the large window in the northern wall, “the floor was laid in chronicon 223” (1003; also see the Inscriptions of Bagrati Cathedral). With its historical and artistic importance, Bagrati Cathedral holds a special place in the history of Georgian architecture because its creation finally solidified the Middle-Century architectural style. Chroniclers tell us that the consecration of the church was accompanied by a big celebration, and representatives of various regions of Georgia took part in it. At that time, almost the whole of Georgia was united under Bagrat III. With this celebration, Bagrat showed that the newly built episcopal church in the former capital of Georgia had national importance. Until the end of the 17th century, the monument stood undamaged. Russian ambassadors, who saw it before its destruction, confirmed that it had a mosaic in the interior. According to Vakhushti, in 1692, it was “annihilated by the Ottomans." This was when the dome and the roof collapsed. Until the 1830s, only the west gate remained, which is confirmed by the drawings of painter N. Chernetsov. Afterward, it fell into ruin as well. The building was continuously damaged during the 19th century; its remnants were used as construction materials.
With its design, Bagrati Cathedral resembles the Georgian Oshki Church (nowadays it is on the territory of Turkey). However, it is not a simple imitation of Oshki; it represents the evolution of ideas that went into the construction of Oshki. The architect created a tri-conch church. The protruding walls of the church are orthogonal. On the inside (eastern, southern, and northern parts), however, there are semicircular apses. At the same time, the architect enlarged and apparently generalized the interior; he removed cells in both the southern and northern parts of the building and left only apses. He enlarged the western side of the church, divided it into three naves, and created a gradatory where the royal family and nobility would stand during sermons and holidays. On both sides of the altar were the credence table and sedilia. The dome was held by four massive, independent columns. On the northwest side of the monument, before the construction was completed, the architect added a three-story living quarter shaped like a tower. In the second half of the 11th century, two richly decorated celebratory gates were added from the west and the south.
Cathedral decorations are luxurious. The system of decorative arches on the facade naturally connects them to one another. The east facade is worth noting because it uses a famous composition of five arches and two niches. The decorative jabs and headers of windows are fully developed. There is an abundance of decorative gates. The ornaments of the main building are mostly graphical; they are light and do not create deep indents on the wall. In terms of style, they resemble the ornaments of Kumurdo Cathedral. Carvings on the gates have deep, fluid ornaments where floral and geometric patterns are used along with depictions of animals. We see an eagle holding a prayer in its talons. This was a very popular motif in the Middle Ages. Furthermore, we see fantastical creatures that have the body of a beast and the head of a man or an eagle. Other such creatures are depicted as well. Inside, the bases and capitals of columns are decorated with ornaments. Walls and floors were covered in mosaics (there are still some traces on the floor). The south gate has remnants of a fresco of the Mother of God. Inside the church and the courtyard, there were decorative pieces cut from stone and covered with ornaments. These pieces were also used to decorate the inner walls and the façade of the church.
The refined proportions of Bagrati Cathedral, its balance of exterior elements, grand interior, the composition of facades, various decorations, and the ability to solve technical challenges clearly indicate that the architect had amazing artistic talent, considerable practical experience, and skill. The rebuilding and reconstruction process of the cathedral started in 1952. During this process, many inscriptions of historical significance were discovered.
In the mid-20th century, archeological excavations and research began at the cathedral.
Between 1940 and 1941, the first archeological excavations took place in Bagrati territory under the supervision of academics G. Chubinidze and N. Severov. Materials found during the excavations allowed the archeologists to reconstruct the cathedral plan.
In 1952, architect V. Tsintsadze created a cathedral reconstruction plan. All the reconstruction work that followed was according to this plan.
In 2003, to celebrate the 1000-year anniversary of Bagrati Cathedral archeological excavations, research continued. Archeologists analyzed in detail and categorized the original stones and the ones that were added in the 20th century. In the same period, the cathedral's geological analysis and assessment of its structural integrity were completed.
In 2005, scientists renewed research on Bagrati Cathedral. They created a stratigraphy profile, discovered archeological artifacts, and added new interior details. After thorough archeological excavations and the deconstruction of 19th-century buildings nearby, numerous new rocks were discovered. Based on the scientific analysis, it became possible to determine their original place. The discovery and subsequent analysis of dome fragments helped determine the authentic shape of the dome. While the height of the dome was calculated by analyzing the structure itself,.
The reconstruction process involved the rebuilding of the cathedral and putting a dome on it. Despite receiving mixed reactions from the population, the Georgian government started the reconstruction process in 2009. In places where there was a lack of authentic materials (the western part), a modern structure was created (author A. Bruno).
In 2012, in St. Petersburg, during the 36th session, the World Heritage Committee determined that Bagrati Cathedral should remain on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
Literature: ბ ე რ ი ძ ე ვ., ძველი ქართული ხუროთმოძღვრება, თბ., 1974; ჩ ა კ ვ ე ტ ა ძ ე დ., ძეგლი უქიმერიონზე, თბ., 1964; ჩ უ ბ ი ნ ა შ ვ ი ლ ი გ., ქართული ხუროთმოძღვრება საშუალო საუკუნეებში და მისი სამი მთავარი კათედრალი, კრ.: არილი, ტფ., 1925; ც ი ნ ც ა ძ ე ვ., ბაგრატის ტაძარი, თბ., 1964.
V. Beridze
