Vsekhsvyatskoye

Vsekhsvyatskoye (according to Georgian sources – “Svesentska”, “Sventska”, “Sesentska”), a Georgian settlement in Moscow and a center of Georgian culture.

In the 14th century, the vicinity of Vsekhsvyatskoye was called “Otsy Svyatiye” (Holy Fathers) due to a monastery located there; it was the estate of the Russian Nobleman M. I. Pankratiev. In the second half of the 17th century, these lands were received as an estate by the boyar I. M. Miloslavsky. He built a court chapel here—"Vsekhsvyatykh" (All Saints)—after which the village was named Vsekhsvyatskoye.

In 1691, the children of King Archil II, Alexandre and Mamuka, were granted the Vsekhsvyatskoye country estate along with a residential palace in the city. In the 1690s, Prince Alexandre established a palace in the country. From 1700, Archil II lived there. Significant literary, historical, and other works were translated here from Russian and other languages, including the romance Alexandria and the world history Chronograph. Additionally, the Gospel, and other religious books were transcribed. With the help of the "Learned Men", Archil began preparing the text of Genesis for printing, comparing it with the Slavonic Bible. The edition of Archil II’s original collection of works, Archiliani, was also compiled in Vsekhsvyatskoye (by the calligrapher and palace secretary G. Tumanishvili).

According to the will of King Archil II, Vsekhsvyatskoye was confirmed as the property of his daughter, Darejan Batonishvili. Representatives of the Russian Imperial House, the army generals and foreign diplomats frequently gathered at this palace. In 1721, Emperor Peter I specifically began the celebration of the victory over the Swedes from Vsekhsvyatskoye.

In 1724, Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani, Vakhtang VI, Bakar, and others arrived in Vsekhsvyatskoye. On January 25, 1725, Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani was buried in the old church of Vsekhsvyatskoye. This laid the foundation for the Vsekhsvyatskoye Pantheon of prominent Georgian Figures. In 1733, Darejan built a new church with two side-chapels on the site of the old one, decorated the sanctuary, and donated expensive liturgical equipment. Her contributions are mentioned in a construction inscription displayed in the temple.

In 1727, Bakar was confirmed as Darejan’s heir, receiving Vsekhsvyatskoye after her death in 1740. A Georgian printing house and publishing center was established in Vsekhsvyatskoye, where the Georgian Bible was printed in 1743. Subsequently, several other Georgian books were published there.

Prince Giorgi (son of Vakhtang VI) and Gruzinsky contributed to the development of Vsekhsvyatskoye. The writer, diplomat, and traveler G. Avalishvili also lived and worked here. For a long time, Vsekhsvyatskoye was the ideological center of Georgians in Moscow. Liturgy was conducted in Georgian there until the end of the 19th century. Services, which had been suspended, were restored in 1945. The church remains active today.

F. Sikharulidze