THE PROJECT IS IMPLEMENTED BY THE GEORGIAN FOUNDATION FOR STRATEGIC AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES. The Expansion of Russia in the Caucasus and Georgia project offers the readers collection Editor-in-chief: Giorgi Cheishvili of scientific-popular articles which Editor-corrector: Tinatin Evdoshvili aims to cover the Georgian-Russian Project author: Irakli Gegechkori relations of the Designer: Tornike Bokuchava XVIII-XX centuries in a manner different from the widely propagated perspective of the official Russia. © Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies All rights reserved Ecclesiastical Relations RUSSIA’S EXPANSION IN THE CAUCASUS AND GEORGIA Between Georgia XX century and Russia Eldar Bubulashvili Relations Between the Georgian and Russian Churches from 1917 to the Present After the overthrow of Tsarism on March 25 (12), 1917, the Georgian clergy, in the presence of numerous secular figures, declared the autocephaly of the Georgian Church in the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral in Mtskheta. This was a cultural-political act of great importance towards the restoration of Georgian statehood. he temporary government of the Georgian Church was established under the leadership of Bishop Leonidas (Okropiridze). The temporary government, T along with the executive committee of the clergy and secular individuals, accomplished significant achievements for the recognition of autocephaly. They informed the Russian Provisional Government, the Russian Bishop Leonidas Synod, Exarch Plato (Rozhdestvensky) and the Provisional (Okropiridze) Local Transcaucasus Government about the restoration of the (1861 — 1921) autocephaly of the Georgian Church. The Russian Synod expressed a negative attitude towards delegation sent on behalf of the provisional government of the the autocephaly of the Georgian Church. It has accused Georgian Church: “I will report to the Holy Synod and wait for the Georgian clergy of violating the religious rights of non- its ordinance and meanwhile I will remain ... your Exarch and I Georgians living in the country. Exarch Plato did not obey will enjoy the right and the power of the Exarch.” The position the resolution of the Mtskheta Assembly either. He told a of the Georgian clergy was firm: “Regardless of the answer 1 Ecclesiastical Relations RUSSIA’S EXPANSION IN THE CAUCASUS AND GEORGIA Between Georgia XX century and Russia of Russia was also based on the fact that, following the directives from the Russian Synod, the former Exarch Plato and the Russian clergy in Tbilisi and instigated by them, the Russian congregation did not recognize the restoration of the autocephaly of the Georgian Church. The former Exarchate tried to physically confront the Russian parishes with the Georgian ones but this attempt was thwarted. After that, they demanded the establishment of the Caucasus Exarchate in Tbilisi under the Russian Metropolitan bishop which would incorporate the non-Georgian parishes. Exarch Plato (Rozhdestvensky) (1915 — 1918) The decision of the Russian Provisional Government was unacceptable for the Georgian we get, it will not affect us whatsoever and I once again repeat Church from a canonical point of view - the orally that from now on you will not be an Exarch and all of the organization of the church on the basis of functions of the Georgian Church will transfer into my hand,” nationality or phyletism was condemned by the said Bishop Leonidas. 1872 Constantinople Ecclesiastical Assembly. Despite the resistance of the former Exarch, the Georgian clergy severed all ties with the Russian Synod and the former Exarchate, and restored the liturgy in the Georgian language The decision of the interim government, from the and Georgian hymns in churches and monasteries. standpoint of the Georgian clergy, would hinder the peaceful Representatives of different strata of society, such as coexistence of Georgians and non-Georgians. Therefore, the clergymen, soldiers, teachers, doctors, writers, workers autocephaly of the Georgian Church had to be recognized on ... from various parts of Georgia (Kakheti, Kartli, Imereti, a territorial basis “within the borders of the ancient Georgian Meskheti, Artaani, Erusheti, Samegrelo, Adjara) welcomed Catholicosate” and non-Georgian Orthodox Christians were the restoration of autocephaly. Abkhazians, Ossetians and the granted “complete freedom of ecclesiastical self-determination Udis supported the Georgian Church. The Udis also demanded ... as an autonomous bishopric” which would be subordinated that they be subordinated to the jurisdiction of the Georgian to the Georgian Church by ecclesiastical laws. According to Church. Congratulatory telegrams were sent from European the firm beliefs of the Church and public figures, “the legal and Russian cities. status of the Georgian Orthodox Church in the Russian state The Georgian Church had to overcome many obstacles on had to be equal to that of the Russian Orthodox Church.” the way to legitimize autocephaly. This resolution was sent to the chairman of the Provisional Government of Russia, the ober-prosecutor of the Synod and the Transcaucasian Commissariat. On March 27, 1917, the Russian Provisional Against the demands of the Georgian clergy, on July 11, 1917, Government recognized the autocephaly of the Temporary Government approved the Provisional Rules for the Georgian Church in advance but decided the governance of the Russian Parishes in the Transcaucasus. that the Georgian Church should be governed The Caucasus Exarchate was created with the Russian and not by territorial but national principles. This non-Georgian (if the latter had a desire) parishes under its meant that the Georgian congregation would subordination. The Exarch of the Caucasus was awarded the be under the jurisdiction of the Georgian title of Metropolitan of Tpileli with residence in Tbilisi. Later, on Church and Orthodox non-Georgians living in July 25, the interim government approved the temporary rules Georgia would remain in the administration of for the condition of the Georgian Church in the Russian state. the Russian Synod. The decision of the interim According to the statute, the Patriarch of the Georgian Church government was proof that Russian politicians was referred to not as the “Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia were considering Georgia to be an integral part and the Archbishop of Mtskheta-Tbilisi” but as the “Archbishop of the Empire. of All Georgians and Mtskheta.” By this decision, the jurisdiction of the Georgian Church did not include non-Georgian Orthodox Christians living in Georgia. Tbilisi was also removed from According to the interim government, if autocephaly was the title of the Patriarch of the Georgian Church; however, recognized on a territorial basis it would contribute to the according to the approved regulation, Tbilisi was established establishment of an independent Georgian state. In addition as his residence. According to the same regulation, the to the above, the decision of the Provisional Government Georgian Church had a limited possibility for communication 2 Ecclesiastical Relations RUSSIA’S EXPANSION IN THE CAUCASUS AND GEORGIA Between Georgia XX century and Russia Bagrati Cathedral, photo from 30s of the XX Century with foreign autocephalous churches and relations with them were to be established only with the mediation of the Russian As a sign of protest, the Georgian clergy did Foreign Ministry. not take part in the workings of the Russian Both documents were fundamentally opposed to the Ecclesiastical Assembly in August 1917 as they ecclesiastical canons. In addition to phyletism, resolutions were invited not as representatives of the of the Provisional Government established in the same city Autocephalous Church but as Archbishops of (Tbilisi) the residences of two archbishops of the same faith, the Exarchate. the Caucasus Exarch and the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia which was strictly forbidden by ecclesiastical law. The Russian Synod did not support the decision of the On September 8-17, 1917, the First Ecclesiastical Assembly Provisional Government, declared the restoration of the in Tbilisi ignored the demands of the Russian secular autocephaly of the Georgian Church graceless and called on and ecclesiastical authorities and, in full compliance with the Russian parishes of Transcaucasia not to participate in the ecclesiastical canons, approved the governing charter as well service of the Georgian clergy, not to accept blessings from as established the rule of the Church not on a national but a them and not to enter “Georgian churches” or else “they would territorial basis and elected Kirion II (Sadzaglishvili) as the certainly go to hell.” Patriarch who then reported the incident to the leaders of the After the approval of the interim rules, the situation in Eastern Orthodox Church (Constantinople, Antioch, Jerusalem, Georgia developed as follows: the Georgian clergy, contrary to Alexandria), the Pope and the Armenian Catholicos. Only the the decision, appointed Leonidas(Okropiridze), the Chairman Pope and the Armenian Catholics responded to his epistle. of the Interim Government of the Georgian Church and the The Russian Church and its newly elected pastor, the successor of the Catholicos-Patriarch as the Metropolitan Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, Tikhon (Belyaev), of Tbilisi on August 15. On the same day, the Russian Synod responded negatively to the appointment of the Patriarch of the appointed Plato as the Exarch of the Caucasus and declared newly restored Autocephalous Church of Georgia.