Historical Significance of Artifacts of Anukhvi Monastery

Abstract

The aim of the paper is to study the cultural-historical value of the monastery “Anakhv” located in the
village on the foothills of Gudauta in Abkhazia and its artifacts. These artifacts have survived from the ruins of the temple to this day: the cross of Anukhvi, the column of Anukhvi, the crucifix of Anukhvi, the ring of Anukhvi etc. Many of them have old Georgian Asomtavruli inscriptions of historical content, depicting vine ornaments with grapes and carvings typical of Georgian art. The vineyard is considered to be the tree of life in Georgia and is often found on ancient architectural monuments, as well as on small stone reliefs, frescoes and engraved items. The vineyard ornament is also actively used on the stone slabs of medieval Georgian epigraphic monuments.
The buildings of different sizes around the temple and their ruins indicate the monastic life in Anukhva.
Georgian Asomtavruli inscriptions of the 11-14 centuries tell us about the history of the monastery, through which we can somehow trace the history of the construction of the temple, the identity of the founders and its re-renewal and restoration history in the following epochs. It is clear from the contents of the inscriptions that in the XI century the builder of the temple was the head of the local feudal house Giorgi Basilisdze and his brothers Tevdore, Demetre and Merkile. The brothers erected the Holy Cross in memory of their father and for themselves to pray, and then the Church of St. George. According to the later inscriptions found in the same temple, in the 14th century, during another renovation, the temple was named after the Archangels Michael and
Gabriel.
The paleographic analysis of the existing artifacts and epigraphic material reveals that the monastery
“Ainakhvisa” was one of the most important ecclesiastical centers and was not inferior to such recognized cultural and educational centers of the Georgian Church as Mokvi, Likhni, Bedia and others.