THE REMAINS OF THE "KVABIJVARI" AND "VALISONI" CHURCHES ACCORDING TO THE "LIFE OF SAINT SERAPION OF ZARZMELI"
Abstract
An important place in the history of Georgian spiritual culture belongs to Basil Zarzmeli's monument "The Life of Saint Serapion Zarzmeli", which reflected the historical memory of the country, demonstrated the spiritual and material prosperity of Samtskhe with the establishment of Christian churches and monasteries, which reflected the historical, social, geographical, and cultural values of the country, which determined the advancement and development of Georgia, not only nationally, but also within the context of the global Christian and historical space.
In the ninth-tenth century Georgia, in the Samtskhe region, the main mission of Saint Serapion and his spiritual brothers was expressed in the establishment of spiritual centers, of which the work discusses the “Kvabijvari” and “Valisoni” churches, which are understood as existing precisely within the scope of the activity of Saint Serapion and his spiritual companions, who clearly defined the promotion of Samtskhe in the common national-Christian area. It is precisely within the scope of the activity of Saint Serapion Zarzmeli and his spiritual brothers that we should place the churches in Samtskhe, namely in the Adigeni municipality - Kvabijvari and Valisoni, which have survived today in the form of remains, but which well inform us about their geographical location, architectural style, spiritual value and mission in the global religious thought context.
The remains of the Kvabijvari and Valisoni churches are geographically located in such places that next to them is the central connecting road to Samtskhe, Adjara mainly, through which there is a connection to Turkey and partially to Imereti; they are crossed by the main river - Kvabliani, which completes the historical significance of this place... The monuments are multifaceted: religious and secular, carrying an advanced administrative and strategic significance.
The Life of Serapion Zarzmeli, by the tenth-century Georgian hagiographer Basil Zarzmeli, is the best source for studying the history, geography, and construction of churches and monasteries of Samtskhe. The data of the text itself makes it clear that the Zarzma Church alone could not have been the place of activity of such a great spiritual figure, it goes on a much larger and larger scale, covers a fairly large area geographically and geopolitically, and creates a single spiritual center in this region. We should place the churches of Kvabijvari and Valisoni in Samtskhe, specifically in the Adigeni municipality, in the place of activity of Saint Serapion Zarzmeli and his spiritual brothers, which have survived today in the form of remains, but they provide us with a good idea of their geographical location, construction style, and spiritual purpose... Certain data from the text of Basil Zarzmeli's "Life of Serapion Zarzmeli" lead us to assume that the history of their establishment is connected precisely with the spiritual life of Serapion Zarzmeli.
Key words: Kvabijvari Church, Valisoni Church, Adigeni, Andrew the First-Called, Serapion of Zarzma, spiritual mission, thirteen Assyrian fathers, Zarzma.
