Georgia prepares festivities marking 1,700 yrs since adoption of Christianity

JMeeting of the Joint Commission of the Government of Georgia and the Patriarchate. Photo: Georgian government Facebook page

A meeting of the joint state-Church commission was held at the Georgian government administration to discuss plans for celebrating the historic anniversary – 1,700 years since Christianity received the status of state religion. This was reported by UOJ in Georgia. The commission is co-chaired by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and Catholicos-Patriarch Shio III of All Georgia.

Under the approved plan, festive events will begin on May 26, 2026, and from June 1 they will take on a truly large-scale character. The program includes a broad range of cultural, educational, and scholarly initiatives: academic conferences, exhibitions, and student expeditions to landmark holy sites will be held across all regions of the country.

The celebrations will culminate on October 14, the feast of Svetitskhovloba. On that day, an international symposium titled “God, Homeland, Human Being” is scheduled to take place, bringing together theologians and scholars to discuss the role of Orthodoxy in shaping Georgian identity. All events will be coordinated jointly by the government administration and the Georgian Patriarchate.

As the UOJ reported, the Georgian Church is celebrating the anniversary of the restoration of autocephaly. The joint coordination by the government administration and the Georgian Patriarchate establishes a unified approach to the educational and cultural focus of the anniversary.

Read also