On May 10, a scientific
conference dedicated to the 104th anniversary of the restoration of
Georgia's state independence was opened at Tbilisi Theological
Academy and Seminary. The conference was prepared at the initiative
of the Department of History of Georgia: under the chairmanship of
the Head of the Department, Doctor of History and Theology,
Professor Sergo Vardosanidze and Doctor of History Durmishkhan
Lashkhi. The conference was chaired by Professor Sergo
Vardosanidze, Doctor of History and Theology. In his opening
speech, he spoke about the importance of the Student’s Conference
in the dimension of training personnel working on theological
sciences. Professor Vardosanidze noted that the 104th anniversary
of the Restoration of Georgia’s Independence does not seem to be a
jubilee date at all, because its greatness and scale constantly
reminds us, obligates us to understand the essence and significance
of this event. Mr. Sergo Vardosanidze explained that the
restoration of Georgia’s independence is the culmination of the
important struggle that Ilia Chavchavadze launched in the 60s of
the 19th century in order to restore the country’s cultural and
national autonomy and autocephaly of the Church. It is true that
Ilia was killed on August 30, 1907, but nevertheless, his ideas did
not remain unfulfilled: on March 12, 1917, the clergy of the Church
assembled in Svetitskhoveli Cathedral where the autocephaly of the
Church was restored and patriarchal rule of the Church was
inaugurated.
On February 8, 1918, the
university was opened and in the same year, the plan of Saint Ilia
the Righteous was fulfilled - on May 26, the independence of the
country was proclaimed in the Palace of the Governor of
Georgia.
The doctorate student Giorgi
Gvasalia gave an interesting speech at the conference. The title of
the topic was The Messianic Prophecy of the Prophet Moses in the
Jewish and Christian tradition.
Students of Master’s degree
(Academy) and Bachelor (Seminar) programs, Faculty of Christian
Psychology, Christian Art, Restoration of Easel and Monumental Icon
Painting of TTAS also participated in the conference. The issues
studied and discussed by the students were thematically diverse –
they were related to the most important issues of the history of
Georgia, Christian culture and the history of the Church.
The conference was held in a
business atmosphere and aroused great interest among the
listeners.
At the end of the conference, the
Rector of Tbilisi Theological Academy and Seminary, Doctor of
Philology, Theology and Politics, Protopresbyter Giorgi Zviadadze
addressed the audience. He thanked the organizers of the
conference, the students participating in the event, their
supervisors and the attending audience, and noted that Tbilisi
Theological Academy and Seminary is a higher theological,
scientific and educational center, the bosom of spirituality and
knowledge. It is a place where, along with the acquisition of
higher education, students acquire knowledge of the saving faith
and this unique situation sets it apart from other
institutions.
On the advice of the Rector of
the Theological Academy and Seminary, Protopresbyter Giorgi
Zviadadze, a decision was made to continue the conference on
Tuesday, May 17, in order to deepen its work.
The names of the participants of
the first day of the conference and the titles of their talks can
be found below:
Master’s Program in Theology
(Academy)
I
year
1. Juba Tomadze
– The Orthodox Church in Kartli during the Period of Rostom Khan
(Rostom Khan’s policy concerning the Orthodox Church)
(Supervisor - Professor,
Metropolitan Anania Japaridze)
2. Zurab Akobia
– The Ecclesiastical Assembly in Imereti in 1759 (Supervisor -
Professor, Metropolitan Anania Japaridze)
3. Priest Giorgi
Tandilashvili – The Title of the Church of Georgia
(Supervisor - Professor, Metropolitan Anania Japaridze)
4. Besik
Gamqhrelidze - Issues of Illegitimacy of the Establishment
of a Diocese by the Church of Russia on the Territory of Armenia
(Supervisor - Professor Sergo Vardosanidze)
Faculty of Christian Arts
IV year
1. Manana
Tsenteradze - Saint George Church in Achi (Supervisor-
Professor Eldar Bubulashvili)
Faculty of Icon Painting, Easel
and Monumental Icon Restoration
III
year
1. Tamar Ratiani
- Materials Concerning the Wall Painting of Akhali Shuamta Temple
and Analysis of Current Non-primary Processes (Supervisors -
Professor Merab Buchukuri, Professor Murad Tkemaladze).
