Grigory G. Gagarin’s 19th-Century Frescoes and Decoration in the Sioni Cathedral in Tbilisi

Cyuńczyk, Marta (2024) Grigory G. Gagarin’s 19th-Century Frescoes and Decoration in the Sioni Cathedral in Tbilisi. RUSSIANSTUDIES.HU, 6 (1). pp. 215-235. ISSN 2677-0660

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Abstract

This paper presents the 19th-century project to decorate the interior of the Sioni Cathedral interior in Tbilisi with a fresco designed by Grigory G. Gagarin. This plan was implemented in the 1850s by order of the tsarist administration of the Caucasus Viceroyalty, which was led by Mikhail Vorontsov, a leading politician of the Russian Empire during Tsar Nicholas I’s reign. The project is significant for several reasons. Firstly, the Sioni Cathedral in Tbilisi is considered one of the most important temples for members of the Georgian Orthodox Church – it is where the relic of St. Nino’s cross is kept, an artefact particularly revered by Georgian Christians. Secondly, the repainting of the temple was part of Tbilisi’s expansion, which was part of the 19th-century tsars’ policy towards the Caucasus. The main goal was to transform it from an Asian city on the outskirts of tsarist Russia into a modern European metropolis. The administration planned to make Tbilisi the most important centre in the region and one of the most important places on the Russian Empire’s map. Thirdly, and perhaps most interestingly, is the style of Gagarin’s project. The frescoes, referred to by the author as Neo-Byzantine, exemplify the stylistic shifts that occurred in Russian painting during the 19th century, especially in Orthodox art and its Europeanisation. With reference to the aspects mentioned above, this paper analyses the iconography of the Dogmatic, the Saints, and the Marian Cycles, but its primary focus is on the Hagiographic Cycle. This cycle was a crucial part of Gagarin’s project to decorate the Sioni Cathedral’s interior. He had relative freedom in choosing the iconography, which allowed him to include particular local cults. Gagarin used the figures of saints such as St. Nino, St. Ketevan the Martyr, and the Thirteen Assyrian Fathers. He also adapted specific architectural parts of the temple to present and emphasise the saints’ importance to Georgians. This paper aims to place Gagarin’s project in a broader historical, cultural, and religious context. It attempts to understand Gagarin’s respect for Georgian traditions and cults.

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