A Public Lecture by Historian Mzia Surguladze Was Held at the Georgian Technical University Within the Framework of the Cultural-Educational Program “Georgian Identity”

A public lecture by Doctor of Historical Sciences Mzia Surguladze – “Relations between Church and State in Medieval Georgia” was held at the Georgian Technical University within the framework of the cultural-educational program “Georgian Identity”.

The event organizers, with “Logos – International Center for Christian Research”, are the Scientific Research Center of Theology and the Laboratory of Christian Studies of the Georgian Technical University.

The public lecture, moderated by Priest Zakaria Gatenadze, was attended by students of various faculties of GTU, professors and teachers, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor Aleksandre Daushvili, and other guests.

The meeting was opened by Associate Professor Ivane (Mamuka) Giorgadze, the Dean of the Faculty of Law and International Relations of GTU.

As the Dean noted, the joint project of the Georgian National Academy of Sciences and the Patriarchate of Georgia – “Georgian Identity” aims to provide the youth with knowledge and analysis of the history of Georgia.

“The public lecture series, dedicated to the 1700th anniversary of the declaration of Christianity as the state religion, provides young people with a great deal of help in understanding the history and cultural heritage of Georgia. Our students receive extensive information about Georgia’s achievements over the centuries, important historical facts and events, and relations established within and outside the country, which in turn raises their national self-awareness and fosters patriotism. We are confident that Dr. Mzia Surguladze’s lecture on the relationship between the Church and the Georgian state in the Middle Ages will allow students to understand the role of the state and the Church in a broad perspective, the legal relations between them, and the function and role of each of them in the formation and development of common national values and a common state vision,” noted Ivane Giorgadze.

As Dr. Mzia Surguladze noted, the church is a subject with a special status in any country. Accordingly, the study of the relationship between the church and the state is fundamentally important. According to her, a particularly important period in this regard is the Middle Ages.

The researcher spoke about the Georgian Orthodox Church, which has always been the foundation of Georgian statehood and, along with its confession, had a special role and a great political mission. She shared with the audience several interesting episodes from the history of medieval Georgia, which are a vivid example of the relations formed between the church and the state and the consequences arising from them.

At the end of the public lecture, historian Mzia Surguladze answered the audience’s questions, and interested students were provided with several additional important facts about medieval Georgia and discussed their significance.

For information, in 2026, Georgia will celebrate the 1700th anniversary of the declaration of Christianity as the state religion. In connection with this date, under the leadership of scientists and cultural figures, with the support of the Patriarchate of Georgia and the Georgian National Academy of Sciences, a three-year cultural and educational program – “Georgian Identity” was developed, which was launched in May 2024.

With the involvement of the public, the program aims to analyze the most important stages of history that have defined the unique culture and values of Georgia.

Video recordings of the public lectures can be viewed on the YouTube channel.