National Archives hosts international conference marking 1,700 years since Christianity became state religion in Georgia

The 11th International Scientific Conference, “Archival Studies, Source Studies — Trends and Challenges,” has opened at the National Archives of the Georgian Ministry of Justice. This year’s conference is dedicated to the 1,700th anniversary of Christianity being declared the state religion in Georgia.

By adopting Christianity and declaring it the state religion, Georgia chose a spiritual path that shaped the country’s culture, thought, state development and values. Its influence was reflected in architecture, painting, hymnography and literature.

The conference was opened by Deputy Justice Minister Tamar Zodelava and National Archives Director General Teona Iashvili. Participants were also welcomed by Claudia Rapp, Professor at the University of Vienna and member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, and Ketevan Asatiani, Head of the National Archives’ Scientific Department.

More than 40 Georgian and foreign scholars are participating in the event. They will present their latest research on the spread of Christianity in the South Caucasus and its declaration as a state religion, examining these developments in the context of parallel processes in the Roman and Sasanian empires, as well as narratives that have emerged around the world.

The presentations cover the activities of Christian missionaries and educators, the development of monasticism, the organizational transformation of the Georgian Church, liturgy, and the history of saints and religious festivals.

Particular attention will be paid to the role of Christianity as a religion of the written word, as well as Christian art and culture, medieval historiography, and interpretations of religion in the late medieval and modern periods.

The conference will be held at the National Archives of Georgia through October 3.

The National Archives of Georgia released the information