I am current reading Lives of the Georgian Saints by Archpriest Zakaria Machitadze. I highly recommend it. The book is well done--a tight hardcover, with color icon prints of the Georgian saints, as well as many pictures of their churches and monasteries. In chronicling these little-known saints (at least to us in the West), the author also imparts a tremendous amount of Georgian history, from the first century through the Soviet era. Perhaps more so than for any nation today, the history of the Orthodox Church is the history of this country. The book would certainly make a nice gift for someone, as well as excellent Lenten reading. Copies are $29 plus $4 mailing from St. Herman Press, here.
Oooh, that does look good. Thank you for the recommendation.
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Mimi - thank goodness for Powells.
ReplyDeleteJohn - did you go the site featured on the cover?
Yes I did. This is Svevtitskhoveli Cathedral in Mtskheta. It is absolutely enormous. A relatively new church--for Georgia--dating only to 1029, it occupies the site of a 4th-C church, traditionally the nation's first. The damage done by Tamerlane in the 14th-C is still visible. My guide told of priests during that time hiding priceless manuscripts in the secret chambers above the nave. A number of Georgian kings are buried here.
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