Sophie Kebura is a teacher of Art history at the Tbilisi State University, Department of Art History. Her husband Fr Vasili Kobakhidze, is an archpriest of the Church at Tbilisi State University which was recently built to honour the name of the Georgian King Saint David the Builder. Fr Vasili is also Vice-Rector of the Tbilisi Theological Seminary and Academy where he teaches Canon Law.

Georgia is a traditional Orthodox country and Orthodoxy still remains the main religion, despite a growing number of different sects. Women's role in spreading and confirming Christianity in Georgia has always been of special importance. According to the apocryphal life of the Virgin, Georgia was favoured to be converted by the Blessed Virgin Herself, but because her death-hour was close, she entrusted St Andrew the First with the mission. The Gospel was preached in Georgia by St Andrew together with Simon the Zealot who died a martyr and was buried on the Mt New Atony (Athos) in Georgia.

The Georgian chronicle relates it was St Nino, who converted Georgia to Christianity. According to a later version of her life: (written in the twelfth century), the Blessed Virgin appeared before the captive Nino of Cappadocia, gave her a cross from vine wood and instructed her to convert the Georgians to the Christian faith. St Nino became known as the physician. She cured and converted Queen Nana and St King Myrian who became the first Christian rulers of the kingdom. In 337, during their reign, Christianity was declared the official religion. Original hagiographical works of literature of the fifth century "The Martyrdom of Shushanik" tell of the faithful woman who suffered for Christianity when her husband tried to convert her to apostacy.

Georgia has two other intercessors before God - Georgian Queens: Tamar (1160-1213) and Keteran (c.1624). St Ketevan was killed after being tortured in Persia, when the Shah unsuccessfully tried to persuade her to convert to Islam. Augustinian monks took her remnants out of Persia. They were kept in the Alaverdi Cathedral in Georgia but were lost in 1723. The remnants have been variously recorded as seen in India (monastery of Goa-da-Grass); in Rome (St Peter's Chapel) and in Belgium (Nemiuri Chapel). St Ketevan's martyrdom was described by her son, King Teimuraz I in poetry, variously written by Gregorio Orsini, Pietro della Valle, Claude Mallengre and the German writer A Grippius.

Unfortunately, the succession of centuries old traditions of faithfulness was interrupted by the seventy years of communist rule. However, due to the activity of our Catholicos Patriarch Kia II there is now a resurgence to the faith amongst the people. The monasteries are receiving many nuns. Many young women are studying at the Tbilisi Theological Institute of the Georgian Patriarchate. Day by day women's responsibility in the Church increases. Friendship and spiritual connection between Orthodox women of Georgia and women of other countries will be very helpful to all women. For my part, I hope to contribute to the development of such relationships by preparing the Georgian-Russian-English dictionary of the terms of Orthodoxy. It will be some time before this work is completed, and a title is finalised.

( 7 June 2002)