GEORGIAN SPIRITUAL AND MATERIAL CULTURE MONUMENTS: EORGIAN-ABKHAZIAN-CAUCASIAN PRACTICE
Abstract
The purpose of the research carried out by us is to substantiate the historical foundations of the dominance and benevolent influence of Georgian culture on the Caucasian scale. The task of the project (OTG-I-21-273) was to conduct an objective, non-biased research and evaluation of the Georgian cultural heritage spread in the North Caucasus and also in the occupied territories of Georgia itself (the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region/former South Ossetian Autonomous District) and the society living there, which was implemented with the support of Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation of Georgia. This article/essay is a part of the research results produced within the project.The novelty of the researchlies, first of all, in the fact that the assessment of Georgian spiritual and material culture (including completely newly discovered epigraphic sources) is offered together with us by a master class that receives the culture itself and sees it from the inside. The research strategy (methodology) presented in the project is also original and innovative, considering the synthesis of traditional and alternative methods of history representation.In the Caucasian scientific community, which remains outside of Georgia, today, the justification of kinship with the Georgian world, the commonality of genetic, cultural, political values is not popular, moreover, it is ignored and limited by the political conjuncture. What are the historical foundations of the existence of Georgian cultural patches in the Caucasian practice? To what extent has the cultural orbit in the Caucasus changed along with the change in the political and confessional framework? What is the number and condition of monuments marked by Georgian culture, writing and Christian religion in Ingushetia, Chechnya, Dagestan, Ossetia, Cherkessia and Abkhazia? - These were the main research questions, to answer which, for 1 year, we conducted the study/recording of Georgian historical monuments, cultural heritage samples, written and other sources, ethnographic data in the Caucasus region. The representatives of the nations themselves discuss, tell everything, which, on the one hand, is imprinted in the collective memory of their nation in oral form and, on the other hand, is based on their own national source knowledge base.
Monuments depicting Georgian culture, writing and Christian religion, which are quite preserved in the North Caucasus, are particularly rich inDagestan, Ingushetia and Chechnya. Monuments of material culture - temples, cult buildings, tombs are accompanied by inscriptions written in Georgian script (Asomatjuri, Nuskha-Khutsuri), in which in many cases the realization of the language material of the locals is reflected in Georgian graphemes. This kind of factology probably indicates the functioning of local scripts created on the basis of the Georgian script, more precisely, the attempt to create a script (language materialization). It is worth noting the fact that throughout the history of the Caucasians, only Georgia managed to peacefully integrate our region, unify it by non-forceful means, as well as maintain full-fledged statehood along with the country's independence. The benevolent influence of Georgian, both ethnically, culturally and religiously, is still alive today among the peoples of the North Caucasus. As the Ingush proverb informs us: Gurzhechoh moastagh khurgva - "Georgian will never be an enemy"... Also, the Dido curse in Dagestan - "May the rolled stone of Queen Tamar kill you" is very telling, where the positive face of the king Tamar is presented as a valuable historical figure and ruler for Dagestanis.
Key words: Georgian culture; Christian religion; Script; Caucasian scale; Historical monuments
