AMGEENRU

Bolnisi’s Sioni

14.08.2013 15:41

Oldest Georgian church, Bolnisi’s Sioni is located in Kvemo Kartli, on the bank of the river Poladauri in Bolnisi village (coordinates: 41.231985 44.304499).

Bolnisi’s Sioni is a three-nave basilica, built in the V c., with open arched gallery along the north façade, second small arched gallery and baptistery room in the south part.

As the inscription located over the north entrance says: ”with the help of saint trinity construction of this church was started when King Peroz was 20 and completed in fourteen years”. The church was built in 478- 493. The initiator of construction was Bishop David. The architecture of the church fascinates with its strict monumentality – here, like generally in the architecture of early feudal period, focus was made on making the internal space beautiful and decoration of façade is less important.

The church is built of cleanly cut quadras of greenish color. Use of sculptural and ornamental decorations occurs for the first time in Bolnisi’s Sioni. There are fragments of later paintings in the interior.

Bolnisi’s Sioni has preserved the oldest Asomtavruli inscription. The church is decorated with astonishing relief sculptures: buffalo head, images of birds and animals, as well as various geometric and vegetal carvings, crosses. One part of birds and animals has symbolic loading in Christian religion. Peacock depicts immortality of spirit, deer is identified with a faithful person.

One type of cross – cross with widened ends inside the circle is known as “Bolnisi cross”. There was arched gallery along the north wall of the church, most part of which is ruined presently.

Bolnisi’s Sioni, as well as Georgian architecture of early feudal period in general, is distinguished for its strict monumentality of interior – main focus is made on artistic solution of internal space, whilst the significance of façade is secondary.

The influence of centrist compositions, traditional for Georgia, is proven by the absence of entrance in the north (the present one was cut in the XVII c.) which contradicts to “linear” nature of basilica. Interesting sculptural decoration of bases and column tops is concentrated in the north gallery and interior of the church. Together with vegetal and geometric images, revealing relation with Sasanian art, there are various images of Christian symbol – cross; one of them - the cross with widened ends in circular frame) – is known as “Bolnisi Cross”. In Bolnisi’s Sioni, for the first time if Georgian architecture, we meet relief sculptural images as well (buffalo head, various birds and animals), related to pre-Christian period, and adopted by Christian religion.

Bolnisi’s Sioni clearly demonstrates relation of Georgian basilica with basilicas of other countries of Christian world, as well as its sharply manifested peculiarities. Near the church, in south-west, there is a bell-tower of the XVII c. Bolnisi’s Sioni is fundamentally restored and repaired. In XVII c. the roof vaults were restored with support columns, west entrance was cut. As a result of works performed in 1936- 1939 the monument was excavated, repaired, roofed and strengthened. In 1967-1969 the north gallery was roofed and its west wall was restored, the copy of an ancient inscription was installed in its place, new stone floor was laid. Scientific activities were held in Bolnisi’s Sioni. Manuscripts produced on the initiative of Bolnisian bishops are well-known. Ione Bolneli worked there in the X-XI c.c.