The Four Gospels of Kurashi Restored by the National Archives Returns to the Community of Etseri

One of the outstanding monuments of Georgian culture, the 12th-century Four Gospels of Kurashi, has returned to the community of Ets'eri. Deputy Minister of Justice Buba Lomuaia, General Director of the National Archives Theona Iashvili, and Head of the Restoration Department Tamila Apakidze presented the restored Four Gospels to representatives of the Ets'eri community at the National Archives of the Ministry of Justice of Georgia. From now on, it will be returned to the Church of St. George in the village of Kurashi. A special prayer was held by His Grace Ilari, Bishop of Mestia and Upper Svaneti.

National Archives restorers worked on the restoration and conservation of the book for 18 months. The manuscript, executed on parchment, consists of 151 pages and includes the Four Gospels in the redaction of Giorgi Mtatsmindeli. The book is accompanied by various period notes and bequests. Two pages of the manuscript are palimpsestic, containing fragments of a 9th-10th century Jerusalem lectionary on its lower layer.

Before restoration, the manuscript was in a semi-dismantled state and without a cover. Its damaged and stiff pages had stains; there was dust, mold, and candle residue; and the sequence of the pages was disrupted.

The restorers carried out disinfection work on each page of the Gospels; they were cleaned using dry and wet methods; dust, mold, and candle residue were removed; stiff and deformed pages were softened and straightened; and damaged edges were filled with artificial parchment. Additionally, the text of the manuscript was organized in terms of content, renumbered, and bound anew, with a cover made and placed in a new leather binding.

The Gospels of Kurashi is the second manuscript preserved in Svaneti, with restoration and conservation conducted in the National Archives laboratory. In 2021, restoration work was also carried out on the 12th-century Four Gospels of Lakhami here.

The restoration of both manuscripts was made possible based on preliminary negotiations with the local community.

 

In addition to representatives from the community of Ets'eri and local authorities, the event was attended by Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili; Minister of Culture, Sport, and Youth Tea Tsulukiani; Chairperson of the "People's Power" party Sozar Subari; as well as representatives from the legislative and executive branches of government.