Catholic Shrines & Places of Interest in the Republic of Georgia
About the Republic of Georgia:
Georgia (officially Sakartvelo) is a country in the South Caucasus region at the intersection of Eastern Europe and West Asia. It is generally regarded as part of Europe.
In size, The Republic of Georgia is approximately 69,700 km² (about the size of West Virginia or slightly larger than Latvia), including territories not fully under government control, with a population of roughly 3.6–3.9 million (estimates around 3.6–3.9 million excluding breakaway regions; some sources cite higher figures including them). Ethnic composition is predominantly Georgian (around 85–87%), with Azerbaijani, Armenian, and other minorities
The official language is Georgian and the currency is the Georgian lari (GEL). Georgia is a unitary parliamentary republic. The President is largely ceremonial head of state; the Prime Minister is head of government. Georgia borders Russia (north/northeast), Azerbaijan (east/southeast), Armenia and Turkey (south), Black Sea (west)
Georgia is highly mountainous, dominated by the Greater Caucasus range in the north. It features subtropical Black Sea coastal areas, fertile lowlands, and high peaks (many over 4,000–5,000 m). The climate varies from subtropical in the west to more continental in the east. Notable features include the Colchic rainforests and wetlands (a UNESCO site) and historic regions like Svaneti.
Key modern events include the Rose Revolution (2003), ცია, romanized: vardebis revolutsia) was a nonviolent change of power that occurred in Georgia in November 2003. The event was brought about by widespread protests over the disputed parliamentary elections and culminated in the resignation of President Eduard Shevardnadze, which marked the end of Soviet-era leadership in the country. The revolution derives its name from the climactic moment, when demonstrators led by Mikheil Saakashvili stormed the Parliament session with red roses in hand.
In May 2004, the so-called “Second Rose Revolution” took place in Batumi, Adjara. After months of extreme tension between Saakashvili’s government and Aslan Abashidze, the virtual dictator of the autonomous region, thousands of Adjarans, mobilized by the United National Movement and Kmara, protested against Abashidze’s policy of separatism and militarization. Abashidze used security forces and paramilitary groups to break up the demonstrations in the streets of Batumi and Kobuleti. However, he failed to suppress the protests, and they grew in size and scope. On May 6, 2004 (again St George’s Day), protesters from all Ajara gathered in Batumi despite being dispersed by force the day before. Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania and Interior Minister Giorgi Baramidze negotiated with Adjaran Interior Minister Jemal Gogitidze to withdraw his forces from the administrative border at the Choloki River and led Georgian Special Forces into the region.
“The Orange Revolution”, which followed the disputed November 2004 Ukrainian presidential election, is said to have been partly inspired by the Georgian Rose Revolution. Abkhazia and South Ossetia remain under Russian-backed control outside effective Georgian authority.
Today, The Republic of Georgia is an upper-middle-income economy with recent strong growth in some years, driven by services, tourism, trade, remittances, and re-exports. Key sectors include tourism, agriculture (wine, tea, citrus, nuts), mining, and transport/logistics (as a Black Sea gateway). It is famous for its ancient winemaking tradition, distinctive polyphonic singing, hospitality, cuisine (khachapuri, khinkali, etc.), and rich cultural heritage (churches, monasteries, and the Georgian alphabet/script).
Georgia is known for stunning landscapes, historic sites (e.g., Mtskheta, Gelati Monastery, Ushguli), and as a popular travel destination. Its official name in Georgian is Sakartvelo; “Georgia” is the common English exonym (distinct from the U.S. state of the same name).
Catholic places of interest in The Republic of Georgia:
There are approximately 80,000 Catholics in Georgia – around 2% of the total population. They are mostly found either in Tbilisi or in the southern region of the country, where exclusively Catholic villages exist.
Tbilisi:
The capital city of the Republic of Georgia, Tbilisi has two Catholic churches: the Cathedral of Our Lady in the old historical part of Tbilisi, and the parish church of St Peter and St Paul. Many other Catholic churches were confiscated by the Georgian Orthodox Church after the fall of communism, when the state gave all church property back to the Georgian Orthodox church.