Barakoni
Encyclopedia
Barakoni Church of the Mother of God , commonly known as Barakoni (ბარაკონი), is an Orthodox church in Georgia
, near the town of Ambrolauri
, in the village of Tsesi of mountainous western province of Racha
(modern-day Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti
).
Barakoni was commissioned, in 1753, by the local lord (eristavi
) Rostom of Racha from the architect Avtandil Shulavreli who is commemorated in the inscription of the eastern façade. It is a domed cruciform church and one of the last important monuments in the tradition of medieval Georgian architecture. The church was build of neatly trimmed stable stand stones and adorned with rich ornamentation. The church was closed and desecrated under the Bolshevik
rule. It suffered further damage, though not serious, in the 1991 Racha earthquake
, but was quickly repaired. Located on a top of a steep cliff, it overlooks Rioni River
which joins the Lukhuni River just below the mountain.
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
, near the town of Ambrolauri
Ambrolauri
Ambrolauri is a town in western Georgia which serves as a regional capital of Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti and the center of the homonymous district. As of the 2002 census, it had a population of 2,500....
, in the village of Tsesi of mountainous western province of Racha
Racha
Racha is a highland area in western Georgia, located in the upper Rioni river valley and hemmed in by the Greater Caucasus mountains...
(modern-day Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti
Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti
Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti is a region in northwestern Georgia which includes the historical provinces of Racha, Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti . It covers an area of 4,954 km² and has a population of 50,969 . It is the most sparsely populated region in the country...
).
Barakoni was commissioned, in 1753, by the local lord (eristavi
Eristavi
Eristavi was a Georgian feudal office, roughly equivalent to the Byzantine strategos and normally translated into English as "duke". In the Georgian aristocratic hierarchy, it was the title of the third rank of prince and governor of a large province...
) Rostom of Racha from the architect Avtandil Shulavreli who is commemorated in the inscription of the eastern façade. It is a domed cruciform church and one of the last important monuments in the tradition of medieval Georgian architecture. The church was build of neatly trimmed stable stand stones and adorned with rich ornamentation. The church was closed and desecrated under the Bolshevik
Bolshevik
The Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists , derived from bol'shinstvo, "majority") were a faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party which split apart from the Menshevik faction at the Second Party Congress in 1903....
rule. It suffered further damage, though not serious, in the 1991 Racha earthquake
1991 Racha earthquake
The 1991 Racha earthquake occurred in the province of Racha, Georgia at 9:12 UTC on 29 April. Centered on the districts of Oni and Ambrolauri on the southern foothills of the Greater Caucasus mountains, it killed 270, left approximately 100,000 homeless and caused severe damage, including to...
, but was quickly repaired. Located on a top of a steep cliff, it overlooks Rioni River
Rioni River
The Rioni or Rion River is the main river of western Georgia. It originates in the Caucasus Mountains, in the region of Racha and flows west to the Black Sea, entering it north of the city of Poti...
which joins the Lukhuni River just below the mountain.