Zemo Krikhi, Murals of the Church of Holy Archangels. Second Layer

Building:	Zemo Krikhi, Church of Holy Archangels
Layer of the Murals:	Second Layer
Date/Period:	The fourth quarter of the 11th century
Donor(s):	Unknown
Painter(s):	Unknown

Inscription(s)

of the Donor(s)

of the Painter(s)

Description

The second layer of the painting covered the whole interior of the church.

Chancel

In the chancel the painting was distributed in two registres: a three-figure Deesis/Vision was depicted in the chancel conch (the transitional composition from Christ in Glory to Deesis): enthroned Christ (Ⴢ(ႤႱ)Ⴣ | Ⴕ(ႰႨႱႲ)Ⴄ – Jesus Christ) with an open codex (John 8:12) flanked by the Virgin and St. John the Baptist imploring the intercession of Christ (Ⴜ(ႫႨႣႠ)Ⴢ : Ⴈ(ႭႠ)ႬႤ – Saint John). Images of a cherub and a seraph were depicted between these three figures; two archangels were represented in the bema: St. Gabriel with a labarum bearing an inscription (Ⴜ(ႫႨႣႠ)Ⴢ : Ⴂ(Ⴀ)Ⴁ(ႰႨႤ)Ⴊ – Saint Gabriel) on the southern panel (Isaiah 6:3), and St. Michael on the northern panel (Ⴜ(ႫႨႣႠ)Ⴢ : Ⴋ(Ⴈ)Ⴕ(ႠႤ)Ⴊ – Saint Michael). The second registre of the chancel was occupied by a row of church fathers made up of six frontal figures. South of the central window of the chancel: St. John Chrysostom (Ⴜ(ႫႨႣႠ)Ⴢ : Ⴈ(ႭႠ)ႬႤ | ႭႵႰႭႮႨႰႨ – Saint John Chrysostom); St. Nicholas (Ⴜ(ႫႨႣႠ)Ⴢ : | Ⴌ(Ⴈ)Ⴉ(ႭႪႭ)Ⴆ – Saint Nicholas); St. Athanasius of Alexandria (Ⴜ(ႫႨႣႠ)Ⴢ : | ႠႧႠႬႠႱႤ – Saint Athanasios); north of the window – St. Gregory the Theologian (Ⴜ(ႫႨႣႠ)Ⴢ : | Ⴂ(ႰႨ)Ⴂ(Ⴍ)ႪႨ – Saint Gregory), St. Basil the Great (Ⴜ(ႫႨႣႠ)Ⴢ : | ႡႠႱႨႪႨ – Saint Basil), St. Cyril of Alexandria (Ⴜ(ႫႨႣႠ)Ⴢ : | ႩႨႰႨ[ႪႤ] – Saint Cyril); lintels of the three chancel windows represented saint deacons and stylites: in the central window – saint deacons (unidentified); south window – stylites (identities not specified); north window – unknown saints.

Aisle

The tympanum of the east wall (triumphal arch of the chancel) represents the Annunciation (ႾႠႰ[ႤႡႠჂ] – Annunciation), to which St. Isaiah the Prophet (Ⴜ(ႨႬႠႱ)Ⴜ(ႠႰႫႤ)ႲႷ(ႥႤ)ႪႨ ႤႱႠႨႠ – Prophet Isaiah), depicted with an open scroll at the north edge of the arch, is related (the inscription is executed in minuscule script – Isaiah 7:14). Frontal figures of four martyred holy mothers are represented on the lower sections of the wall; south to north: St. Marine (Ⴜ(ႫႨႣႠ)Ⴢ : | ႫႠႰႨႬႠ – Saint Marine); St. Catherine (Ⴜ(ႫႨႣႠ)Ⴢ : ႤႩႠႲႨႰႨႬႠ – Saint Catherine); St. Irene (Ⴜ(ႫႨႣႠ)Ⴢ : ႨႰႨႬႠ – Saint Irene); St. Barbara (Ⴜ(ႫႨႣႠ)Ⴢ : | ႡႠႰႡႠႰႠ – Saint Barbara).

Painting on the south wall was distributed in three registres;

The Nativity (ႸႭ[ႡႠჂ] | Ⴕ [(ႰႨႱႲ)ႤႱႨ] – Birth of Christ]) and the Transfiguration were depicted in the first registre on the southern panel of the vault.

The second registre represented the second half of the Raising of Lazarus (the first half of the Raising of Lazarus (Ⴊ(Ⴀ)Ⴆ(Ⴀ)ႰႤႱ : ႠႶႣ|ႢႨႬႤႡႠ – Raising of Lazarus) with the Savior and St. Peter extended into the middle part of the east wall) and images of saints.

Above the eastern arch of the arcade on the wall two half-length figures of holy martyrs were depicted (identity unknown). Two holy monks – St. Arsen (Ⴜ(ႫႨႣႠ)Ⴢ : ႠႰႱႤႬႨ – Saint Arsen) and St. Anton (Ⴜ(ႫႨႣႠ)Ⴢ : ႠႬႲႭႬႨ – Saint Anton) are represented on both sides of the east window; St. Onofre (Ⴜ(ႫႨႣႠ)Ⴢ : ႭႬႭႴႰႤ – Saint Onofre) and St. Pachomius/Pafnut ([Ⴜ(ႫႨႣႠ)Ⴢ] ႮႠ[ႾႭჃႫႨ] – Saint Pachomios) – on window lintels; holy monk (name is lost) – left of the west window.

In the third registre, figures of saints were depicted on the eastern edge of the wall and saint martyr (?) – on top of the south door (identity unknown).

Painting on the north wall was distributed in the same way as on the south wall. The Baptism and The Ascension (ႠႫႠႶႪႤႡႠჂ: Ⴕ(ႰႨႱႲႤ)ႱႨ – Ascension of Christ and Ⴢ(ႤႱ)Ⴣ | Ⴕ(ႰႨႱႲ)Ⴄ – Jesus Christ) were depicted on the northern panel of the vault (first registre).

The second, middle registre represented the Crucifixion (inscription on the board was renovated in minuscule script later), the Descent into Hell (the section of the host of the Righteous extends into the middle part of the east wall); the upper area of the registre is filled with the host of ‘servant’ angels occupying the section left between the first and the second registres.

The third registre shows four donors in supplication before St. Archangel Michael: the third figure is accompanied with an inscription: ႤႱႤ : ႠႰႱ ႥႠႹႨႠႬႨ – This is Vachiani).

The painting on the west wall was destroyed during the renovation of the church in 1884; it had not been described. Tinatin Virsaladze presumed presence of compositions of the Presentation, the Pentecost and the Dormition on this wall.

Dating

During the monographic research of the painting, Tinatin Virsaladze considered the second quarter of the eleventh century -the period of constructing the gate of the church – as the date of painting the frescos (Tinatin Virsaladze, “Freskovaja rospis’ v tcerkvi arkhangelov sela Zemo Krikhi” [“Murals of the Church of Archangels in the village Zemo Krikhi”], Ars Georgica 6-A (1963): 107–70; Reprinted in id., Izbrannye trudy [Collected Studies] (Tbilisi, 2007), 107-70); however, later, in her report dealing with the major stages of development of Georgian wall painting she defined the date by the mid or the second half of the eleventh century (Tinatin Virsaladze, “Osnovnye etapy razvitija gruzinskoj srednevekovoj monumenta’noj zhivopisi” [“Main Stages of Development of Medieval Georgian Monumental Painting”], II Mezhdunarodnij simpozium po gruzinskomu iskusstvu [II International Symposium on Georgian Art] (Tbilisi, 1977), 14; Reprinted in id., Izbrannye trudy [Collected Studies] (Tbilisi, 2007), 17). Nowadays, studies provide both dates, but the priority is often given to the second quarter of the eleventh century (comp. Ekaterine Privalova, “Shua saukuneebis k’art’uli kedlis mkhatvrobis ert’i t’aviseburebis shesakheb zemo krikhis mt’avarangelozt’a eklesiis magalit’ze” [“Concerning a Certain Pecularity of Medieval Georgian Wall Painting on the Example of the Church of Archangels in Zemo Krikhi”], ts’elits’deuli [Annual] I (1995): 9-28; Marine Q’enia, “Kidev ertkhel zemo krikhis mt’avarangelozt’a eklesiis mokhatulobis programis gamo” [“Once Again on the Programme of the Murals in the Church of Holy Archangels in Zemo Krikhi”], Sak’art’velos sidzveleni [Georgian Antiquities] 6 (2004): 89-104). However, in some cases the second date is also cited (see: (იხ. Rach’a 1991: Mits’idzvrit’ dazianebuli dzeglebi [Racha: Heritage destroyed in the 1991 Earthquake] (Tbilisi, 2008), 8-10).

Iconographic characteristics and certain features of the artistic style of the murals of the church of Zemo Krikhi more convincingly indicate the date of painting the frescos -the second half of the eleventh century.

Bibliography

Tinatin Virsaladze, “Freskovaja rospis’ v tcerkvi arkhangelov sela Zemo Krikhi” [“Murals of the Church of Archangels in the village Zemo Krikhi”], Ars Georgica 6-A (1963): 107–70; Reprinted in id., Izbrannye trudy [Collected Studies] (Tbilisi, 2007), 25–95.

Tinatin Virsaladze, “Osnovnye etapy razvitija gruzinskoj srednevekovoj monumenta’noj zhivopisi” [“Main Stages of Development of Medieval Georgian Monumental Painting”], II Mezhdunarodnij simpozium po gruzinskomu iskusstvu [II International Symposium on Georgian Art] (Tbilisi, 1977), 14; Reprinted in id., Izbrannye trudy [Collected Studies] (Tbilisi, 2007), 17.

Giorgi Boch’oridze, Rach’a-lechkhumis istoriuli dzeglebi da sidzveleebi [Historical Monuments and Antiquities of Racha-Lechkhumi] (Tbilisi, 1992), 157–65.

Ekaterine Privalova, “Shua saukuneebis k’art’uli kedlis mkhatvrobis ert’i t’aviseburebis shesakheb zemo krikhis mt’avarangelozt’a eklesiis magalit’ze” [“Concerning a Certain Pecularity of Medieval Georgian Wall Painting on the Example of the Church of Archangels in Zemo Krikhi”], ts’elits’deuli [Annual] I (1995): 9–28.

Marine Q’enia, “Kidev ertkhel zemo krikhis mt’avarangelozt’a eklesiis mokhatulobis programis gamo” [“Once Again on the Programme of the Murals in the Church of Holy Archangels in Zemo Krikhi”], Sak’art’velos sidzveleni [Georgian Antiquities] 6 (2004): 89–104.

Rach’a 1991: Mits’idzvrit’ dazianebuli dzeglebi [Racha: Heritage destroyed in the 1991 Earthquake] (Tbilisi, 2008), 8–10, 45–97.

Efhtalia Constantinides, “The Frescoes of the Church of the Holy Archangels at Zemo-Krichi, Rača (Georgia) and the Contemporary Monuments on Mani in Southern Greece”, Δελτίον της Χριστιανικής Αρχαιολογικής Εταιρείας 17 (1993–1994): 181–92; Reprinted in id., Images From Byzantine Periphery. Studies in Iconography and Style (Leiden, 2007), 180–94.