Travel with art critics to South Ossetia
It was one of the most important trips for us in 2021. Tour to South Ossetia (plus North Ossetia and Ingushetia) for professional art critics, historians and religious scholars.

The main purpose of the trip was to visit medieval temples of the 9th and 13th centuries located on the territory of South Ossetia, which have almost no analogues on the territory of Georgia. Although nature, walks, wine, communication with local people and immersion in the cultural and historical context turned out to be just as important.

Unfortunately, the camera has not captured everything. I forgot about my camera when Elsa, the owner of the medieval tower in Tsorbis village, received us at her home. And it was certainly strange to photograph during the enchanting feast made by Tola Goyaev, a former field commander, and now the best winegrower of the country. It was completely impossible to reflect the soulfulness of the meeting at the National Museum in Tskhinvali.
Tir monastery
01 Frescoes of Tir monastery. Photo by Dmitry Lemeshev
02 Frescoes of Tir monastery. Photo by Dmitry Lemeshev
This is a rare example of Georgian architecture created in the period of Mongol domination, when stone construction was almost stopped in Kartli and Kakheti. The frescoes of the 14th century are interesting here; their style is similar to the paintings in Ubisi and Zarzma ( Georgia) and in Nuzal (North Ossetia).
Ruines of Gwerda church
Gwerda church. Photo by Dmitry Lemeshev
One of the many temples in the vicinity of Kornis. Once it was a huge village, belonged to the kings of Kartli, but it was almost completely destroyed in the 70s of the 18th century during the raid of the Dagestani highlanders.
Vakhtana
Frescoes of Vakhtana. Photo by Dmitry Lemeshev
The temple has already lost its roof and most of the walls, but the murals are still there, exposed to rains and winds.
Tigwa temple
Tigwa temple. Photo by Dmitry Lemeshev
The Church of the Assumption of the Virgin is the largest medieval temple in South Ossetia. It was erected in 1152 by order of Tamara, the daughter of King David IV the Builder. Her father married her to the future Shirvanshah Minuchihr III the Great - the marriage was supposed to bring together the eternal rivals. But Tamara did not succeed in uniting Shirvan and the possessions of the Bagratids, and after the death of her husband, she left for Tigva and tonsured a nun.
Tsirkoli
01 Tsirkoli temple. Photo by Dmitry Lemeshev
02 Tsirkoli temple. Photo by Dmitry Lemeshev
03 Tsirkoli temple. Photo by Dmitry Lemeshev
The temple of the 9th century belongs to the same type of temples as Armazi. Initially, we did not plan to go here, moreover, I myself have never been here. But our art critics learned about this temple from colleagues before the flight and were intrigued.
Ikorta temple
01 Ikorta temple. Photo by Dmitry Lemeshev
02 Ikorta temple. Photo by Dmitry Lemeshev
This is a temple of the XII century, one of the most beautiful in South Ossetia. It was the family tomb of the Ksani Eristavs. It is better to read more about it in the guide..
Nuzal temple
The Nuzal temple (mid-XIV century) has a very modest size and a number of features that make it akin to some of the high-mountainous temples of Svaneti. The appearance of the temple slightly resembles Ossetian crypts and, perhaps, such architecture became the basis for the development of the crypt architecture of the Central Caucasus in the 16th-17th centuries.

It is interesting that the signature of the author of the frescoes has survived - this is Vola from Tli, who was ethnic Ossetian lived in the village of Tli (most likely in the Mamison gorge) and was educated in Georgia or maybe even in Byzantium.

The place is incredibly important and therefore controversial for local residents. For the majority of Ossetians, this is primarily a "holy place" of the folk tradition, and not a Christian temple. According to legend, Os-Bagatar, the last king of Alania, was buried here and there was a tomb of his family, which was definitely one of the most influential in the region.

Go to Top