Recommended listening: "Christ is Risen" by The Georgian Harmony Choir
Story
On a cold day in the Caucasus Mountains, the last living member of the royal line of Abkhazia clutched her cloak for warmth. The sunlight played across her gold and pearls and shone on the walls of the newly built cathedral standing on the hill behind her. Her name was Gurandukht, daughter of King George II of Abkhazia and wife of King Gurgen of Kartli. Although three of her brothers had succeeded her father as King of Abkhazia, none had produced a male heir. After over a century of vigorous rule, the royal family of Abkhazia had been whittled down to one woman. But Gurandukht did have a male heir - a son called Bagrat. And through her and her husband, he was to inherit both the thrones of Abkhazia and Kartli, creating for the first time a unified Kingdom of Georgia.
We know little about Gurandukht's life, but what evidence we have tells us that she was an extremely influential political figure and a highly religious woman. In 964, she and her brother King Leon III dedicated Kumurdo Cathedral, and in an incredibly rare survival, an image of Gurandukht that was carved that year still survives above the cathedral's eastern arch. The image of her is obscure but may depict her holding a loros, a Byzantine symbol of royal authority. Although Abkhazia was no longer part of the Byzantine Empire, its elites still looked to Constantinople for their court iconography. Kartli was mostly under their control, but Gurandukht's marriage to Gurgen solidified this bond. We don't know when exactly Gurandukht was born or when she married Gurgen, but their son Bagrat was born around 960, setting her fate as the mother of a unified Georgia into motion.
This fate was by no means assured, however; Gurandukht and her husband worked hard to give their son powerful allies. As her sonless brothers ruled one after the other, Gurandukht and Gurgen were not content to sit by and let the throne of Abkhazia pass into oblivion. With the support of Prince David III of Tao, a powerful noble who adopted Bagrat as his foster son, they fought against rival aristocratic claimants to establish Bagrat as the heir of both Kartli and Abkhazia. Gurandukht and Gurgen were already jointly ruling as regents for Bagrat in Kartli, and in 978, they deposed her brother Theodosius and installed the eighteen-year-old Bagrat as King of Abkhazia. It was this political triumph that led Gurandukht and her son to sponsor the construction of Bedia Cathedral in the heart of Abkhazian territory.
In the intervening two decades between the instigation of the cathedral's construction and its completion, Gurandukht continued to play an active political role in her family's territories. While Bagrat consolidated his control over Abkhazia, she administered Uplistsikhe for him, a fortified city carved out of the living rock. Given the political turmoil of the time contesting her son's rule, this was a crucial strategic location in the kingdom, and the success of her son's rule suggests she led the area adeptly. After the death of her father-in-law, her husband was crowned King of Kings of the Georgians, paving the way for their son to unite the thrones of Abkhazia and Kartli. What she didn't know then was that her role as the unifier of Abkhazia and Kartli into Georgia would have political ramifications for the next thousand years. In the 21st century, Abkhazia is a hotly contested region, with Russia supporting its independence from Georgia while the rest of the world supports Georgia's claim. Ultimately, Georgia's claim to Abkhazia goes all the way back to Gurandukht, a woman who worked hard to bring Kartli and Abkhazia together through her cunning political manoeuvring.
Aside from the ongoing struggle between Abkhazia and Georgia, the greatest traces Gurandukht left behind for us are her cathedrals - from Kumurdo Cathedral in 964 when she was a young and ambitious queen, to the completion of Bedia Cathedral in 999, when she was an aging matriarch. That is how we find her here, dressed in the resplendent regalia of an Eastern European queen. All the fineries of the world, however, can't quite keep the cold out of an old woman's bones. Although the dedication of this church is a stepping stone to Georgia's future, she keeps in mind her continuity with the past, wearing a cross that belonged to her father George II, another great patron of the church. Here in Bedia, she and Bagrat together have commissioned a beautiful golden chalice, whose inscription reads as follows:
Holy Mother of God, intercede before your son for Bagrat, king of the Abkhazians, and his mother, the queen Gurandukht, the commissioners of this vessel, the decorators of this altar, and the builders of this holy church. Amen.
The inscription was written in Gurandukht's native Georgian, in a script which had served the church in Kartli since its foundation in the fifth century. She was a patron of Georgia's church as it gained greater and greater independence from the Church of Antioch. Just as she manipulated the political scene to create a unified Georgian state, so too did her patronage encourage the flourishing of a robust and independent Georgian church, which would be elevated to the highest independent status within the Orthodox world just ten years after her death. The dedication of the church and chalice in 999 are Gurandukht's final recorded act - she was dead by 1002. We find her in this illustration walking away from the church for the final time, leaving in her wake a new house of God as she contemplates her own reunion with the rest of the Abkhazian royal family in heaven.
We know little about Gurandukht's life, but what evidence we have tells us that she was an extremely influential political figure and a highly religious woman. In 964, she and her brother King Leon III dedicated Kumurdo Cathedral, and in an incredibly rare survival, an image of Gurandukht that was carved that year still survives above the cathedral's eastern arch. The image of her is obscure but may depict her holding a loros, a Byzantine symbol of royal authority. Although Abkhazia was no longer part of the Byzantine Empire, its elites still looked to Constantinople for their court iconography. Kartli was mostly under their control, but Gurandukht's marriage to Gurgen solidified this bond. We don't know when exactly Gurandukht was born or when she married Gurgen, but their son Bagrat was born around 960, setting her fate as the mother of a unified Georgia into motion.
This fate was by no means assured, however; Gurandukht and her husband worked hard to give their son powerful allies. As her sonless brothers ruled one after the other, Gurandukht and Gurgen were not content to sit by and let the throne of Abkhazia pass into oblivion. With the support of Prince David III of Tao, a powerful noble who adopted Bagrat as his foster son, they fought against rival aristocratic claimants to establish Bagrat as the heir of both Kartli and Abkhazia. Gurandukht and Gurgen were already jointly ruling as regents for Bagrat in Kartli, and in 978, they deposed her brother Theodosius and installed the eighteen-year-old Bagrat as King of Abkhazia. It was this political triumph that led Gurandukht and her son to sponsor the construction of Bedia Cathedral in the heart of Abkhazian territory.
In the intervening two decades between the instigation of the cathedral's construction and its completion, Gurandukht continued to play an active political role in her family's territories. While Bagrat consolidated his control over Abkhazia, she administered Uplistsikhe for him, a fortified city carved out of the living rock. Given the political turmoil of the time contesting her son's rule, this was a crucial strategic location in the kingdom, and the success of her son's rule suggests she led the area adeptly. After the death of her father-in-law, her husband was crowned King of Kings of the Georgians, paving the way for their son to unite the thrones of Abkhazia and Kartli. What she didn't know then was that her role as the unifier of Abkhazia and Kartli into Georgia would have political ramifications for the next thousand years. In the 21st century, Abkhazia is a hotly contested region, with Russia supporting its independence from Georgia while the rest of the world supports Georgia's claim. Ultimately, Georgia's claim to Abkhazia goes all the way back to Gurandukht, a woman who worked hard to bring Kartli and Abkhazia together through her cunning political manoeuvring.
Aside from the ongoing struggle between Abkhazia and Georgia, the greatest traces Gurandukht left behind for us are her cathedrals - from Kumurdo Cathedral in 964 when she was a young and ambitious queen, to the completion of Bedia Cathedral in 999, when she was an aging matriarch. That is how we find her here, dressed in the resplendent regalia of an Eastern European queen. All the fineries of the world, however, can't quite keep the cold out of an old woman's bones. Although the dedication of this church is a stepping stone to Georgia's future, she keeps in mind her continuity with the past, wearing a cross that belonged to her father George II, another great patron of the church. Here in Bedia, she and Bagrat together have commissioned a beautiful golden chalice, whose inscription reads as follows:
Holy Mother of God, intercede before your son for Bagrat, king of the Abkhazians, and his mother, the queen Gurandukht, the commissioners of this vessel, the decorators of this altar, and the builders of this holy church. Amen.
The inscription was written in Gurandukht's native Georgian, in a script which had served the church in Kartli since its foundation in the fifth century. She was a patron of Georgia's church as it gained greater and greater independence from the Church of Antioch. Just as she manipulated the political scene to create a unified Georgian state, so too did her patronage encourage the flourishing of a robust and independent Georgian church, which would be elevated to the highest independent status within the Orthodox world just ten years after her death. The dedication of the church and chalice in 999 are Gurandukht's final recorded act - she was dead by 1002. We find her in this illustration walking away from the church for the final time, leaving in her wake a new house of God as she contemplates her own reunion with the rest of the Abkhazian royal family in heaven.
Artist's Comments
I am so excited to bring Gurandukht's story out there, since she is the first woman I've found for my project who had a portrait of herself done in her lifetime! You can see the image here. I've been researching this picture for awhile, and it's been a real joy to learn about the history of Georgia, which I knew nothing about before! It was nice to be back in my element with some medieval European patterns. Those were my favourite thing to do in the picture. I also really enjoyed drawing an older woman, expanding the age range of women featured in the series. It was challenging to find references to medieval Georgia (especially because the country shares its name with a different, very popular period in fashion!) but it was helpful to look at Armenian and Byzantine parallels to flesh out the picture. I was especially excited to find the cross that belonged to her father - it's rare to have such a specific and relevant provenance for an item I use in an illustration. If you look very closely, you can see that her earrings bear a resemblance to Sitt al-Mulk's - Gurandukht's earrings are based on a real 11th century Armenian pair, where the artistic influence of their Islamic neighbours is obvious.
The illustration came out a bit differently than I imagined in my head - more colourful, I think. And the purples didn't go quite according to plan. But overall, I'm pretty happy with it. Thanks to my dad for his enthusiasm about me researching the Georgian Orthodox Church, and to my friends Sacha, Dizzy and Fuego for their help with some advice on the illustration. ~ December 22, 2018
The illustration came out a bit differently than I imagined in my head - more colourful, I think. And the purples didn't go quite according to plan. But overall, I'm pretty happy with it. Thanks to my dad for his enthusiasm about me researching the Georgian Orthodox Church, and to my friends Sacha, Dizzy and Fuego for their help with some advice on the illustration. ~ December 22, 2018
Resources
Want to learn more about Gurandukht and other women in the Orthodox world? Here are some recommended resources.
"Gurandukht of Abkhazia" on Wikipedia
Wikipedia gives a nice outline of her life and, most importantly, hosts a drawing of the relief of Gurandukht from Kumurdo Cathedral. On Wikipedia you can also see her father's cross and a picture of her son.
"Abhkazia and Georgia: Time for a Reassessment" by George Hewitt
This article deals with the 21st century politics behind Abkhazia's claims of independence from Georgia. Although the author is clearly in favour of the Republic of Abkhazia being recognized as a country, it is interesting that he points out the root of Georgia's claims is in the union of the crowns under Bagrat IV thanks to his dual inheritance from Gurandukht and Gurgen.
"Material Wealth and Immaterial Grief: The Last Will and Testament of Kale Pakouriane" by Angela L. Costello
This author combines scholarship with her costume-making skills to recreate the clothing willed by a wealthy Byzantine woman in the late eleventh century. Although Kale Pakouriane lived a century later and in a different culture, Georgian elites emulated Byzantine elites in Gurandukht's time, and Costello's reconstruction helped me flesh out the 10th century image of Gurandukht from Kumurdo Cathedral. It was the most thorough of many different references I used to reconstruct her outfit. Her blog was also helpful for such details as headgear beneath veils.
"Super-duper-humerals" by Rachel Ost
This is another useful blog from a Byzantine reenactor, and this article in particular led me to give Gurandukht a golden superhumeral based on one in the Barakat Collection.
"Ancient Medieval and Byzantine Crosses and Pendants, 5th - 12th Century AD" on Ancient Resource
Although I ultimately based Gurandukht's cross on one that belonged to her father, you can see a whole host of medieval crosses from all over the Christian world on this website, including some from Armenia.
"How the borders of the Caucasus changed in the Middle Ages" on Medievalists.net
This collection of YouTube videos show how the maps changed in the Caucasus region through history, from ancient times to the present day. If you need help visualizing the unification of Georgia, this could really help!
"Gurandukht of Abkhazia" on Wikipedia
Wikipedia gives a nice outline of her life and, most importantly, hosts a drawing of the relief of Gurandukht from Kumurdo Cathedral. On Wikipedia you can also see her father's cross and a picture of her son.
"Abhkazia and Georgia: Time for a Reassessment" by George Hewitt
This article deals with the 21st century politics behind Abkhazia's claims of independence from Georgia. Although the author is clearly in favour of the Republic of Abkhazia being recognized as a country, it is interesting that he points out the root of Georgia's claims is in the union of the crowns under Bagrat IV thanks to his dual inheritance from Gurandukht and Gurgen.
"Material Wealth and Immaterial Grief: The Last Will and Testament of Kale Pakouriane" by Angela L. Costello
This author combines scholarship with her costume-making skills to recreate the clothing willed by a wealthy Byzantine woman in the late eleventh century. Although Kale Pakouriane lived a century later and in a different culture, Georgian elites emulated Byzantine elites in Gurandukht's time, and Costello's reconstruction helped me flesh out the 10th century image of Gurandukht from Kumurdo Cathedral. It was the most thorough of many different references I used to reconstruct her outfit. Her blog was also helpful for such details as headgear beneath veils.
"Super-duper-humerals" by Rachel Ost
This is another useful blog from a Byzantine reenactor, and this article in particular led me to give Gurandukht a golden superhumeral based on one in the Barakat Collection.
"Ancient Medieval and Byzantine Crosses and Pendants, 5th - 12th Century AD" on Ancient Resource
Although I ultimately based Gurandukht's cross on one that belonged to her father, you can see a whole host of medieval crosses from all over the Christian world on this website, including some from Armenia.
"How the borders of the Caucasus changed in the Middle Ages" on Medievalists.net
This collection of YouTube videos show how the maps changed in the Caucasus region through history, from ancient times to the present day. If you need help visualizing the unification of Georgia, this could really help!
