royal-house

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HERALDIC SYMBOLS OF GEORGIA

    

      Мichael Wadbolsky

     

 

      Translated from Georgian by Mary Bitsadze and Andrew Andersen

      Web-edition: Andrew Andersen

 

 

 

Part 2

 

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Editor’s Message:

 

Georgia is located in the Eastern Mediterranean, i.e., practically - in the Middle East. Nevertheless, but historically and culturally it is closely linked to Europe, and the majority of Georgians have always identified themselves as belonging to the West, not East. The fall of Constantinople to the Turks in 1453, made Georgia’s connections with Europe much more difficult than they were before that event, but did not severe them completely. Тhe elements of heraldry which is totally alien to almost all the neighbours of Georgia, form one of significant components of traditional Georgian culture, pointing to the relationship with Europe.

 

Since the Middle Ages, Georgian kings, and nobility widely used various emblems which they considered to be their coats of arms. However, before the "Russian period" of Georgian history (1801-1918) the country lacked heralds, heraldic artists and other people who could have known the rules of heraldry. As a result, the Georgian "arms" that appeared before 1801, do not look impressive either from heraldic, or from aesthetic point of view and in the course of the 19th century most of them were re-designed in accordance with the heraldic style of the Russian Empire, while keeping some regional differences at the same time. Nevertheless, it appears that even the embryonic elements of an authentic heraldic tradition – are quite valuable and worth both respect and study.

 

While working on the English-language version of Wadbolsky’s book we took a liberty of adding some illustrative material including the color graphics by Alexander Fadeev, Marco Foppoli, Yury Kalinkin, Fredrik Brodin et al. We also would like to offer you to check here for a number of “russified” arms of Georgian nobility from the book “Noble Houses of the Russian Empire” by Stanislaw Dumin and Pyotr Grebelsky (Vol. 4, "The Princes of the Kingdom of Georgia" /Мoscow, 1998).

 

The description of arms is given not in accordance with the heraldic rules, but by simply listing the figures and symbols, as per the original of the book whose author was, probably, not familiar with them. It is quite possible though that we will find time in the future to re-edit this part of the book, but so far have posted it as it was in the original.

 

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STATE ARMS OF GEORGIA

 

 

 

State coat of arms of Georgia during the reign of Erekle II

 

 

 

 

State coat of arms of Georgia

during the reign of King Vakhtang VI

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another state arms of Georgia

 

Small arms of Georgia

during the reign of King Vakhtang VI

 

 

 

 

Double-headed eagle

of King Vakhtang VI

 

 

 

 

State coat of arms of Georgia under Russian protectorate

 

 

 

 

 

FAMILY ARMS

 

(mostly before 1801; later “Russified” versions of the same arms can be found - here)

 

 

 

Arms of Abashidze: two swords crossed above the horse.

 

 

Arms of Avalishvili: eagle expanded.

 

 

Arms of Amilakhvari: St. George on a flag, “family boot” as a symbol of the armiger’s position.

 

 

 

Arms of Ambersadze: “family pole”crowned with an eagle on top, sword, bow and quiver.

 

Arms of Andronikashvili: family castle, the sun, eagles (one of them double-headed) and tall ship with sails in the wind.

Click here for more information about their arms

 

 

 

Arms of Аrgutashvili: lion rampant reguardant  with sword and round shield.

 

 

 

Arms of Crown Prince David, son  of King George XII

(similar to the state arms and other arms of the House of Bagration)

 

 

 

Bagrationi   image072

 

Arms of Петра Ивановича Багратиона – side branch of the House of Bagration:   Royal arms without the tunic of Christ.

Left: later version (after 1801).  Right: modern artistic depiction by Marco Foppoli. 

 

 

 

 

Arms of Bagration-Mukhranski (Mukhran-Batoni) from the side branch of the House of Bagration: same charges as in the Royal arms.

 

 

 

 

Arms of Bagration-Davitashvili from the side branch of the House of Bagration; St. George, cross, solar symbol (pentagram) and traditional lion.

 

 

 

 

Arms of Princess Tamar Gurieli (daughter of Prince Mamia Gurieli), the spouse of King Alexander III of Imereti: same charges as in the Royal arms, except the tunic of Christ.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Arms of Baratashvili: family standard, “family pole” with two lions by the sides, composition of sword, bow, arrow and spear.

 

 

Arms of Bibilouri: cross over the sea, two swords and a sheaf under crescent.

 

 

 

Arms of Babutashvili: traditional bird, deer and vambraced arm with sword.

 

 

 

 

Arms of Begtabegishvili: rider with a spear, lunar symbol and two arrows crossed.

 

 

 

Arms of Buchkiashvil: horse, two swords crossed and two initials of the armiger.

 

 

 

 File:Gurieli-arms.PNG

Arms of Gurieli: family chapel in the centre, sword and scipter, tall ship and the scales – a symbol of justice. 

 

 

 

 

 

Arms of Garsevanishvili: pedestal with laurel branches, eternal flame and two maces.

 

 

 

 

Arms of the princely branch of Gurgenidze: cross – symbol of Christian faith.

 

Arms of Gedevanishvili: curved sword and monogram of the armiger

 

 

   http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6plkYnwA48o/Sn4etoL7QeI/AAAAAAAAARw/umOxzQsyafM/s320/dadianimont.jpg

 

Arms of the old branch of Dadiani: cross (in the center), Aries, St. George, battle flag, sword, arrows and sailing ship.

Right: later version (after 1801) – artistic depiction by Fredrik Brodin.

 

 

 

Arms of Eristavi of Aragvi: Ananuri castle with church under crown, St. George, hand as a symbol of power under crown, cross with three crescents – symbol of Christian triumph over Islam.

 

 

 

Arms of Eristavi of Ksani: family castle, eagle under vambraced arm with a shield, tent under crown, flag flying over the mountains.

 

 

 

 

 

Arms of Eristavi of Guria: armed warrior in armour.

 

 

 

 

 

Arms of Vachnadze: family church, bird depicted on the background of the sun, griffin and tower.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Arms of Turkestanishvili; St. George and sword.

 

 

 

     505px-ТУМАНИШВИЛИ[1]

 

Arms of Tumanishvili. Because many members of the Princely House of Tumanishvili served as Royal secretaries, the charges on their arms depict their traditional court position: dog - , на Arms ofе обозначены символы их должности: dog - symbol of loyalty, container for writing feathers, scales - symbol of justice, hand holding feather.

Right: one of the later versions (after 1801).

 

 

 

 

          Файл:Tarchan-Mouravi coa.jpg

 

Arms of Tarkhan-Mouravi: rider, deer, family castle and tall ship.

Right: one of the later versions.

 

 

 

Arms of Ratishvili: in the center - St. George, church guarded by vambraced arm with a shield, castle wall and the charges from the tarms of two Russian noble families  (Telepnev and Obolensky) who became relatives of the Ratishvili House through intermarriages.

 

 

 

 

Arms of Lionidze. Main figure - Hercules

 

 

 

 

 

 

Arms of Orbeliani (very similar to the arms of Baratashvili)

 

 

 

 

Arms of Kherkheulidze:

tall ship, crescent and flower as a Solar symbol.

 

 

Arms of Panchulidze:

eagle, quiver, bow and arrow and crescent.

 

 

 

 

Arms of Palavandishvili:

in the center - a cross erected above crescent turned upside down, family castle, three seven-pointed stars, band and deer.

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

Arms of new branch of Dadiani (Chikovani): dragon guarding the Golden Fleece.

Right: later version (after 1801) by Alexander Fadeev.

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

Arms of Shervashidze, the Princely House of Abkhasia: “sign of the Dioscuri”.

Right: later version (after 1801) by Alexander Fadeev.

 

 

 

 

 

image004

 

Arms of Cholokashvili:

St. George, Aries, warrior kneeled before crown (recognizable as an army leader in combat armor).

 

 

 

 

 

Arms of Tsitsishvili:

rider-spearman, eastern shield, band with the ancient symbol of spiral and "cornucopia"

 

 

 

Arms of Tsinamdzgvrishvili: “family pole”, Princely crown and family standard.

 

 

 

 

Arms of Chavchavadze: family castle, deer, vambraced arm with sword and ancor – a symbol of faith.

 

 

 

 

 

 

ARMS AND CRESTS ON THE GRAVESTONES AT SAMTAVISI NECROPOLIS

 

 

 

 

Name of the armiger is unknown because the inscription on the gravestone is erased by time

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Heraldic element on the gravestone of Ketevan Iraklievna Amilakhvari (deceased in 1918)

 

 

 

 

Arms of Joseph Amilakhvari, son  of Bidzina Amilakhvari (1814-1859) on his gravestone.

 

 

 

 

 

Heraldic element of on the gravestone of David Georgievich Amilakhvari (deceased in 1870)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Heraldic element on the gravestone of Bardzima Davidovich Amilakhvari (deceased in 1861)

 

 

 

 

Arms on the gravestone of Nicoloz Alexandrovich Amilakhvari (1848-1913)

 

 

 

 

 

Name of the armiger is unknown because the initials are not recognized.

 

 

 

Arms of on the gravestone of the Crown Princess Khoreshan, daughter of King Jesse and sister of Archbishop-Catholicos Anthony I

 

 

 

 

 

 

Heraldic element  on the gravestone of Givi Bardzimovich Amilakhvari (deceased in 1877)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Name of the armiger is unknown because the inscription on the gravestone is erased by time

 

 

 

Arms of on the gravestone of Ivan Teymurazovich Amilakhvari (deceased in 1887)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Heraldic element on the gravestone of Mariam Zakharievna Egadze, nee Amilakhvari (1877-1910)

 

 

 

.

 

Name of the armiger is unknown because the inscription on the gravestone is erased by time

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CIVIC AND  PROVINCIAL ARMS

(during “the Russian period”)

 

 

http://www.goldenkorona.ru/pic_gruzia/gruzia_11.gif

 

Arms of Georgian-Imeretian province  later re-organized into two separate provinces: Tiflis and Kutais

 

 

         герб Тифлиса, 1843      Файл:Coat of Arms of Tiflis governorate (Russian empire).png

 

Arms of the city and the province of Tiflis (various variants)

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.heraldicum.ru/gruzia/images/tiflis3.gif 

Projected arms for the province of Tiflis (1858).

 

 

 

 

http://www.heraldicum.ru/gruzia/images/kutais1.gif

One of the declined projects

for the provincial arms of Kutais

 

 

 

 

   http://www.heraldicum.ru/gruzia/towns/images/kutais1.gifhttp://www.hrono.ru/heraldicum/russia/gubernia/images/kutais.gifhttp://www.heraldicum.ru/gruzia/towns/images/kutais.gif

 

Arms of the city and the province of Kutais (various variants)

 

 

 

 

 File:Герб города Телави (Телав, 1843 г.).jpg   http://www.heraldicum.ru/gruzia/towns/images/telavi1.gif   http://www.heraldicum.ru/gruzia/towns/images/telav.gif

 

Civic arms of Telav (various variants)

 

 

 

http://www.heraldicum.ru/gruzia/towns/images/ahalkala.gifhttp://www.heraldicum.ru/gruzia/towns/images/ahalkal1.gif

 

Civic arms of Akhalkalaki

 

 

http://www.heraldicum.ru/gruzia/towns/images/signah1.gif

 

Civic arms of Signakhi

 

 

 

 

 

 

    герб горийского уезда    герб гори   герб гори

Civic arms of Gori (various variants)

 

 

 

       герб ахалцыхского уезда       герб ахалцыхского уезда    

 

Civic arms of Akhaltsikh (various variants)

 

 

 

     http://www.heraldicum.ru/gruzia/towns/images/ozurget.gif      http://www.heraldicum.ru/gruzia/towns/images/ozurget1.gif

Civic arms of Ozurgeti (various variants)

 

 

   http://www.heraldicum.ru/gruzia/images/racha.gif

 

Arms of the town of Oni and the county of Racha

 

 

 

    http://www.heraldicum.ru/gruzia/towns/images/sorapani.gif

 

Civic arms of Shorapani

 

 

 

 http://www.heraldicum.ru/gruzia/images/tushin.gif

 

Arms of the district of Tusheti-Pshav-Khevsureti 

(later – the county of Tianeti)

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

Arms of Zakatala district

 

 

 

http://www.heraldicum.ru/gruzia/images/mingrel.gif Герб города Редут-Кале (1868 г.)

 

Arms of MEgrelia and the town of Redut-Kale

 

 

http://www.heraldicum.ru/gruzia/images/batumi.gif 

 

Arms of Acharia (the territory of Batum)