Upper Svaneti, located in western Georgia to the south of the Greater Caucasus mountain range, is one of the country’s oldest and most unique historical-geographic regions. Its distinctive geographical and natural conditions contributed to the creation and preservation of a singular cultural heritage, which represented an important center of medieval Georgian culture. Upper Svaneti is notable for its breathtaking landscapes, unique civil and ecclesiastical architecture, locally produced masterpieces of goldsmithing, an abundance of woodcarvings, and a rich variety of intangible heritage. Due to the importance of its urban architecture, the village of Chazhashi in the Ushguli community has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The wall painting of Upper Svaneti is a remarkable phenomenon of medieval Christian art. The development of the Svan painting school spanned from the 9th–10th centuries through the 17th century, characterized by a great number and diversity of painted church interiors, façades, and iconostases (icon screens). The scale and variety of surviving wall paintings allow us to trace the stages of the school’s development—both in the works of academic painters and in the creations of folk masters and their corresponding artistic processes.
The earliest wall paintings in Svaneti are found in the apse of the Church of the Savior in Nesguni, dating to the 9th–10th centuries. Wall paintings from the 10th century survive in the churches of: the Savior of Tsvabiani, Taringzela of Ats, Jgagri of Ipkhi (St. George), Jgagri of Hadishi, Taringzela of Fkhotreri, Jgagri of Kurashi, Lamaria of Jibiani (Virgin Mary), and Jgagri of Sphiphi in Pari. Early 11th-century paintings are preserved in the Church of the Savior of Lagami (original decorations of the lower church).
The revival of the Svan painting school at the end of the 11th and beginning of the 13th centuries is associated with royal painters Tevdore and Mikel Maghlakeli. This period has left behind the largest number of surviving examples in Svaneti.
Notable works from the era of Queen Tamar (12th–13th centuries) include the wall paintings of the Savior churches in Hadishi and Zhamushi. From the 13th century are the second layer of paintings in Taringzela of Fkhotreri, the Church of the Savior of Tchokhuldi, the second layer in Lamaria of Jibiani, and the paintings in Taringzela-Zagari of Tsvirmi (Church of the Archangels in the Zagari quarter).
A distinct group of paintings, often characterized by a “nostalgic” attitude toward the past, belong to the so-called Paleologan era: these include the Church of St. Jonah in Ienashi (late 13th–early 14th centuries), the upper church of Lagami, both churches of Mkheri (mid-14th century), the second layer of the Jgagri of Sphiphi in Pari (late 14th century), and Taringzela of Lashkhveri (apse from the mid-14th century and hall from the 14th–15th centuries).
Svaneti is also notable for its abundance of folk wall paintings from the 12th century onward, including: the Savior of Tsaldashti, Taringzela of Hadishi, Jgagri-Chobani of Tsvirmi (12th c.); Tangil-Taringzela of Lakhushdi, Khesh Barbali (Church of St. Barbara) (13th c.); Kaisie-Targlezeri (Church of the Archangels) in Gheshtari (14th c.); and Lamaria of Lekhtagi (15th c.).
In addition to decorating the interiors of churches with murals, Svan artists also adorned the façades. Notable examples of façade painting survive in Upper Svaneti and cover all major stages of the Svan painting school’s development:
10th century: Taringzela of Ats, Jgagri of Nakiphari
Turn of the 11th–12th centuries: Jgagri of Hadishi
12th century: Jgagri of Sphiphi in Pari, Taringzela of Iprari
Turn of the 12th–13th centuries: Jgagri of Ipkhi
Mid-14th century: Upper church of Lagami
Turn of the 14th–15th centuries: Taringzela of Lashkhveri
16th century: Taringzela of Matskhvarishi
17th century: Church of the Savior in Chazhashi
A specific feature of Upper Svaneti church decoration is the frequent painting of iconostases (screens separating the altar), often decorated with a rich variety of martyr saints and ornamental motifs.
With its diversity and artistic value, the medieval painting of Upper Svaneti is a treasure of humanity and truly deserves the attention of travelers.
