Tetri Giorgi
Local Georgian name for Saint George, national symbol.
Tetri Giorgi (Georgian: თეთრი გიორგი, meaning "White George") is a regional title for the Christian Saint George in Georgia, especially in the northeastern highland areas. This figure has served as a national emblem, featured on the country's coat of arms from 1918 to 1921 and again from 1991 to 2004. Various groups have also used the name, such as an anti-Soviet émigré organization in Europe and a paramilitary unit active in the 1990s.
Veneration of Saint George in Georgia dates back to Late Antiquity. The country’s exonym, Georgia, likely emerged in the 11th or 12th century through a false etymology, inspired by the saint’s widespread popularity there. The cult of Tetri Giorgi is especially linked to the Kakheti region and blends Christian belief with worship of a local lunar deity. A separate feast day, known as tetrigiorgoba, was once observed on 14 August, drawing many pilgrims from eastern Georgian provinces to an overnight celebration at the saint’s main shrine—a 14th-century church overlooking the village of Atsquri in what is now Akhmeta Municipality, Kakheti.
In May 1918, the newly independent Democratic Republic of Georgia adopted an equestrian image of Tetri Giorgi as the centerpiece of its coat of arms. According to Revaz Gabashvili, a critic of the modern Georgian government, the design was made more secular because the Social-Democratic government at the time disliked its Christian symbolism. In this version, Tetri Giorgi appears as an armed horseman beneath a depiction of "the Seven Celestials," representing the seven classical planets. This coat of arms remained in use until the Soviet takeover in 1921 and was revived in post-Soviet Georgia from 1991 to 2004.
- name
- Tetri Giorgi
- type
- Local name of Christian Saint George
- region
- Northeastern highland districts of Georgia
- associated_region
- Kakheti
- feast_day
- 14 August (tetrigiorgoba)
- chief_shrine
- 14th-century church overlooking Atsquri, Akhmeta Municipality, Kakheti
- heraldic_use
- 1918–1921 and 1991–2004
Lore & Background
Saint George was venerated in Georgia since Late Antiquity. The exonym Georgia was applied to the country from the 11th or 12th century, probably by false etymology, but inspired by the great popularity of the saint there. The cult of Tetri Giorgi is associated with the Kakheti region in particular and is syncretistic, combining the Christian saint with the cult of a local lunar deity.
A feast day of Tetri Giorgi (tetrigiorgoba), separate from the feast day of the Christian saint, was once marked annually on 14 August, when many pilgrims from the eastern Georgian provinces attended an overnight feast at the saint's chief shrine – a 14th-century church overlooking the village Atsquri in what is now Akhmeta Municipality, Kakheti.
In May 1918, the Democratic Republic of Georgia chose the equestrian depiction of Tetri Giorgi as a centerpiece of its coat of arms. The image was rendered more secular as its Christian symbolism was disfavored by Georgia's Social-Democratic government. In this design, Tetri Giorgi is shown as an armed horseman below a depiction of 'the Seven Celestials' (the seven classical planets). This coat of arms was in use until the Soviet takeover in 1921 and again in post-Soviet Georgia from 1991 to 2004.
Reader's Guide
Tetri Giorgi holds significance as a syncretistic figure blending Christian and local lunar deity worship, reflecting Georgia's cultural and religious history. Its use as a national symbol on the coat of arms of the Democratic Republic of Georgia (1918–1921) and post-Soviet Georgia (1991–2004) underscores its role in representing Georgian identity and independence. The name was also adopted by an anti-Soviet Georgian émigré group in Europe and a 1990s paramilitary unit, indicating its continued political resonance. The separate feast day on 14 August and the chief shrine at Atsquri highlight its distinct local veneration. The coat of arms design, with Tetri Giorgi as an armed horseman beneath the Seven Celestials, reflects a secularized adaptation by the Social-Democratic government. Overall, Tetri Giorgi embodies the intersection of religious tradition, national symbolism, and political movements in Georgia.
Did You Know?
- Tetri Giorgi means 'White George' in Georgian.
- Its cult combines Christian Saint George with a local lunar deity.
- A separate feast day, tetrigiorgoba, was held on 14 August.
- The chief shrine is a 14th-century church near Atsquri in Kakheti.
More in part-1
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record