To mark the 1,700th anniversary of the proclamation of Christianity as the state religion in Georgia, the government will allocate 5.3 million lari (about $2 million) from its reserve fund to the Patriarchate of the Georgian Orthodox Church. This is stated in a corresponding decree of the Cabinet of Ministers dated May 21.
According to the government administration, large-scale anniversary events will begin on June 1 and run until October 14.
The co-chairs of the commission specially established for this purpose are Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Shio III.
According to the document, the specified amount will be transferred to the Patriarchate “to finance the events.”
“The 1,700th anniversary of the proclamation of Christianity as the state religion in Georgia will be marked by large-scale educational and cultural events.
“Issues related to the anniversary events were discussed at a meeting of the joint commission of the Government of Georgia and the Patriarchate, held at the government administration. <…> The program includes cultural and educational events, scientific conferences, and student expeditions.
“Events dedicated to the 1,700th anniversary of the proclamation of Christianity as the state religion will continue until the Svetitskhovloba holiday. A symposium on the topic ‘God, Motherland, Man’ is scheduled for October 14,” the statement said.