Georgian “Balavariani” and Global Culture Space

Abstract

Today, more than ever, research related to Georgia’s historical relations with Europe is relevant. Not only from the point of view of politics and diplomacy, but also culture, in particular literary relations, which date to the early Middle Ages. This article discusses the famous hagiographical-moralistic and ascetic-dogmatic work, which in Georgian is called, “Wisdom of Balavaris”, or “Balavariani”. The text serves as one of the best examples proving that Georgian-European relations in the early Middle Ages not only existed, but were bilateral and intense. Philologist Revaz Siradze wrote in his monograph “Fundamental Elements of Georgian Culture” that the history of "Balavariani" presents the function of Georgian culture well. The purpose of this article is to examine his thesis and answer the question: What did he consider to be the function of Georgian culture? Balavariani is a monumental work, which entered the European space through its translation from Georgian to Greek. It reveals that Georgia was involved in open, intercultural dialogues from the early Middle Ages and contributed to Byzantine writing itself and that Georgia served as a cultural bridge and crossroads between Europe and Asia. Thus, global cultural processes of the Middle Ages cannot be fully told  without the consideration of Georgian literature.

Although the information presented in the article is not unfamiliar to specialists, it is unknown to the general public and thus needs to be disseminated. Therefore, the article is intended for students, as well as for anyone with an interest in Georgian history and culture.