Controversy surrounds Stalin image in Tbilisi Holy Trinity Cathedral

The Georgian Patriarchate has found itself at the center of controversy following the discovery of an image depicting Joseph Stalin in Tbilisi Holy Trinity Cathedral. 

Archimandrite Ioane Mchedlishvili, the cleric of the cathedral, clarified last week that the controversial depiction was not an icon but a “small image” created by an artist. 

Mchedlishvili emphasized that the image had been present in the cathedral for several months without attracting attention until journalists recently brought it to the public’s notice.

“It’s not an icon; let’s put it that way. There is some small image written by one of the icon painters, which no one paid attention to, except for journalists, and they broke a story,” Mchedlishvili explained, urging the public not to hastily jump to conclusions.

Politician Giorgi Kandelak played a role in bringing this matter to light by sharing information and a video of the Stalin image on social media. Meanwhile, Irma Inashvili, the leader of the pro-Russian party the Alliance of Patriots, acknowledged donating the controversial image to the Holy Trinity Cathedral. In a Facebook video, Inashvili dismissed concerns raised by some members of society over the depiction of Stalin, aligning herself with Andria Jagmaidze, the head of the Patriarchate’s press service. Jagmaidze claimed the depictions of rulers and dictators on icons were not unprecedented in the Christian world, citing the example of the icon of St. George also revealed Emperor Diocletian.

Inashvili and her party member Davit Tarkhan-Mouravi repeated the myth that Stalin sought help from the Holy Matrona during World War II, with Inashvili claiming that following her advice led to Stalin’s victory.The controversy has stirred discussion not only about the nature of the image but also about the role of such depictions in religious spaces. 

 

Icons of Stalin have appeared in Russian churches in recent years, with some advocating for his canonization. However, critics argue that portraying Stalin as pious contradicts historical facts, highlighting the Soviet repression that targeted religions and their followers.