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Part 2
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Editor’s Message:
Georgia is located in the Eastern
Mediterranean, i.e., practically - in the Middle East. Nevertheless, but
historically and culturally it is closely linked to Europe, and the majority
of Georgians have always identified themselves as belonging to the West, not
East. The fall of Constantinople to the Turks in 1453, made Georgia’s
connections with Europe much more difficult than they were before that event,
but did not severe them completely. Тhe elements of
heraldry which is totally alien to almost all the neighbours of Georgia, form
one of significant components of traditional Georgian culture, pointing to
the relationship with Europe.
Since the Middle Ages, Georgian kings, and nobility widely used various emblems
which they considered to be their coats of arms.
However, before the "Russian period" of Georgian history (1801-1918) the country lacked heralds, heraldic artists and other people who
could have known the rules of heraldry.
As a result, the Georgian "arms"
that appeared before 1801, do not look impressive either from heraldic,
or from aesthetic point of view and in the course of
the 19th century most of them were re-designed in accordance
with the heraldic style of the Russian Empire, while
keeping some regional differences at
the same time. Nevertheless, it appears that even the
embryonic elements of an authentic heraldic tradition – are quite valuable and worth both respect and study.
While working on the English-language
version of Wadbolsky’s book we took a liberty of
adding some illustrative material including the color graphics by Marco Foppoli, Yury Kalinkin, Fredrik Brodin et al. We also
would like to offer you to check here for a number of “russified”
arms of Georgian nobility from the book “Noble Houses of the Russian Empire”
by Stanislaw Dumin and Pyotr
Grebelsky (Vol. 4, "The Princes of the Kingdom
of Georgia" /Мoscow, 1998).
The description of arms is given not in
accordance with the heraldic rules, but by simply listing the figures and
symbols, as per the original of the book whose author was, probably, not
familiar with them. It is quite possible though that we will find time in the
future to re-edit this part of the book, but so far have posted it as it was
in the original.
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STATE
ARMS OF GEORGIA
State coat of arms
of Georgia during the reign of Erekle II
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State coat of
arms of Georgia
during the reign
of King Vakhtang VI
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Another state
arms of Georgia
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Small arms of
Georgia
during the reign
of King Vakhtang VI
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Double-headed
eagle
of King Vakhtang VI
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State coat of arms
of Georgia under Russian protectorate
FAMILY
ARMS
(mostly
before 1801; later “Russified” versions of the same
arms can be found - here)
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Arms of Abashidze: two swords crossed above the horse.
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Arms of Avalishvili: eagle expanded.
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Arms of Amilakhvari: St. George on a flag, “family boot” as a
symbol of the armiger’s position.
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Arms of Ambersadze: “family pole”crowned
with an eagle on top, sword, bow and quiver.
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Arms of Andronikashvili: family castle, the sun, eagles (one of
them double-headed) and tall ship with sails in the wind.
Click here
for more information about their arms
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Arms of Аrgutashvili: lion rampant reguardant with sword and round shield.
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Arms of Crown
Prince David, son of King George XII
(similar to the
state arms and other arms of the House of Bagration)
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Arms of Петра Ивановича Багратиона – side branch of
the House of Bagration: Royal arms without the tunic of Christ.
Left: later
version (after 1801). Right: modern
artistic depiction by Marco Foppoli.
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Arms of Bagration-Mukhranski (Mukhran-Batoni)
from the side branch of the House of Bagration:
same charges as in the Royal arms.
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Arms of Bagration-Davitashvili from the side branch of the
House of Bagration; St. George, cross, solar
symbol (pentagram) and traditional lion.
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Arms of Princess
Tamar Gurieli (daughter of Prince Mamia Gurieli), the spouse of
King Alexander III of Imereti: same charges as in the Royal arms, except the
tunic of Christ.
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Arms of Baratashvili: family standard, “family pole” with two
lions by the sides, composition of sword, bow, arrow and spear.
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Arms of Bibilouri: cross over the sea, two swords and a sheaf under
crescent.
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Arms of Babutashvili: traditional bird, deer and vambraced arm with sword.
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Arms of Begtabegishvili: rider with a spear, lunar symbol and
two arrows crossed.
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Arms of Buchkiashvil: horse, two swords crossed and two
initials of the armiger.
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Arms of Gurieli: family chapel in the centre, sword and scipter, tall ship and the scales – a symbol of
justice.
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Arms of Garsevanishvili: pedestal with laurel branches, eternal
flame and two maces.
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Arms of the
princely branch of Gurgenidze: cross – symbol of
Christian faith.
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Arms of Gedevanishvili: curved sword and monogram of the
armiger
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Arms of the old
branch of Dadiani: cross (in the center), Aries,
St. George, battle flag, sword, arrows and sailing ship.
Right: later
version (after 1801) – artistic depiction by Fredrik Brodin.
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Arms of Eristavi
of Aragvi: Ananuri castle
with church under crown, St. George, hand as a symbol of power under crown,
cross with three crescents – symbol of Christian triumph over Islam.
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Arms of Eristavi of Ksani: family castle,
eagle under vambraced arm with a shield, tent
under crown, flag flying over the mountains.
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Arms of Eristavi of Guria: armed
warrior in armour.
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Arms of Vachnadze: family church, bird depicted on the
background of the sun, griffin and tower.
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Arms of Turkestanishvili; St. George and sword.
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![505px-ТУМАНИШВИЛИ[1]](Wadbolski_E2_files/image077.jpg)
Arms of Tumanishvili. Because
many members of the Princely House of Tumanishvili
served as Royal secretaries, the charges on their arms depict their traditional
court position: dog - , на Arms ofе обозначены символы их должности: dog - symbol of
loyalty, container for writing feathers, scales - symbol of justice, hand holding
feather.
Right: one of the
later versions (after 1801).
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Arms of Tarkhan-Mouravi: rider, deer, family castle and tall
ship.
Right: one of the
later versions.
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Arms of Ratishvili: in the center - St. George, church guarded
by vambraced arm with a shield, castle wall and
the charges from the tarms of two Russian noble families (Telepnev and Obolensky) who
became relatives of the Ratishvili House through
intermarriages.
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Arms of Lionidze. Main figure - Hercules
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Arms of Orbeliani (very similar to the arms of Baratashvili)
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Arms of Kherkheulidze:
tall ship, crescent
and flower as a Solar symbol.
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Arms of Panchulidze:
eagle, quiver, bow and
arrow and crescent.
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Arms of Palavandishvili:
in the center - a
cross erected above crescent turned upside down, family castle, three
seven-pointed stars, band and deer.
 
Arms of new
branch of Dadiani (Chikovani):
dragon guarding the Golden Fleece.
Right: later
version (after 1801) by Alexander Fadeev.
 
Arms of Shervashidze, the Princely House of Abkhasia:
“sign of the Dioscuri”.
Right: later version
(after 1801) by Alexander Fadeev.
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Arms of Cholokashvili:
St. George,
Aries, warrior kneeled before crown (recognizable as an army leader in
combat armor).
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Arms of Tsitsishvili:
rider-spearman,
eastern shield, band with the ancient symbol of spiral and
"cornucopia"
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Arms of Tsinamdzgvrishvili: “family pole”, Princely crown and
family standard.
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Arms of Chavchavadze: family castle, deer, vambraced
arm with sword and ancor – a symbol of faith.
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ARMS
AND CRESTS ON THE GRAVESTONES AT SAMTAVISI NECROPOLIS
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Name of the
armiger is unknown because the inscription on the gravestone is erased by
time
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Heraldic element
on the gravestone of Ketevan Iraklievna
Amilakhvari (deceased in 1918)
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Arms of Joseph Amilakhvari, son of Bidzina
Amilakhvari (1814-1859) on his gravestone.
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Heraldic element of
on the gravestone of David Georgievich Amilakhvari (deceased in 1870)
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Heraldic element
on the gravestone of Bardzima Davidovich
Amilakhvari (deceased in 1861)
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Arms on the
gravestone of Nicoloz Alexandrovich
Amilakhvari (1848-1913)
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Name of the
armiger is unknown because the initials are not recognized.
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Arms of on the
gravestone of the Crown Princess Khoreshan,
daughter of King Jesse and sister of Archbishop-Catholicos
Anthony I
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Heraldic
element on the gravestone of Givi Bardzimovich Amilakhvari (deceased in 1877)
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Name of the
armiger is unknown because the inscription on the gravestone is erased by
time
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Arms of on the
gravestone of Ivan Teymurazovich Amilakhvari (deceased in 1887)
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Heraldic element on
the gravestone of Mariam Zakharievna
Egadze, nee Amilakhvari
(1877-1910)
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Name of the armiger
is unknown because the inscription on the gravestone is erased by time
CIVIC
AND PROVINCIAL ARMS
(during
“the Russian period”)
Arms of Georgian-Imeretian province
later re-organized into two separate provinces: Tiflis and Kutais
   
Arms of the city
and the province of Tiflis (various variants)
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Projected arms
for the province of Tiflis (1858).
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One of the
declined projects
for the
provincial arms of Kutais
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Arms of the city
and the province of Kutais (various variants)
   
Civic arms of Telav (various variants)
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Civic arms of Akhalkalaki
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Civic arms of Signakhi
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Civic arms of Gori (various variants)
  
Civic arms of Akhaltsikh (various variants)
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Civic arms of Ozurgeti (various variants)
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Arms of the town
of Oni and the county of Racha
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Civic arms of Shorapani
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Arms of the
district of Tusheti-Pshav-Khevsureti
(later – the
county of Tianeti)
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Arms of Zakatala district
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Arms of MEgrelia and the town of Redut-Kale
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Arms of Acharia (the territory of Batum)
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