In A.D. 326 the Georgian king Mirian proclaimed his dominion to be a Christian kingdom. Since then, the Georgian people have preserved their Orthodox Faith despite the constant assault of unbelievers. Not only have they maintained their Faith, but in the midst of turbulent circumstances they have excelled in producing a singular Christian culture. Their music, architecture and iconography are distinct in their beauty and otherworldliness, conveying the deep spirituality of the Georgian land. Since the time of the ancient Greek historians, Georgia has been viewed as an enigma hidden behind impenetrable mountains and a complex language. Little has been written about this small country and its saints. Now, the entire collection of the Lives of the Georgian saints has been translated for the first time into English. These lives encompass the seventeen hundred years of Orthodox Christianity in Georgia. The stories of ascetics and bishops, warriors and noblemen are intertwined with the tumultuous history of the Georgian land. Beside these Lives the magnificent culture of Georgia is presented in full-color photographs of icons, churches and landscapes.

This is a Hagiographical compilation — a collection of biographies (“Lives”) of Georgian Orthodox saints spanning roughly 1,700 years of Georgian Christianity.