Since the fourth century AD, Georgians have proudly nurtured their brand of Orthodox Christianity. But it hasn’t always been easy. Now young Georgians want to reconnect with their rich religious past.
The Gremi monastery in Eastern Georgia can be seen from miles around. The 16th century stone monument sits high on a hill overlooking the green valley of Kakheti. Inside the monastery, young monks and seminary students perform midday services.
During Soviet times, the Georgian Orthodox religion was discouraged. Many of the seminaries closed. But when Georgia became independent in 1991, seminaries like Gremi started opening again.
19-year-old student Gigla Benashvili says people in his generation now want to know more about their religious roots.
"I have a lot of friends and they are curious to know what I am doing here, what I am studying here," Benashvili told DW.
Benashvili spends a lot of his day learning sacred chant. The three-part chant sounds different, more dissonant, than European arrangements. Benashvili says he didn't like it at first.