Information about the object:
The Church of Saints Peter and Paul in Tbilisi is the most important testimony to the centuries-old presence of Poles in Georgia, bringing together and consolidating the Polish community for decades. It was continuously active during communism (1937-1980), and after its collapse became the nucleus of a revival of Catholicism in Georgia. After a large part of Poles left for their homeland in 1919-1921, it brings together, apart from the descendants of our compatriots, Roman Catholics in Georgia.

The present church was built on the site of a small church from 1804, which was no longer sufficient for the needs due to the influx of believers from the empire. Construction work was carried out between 1890 and 1877, based on a design by German architect Alexander Zalcman. Money for the construction was collected in the Caucasus and Transcaucasia, but also in Armenia and Poland. Donors included Countess Zofia Potocka, Count Konstanty Przeździecki and Zygmunt Krasicki. The temple was consecrated in 1877, although not all the work had been done. Father Maksymilian Orłowski became the parish priest of the new parish. Due to insufficient funds, the construction of the dome was abandoned and a temporary roof was erected; the building was not plastered and there was a lack of equipment. Therefore, funds continued to be raised for this purpose. After Fr Orlowski's death, a Pole, Fr Jozef Baranowski, became the new visitor and parish priest.

In 1893, the new Church Council decided to continue the construction and equipping of the temple. In 1894, a pulpit made of walnut wood was installed and an organ, made by the "Harmonia" company of Lviv, was installed. In the same year, wall supports were added, and in 1897 work began on the construction of the dome, which was completed a year later. During this period, new pews were placed in the interior. In 1906, two side marble altars were built.

Completed works:

2021 (phase I)
The aim of the restoration, conservation and reconstruction work was to restore the instrument to its former glory, with a view to using it for liturgical and concert services, while retaining all functional, original and historic structural elements, a large percentage of which are original.

2022 (Phase II)
The scope of the planned works was a continuation of the strengthening of the most damaged and threatened structure of the church walls (in terms of the front elevation and nave) and included the following tasks:

- installation of a steel flat bar band around the perimeter of the dome drum base

- repairing the roof trusses

- reinforcement of the masonry by gluing brackets and steel bar anchors, stabilisation of cracks by injection, re-bricking or stitching with spirally threaded steel bars.

2023 (phase III)
Work in the church has been ongoing since 2021. The scope of this year's task includes the continuation of the repair of cracks in the masonry and in the vaulting walls under the dome by suturing with systemic spiral rods, as well as the strengthening of damaged window lintels. The work is being carried out on the basis of a project drawn up by the Terpa Foundation in 2016, funded by the Senate of the Republic of Poland.

Funding: the Programme of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage "Protection of Cultural Heritage Abroad"

More about the project: edition 2021 , edition 2022 , edition 2023

• Fundacja Ochrony Wspólnego Dziedzictwa Kulturowego „Terpa”, realizacja w latach 2021-2023