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Rozeta GujejianiJavakhishvili State UniversityFor the Correlation Issue of Christianity andTraditional Georgian CultureAny elements of the Georgian ethnic culture (main signs and local peculiarities ofmaterial, spiritual or social life) have been preserved in the ancient foreign written sourcesand mythological legends as well as in local archaeological material, and from the IVcentury already in the Georgian written monuments.By the historical tradition, the Georgian ethnic group existed still at the turn of the IV-III ccA.D. Historically established union has been fixed on the territory of Georgia through longlife since the ancient era – the Georgian nation – with single territory, language, culture andself-consciousness, with all main characteristics of the single mode of life and culture. Thismaterial proves existence of single pagan system in Georgia (hierarchy of deities andpantheon). As soon as Christianity was declared the state religion, formation anddevelopment of the new Georgian – Christian – culture starts. Since that time, each elementof mode of life and culture has essentially changed and their apprehension and developmentgoes on according to the new religion.The historical material proves different markers of the early medieval Georgianculture: in Georgia from the time immemorial all, who considered they were members ofthis culture and sons of the Georgian state, despite their ethnic origin, were apprehended asGeorgians and creators of the Georgian culture. The Georgian nation has always beenconsidered tolerant. Not to be tolerant towards other ethnic groups or confessions was alienfor Georgians and permanent existence of such mental ethnic traits among the Georgiannation, was represented as the result of Orthodox Christian teaching and, at the same time,national characteristic features of the nation.Since early Middle Ages churches and monasteries have been powerful centers ofculture and education; through hard work of church hierarchs churches, monasteries werebuilt and painted; main postulates of the church legislation regulated the norms of theGeorgian law, Georgian family life, relations between relatives, annual economic calendar;traditional Georgian mentality was being formed, etc. In general, the traditional mode oflife, traditional moral of the society, ethics, and values were full of just Christian worldoutlook, which is proved most clearly by the ethnographic material. In result of research ofcomponent traditional values of the Georgian ethnic culture (mode of life, religious, moral,and social norms, system of relation, law, folk celebrations, rules of marriage and burial…), the strongest and leading role of Christian religion is proved from the viewpoint of theGeorgian culture development. At the same time, for Georgians, encircled by Muslimkingdoms and principalities, to preserve Orthodox Christianity was adequate to maintainingstatehood and national peculiarities – being Georgians.The analysis of the material on contemporary mode of life clearly shows that the142