The village Tsvirmi comprises several painted
churches, among them the church of the Archangels located in the Zagar district. The single nave two -storied church is dated to the 9th
c. It is one of the oldest churches in
Upper Svaneti. The interior of the ground floor is covered
with murals and displays a rather
developed program of the painting.
Tsvirmi-Zagar, Church of the Archangels, general view, 9th century
The
east wall of the sanctuary is flat and there is a representation of the Deisis
in rather peculiar form due to the small size of the building: Christ
is represented en-bust over the window, while the Virgin and
John the Baptist in full figures on each
side. There are not any images of
celestial host – neither archangels, nor the angels as it can be seen in the
painting of the Atsi church, where the figure of Christ is also represented
en-bust, but the Seraphim and the Cherub under the window.
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Tsvirmi-Zagar, Church of the Archangels, the east wall, the Deisis, 13th century
The vault and the walls of the church are adorned with the scenes of
the Christological cycle: the Annunciation, the Nativity, the Presentation, (the south part of the vault), the Transfiguration,
the Entry into Jerusalem, the Crucifixion (the north part of the
vault), etc. It is difficult to identify some other scenes.
Tsvirmi-Zagar, Church of the Archangels, Christ, fragment from the Deisis, 13th century
Tsvirmi-Zagar, Church of the Archangels, St. John the Baptist, Fragment from the Deisis, 13th century
In respect to the patron Saints, i.e. the
Archangels (Taringzel in Svan language)
there is a scene of the Council
of the Archangels on the north wall,
quite popular in art of Svaneti – the Archangels were respected nearly as St. George (Djgrag). A big figure of Archangel, executed in
repoussé technique is represented on one of the pre-altar
crosses preserved in the church.
Tsvirmi-Zagar, Church of the Archangels, The Archangel, the north wall, 13th century
In the
lower tiers there are many figures of various saints, the saint warriors, the
female saints, the Fathers of the church
(St. Barbara, St. Katherina, St. George, St. Basil the Great, St. John
Chrysostomos etc.) The figures in the lower tiers are represented under the
painted arches.
Tsvirmi-Zagar, Church of the Archangels, St. Catherina, the west wall, 13th century
Tsvirmi-Zagar, Church of the Archangels, St. Catherina, fragment, 13th century
Tsvirmi-Zagar, Church of the Archangels, St. George, the south wall, 13th century
Based on the style and iconography of the
murals, the wall painting of the Tsvirmi-Zagar church is dated to the second
half of the 13th c. It
clearly reveals the traits characterizing this period: reduced monumentality,
small scale of figures, dynamic
movements, narrative details etc. The murals
are of somewhat provincial style: coarse outlines, distorted proportions etc. Due to strong
deteriorations it is nearly impossible to describe the manner of modeling and
coloring.
Tsvirmi-Zagar, Church of the Archangels, Bathing of Child, fragment from the Nativity, 13th century
Tsvirmi-Zagar, Church of the Archangels, the Nativity, the vault, 13th century
The painting is in a very poor condition:
strongly defaced and darkened by smoke:
flaking of the painting and destruction
of plaster are clearly visible.
