TBILISI, January 7 – Georgia marked Orthodox Christmas with sharply contrasting scenes as the clock passed midnight on January 6–7.
At Tbilisi’s Holy Trinity Cathedral, Patriarch Ilia II led the traditional Christmas liturgy and issued his annual epistle, calling for peace, unity, restraint in speech, and fidelity to Christian values amid global wars and domestic tension, Interpressnews reports.
At the same time, protesters gathered on Rustaveli Avenue outside parliament, lighting candles and singing Christmas hymns. Joined by former president Salome Zourabichvili, they marked the holiday while continuing daily demonstrations demanding new elections and the release of detainees arrested during protests.
