Vlakernoba in Georgia: dates, meaning and how to experience it

By Mariam Lomidze, GTour desk · Fact-checked against the sources listed · Last checked 25 October 2026 · Editorial policy

What it is

Vlakernoba (ვლაქერნობა) is a Georgian Orthodox feast whose name derives not from a Georgian word but from a place: Blachernae (Vlakherna in Georgian transliteration), the quarter of Constantinople where the Byzantine church of the Mother of God stood. The feast commemorates the deposition of a robe, or maphorion, of the Virgin Mary in that church, and in Georgia it is kept with particular devotion in Zugdidi, the regional capital of Samegrelo, where a relic traditionally identified with the robe has long been preserved in the treasury of the Dadiani princely family.

The holiday is observed by Georgian Orthodox Christians nationwide in the liturgical calendar, but its lived, public character belongs above all to Zugdidi and the surrounding Samegrelo region. There, Vlakernoba functions as something between a church feast and a local patronal celebration: the liturgical commemoration of a Constantinopolitan relic has become attached, through centuries of local tradition, to the historical memory of the Dadiani dynasty, who ruled the principality of Samegrelo (Odishi) and whose palace in Zugdidi still stands at the center of the observance.

Historical background

• 5th century — according to Byzantine tradition, a robe of the Virgin Mary was enshrined in the church of the Theotokos at Blachernae in Constantinople, a sanctuary that became one of the most venerated Marian shrines of the Byzantine capital.
• 7th century — the Byzantine festal calendar fixes a feast commemorating the deposition of the robe on 2 July (Julian calendar); the Georgian Church, in liturgical communion with Constantinople, receives this feast into its own calendar.
• 13th–15th centuries — the principality of Samegrelo (Odishi) consolidates under the Dadiani dynasty, which becomes the leading noble house of western Georgia and the custodian of regional church treasuries.
• 17th–18th centuries — according to local ecclesiastical tradition, a fragment of cloth associated with the robe of the Virgin enters the Dadiani family treasury in Samegrelo; the precise route by which it reached Zugdidi is not documented and is preserved mainly through oral and church tradition.
• 1838–1857 — the Dadiani Palace complex in Zugdidi is substantially built and enlarged under Prince David Dadiani and Princess Ekaterine Chavchavadze-Dadiani, consolidating the family’s residence, church furnishings and treasury in one site.
• 1921 — following the Sovietization of Georgia, the Dadiani Palace is nationalized; its collections, including the relic associated with the robe, pass into state museum custody.
• 1991 — with the restoration of Georgian independence, public celebration of Vlakernoba and the annual liturgy in Zugdidi resume openly after decades of restricted religious life.
• Present day — the Georgian Orthodox Church marks the feast every 15 July (civil calendar), with liturgy in Zugdidi and veneration of the relic held at the Dadiani Palace Museum, now administered as part of the town’s cultural heritage institutions.

The feast’s origin lies squarely in Constantinople rather than in Georgia: Blachernae was among the most important Marian shrines of the Byzantine world, associated also with the vision that gave rise to the separate feast of the Protection of the Theotokos. Georgian Christianity, closely tied to Byzantine liturgical practice from the early medieval period, absorbed the Blachernae feast along with much of the rest of the Constantinopolitan calendar, and it remained part of normal Georgian church observance even as political ties with Byzantium weakened after the thirteenth century.

What makes Zugdidi’s Vlakernoba distinctive is the local tradition that a physical fragment of the Constantinopolitan relic reached Samegrelo and was kept by the Dadiani family alongside the dynasty’s other treasures, including manuscripts, icons and regalia. Historians note that the documentary record for the relic’s arrival is thin, and the Georgian Orthodox Church itself treats the account as tradition rather than proven fact. This uncertainty does not diminish the feast’s importance locally; rather, it has made Vlakernoba a point where family history, regional identity and Marian piety meet, sustained through the upheavals of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and revived in full public form since 1991.

Meaning and traditions

The central act of Vlakernoba is the liturgy (ghvtismsakhureba) held in Zugdidi on the morning of the feast, followed by veneration of the relic associated with the robe, referred to locally as ghvtismshoblis perangi, “the garment of the Mother of God.” Believers queue to approach and kiss the relic (taqvanistsema, an act of veneration), while clergy lead chanting specific to the feast and, in some years, a short procession (procesia) linking the Dadiani Palace grounds to the nearby church.

Unlike major nationwide feasts such as the Dormition in August, Vlakernoba carries a strongly regional and dynastic flavor: sermons often recall the Dadiani family’s historical role as patrons of the church in Samegrelo, and the feast is spoken of locally as much in terms of civic memory as of pure liturgy. Family visits, church attendance and, for many households, a festive Megrelian meal mark the day; the Megrelian language, distinct from Georgian though closely related, is commonly heard in conversation around the event, reflecting Samegrelo’s particular linguistic and culinary identity within Georgia.

When it happens

Vlakernoba falls on a fixed date in the Georgian Orthodox festal calendar, 2 July according to the Julian reckoning used by the Church, which corresponds to 15 July in the civil Gregorian calendar used throughout Georgia today. The date is therefore constant from year to year rather than moving with Easter. In 2026 the feast fell on 15 July; the next observance is 15 July 2027.

Vlakernoba is not a nationwide public holiday in Georgia, so government offices, shops and transport operate normally outside Zugdidi itself. Within Zugdidi, church services draw local crowds in the morning, and the Dadiani Palace Museum may adjust visiting hours around the liturgy and veneration of the relic; travelers planning a museum visit on the day should check ahead.

Where to experience it

The feast centers on two adjoining sites in central Zugdidi: the Dadiani Palace, which houses the relic and the family’s historical collections, and the town’s main Orthodox church nearby, where the liturgy is celebrated. Visitors arriving in the morning will see clergy in festal vestments, chanting, and lines of local believers waiting to venerate the relic; outside, the palace gardens fill with families and, in some years, a modest procession.

Visitors to the church should dress modestly: covered shoulders and knees for both men and women, with headscarves customary for women. Photography inside the church during the liturgy is generally discouraged unless explicit permission is given; photography of the relic itself may be restricted. Quiet, unhurried observation from the back of the church is the most respectful way for a non-Orthodox visitor to witness the service.

Did you know

• Blachernae, the Constantinople site that gave Vlakernoba its name, is also associated with the vision behind the separate feast of the Protection of the Theotokos (Pokrovi).
• The Dadiani Palace in Zugdidi additionally preserves a death mask of Napoleon Bonaparte, acquired through nineteenth-century family ties between the Dadianis and the Murat-Bonaparte line.
• Zugdidi served for centuries as the capital of Samegrelo (Odishi), one of the most durable semi-independent principalities of western Georgia.
• Samegrelo retains its own distinct Megrelian language, still spoken alongside Georgian in the region.
• The thirteen-day gap between the Julian church calendar and the Gregorian civil calendar is the reason the Church’s “2 July” feast is marked on 15 July in everyday Georgian dates.

Practical tips for visitors

Zugdidi is most easily reached by road from Kutaisi (around ninety minutes) or by train from Tbilisi, since the town is also the principal rail gateway toward Mestia and Svaneti. July weather in Samegrelo is warm and humid, so light, modest clothing is advisable both for comfort and for church etiquette. Because Vlakernoba is a working day outside Zugdidi, advance arrangements are useful if a visit is timed specifically around the feast; GTour arranges a private driver or guide for the day on request.

Combine it with

Zugdidi functions as the natural gateway toward Svaneti for travelers heading into the mountains, while a return route east passes through Imereti and its own historic churches. Travelers extending toward the coast often continue to Adjara, combining a Samegrelo visit with Black Sea Batumi.

Questions travellers ask

Is Vlakernoba a public holiday in Georgia?

No. It is a church feast observed liturgically and locally in Samegrelo, but government offices, banks and most businesses operate normally on 15 July.

Can tourists view the relic associated with the Virgin’s robe?

The relic is kept at the Dadiani Palace Museum and may be viewed or venerated during the feast period, subject to the museum’s and church’s schedule on the day; visitors should confirm access in advance.

What is the connection between Zugdidi and Constantinople’s Blachernae church?

The feast’s origin lies in the Byzantine church of the Theotokos at Blachernae, which held a robe relic of the Virgin; Georgian tradition holds that a fragment of this relic later reached the Dadiani family treasury in Zugdidi.

Is the authenticity of the relic historically confirmed?

No independent documentary evidence confirms the relic’s journey from Constantinople to Samegrelo; the Georgian Orthodox Church and historians refer to the account as tradition rather than established fact.

What should visitors wear to attend the liturgy?

Modest dress is expected: covered shoulders and knees, and a headscarf for women entering the church, in line with general Georgian Orthodox church etiquette.

How do I get to Zugdidi from Tbilisi or Kutaisi?

Zugdidi is reachable by train from Tbilisi or by road from Kutaisi, the latter trip taking roughly ninety minutes; it is also the standard transit point for travelers continuing on to Mestia in Svaneti.

Is there a public procession tourists can watch?

In some years a modest procession connects the Dadiani Palace grounds to the nearby church; it is open to the public, though visitors should remain respectful observers rather than participants in the veneration itself.

What else can visitors see at the Dadiani Palace besides the relic?

The palace houses the historical Dadiani family collections, including manuscripts, portraits, regalia, and the notable Napoleon death mask, making it a worthwhile stop beyond the feast day itself.

Sources

• Patriarchate of Georgia
• Ministry of Culture, Sport and Youth of Georgia
• Georgian National Tourism Administration
• National Parliamentary Library of Georgia
• Georgian National Museum
• Georgian Railway
• UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage