Orthodox Icon of St. Shalva of Akhaltsikhe

Saint Shalva of Akhaltsikhe COPYRIGHTED ART. Do not copy or deep-link to without prior permission from "Come and See" Icons, Books & Art.

June 17th
Troparion (Tone 3)
Through the intercession and protection of Thy Holy Martyr Shalva, O Merciful God, cleanse us from the multitude of our sins!

St. Shalva was honored by Queen Tamar of Georgia for his selfless service in the Georgian army. The rewards he received for victory after a battle at Shamkori were donated to the church holding the Khakhuli Icon of the Theotokos. Upon seeing this generosity, Queen Tamar promoted him to commander-in-chief of the Georgian army. It was not long before the Muslim Persians forced their reign over the Georgian armies appointing another to assume control of the armies. Six thousand Georgians faced two hundred thousand Muslim soldiers near the village of Garnisi. It was during this battle that St. Shalva lost four thousand of his fellow soldiers, including his brother Ioane, and he himself was captured. The enemy brought him before the Sultan Jalal al-Din to be tempted to convert to Islam by offerings of wealth and power. St. Shalva bravely refused. His enemies tortured him, attempting to kill him. When they failed to kill him after hours of torture, they threw him in prison to die slowly. He received his crown of martyrdom when he later reposed there.

This icon is by the hand of David Khidasheli of the Republic of Georgia.

Order #dkg-01