Shetekauri — Georgian

Georgia (country)

Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...

 family from Khevsureti

Khevsureti

Khevsureti/Khevsuria is a historical-ethnographic region in eastern Georgia. They are the branch of Kartvelian people located along both the northern and southern slopes of the Great Caucasus...

. Supposedly it was derived from a man’s name Shete. The representatives of one of the smallest families of Georgia (apr. 300 person) reside mostly in Kakheti

Kakheti

Kakheti is a historical province in Eastern Georgia inhabited by Kakhetians who speak a local dialect of Georgian. It is bordered by the small mountainous province of Tusheti and the Greater Caucasus mountain range to the north, Russian Federation to the Northeast, Azerbaijan to the Southeast, and...

 region. The historical documents do not store any information about the family till the twentieth century. However, folklore and especially local legends provide quite rich stories connected to this family. The Shetekauris are originally from the mountainous village – Mutso

Mutso

Mutso is a small village in Georgia. One of the former strongholds of the historic Georgian province of Khevsureti , it is located on a rocky mountain on the right bank of the Andakistskali river ....

. As the legend puts it “the Shetekauris dug Mutso”, which indirectly indicates that the family founded the village or the family history started together with the founding of Mutso.

Legends

Mutso was founded by five brothers. The Shetekauris family comes from Vardana, who was one of the brother. Another’s name was Cholokha (Cholokha in the Georgian language means lame), whose descendants moved to Kakheti and changed their family name into Cholokhashvili (which is one of the famous noble famimilies). Third brother escaped his deadly enemies to Tusheti

Tusheti

Tusheti is a historic region in northeast Georgia.-Geography:Located on the northern slopes of the Greater Caucasus Mountains, Tusheti is bordered by the Russian republics of Chechnya and Dagestan to the north and east, respectively; and by the Georgian historic provinces Kakheti and...

 (in Georgian mountain villages vengeance was tradition) and their family name is Uzgharauli. Forth brother did not get married and, thus, did not have descendants. From the generatios of the fifth brother Torghva – a legendary hero from Mutso – was born.

Family blessing

On August 28, 2010, Patriarch Ilia II blessed the Shetekauris’ family in the Cathedral of Trinity. To note the date the icons of the guarding angels of the family was sanctified, namely the icon of Saint George

Saint George

Saint George was, according to tradition, a Roman soldier from Syria Palaestina and a priest in the Guard of Diocletian, who is venerated as a Christian martyr. In hagiography Saint George is one of the most venerated saints in the Catholic , Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, and the Oriental Orthodox...

 and the icon of Archangels Michael and Gabriel.

Places of residence

Most of the family members are living in:

• Tbilisi
  Tbilisi
  Tbilisi is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Mt'k'vari River. The name is derived from an early Georgian form T'pilisi and it was officially known as Tiflis until 1936...
  
  
• Dusheti District
  Dusheti District
  Dusheti is a district of Georgia, in the region of Mtskheta-Mtianeti. Its main town is Dusheti.Population: 33,636 Area: 2,982 km²- External links :* , Statoids.com...
  
  : khone
  Khone
  Khone-Khonischala are two villages settled by the Shetekauri’s family . Villages are located in Dusheti District on the northern slope of Tushet-Khevsusreti part of the Caucasus ountain rainge, at 1200-1300 meter above the sea level, 138 km distance from Dusheti.- Legend :The icon of Archangel has...
  
  
• Tetri Tsqaro District
  Tetri Tsqaro District
  Tetri Tsqaro is a district of Georgia, in the region of Kvemo Kartli. Its main town is Tetri Tsqaro.Population: 25,354 Area: 1,175 km²- External links :* , Statoids.com...
  
  
• Tianeti District
  Tianeti District
  Tianeti is a district of Georgia, in the region of Mtskheta-Mtianeti. Its main town is Tianeti.Population: 14,014 Area: 906 km²- External links :* , Statoids.com...
  
  
• Akhmeta District
  Akhmeta District
  Akhmeta is a district of Georgia, in the region of Kakheti. Its main town is Akhmeta.Population: 41,641 Area: 2,208 km²- External links :* , Statoids.com...
  
  
• Gardabani District
  Gardabani District
  Gardabani is a district of Georgia, in the region of Kvemo Kartli. Its main town is Gardabani.Population: 114,348 Area: 1,304 km²- External links :* , Statoids.com...