🏰 Vani Cathedral: Church of Sts. Zabulon and Sosana in Imereti
Most visitors come to Vani for the Colchian gold. But in the town centre, on Chanturia Street, stands the cathedral that locals simply call "the Vani church." Built in the early 2000s and consecrated on 2 June 2010, it gave the city its own annual holiday: every year on that date Vani celebrates Vaneloba, a local feast day that draws pilgrims and guests from across Imereti.
The cathedral is the main church of the Vani-Baghdati Diocese of the Georgian Orthodox Church, a diocese established in 1995.
Before your visit, check the Vani Orthodox Cathedral listing on Madloba for photos, coordinates and a route button.
📍 Getting There
The cathedral stands in the centre of Vani, on Chanturia Street, visible from the main road. From the bus station it is a few minutes on foot.
Vani sits in Imereti, in the Sulori river valley, roughly 40 kilometres south-west of Kutaisi.
🚗 By car: about 40 minutes from Kutaisi via Baghdati; around 3 hours from Tbilisi via Gori and Zestafoni.
🚌 By public transport: minibuses from Kutaisi to Vani run regularly. Check return times in advance as schedules change.
🏰 What the Cathedral Looks Like
The building follows the cross-domed plan standard to Georgian Orthodox architecture: a cross-shaped volume topped by a drum and dome, with the transition from the square bay handled through pendentives. The interior walls are painted throughout.
On the east side a colonnaded stoa runs along the facade — arched bays resting on two pairs of columns. To the south-west stands an octagonal bell tower whose upper storey opens on all sides through arches. A paved path leads up to the entrance.
By Georgian standards the cathedral is modest in scale, but the ensemble is tidy and well kept.
📜 Zabulon, Sosana and the Vaneloba Feast
Zabulon was a Roman Army officer who retired, moved to Jerusalem and was tonsured a monk; his wife Sosana was ordained as a deaconess by her brother, Patriarch Juvenal of Jerusalem. Their daughter went on to convert Georgia to Christianity: she is Saint Nino, Equal to the Apostles, venerated across the Orthodox world.
The Georgian Church canonised Zabulon and Sosana as venerable saints. Their feast day falls on 2 June. The Vani cathedral was consecrated on exactly that date in 2010, and the coincidence became the foundation of a civic holiday. Every year on 2 June the town celebrates Vaneloba — a feast that brings together parishioners, pilgrims and visitors from around Imereti.
According to the official records of the Vani-Baghdati Diocese, the cathedral's principal dedication is to All Georgian Saints, with the memory of Zabulon and Sosana particularly honoured on the consecration anniversary. If you happen to be in Vani on 2 June, you will find a festive liturgy and public celebrations.
🗺️ What Else to See in Vani
Vani is small enough to cover two or three sites in a single half-day.
The Ancient Site and Archaeological Museum. The Colchian settlement that flourished in the 3rd–1st centuries BC sits on a hill at the edge of town. The museum next to it holds the gold and bronze objects found during excavations — one of the finest collections of Colchian toreutics in the country. The site is on UNESCO's tentative list. This is a separate ticket and a separate entrance from the cathedral. Full details are in the Vani attractions section.
House-Museum of Galaktion and Titsian Tabidze. Both poets are closely connected to Vani. The small museum preserves personal belongings, manuscripts and photographs — a quiet stop for anyone interested in 20th-century Georgian literature.
All three points are within easy walking distance. For churches and monasteries across the wider region, browse the Imereti pages on Madloba.
Have you visited the cathedral? Leave a review on Madloba — share how you got there, whether you caught a service, and what you remember most.
Information current as of June 2026. Verify service times, visiting conditions and museum hours before travelling.
❓ Frequently asked questions
In the centre of Vani, on Chanturia Street, Imereti region, western Georgia. It is visible from the main road and a few minutes' walk from the bus station.
Its principal dedication is to All Georgian Saints. The feast of Venerable Zabulon and Sosana — parents of Saint Nino, Equal to the Apostles — falls on 2 June, the same day the cathedral was consecrated in 2010.
No. The Colchian gold comes from the ancient archaeological site on a hill at the edge of Vani, with its own museum and entrance fee. The cathedral is a modern church in the town centre.
On 2 June 2010, the feast day of Venerable Zabulon and Sosana.
Yes. It is the main cathedral of the Vani-Baghdati Diocese and holds regular services.
By car, about 40 minutes via Baghdati. Minibuses from Kutaisi to Vani run regularly; check return times in advance.
The ancient Colchian site with its archaeological museum is the town's main draw and a short walk away. The house-museum of poets Galaktion and Titsian Tabidze is also nearby.
Vani's annual city holiday, celebrated on 2 June — the date the cathedral was consecrated and the feast day of Sts. Zabulon and Sosana.
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