300 manuscripts have already been described by a new standard within the framework of the project of the National Archives of the Ministry of Justice of Georgia “Analytical Catalog of Manuscripts”.

The National Archives preserves Georgian manuscripts and these fonds are one of the richest among the manuscripts fonds, containing up to 1,000 manuscripts. Their description was last published in 1950. More than half a century later, in 2014, a new standard of manuscript description was created in the National Archives, according to which another, third volume of the descriptions is now being prepared for publication. The third volume will include manuscript descriptions that have a register number from 201 to 300 in the manuscript collection.

Most of the manuscripts, contained by new volume, were handed over to the archive by the well-known priest of the 1920s, Vasil Karbelashvili. During description of manuscripts, new details were sent out, including the newly discovered texts, inscriptions, and information on historical events.

Several dozen manuscripts are related to construction or educational activities in Guria, also to the Georgian manuscript library, established by Simon Koridze in the village of Tskaltsminda and the Georgian school, which was established there.

Particularly noteworthy are the autograph prints of Queen Mary of Imereti (daughter of Otia Dadiani) and son of Alexander Batonishvili (son of Solomon I and heir to the throne) George (Gogia) Batonishvili.

The new standard for manuscript description allowed the project team to reflect the information in detail in the manuscript description. The first volume of the descriptions was published in 2016 and the second - at the end of 2018.