The Matcharashvilis

In historical documents

The Matcharashvili surname appears in Georgian historical documents from the 16th century.

In a 1588 charter of grace from Nikoloz, Catholicos of Kartli, to the Samtskhe nobleman Eliozisdze, a peasant named Borjala Matcharashvili is mentioned in the village of Baraun (Institute of Manuscripts, Hd-2526). The village of Baraun no longer exists; it was probably in eastern Georgia. Matcharashvilis still live in the Ksani valley of Kartli, where the family is considered long-established and native, and the Ksani Matcharashvilis who settled in villages of the Kaspi district are still called "Mtiulebi" (highlanders).

From the 17th century the family appears in Upper Imereti. At the end of that century Prince Zaal Tsereteli granted the former Naskhashvili estate to Lazare Matcharashvili. The charter ends:

"Witnesses to this are the nobles Bedana Godabrelidze, Shoshita Tsamakuridze, Shoshita Matcharashvili and the tailor Papuna Kapanadze"

Institute of Manuscripts, Sd-1171

The same Zaal Tsereteli also issued Lazare Matcharashvili a tarkhan charter, granting exemption from duties (D. Gvritishvili, Materials for the History of the Georgian Peasantry, Tbilisi 1979, p. 84).

By a 1722 document, Prince Tsereteli, being in debt, gave Lazare Matcharashvili a servant (Institute of Manuscripts, Sd-1173); by another document of the same year, the same prince gave Datua Matcharashvili an estate in payment of a debt (Institute of Manuscripts, Sd-1198).

According to a 1747 deed of sale, Datua Matcharashvili sold to Nikoloz, son of his lord, Estate Gviniashvili — taken in blood payment — together with his brother and children (Institute of Manuscripts, Sd-1201).

In an 1804 record of the mass, forced oath of loyalty of the population of Upper Imereti to the Russian tsar, 34 Matcharashvili households are listed in the village of Korbouli (recorded as "Matcharov"). Among them, Giorgi Matcharashvili was a priest and Mamuka Matcharashvili was the village head of Korbouli (Institute of Manuscripts, Sd-2322).

Matcharashvilis from Imereti began settling in Shida Kartli early on.

The family name survives in place names of the Khashuri–Kareli area: Matcharaani, a quarter of the village of Tsaghvli; Matcharaantskaro ("the Matcharaani spring") and the Matcharashvilis' forest in the village of Shakshaketi (Al. Ghlonti, Toponymy of the Proné Valleys, Tbilisi 1988, p. 56).

At the start of the 20th century, Nikoloz Matcharashvili appears as village head of Vaka in the Khashuri area (Statistical Collection of the Tiflis Governorate, in Russian, Tiflis 1903, p. 10). Also recorded are the priest Vladimer Matcharashvili of Korbouli in Imereti and Sergi Matcharashvili, priest of St George's church in Gundaeti (Institute of Manuscripts, H-1636: 18, 19, 22, 33, 42).

For God, for Georgia and for the strength of the Bagrationi throne, the men of the Matcharashvili family went to war one man from every household, serving under the left-wing banners of the royal army of Kartli and the right-wing banners of the royal army of Imereti.

Today

Matcharashvilis now live in Upper Imereti, Guria, Samtskhe, Shida and Kvemo Kartli, Inner Kakheti and Hereti. They are especially numerous in the Sachkhere, Chiatura, Lagodekhi, Khashuri, Adigeni and Kaspi districts.

About three hundred households of Matcharashvilis from both east and west Georgia live in Tbilisi.

In all, more than nine thousand one hundred Matcharashvilis — young and old, men and women — live in Georgia.

May God multiply the Matcharashvili family.