Tens of thousands in Tbilisi mourn Georgia’s late Patriarch Ilia II

(18 Mar 2026) RESTRICTIONS SUMMARY: ASSOCIATED PRESS Tbilisi, Georgia - 18 March 2026 1. Wide the coffin of Georgia's Patriarch Ilia II being carried crowd 2. Mid coffin of Georgia's Patriarch being carried through crowd 3. Various of coffin of Georgia's Patriarch Ilia II being carried crowd 4. Close pan of believers 5. Mid procession 6. Wide various of procession 7. Mid believers 8. SOUNDBITE (Georgian) Tornike Iukuridze, Tbilisi resident: “Words are not enough here. He was a great figure who has left us, a man who defined an era. People like him are rare in Georgian history. He was consecrated as Patriarch during the Soviet period, when everything was uncertain and people had little hope, yet he accomplished so much. One only has to look at the Patriarch’s life to understand the magnitude of this person.” 9. Mid procession 10. SOUNDBITE (Georgian) Tamar Zurashvili, mourner: "Since his consecration as Patriarch, I have followed his work. He brought people back to the church. I belong to the generation of the Communist period, when we were afraid to go to church for fear of being expelled from university. And now we are witnessing churches filled with people.” 11. Various of procession 12. Close believers crying 13. Wide yard of Holy Trinity Cathedral filled up with people 14. Mid coffin inside the Holy Trinity Cathedral surrounded by officials and perish 15. Mid believers 16. Mid coffin inside the Holy Trinity Cathedral surrounded by officials and perish 17. Wide yard filled with people 18. Mid Holy Trinity Cathedral STORYLINE: Tens of thousands of believers took part in a procession in Tbilisi on Wednesday, accompanying the coffin of Georgia’s Patriarch to the Holy Trinity Cathedral. Georgia’s Patriarch Ilia II, the long-time head of the Georgian Orthodox Church and one of the country’s most influential figures, died on Tuesday at the age of 93. “A man who defined an era,” said Tornike Iukuridze, who joined the procession with his infant son. Ilia II led the church for nearly five decades. He became patriarch in 1977, when Georgia was part of the Soviet Union and religious practice was restricted, and remained a dominant spiritual and public figure after the country regained independence. “He brought people back to the church. I belong to the generation of the Communist period, when we were afraid to go to church for fear of being expelled from university. And now we are witnessing churches filled with people,” Tamar Zurabishvili said. A new patriarch will be elected within two months. =========================================================== Clients are reminded to adhere to all listed restrictions and to check the terms of their licence agreements. For further assistance, please contact the AP Archive on: Tel +44(0)2074827482 Email: [email protected]. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...