Bidzina Cholokashvili

Saint Bidzina Cholokashvili
Died	ca. 1660
Venerated in	Georgian Orthodox Church
Feast	October 1

Bidzina Cholokashvili (Georgian: ბიძინა ჩოლოყაშვილი) (died c. 1660) is a Christian martyr canonized by the Georgian Orthodox Church. His feast is celebrated on October 1. He was one of the leaders of Bakhtrioni Uprising (1659). During the 1630s he was a "sakhltukhutsesi" of Kingdom of Kakheti. In the battle between Teimuraz and Rostom he supported the former. In 1648 by order of Teimuraz he invaded Ertso in order to make Ertso-Tianeti subordinate to the King. After the uprising Shah summoned Bidzina as well as Shalva and Elizbar Eristavi, who later were forced to converse their religion, but none of them accepted. As a result, they were given to tribes whose members were slaughtered during the uprising. Bidzina was tortured and killed.

References

• Georgian Soviet Encyclopedia, V. 11, p. 147, Tbilisi, 1987