"Уастырджи уе 'мбал"

Today in my homeland of North Ossetia marks the beginning of Dzhiorguba - a week long celebration in honor of Uastyrdzhi, a heavenly patron of wayfarers, warriors and men in general. His true origins are shrowded in mystery but some theories connect him to St George.

red-lipstick:“ Nykhas Uastyrdzhi, The Monument to Saint George on Ossetian Military Road, Alagir, Republic of North Ossetia–Alania, Russia”

red-lipstick:ââ?¬Å? Nykhas Uastyrdzhi, The Monument to Saint George on Ossetian Military Road, Alagir, Republic of North Ossetiaââ?¬â??Alania, Russiaââ?¬Â

red-lipstick:“ Nykhas Uastyrdzhi, The Monument to Saint George on Ossetian Military Road, Alagir, Republic of North Ossetia–Alania, Russia”

red-lipstick:“ Nykhas Uastyrdzhi, The Monument to Saint George on Ossetian Military Road, Alagir, Republic of North Ossetia–Alania, Russia”

red-lipstick:ââ?¬Å? Nykhas Uastyrdzhi, The Monument to Saint George on Ossetian Military Road, Alagir, Republic of North Ossetiaââ?¬â??Alania, Russiaââ?¬Â

Nykhas Uastyrdzhi, The Monument to Saint George on Ossetian Military Road

red-lipstick:ââ?¬Å? Nykhas Uastyrdzhi, The Monument to Saint George on Ossetian Military Road, Alagir, Republic of North Ossetiaââ?¬â??Alania, Russiaââ?¬Â

From Soviet monumentalism to mosques, take a peek inside the first architectural guide to Chechnya and the North Caucasus

Saint George the Dragon Slayer Monument built in 1995 in Tamisk (Ossetia). Saint George is locally knows as Uastyrdzhi. The project of sculptor Nikolai Khodov, it was produced as a gift to the people of Ossetia. Today it is the largest equestrian monument in the world. Historically, this was where travellers once stopped and asked for help from higher powers; so the sanctuary of Uastyrdzhi Nykhasa was created.

Image: Thomas Paul Mayer

Uastyrdzhi es el nombre de San Jorge en el folclore osetio. Es el patrón del sexo masculino y los viajeros. Está prohibido que las mujeres pronuncien su nombre; en cambio, deben referirse a él como "el santo de los hombres". El caso es que la escultura sea grande, muy grande.

red-lipstick:“ Nykhas Uastyrdzhi, The Monument to Saint George on Ossetian Military Road, Alagir, Republic of North Ossetia–Alania, Russia”

"If you happen to be driving along the Ossetian Military Road, you will most certainly notice this monument. Dressed in a white cloak, this cavalryman is known to Ossetians as Nykhas Uastyrdzhi (Ossetian name of St. George). Nykhas Uastyrdzhi is the patron Saint of men, travelers, and warriors. Saint George is looking down as if waiting for the right moment to come down from the Heaven and help those who are in need and sorrow.

According to legend, St. Hetag (also Khetag), the son of a Kabardian Muslim prince, converted to Christianity and had to flee from those who wanted to force him to turn back to Islam. As his pursuers were about to catch up with him, he prayed for help in an open field, and the forest descended from the mountain slopes to conceal him. Upon seeing this miracle, Hetag’s enemies fled, and Hetag consecrated the grove to Uastyrdzhi. The grove is made up of ash and beech trees and covers just under 13 hectares. The Nykhas Uastyrdzhi monument is located a few kilometers from the Hetag’s Grove."

Location: Alagir, Republic of North Ossetia–Alania, Russia Sculptor: Nikolay Khodov Source: https://unusualplaces.org/

red-lipstick:“ Nykhas Uastyrdzhi, The Monument to Saint George on Ossetian Military Road, Alagir, Republic of North Ossetia–Alania, Russia”

red-lipstick:“ Nykhas Uastyrdzhi, The Monument to Saint George on Ossetian Military Road, Alagir, Republic of North Ossetia–Alania, Russia”

Tkhost Temple, dedicated to Uastyrdzhi, in the Kurtat Gorge, North Ossetia–Alania, Russia