In response to the 11th recommendation of the Advisory mission, in April 2023, the detailed conditionassessment of the wall paintings executed at the vault level of the West, South and North arms andpendentives at the main space of the Church of the Virgin was undertaken.

Gelati monastery ensemble includes several churches with the frescoes of particular interest inside the main space and annex of the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary and the main space and annex of the Cathedral of St. George. Surviving fragmentary paintings can be found on the David Gate (South Gate) and in St. Nicholas Cathedral.

One of the main goals of the Gelati Rehabilitation Committee is the protection and preservation of the wall paintings of the buildings included in the Gelati monastery complex.

The conservation policy for the wall paintings at Gelati is based on internationally accepted principles of Ethics of Conservation.
The main principle of monument conservation requires us to preserve the painting in its current state (without additions and changes) and treat it in order to slow down the deterioration as much as possible.

Considering old and new risks, the key objective of mural conservation is to make decisions based on study and diagnostics to ensure effective and efficient conservation interventions.

Activities for the conservation including preventive, passive and physical interventions, are chosen to achieve maximum results with minimal intervention.

The main criteria for conservation interventions guided by the group of conservators are as follows:
• protection and preservation of value;
• knowledge of physical history;
• Complete knowledge of original and added materials;
• knowledge of the current state;
• Knowledge of the impact mechanism and determining compatibility of conservation materials;
• minimal conservation intervention;
• following the rules and regulations related to health and safety;
• Compilation and archiving of proper and complete documentation.

Based on paragraph 4 of decision #44 COM7B.47 adopted at the 44 th session of the World Heritage Committee and the recommendation of the report of the WHC/ICOMOS/ICCROM joint mission to Gelat November-December 2022, since April 2023, the Wall Painting Conservation Working Group has been monitoring and researching the Gelati Monastery complex (for details, see the reports uploaded on the Wall Paintings webpage).