Righteous 4th century

Women Salome of Ujarma and Perozhavra of Sivnia

4th century

Also known as Salome of Ujarma · Perozhavra of Sivnia

Georgian noblewomen who were helpers and close companions of St. Nina in the conversion of Georgia.

Feast Day

January 15

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Life

Salome of Ujarma and Perozhavra of Sivnia were two Georgian noblewomen of the fourth century, remembered as among the closest companions and helpers of Saint Nino, the Enlightener of Georgia, during the conversion of the kingdom of Iberia (Kartli) to Christianity. Both were converted to the faith by Saint Nino herself and are commemorated together on January 15, the day following her principal feast.

Holding positions within the Iberian royal and noble households, the two women lent their social standing to Saint Nino's missionary work and are credited by tradition with helping to preserve the memory of her life. They are venerated in the Georgian Orthodox Church and, according to one account, also in the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch.

Timeline 3 moments Read Hide

Early 4th century Conversion by Saint Nino Salome and Perozhavra are converted to Christianity by Saint Nino during her mission to Iberia, becoming among her earliest and closest followers.
c. 326-337 Christianization of Iberia During the period of King Mirian III's conversion and the establishment of Christianity in Kartli, the two women use their place in the royal and noble households to support the spread of the faith.
c. 338-340 Death of Saint Nino By tradition the women remained close to Saint Nino to the end; Perozhavra is said to have been present at her deathbed.

Contributions & Legacy

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Companions of Saint Nino

Saint Nino, a missionary remembered as the Enlightener of Georgia, gained followers soon after her arrival in Iberia, and the sources name Salome of Ujarma and Perozhavra of Sivnia among them, alongside others such as Abiathar and Sidonia. Both women were converted by Nino and are described as her helpers and closest companions.

According to the synaxarion tradition, Saint Nino taught Salome and Perozhavra to pray, and the women fasted regularly. Each held a position of influence: Salome was married to Rev (Revi), a son of King Mirian III of Iberia and Queen Nana, and was connected with the castle of Ujarma; Perozhavra was the wife of the ruler of the Kartli region. They used this social standing to assist Nino's missionary efforts and the establishment of Christianity in the kingdom.

Recording the Life of Saint Nino

Tradition credits Salome and Perozhavra with helping to preserve the account of Saint Nino's life and mission. Salome in particular is named in connection with an early life of Saint Nino, the Enlightener of Georgia, and after the conversion of the royal family she is said to have erected a cross at Ujarma.

Traditional Accounts

Later hagiographic tradition identifies Salome more fully as a princess of the Armenian Arsacid dynasty, by some accounts a daughter of King Tiridates III, whose birth name was Beoun before her marriage. Such details belong to the traditional embellishment of her story and are not all firmly attested; the secure core of the record is simply that she and Perozhavra were Georgian noblewomen and companions of Saint Nino.

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