On October 6, 2026, at the Faculty of Theology of the National University of Athens, under the supervision of Professor Konstantinos Manikas, Bishop Melchisedek successfully defended his doctoral dissertation on the topic: “The Georgian Orthodox Church as an Exarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church (1811–1917)”.
The aforementioned work is dedicated to one of the most important and difficult periods in the history of the Georgian Church and is a significant contribution to the academic research of Georgian church history.
The success of a Georgian cleric in the international academic space and the presentation of research dedicated to the history of the Georgian Church in foreign scientific circles is particularly gratifying.
We congratulate Bishop Melchisedek on this significant academic achievement and wish him further fruitful scientific, theological, and pastoral work.