The Administration of the Government of Georgia has made public the funeral expenses of Patriarch Ilia II

The Administration of the Government of Georgia has released information regarding the expenses incurred for the funeral of the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Ilia II. By the decision of the State Commission on March 18, 2026, the Ministry of Culture was tasked with organizing the event, for which 3,000,000 GEL was initially allocated from the Government's Reserve Fund. By the decree of May 8, 2026, the mentioned amount was adjusted to 722,645 GEL, as a result of which 2,277,355 GEL was returned to the budget. Imedi+4

The Ministry of Culture signed 26 contracts for the organization of the event, which included technical support, transportation, accommodation, and other services. According to the Government Administration, several companies, including "Progress Service", "Litex-Service", and "GT Group", undertook the cleaning of the cathedrals free of charge, while "Aqua Geo" provided water free of charge. It was also noted that the director, musicians, and chanters involved in the event did not receive an honorarium. Imedi+3

Analyst Gia Abashidze notes on social media that approximately 76% of the allocated funds were not spent, which, according to him, was due to the discounts or free services provided by the individuals and companies involved in the process. Imedi+2