კულტურა პლუს 2 (8) 2017

kultura plus / CULTURE PLUS 2 (8) 2017

avT So ba-a

xal w els!

gil

ocav

PLUS a plu s / CUL TURE

e dRes a

swaul

s

e dResaswau

ls

w

ww.c ls ultu re.go brwyinvale dResaswau gilocavT aRdgomis v.g

ure.gov.g e

plus

/ CU LTUR E PL US

1(3)20 16

e

kult ura

5 PLUS 2(2)201

inval

1(3)2016 kultura plus / CULTURE PLUS

s a plu

15 )20 1(1 US

E PL

T aRdgomis brwyinval

www.cult

re.gov.ge

www.cultu

us

/ CU

LTUR

kultur

www.culture.gov.ge

PLU TURE / CUL

015 S 1(1)2

vaJa-fSavelas saxelobis premia saxelmwifo s s saxelobi vela Sa vaJa-f premia s saxelmwifo saxelobi las a fSave vaJa- wifo premi lm xe sa

wels!

RE plus / CULTU kultura

1(1)2015 kultura plus / CULTURE PLUS

-axal locavT Soba gi www.culture.gov.ge

brwy

gilocav

tur

e

T aRd gomis

kul

re.gov .g

kultura plus / CULTURE PLUS 2(2)2015

www .cultu

2(2)2015

gilocavT Soba-axal wel s!

kultura plus / CULTURE PLUS 1(3)20 16

giloc

tu

ra

pl

www.culture.gov.ge kul

v.ge lture.go

www.cu

e ov.g

ure.g

ww

ult w.c

aq SeiZleba ganTavsdes Tqveni reklama 2 4 2016

2 (4) 2016 RE PLUS plus / CULTU us pl

/ CU

ulturaplusm

kul

tu

ra

facebook.com/k

LTUR

US E PL

2 (4)

2016

kultura

facebook.com/kulturaplusm

2016

kultura plus / CULTURE PLUS 2 (4) 2016

24

2 4 2016

lusm

lturap

/ku

k.com

oo faceb

el-fosta: kulturaplusm@gmail.com facebook.com/kulturaplusm tel: 032 298 96 13; (+995) 599 93 50 07; (+995) 599 33 02 01

s a g a n m a n a T l e b l o - s a z o g a d o e b r i v i

J u r n a l i

sarCevi / Contents akvani irweva ufskrulis Tavze

2

THE CRADLE ROCKS ABOVE AN ABYSS...

moqvi... bedia... ilori?!

10

MOKVI... BEDIA... ILORI?!

kidev erTxel paoloze

18

ONCE MORE ON PAOLO

karlo

28

KARLO

erTi wignis istoria

40

THE STORY OF A BOOK

xeebi zezeulad kvdebian

48

TREES DIE STANDING TALL...

musika gansxvavebul adamianebs aerTianebs

56

MUSIC UNITES PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS

Soki, anu kinematografis ukanaskneli argumenti

68

SHOCK, OR THE LAST ARGUMENT OF CINEMA

Teatraluri imereTi 2017

76

THEATRICAL IMERETI 2017

dokumenturi kinos sivrce

82

A SPACE FOR DOCUMENTARY FILMS

rusTavelis #19

92

19 RUSTAVELI AVENUE

mTavari redaqtori EDITOR-IN-CHIEF revaz iukuriZe REVAZ IUKURIDZE saredaqcio jgufi ramaz Wilaia xaTuna kereseliZe aleqsandre ServaSiZe qeiTi ruTi deivisi

EDITORIAL STAFF RAMAZ CHILAIA KHATUNA KERESELIDZE ALEKSANDRE SHERVASHIDZE KATIE RUTH DAVIES

dizaineri DESIGNER nikoloz bagrationi NIKOLOZ BAGRATIONI

el-fosta: kulturaplusm@gmail.com facebook.com/kulturaplusm tel: 032 298 96 13 gamodis kvartalSi erTxel JurnalSi ganTavsebuli masalis gamoyeneba SeiZleba mxolod redaqciis TanxmobiT

Issued quarterly The material published in this magazine cannot be used without the authorization of the editorial staff

ISSN 2346-8165 beWdva: Sps „favoriti“ / Print: LTD Favorite fotomasalis mowodebisTvis madlobas vuxdiT: saqarTvelos parlamentis erovnul biblioTekas

garekanze: karl kaWarava, `Cven, yvelani erTad viyaviT barselonaSi~; tilo, zeTi; 1993 w. 80 sm. X 110 sm.

Cover: Karlo Kacharava. 'We were all in Barcelona together'; oil on canvas; 1993, 80 x 110 cm

www.culture.gov.ge

The cradle rocks above an abyss...

2

`akvani irweva ufskrulis Tavze...~ bolo dros nabokovis am sityvebs dRevandeli samyaros arsebobis formulad aRviqvam. sicocxle maradisobisa da daviwyebis sanapiroebze miedineba. `akvani irweva ufskrulis Tavze~. adamianis mizania _ daaSoros is ufskruls. amisTvis ki unda mousmino samyaros, gaigono xmebi, romlebic avsebs mas, gaigo sxvisa, Sengan gansxvavebulis, eZebo da ipovo azri yvelaferSi, rac xdeba Sens garSemo, `gaigono~ buneba da adamianis xeliT Seqmnili silamaze, anu xelovneba. qristianuli mcirericxovani eris istoriulad da geopolitikurad determinirebuli martooba; amgvari martoobis daZleva SeiZleba mxolod maSin, rodesac eri, qveyana dainaxavs sakuTar Tavs ara izolirebulad, aramed saerTo konteqstSi, sxva erebTan, sxva qveynebTan mimarTebaSi da Seecdeba daamyaros kavSiri im erTobebTan, romlebic msoflmxedvelobrivad axloa masTan. amaSia Cveni evropisadmi swrafvis saukuneTa siRrmeSi dabadebuli bunebrivi safuZveli. bunebrivi imitom, rom Cveni kulturuli faseulobebi emTxveoda evropuls. am gzaze pirveli realuri nabiji gadavdgiT evrosabWoSi saqarTvelos miRebis dRes. es iyo 1999 wlis 27 aprili, erTi mziani da qariani dRe, rodesac evropis sabWos sasaxlis win, ormoci evropuli qveynis gverdiT, germaniisa da safrangeTis droSebs Sua nel-nela miiwevda cisken Cveni Sindisferi, TeTr da Savzoliani, mravalWirgamovlili droSa. Cven, saqarTvelos warmomadgenlebi, videqiT evropis sasaxlis fasadis win da sunTqvaSekrulni vadevnebdiT Tvals, rogor adioda droSa maRla, anu rogor iwyeboda saqarTvelos evropul erTobasTan Serwymis procesi. im ramdenime wuTis ganmavlobaSi Cems cnobierebaSi amuSavda genetikuri mexsiereba; da me davinaxe, rogor damkvidrda 3000 wlis win dmanisSi Cveni winapari, `pirveli evropeli~, rogor moadga argonavtebis xomaldi kolxeTis napirebs da rogor gaitanes saberZneTSi oqros sawmisi _ oqros damuSavebis wesi, rac qveynis maRal ganviTarebaze mianiSnebda; rogor gamocxadda, IV saukuneSi qristianoba saxelmwifo religiad, rogor Seiqmna XII saukuneSi didi, Zlieri, maRali kulturis qveyana, sadac arsebobda sazogadoebis sxvadasxva fenis warmomadgenelTagan Seqmnili darbazi _ Tanamedrove parlamentis winamorbedi, rogor gamosca Tamar mefem dekreti sikvdiliT dasjis gauqmebis Sesaxeb da qveyanaSi aRmocenda renesansuli ideebi, …gamaxsenda Salva nucubiZis Teoria, romlis mixedviTac evropuli renesansi saqarTveloSi daibada... ramdenime wuTSi procesi dasrulda, qarTulma droSam daimkvidra Tavisi adgili evropul droSebs Soris.

Cemi interpretaciiT, im dRes gasrulda saqarTvelos

“The cradle rocks above an abyss...”

Lately, these words by Nabokov have become my perception of the formula for the existence of the modern world.

Life flows on the coasts of eternity and oblivion.

“The cradle rocks above an abyss...”

The human purpose is to take it away from the edge of the abyss.

In order to do this, you need to listen to the universe, to hear sounds that fill it, to understand others who are different from you, to search and find meaning in everything that happens around you, to comprehend nature and beauty created by man’s hand – art.

This small Christian nation is characterized by a historically and geopolitically determined loneliness; such loneliness can be overcome only when the nation, the country, sees itself not in isolation, but in a common context with other nations, other countries, and tries to be in contact with unities that share similar worldviews.

That is the natural origin of our centuries-old yearning towards Europe. Natural, because our cultural values are aligned with those of Europe.

The first real step in that direction was taken the day we were accepted in the European Council.

It was on April 27th, 1999, a sunny and windy day, that our burgundy flag with its black-and-white stripes and its history of many troubles and woes was slowly raised toward the skies, between the German and French flags and among those of 40 European countries, in front of the European Council Palace.

We, representatives of Georgia, stood in front of the building and watched breathlessly how the flag soared, thus marking the beginning of Georgia’s unification process with the European Union. During those few minutes, genetic memory came alive in my consciousness; and I saw how our ancestor, the first European, settled in Dmanisi 3000 years ago, how the Argonauts’ ship arrived on the coast of Kolkheti and took the golden fleece – a gold extraction technique indicating the high developmental level of the country – back to Greece, how Christianity was declared the state religion in the 4th century, how in the 12th century Georgia

3

istoriulad da geopolitikurad determinirebuli martooba da daiwyo misi didi evropuli Tavgadasavali.

Tumca es iyo evropis karis frTxili SeReba, radganac, sayovelTao aRiarebiT, evropis sabWo mxolod karibWea evrokavSirisa. mas Semdeg kidev bevri qartexili dagvatyda Tavs, ucvleli darCa mxolod Cveni miswrafeba evropisken. gasaTvaliswinebelia isic, rom Cvens cnobierebaSi jer kidev cocxalia sabWoTa weswyobilebidan gamoyolili miTologiuri azrovneba. is gvkarnaxobs azrs, TiTqos evropa Tavs mogvaxvevs Rirebulebebs, romlebic Cvens tradiciebs ewinaaRmdegeba. realoba ki sapirispiroa: evropa ufrTxildeba Tavisi wevrebis kulturul TviTmyofadobas, afasebs da pativs scems gansxvavebulobas, Taviseburebas. amave dros, evropeloba bevr konkretul ramesac gulisxmobs da upirveles yovlisa – yoveli moqalaqis pirad pasuxismgeblobas sazogadoebisa da qveynis winaSe. sul ubralo magaliTebiT rom vTqvaT, evropeli ar dayris cariel boTlebs, saWmlis narCenebs, polieTilenis parkebs qalaqis quCebSi, zRvis Tu tbis sanapiroze, tyesa Tu parkSi. mas es ubralod azradac ar mouva, is SeboWilia wesiT,

4

became a strong country with a high level of culture and a hall made up of representatives of various classes of society – an early version of the modern parliament, how King Tamar issued a decree abolishing the death penalty and renaissance ideas developed in the country – reminding me of Shalva Nutsubidze’s theory, according to which European Renaissance originated in Georgia...

A few minutes later the process was over and the Georgian flag had taken its place among European flags.

The way I see it, that was the day Georgia’s historically and geopolitically determined loneliness was over and its great European adventure began.

Although it was a gentle opening of Europe’s gate, it is well known that the Europe Council is the gateway to the European Union.

Since then, we have been through a lot more, and only our aspiration towards Europe has remain unchanged.

In our consciousness, mythological reasoning inherited from the Soviet regime is still alive. It dictates to us that Europe will force values on us that contradict our traditions. In reality, it is the opposite: Europe cares about its members’ cultural freedom, values and respects differences and characteristics. At the same time, being European means many specific things as well, and first of all, the personal responsibility of each citizen towards their society and their

CveviT, bolosdabolos, kanoniT. evropeli mZRoli bunebrivad uTmobs gzas fexiT mosiarules, umizezod ar iyenebs xmovan signals, ar daayenebs manqanas ise, rom sxvas SeuSalos xeli, mouvlis saerTo sadarbazos iseve, rogorc sakuTar binas. da mainc, qarTveli xalxis miswrafebam evropisken yvela winaaRmdegobas gauZlo, gauZlo imitom, rom is yvelaze mZlavr motivacias _ faseulobaTa, anu kulturaTa erTobas emyareba. paradoqsia, magram dRes safrTxe swored am _ humanizmze da pirovnebisadmi pativiscemaze damyarebul faseulobebs emuqreba. dRevandelobam moulodneli gamowvevebi daayena msoflios civilizebuli nawilis, kerZod, evropis winaSe: es aris sul axali movlena, romelmac SeZra kacobrioba _ fundamentalisturi islamis aRzeveba da ideologiurreligiuri rwmeniT Sepyrobil jihadistTa, anu TviTmkvlelTa terorizmi. da amave dros _ ganxeTqileba evropis SigniT, evrokavSiris daSlis safrTxe (`breqsiti~ _ am tendenciis momaswavlebeli), mTel evropaSi _ radikalizmisa da populizmis momZlavreba, _ es ukve iyo: populizmis aRzevebam 1917 wels da ocdaaTian wlebSi katastrofamde miiyvana samyaro; evropuli ideis fuZemdeblebs ki sjerodaT, rom evropuli saerTo saxli, anu evrokavSiri swored am safrTxeebisgan daicavda erebs. saerTo situacia imdenad daiZaba, rom analitikosebi liberaluri demokratiis kriziszec alaparakdnen.

country. To use some simple examples, Europeans will not throw empty bottles, leftover food or plastic bags in the street, by the sea or a lake, in a forest or a park. Doing that will not even cross their minds; they are restricted by rules, habits, and, of course, the law.

European drivers naturally give way to pedestrians and do not use the horn without reason, they will not park the car in a place where it will create an obstacle to others, they will take care of the common spaces in the building just as they take care of their apartments.

And still, the yearning of Georgian people towards Europe withstood every obstacle, because it is based on the strongest motivation – a unity of values and culture.

It is paradoxical, but these values based on humanism and respect of the individual are the ones that find themselves most threatened nowadays.

The civilized part of the world – namely, Europe – is now facing an unexpected challenge: it is a very new phenomenon that has shaken humanity – the rise of fundamentalist Islam and terrorism by jihadists and suicide bombers subjugated by ideological and religious faith.

And at the same time – discord inside Europe, the danger of the collapse of the European Union (Brexit indicates this tendency), and in all of Europe – strengthening of radicalism and populism, something we have seen before: the rise of populism in 1917 and in the thirties led the entire world to catastrophe; the founders of European ideas believed that the common European house, meaning the European Union, would protect its nations against these threats.

The general situation has become so tense that analysts now even talk of a crisis of liberal democracy.

5

jer kidev XX saukunis bolos sazogadoebriv-politikuri movlenebis Seswavlam evropeli mkvlevarebi miiyvana saintereso daskvnamde: politikuri dapirispirebebi, agresia da omebi ki ar iwvevs kulturis kriziss, aramed piriqiT, Seurigebloba, agresia da omebi aris kulturis krizisis Sedegi. Tu daveTanxmebiT am postulats, naTeli gaxdeba, ramdenad mniSvnelovania kulturis roli samyaros ganviTarebis da civilizaciaTa da erTa Soris urTierTobis procesSi. aq minda moviyvano frangi akademikosis, e.w. `ukvdavis~ _ amin maalufis _ niSandoblivi gamonaTqvami, romelic am problemas exeba: `kulturis adgilis Sesaxeb samyaroSi: aucilebelia davaRwioT Tavi marqsistul, da masTan erTad, kapitalistur logikas, romelic yvelafers

6

Back in the late 20th century, a study of social-political events led European researchers to the following interesting conclusion: it is not political conflicts, aggression and war that cause cultural crises, but the other way around, irreconcilability, aggression and war are the result of a cultural crisis. If we agree with this postulate, it will become clear how important a part culture plays in the development of the world and the process of relationships between nations. Here, I would like to quote a French academician, the so-called “immortal” Amin Maalouf, who said of this problem: “in place of culture in the world: it is necessary to get out of the Marxist as well as the Capitalist logic, which explains everything with the economy. I am certain that every problem that is connected to identity, integration or fundamentalism are within the scope of culture”.

ekonomikiT xsnis. darwmunebuli var, rom yvela problema, romelic dakavSirebulia identobasTan, integraciasTan an fundamentalizmTan, ganekuTvneba kulturis sferos~. dRevandeli qarTuli cnobiereba XX saukunis mZlavri kataklizmebis Sedegad Camoyalibda. bolo aTwleulebis mudmivma politikurma Sejaxebebma sabediswerod gaxliCa sazogadoeba, danerga Seuwynarebloba da eqstremizmi, siZulvili mowinaaRmdegis mimarT. darwmunebuli var, rom am problemebis erTaderTi wamali kultura da ganaTlebaa. saukuneTa ganmavlobaSi qarTveli eri sakuTari Tavis identifikacias enasa da kulturaSi axdenda. dResac haeriviT gvWirdeba igive midgoma: imaSi xom aRaravis epareba eWvi, rom globalizaciis winaaRmdegobriv procesSi gadarCebian da ganviTardebian mxolod is mcirericxovani erebi, romelTac saukuneTa siRrmeSi aqvs gadgmuli fesvebi Tavisi enisa da kulturis saxiT. Cveni kultura evropuli tipis qristianuli kulturaa, sakuTari anbaniT, Txutmetsaukunovani literaturiT, rusTavelisa da vaJas poeziiT, mcxeTis jvariTa Tu sveticxoveliT, yinwvisis angeloziTa Tu firosmaniT, uZvelesi mravalxmianobiTa da sagaloblebiT... da xasiaTiT, romlis mTavari maxasiaTebeli gaxsniloba, stumarTmoyvareoba da sicocxlisa da sixarulis talantia... yvelaferi es erTad ki Seadgens Cvens TviTmyofadobas, Taviseburebas da swored amiT SeiZleba viyoT mimzidveli evropisTvis da, zogadad, samyarosTvis. xolo ra SeuZlia kulturas, da kerZod xelovnebas, patara qveynis popularizaciisTvis msoflio masStabiT, amas Cemi piradi gamocdilebac mkarnaxobs. ise moxda, rom bolo wlebi gansakuTrebiT intensiuri aRmoCnda qarTuli kinosadmi interesis mxriv: niu-iorki, Tanamedrove xelovnebis muzeumi _ saxelganTqmuli `moma~, vaSingtoni _ xelovnebis muzeumi, san francisko, korea _ busani, birma _ mianmari, maroko _ rabaTi, visbadeni _ es is qveynebi da qalaqebia, sadac piradad viyavi qarTuli kinos gamarjvebebis momswre. Cemi udidesi STabeWdileba: niuiorki, Tanamedrove xelovnebis muzeumi, xalxiT gaWedili darbazi, qarTuli kinos retrospeqtivis gaxsnis dRe, ekranze `eliso~, nikoloz Sengelaias 1927 wels gadaRebuli filmi, romelic ise Tanamedroved JRers, TiTqos dResaa gadaRebuli... da amerikelTa ovaciebi, gaogneba, aRfrTovaneba... da maSinve dabadebuli interesi qveynis, misi bedis, misi warsulis da dRevandelobis mimarT! dRemde cocxalia CemSi is siamayis gancda, romelic dameufla im saRamos. es xom udao WeSmaritebaa: arafers ar SeuZlia aRZras iseTi interesi qveynis mimarT, rogorc xelovnebas, da kerZod, kinos. xandaxan, sxvadasxva kontinentze mogzaurobisas, filmebis Cvenebis mere SekiTxvebi Rimilis momgvrelic ki iyo. magaliTad, vaSingtonSi dasrulda

The modern Georgian mentality was developed as a result of the strong cataclysms of the 20th century. Constant political conflicts of the last decades have resulted in a critical split in society, introducing intolerance, extremism and hate towards opponents.

I am certain that the only cure for this problem is culture and education.

Over centuries, the Georgian nation identified itself with its language and culture. Nowadays, we critically need to use the same approach: no one doubts the fact that in the contradictory process of globalization, the only small nations to survive will be the ones with centuries-deep roots in the form of their language and culture.

Our culture is a Christian culture of the European kind, with its own alphabet, fifteen centuries of literature, the poetry of Rustaveli and Vazha, Jvari and Svetitskhoveli churches in Mtskheta, the angel of Kintsvisi and Pirosmani, ancient polyphonic and choir singing... and a character with openness, hospitality and a talent for life and joy as its main traits... all this defines our self-sufficiency, our uniqueness and is what could make us attractive to Europe and the world in general.

As for what culture and, more specifically, art, can do to make a small country globally popular, I can speak of it from personal experience.

As it happens, the recent years have been unusually active in terms of interest towards Georgian cinema. New York, the Museum of Modern Art – the famous MOMA, Washington – the Museum of Art, San Francisco, Korea – Busan, Birma – Myanmar, Morocco – Rabat, Wiesbaden – these are countries and cities where I personally witnessed the success of Georgian cinema.

My strongest impression: New York, Museum of Modern Art, a crowded hall, the opening day of the retrospective for Georgian cinema, and on the screen, “Eliso”, a film directed by Nikoloz Shengelaia in 1927 but sounding so modern that it seems it was shot today... and the applause of the American audience, their

7

Cemi filmi `dRes Rame uTenebia~ da erT-erTma amerikelma dasva amgvari kiTxva: `am filmSi saocari silamazis mTebi vnaxe. aqamde vicodi, rom saqarTvelo zRvispira qveyanaa, da Tanac patara, da nuTu am patara qveyanaSi zRvac gaqvT da aseTi mTebico? kiTxva-pasuxis dasrulebis Semdeg amerikelTa mTeli gundi miadga Cveni delegaciis wevrebs imis gasarkvevad, Tu rogor Camosuliyvnen saqarTveloSi. mxolod kulturaze dayrdnobiT, mis ganviTarebaze zrunviT, SevZlebT Cveni Sida problemebis gadawyvetas da qveynis gamTlianebas. kultura xom uSualod ukavSirdeba erovnul Rirsebas da siamayes. xolo amayi da sakuTari RirsebiT gamsWvaluli eri yvelafers SeZlebs, pirvel rigSi _ ukeT ganaviTarebs Tavis ekonomikas da keTildReobasac ufro advilad miaRwevs. dabolos, minda gavamxilo Cemi, rogorc erTi qarTveli moqalaqis survili: gaviazroT saqarTvelo, rogorc saukuneTa ganmavlobaSi sxvadasxva imperiis mier dapyrobili da saxelmwifoebrioba dakarguli, mwiri resursebis mqone patara qveyana, romelmac _ ukve XX saukuneSi _ ver gauZlo damoukideblobis gzaze kanonzomierad aRmocenebul cdunebebs da sxvadasxva xafangSi gayo Tavi, ramac samoqalaqo omi da sazogadoebis

8

stupefaction, their cheers... and a sudden interest arising in the country, its fate, its past and its present!

The pride I felt that evening is still alive inside me.

It is an undisputable truth: nothing can arouse interest in a country as art, and in particular, as cinema can. Sometimes, while traveling across continents after film screenings, some questions even brought a smile to my face. For example, when the viewing of my film “Day is Longer than Night” ended in Washington, an American asked the following question: “I saw mountains of amazing beauty in the film. I knew Georgia as a coastal country, and a small one at that, is it possible that such a tiny country has a coast and such mountains, as well?” After the Q&A session, an entire group of Americans approached a member of our delegation to ask how they could get to Georgia.

We will only be able to overcome our internal challenges and unite our country through our culture and its development.

Culture is in direct connection with a nation’s dignity and pride.

And a country that is proud and aware of its worth can achieve anything, starting with a better development of its economy and easier achievement of prosperity.

Finally, I would like to disclose a wish of mine as a citizen of Georgia: Let us realize that Georgia is a small country that was conquered by various empires throughout the centuries, having lost its

gaxleCa gamoiwvia. magram am istoriulad gansazRvrul tragizms upirispirdeboda da upirispirdeba: qarTvelTa mier qristianobis gariJraJze aRiarebuli `pirvelqmnili, saxarebiseuli qristianoba, romelSic mZlavrad JRerda Tavisuflebis motivi~ (merab mamardaSvili), saintereso geopolitikuri mdebareoba, mimzidveli landSafti, da, rac mTavaria: unikaluri samiaTaswlovani kultura, maRali da yofiTi (niSandoblivia, rom xorblis msoflioSi cnobili rva jiSidan oTxi qarTulia, rom vazis, anu civilizaciis, safuZvlis akvani _ saqarTveloa), da kidev, eris Tvisebebi: Tavisuflebisadmi dauokebeli swrafva, sicocxlis da sixarulis niWi, kreatiuloba da artistizmi, Semwynarebloba, anu yvelaferi is, ramac gadagvarCina da mogviyvana dRevandel dRemde, rogorc civilizebuli samyarosTvis mimzidveli erToba. vfiqrob: sazogadoeba da xelisufleba unda daeyrdnos xalxis wiaRSi dabadebul tendencias da qveynis strategiul prioritetad aRiaros kultura, rogorc fenomeni, romelsac erovnuli identobis da qarTuli saxelmwifos erTianobisTvis gadamwyveti mniSvneloba aqvs. `akvani irweva ufskrulis Tavze~.

Cven, adamianebs, SegviZlia davaSoroT is ufskruls. Tu davfiqrdebiT, davisaxavT mizans da vimoqmedebT.

statehood, possesses scarce resources and – already in the 20th century – could not resist temptations arising on its way to independence; falling into various traps which resulted in civil war and a divide inside society. But this historically determined tragic nature was and still is opposed by what Georgians recognized at the very beginning of Christianity, “an original, gospel-based Christianity with a strong freedom motif” (Merab Mamardashvili), an interesting geopolitical location, attractive landscapes, and, most importantly, a unique 3,000-year-old culture, including material (it should be noted that of eight most common species of wheat in the world, four are Georgian, and that Georgia is the cradle of wine, and therefore civilization), as well as the characteristics of the nation: an unquenchable thirst for freedom, a gift for life and joy, creativity and artistic traits, tolerance… in short, everything that saved us and brought us to this day as a union that is attractive to the civilized world.

I believe that society and the government should go with this tendency that was born among the people and recognize culture as a strategic priority for the country, as a phenomenon that is essential to national identity and the unity of the Georgian state.

“The cradle rocks above an abyss...”

We, humans, can take it away from the abyss. If we think, set goals and take action.

statiaSi gamoyenebulia avtoris namuSevrebi

Illustrations by the author

9

moqvi... bedia... ilori?!

Mokvi... Bedia... Ilori?! dRes, samwuxarod, afxazeTis avtonomiuri respublikis legitimuri mTavroba da umaRlesi sabWo devnilobaSia da saqarTvelos dedaqalaqSi _ TbilisSi funqcionirebs. miuxedavad am rTuli mdgomareobisa afxazeTis mTavrobisa da maT Soris afxazeTis avtonomiuri respublikis ganaTlebisa da kulturis saministros saqmianobis gamorCeuli strategiuli mimarTuleba afxazeTis kulturul faseulobebze zrunva da maTi popularizebaa. es im pirobebSi rodesac, ruseTis mier okupirebul afxazeTis avtonomiur respublikaSi, istoriul-arqiteqturul Zeglebze, kulturul faseulobebze yoveldRiurad xorcieldeba mizanmimarTuli vandaluri aqtebi, aqtiurad mimdinareobs `istoriul-kulturuli mowmeebis“ mospobis procesi, romlis saboloo mizani istoriis gadawera, arqiteqturuli da sxva nagebobebis iersaxis Secvla, damaxinjeba, ganadgurebaa... ukanasknel wlebSi rusma da afxazma vaimecnierebma, arqiteqtorebma, restavratorebma da sxva

10

moqvis oTxTavi, XIII s.

As you’re reading these words, unfortunately, the Legitimate Government and the High Council of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia is still in exile and operates in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi. Despite this difficult situation, the strategic orientation of the Abkhazian government, including its Ministry of Education and Culture of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia, remains the preservation and popularization of Abkhazian cultural values. This task is highly undermined by the premeditated vandalistic acts that are carried out daily on historic and architectural monuments in the Russian-occupied AR of Abkhazia. Active destruction of “historic-cultural witnesses” is ongoing, the final goal of which is to rewrite history, to change the appearance of monuments, be they architectural or not, to disfigure, to remove them...

In recent years, Russian and Abkhaz pretend scientists, architects, restorers and other “good-willed” people have destroyed or disfigured the following historic Georgian historic monuments and structures: the Bedia Cathedral (10th century), Ilori Church (11th), Dranda Cathedral (6th), and White Saint George Chapel (19th). In autumn 2016, they demolished the wall, constructed with blocks from various

MOKVI GOSPELS, XIII C.

moqvi, X s. / MOKVI, X C.

`keTilismyofelebma~ gaanadgures an iersaxe Seucvales Semdeg qarTul istoriul Zeglebs da nagebobebs: bediis monasters (X s.), iloris eklesias (XI s.), drandis eklesias (VI s.), TeTri wminda giorgis salocavs (XIX s.); 2016 wlis Semodgomaze miwasTan gaaswores anakofiis cixis eklesiis sakurTxevelTan arsebuli kedeli, romelic sxvadasxva istoriuli epoqis reliefuri filebiT iyo nagebi. cixe-simagris kedlis mimdebare teritoriaze Segrovebuli am fragmentebisgan axali aTonis monastris berebs XIX saukunis bolos augiaT aRniSnuli kedeli. savaraudod, kedlis yvelaze Zveli, berZnulwarweriani ori fragmenti 437 da 554 wlebiT TariRdeboda. rogorc vxedavT, kedlis wyoba 100 welze met xans iTvlida da mecnierTa Tu damTvalierebelTa yuradRebas iqcevda. es umniSvnelovanesi, sabWoTa aTeizms gadarCenili istoriul-arqeologiuri Zegli afxazTa da qarTvelTa, ukve saubedurod aRar arsebobs!

historical epochs, next to the altar of the Anacopia Fortress. It was built in the 19th century by monks from the New Athos Monastery with fragments gathered in the surroundings of the fortress. The two oldest fragments of the wall with Greek inscriptions were approximately dated to years 437 and 554. The arrangement of the wall was more than 100 years old, and sparked much attention with both scientists and visitors. Unfortunately, this most important historic and archaeological monument of the Abkhaz and Georgians, which had survived Soviet atheism, simply is no more!

The Tsebelda Church from the 8th-9th centuries (restored in the 19th century) has been completely destroyed. Abkhazian sources themselves reported the damage on January 3rd, 2017, stating that the Russian military had demolished the multilayered archaeologicalarchitectural monument next to Tsebelda village, Gulripshi District – a settlement from the 8th-10th centuries and later, a graveyard, Church ruins, as well as a Polish cemetery from the Middle Ages – and all this in order to build a shooting range.

11

bedia, X s. / BEDIA, X C.

sruliad ganadgurda VIII-IX ss-is webeldis eklesia (aRdgenili XIX s.). am istoriuli Zeglis xelyofis Sesaxeb informacia Tavad afxazurma wyaroebma 2017 wlis 3 ianvars gaavrceles. aRniSnulis mixedviT, rusebma samxedro poligonis mosamzadeblad aRgaves gulrifSis raionis sofel webeldasTan arsebuli mravalfeniani arqeologiur-arqiteqturuli Zegli _ VIII-IX da gviani Sua saukuneebis nasoflari, samarovani, eklesiis nangrevi da aseve XX s-is Sua xanebis polonelTa sasaflao. dRes gadaudebel sarestavracio/sakonservacio samuSaoebs iTxovs: lixnis (X s.), moqvis (X s.), candrifSis (VI s.), svimon kananelis saxelobis (VII-VIII ss.) taZrebi; ambaras eklesia (VII-VIII ss), kamanis eklesia (XI s.), webeldis cixe (adre Sua saukuneebi), bagratis cixe (X-XI ss), besleTis xidi (X-XI ss.), afxazeTis mTavrebis ServaSiZeebis sasaxlis naSTebi (XVI-XVII ss.) da sxva araerTi istoriularqiteqturuli nageboba.

2016 wels, afxazeTis avtonomiuri respublikis ganaTlebisa da kulturis saministros, kulturul faseulobaTa dacvis samsaxurma moamzada da gamosca afxazeTis avtonomiuri respublikis arqiteqturulistoriuli ruka, romelzec 176 istoriul-

12

Currently, the following monuments are in need of restoration/ conservation works: Lykhny Church (10th century), Mokvi Cathedral (10th), Tsandripshi Church (6th), Church of St. Simon the Canaanite (7th-8th), Ambara Church (7th-8th), Kamani Monastery (11th), Tsebelda Fortress (early Middle Ages), Bagrati Fortress (10th-11th), Besleti Bridge (10th-11th), remains of the princely palace of the Shervashidzes (16th17th), and many other historic-architectural structures.

arqiteqturuli nagebobaa datanili; maTgan mxolod rvaa dauzianebeli, ormocamde saSualo, danarCeni ki gadaudebel Seswavlasa da Sesabamis sarestavracio/ sakonservacio samuSaoebs saWiroebs. rogorc qarTul, aseve afxazur wyaroebs araerTgzis aRuniSnavT, rom regionSi farTodaa gavrcelebuli e.w. `Savi arqeologia~, rac saqarTvelos am uZveles kuTxeSi SemorCenil moZrav istoriul memkvidreobas samudamod anadgurebs. yovelive zemoTqmulis Sedegad iSleba istoriuli kvali da Seqmnili viTareba, rogorc, WeSmariti istoriis gayalbebiT daintersebuli Zalebis (rusis Tu sxva momxvduris) survils emsaxureba, rac mxarisa da mosaxleobis ucxotomelTan saboloo asimilacias gulisxmobs. afxazeTis avtonomiur respublikaSi, kulturul faseulobebTan dakavSirebuli viTarebidan gamomdinare, aucileblad migvaCnia am mimarTulebiT muSaobis kidev ufro gaaqtiureba, raTa msgavsi danaSaulebrivi faqtebis Sesaxeb informacia droulad iqnas gavrcelebuli rogorc qveynis SigniT, aseve saerTaSoriso doneze. aseve gadaudebel amocanad davisaxeT afxazeTis avtonomiur respublikasTan dakavSirebuli kulturuli faseulobebis popularizaciisken mimarTuli proeqtebis ganxorcielebac. swored am mizniT Seiqmna `afxazeTis avtonomiuri respublikis istoriis kulturisa da eTnologiis virtualuri muzeumi“. am proeqtis ganxorcielebis idea informaciis miRebis Tanamedrove teqnologiebma, informaciis miRebis/mopovebis ufro moxerxebuli formebis damkvidrebam ganapiroba. kerZod, farTo moxmarebaSi Semovida internetsivrce da eleqtronuli

bediis barZimi X s.

BEDIA CALICE, X C.

webeldis kankeli, VIII-IX ss.

TSEBELDA ICONOSTASIS, VIII-IX CC.

In 2016, the Cultural Value Protection Service of the Ministry of Education and Culture of the AR of Abkhazia prepared and published an architectural-historic map presenting 176 historic-architectural structures of the AR; only eight of them are still in good condition, 40 are in a “medium” condition, and the rest are in urgent need of being studied and undergoing restoration/conservation works.

Both Georgian and Abkhazian sources have frequently noted that illegal archaeology is widespread in the region, forever ruining numerous historic artifacts of this ancient region of Georgia. As a result, historic evidence disappears, which serves the interests of forces who wish to falsify history (Russia and other invaders), leading to a complete assimilation of the region and its inhabitants with a foreign entity.

As a consequence of the recent developments with regards to culture in the AR of Abkhazia, we believe it is absolutely necessary to become even more active in our undertakings in this field, so that information about such crimes is disseminated in a timely manner, both on the local and international level. It is also urgent to carry out projects dedicated to the popularization of cultural values connected to the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia.

This is precisely why our department has created a ‘Virtual Museum of History, Culture and Ethnology of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia’. The idea followed the establishment of modern and more user-friendly technologies aimed at finding and exchanging information. The internet and electronic products are more and more widely used: books, magazines, television channels… The use of electronic excursions and museums is also increasing daily, including

13

ilori, XI s. / ILORI, XI C.

produqtebi: wignebi, gazeTebi, satelevizio arxebi da a.S. aseve, dRiTidRe mkvidrdeba eleqtronuli eqskursiebisa da muzeumebiT sargeblobis praqtika. saqarTveloSi es mimarTuleba saTanadod viTardeba, Tumca, samwuxarod igrZnoba qarTulad eleqtronuli wignebis, onlain

muzeumebis da sxva msgavsi `produqtebis~ simcire. afxazeTTan dakavSirebuli kulturuli memkvidreobis nawili okupirebul teritoriaze arsebul muzeumebSia warmodgenili, nawili ki saqarTvelos sxvadasxva muzeumsa da sacavSi inaxeba. maTi erT virtualur sivrceSi warmosaCenad SevecadeT gamogveyenebina onlain muzeumebis Seqmnis saerTaSoriso praqtika,

14

in Georgia, though unfortunately, the numbers of Georgian e-books, online museums and other such “products” is critically low.

Part of the cultural heritage linked to the AR of Abkhazia is showcased in museums on the occupied territory, while another part is preserved in various museums and reserves around Georgia.

By presenting them in one virtual space, we wanted to make use of the international practice of online museums, which we believe to be the best solution to reunite pieces of Abkhazian cultural heritage.

The program targets both specialists and the wider public, and we think it can be used at any educational stage, as it will allow a better understanding of the history of our cultural heritage, and offer unprecedented visual access.

In the framework of ‘Culture Strategy 2025’, a document created on the initiative of the Ministry of Culture and Monument Protection, this project was introduced by us as one of the programs to be carried

ilori dRes `restavraciis~ Semdeg ILORI TODAY AFTER "RESTORATION" WORKS

rac Cveni azriT saukeTeso gamosavalia afxazeTTan dakavSirebuli kulturuli faseulobebis erTian sivrceSi dasaTvaliereblad. programa gankuTvnilia rogorc specialistebis, ise farTo sazogadoebisTvisac. vTvliT, rom misi gamoyeneba SesaZlebelia rogorc TvalsaCinoeba saganmanaTleblo sivrcis nebismier safexurze, radgan igi xels Seuwyobs kulturuli memkvidreobis vizualuri saxisa da istoriis ukeT aRqmasa da gaazrebas. unda aRiniSnos, rom saqarTvelos kulturisa da ZeglTa dacvis saministros iniciativiT Seqmnili `kulturis strategia 2025“ dokumentis farglebSi, kulturis seqtorSi uwyebaTaSorisi TanamSromlobis samoqmedo gegmaSi warmodgenili proeqti Sesuli iyo Cveni mxridan erT-erT Sesasrulebel saqmianobad. rogorc aRvniSneT, onlain muzeumSi Seiqmna sivrce, sadac Tavmoyrilia afxazeTTan dakavSirebuli rogorc moZravi, aseve uZravi kulturuli faseulobebi. darwmunebulni varT, rom `afxazeTis avtonomiuri respublikis istoriis kulturisa da eTnologiis virtualuri muzeumi“, daainteresebs rogorc afxaz, ise ucxoel megobrebs da gansakuTrebiT, Cvens momaval Taobebs. ukve vmuSaobT, raTa 2017 wlis bolosTvis, virtualur muzeums hqondes afxazuri da

out in the action plan regarding collaboration between entities representing the cultural sector.

As written above, the online museum offers a space where one can scroll through both movable and immovable cultural heritage pieces linked to Abkhazia. We are confident that the ‘Virtual Museum of History, Culture and Ethnology of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia’ will spark the interest of both Abkhaz and foreign friends, and especially of our future generations. We are already working on

lixne X s. / LIKHNE, X C.

15

biWvinTis taZari, X s.

BICHVINTA CATHEDRAL, X C.

inglisurenovani mxardaWera. samuSao procesi bunebrivia ver warimarTeboda partniorobisa da TanamSromlobis gareSe. am procesSi Cveni partniorebi iyvnen: saqarTvelos kulturisa da ZeglTa dacvis saministro; saqarTvelos erovnuli muzeumi; korneli kekeliZis saxelobis saqarTvelos xelnawerTa erovnuli centri; saqarTvelos kulturuli memkvidreobis dacvis erovnuli saagento; soxumis saxelmwifo universiteti; afxazeTis mxatvarTa kavSiri. ideis programuli uzrunvelyofa ganaxorciela kompaniam `biznet-iqsma“. programis musikaluri gaformebisTvis gamoyenebuli gvaqvs guram yuraSvilis saxelobis afxazeTis saxelmwifo kapelis repertuari. muzeumis mTavar darbazSi wriulad ganTavsebulia aTi sagamofeno darbazis kari, maT Soris dReisTvis aqtiuria Svidi.

16

the Abkhaz and English versions of the Virtual Museum, and plan to finish them by the end of the year.

Naturally, this process couldn’t have been achieved without the support of our partners and colleagues. Our partners were: the Ministry of Culture and Monument Protection of Georgia; the Georgian National Museum; the Korneli Kekelidze National Center of Manuscripts; the National Agency for Cultural Heritage Preservation of Georgia; the Sokhumi State University; and the Artists’ Union of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia. The platform was developed by the company ‘BiznetX’. For the music, we have used the repertoire of the Guram Kurashvili Abkhazian State Choir.

The circular main hall of the museum gives access to ten doors, each leading to an exhibition hall; at this point, you can enter seven of them.

We were working on the creation of the Virtual Museum all year,

and the following exhibitions halls are currently available on the online version: 1. Aleksandre Shervashidze’s works; 2. Archaeology; 3. Architecture; 4. Modern Abkhazian Artists; 5. Ethnology; 6. Historic Documents; 7.

Medieval Art. Not long ago, a presentation of the project was held at the Ministry of Culture and Monument Protection of Georgia and it got very good reviews; the speakers demonstrated that after the development of the relevant methodology, the use of a Virtual Museum will be possible at every stage of the educational process.

A banner of the Virtual Museum can be found on the website of the Ministry of Education and Culture of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia www.meca.gov.ge; the direct link to the Virtual Museum is http://meca.gov.ge/vm/. But we believe that all this is not enough.

In order to fully achieve our goal, we ask the organizations that are

virtualuri muzeumis Seqmnaze muSaoba mimdinareobda mTeli wlis ganmavlobaSi da amjerad onlain muzeumSi warmodgenilia da Seqmnilia Semdegi darbazebi: 1. aleqsanrde ServaSiZis namuSevrebi; 2. arqeologia; 3. arqiteqtura; 4. afxazeTis Tanamedrove mxatvrebi; 5. eTnologia; 6. istoriuli dokumentebis darbazi; 7. Sua saukuneebis xelovneba. cota xnis win warmodgenili programis prezentacia saqarTvelos kulturisa da ZeglTa dacvis saministroSi Sedga da sakmaod maRali Sefaseba daimsaxura; gamomsvlelebma daadastures, rom virtualuri muzeumis gamoyeneba Sesabamisi meTodologiis SemuSavebis Semdeg SesaZlebeli iqneba saganmanaTleblo sivrcis yvela safexurze. virtualuri muzeumi baneris saxiT ganTavsebulia afxazeTis avtonomiuri respublikis ganaTlebisa da kulturis saministros veb-gverdze www.meca.gov.ge; uSualod muzeumis eleqtronuli misamarTia http://meca. gov.ge/vm/. Tumca migvaCnia, rom es yovelive sakmarisi ar aris. dasaxuli miznis srulad misaRwevad vTxovT Sesabamis sferoSi moRvawe organizaciebs gverdis Semdgomi popularizebisTvis TavianTi SesaZleblobebiTac dagvexmaron. gvinda aRvniSnoT, rom warmodgenili virtualuri muzeumi rogorc cocxali organizmi, unda ganviTardes, ganagrZos daxvewa, Seivsos, gaizardos da am procesSi TiToeul kompetentur rCevasa Tu SeniSvnas, Cveni Semdgomi saqmianobisTvis didi mniSvneloba aqvs.

biWvinTis oTxTavi, XII s.

BICHVINTA GOSPELS, XII C.

active in the cultural sphere to help us popularize our Virtual Museum within their capabilities.

We would like to underline that like any other living organism, the Virtual Museum needs to develop, be refined and be enlarged‌ And any competent piece of advice or comment during this process will be very significant for our future activities.

Irakli Gelenava

irakli gelenava

17

kidev erTxel paoloze is, pirvelyovlisa, sicocxlis poeti iyo, sicocxlisa da ganaxlebis...

Once more on Paolo Above all, he was a poet of life, of life and renewal

wels qarTveli poetis da sazogado moRvawis, qarTuli modernizmis erT-erTi fuZemdeblis, `cisferyanwelTa~ literaturuli ordenis damaarseblis da xelmZRvanelis, Jurnalebis `oqros verZis~ (1913) da `cisferi yanwebis~ (1916) redaqtoris, `qarTvel mweralTa kavSiris~ erTerTi damfuZneblis (1917), paolo (pavle) jibraelis Ze iaSvilis (1892. 02 (15). 08. -1937. 22. 07.) dabadebidan 125 da gardacvalebidan 80 wlisTavi sruldeba.

18

This year is the 125th jubilee year since the birth and 80th year following the death of Georgian poet and public figure Paolo (Pavle) Iashvili, one of the founders of Georgian Modernism, founder and head of the Literary Order of the Blue Horns (“Tsisperkantselebi”), editor of the journals ‘Golden Aries’ (‘Okros Verdzi’ – 1913) and ‘Blue Horns’ (1916), and one of the founders of the Georgian Writers’ Union (1917).

„cisferyanwelebis“ mimarT interesi dResac ar cxreba. es araCveulebrivi `ordeni“, romelic TiTqmis 100 wlis win Seiqmna, qarTuli kulturis gamorCeul fenomenadaa miCneuli, xolo misi wevrebi, TavianTi tragikuli biografiebiT da originaluri SemoqmedebiT, araerTi mkvlevrisa Tu mkiTxvelis interesis da gatacebis sagania. paolo iaSvili maT wreSic ki gamorCeulia da ar mxolod imitom, rom am jgufis sulisCamdgmeli da organizatori iyo.

1913 wels, qarizmatuli axalgazrda, pavle iaSvili, mxatvrobis Sesaswavlad parizSi miemgzavreba da, pirveli msoflio omis gzagasayaris evropis kulturuli Tu esTetikuri dekadansis pirispir, modernistulavangardistuli epoqis wiaRSi aRmoCenili, aRtacebuli da gaognebuli, veRarasdros daiviwyebs am feeriul dReebs da Sexvedrebs. amitom, Sin dabrunebisTanave, faqtobrivad, axal cxovrebas iwyebs: poetTa komunitasis ideiT gatacebuli (`parnaselebi~, `dawyevlilebi~…), ikrebs Zvel Tu axal megobrebs da Tanamoazreebs da maTTan erTad qmnis iseT sazogadoebas, romlis badali mxolod literaturulma parizma icis. aseTi iyo „cisferyanwelTa ordeni“ _ saocari da arnaxuli movlena xalxosnuri ideebiT gatacebul, akakis epigonizmiT Camoyalibebul sivrceSi. 1916 wlis 28 Tebervals araCveulebrivi performansi iwyebs ordenis istorias. feraZisa da karnuxovis stambaSi ibeWdeba „cisferi yanwebis“ pirveli nomeri. eleganturi, niWieri axalgazrdebi gamodian qalaqis quCebSi, mkerdze cisferi bafTebiT da jibo iaSvilis mier gamogzavnili mamlis dezebiT _ patara yanwebiT _ da mTel samyaros amcnes, rom aq, quTaisSi, saqarTvelos erT-erT gamorCeul evropul qalaqSi, raRac axali daibada, Tavisi pretenziiT, sakuTari sityviTa da momavliT; rom es `axali~ iqneba qarTuli da evropuli

Interest in the ‘Blue Horns’ is still very high. Created almost a century ago, this remarkable ‘order’ is seen as an outstanding phenomenon in Georgian culture, while its members, with their tragic biographies and original creations, are still studied and read with passion by many scholars and literature enthusiasts. And even among them, Paolo Iashvili stands out, and not only because he created and headed the group.

In 1913, a charming young man called Pavle Iashvili traveled to Paris in order to learn the fine arts, and found himself at the heart of the modernist and avant-gardist epoch opposing the cultural and aesthetic decadence that was characterizing Europe on the threshold of the First World War. He would never forget his fascination or the magical days and encounters associated with his visit, and as soon as he returned home, he started a completely new life: moved by his passion for poetic communities like the ‘Parnasse’, he gathered like-minded old and new friends, and created a society whose equals could only be found in literary Paris: the Order of the 'Blue Horns', an astounding and unprecedented occurrence in Georgian literature, established around the admiration of poet Akaki Tsereteli and

iaSvilebis ojaxi / IASHVILI FAMILY

carrying populist ideas.

19

On the 28th of February 1916, a wonderful performance inaugurated the history of the order. The first issue of the magazine ‘Blue Horns’ was published in Peradze and Karnukhov’s printing press.

The elegant, talented young people of the order walked in the streets of the city with blue bow ties and small horns, announcing to the world that something new had been born in Kutaisi, one of Europe’s most distinguished cities: with new aspirations, an original vision and a bright future, this “something new” would be an art based on the eclectic Georgian and European cultures, and it would revolutionize Georgian literature… Paolo Iashvili’s wish for ‘Blue Horns’ to become a weekly issue didn’t happen merely because the ‘Society for the Spreading of Literacy among Georgians’ didn’t allow them to use their printing press.

It was clear that the road would be a difficult one, but this only provided them more incentive to carry on…

But still, who was Paolo Iashvili?

To this day, interest in Paolo hasn’t faded, but unfortunately, many still don’t know his real role as one of the most original poets and as an artist – in the full sense of this word. A poet who transcended

Tamar oqromWedliSvili-iaSvili TAMAR OKROMCHEDLISHVILI-IASHVILI

kulturebis ekleqtur niadagze Seqmnili xelovneba, romelic revoluciis tolfasi unda gaxdes „yviTel“ qarTul literaturaSi... paolo iaSvilis survili, „cisferi yanwebi“ yovelkvireuli almanaxi gamxdariyo, survilad darCa, radgan „qarTvelTa Soris wera-kiTxvis gamavrcelebelma sazogadoebam“ stambiT sargeblobis ufleba ar misca. aSkarad Canda, rom gza ekliani iqneboda, magram es mxolod aRvivebda brZolis Jins... da, mainc, kiTxvebia darCenili _ vin iyo paolo iaSvili? mTeli am drois ganmavlobaSi misdami interesi ar Senelebula, magram yuradRebis miRma rCeba paolos, rogorc yvelaze originaluri poetis (artistis _ am sityvis sruli gagebiT), WeSmariti saxe; poetis, romelmac bevrad gauswro Tavisi esTetiuri xedviT sevdian qarTul realobas; poetis, romelic gasaocari qarizmis da energiis gansaxiereba iyo TanamedroveTaTvis da epoqis saxe _ CvenTvis. paolo iaSvili, pirvel yovlisa, udidesi moTamaSea, novatori, romelsac yvelafris mosinjvis, gaziarebis survili aqvs da amaze metyvelebs dRemde Cvenamde moRweuli misi SedarebiT mwiri memkvidreobis uaRresi mravalferovneba. pirveli qarTuli soneti, pirveli qarTuli trioleti, pirveli qarTuli verlibri, pirveli qarTuli mistifikacia...

20

Tamari da paolo, soxumi, 1930 w. / TAMAR AND PAOLO, SOKHUMI, 1930

`veravin Seeba qarTuli sityvis uRels ise, rom gadaecilebina igi samSoblos sazRvrebs da mieTria romelime qalaqis moednamdis“, _ wers paolo iaSvili da, Tu mis Semoqmedebas gadavxedavT, evropuli kulturis wiaRSi qarTuli literaturis harmoniulad damkvidreba warmoadgens mis yvelaze did swrafvas. da es swrafva Zalian dinamikuri, qmediTi da aqtiuria. imdenad aqtiuri, rom am mimarTebiT mas ver Seedreba verc erTi qarTveli poeti da, zogadad, Semoqmedi. ram ganapiroba misi gansakuTrebuli originaluroba im epoqaSi, romelSic moRvaweobdnen galaktioni, sandro SanSiaSvili, terenti graneli, ioseb griSaSvili, tician tabiZe an valerian gafrindaSvili? yvela maTgans yovelTvis hyavda Tavisi Tayvanismcemlebi, romlebic TavianTi favoritis ukonkurento upiratesobas adasturebdnen, magram paolos gamorCeuloba mainc udavoa, radgan qarTul literaturas manamde ar axsovs aseTi masStaburi mistifikacia, ar axsovs aseTi araCveulebrivi „TamaSi“, rogorsac vxedavT esseSi „poetebi 1942 wels“. pirvel yovlisa, mainc „cisferyanwelebis“ saxelebze gavamaxvilebdiT yuradRebas, radgan mistifikacia iwyeba swored saxelebiT. bevri miiCnevs, rom saxelebis

the sad Georgian reality with his aesthetic vision; a poet whose outstanding charisma and energy made him an example for his contemporaries, and to us – the embodiment of an epoch.

Above all, Paolo Iashvili was a playful artist, a pioneer who wanted to try and understand everything, which shows in the great diversity of the small number of his works that have reached our time. The first Georgian sonnet, the first Georgian triolet, the first Georgian vers libre, the first Georgian mystification…

“Nobody could harness Georgian wording at a level allowing them to transcend our homeland’s borders, and to present them on the square of some foreign city,” Paolo Iashvili once wrote, and if we take a look at his work, we can clearly see that his biggest goal was to harmoniously establish Georgian literature in European culture. And he was very dynamic, active and effective in this endeavor. So active, in fact, that no Georgian poet or even artist, could be compared to him in this regard. What could make him so original in the epoch of Galaktion Tabidze, Sandro Shanshiashvili, Terenti Graneli, Ioseb Grishashvili, Titsian Tabidze and Valerian Gaprindashvili? Each had their admirers who would always proclaim the primacy of their favorite poet, but there is no doubt that Paolo stood out, as Georgian literature had never seen a large-scale mystification, a wonderful “play”, such as the ones in his essay ‘Poets in 1942’.

21

konstantine balmonti qarTvel mwerlebTan erTad quTaisSi, 1915 w.

KONSTANTIN BALMONT IN KUTAISI WITH GEORGIAN WRITERS, 1915

Secvla (pavle-paolo, tite-ticiani, nikoloz-kolau, nikolo...) evropul kulturasTan ziarebis konstatacia iyo, magram italiuri da ara franguli formebis arCeva renesansis recefcias qmnida. paolo iaSvili swored iseT mZlavr aRorZinebaze ocnebobda, rogoric Sua saukuneebis italiaSi daiwyo. SeiZleba amiT iyo ganpirobebuli misi skrupulozuri muSaoba TiToeul

22

Our attention should be brought to the names of the 'Blue Horns' members in the first place, because mystification starts precisely with names. Many believe that changing names (Pavle- Paolo, TiteTitsiani, Nikoloz- Kolau, Nikolo‌) was a statement of belonging to European culture, but the choice of Italian (and not French) forms made reference to the Renaissance. Paolo Iashvili was dreaming of a Renaissance like the one that happened in Italy during the Middle

formaze, TiToeul Strixze. misi arc erTi leqsi Seqmnila am Sinagani ganwyobis gareSe. cnobilia, rom paolo xelsaxocebze werda eqspromtebs da maTi didi nawili dakargulia. magram ar dakargula is leqsebi, romelTac, Tavad poetis azriT, gansakuTrebuli „misia“ ekisrebodaT. cisferyanweli poetebis mier sakuTari saxelebis „uaryofa“ modernistuli simulaciis erT-erTi mniSvnelovani aspeqti iyo; binarulad Camoyalibebuli pirovnebis mier sakuTar wiaRSi xorcismieri arsis daTrgunvis erTgvari aqti, an, sulac, simulaciuri „absolutis“ mier WeSmariti absolutis kanonebSi daeWveba; rac, erTi mxriv, Wvretis Sedegia, meore mxriv ki, bibliuri iakobis „sindromi“ _ uaRresad popularuli modernistul kulturaSi. Ziebis gzaze poeti, upirvelesad, Tavisufldeba Tavisi saxelisgan, raTa logosis qmnadobis procesi misteriis saburveliT Semosos.

Ages. Perhaps this was the reason behind his zealous attention to every form and every trait. None of his poems was created without this approach. It is well known that Paolo composed poems on napkins, most of which have been lost. But none of the poems that he himself deemed as having an important “mission” have been lost. The “denial” of their names by the poets of ‘Blue Horns’ was a simulation of modernism, an act representing a sort of inhibition of their material selves by the “dual” individuals, or a questioning of the absolute laws determined by a simulative “absolute”- on the one hand, it is a result of contemplation, and on the other, it represents a syndrome remindful of biblical Jacob which is very popular in the modernist culture. The poet searching for himself first needs to free himself from his name so that he can surround the process of creating logos with mystery.

Jacques Derrida explains this phenomenon in the following way: “You can never guess if I’m talking about myself, about me specifically, or about an “I”, “I”, or in general – about you, them, or us.”

boris pasternaki, nikolai zabolocki, nikoloz tixonovi da qarTveli mwerlebi moskovSi, 1934 w.

BORIS PASTERNAK, NIKOLAY ZABOLOTSKY, NIKOLAY TIKHONOV AND GEORGIAN WRITERS IN MOSCOW, 1934

23

Jak derida SesaniSnavad xsnis am fenomens: „verasdros SeityobT, Cems Tavze vlaparakob, konkretulad Cemze, Tu viRac „me“-ze, „me“-ze, zogadad _ Senze, Tqvenze, maTze, Cvenze“. swored saxelisgan gaTavisuflebiT iwyeba paolo iaSvilis SemoqmedebaSi „elene darianis“ cikli. marTalia, aseTi tipis mistifikaciis uamravi magaliTi icis msoflio literaturam (klotilda de survili _ Jozef etien de survili, madmuazel malkre de la vini _ deforJ maiari, klara gasuli _ prosper merime, bilitisi _ pier luisi, luiz lalani _ giiom apolineri, neli _ valeri briusovi), magram es qarTul kulturaSi unikaluri movlena iyo; movlena, romlis gamoc paolo iaSvils uamravi mqirdavi da moqilike oponentis mogerieba mouxda. cnobilia, rom erT-erT literaturul saRamoze, rodesac poeti am ciklis leqsebs kiTxulobda, konservatiulma qarTvelma msmenelma igi darbazidan gaaZeva. damamcirebel epigramebs uZRvnida Jurnali „eSmakis maTraxi“. magram paolo imdenad iyo gatacebuli im efeqtiT, romelic misma poeziam moaxdina qarTuli kulturis daWaobebul garemoze, imdenad kmayofili iyo ordenis faqtobrivi

qarTveli mwerlebi gazeT "baxtrionis" redaqciaSi, 1922 w.

GEORGIAN WRITERS IN THE EDITING ROOM OF JOURNAL 'BAKHTRIONI', 1922

24

It is precisely after freeing himself from his name that Paolo Iashvili started his ‘Elene Dariani’ cycle. Even though world literature has seen many such cases (Clotilde de Surville – Joseph Etienne de Surville, Mlle Malcrais de La Vigne – Paul DesforgesMaillard, Clara Gazul – Prosper Mérimée, Bilitis – Pierre Louÿs, Louise Lalanne – Guillaume Apollinaire, Nellie – Valery Bryusov), it was an unprecedented occurrence in Georgia, and one that made Paolo Iashvili enter into conflict with numerous sardonic and cynical opponents. During a literary evening, when Paolo was reciting poems from this cycle, a conservative Georgian listener expelled him from the venue. Moreover, the journal ‘Devil’s Whip’ (Eshmakis Mathrakhi) wrote humiliating epigrams about him. But Paolo was so passionate about the effect that his poetry had on the swampy environment of Georgian culture, he was so glad that the Blue Horns were successfully accomplishing their mission of showing a new direction, that he never showed any weakness, let alone cowardice. The charming and light-hearted man was fully aware that the road of a true modernist poet was as difficult as the one of Golgotha – and this could even be felt in some of his poetry.

cisferyanwelebi TSISPERKANTSELEBI ('BLUE HORNS')

winamZRolis misiis Sesrulebis udavo srulyofilebiT, rom arasdros gamoumJRavnebia sisuste da, miT umetes, simxdale. qarizmatuli da saocrad momxibvleli dardimandi, romelsac megobrebi „avTandils“ uwodebdnen, SesaniSnavad acnobierebda, rom WeSmariti modernisti poetis gza iseTive ekliani iyo, rogoric golgoTa da es gancda xandaxan gakrTeboda kidec mis zogierT leqsSi. dRes paolo iaSvilis mistifikacia, misi „elene dariani“, romelsac uamravi winaaRmdegobis gadalaxva mouwia, sanam sabolood damkvidrdeboda qarTveli mkiTxvelis mexsierebaSi, mis erT-erT saukeTeso qmnilebebad iTvleba, magram, paolom dawera „evropa“, „werili dedas“, „farSevangebi qalaqSi“, „wiTeli xari“, erTaderTi imaJinisturi leqsi qarTul literaturaSi _ „mefis qorwili“, romelic oTx triolets moicavs, SesaniSnavi sonetebi, esseebi da sxva. paolo iaSvilis esTetika, misi mcirericxovani memkvidreobis gaTvaliswinebiT, kidev ufro

Today, Iashvili’s mystification ‘Elene Dariani’, which faced so much opposition before establishing itself in the memories of Georgian readers, is considered to be one of his best works, but Paolo has also written ‘Europe’, ‘Letter to Mother’, ‘Peacocks in the City’, ‘Red Bull’, ‘The King’s Wedding’ – the only imaginative poem in Georgian literature, which consists of three triolets; exquisite sonnets, essays, and much more. Considering the small heritage that has reached us, Iashvili’s aesthetics are even more impressive, because they offer such a harmonious blend of expressionism, symbolism and futurism, all written by one poet in one epoch. It’s as if he wanted to fit the whole epoch into one book and transmit it to us – even if he didn’t manage to publish even one book in his lifetime. He helped friends, talented young poets, and always put himself second. It seems he didn’t leave enough time for himself, though he was working, creating, and knew the value of what he had to say very well.

In his essay ‘Poets in 1942’, he surprises us even more. He wrote the text in 1922, and it was simply seen as an anachronistic

25

essay, but if we take all of its aspects and details into account, this is a text that clearly presents many features characteristic of postmodernism – which is also a kind of anachronism, as, back then, postmodernism only existed as a theoretical term used by a handful of researchers and philosophers. His approach to time is particularly interesting, especially if we refer to Charles Baudelaire, who wrote that determining the present by the future, or in other words, the existing with the non-existing, is a typical sign of dissatisfaction. In general, dissatisfaction became a regular companion of the poet, who saw his ideal life taking place in the energy of the sea (Paolo was the one who translated Arthur Rimbaud’s “Drunken Boat” into Georgian). If the aestheticized despairing characteristic of the ‘Elene Dariani’ cycle, as well as the enjoyment of this despair, can also be found in Anna Akhmatova’s

gasaocaria, radgan eqspresionizmi, simbolizmi, futurizmi saocradaa erTmanTTan Serwymuli erTi poetis erTsa da imave periodSi Seqmnil leqsebSi. TiTqos, mTeli epoqis erT wignad Seqmna da gadmocema surs, Tumca Tavis sicocxleSi erTi wignis gamocemac ki ver moaxerxa. exmareboda megobrebs, niWier axalgazrdebs, magram sakuTari TavisTvis zrunva naklebad SeZlo. TiTqos, dro ar rCeboda. muSaobda, qmnida, SesaniSnavad icoda Tavisi sityvis fasi. esseSi „poetebi 1942 wels“ kidev ufro did siurprizs gvTavazobs. teqsti dawerilia 1922 wels. mas, Cveulebriv, moixsenieben anaqronistul essed, magram, yvela ZiriTadi aspeqtis gaTvaliswinebiT, es aris teqsti, romelSic aSkarad Cans postmodernizmisTvis damaxasiaTebeli uamravi modusi. esec erTgvari anaqronizmia, radgan postmodernizmi jer mxolod terminis saxiT arsebobs ramdenime mkvlevris da filosofosis teqstSi. droisadmi damokidebuleba gansakuTrebiT TvalSisacemia, miT umetes, Tu gavixsenebT Sarl bodlers, romelic aRniSnavda, rom awmyos gansazRvra momavliT, anu arsebulisa ararsebuliT, tipuri daukmayofileblobaa. zogadad, poetisTvis, romelic Tavis sasurvel cxovrebas zRvis energiaSi xedavda (swored paolom Targmna artur rembos „mTvrali xomaldic“), daukmayofilebloba Tanmdevad iqca. Tu „elene darianis“ ciklisTvis damaxasiaTebeli esTetizebuli sasowarkveTa, tkboba am sasowarkveTiT, ana axmatovas

26

ticiani, paolo da valeriani TITSIAN TABIDZE, PAOLO IASHVILI, VALERIAN GAPRINDASHVILI

aranaklebad androginul lirikul gmirSic SeiZleba davinaxoT, essesTvis damaxasiaTebeli sakralurobis xazgasma, poetis kidev erTxel „gandgoma“ sakuTari „me“sgan (orjer moixseniebs „paolo iaSvils“ mesame pirSi), im JamTan gamoTxovebis niSania, romelSic datova Tavisi bednieri da `avTandiliseburad~ dardimanduli yofa. amieridan tkivili, imedgacrueba, brZola sakuTar TavTan da garesamyarosTan misi, rogorc aRmoCnda, ukve sakmaod xanmokle sicocxlis ganuyofeli nawili gaxdeba.

1923 wels dasrulda „elene darianis“ da „poetebis“ Jami.

1942 wels ki cocxlebi aRar iyvnen paolo iaSvili, tician tabiZe, nikolo miwiSvili, valerian gafrindaSvili.

14 weli, romelic mas tragediisgan aSorebs, ucnaurad ukavSirdeba ciklis 14 leqss da esses 14 monakveTs. ra Tqma unda, aq ar aris araviTari kavSiri da mxolod damTxvevaa, magram rodesac paolo iaSvilis bedze fiqrobT, SeiZleba yvela detals, garemoebas hqondes azri. mTavari „damTxveva“ mainc misi dabadeba iyo im epoqaSi, romelic mis gareSe ar iqneboda iseTi foierverkuli, daxvewili, dardimanduli da, rogorc TviTon surda _ evropuli. amitom, rogori tragikulic unda iyos paolos gardacvaleba (da is aqac erT-erTi pirveli iyo, radgan represiebi xelovnebis qarTvel moRvaweTa winaaRmdeg swored am wels daiwyo), is, pirvelyovlisa, sicocxlis poeti iyo. sicocxlis, ganaxlebis da mzis... qeTevan enuqiZe

lyrical androgynous hero, the underlining of sacrality, his abandoning of his “me” (he mentions Paolo Iashvili twice, in the third voice), are signs of his separation from the times in which he left his happy and light-hearted self. From then on, disillusionment and the struggle with himself and with his environment would become an inseparable part of his life – which would not last much longer.

The cycle of ‘Elene Dariani’ and ‘Poets in 1942’ finished in 1923.

Unfortunately, Paolo Iashvili, Titsian Tabidze, Nikolo Mitsishvili and Valerian Gaprindashvili didn’t live to see the year 1942.

The 14 years separating him from his tragic death in 1937 is strangely linked with the 14 poems of this cycle and the 14 sections of his essay. Naturally, this was only a coincidence, but when one ponders the fate of Paolo Iashvili, perhaps every detail and circumstance has meaning. Still, the most significant “coincidence” was that he was born in an epoch that would not have been that colorful, refined, playful, and as Paolo himself wanted it to be – European. Therefore, as tragic as his death was (and in this regard, too, he was one of the firsts, as the repression against Georgian artists started precisely in 1937), he was a poet of life in the first place. Of life, renewal, and sun…

Ketevan Enukidze

27

am bolo dros xSirad mesmis xolme: marto is iyo kargi sabWoTa imperiaSi, rom axalgazrdebi viyaviT? Tu iyo kidev rame iseTi, ganumeorebeli, rasac maSin Zalian didi fasi hqonda, axla ki ukve aRaravis axsendeba? ra Tqma unda, iyo raRac-raRacebi _ albaT, sxvadasxva adamiani sxvadasxva rames gaixsenebs, CemTvis ki (darwmunebuli var, rom bevri sxvisTvisac) erT-erTi yvelaze mniSvnelovani informaciuli SimSili, an ufro zustad am SimSilis

28

Lately, I’ve been hearing this question a lot: “Was the only good thing that happened to us during the Soviet Union the fact that we were young? Or was there something else, something unique that was very valuable back then, and that we have all forgotten nowadays?” Of course, there were some aspects – each individual will remember different things, but for me (and I am sure I’m not the only one), one of the most important things was informational hunger, or to be more precise, the satisfaction of this hunger.

Tbilisi usinaTlobis dros; qaRaldi tuSi, 1993 w., 21 sm X 19,8 sm TBILISI IN TIMES OF ELECTRICITY CUTS, INK ON PAPER, 1993, 21 X 19,8 CM

dakmayofileba iyo. namdvil zeimad iqceoda xolme romeliRaca wignis, firfitis (an uzarmazar da maxinj `babinebze~ moTavsebuli musikaluri Canaweris) Sovna. erTmaneTs velodebodiT _ rigSi videqiT, rom wagvekiTxa mxolod sabWoTa elitis ojaxebisTvis xelmisawvdomi Jurnalebi: `amerika~ da `inostrannaia literatura~.

Finding a book, or a vinyl (or even a recording on an enormous, ugly magnetic reel) was a reason to celebrate. We were waiting for each other, standing in line to read newspapers that were only accessible to the Soviet elite: ‘America’ and ‘Inostrannaya Literatura’ (‘Foreign Literature’). Low-quality recordings and black and white pictures of the Beatles, Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd

inglisi didia, ser!

1991 w. qaRaldi, akvareli, 12 sm X 6 sm ENGLAND IS BIG, SIR! AQUARELLE ON PAPER, 1991, 12 X 6 CM

29

were circulated under the table. We were observing their faces and appearances, any source we could get our hands on, and to us, they represented fragments of a culture that we couldn’t access and idealized. Our vision of the western way of life, traditions, and culture in general was exaggerated, and to a certain extent, wrong.

This was the most significant aspect – our thirst for this forbidden and concealed culture, which we were quenching in various ways: stories or photographs brought from “there”, banned books, films, or music… And this is how, little by little, a flawed, adulatory and submissive attitude established itself towards anything coming from the West. We were creating these myths and living by them.

This is understandable – it was a way for my generation to oppose the Soviet ideology and its own, irritating mythology, as well as its unbearable conformism.

To this day, I’m surprised and can’t understand how real intellectuals could be born during those times – individuals who could perceive and comprehend western culture without any trace of snobbism or adulatory submission. I still don’t know how these unusual people could find so many books and read them. I have only met a handful of true intellectuals in my life, and one man stood out even among them: Karlo Kacharava. He was different, not only because of his level of education and analytical mind, premiera - tilo, zeTi, 1991 w. 90 sm. X 70 sm.

PREMIERE; OIL ON CANVAS, 1991, 90 X 70 CM

xelidan xelSi gadadioda `bitlebis~, `zepelinis~ an `pinq floidis~ uxarisxo Canawerebi da Sav-TeTri fotoebi. didxans vakvirdebodiT saxeebs, gamosaxulebebs, SemTxveviT xelSi Cavardnil romelime wyaros, romelic Cven mier gaidealebuli da CvenTvis absoluturad xelmiuwvdomeli kulturis naglejebs asaxavda. rogori gazviadebuli da garkveulwilad araswori warmodgena gvqonda dasavluri cxovrebis wesze, tradiciebze da saerTod kulturaze! mTavaric es iyo _ im CvenTvis akrZaluli da dafaruli kulturis gacnobis wyurvili, rasac sxvadasxvagvarad

PUPPE; tilo, zeTi, 1993 w. 40 sm. X 50 sm.

viklavdiT: `iqidan~

PUPPE; OIL ON CANVAS, 1993, 40 X 50 CM

30

Raribi Seyvarebulebi; qaRaldi akvareli, 1993 weli, 30,5 sm. X 43 sm.

POOR LOVERS; AQUARELLE ON PAPER, 1993, 30,5 X 43 CM

CamosulTa monayoliTa Tu fotoebiT, akrZaluli wignebis, filmebisa Tu musikis wyalobiT... da ase nelnela gviyalibdeboda xSirad mcdari anda aRfrTovanebulmonuri damokidebuleba yovelive dasavluris mimarT. faqtiurad miTebs vqmnidiT da Cvenive gamogonil miTebSi vcxovrobdiT. gasagebia ratomac _ Cemi Taoba amgvarad upirispirdeboda sabWoTa ideologiiT Seqmnil miTologemebs, gamaRizianebel mliqvnelobasa da yovlad autanel konformizms. da dRemde mikvirs da, ufro metic, saerTod ar mesmis _ rogor ibadebodnen aseT realobaSi namdvili inteleqtualebi, romlebsac SeeZloT snobizmisa da monuri aRfrTovanebis gareSe aReqvaT da gaeazrebinaT dasavluri kultura. dRemde ar vici, rogor axerxebdnen es ucnauri tipebi imdeni wignis Sovnas an wakiTxvas! aseTi sul ramdenime adamiani Semxvedria cxovrebaSi, magram maTganac sruliad gamorCeuli da gansakuTrebuli kaci iyo karlo kaWarava. gamorCeuli, albaT, ara marto ganaTlebiTa da analitikuri azrovnebiT,

but he had a very particular talent, an originality and peculiarity characteristic of great painters… I learned that he was a painter quite late, because as strange as it may sound, he considered himself a scientist, and, apparently, painting was only a hobby to him. Despite the fact that Karlo wrote prolifically and was very diligent with each of his articles, reviews or research papers, they would probably be of less interest to the young people who are currently taking delight from his paintings and reading his poetry and diaries with passion; but naturally, his articles haven’t lost a bit of their scientific value...

An epoch full of hopelessness, standardized thoughts, and peculiar, enthusiastic individuals with unconventional thoughts…

Karlo Kacharava liked talking and could go on talking passionately for hours, but he would never mention his paintings or writings. For a long time, I considered him a regular member of our magazine (we had a publication called ‘Literature and Art’), just like the rest of us. I couldn’t have imagined that I was talking to an outstandingly talented painter, because he didn’t mention that he painted even once.

31

aramed raRac Zalian Taviseburi niWiT, didi mxatvrisTvis damaxasiaTebeli ucnaurobiT, originalobiT... karlo rom didi mxatvari iyo, es sakmaod gvian gavige, radgan, ramdenadac ucnauri ar unda iyos, Tavad Tavs mxolod mecnierad Tvlida da mxatvroba, etyoba, mxolod da mxolod gatacebad miaCnda. miuxedavad imisa, rom karlo Zalian bevrs werda da Zalian seriozulad ekideboda yovel statias, recenziasa Tu gamokvlevas, isini dRes, albaT, naklebad daainteresebs im axalgazrdebs, aRfrTovanebiT rom Sescqerian mis naxatebs da gatacebiT rom kiTxuloben mis leqsebsa da dRiurebs iakobis ojaxi; 1984 w. qaRaldi, akvareli, 23,5 sm. X 30,5 sm.

JACOB'S FAMILY; AQUARELLE ON PAPER, 1984, 23,5 X 30,5 CM

I discovered Karlo’s art only when I visited his family. His tiny apartment had a wonderful aura – as soon as you entered, you left the Soviet Union. The walls were showcasing precisely what I mentioned above: the banned and inaccessible western culture! It was as if you were in Georgia and Europe at the same time. You could barely move for the number of Karlo’s paintings; they were all over the place, and most of them were so enormous that they barely fitted in the apartment. On the walls, however, you could see paintings of all sizes, and I would later learn that apart from canvasses, the apartment was full raxeli da lea; 1984 w. qaRaldi, akvareli, 23,5 sm. X 30,5 sm.

RACHEL AND LEAH; AQUARELLE ON PAPER, 1984, 23,5 X 30,5 CM

(cxadia, mis statiebs mecnieruli Rirebuleba sulac ar daukargavT)... usixarulo, standartuli azrovnebiT gamoWedili epoqa da ucnauri, xalisiani da arastandartulad moazrovne pirovnebebi... karlo kaWaravas uyvarda laparaki, SeeZlo saaTobiT esaubra didi gatacebiT, magram arasdros ar saubrobda Tavis naxatebze an nawerebze. didi xnis ganmavlobaSi is CemTvis, Cveni Jurnalis (iyo aseTi gamocema _ `literatura da xelovneba~) iseTive rigiTi wevri iyo, rogorc Cven, danarCenebi. namdvilad ver vifiqrebdi, rom gamorCeulad niWier mxatvars velaparakebodi _ erTxelac ar uxsenebia, rom xatavda.

32

iakobis pirveli qorwili; 1984 w. qaRaldi, akvareli, 23,5 sm. X 30,5 sm.

JACOB'S FIRST WEDDING; AQUARELLE ON PAPER, 1984, 23,5 X 30,5 CM

usaTauro; qaRaldi, akvareli; 1994 w. 26,5 sm. X 39 sm.

UNTITLED; AQUARELLE ON PAPER, 1994, 26,5 X 39 CM

mxolod maSin aRmovaCine karlos mxatvroba, mis ojaxSi rom movxvdi. erTi cida binas gansacvifrebeli aura hqonda _ Sexvidodi da sabWoTa kavSirSi aRar iyavi! kedlebidan swored is Canda _ naxevrad akrZaluli da CvenTvis miuwvdomeli dasavluri kultura! TiTqos erTdroulad saqarTveloSic iyavi da evropaSic. Zlivs gainZreoda adamiani, ise iyo gamoWedili mTeli bina karlos naxatebiT, rogorc wesi, uzarmazari tiloebiT, Zlivs rom eteoda binaSi. Tumca, kedlebze yvela zomis naxati ekida, mogvianebiT ki gavige, rom uamravi ferweruli tilos garda, bina savse iyo grafikuli namuSevrebiTa da albomebiT (romlebic saerTod calke saubris Temaa). rogor aswrebda es ucnauri kaci amdens, roca gegoneboda, rom mTeli misi dro megobrebTan urTierTobasa da Zalian xangrZliv saubrebs eTmoboda? saerTod ar eZina? modioda saxlSi da mTeli Rame werda da xatavda? da rodisRa kiTxulobda? me iseTi STabeWdileba mrCeboda, rom karlos yvelaferi wakiTxuli hqonda. mis binaSi pirvelive stumrobisas davinaxe erT tiloze alfred dioblinis

of graphical works and albums (which deserve an article on their own). I wondered how this strange man could achieve so much, he who seemed to spend all his time having long conversations with friends. Did he not sleep at all? Was he coming home and writing and painting the entire night through? And when did he find the time to read? I had the feeling that he had read everything. One of the things I noticed during my first visit was the “world” of Alfred Döblin on one of the canvasses. Prior to that, I thought that the only person in Georgia who knew about Döblin was Kakha Katsitadze, who had even made me read his book. Karlo would often use inscriptions on his paintings – mainly citations in German. But I couldn’t dwell on Döblin, because one particular painting seized my attention: wherever I looked, I would still return to it, as if it had a magical pull and one could never get away from its charm. It would be completely stupid for me to start describing this painting here. One can never describe true paintings (just like music) with words, and we shouldn’t even try to (except, of course, if you are Guram Dochanashvili and you can write about Beethoven’s music like in ‘Water(po)loo’). Sometime later, Karlo’s sister Lika told me the very moving story of this painting.

33

During the 1990s, when everybody was on the brink of starvation, a miracle happened to Kacharava’s family, which was also in a very bad situation: a buyer appeared, and he offered an unimaginable amount of money for the painting: 200 American dollars! What was $200 back then?

Probably around $200,000 today, or even more – it was simply invaluable! Karlo agreed, and told the buyer to bring the sum to his house; he wouldn’t be there himself, but the buyer could leave the money with his mother and take the painting. But his mother, Aunty Gagutsa, refused the money and didn’t allow the buyer to take the painting – Karlo couldn’t have imagined that in his wildest dreams! In the evening, Karlo went home tired, but in a very good usaTauro; qaRaldi, kalami, tuSi; 1989 w. 30,8 sm. X 42,2 sm. / UNTITLED; INK AND PEN ON PAPER, 1989, 30,8 X 42,2 CM mood, thinking his family was already living in luxury.

He entered the house, and the first thing he mxatvruli samyaro. manamde megona, rom alfred dioblini saw was his “sold” painting and its enchanting colors radiating from saqarTveloSi icoda marto kaxa kacitaZem, romelmac the wall.

I can imagine how disappointed he was!

As soon as he was wamakiTxa kidec misi wigni. karlo Zalian xSirad urTavda told the story, he went to the painting with a kitchen knife: “I will cut Tavis naxatebs warwerebs _ ZiriTadad citatebs germanul it and you will eat this, then! We don’t have food and we won’t have enaze, magram dioblinze bevri aRar mifiqria imitom, rom yuradRebas Zalauneburad ipyrobda erTi tilo: saiTac ar unda gamexeda, mere mainc imisken vtrialdebodi _ TiTqos raRac gansacvifrebeli miziduloba hqonda da misi xiblisagan Tavs verasodes daaRwevdi. absoluturi sisulele iqneba, axla im tilos aRwera rom vcado. WeSmarit mxatvrobas (iseve, rogorc musikas) sityvebiT verasodes gadmoscem da arc unda scado (Tu, ra Tqma unda, guram doCanaSvili ara xar da beThovenis musikaze ise wera ar SegiZlia, rogorc es `vater(po) loSia~). am tilos Sesaxeb ki karlos dam, likam, mogvianebiT gulisSemZvreli istoria miambo.

90-ian wlebSi, rodesac yvela SimSilis zRvarze iyo, kaWaravebis ojaxsac Zalian uWirda da moxda saocreba: karlos am naxats

34

kopelias Sesaxeb; tilo, tempera; 1993 w. 25 sm. X 45 sm.

ABOUT COPPELIA; TEMPERA ON CANVAS, 1993, 25 X 45 CM

FLIEGENDE HEXEN; qaRaldi, akvareli; 1993 w. 30,5 sm. X 43 sm.

FLIEGENDE HEXEN; AQUARELLE ON PAPER, 1993, 30,5 X 43 CM

myidveli gamouCnda da mas sruliad warmoudgeneli Tanxa _ 200 dolari SesTavaza! ra iyo maSin CvenTvis es 200 dolari? albaT, dRevandeli 200.000 an meti, axla magas vinRa Seafasebs! karlo myidvels SeuTanxmda, rom mas saxlSi mietana da, marTlia, TviTon ar iqneboda, magram dedamisisTvis daetovebina fuli da naxati waeRo. ras ifiqrebda, rom saocrad Rirseuli goguca deida am saocnebo Tanxaze uars ityoda da cocxali TaviT ar gaatanda myidvels am naxats _ amis warmodgena karlos amouwurav fantaziasac ki ar SeeZlo! saRamos daRlili karlo SesaniSnav xasiaTze dabrunda saxlSi _ darwmunebuli iyo, rom misi ojaxi ukve fufunebaSi cxovrobda. Sevida da pirveli, rac TvalSi eca, is iyo _ kedlidan TvalismomWreli ferebiT anaTebda misi `gayiduli~ naxati. warmomidgenia, rogor Cawydeboda guli! rogorc ki gaarkvia, ra moxda, puris dasaWreli daniT eca naxats: `exla amas davWri da WameT! imitom, rom saWmeli mainc ara gvaqvs da kai xani arc gveqneba!

food for a long time! Then I will sit and paint five of these! Or ten! And you can cherish them as much as you want, don’t let anybody take them off you!” Lika said she’d never seen her brother so angry. She knew the value of Karlo’s paintings, and it is actually thanks to her that his name is known outside of closed circles, and that his talent is now acknowledged by all.

When Lika was telling me this story, I had the feeling that I was seeing the scenes in front of me: Karlo’s proud and outstandingly virtuous mother, who would rather starve than lose even one of her son’s paintings (even though the whole apartment was full of them and one could barely move for them); the enraged Karlo himself, who didn’t see much value in his own paintings and couldn’t understand how someone could refuse this sum of money (and if you really want to know, he wouldn’t have been able to create the exact same painting again, let alone several of them!).

How could such a professional art historian, who got our society acquainted with all the painters of his generation through utterly refined articles, ignore the fact that his creations were beyond

35

ordinary, and that painting was more than a mere hobby for him? It is hard to imagine that he didn’t know he was painting exceptionally well. He left so many outstanding works that I still can’t believe he died at 30 years of age! It still gives me vertigo today – he was so young! How did he achieve so much? This many articles and paintings – how did he manage? Or when did he find the time to read so much? Have a look at his diaries – it’s hard to believe that he was only 30 years old. It’s as if he was hurrying… Perhaps sensing that he didn’t have much time…

Even today, when I enter siyvaruli rogorc socialuri prestiJi; qaRaldi, kalami, akvareli, 1993 w. 21 sm. X 29 sm.

Karlo’s tiny apartment and LOVE AS SOCIAL PRESTIGE; AQUARELLE AND PEN ON PAPER; 1993, 21 X 29 CM find myself in this wonderful artistic realm (large canvases are still placed in a jumble against mere davjdebi da aseTs davxatav xuTs! an aTs! da the wall, and paintings are still hanging tightly, each better than kargad SeinaxeT, aravin wagarTvaT!~ ar maxsovs, aseTi the other), I have the same strange feeling as when I first entered gabrazebuli karlo sxva dros minaxavs Tu arao, _ Tqva it – that I am somewhere else, in a world for which my generation, likam, romelmac kargad icoda sakuTari Zmis Semoqmedebis fasi da, dRes Tu karlos saxeli mxolod viwro wreSi ar darCa da misi niWi sayovelTaod aRiarebulia, es swored misi dis damsaxurebacaa. lika am ambavs rom miyveboda, iseTi SegrZneba mqonda, TiTqos yvelafers Cemi TvaliT vxedavdi: karlos amay da saocrad saTno dedas, romelsac SimSili erCivna imas, rom karlos Tundac erT naxats Seleoda (arada, mTeli bina ise iyo gamotenili naxatebiT, rom gadaadgileba Wirda) da TviTon gacecxlebuli karlo, romelsac saerTod arafrad uRirda Tavisi naxatebi da ver warmoedgina, rogor usaTauro; qaRaldi, akvareli; 1989 w. 31,5 sm. X 43 sm. / UNTITLED; AQUARELLE ON PAPER; 1989, 31,5 X 43 CM

36

raised in the Soviet reality, yearned. But unlike our starry-eyed wishes, this beautiful world was not at all an ideal one, the one we were picturing – the main themes of Karlo’s paintings were solitude and alienation (in the precise reality that we deemed ideal). This makes you wonder: in these difficult times, in the Soviet Union, why was Karlo painting in a way that makes you think he was living in Germany, was raised in the German (and more generally, western) culture and was going through existential problems characteristic of developed western countries? And why was a person’s alienation such an important theme for him (personally, I didn’t even properly understand the term “alienation” back then)? Today, it is evident, and such an insight in western culture couldn’t impress our children – they now have access to all kinds of information, they can even freely come and go in Europe and admire the original paintings of Bosch or Van Gogh as much as they want. And even if this generation will never be able to fully grasp how harsh Karlo Kacharava’s reality was, they still understand him very well, and they seem to value his works more than we did. It came as a real surprise

usaTauro; qaRaldi, akvareli; 1988 w. 44 sm. X 31 sm.

UNTITLED; AQUARELLE ON PAPER; 1988, 44 X 31 CM

SeiZleboda amxela fulze uaris Tqma (me Sen getyvi da ver daxatavda zustad iseTives, Tanac ramdensac moindomebda!). rogor SeiZleboda aseTi donis profesional xelovnebaTmcodnes, mTeli Tavisi Taobis mxatvrebi rom gaacno sazogadoebas uaRresad kvalificiuri da gemovnebiT dawerili statiebiT, ar scodnoda, rom misi Semoqmedeba sulac ar iyo rigiTi movlena an mxolod ubralo hobi? Zneli warmosadgenia, TviTon ver egrZno, rom SesaniSnavad xatavda. imdeni brwyinvale namuSevari datova, rom dRes daujereblad meCveneba _ rom gardaicvala mxolod 30 wlis iyo! Cemi dRevandeli gadasaxedidan TiTqos Tavbruc ki mexveva _ ra patara yofila! rogor moaswro? rac karlom dawera da daxata _ amdeni rogor moaswro? an imdeni rodis waikiTxa? CaxedeT mis dRiurebs _ Zneli dasajerebelia, rom mxolod 30 wlis iyo. TiTqos Cqarobda... grZnobda, rom cota dro hqonda? dResac, karlos erTi cida binaSi rom Sevdivar da am saocar mxatvrul samyaroSi vxvdebi (isev ise awyvia

bazelici; qaRaldi, akvareli; 1991 w. 44 sm. X 31 sm.

BASELITZ; AQUARELLE ON PAPER; 1991, 44 X 31 CM

37

moiTxoveT yvelgan; qaRaldi, akvareli, 1990 w. 30,5 sm. X 43 sm.

ASK FOR IT ANYWHERE; AQUARELLE ON PAPER; 1990, 30,5 X 43 CM

kedelTan erTmaneTze miyudebuli didi tiloebi, kedlebze ki isev ise mijriT aris Camokidebuli erTmaneTze ukeTesi naxatebi), isev is ucnauri SegrZneba meufleba, pirveli mosvlisas rom vigrZeni _ sadRac sxvagana var _ im realobaSi, romliskenac sabWoTa sinamdvileSi gazrdili Cemi Taoba iltvoda. magram Cveni vardisferi ocnebebisagan gansxvavebiT, es realoba iseTi unaklo sulac ar aris, Cven rom warmogvedgina _ karlos naxatebSi umTavresi mainc martoobisa da gaucxoebis Temaa (swored im urbanul realobaSi, Cven rom idealad gvesaxeboda). Zalauneburad dafiqrdebi kaci: maSin, im Zalian mZime dros, sabWoTa kavSirSi ratom xatavda karlo ise, TiTqos cxovrobda germaniaSi, TiTqos germanul (da, zogadad, dasavlur) kulturaze gazrdili iyo da ganicdida ganviTarebuli qveynebisaTvis damaxasiaTebel egzistencialur problemebs, an pirovnebis gaucxoebis Tema esoden aqtualuri ratom iyo misTvis (me, piradad, maSin `gaucxoebis~, rogorc terminis, mniSvneloba kargad arc mesmoda)? dRes es yvelaferi gasagebia, naTelia da arc dasavluri kulturis aseTi Rrma codna gaakvirvebs Cvens Svilebs _ maT ukve

38

yovelgvar informaciaze miuwvdebaT xeli, evropaSic ukve Tavisuflad wavlen da wamovlen ise, rom bosxisa Tu van gogis originalebi Tavisuflad aTvalieron. da Tumca es Taoba bolomde verasodes gaigebs, ramdenad mZime viTarebaSi cxovrobda karlo kaWarava, mainc Zalian kargad esmis misi da TiTqos Cvenze ukeTesad afasebs mis Semoqmedebas. CemTvis sruliad moulodneli iyo, rom Cemi Svilebi da maTi megobrebi ase emociur kavSirs amyareben karlos SemoqmedebasTan, ase gatacebiT kiTxuloben mis Canawerebs, leqsebs, dRiurebs... sainteresoa, riT aixsneba aseTi sulieri siaxlove? xom ar gauswro am kacma cotaTi mainc Tavis epoqas da, Cvengan gansxvavebiT, iqneb swored am Taobam aRmoaCina mTeli sigrZe-siganiT karlo kaWaravas fenomeni? arada, Cven gverdiT iyo, xumrobda, icinoda, saubrobda...

Zalian bevrs da Zalian gatacebiT saubrobda. mokled, Cveulebrivad cxovrobda... da mainc: rodis aswrebda es kaci amdens? kaxa jamburia

H2SO4; qaRaldi, akvareli; 1991 w. 29,5 sm X 21,5 sm.

H2SO4; AQUARELLE ON PAPER; 1991, 29,5 X 21,5 CM

to me to see my children and their friends become so emotional about Karlo’s paintings, and read his articles, poems, and diaries with such passion…

It’s interesting to determine the origin of such a connection.

Did this man get ahead of his time, at least a tiny bit, and was the Karlo Kacharava phenomenon to be fully appreciated only by

this generation, instead of ours? Even if he was among us, joking, laughing, talking… He talked a lot, and always with passion. In short, he was living an ordinary life…

But still: where did this man find the time to achieve all this?!

Kakha Jamburia

39

40

axtang VI-is qarTlis gamgeblobis brwyinvale epoqa _ Sinauri mSvidobisa da gareSe safrTxisgan droebiTi mosvenebis aTiode weliwadi, misi moRvaweobis saxelmwifoebrivi da kulturuli saqmianobis yvelaze nayofieri periodi iyo. vaxtangisa da misi drois danatovar sxva mraval epoqalur mniSvnelobis mqone saqmeTa Soris erT-erTi gamorCeuli saqarTveloSi daarsebuli stamba da iq dabeWdili wignebia. am udidesi kulturuli saqmis gansaxorcieleblad vaxtang VI bedma evropaSi moRvawe qarTvels _ anTimoz iveriels daakavSira, romelic gulisxmierad moekida mis Txovnas TbilisSi qarTuli stambis mowyobis Sesaxeb da saqarTveloSi Tavisi mowafe, vlaxeli mixail iStvanoviCi gamogzavna. iStvanoviCis xelmZRvanelobiT gaimarTa TbilisSi stamba, romelmac 13 weli iarseba da dRemde SemorCenili da aRnusxuli 20 dasaxelebis gamocema dabeWda, romelTagan TiToeuli qarTuli kulturuli memkvidreobis uZvirfasesi Zeglia. maTgan swored iStvanoviCis uSualo xelmZRvanelobiT (1709-1711 ww.) Seqmnili tipografiuli nimuSebi gamoirCeva daxvewili nusxuri Tu mxedruli SriftiT, ulamazesi sazedao asoebiT, CarTuli CuqurTmebiTa da CarCograviurebiT. 1709 wels pirveli qarTuli wignebi Semdegi TanamimdevrobiT daistamba: „saxareba“, „daviTni“ da „samociqulo“. pirvelive wigni maRali poligrafiuli skolis niSnebs atarebs rogorc qaRaldis xarisxiT, aseve tipografiuli ostatobis TvalsazrisiT. safiqrebelia, rom met-naklebi simravliT dabeWdila vaxtangis stambaSi „saxareba“, magram saukuneebis qartexilebs mciredi gadarCenila. dRes isini mxolod ramdenime wignsacavSiRa inaxeba, maTgan saqarTvelos parlamentis erovnul biblioTekaSi _ 11 cali, ivane javaxiSvilis saxelobis Tbilisis saxelmwifo universitetis biblioTekaSi _ 23, ramdenime egzemplari quTaisis muzeumsa da ruseTSi, saltikov-Sedrinis biblioTekaSi. universitetSi „saxarebis“ egzemplarTa umravlesoba `saqarTvelos saistorio-saeTnografio sazogadoebis~ fondSia daculi. axla isini erT Taroze, erTmaneTis gverdiT arian grZel rigad Camwkrivebulni da iSviaTad Tu Seexeba adamianis xeli... raritetul gamocemaTa naxevrad ganaTebul gril sacavSi garegnulad maTze ufro momxibvlelic bevria da maTTan SedarebiT _ ubraloc, Tumca isini, Tavisi pirvelobiT, gansakuTrebuli arian!

TiToeul maTgans Tavisi istoria aqvs, romelic anCisxatis eklesiis maxloblad mowyobili pirveli stambidan, 1709 wels daiwyo, Tumca erTmaneTisgan gansxvavebulad ganviTarda. zogi maTgani warCinebul gvariSvilTa xelSic moxvedrila da sasaxleTa simyudrovec unaxavs, bevrs mouSuSebel iarad atyvia naxanZrali da CamoRvenTili sanTlis laqebi. amaTgan erTs minawerebiT Semounaxavs

The great epoch of Vakhtang VI’s reign over Kartli – a decadelong period of domestic peace and a temporary break from foreign invasions, was a most productive time in terms of cultural and state-related activity. Among the many significant contributions associated to Vakhtang and his rule, one is particularly worth noting: the creation of the first printing press in Georgia, and the consequent publication of several books. To help him achieve this imposing task, fate introduced Vakhtang with Europe-based Anthim the Iberian, who accepted the monarch’s demand to found a printing press in Georgia, and sent his Wallachian pupil Mihai Istanovici to Georgia to that end. At least 20 known publications that are preserved to this day were printed during the 13 years of activity of the printing press created in Tbilisi under the direction of Istanovici, each of these being an invaluable part of Georgian cultural heritage. Among them, the typographic works he supervised himself (1709-1711) stand out for their refined Georgian “Nuskhuri” or “Mkhedruli” letters, beautiful initials, ornaments and engraved frames. The first Georgian books

aleqsandre batoniSvili / ALEKSANDRE BATONISHVILI

were printed in 1709 in the following order: ‘Gospels’, ‘Psalms’, and ‘Apostolic Fathers’. The very first book shows signs of a polygraphy school of high-standards, both in terms of paper quality and typographic mastery.

Interestingly enough, even though a relatively large number of ‘Gospels’ copies were printed in Vakhtang’s press, very few of them have survived the tribulations of time. Today, they are preserved in a handful of book reserves, including 11 copies in the National

41

Library of the Parliament of Georgia, 23 copies in the library of the Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, several copies in the Kutaisi Museum, and in the Saltykov-Shchedrin Library in Russia.

In the Tbilisi State University, most of the ‘Gospels’ copies are kept in the ‘Georgian History and Ethnography Society’ reserve. All of them are on one shelf, forming a long row that is seldom touched by human hand… In this dimly lit, cool depository, there are many publications that are more attractive to the eye – and also more ordinary, but, because of their primacy, these ones are very special.

Each has a story, starting in 1709, in the first printing press located near the Anchiskhati Basilica, and the stories are very different. Some have found themselves in the hands of noble dignitaries and have seen the comfort of palaces, but many bear the marks of sword combat and are stained with wax dripped from prayer candles. One of them preserves its particularly interesting story in annotations: the book was the companion of the turbulent and tragic life of Aleksandre Batonishvili (1770-1844), a distinguished hero of Georgian history.

Aleksandre, son of Erekle II, was the only prince in the Bagrationi dynasty who couldn’t cope with the abolition of the monarchy and strived to restore his country’s freedom throughout his life. Because

sakuTari warsuli, igi saqarTvelos istoriis gamorCeuli gmiris aleqsandre batoniSvilis (1770-1844 ww.) mRelvare da tragikuli cxovrebis Tanamgzavri yofila. erekle meoris vaJi, aleqsandre, bagrationTagan erTaderTi ufliswuli iyo, romelic ver Seegua saqarTvelos samefos gauqmebas da samSoblos Tavisuflebis aRsadgenad mTeli sicocxlis ganmavlobaSi ibrZoda. daudgromeli xasiaTisa da saocari bedisweris gamo, igi qveynis damoukideblobisTvis brZolis simbolodac iqca. qarTul istoriografiaSi, samecniero Tu mxatvrul literaturul naSromebSi, romelTa avtorebi sabWouri ideologiuri wnexis gavlenisgan Tavis daRwevas axerxebdnen, aleqsandre erT-erTi yvelaze popularuli gmiri iyo. tragizmiT gamsWvaluli boboqari samxedro-politikuri cxovrebis gamo, igi legendebis personaJadac iqca. mZime iyo aleqsandres piradi cxovrebac. jer kidev 20 wlis Wabuks sacole, CerqezeTidan sagangebod Camoyvanili asuli, moulodnelad gardaecvala. didxans iglova ufliswulma da pirobac ki dado, rom arasodes daojaxdeboda. marTlac, didi dro gavida da... 1820 wels, erevnis

42

meliqis isaak aRamalovis asulis, mariamis (1808-1882 ww.), colad moyvanas politikuri motivi hqonda; es qorwineba saqarTvelos damoukideblobis interesebiT iyo nakarnaxevi. mizani qarTvelTa da somexTa xelaxali daaxloeba iyo, romelic, cxadia, ruseTis winaaRmdeg iqneboda mimarTuli. aleqsandre batoniSvilisa da mariamis erTaderTi vaJi, romelsac saxelad bunebrivia, irakli daarqves, 1827 wels daibada. radgan sparseTis mTavari samxedro baza TavrizSi iyo, aleqsandrec, ojaxiTurT, iq dasaxlda. Tumca ruseTis armiis mier Tavrizis aRebis Semdgom, aleqsandre iZulebuli gaxda, samudamod ganSoreboda ojaxs, romelic jer erevanSi, Semdgom Tbilissa da peterburgSi gadasaxlda. ase, Seusvenebel brZolebSi, samSoblosa da col-Svilze dardSi Caiara cxovrebam bagrationTa erTaderTi ufliswulisa, romelic ver Seegua, rom misi saxelovani dinastiis mze samSoblos TavisuflebasTan erTad misive Taobis xelSi Caesvena. ibrZola da mokvda saqarTvelosTvis. zogi avtoris cnobiT dakrZalulia TavrizSi, zogi asabuTebs, rom misi saflavi TeiranSi, somxuri eklesiis ezoSia... „saxareba“, es qristianTa upirvelesi wigni, romelic, wesisamebr, mudam Tan unda hqonoda aleqsandre batoniSvils, savaraudod, TavrizSi darCa. Zneli saTqmelia, aleqsandres Semdgom vis xelSi moxvda, vidre 1911 wels TavrizSive igi nikoloz andrias Ze mrevliSvilma ar SeiZina. wignis zomaa 29X20 sm. gverdebis raodenoba _ 311. Tavfurceli Semkulia ormagi ornamentiTa da suraTebiT: RvTismSoblis, qristesi da naTlismcemlis. aseTive suraTebiT aris Semkuli saxarebis yoveli Tavis dasawyisi. TiToeuli saxarebis wina furclis meore gverdze moTavsebulia maxareblebis: maTes, markozis, lukas da ioanes graviurebi. nabeWdi portretebis garda, es egzemplari gamoirCeva dRemde SemorCenilTagan (ara mxolod Tsu-is biblioTekaSi daculTagan) imiT, rom masSi CakinZulia oTxive maxareblis feradi saRebavebiT Sesrulebuli portretebi. mTeli teqsti dabeWdilia msxvili nusxa-xucuriT, sazedao asoebi mxatvrulad aris gaformebuli. gamoyenebulia mxolod Savi saRebavi. Tavebad da muxlebad dayofili teqsti ganlagebulia or svetad, aqvs cvladi kolontituli, kustodebi. Tavfurceli gvaZlevs amomwurav cnobas gamomcemelTa Sesaxeb: „samRTo da samRdelo saxareba. aw axali da pirveli dabeWdili qarTuls enazeda.

Jamsa amaRlebulisa da saxelovanisa saqarTvelos mefisa uflisa, uflisa giorgisa, iesian daviTian solomonianissa, SromiTa friadiTa da wargebiTa safaseTaTa marTlmadideblisa da ganaTlebulisa saqarTvelos ganmgeblisa, batonisSvilisa, TviT

of his restless personality and exceptional fate, he even became a symbol of the struggle for the country’s independence. In Georgian historiography, Aleksandre, as one of the most popular protagonists for authors of scientific or fictional literature, managed to dodge the influence of Soviet ideological pressure. Because of a turbulent military and political life full of tragedy, he became a legendary character. Aleksandre’s private life wasn’t a common one either. His wife-to-be, who had come all the way from Circassia, passed when he was 20 years old. The prince mourned her for a long time, and made a vow of celibacy. And when in 1820, he married Mariam, the daughter of Armenian Melik (noble title) Sahak Aghamalyan, it was clearly for political reasons: the marriage was motivated by his wish for Georgian independence – his goal was for Georgians and Armenians to join forces against Russia. The only son of Aleksandre Batonishvili and Mariam, Irakli, was born in 1827. Because the main Persian military base was located in Tabriz, Aleksandre and his family moved there, but after the Russian army took the city, Aleksandre would meet his fate. This is how he spent his life, in a never-ending battle, and constantly worrying for his homeland and his family; he was the only Bagrationi prince who couldn’t cope with the fact that the sun

43

uflisa vaxtang levanis ZisaTa. gaimarTa wmida ese xeliTa nikoloz mRdel-monazonisa orbelis SvilisaTa. xeliTa mestambe mixail stefane Svilisa, ungrovlaxelisa. qalaqsa tfilisisasa. qksa: qristes aqeT: aTas Svidas cxrasa“. gamocemas axlavs vaxtangis, mixeil ungrovlaxelisa da nikoloz orbelianis winasityvaobebi. maxarebelTa portretebze yvelgan aris warwera: „wmidao maTe [markos da sxv.] Seiwyale vaxtang“. gamocemas ar axlavs vaxtangis portreti. aRwerili cali `saqarTvelos saistorio-saeTnografio sazogadoebis~ biblioTekaSi inaxeboda sainventaro nomriT 415. wigns gadakruli aqvs yavisferi tyavi, xis yda mocilebulia. ydaze dakrulia vercxlisa da tyavis inkustrirebis teqnikiT Sesrulebuli jvari, jvarcmis gamosaxulebiT. yda avTentikuria, vercxlisa da tyavis inkustrirebis es ucxo teqnika ar gvxvdeba im epoqis sxva gamocemebze. warweriani forzaci moqceulia jvris samagrebis qveS, rac gvafiqrebinebs, rom jvari ufro gviandeli Semkulobaa, vidre warwera. ydis meore gverdze melniT, mxedrulad Sesrulebulia warwera. forzacis dazianebis gamo teqstis srulad wakiTxva ver xerxdeba, Tumca garkveviT Cans: „es saxareba mis

44

of his glorious dynasty and his country’s freedom had set during his generation. He fought and perished in the name of Georgia.

According to some authors, he was buried in Tabriz, while others say that his grave is in the yard of the Armenian church of Tehran…

The book which, as we know, Aleksandre Batonishvili would always keep on him, probably remained in Tabriz, though it is difficult to ascertain who was in possession of the book before Nikoloz Mrevlishvili bought it in Tabriz in 1911.

The book is 29x20 cm, and it is 311 pages long. The title page is decorated with double ornaments and illustrations of the Virgin Mary, the Christ, and the Baptist. The same illustrations adorn the beginning of each new chapter of the gospels. On the back page preceding each gospel, one can find engravings of the four Evangelists: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Apart from printed portraits, this copy stands out from the other preserved ‘Gospels’ (and not only those kept at the university) for its colored portraits of each of the Evangelists. The text is printed in a bold “Nuskha-Khutsuri” script, and the initials are artistically stylized. Only black paint is used for the letters. Divided into chapters and paragraphs, the text is arranged in two columns, with variable running titles and catchwords. The title page offers information about the publishers: “Holy Gospels. The first to be printed in the Georgian language. During the glorious reign and with the hard work and means of erudite Orthodox Sovereign of Georgia King Vakhtang, son of Prince Levan, descendant of Jesus, David and Solomon. Done by the hand of monk Nikoloz. Printed by Mihai, son of Stefan, the Wallachian. City of Tbilisi. 1709 AD”. The publication also includes forewords by Vakhtang VI, Mihai Istanovici and Nikoloz Orbeliani. Next to the portraits of the Evangelists, one can read many similar inscriptions: “Saint Matthew [or Mark, Luke, John], have mercy on Vakhtang”. The book doesn’t include any portrait of the King. The copy is kept in the ‘Georgian History and Ethnography Society’ reserve with the serial number 415. The book is covered with brown leather, replacing the original wood cover. A silver and leather cross is incrusted in the cover, depicting the crucifixion, which is significant, because there is no other instance of this technique in other publications of the period. The annotated endpaper is arranged below the attachments of the cross, which makes us think that the annotation preceded the addition of the cross. A “Mkhedruli” inscription in ink can be found on the inside cover. Because the endpaper is damaged, one cannot read it fully, though we can clearly decipher: “These Gospels belong to the most educated son of King Aleksandre…”. On the same page, we can read an annotation in black ink by Ekvtime Takaishvili: “These Gospels belonged to Aleksandre Batonishvili in Persia.”

On the inside back cover, Nikoloz Mrevlishvili wrote in ink: “I purchased these Gospels in 1911 in the city of Tabriz”. Mrevlishvili probably handed this book to the ‘Georgian History and Ethnography Society’. Together with the ‘Society for the Spreading of Literacy among Georgians’, it is precisely thanks to the ‘Georgian History and Ethnography Society’ that these old printed books, a true treasure of Georgian culture, have survived. The museum-library of the ‘Society

45

46

uganaTlebulesobisa aris mefis Zis aleqsandresi da ewodeba sxva xareba...“ imave gverdze, qvemoT moCans eqvTime TayaiSvilis mier Savi melniT Sesrulebuli minaweri: „es saxareba naqonia aleqsandre batoniSvilisa sparseTSi.“ ydis mesame gverdze nikoloz mrevliSvili melniT wers: „es saxareba SeviZine 1911 wels qal. TavrizSi“. mrevliSvilma, savaraudod, SenaZeni `saqarTvelos saistorio-saeTnografio sazogadoebas~ Seswira. „qarTvelTa Soris wera-kiTxvis gamavrcelebel sazogadoebasTan“ erTad, swored `saistoriosaeTnografio sazogadoebis“ udidesi damsaxurebiT gadarCa qarTuli kulturis saganZuri _ ZvelnabeWdi wignebi. „wera-kiTxvis gamavrcelebeli sazogadoebis“ muzeum-biblioTeka jer Tbilisis saxelmwifo universitets gadmoeca 1927 wels, xolo 1937 wlidan ki sajaro biblioTekas SeuerTda misi wignadi fondi. rac Seexeba „saistorio-saeTnografio sazogadoebis“ biblioTekas, igi universitetis sakuTrebaa 1934 wlidan. es orive sazogadoeba ganTavsebuli iyo qarTul saTavadaznauro gimnaziis SenobaSi manamdec, sanam iq universiteti gaixsneboda. savaraudod, nikoloz mrevliSvilma im periodSi gadasca aleqsandre batoniSviliseuli „saxareba“ wignsacavs... gava dro da imave SenobaSi axalgaxsnil pirvel qarTul universitetSi leqciebs frangul enaSi waikiTxavs uniWieresi da ulamazesi qalbatoni, elisabed bagration-orbelianisa (1870-1942 ww.), SviliSvili didi aleqsandre batoniSvilisa. elisabedmac, papamisiviT, cxovrebis didi nawili ruseTis imperiisgan Sors, evropaSi gaatara, daamTavra sorbonis universiteti da saqarTveloSi dabrunebulma didi Rvawli dasdo qarTul kulturasa da ganaTlebas. Tumca axla ukve ruseTis sabWoTa imperiam arc elisabedi daindo: sabWoTa represiebma imsxverpla misi meuRle mamuka orbeliani (1873-1924 ww.) da ufrosi vaJi Tamazi (1899-1936 ww.), umcrosi vaJi erekle (1901-1952 ww.) ki didi papis aleqsandre batoniSviliviT emigraciaSi gardaicvala... samwuxarod, STamomavlobis gareSe, martoobaSi aResrula elisabed bagration-orbelianisa, misi saflavic ki dakargulia... wignebsac aqvT bedi. uiRblo aleqsandre batoniSviliseuli „saxareba“ iRbliani aRmoCenila da, patronisagan gansxvavebiT, samSobloSi dabrunebula... locvisas ganmartoebuli batoniSvilis yvelaze saTuTi fiqrebisa da ocnebis moziare wignis Sexebisas uneburad gvaxsendeba 1812 wels sagarejos mosaxleobisadmi mowerili aleqsandres werili: „Svilno da Cveno usayvarlesno Zmano, Tumca weriliT gexmaurebiT, magram ase mgonia, TqvenSi vzivar da pirispir SemogfrfenT da gexmaurebiT...“ zurab gaiparaSvili

for the Spreading of Literacy among Georgians’ was handed to the Tbilisi State University in 1927, and its book reserve was then merged with that of the National Library in 1937. As for the library of the History and Ethnography Society, it has been under the ownership of the University since 1934.

Both these societies were located in the building of the Nobility Gymnasium before the university opened there, which is probably when Nikoloz Mrevlishvili offered Aleksandre Batonishvili’s ‘Gospels’ to the book reserve… Some time later, a very talented and beautiful woman would give lessons in French in this newly-opened Georgian University: Elisabeth Bagrationi-Orbeliani (1870-1942), granddaughter of Aleksandre Batonishvili. Just like her grandfather, Elisabeth spent a large part of her life outside the Russian Empire, in Europe. She graduated from the Sorbonne University, and when she returned to Georgia, she made great contributions to Georgian culture and education. But the (now Soviet) Russian Empire wouldn’t spare her either: her husband Mamuka Orbeliani (1873-1924) and her elder son Tamaz (1899-1936) both perished at the hand of Soviet repressions, while her younger son Erekle (1901-1952), like his great-grandfather Aleksandre Batonishvili, would die in emigration… Unfortunately, Elisabeth Bagrationi-Orbeliani died alone, left without any descendants, and nobody even knows where she was buried…

Books, too, have a destiny. The ‘Gospels’ of star-crossed Aleksandre Batonishvili turned out luckier than their owner, and have returned to their homeland… When in front of this book, which was the companion of the innermost thoughts and wishes of the Prince, we are spontaneously reminded of the letter Aleksandre wrote to the inhabitants of the Sagarejo region in 1812: “My children and most adored brothers, I am communicating with you by written words, but I feel that I am sitting among you and speaking to you face to face…”

Zurab Gaiparashvili

47

foto: sergo ediSeraSvili

xeebi zezeulad kvdebian...

Trees Die Standing Tall...

48

„xeebi zezeulad kvdebian“... ra ucnauria, swored am piesaze vimuSaveT levan wulaZesTan erTad ramdenime wlis win marjaniSvilis TeatrSi. swored am speqtaklSi sinior balboa aRmoCnda givi berikaSvilis ukanaskneli roli qarTul scenaze...

Tumca, SarSan mozard mayurebelTa Teatris saaxalwlo speqtaklSi axali wlis mekvle iyo. momaval Taobas locavda, erT leqssac uZRvnida da taSis TanxlebiT miemarTeboda kulisebisken. amas oci dRis ganmavlobaSi dReSi samjer imeorebda. axalgazrda msaxiobebi daRlilobis gamo waiwuwunebdnen xolme, is ki ara!. idga kulisebSi, yurs ugdebda parteris Jriamuls da sakuTari gamosvlisTvis zust tonalobas irCevda... erTgvar masterklass atarebda didi gamocdilebiTa da profesionalizmiT...

Tumca, manamde daRmarT-aRmarTebiT savse mravalma saintereso welma Caiara. daibada veraze, satios ubanSi. ZiriT kaxeTidan iyo, mamiT kolagidan, deduleTi ki xodaSenSi eguleboda. mama pataras gardaecvala da dedam, panwkala papasTan erTad, didi SeWirvebiT gazarda...

“Trees die standing tall” ... how strange that we worked on this play with Levan Tsuladze a few years ago in the Marjanishvili Theater. The role of Senor Balboa in this play turned out to be Givi Berikashvili’s last role on a Georgian stage...

Even though, just last year, he was the first New Year’s guest at the Youth Theater’s New Year show, blessing the future generations, dedicating a poem to them and heading backstage accompanied by loud applause. He did this three times a day for twenty days. Younger actors would complain of tiredness, but not him! Standing backstage, listening to the audience cheering and selecting the right tonality for his entrance... it was a kind of masterclass he offered, with his huge experience and professionalism...

Yet, there were many interesting years before that, full of ups and downs.

He was born in Vera, Satio neighborhood. His family roots were in Kakheti, his father being from Kolagi village and his mother from Khodasheni. He was a small boy when his father died and his mother and grandfather Pantskala raised him in great financial hardship...

After he finished school, wearing his only pair of mended trousers and a shirt he “could be seen in” that he borrowed, he went to take the entrance examination in the Theater Institute... the commission

49

skolis damTavrebis Semdeg, erTaderTi dakemsili SarvliTa da naTxovari, „xalxSi gamosaCeni“ perangiT, Teatralur institutSi gamocdaze gamocxadda... iq etiudis Sesruleba daavales _ `omSi xar da sangrebSi miZvrebio~. komisias moridebuli uari hkadra: es erTi Sarvali maqvs da aq nu damasvrevinebTo... am gulwrfeli da alali TxovniT gamomcdelebis _ akaki xoravas, akaki vasaZis, lili ioselianis, maliko mrevliSvilis, kowo badriZis keTilganwyoba da dadebiTi niSani daimsaxura...

50

asked him to perform: “imagine you are in a war and crawling in the trenches”. He dared to refuse respectfully, saying: this is my only pair of trousers, don’t make me get them dirty... this honest and straightforward request won him favor and a high score from the examiners – Akaki Khorava, Akaki Vasadze, Lili Ioseliani, Maliko Mrevlishvili, Kotso Badridze...

He was “lucky” in the level of his fellow students, too: Zina Kverenchkhiladze, Tengiz Archvadze, Boris Tsipuria, Nodar Margvelashvili, Eldar Sakhltkhutsishvili, Lika Chavchavadze

TanajgufelebSic `gaumarTla~: zina kverenCxilaZe, Tengiz arCvaZe, boris wifuria, nodar margvelaSvili, eldar saxlTxuciSvili, lika WavWavaZe da... momavali meuRle leila kapanaZe! misi cxovrebis megzuri, megobari da mesaidumle... institutis damTavrebis Semdeg soxumis TeatrSi moxvda... da pirveli mTavari rolic, mefe erekle iTamaSa. amaze exumrebodnen kidec, Sen mefe erekle rogor iTamaSeo? gaRimebuli xumrobiTve pasuxobda: Tqven Seqspirs da moliers eTamaSebiT da kaxeli kacisgan kaxeTis mefis TamaSi ratom gagikvirdaTo... or weliwadSi pirveli gastroliT dabrunda TbilisSi da veriko anjafariZis rekomendaciiT marjaniSvilis TeatrSi gadmovida. marjaniSvileleba pirvel samuSaod _ speqtaklSi „taifuni“ kulisebidan sxvadasxva xelsawyoebiT qaris gaxmovaneba `miandes~. Tumca am dros scenaze sesilia TayaiSvili da vaso goZiaSvili mefobdnen da amiTac bednieri iyo. daiwyo yoveldRiuri Teatraluri rutina: statistis amplua, masobrivi scenebi, epizodebi, kvlav masobrivi scenebi da a.S... ase gagrZelda aTi sezoni...

Tumca ki kinoSi iTamaSa ramdenime dasamaxsovrebeli patara roli da `londre~!

and... his future wife Leila Kapanadze- his life partner, friend and confidante...

After graduating the Institute, he ended up in the Sokhumi Theater and played his first role there as King Erekle. People joked about it with him, asking how he managed to play King Erekle, to which he would reply with a smile, also jokingly: you play Shakespeare and Moliere, so why would you be surprised that a Kakhetian man played the role of the King of Kakheti...

Two years later, he came back to Tbilisi with his first tour and began working in the Marjanishvili Theater with the help of a recommendation from Veriko Anjaparidze.

As his first job there, the Marjanishvili Theater Company “entrusted” him to make wind noises, from backstage using various tools, for the play “Typhoon”- at the time, Sesilia Takaishvili and Vaso Godziashvili ruled the stage and Givi was happy enough with it. The daily theater routine began as an extra in mass scenes, minor roles, more mass scenes etc... that lasted for ten seasons... although he did play a few memorable small roles in cinema, and “Londre”.

One day, the role distribution announcement was put up for a

51

erT dResac TeatrSi axali speqtaklis rolebis `ganawileba~ gamoakres _ giorgi SatberaSvili, „mkvdris mze“; reJisori arCil CxartiSvili, mTavar rolSi aleqsandre omiaZe da yaWia _ givi berikaSvili... pirveli repeticiis Semdeg gaacnobiera rom pirvelad ergo erT-erTi mTavari roli am didi tradiciis TeatrSi. premieraze Tavis dasakravad gamosuli imasac mixvda,

52

new play in the theater – Giorgi Shatberashvili, “Sun of the Dead”, director Archil Chkhartishvili, the main role Aleksandre Omiadze and Kichia – Givi Berikashvili... after the first rehearsal, he realized that it was the first time he had one of the main roles in this theater of great tradition. Taking a bow after the first premiere, he also realized that the applause became stronger when he appeared... the same thing happened at the second, third, fourth performances as well...

rom mis gamoCenaze mayureblis taSi gaZlierda... ase ganmeorda meore, mesame, meoTxe warmodgenisasac... vidre, erT dResac, giga lorTqifaniZesTan da Tanamoazre msaxiobebTan erTad marjaniSvilis scena datova da axal TeatrSi gadavida. es Teatri rusTavisa iyo, sadac reJisorma iuri kakuliam otia ioselianis piesa „eqvsi Sinabera da erTi mamakaci~ dadga. damsaxurebuli artistis Tengiz maisuraZis dubliorad mamakacis erTaderT da mTavar rolze givi berikaSvilic daamtkices _ Tvalebs ar daujera, repeticiaze mivida, rolic gadawera da

until, one day, he left the stage of Marjanishvili Theater with Giga Lortkipanidze and other like-minded actors and moved to a new theater.

This theater was in Rustavi, where director Iuri Kakulia staged Otia Ioseliani’s play “Six Spinsters and One Man”. For the only and main male role, Givi Berikashvili was selected as an understudy for the esteemed artist Tengiz Maisuradze – Givi could not believe it, he went to the rehearsal, wrote down the lines for the role and took a seat at the place designated for the understudy in the rehearsal room.

Although, amazingly, the main actor did not like the work and refused the role... Givi realized that Mitua was the character he had been waiting for for 38 years. sarepeticio darbazis saTadarigo skamze dubliorisTvis gankuTvnili adgili daikava. Tumca, saocreba, ZiriTad msaxiobs samuSao ar moewona da rolze uari ganacxada... batoni givi mixvda, rom swored mituaa is personaJi, romelsac 38 weli eloda. mituas roli mayurebelma gansakuTrebiT Seiyvara da msaxiobs pasuxad _ aRiareba da madliereba daubruna. amas ki, Semdgom, xuTi sezonis ganmavlobaSi tigran guloiani, konsuli, gostaSabi, TaTari, mesaflave... kinofilmebi „Rvinis qurdebi“, „mze Semodgomisa“, „pepela“, „limonis

53

torti“, „sami maneTi“, „daTa TuTaSxia“, „siyvaruli yvelas unda“ mohyva. `gandgomilebi~da maT Soris `mituac~ `mSobliur saxls~, marjaniSvilis scenas maleve daubrundnen da erTad ganaxorcieles: „berikoni“, „moCvenebani“, „ezoSi avi ZaRlia“, „jer daixocnen, mere iqorwines“, „mtredis motanili baraTebi“, „STamomavloba“, „vodevilebi“, „eifelis koSki“, „maradisobis kanoni“, „folstafi“, „veragoba da siyvaruli“, „asi wlis winaT“, „xazarula“, „neapoli _ milionerTa qalaqi“, „mgznebare Seyvarebuli“, „iadonas Teatri“... da isev pauza Teatris scenaze, romelic TerTmet wels gagrZelda... Tumca, swored am periodSi gamoCnda estradaze dueti _ kaxi kavsaZe da givi berikaSvili, romelmac mayurebelTa udidesi siyvaruli daimsaxura...

The public developed a special fondness for Mitua’s role and gave recognition and gratitude to the actor in return. This was followed throughout the next five seasons by roles such as Tigran Guloyan, the consul, Gostashab, the Tatar, the grave-digger... and films like “The Wine Thieves”, “Autumn Sun”, “Butterfly”, “Lemon Cake”, “Three Manats”, “Data Tutashkhia”, “Everybody wants love” ...

The “renegades”, including “Mitua”, soon returned to their home stage in Marjanishvili Theater and staged the following plays together: “Berikoni”, “Ghosts”, “There is a mean dog in the yard”, “Died first, married later”, “Letters brought by a dove”, “Descendance”, “Vaudevilles”, “Eiffel Tower”, “The Law of Eternity”, “Falstaff”, “Treachery and Love”, “A Hundred Years Ago”, “Khazarula”, “Naples – the City of Millionaires”, “The Passionate Lover”, “Iadona’s Theater” and more.

And then another pause that lasted eleven years... although it was not a creative pause, since that is when the Kakhi Kavsadze and Givi Berikashvili appeared as a duo, winning the public’s unconditional love...

And more success on stage and in films: “Pygmalion”, “Letters of a Traveler”, “Eugenia Balboa or Trees Die Standing Tall”, “The Turtledoves of Paradise”, “The Train Went On”, “Chained Knights”, “The Fire of Love”, “A Candle Lit on Jesus’ Grave” and the opening of a star in front of the Marjanishvili Theater for his achievements.

da isev axali sasceno Tu kino warmateba: „pigmalioni“, „mgzavris werilebi“, „euxena balboa anu xeebi zezeulad kvdebian“... kinofilmebi: „samoTxis gvritebi“, „midioda matarebeli“, „mijaWvuli raindebi“, „siyvarulis cecxli“, „macxovris saflavze anTebuli sanTeli“ da damsaxurebuli varskvlavis gaxsna marjaniSvilis Teatris batoni givi brZanebda: „Cemi profesiis wyalobiT gavxdi erT-erTi yvelaze mdidari adamiani am qveyanaze. es simdidre ki _ Cemi xalxis siyvarulia, siyvaruli, romelsac yoveli fexis nabijze vgrZnob. es macocxlebs da maZlierebs, mxneobas mmatebs da mafiqrebinebs, rom jer kidev vWirdebi Cems xalxsa da Cems qveyanas“. da marTlac

54

foto: irakli gedeniZe

win.

foto: irakli gedeniZe

givi berikaSvilma moaxerxa ise ecxovra, iseTi didi siyvaruli daeTesa xalxis gulSi, rac mxolod erTeulTa xvedria. swored erTeulTa Soris gamorCeuli, TviTmyofadi Semoqmedi daemSvidoba am gazafxuls, vnebis kviraSi, miwier saqarTvelos da SeuerTda im SemoqmedTa did Tanavarskvlaveds, romlebTan erTadac qmnida erTi meoreze ukeTes mxatvrul saxes... erTi kacisaTvis RvTiT boZebuli sicocxle gaiaro ase Rirseulad, datovo amdeni siyvaruli, siTbo da Rimili mxolod gamorCeulebs SeuZliaT, gamorCeulebs, romlebic sul mudam moqmedeben, mudam Tanamedroveni arian... wlebi ematebaT da ar berdebian _ brZendebian da sakuTar, mxolod maTTvis damaxasiaTebel niSansa da kvals toveben qarTuli xelovnebis istoriaSi. P.S. 18 maiss xelovnebis muzeumis varskvlavTa xeivanSi brinjaoSi Camosxmuli givi berikaSvilis biusti gaixsna. dimitri xvTisiaSvili

Givi would often say: “Thanks to my profession, I became one of the richest persons in this country. This wealth is the love of my people, the love I feel every step of the way, that keeps me alive and strong, gives me courage and makes me think that my people and my country still need me�. And truly, Givi Berikashvili managed to live his life in such a way, giving so much love to the people, as only few people are destined to do.

And this, one of the chosen few, a self-sufficient artist, said his goodbyes this spring, during Easter week, to earthly Georgia and joined the large constellation of those with whom he had created one great role after another...

For one man to be able to live so honorably the life God gave him, to leave so much love, warmth and smiles behind, that is something only special people can achieve, people who are always active, always modern... people who do not get old with the passing of years, but instead become wise and leave a trace unique to them in the history of Georgian art.

P.S.: On May 18th, the opening ceremony for a bronze bust of Givi Berikashvili took place in the Hall of Fame of the Museum of Art. Dimitri Khvtisiashvili

55

s b e n a i T r e a s b e n a i m a d a l u b e v a v x s n a musika g Music unites people of different backgrounds 56

eliso bolqvaZis saxelma musikalur samyaroSi gasuli saukunis 90-ian wlebSi viana da motasa da ven klaibernis konkursebis laureatobis Semdeg gaibrwyina, rasac maleve margaret longisa da Jak tibos konkursze gamarjveba mohyva. mas Semdeg eliso bolqvaZis SemoqmedebiTi cxovreba parizs daukavSirda. dRes igi `Soreuli varskvlavia~ da Cven, qarTvel auditorias, iSviaTad, weliwadSi erTxel, mis mierve daarsebul baTumis musikalur festivalze gvxvdeba. SemoqmedebiT cxovrebasTan erTad, eliso bolqvaZe saqvelmoqmedo saqmianobasac eweva. man saqarTveloSi 2013 wels fondi `lira~ daarsa da gamoCenil frang kompozitorTan da profesorTan, miSel sonisTan erTad araerTi pianisti aRzrda.

It was in the 1990s, when Elisso Bolkvadze became the laureate of the Vianna da Motta and Van Cliburn international piano competitions, that her name started establishing itself in the musical world. This was soon followed by the Marguerite Long and Jacques Thibaud competitions, after which Bolkvadze’s artistic life became linked to Paris. Today, she is a “distant star”, and the Georgian audience can only take delight from her performances once a year, during the Batumi Music Festival, which she created herself. Together with her career, Bolkvadze is actively engaged in charity. In 2013, she created the charity foundation ‘Lyra’, allowing her to teach many talented pianists together with renowned French composer and professor Michel Sogny.

Tbilisis niWierTa aTwledSi swavlis dro rTuli, Tumca saintereso iyo. Cemi pirveli maswavlebeli eka muxaZe, romelic Zalian miyvarda, axalgazrda gardaicvala da mas mere sul axal-axali pedagogis ZiebaSi viyavi. axlac maxsovs is pirveli emocia, romelic pirvel gakveTilebze dameufla. dakvra da mosmena ki Zalian pataram daviwye _ daaxloebiT sami-oTxi wlisam... aTwledSi swavlas, dadebiTi da uaryofiTi mxareebi hqonda da kardinalurad gansxvavdeba imisgan, rasac axla miSel sonisTan erTad vakeTeb. Cveni skola im tradiciebis mimdevari iyo, romelic ruseTidan gadmovida. rasac Cven qarTul skolas veZaxiT, sinamdvileSi rusulia, romelic evropidan ruseTSi, listis mowafem, aleqsandr zilotim Seitana. samwuxarod, is Taoba wavida da axali aRar movida, amitom tradiciac aRar gagrZelda... albaT, Tanamedrove pianizmis fesvebi listTan unda veZeboT. radgan teqnika bunebrivi mqonda da TiTebic damirboda, bevri mecadineoba ar mWirdeboda, Tumca, dRes amis aravis sjera. maSin, `moduri~ da aRiarebuli hanonis savarjiSoebi an Cernis etiudebi rom damekra, arc es maxsovs. saerTod, teqnikaze, calke arasdros mimuSavia _ yvela adamiani garkveuli pianisturi monacemebiT ibadeba, ganviTardeba Tu ara, sxva ambavia... arsebobs meTodebi, romelic unda aiTviso, amisTvis roialTan saaTobiT jdoma sakmarisi ar aris. miSel sonis meTodi dafuZnebulia swored codnaze da ara spontanur procesze. es, dRes xSirad gvxvdeba niWier bavSvebTan, romlebic Semdeg ikargebian, ratom? – imitom, rom roca moTxovnebi izrdeba, iblokeba xeli, yuri veRar muSaobs. niWi niWisTvis ki ara, vfiqrob ufro ganviTarebisTvisaa. me, Tavad mizanswrafuli viyavi da xasiaTic miwyobda

“My studies at Tbilisi’s Central Music School (a special school for gifted children – editor’s note) were difficult, but interesting times. I was very fond of my first teacher Eka Mukhadze, who left us very young… After she passed, I started a long search for a new pedagogue. I can still remember the emotion I felt during my first lessons. I started playing and listening to music in my early childhood – I was about three or four years old…

Tbilisi’s Central Music School had both positive and negative aspects, and its teaching methods were completely different from the one we are currently using with Michel Sogny. The Tbilisi School followed traditions that came from Russia. What we call the Georgian School is, in reality, Russian – it was actually brought to Russia from Europe by Liszt’s pupil Alexander Siloti. Unfortunately, that generation is gone, and there was none to replace it, so the tradition got lost…

We should probably look for the roots of modern pianism in Liszt.

Because I had natural technical abilities and my fingers ran by themselves, I didn’t need to study much, though nobody believes me when I say this. I also don’t remember practicing the “fashionable” and acknowledged Hanon exercises or Czerny’s etudes. In general, I have never focused my work on technical skills – every individual is born with specific piano skills, and whether they improve them is another question… There are methods that you need to master, and sitting at the piano for hours isn’t enough. Sogny’s method is based on knowledge, and not on a spontaneous process. We often see very talented children who then get lost, because when the requirements increase, the hand gets blocked, and the ear cannot follow. Talent in itself is a great opportunity, but it needs to be developed. I myself was very determined, and my personality probably helped me in this… I always wanted to take part in competitions. My parents have also played a great role, especially my mother, who was certain that she had a very talented daughter, and realized that she needed to

57

xels... xan erTi konkursi mindoda, xan meore. didi iyo mSoblebis wvlilic, gansakuTrebiT dedis, romelic darwmunebuli iyo, rom Zalian niWieri Svili hyavda da amas mofrTxileba sWirdeboda. TandaTan Cemma koncertebma ojaxSi Tu mSoblebis megobrebis wreSi zeimis xasiaTi miiRo, rac CemTvis did motivaciad iqca. yoveli koncertis Semdeg axalze vfiqrobdi, rom Tavi da mSoblebi mesaxelebina. axla rom vukvirdebi, bavSvebs amas specialurad unergaven, raTa motivirebulebi gaxdnen.

58

take special care of me. Little by little, my concerts at home or at my parents’ friends’ places became sought-after celebrations, and this was a great motivation for me. After each concert, I started thinking about the next one: I wanted both myself and my parents to be proud of them. Now that I think about it, I understand that parents sow this on purpose in their children, so that the motivation of the latter increases.

At the Conservatoire, I studied under Gizi Amirejibi, and despite our quite difficult relationship, the years I spent in his class were very fruitful. Gizi was a very talented man, but he would start worrying before concerts, and it was contagious. When you are nervous, your pedagogue needs to take the stress out of you and make you more confident in yourself and your capabilities. Unfortunately, Gizi was never satisfied. He was always telling me that I needed to play better, which was very nerve-wracking for me.”

How did you end up studying under Gizi?

Gizi had listened to me in Leipzig, at the Bach International Competition, where he was a jury member. He liked my musical approach and I found myself in his class at the Tbilisi Conservatoire.

I think it’s the first time I've said this, but I actually wanted to study under Nodar Gabunia. At that time, musicians such as Gizi Amirejibi, Nodar Gabunia, Alika Nizharadze, and Temur Matureli were teaching

konservatoriaSi gizi amirejibTan Cavabare da mis klasSi gatarebuli wlebi, miuxedavad Cveni sakmaod rTuli urTierTobisa, Zalian nayofieri gamodga. gizi uniWieresi kaci iyo, magram koncertis win nerviulobas iwyebda, rac gadamdebi iyo. roca Relav, pedagogma is unda mogixsnas da aucileblad mogces saSualeba, sakuTar Tavsa da SesaZleblobebSi ufro metad gaxde darwmunebuli. gizi ki kamyofili arasdros iyo. sul meubneboda, rom ukeT unda damekra, rac Zalian miSlida nervebs. gizisTan rogor moxvdiT? gizim laifcigSi, baxis saerTaSoriso konkursze momismina, romlis Jiuris wevric iyo. moewona Cemi musikaluri azrovneba da Tbilisis konservatoriaSi mis klasSi aRmovCndi. axla mgoni pirvelad gavamxel, magram Sinaganad ufro nodar gabuniasTan mindoda swavla. maSin konservatoriaSi iseTi musikosebi aswavlidnen, rogorebic iyvnen _ gizi amirejibi, nodar gabunia, alika niJaraZe,

at the Conservatoire… creating the musical atmosphere of the period and starting a new era in the Conservatoire… There was also Jansugh Kakhidze. Nodar Gabunia was a philosopher at heart, and he could teach much more than music, but for some reason I couldn’t study with him. When I first went to him, he weighed my hand, and I realized that there were still a lot of things that I didn’t know.

We also had a really good tandem with Temur Matureli, and I think that his lessons played a decisive role in my career.

Did Gizi know about this?

He learned about it afterwards. When I was working with Gizi, he would listen to me, and then sit and play the compositions himself.

He had a much more natural touch of fingers on the keyboard than Temur or Nodar; I learned the weightlessness of sound with Gizi…

But Gizi wouldn’t listen to me and only offered me his version – the relationship between a pedagogue and a student demands an inexplicable “alchemy”, and if there is an inner conflict, it simply won’t work.

59

So, you were opposed to this kind of teaching method from the start?

Yes, even in Tbilisi’s Central Music School. My personality probably plays a role in this. After a period of time, I would lose interest and start looking for a new pedagogue. When you realize that you’re not learning anything new, you have to try a new pedagogue. In Georgia, pedagogues take this as treason. But what does loyalty have to do with professionalism? I want to learn from many people; this is a process in which the artist is trying to find oneself.

Temur Matureli believed in me, telling me that even if I was not playing as well as I could, he could see great potential in me. This was a great incentive to me – I became less and less nervous and more and more confident.

Did your repertoire change with Temur?

Temur didn’t like “sweet” music. He was even trying to adapt Chopin, whom we were studying together. I started playing Scriabin and impressionists with him. Apart from studying, he would make me listen to many composers. It is with Temur that I first listened to Wagner. Even though he had graduated from the Conservatoire in Moscow, he was a man of European taste.

Temur maTureli... …isini qmnidnen konservatoriis saxes da imdroindel musikalur atmosferos... da aseve iyo jansuR kaxiZe. nodar gabunia bunebiT filosofosic iyo da bevri sxva ramis mocema SeeZlo, magram masTan swavla ratomRac ar gamomivida. mowafeobisas, pirvelad rom mivedi masTan, xelis simZime Semimowma, rac maSin Zalian gamikvirda da mivxvdi _ bevri ram jer kidev ar vicodi.

Zalian kargi tandemi gvqonda Temur maTurels da me. vfiqrob, CemTvis gadamwyveti roli swored am gakveTilebma Seasrules. gizim icoda amis Sesaxeb?

Semdeg gaigo. gizisTan mimqonda nawarmoebebi, romlebsac TviTon maZlevda, mismenda, Semdeg jdeboda da mikravda. klaviSze TiTebis Sexeba mas bevrad naturaluri hqonda, vidre Temurs an nodars; gizisgan SeviTvise bgeris simsubuqe... magram, gizi ar mismenda da mxolod Tavis versias mTavazobda _ pedagogisa da moswavlis urTierToba auxsneli `alqimiaa~ da Tu gaCnda Sinagani protesti, CaTvaleT rom araferi gamova.

60

ese igi, aseTi tipis swavlebasTan konfliqti Tavidanve gqondaT? mqonda, jer kidev aTwledSi. albaT, aseTi var. garkveuli drois mere interesi mekargeboda da axlis, axali pedagogis ZiebaSi viyavi xolme. roca xvdebi, rom axals veRarafers iReb, sxva pedagogi unda mosinjo.

CvenTan amas pedagogis Ralatad Tvlian. an ras niSnavs erTguleba profesionalizmSi? minda bevrisgan viswavlo, es aris procesi, sadac artisti sakuTar Tavs eZebs.

Temur maTurels sjeroda Cemi, meubneboda _ SeiZleba axla ise ver ukrav, magram did potencials vxedav SenSi. is, rom Temuri ase fiqrobda, CemTvis stimuli iyo, Relva TandaTan iklebda da Tavdajerebulobac memateboda.

TemurTan repertuaric Seicvala?

Temurs ar uyvarda damtkbari musika. Sopenic ki, romelsac maZlevda, cdilobda aseTi ar yofiliyo. masTan daviwye skriabinis da impresionistebis dakvra. mecadineobis garda, bevr kompozitors masmeninebda... pirvelad TemurTan movismine vagneri. is evropuli yaidis adamiani iyo, miuxedavad imisa, rom moskovSi hqonda konservatoria damTavrebuli.

I also tried more modern music with Nana Khubutia. I learned Berg’s Sonata and Stockhausen with her… Which was very useful to me at the Lucerne Festival. Nana tried to convert me to contemporary music, but didn’t manage to… It just isn’t my cup of tea. It's still difficult to put Berg’s Sonata in a program today; if you are not Maurizio Pollini, nobody will listen to you. It’s even difficult to organize a concert of Scriabin’s works.

I also went to Eter Jakeli once, when she had just arrived from France and it was very fashionable to study with her. In general, the Marie Jaëll method is based more on theory, and doesn’t work in practice; therefore, going to Jakeli was also considered to be somewhat risky, and both Nodar and Temuri were against it. Our relationship lasted one lesson, and the only thing I remember from it is the perception of colors in Beethoven’s Sonata.

You mentioned Jansugh Kakhidze…

Yes, I also studied with him. Piano wasn’t his profession, but he had an amazing ear. This was at the beginning of the 1990s, and we even recorded Liszt’s Hungarian Fantasy for piano and orchestra, as well as Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. I was finishing the Conservatoire at that time, and then…I flew to America, to meet Lekso Toradze. I met so many Georgians at the South Bend University

61

that I felt at home there. I wanted to work with Lekso, but I couldn’t meet him often…

I decided to change environments. By coincidence, the Marguerite Long competition was about to take place, and I started preparing for it. I’d been dreaming of Paris since childhood. The program of the competition was much more difficult than today – they were asking for Schumann’s Fantasy and French music at that time. And I only had three or four days to prepare. Jansugh Kakhidze let me use a hall in Tbilisi, and Nodar Gabunia would come and help me prepare Beethoven and Schumann. I went to Paris alone. My performance of Mozart’s Sonata was followed by enthusiastic ovation, and played a great role in my success.

After the competition, I decided to stay in Paris. I was soon offered the chance to take part in various festivals and to study at the ‘Ecole Normale’, which made it all the easier. But I could also feel that I needed someone to lean on, someone with whom I could get more from music.

Michel Sogny, whom I didn’t know at all at that time, was attending the Long competition. He listened to my performance and invited me for a concert in Austria, where he gave me a lesson on Franck’s ‘Prelude, Choral and Fugue’. I remember that I noticed similarities between Michel Sogny and Temur Matureli’s methods during the very first lesson. Michel didn’t talk much, but

Tavi axal musikaSic movsinje da nana xubutias mivakiTxe. masTan viswavle bergis sonata, Stokhauzeni... romelic axla Zalian madgeba lucernis festivalze. nana Seecada kidec Tanamedrove musikisken gadavebirebine, magram ver... is ar aris Cemi musika. dResac rTulia bergis sonatis programaSi Casma, mauricio polini Tu ar xar, aravin mogismens. bergi ki ara, skriabinic rTuli gasatania koncertebze. mivedi eTer jayelTanac, maSin is axali Camosuli iyo safrangeTidan da masTan mecadineoba Zalian moduri iyo. saerTod, mari Jaelis meTodi Teoriuli ufroa da praqtikaSi ar muSaobs; amitom jayelTan misvla garkveul safrTxes Seicavda da amis winaaRmdegi iyvnen nodaric da Temuric. Tumca, Cveni urTierToba erTi gakveTiliT amoiwura da rac damamaxsovrda, beThovenis sonataSi ferebis aRqma iyo. jansuR kaxiZe axseneT... diax, vmecadineobdi masTanac. fortepiano misi profesia ar iyo, magram saocari yuri hqonda. es 90-ianebis dasawyisia, CavwereT kidec listis ungruli fantazia fortepianosa da orkestrisTvis da raxmaninovis rafsodia paganinis Temaze. am dros davamTavre

62

he would say things that you hadn’t thought about… Today, I can say without any exaggeration that he is a genius of pedagogy – he can create something from nothing. The Sogny phenomenon is a synthesis of several factors. He is very intelligent – both a philosopher and a psychologist; he was a wunderkind, and was considered the reincarnation of Liszt during his childhood. His artistic work is also principally connected to Franz Liszt. He even looks like him…

With whom did he learn music himself?

With Alfred Cortot. Michel wanted to have an active concert career, but his father didn’t allow him because his family couldn’t afford it.

Michel studied philosophy, but later returned to pianism and created his own method…

What kind of relationship did he have with György Cziffra?

He considers Cziffra to be his spiritual father. In terms of pure piano skills, Cziffra was probably even better than Horowitz. He would tell Michel that he would help him make a career as a pianist. At the time, Michel didn’t want to study for hours, but Cziffra’s authority helped him to create his own method. Michel’s method still needs to be improved, and I often wonder who will continue this undertaking. The fact that he doesn’t want to commercialize his method also prevents

konservatoriac da... wavedi amerikaSi, leqso ToraZesTan. sauT bendis universitetSi imdeni qarTveli damxvda, rom Tavi Sin megona. me leqsosTan urTierToba mindoda, magram mas TiTqmis ver vxedavdi... gadavwyvite garemo Semecvala. amas daemTxva margarita longis konkursic, romlisTvisac daviwye mzadeba. parizze xom bavSvobidan vocnebobdi. programa maSin rTuli iyo, dRes gaiolebulia _ Cems dros aucilebeli iyo Sumanis fantazia da franguli musika. amisTvis sul sami-oTxi Tve mqonda. TbilisSi, mosamzadeblad, jansuR kaxiZem damiTmo darbazi, sadac nodar gabuniac modioda da beThovenis da Sumanis momzadebaSi mexmareboda; ase `upatronod~ Cavedi parizSi. Sevasrule mocartis sonata, rasac didi ovaciebi mohyva da swored es gaxda Cemi gamarjvebis winapiroba. konkursis mere parizSi darCena gadavwyvite. maleve SemomTavazes festivalebSi monawileoba da `ekol normalSi~ swavleba, rac safrangeTSi darCenas miiolebda.

Tumca, vgrZnobdi, rom mWirdeboda adamiani, vinc mets momcemda da visac daveyrdnobodi. longis konkurss maSin CemTvis sruliad ucnobi miSel soni eswreboda. man momismina da avstriaSi koncertiT mimiwvia, sadac frankis `preludias, qoralsa da fugaze~ gakveTili Camitara. maxsovs, pirvel gakveTilze paraleli gavavle miSelsa da Temur maTurels Soris. miSeli cotas laparakobda, magram SeeZlo iseTi ramis Tqma, razec manamde ar gifiqria... dRes gadaWarbebis gareSe

63

its wider propagation. He even refused to sell its author rights to Americans. I was the first professional pianist to practice Michel Sogny’s method. Results came fast: my hand became completely free, my sitting position was adjusted, and my stress levels decreased.

Now, when I perform a concert, I am surprised by the fact that even if I don’t feel completely ready, nervousness does not impede my performance.

In 1998, Michel invited Khatia and Gvantsa Buniatishvili from Georgia. They worked actively for five years in the Villa Schindler, Austria, where Khatia mastered every etude by Michel Sogny and every element of his method. Almost all the masterclasses have been recorded on video.

Other Georgians who studied under Michel Sogny over time are Tamar and Natia Beraia, Tedo Diakonidze, Gvantsa Kobalia, and Ana Kipiani, who were all financed by SOS Talents. He is currently teaching Barbare Tataradze and Ilia Lomtatidze, two remarkable young pianists who will undoubtedly make Georgia very proud.

They are both often invited to concerts and masterclasses in various European cities.

You are also a UNESCO Artist for Peace…

This is a very important and honorable status, which is also held

by Placido Domingo, Sumi Io, Céline Dion, Herbie Hancock, Claudia Cardinale… UNESCO has a very strong tradition in this, and its artists actively spread UNESCO’s values worldwide. I joined them three years ago and focus on educational programs for children in conflict zones.

SemiZlia vTqva, rom is pedagogikis geniosia, mas SeuZlia arafrisgan Seqmnas raRac. sonis fenomeni ramdenime faqtoris sinTezia: Zalian uWris Wkua _ filosofosi da fsiqologia. bavSvobaSi vunderkindi iyo da listis reinkarnaciad miiCnevdnen. misi Semoqmedebac umTavresad ferenc listTanaa dakavSirebuli. hgavs kidec...

Tavad visTan swavlobda? alfred kortosTan. miSels undoda aqtiuri sakoncerto moRvaweoba, magram mamam amis ufleba ar misca, radgan ojaxs materialuri saSualeba ar hqonda. miSelma filosofiis fakultetze Caabara, magram mogvianebiT mainc miubrunda pianizms da sakuTari meTodi SeimuSava... ra urTierToba hqonda jeorj cifrasTan? cifras miSeli sulier mamad Tvlis. wminda pianisturi monacemebiT aseTi didi virtuozi, albaT horovicic ar iyo. cifra eubneboda miSels, rom pianistis karieris awyobaSi miexmareboda. miSels saaTobiT mecadineoba ukve aRar surda, Tumca cifras avtoritetma Tavisi meTodikis dasanergad, xeli Seuwyo. meTodika jer isev dasaxvewia da Cemi safiqralic isaa, Tu vin gaagrZelebs

64

masze muSaobas. meTodis gavrcelebas isic aferxebs, rom miSels misi komercializeba ar unda. amerikelebs uaric ki uTxra da ar misca saavtoro uflebebi. me gaxldiT pirveli profesionali, vinc miSel sonis meTodi SeiTvisa.

Sedegi movida Zalian male: sruliad gaTavisuflda xeli, gamomisworda jdomis pozicia da TiTqmis moixsna stresi. axla roca koncertze gavdivar, mikvirs, rom maSinac ki, Tu nawarmoebi mzad ar maqvs, Relva ar aris xelis SemSleli faqtori.

1998 wels miSelma saqarTvelodan miiwvia xatia da gvanca buniaTiSvilebi. xuTi wlis ganmavlobaSi aqtiurad muSaobda vila SindlerSi, avstriaSi, sadac xatiam miSel sonis yvela etiudi da meTodis yvela elementi aiTvisa.

TiTqmis yvela masterklasi videozea asaxuli. miSel sonisTan aseve TanamSromlobdnen da fond SOS Talents-is stipendiantebi iyvnen sxadasxva dros _ Tamar da naTia beraiebi, Tedo diakoniZe, gvanca qobalia, ana yifiani. amJamad ki barbare TaTaraZes da ilia lomTaTiZes, axali Taobis TvalsaCino warmomadgenlebs amecadinebs, romelTac saqarvelos saxeli Sors gaaqvT. isini regularulad arian miwveulni koncertebze da masterklasebze evropis sxvadasxva qalaqSi.

This year, a music camp will be added to the Batumi Music Festival which I founded in 2013. The music camp will host 300 children from Georgian regions. Our wish is to arouse the culture of listening to music in them – I believe that after listening to Mozart and Beethoven, they will perceive the world differently. The project will be part of the Batumi Music Festival, and it will be supported by the Ministry of Education. Michel Sogny will be giving masterclasses on the 5th and 6th of September, to children he will select himself. On

65

Tqven xarT iuneskos mSvidobis artisti... es Zalian mniSvnelovani da maRali statusia. am statuss plasido domingo, sumi io, selin dioni, herbi henkoki, klaudia kardinale da sxvebi atareben. iuneskos tradicia udidesia da misi artistebi mTels msofliSi moRvaweoben. isini avrceleben iuneskos maRal Rirebulebebs. me ukve mesame welia maT SevuerTdi da Cemi mimarTuleba konfliqtur zonebSi bavSvebis aRsazrdeli programebia.

2013 wels daarsebul baTumis musikalur festivals wels `musikaluri banakic~ Seemateba, romelic saqarTvelos regionebidan samas bavSvs umaspinZlebs. Cveni survilia, maT gavuRvivoT musikis mosmenis kultura _ mocartis an beThovenis mosmenis Semdeg, vfiqrob isini samyaros ufro sxvagvarad aRiqvamen. proeqti xorcieldeba baTumis festivalis farglebSi, ganaTlebis saministrosTan erTad. aseve sagulisxmoa, rom miSel soni wels Caatarebs masterklasebs 5 da 6 seqtembers mis mier SerCeul bavSvebTan. 7 seqtembers ki dagegmilia konkursi pianistebisTvis, sadac saqarTvelos yvela regionidan or kategoriaSi SeeZlebaT axalgazrdebs miiRon monawileoba. dawesebulia fond SOS Talents-is prizi da sxvadasxva saintereso koncerti. rogor viTardeba Tqveni festivali? pirvel rigSi minda aRvniSno, rom wels pirvelad baTumis festivalma miiRo iuneskos oficialuri patronaJi, rac mis mniSvnelobaze metyvelebs. icvleba aseve formati, izrdeba masStabi da musikalurad mdidrdeba. Tundac wlevandeli banakis idea aviRoT, es xom inovaciaa, aqamde aseTi araferi gagvikeTebia; verc gavakeTebdiT, radgan komersantebi ar

66

the 7th of September, we are planning a piano competition, in which musicians from every region of Georgia will be able to take part in two different categories. The SOS-Talents foundation will award monetary prizes, and the winners will also participate in various interesting concerts.

How is your festival developing?

In the first place, I want to underline that this year, the Batumi Music Festival received the official patronage of UNESCO for the first time, which points to the significance of the event. The format is also changing, the scale of the festival is increasing, and it is being enriched in terms of music. For instance, the music camp that we are going to establish this year is a new feature; we couldn’t have done something of the sort previously, because we are not businessmen who put their own money into festivals. The project is sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, and I will take this chance to pay my gratitude to all of our partners for their support. In the first place, the festival needs to serve Georgian society and to bring results. I also think that it has already become one of the “business cards” of our country. We are working a lot on cultural tourism, as it will be very important for the further development of the festival.

You rarely perform in Tbilisi…

It’s true, but when I do play in Tbilisi, I always choose the Rustaveli Theater, where my public never fails to come and listen to my performances. The Rustaveli Theater has a very warm atmosphere, good pianos, and offers perfect acoustics for music. If I had more time, I would be here more often, and do at least a series of concerts… I don’t like how the halls of the Conservatoire were renovated, so I don’t visit them much.

It used to be very different; it had a spirit of its own…

varT, rom sakuTari fuli CavdoT. proeqti kulturis saministros farglebSi tardeba da aqve msurs Cvens yvela partniors gadavuxado didi madloba mxardaWerisTvis. festivali pirvel rigSi saWiro unda iyos qarTveli sazogadoebisTvis da Sedegiani. aseve, vfiqrob, rom is qveynis erT-erTi savizito baraTi gaxda. kulturul turizmTan dakavSirebiT bevrs vmuSaobT, radgan es mniSvnelovania festivalis momavali ganviTarebisTvis.

TbilisSi iSviaTad ukravT... iSviaTad, magram Tu vukrav, virCev rusTavelis Teatrs, sadac Cemi publika modis da mismens. rusTavelis Teatrs araCveulebrivad Tbili atmosfero aqvs, iq mSvenieri roialebia da musikisTvis saukeTeso akustikacaa. dro rom mqondes, aq mets gavakeTebdi, Tundac, koncertebis serias Sevqmnidi... konservatoriis darbazebi, garemontebis Semdeg aRar momwons, amitom gulic ar mimiwevs. adre sul sxva iyo, sxva suli trialebda...

Tqvens koncertebze... bevr qveyanaSi vukrav da saintereso adamianebs vxvdebi. me im tipis pianistebs vekuTvni, romlebic ar miiltvian yoveldRe scenaze gamosasvlelad. Cemi menejmentis problema swored esaa, roca am sistemis nawili xdebi, finansuri sargebeli modis win da komerciis nawili xdebi. me Cemi moTxovnebi da Rirebulebebi gamaCnia da frTxilad vekidebi sakuTar saxels. vcdilob, rom Cemi gamosvlebi Tematuri da saintereso iyos. dadebuli maqvs kontraqti kompania IMG Artists-Tan, es ki gulisxmobs maRalanazRaurebad koncertebs, radgan es organizacia erT-erTi wamyvania msoflioSi. bolo dros solo programebs ufro vukrav, vidre simfoniurs da ZiriTadad Cems repertuars mivsdev; esaa mocarti, Suberti, prokofievi, franguli musika. 2018 wlis ianvarSi viwyeb axal kompaqt-diskze muSaobas, sadac Sopenis nawarmoebebi Caiwereba. msoflioSi musikaluri atmosfero Zalian Secvlilia da es klasikuri musikis gakotrebam gamoiwvia. Tanamedrove Semsrulebeli iZulebulia raRac imiji moirgos da iaffasiani RirebulebebiT moipovos garkveuli saxeli... magram, aseve arsebobs lang langis fenomeni, romelic kompleqsurad unda aRiqva. aseve, mis asakSi konkurenti ar hyavs Cinel pianists iuJa vangs, romelic miuxedavad seqsualuri imijisa, arasdros aris vulgaruli da misi fenomenaluri teqnika emsaxureba swored WeSmarit musikalur azrovnebas. Zalian maRal safexurze vayeneb arkadi volodoss da evgeni kisins... musika CemTvis mxolod kariera araa, es miswrafeba, STagonebaa da cxovrebis wesi... vfiqrob, rom musikis eniT bevri konfliqtis mogvarebaa SesaZlebeli da mas didi Zala aqvs. musika gansxvavebul adamianebs aaxloebs da aerTianebs. esaubra Salva cxovrebaZe

Can you tell us more about your concerts?

I play in many countries and meet many interesting people. I don’t belong to the kind of pianists who aspire to perform on stage every day. This is precisely my management problem: when you become a part of this system, there are financial interests, and you become part of the commercial world. I have my own conditions and values, and I’m careful when it comes to what my name is associated to. I want my concerts to be thematic and interesting. I have a contract with IMG Artists, which means that my concerts are well remunerated, as it is one of the leading companies in the world. Lately, I’ve been playing more solo programs than symphonic concerts, and I mainly follow my repertoire: Mozart, Shubert, Prokofiev, and French music. In January 2018, I will start recording Chopin’s works for a new CD. The musical world has become completely different since the bankruptcy of classical music. Today, performers have to create an artificial image of themselves, and establish their names by following cheap values... But there is also the Lang Lang phenomenon, which is more complex. Another one is Chinese pianist Yuja Wang, who doesn’t have any competitor in her generation; despite her “sexy” image, she is never vulgar and her outstanding technique serves authentic music. I also highly regard Arcadi Volodos and Evgeny Kissin…

For me, music is much more than a career; it is aspiration, imagination, and a way of life… I think that musical language has great power and can resolve many conflicts. Music gathers and unites people of different backgrounds.

Interview by Shalva Tskhovrebadze

67

Soki, anu kinematografis ukanaskneli argumenti

Shock, or the last argument of cinema Tanamedrove kinematografi, moCvenebiTi vizualuri mravalferovnebis miuxedavad, Tavisi arsiT erTgvarovania da masSi saerTo tendenciebi SeiniSneba. am arcTu mravalricxovan tendenciaSi, socialuri da fsiqologiuri TvalsazrisiT, yvelaze gamokveTili da saintereso mayureblis Sokirebis moTxovnileba Tu aucileblobaa.

Soks kino Tavisi istoriis sawyis etapzec mimarTavda. cnobili faqtia, rom parizSi, pirvel kinoseansze rkinigzis sadgurze orTqlmavlis Semosvlis kadrebma mayurebelSi panika gamoiwvia. marTalia, publikis Sokireba Zmebi lumierebis ganzraxva ar yofila da uneblieT moxda. mogvianebiT ki kinematografistebi sakmaod xSirad da savsebiT Segnebulad cdilobdnen mayureblis Sokirebas. bolo TxuTmeti-oci wlis ganmavlobaSi ki Soki sabolood Camoyalibda rogorc erT-erTi kinoteqnologiuri xerxi, Tanac Sinaarsobrivad diferencirebuli.

68

Despite its pretense of visual diversity, modern cinema is monotonous at its core and is ruled by general tendencies.

Among these tendencies, of which there aren’t that many, the most ostentatious and interesting one from a social and psychological point of view is the need or necessity to shock the audience.

Shock ruled cinema from the very beginning of its history. It is widely known that during the first film viewing in Paris, the scene of a steam locomotive entering a railway station caused panic among the audience, although shocking the public was not the aim of the Lumiere brothers and it happened involuntarily. Later, filmmakers tried quite often and intentionally to shock their audiences. In the last fifteen-twenty years, shock has become a filmmaking trick of its own, and one that is distinct in its essence.

publikis Sokirebis gavrcelebuli da erT-erTi yvelaze martivi meTodi naturalizmia. Tumca, 1928 wels, roca espanelebma _ reJisorma luis buniuelma da mxatvarma salvador dalim erTobliv filmSi, „andaluziuri ZaRli“, adamianis Tvalis viviseqcia uCvenes msxvili planiT, es xerxi martivi sulac ar yofila. mogvianebiT, kinematografiuli teqnikis srulyofasTan da garTulebasTan erTad, holivudma naturalizmis tiraJirebas mihyo xeli. dRes, cifruli teqnologiebis gamoyenebiT, naturalizmi ekranze Zalze damajereblad gamoiyureba, Tumca karga xania, Sokismomgvrel zemoqmedebas veRar axdens, radgan msxvili partiebiT warmoebuli naturalizmi mosawyeni da mosabezrebelia.

publikis Sokirebis kidev erTi meTodi, romelic SesaZloa, ufro gavrcelebulia, vidre naturalizmi, aris erotika, pornografia Tu sxvadasxva seqsualuri gadaxris demonstrireba. 1932 wels, Cexi reJisori gustav maxati, romelmac filmSi „eqstazi“ pirvelma gabeda qalis SiSveli sxeulis Cveneba, verc ki warmoidgenda, ra masStabis eqspluatacias gauwevda msoflio kino qalis fizikur mimzidvelobas. ramdenime aTeuli welia, amiT ukve veRaravis gaakvirveb da qalis SiSveli sxeuli masobrivi kinematografis erT-erT banalur atributadac ki iqca. miuxedavad amisa, naxevrad SiSveli julian muris gamoCenam robert oltmenis filmSi „nakuwebi“ namdvili Soki gamoiwvia amerikaSi, albaT imitom, rom wels zemoT Cacmul msaxiobs wels qvemoT mxolod maRalqusliani fexsacmeli ecva. Tanac, am aTwuTian ironiul scenaSi, julian muris gmiri ekranul qmars gacxarebiT ekamaTeba yofiT problemebze da kadrSi aqtiurad moZraobs.

Sokirebuli, pirvel rigSi, julian muris realuri meuRle aRmoCnda, romelmac, yoveli SemTxvevisTvis, ganqorwineba amjobina. mayureblis Sokirebis gacilebiT mZafr xerxs mimarTa frangma reJisorma gaspar noem. mis filmSi _

One of the most widespread and simple methods to shock the public is naturalism. That said, in 1928, when Spanish film director Luis Bunuel and painter Salvador Dali showed a close-up of a human eye vivisection in their joint film ‘An Andalusian Dog’, this was not a simple trick at all. Later, with the improvement and complex development of cinematographic technology, Hollywood began to popularize naturalism. Nowadays, using digital technologies, naturalism looks very convincing on screen, although it lost its ability to strongly shock a long time ago, as naturalism in large doses becomes boring and tedious.

Another method for shocking the audience, maybe even more common than naturalism, is erotica, pornography or demonstration of various sexual deviances. In 1932, Czech film director Gustav Machaty, who was the first to dare show a naked female body in his film ‘Ecstasy’, could not have imagined at what scale world cinema would exploit women’s physical attractiveness in the future. In the last few decades, it has become unsurprising and the naked female body has even become a cliché attribute of popular cinema. Despite this fact, the appearance of half-naked Julianne Moore in Robert Altman’s film ‘Short Cuts’ caused a real shock in the USA, probably because the actress was dressed above the waist and wore only high-heeled shoes below the waist. Further, in this ten-minute ironic scene, Moore’s character is heatedly arguing with her on-screen husband about ordinary problems and is actively moving throughout.

69

„Seuqcevadoba“ monika beluCis gmiris gaupatiurebis cxrawuTiani scena erTi grZeli planiT, fiqsirebuli kameriTaa gadaRebuli. rakursi delikaturadaa SerCeuli, magram araorazrovani manipulaciebi (Tavdamsxmeli sodomias mimarTavs), monika beluCis ganwiruli kivili, moZalade mamakaci, romelic qals gametebiT urtyams TavSi, rom gaaCumos da is wvrilmanic ki, rom yvelaferi miwisqveSa gadasasvlelSi xdeba, mayurebelze Zlier da damTrgunvel STabeWdilebas axdens. franguli presa werda, rom kanSi, „Seuqcevadobis“ safestivalo premieraze, minimum ocma adamianma grZnoba dakarga da kanis saswrafo daxmarebis samsaxuri eqstremalur reJimSi muSaobda. kidev ufro Sors wavida meore frangi reJisori bruno diumoni. man Tavis amerikul filmSi „29 palma“ mamakacis gaupatiurebis usastikesi scena CarTo, romelic, ramdenadme amovardnilia filmis saerTo struqturidan. SesaZloa, bruno diumonis erTaderTi mizani mayureblis Sokireba iyo, rasac miaRwia kidec. ungreli reJisoris mikloS ianCos 1976 wlis italiur filmSi, „piradi codvebi, sazogadoebrivi Rirsebebi“, aris epizodi, romlis analogi dResac ar moiZebneba

70

Moore’s actual husband, for one, was so shocked that he chose to divorce her. French film director Gaspard Noe used a much stronger approach to shock his audience. In his film ‘Irreversible’, the nineminute rape scene of Monica Bellucci’s character was shot in one long take, with a static camera. The angle was selected delicately, but the unambiguous manipulations (the rapist sodomizes the victim), Bellucci’s desperate screams, the male aggressor beating the woman on the head mercilessly to silence her and even the fact that all this is happening in an underground passage makes a strong and oppressive impression on the public. The French press wrote that at the festival premiere of ‘Irreversible’ in Cannes, at least twenty viewers lost consciousness and that the Cannes ambulance service was working at above its full capacity. Another French film director, Bruno Dumont, went even further. In his American film ‘Twenty-Nine Palms’, he featured an exceptionally hardcore scene depicting the rape of a man, a scene that is somewhat disconnected from the general structure of the film. Maybe Bruno Dumont’s only aim was to shock the viewers, in which case he achieved his goal.

In his 1976 Italian film ‘Private Vices, Public Pleasures’, the Hungarian film director Miklos Janscó included an episode that has no analogue to this day, not only in intellectual cinema, but maybe not even in

ara mxolod inteleqtualur, aramed SesaZloa pornokinoSic. skandalur scenaSi mamakacs hermafroditi aupatiurebs. es, erTi SexedviT uSinaarso fragmenti, ioli asaxsnelia ianCosTvis damaxasiaTebeli alegoriulsimbolisturi midgomiT: hermafroditi, reJisoris azriT, iseTive paTologiuria, rogorc avstriaungreTis e.w. „dualisturi“, an „orerTiani“ imperia. xolo gaupatiurebuli mamakaci, avstria-ungreTis mier dapyrobili xalxebis simboloa. reJisorma miiCnia, rom hermafroditis mier qalis gaupatiureba naklebad mZafr STabeWdilebas moaxdenda. Tumca, Sokirebuli aRmoCnda ara imdenad mayurebeli, romelic zogadad ar etaneba am gamomwvevad antikomerciuli ungreli reJisoris Semoqmedebas, aramed italiuri Temida. ianCom eqvsi Tve gaatara cixeSi, pornografiis propagandisa da sazogadoebrivi moralis Seuracxyofis braldebiT. ungreli diplomatebis Careva rom ara, reJisors italiaSi orwliani patimroba emuqreboda. saerTod, ramdenime met-naklebad maRali klasis reJisori iyenebda da iyenebs Tavis filmebSi pornografiis elementebs sxvadasxva doziT. maT Sorisaa nagisa oSima, duSan makaveevi, katrin breia, lars fon trieri, fransua ozoni, da zogierTi sxva. msgavsi epizodebi jer kidev axdens Sokismomgvrel efeqts, radgan isini figurireben inteleqtualur, e.w. „safestivalo“ filmebSi da ara naxevrad legalur pornofilmebSi, romlebsac yvelaze Tavisufal qveynebSic ki, SezRudulad uCveneben saeWvo ubnebSi, specializebul kinoTeatrebSi. rac Seexeba seqsualur umciresobaTa Sesaxeb gadaRebul filmebs, isini bolo dros Soks aRar iwveven. marTalia, eng lis „kuziani mTa“ Seyvarebul kovboebze, 2006 wels „oskariT“ aRiniSna, yvelaferma skandalis da miT umetes Sokis gareSe Caiara. homoseqsualizmis „cisferi“ da „vardisferi“ formebis asaxva ekranze imdenad gaxSirda, rom uwindel Sokze dRes laparakic zedmetia. amitom kinematografistebi seqsualuri qcevis sazogadoebrivi normebidan gadaxris gansxvavebul formebs irCeven mayureblis SokirebisTvis. ras aRar SexvdebiT filmebSi: incesti, pedofilia, nekrofilia, zoofilia... bernardo bertoluCis frangul suraTSi „meocnebeni“, mTavar personaJebs _ da-Zmas erTmaneTTan orazrovani, gadaWarbebulad axlo urTierToba aqvT seqsualuri konteqstiT. incesti ekranze pirvelad warmoaCina skandalurma Svedma reJisorma david harald vilgot Siomanma 1965 wels, filmSi „logini da-ZmisTvis 1782“.

1974 wels gamovida roman polanskis amerikuli namuSevari „CainaTauni“, romelSic deteqtiuri intriga incestis safuZvelzea agebuli. rogorc wesi, kinematografiul meTodebs, maT Soris publikis Sokirebis xerxebs qmnian maRali klasis, an didi reJisorebi. Semdeg maT mignebebs umowyalo eqspluatacias uwevs komerciuli kino. incesti,

pornographic filmmaking. In this scandalous scene, a man is raped by a hermaphrodite. This part, which at first glance is of no special significance, is easily interpreted based on Janscó’s characteristic allegorical-symbolic approach: in the film director’s opinion, the hermaphrodite is as pathological as the so-called “dual”, or “twofold” Austro-Hungarian Empire, while the raped man is a symbol of the people who were conquered by Austria-Hungary. The filmmaker decided that a hermaphrodite raping a woman would not make a strong enough impression. Although, in the end, it was not as much the public that was shocked, since the works of this provocatively anti-commercial Hungarian film director were not widely appreciated by the general public anyway, as the Italian Lady Justice. Janscó spent six months in prison, charged with pornography propaganda and offence against public decency and morality. If Hungarian diplomats had not gotten involved, the director would have stayed in prison in Italy for two years.

A few more or less high-class film directors have used and still use elements of pornography in various amounts in their films. Among them are Nagisa Oshima, Dušan Makavejev, Catherine Breillat, Lars Von Trier, François Ozon and others. Such episodes still carry a shock value as they are featured in intellectual, so-called “festival” films and not in half-legal pornographic films for which, even in the most

71

sxvadasxva kombinaciiT, imdenad gaxSirda standartul amerikul kinoSi, rom mayurebeli SeeCvia, mobezrda kidec da Zlier zemoqmedebas masze veRar axdens. amitom bertoluCis films „meocnebeni“ gansakuTrebuli aJiotaJi ar mohyolia. bolo dros, ekranze momravlda sado-mazoxisturi vnebebi. am mxriv, Zalze damaxasiaTebelia samxreTkoreeli reJisoris ian sun vus filmi „tyuili“. samxreT koreaSi akrZaluli es filmi kontrabandulad Caitanes safrangeTSi, saidanac evropasa da amerikaSi gavrcelda. „tyuili“ ufrosklaseli gogonasa da Suaxnis mamakacis sado-mazoxistur urTierTobebzea. Tanac rolebi mudmivad icvleba: xan mamakacia sadisti da gogona mazoxisti, xanac piriqiT. partniorebi cdiloben SeZlebisdagvarad daamciron da maqsimaluri tkivili miayenon erTmaneTs. am yvelafers uemociod, naxevrad dokumenturi maneriT afiqsirebs e.w. „obieqturi kamera“. „tyuilis“ finalSi partniorebi koprofagiamdec mivlen...

2015 wlis lideri, mayurebelTa daswrebis mxriv, gaxda sem teilor-jonsonis filmi „greis ormocdaaTi elferi“. es primitiuli amerikuli melodrama banaluric iqneboda, rom ara erTi garemoeba: filmis mTavari gmiri sadistia. Tumca kristian grei (personaJis gvari _ „grei“ inglisurad „ruxs“, „nacrisfers” niSnavs. TargmanSi sityvebis TamaSi ikargeba.) sakuTar Tavs „sadists“ ar uwodebs: mas Tanamedrove politkoreqtul enaze „dominanti“ hqvia; misi msxverpli, seqsualuri mona ki

72

free-thinking countries, screenings are limited and occur in shady neighborhoods and specialized movie theaters. As for films about sexual minorities, they have become less shocking lately. When Ang Lee’s film ‘Brokeback Mountain’ about two cowboys in love received an Oscar in 2006, everything went down without any scandal or shock. Depicting gay and lesbian relationships on screen has become so frequent that the element of shock has long lost its power, and filmmakers are now choosing different forms of sexual behavior that are deviant from societal norms to shock their audiences. Anything can now be seen in films: incest, pedophilia, necrophilia, zoophilia...

In Bernardo Bertolucci’s French film ‘The Dreamers’, the main characters are a brother and sister who have an ambiguous, excessively close relationship with a sexual context. Incest was first depicted on screen by the provocative Swedish film director David Harald Vilgot Sjöman in 1965, in the film ‘My Sister My Love’.

In 1974, Roman Polanski’s American production ‘Chinatown’ was released, a detective story based on incest. As a rule, cinematographic techniques, including shocking the audience, are created by highclass, or great film directors. Then, their findings are ruthlessly exploited by commercial cinema. Incest in its various combinations has become so common in standard American filmmaking that the public has gotten used to it, bored, even, and is not strongly affected by it anymore. That is why Bertolucci’s film ‘The Dreamers’ did not cause a huge amount of controversy.

Lately, on-screen depiction of a sadomasochistic lust has become quite frequent. South Korean film director Jang Sun-Wu’s ‘Lies’ is a

„sabmisivia“. am filmis warmatebis (CrdiloeT amerikis, evropisa da ruseTis kinoTeatrebSi mayurebelTa daswreba 40-50 procentiT gaizarda) fonze, urigo ar iqneboda sociologebs, fsiqologebs da, albaT, fsiqiatrebsac SeeswavlaT masobrivi interesis mizezebi sadomazoxisturi seqsualuri urTierTobebis mimarT. mainc ratom cdilobs sxvadasxva rangis reJisorTa umravlesoba mayureblis Sokirebas nebismieri xerxiT? maRali klasis reJisorebi Sokuri Terapiis saSualebiT cdiloben maTi azriT (arcTu usafuZvlo) atrofirebuli, inertuli, miZinebuli sazogadoebis gamofxizlebas da misTvis TavianTi mosazrebebis miwodeba-gaziarebas. saSualo da dabali donis reJisorebisTvis ki, Soki, mayureblis interesis gaRvivebis da Sedegad, fulis Sovnis xSirad erTaderTi gzaa. bolo ori-sami aTwleulis ganmavlobaSi kinematografis socialuri da saxelovnebo mniSvneloba katastrofulad Semcirda. 1968 wels, parizis studenturi amboxi safrangeTis mTavrobis gadawyvetilebas mohyva: safrangeTis maSindeli xelisufleba franguli sinematekis daxurvas apirebda. dRes, internetis da satelituri televiziis epoqaSi, msgavsi mizeziT amboxi ki ara, umniSvnelo demonstraciac ki warmoudgenelia. kinematografistebi mimarTaven Soks, rogorc mayureblis mizidvis da TviTgadarCenis ukanasknel saSualebas.

Tumca, publikis Sokireba ufro da ufro Zneldeba. teleniusebis mayurebels veRaravin gaakvirvebs sisxlis mdinareebiT, seqsualuri Tu araseqsualuri ZaladobiT, terorizmiT, samxedro konfliqtebiT... koaliciis jarebis Seteva baRdadze pirdapir eTerSi gadaicemoda. esec ar iyos, romeli mxatvruli filmi Seedreba bolo dros popularul realur televizias. am cota xnis win, kanadaSi daiwyo axali proeqti: qirurgiuli operaciebis pirdapiri telereportaJi torontos erT-erTi pediatriuli klinikidan! yovelive amis fonze, kinematografistebi kidev ufro aZliereben Setevas mayureblis fsiqikaze.

2007 wels gamovida rusi reJisoris aleqsei balabanovis filmi „tvirTi 200“. „tvirTi 200“ _ ase uwodebdnen jariskacul slengze avRaneTidan sabWoTa kavSirSi gagzavnil cinkis kuboebs. amis miuxedavad, filmi arc omzea da arc avRaneTze. moqmedeba viTardeba patara, maxinj rusul samrewvelo qalaqSi; mTavari personaJi miliciis kapitania _ qalaqis miliciis ufrosi. mas garegnulad araferi etyoba, magram irkveva, rom mkvlelimaniakia. garda amisa, sWirs seqsualuri gadaxrebis mTeli speqtri: sadizmi, vuaierizmi, nekrofilia, oidiposis kompleqsi da yvelaferTan erTad, impotentia. am Semzaravi koqteilis, gaugonari Zaladobis da zRva sisxlis fonze, filmis yvelaze „uwyinari“ epizodia ufrosklaseli gogonas defloracia minis boTliT. „tvirTi 200“ mTavrdeba titriT: „idga 1984 weli“.

good representative of this tendency. Prohibited in South Korea, the film was smuggled into France and distributed throughout Europe and the USA. ‘Lies’ is the story of sadomasochistic relationship between a female high school student and a middle-aged man. In addition, they switch roles constantly: at times, the man is the sadist and the girl is the masochist, and at times it is the other way around.

The partners try to cause as much humiliation and pain to each other as they can. All this is shot unemotionally, with a semi-documentary style, by a so-called “objective camera”. Toward the end of ‘Lies’, the characters even practice coprophagia...

Based on the number of viewers, Sam Taylor-Jones’s film ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ became the leader of 2015. This primitive American drama would be banal if not for one circumstance: the main character is a sadist. Although Christian Grey (the last name of the character – “Grey” is a color in English, the meaning being lost in translation to other languages) does not refer to himself as a sadist: in modern politically correct language, he is called a “dominant”, while his victim, his sexual slave is a “submissive”.

Based on the success of this film (attendance in movie theaters increased 40-50 percent in North America, Europe and Russia), it seems sociologists, psychologists and maybe even psychiatrists should be encouraged to study the causes of such massive interest in sadomasochistic sexual relationships.

73

finaluri titriT aleqsei balabanovs albaT imis Tqma surs, Tu ra cudi iyo sabWoTa kavSiri. magram, mxolod titris moSveliebiT siuJetis ganzogadeba ver xerxdeba. amitom, „tvirTi 200“ lokaluri Zaladobis da seqsopaTologiis TviTmiznur demonstrirebad rCeba. ruseTSi, sazogadoebrivi azri am filmze orad gaiyo: umetesobam is dagmo, umciresoba aRfrTovanda. meore mxriv, umravlesobac da umciresobac xazs usvamda „tvirTi 200-is“ udavo Sokismomgvrel efeqts.

2010 wels, isev slavebma „isaxeles“ Tavi. serbma scenaristma da reJisorma srdJan spasoeviCma gadaiRo filmi, metismetad sworxazovani saxelwodebiT _ „serbuli filmi“. es filmi akrZalulia italiaSi, espaneTSi, fineTSi, germaniaSi, norvegiasa da britaneTSi. „serbuli filmis“ mTavari gmiria pornomsaxiobi, romelmac miatova Tavisi saqmianoba, coli SeirTo da ukve rva wlis biWis mamaa. is, colis nebarTviT (ojaxs fuli sWirdeba), Tanxmdeba amerikeli pornosaqmosnebis SeTavazebas. pornofilms serbeTSi iRebs infernaluri (jojoxeTuri, demonuri) garegnobis amerikeli, romelic SesaZloa amerikuli imperializmis, anda sulac uwminduris simboloa. am pirquS, sisxlian filmSi, yvelafris garda, naCvenebia paTologiuri seqsualuri aqti, romelic specifikur samedicino literaturaSic ki, aRwerili ar unda iyos da albaT srdJan spasoeviCis avadmyofuri fantaziis nayofia. finalSi ki,

74

So, why do a majority of film directors of different ranks try to shock the public by any means? High-class film directors use shock therapy to try and awaken a society that is in their (not so unfounded) opinion atrophied, inert, slumbering, and to be able to share their views with the public. For medium- and low-level filmmakers, shock is often the only way to rouse the public’s interest and therefore to make money.

During the last two or three decades, the social and artistic significance of cinema has drastically decreased. In 1968, the Paris student riots were caused by the decision of the French government to close the French cinematheque. Nowadays, in the era of the internet and satellite television, even a small demonstration for a similar reason is unthinkable, let alone riots like in Paris. Filmmakers use shock as an ultimate means to attract viewers and survive.

Although shocking the public is becoming increasingly difficult. TV news viewers have become indifferent to rivers of blood, sexual or non-sexual violence, terrorism, military conflicts... the assault of the coalition armies on Baghdad was broadcasted live. Furthermore, no feature film can compete with the recently popularized reality television. Not long ago, a new project was released in Canada: live broadcast of surgical operations from a pediatric clinic in Toronto!

Under the circumstances, filmmakers’ attacks on the public’s mind grow even stronger.

In 2007, Russian film director Aleksei Balabanov’s film ‘Cargo 200’ was released. ‘Cargo 200’, in soldier slang, refers to zinc coffins sent to the Soviet Union from Afghanistan, although the film is neither about war, nor about Afghanistan. The story takes place in a small, ugly, industrial Russian town; the main character is a police captain – the head of the town’s police. It’s not obvious right away, but he turns out to be a serial killer. In addition, he has an entire spectrum of sexual deviances: sadism, voyeurism, necrophilia, Oedipus complex and on top of all that, he is impotent. In this gruesome cocktail of unbelievable violence and a sea of blood, the most “innocent” episode of the movie is the defloration of a high-school student girl with a glass bottle. ‘Cargo 200’ ends with the title: “It was 1984”.

With these final words, Aleksei Balabanov probably wants to say how bad the Soviet Union was, but just this one sentence does not allow for generalization of the plot, and ‘Cargo 200’ thus remains a demonstration of local violence and sexopathology as an end in itself.

The public opinion about the film was divided in Russia: most people condemned it and a minority of viewers loved it. In any case, both sides pointed out the indisputable shock value of ‘Cargo 200’.

In 2010, it was once again Slavic people who “triumphed”, when Serbian screenwriter and director Srdjan Spasojevic made a film with a very straight title – ‘A Serbian Film’. This film is banned in Italy, Spain, Finland, Germany, Norway and the United Kingdom. The main character of ‘A Serbian Film’ is a male porn actor who retired, got married and is the father of an eight-year-old boy. With his wife’s consent (as the family needs money), he agrees to the offer of American pornographers. The porn movie is shot in Serbia by an American with a demonic appearance, who may be a symbol for American imperialism, of even the devil. In this dark, bloody film, in

centraluri personaJi sakuTar biWunas aupatiurebs, xolo misi Zma sodomias mimarTavs mis colTan, anu sakuTar rZalTan. savaraudod, „serbuli filmi“ Cafiqrebuli iyo balkanuri omis alegoriad, magram ganzogadeba, iseve rogorc „tvirTi 200-is“ SemTxvevaSi, ver xerxdeba Zaladobisa da pornografiuli elementebis aSkarad TviTmiznuri demonstrirebis gamo. unda iTqvas, „tvirTi 200“ da „serbuli filmic“ maRalprofesiul donezea gadaRebuli, maRali klasis msaxiobebis monawileobiT, rac kidev ufro amZafrebs am filmebiT gamowveul Soks. kinematografistebi Tavisas cdiloben, magram sainteresoa, raSi sWirdeba Tavad mayurebels `nervebis Ritini~. msgavsi problemis Sesaxeb erT-erT Tavis moTxrobaSi _ `grZeli Rame~, werda amerikeli fantasti aizek azimovi: `adamians siamovnebs SiSis gancda, roca icis rom araferi daemarTeba~. asea Tu ise, mayureblis interesis ukiduresi Semcirebis da mkveTrad daqveiTebuli gemovnebis gamo, Tanamedrove kino sruli kraxis winaSe aRmoCnda. iseTi kinematografiuli optimistic ki, rogoric qarTvelfrangi reJisori oTar ioseliania, aRiarebs, rom arcTu Soreul momavalSi kino arsebobas Sewyvets. igulisxmeba kinoxelovneba, Torem uxvad warmoebuli vizualuri marazmi, uRirsi meTodebis gamoyenebiT da maTi Semdgomi teqnikuri srulyofiT, Tavs rogorme gadairCens. zurab nacvliSvili

addition to everything else, there is a scene depicting a pathological sexual act, which should not be described even in specific medical literature and is probably the product of Srdjan Spasojevic’s sick fantasies. At the end of the film, the main character rapes his own son, while his brother sodomizes the wife, his own sister-in-law. ‘A Serbian Film’ was probably supposed to be an allegory for the Balkan wars, but, just like in the case of ‘Cargo 200’, generalization cannot be achieved on account of how obviously violence and pornographic elements are demonstrated as an end in itself. It should be noted that both ‘Cargo 200’ and ‘A Serbian Film’ are shot very professionally, with a cast of high class actors, which intensifies the shock value of the films even more.

Cinematographers try what they can, but the interesting thing is why the public needs such “nerve-wrecking”. In one of his short stories – ‘Long Night’ – American science fiction writer Isaac Asimov wrote that “people enjoy being afraid when they know that nothing will happen to them”.

Either way, because of the significant decrease in interest and taste of the public, modern cinema is facing total failure. Even such cinematographic optimists as Georgian-French film director Otar Ioseliani admit that in a not so distant future, cinema will cease to exist. What he means is cinema as an art, while a multitude of visual garbage made using undignified methods and technical prowess will manage to survive.

Zurab Natsvlishvili

75

Teatraluri imereTi 2017

Theatrical Imereti 2017 TxuTmeti wlis ganmavlobaSi, merved, imereTis Teatraluri sazogadoebis organizebiT, imereTis samxareo administraciis, quTaisis meriis xelSewyobiTa da imereTis municipalitetebTan TanamSromlobiT lado mesxiSvilis saxelobis dramatuli Teatri mniSvnelovan saTeatro forum-festivals „Teatraluri imereTi 2017“ maspinZlobs. festivalis sazeimo daxurva 14 ivniss gaimarTa, romelsac Teatris quTaiseli moyvarulebis garda, saqarTvelos sxvadasxva kuTxidan mowveuli stumrebic eswrebodnen. imave dRes, Teatris foieSi gaimarTa Jurnalis „Teatraluri imereTi“ axali nomris prezentacia. gasakviri ar aris, rom swored imereTSi, qarTuli Teatraluri xelovnebis meqaSi, ewyoba es Teatraluri festivali. imereTis mxare Tormet municipalitets aerTianebs, Sesabamisad imereTSi Tormeti dramatuli Teatri (maT Soris, sami profesiuli da cxra municipaluri) arsebobs. bolo ori welia „Teatralurma imereTma“ saerTaSoriso statusic SeiZina, ris gamoc gaizarda ara mxolod geografiuli, aramed speqtaklebis mxatvruli arealic. wels festivals azerbaijanidan, kaxis raionis sadaxlos qarTuli Teatri stumrobda.

76

For the eighth time in 15 years, with the support of the Regional Administration of Imereti, Kutaisi City Hall, and with the collaboration of Imereti’s municipal authorities, Imereti’s Theater Society arranged the 2017 edition of the remarkable forum-festival ‘Theatrical Imereti’ at the Lado Meskhishvili Drama Theater. The closing ceremony of the festival took place on June 14th, and apart from Kutaisian theater amateurs, it was attended by guests from various regions of Georgia.

A presentation of the magazine ‘Theatrical Imereti’ was held in the theater’s foyer on the same day.

It comes as no surprise that this festival takes place in Imereti, the “Mecca” of Georgian theater. Imereti unites 12 municipalities, and therefore, there are 12 active drama theaters in the region. Over the last two years, ‘Theatrical Imereti’ has gained an international status, increasing both its geographic scale and the artistic scope of its spectacles. This time, the festival was visited by the Georgian theater troupe ‘Sadakhlo’ from the Qakh District, Azerbaijan. The Marjanishvili and Sokhumi Drama theaters also took part in the festival.

In the Georgian theater festival realm, ‘Theatrical Imereti’ stands out for its theater forum. It has a distinctive place and niche on the festival market, mainly due to two factors: the large turnout it enjoys and a free attendance principle.

The festival boasts significant traditions. The quality of the plays,

festivalSi aseve monawileobda marjaniSvilisa da soxumis dramatuli Teatrebic. qarTul saTeatro safestivalo cxovrebaSi „Teatraluri imereTi“ gamorCeuli saTeatro forumia. mas Tavisi gansxvavebuli adgili da niSa uWiravs safestivalo bazarze, magram mas, sxva festivalebisagan umTavresad ori faqtori gamoarCevs: mayureblis simravle da Tavisufali daswrebis principi. festivals didi tradiciebi aqvs. wlidan wlamde warmodgenili speqtaklebis xarisxi, mayurebelTa daswrebis ricxvi da interesi saTeatro sferoSi izrdeba. amis dasturi iyo, rom wels festivals 16 000mde mayurebeli daeswro, romelTa Soris umravlesoba axalgazrdebi iyvnen. festivalis organizatorebi: levan roxvaZe (samxatvro xelmZRvaneli), maia paqsaSvili (generaluri direqtori) da gela ZagniZe (marketingis

the number of visitors and the interest in theater is growing with each year. This was confirmed by the fact that up to 16,000 people attended this year’s edition, the majority of which belong to the younger generation. The festival’s organizers – Levan Rokhvadze (Artistic Director), Maia Paksashvili (General Director) and Gela Zagnidze (Marketing Manager) – have managed to mobilize audiences and have had numerous fully-crowded performances in recent years.

Theatrical Imereti’s forum acts as a festival contest, which naturally includes a competition between participating theater troupes, the best of which were selected by a specially appointed jury. The latter was composed of theater critics Maka Vasadze (head of the jury),

menejeri) ukve ramdenime welia axerxeben mayureblis mobilizebas da speqtaklebis anSlagebiT gamarTvas. forums „Teatraluri imereTi“ konkurs-festivalis saxe aqvs, rac TavisTavad saTeatro dasebs Soris erTgvar Sejibrs iTvaliswinebs. saukeTesoebis gamorCeva ki welsac sagangebod SerCeul Jiuris daekisra.

Jiuris SemadgenlobaSi iyvnen: Teatrmcodneebi _ maka vasaZe (Jiuris Tavmjdomare), nikoloz wulukiZe da xelovnebaTmcodne lela oCiauri. wlevandel Jiuris wevrebs sagrZnoblad gaumartivdaT muSaoba, vinaidan sakonkurso programaSi monawileobas ar iRebdnen profesiuli Teatrebi. Sesabamisad, maT mxolod municipaluri, e.w. saxalxo Teatrebis namuSevrebis Sefaseba mouxdaT. swored am speqtaklebze dayrdnobiT sxvadasxva nominaciebSi gamovlindnen saukeTesoni. wels festivalze imereTis Tormetive municipalitetis Teatri warsdga mesxiSvilis Teatris scenaze mayurebliT gadaWedil darbazSi. speqtaklebis didi nawili

77

Tanamedrove qarTuli da klasikuri dramaturgiis scenur interpretacias warmoadgenda. interesi erovnuli dramaturgiisadmi Teatrebis mxridan misasalmebelia da mniSvnelovanic, ara mxolod qarTuli klasikuri mwerlobis memkvidreobisa da Tanamedrove dramaturgiis

78

Nikoloz Tsulukidze, and art historian Lela Ochiauri. This year, their task was significantly easier than usual, as state theaters were not part of the competition section. Therefore, the best plays in each nomination were chosen only from the works presented by municipal, or socalled public theaters.

popularizaciis mizniT, aramed mayurebelSi meti interesis gamowvevisa da dasebis mier dramaturgiuli masalis daZlevis, speqtaklSi dasmuli problemis mayureblamde ukeT mitanis mizniT. aRsaniSnavia, rom festivalma gza gauxsna Teatrebs Tamami nabijebisa da eqsperimentebisaken. magaliTad, tyibulis Teatrma festivalze aleqsi CiRvinaZis „uxerxemlo“ (reJisori lali kublaSvili) warmoadgina _ konkursis „axali qarTuli piesa 2017“ gamarjvebuli, romelic transgenderi qalis tragikul cxovrebas exeba; xolo saCxeris Teatrma revaz gabriaZis „Serekilebi“ _ usityvod, plastikaSi gadawyvita. ase rom, festivalze erTmaneTs Seerwya Tanamedroveoba da klasika, Zveli da axali formebi, tradiciebi da eqsperimentebi. wlevandel festivalze saukeTeso speqtaklis tituli saCxeris saxalxo Teatrma speqtaklisaTvis `Serekilebi“ moipova. nominaciaSi _ saukeTeso reJisoruli namuSevari gaimarjva vanis saxalxo Teatris reJisorma abel soseliam speqtaklisTvis `ucnobi qalis werilebi“. mamakacis rolis (luarsab TaTqariZe) saukeTeso SemsruleblisaTvis dajildovda wyaltubos saxalxo Teatris msaxiobi goCa nikolaZe speqtaklSi `kacia adamiani?!“. xolo qalis rolis

This year, all the 12 municipal theaters performed in the Meskhishvili Theater before a packed audience. Most of the spectacles were presenting scenic interpretations of modern Georgian plays and classic dramaturgy. The interest of theaters in national dramaturgy plays a very significant and positive role, not only for the popularization of Georgian pieces and classic dramaturgy, but also for raising the interest of spectators, increasing the level of local troupes, and better delivering the issues presented in their dramatic material.

The festival has paved the way for theaters to take bold decisions and give experiments a try. For instance, the Tkibuli Theater performed Aleksi Chirvinadze’s ‘Spineless’ (director Lali Kublashvili), which won in the ‘New Georgian Play 2017’ nomination and tells the tragic life of a rather delicate transgender woman, while the Sachkhere Theater decided to exclude dialogue and only use movement in Revaz Gabriadze’s ‘Sherekilebi’. So modern times and classics, old and new forms, traditions and experiments merge during ‘Theatrical Imereti’.

‘Sherekilebi’ by the Sachkhere Public Theater was named the best play of the festival. In the nomination Best Directing, the winner was Abel Soselia from the Vani Public Theater, for his play ‘Letters from an Unknown Woman’. The prize for the best actor

79

saukeTeso SemsruleblisaTvis dajildovda baRdaTis saxalxo Teatris msaxiobi eTer deviZe speqtaklSi `STamomavloba“. nominacia _ saukeTeso scenografia gadaeca xaragaulis oTar abaSiZis saxelobis saxalxo Teatris mxatvars gaioz SubiTiZes, speqtaklisaTvis `eqvsi Sinabera da erTi mamakaci“. xolo Jiuris specialuri

80

was awarded to Gocha Nikoladze from the Tskaltubo Public Theater for his role as Luarsab Taktakidze in the play ‘Is a Man a Human?!’. As for the best performance of a female role, it was awarded to actress Eter Devidze from the Baghdati Public Theater, for her performance in ‘Descendants’. In the nomination Best Scenography, the winner was art director Gaioz Shubitidze from

prizi gadaeca lali kublaSvils tyibulis TeatrSi ganxorcielebuli speqtaklisTvis „uxerxemlo.“ festivalma gamoavlina araerTi saintereso axalgazrda msaxiobi, romlebic Jiuris mier aRiniSna specialuri prizebiT. sasixaruloa, rom regionSi, sadac garTobisa da dasvenebis erTaderTi kera Teatria, axalgazrdebis garkveuli nawili interesdeba saTeatro xelovnebiT da erTveba am saSur procesSi. swored samoyvarulo scenidan profesiul scenaze aRmoCenila bevri, romlebic Semdeg varskvlavad movlenia qarTul Teatrs. amitomac, msgavs festivalebs ganuzomlad didi mniSvneloba aqvs Teatris ganviTarebisTvis. festivali „Teatraluri imereTi“ Semdeg wlamde dagvemSvidoba im imediT, rom momavalSi festivalze warmodgenili speqtaklebis xarisxi kidev ufro gaizrdeba da forumi namdvil saTeatro dResaswaulad iqceva. am procesis niSnebi welsac kargad gamoikveTa, rac pirvel yovlisa, mayurebelTa da specialistTa interesSi gamoixata.

the Otar Abashidze Kharagauli Public Theater, for the play ‘Six Spinsters and One Man’. Finally, the Special Prize of the jury was given to director Lali Kublashvili’s ‘Spineless’, which was performed in the Tkibuli Theater.

The festival revealed several interesting young actors, some of whom were awarded special prizes by the jury. It is pleasant to note that in a region where the only means of entertainment and unwinding is theater, a substantial number of youth is interested in theatrical art and gets involved in the process. It is precisely on non-professional stages that many young artists who would become leading actors of Georgian theater were discovered.

Therefore, such festivals are utterly significant for the development of theater.

The festival ‘Theatrical Imereti’ has closed, leaving us eagerly awaiting next year, as well as with the hope of increasing the level of quality of the plays presented and a transformation of the forum into a real celebration of theater. This process began this year, which can be felt, in the first place, in the degree of interest expressed by both the audience and theater specialists.

laSa CxartiSvili foto: beso Cangelia

Lasha Chkhartishvili Photo: Beso Changelia

81

dokumenturi kinos sivrce A Space for Documentary films

82

CineDOC-Tbilisi samxreT kavkasiis regionSi erTaderTi dokumenturi kinos festivalia, romelmac starti 2013 wels aiRo da... ramdenime wlis Semdeg programisgan `SemoqmedebiTi evropa~ finansuri mxardaWera orgzis moipova. wlidan wlamde festivalis aSkara progresi aisaxeba rogorc seleqciaze, ise mowveul stumrebze, masterklasebze, panel-diskusiebsa da industriul nawilze.

2017 wels oqtombris nacvlad, festivali maisSi Catarda. solidaroba, usafrTxoeba, vneba, rwmena da fantazia _ 30 qveynis 67 filmi swored am xuTi Temis irgvliv gaerTianda da tradiciul seqciebSi gadanawilda: saerTaSoriso konkursi, CIVIL DOC, FOCUS CAUCASUS. aRsaniSnavia, rom festivalis tradiciuli seqcia _ CineDOC-YOUNG-Si naCveneb araerT saintereso filmTan erTad, amerikelma montaJis reJisorma meri lempsonma pankiseli mozardebisTvis treningi gamarTa. seqciaSi _ `reJisori fokusSi~, qarTvel mayurebels SesaZlebloba hqonda fineli reJisoris pirio honkasalos filmebi: „melanqoliis sami oTaxi“, „taniuSka da Svidi eSmaki“, „qalaqeli mRvdlis dRiuri“ enaxa da avtors

CinéDOC-Tbilisi is the first international documentary film festival in the South Caucasus. It was founded in 2013, and in only a few years has been supported by the ‘Creative Europe’ program twice. The festival has been developed with each year, seen in the selection of films, invited guests, masterclasses, panel discussions and industry days.

In 2017, instead of the traditional October edition, the festival took place in May, showcasing 67 films by directors from 30 countries, and covering topics such as solidarity, safety, passion, spirituality and imagination. The three main sections of the festival were the International Competition, CIVILDOC, and FOCUS CAUCASUS. In the frames of CinéDOC-Young, not only did the young generation watch very interesting films, but children from the Pankisi Gorge attended a workshop session

by American editor Mary Lampson. In the Filmmaker in Focus section, the Georgian audience had the opportunity to meet with talented Finnish filmmaker Pirjo Honkasalo and watch her films ‘The 3 Rooms of Melancholia’, ‘Tanjushka And The 7 Devils’ and ‘A Diary of an Urban Priest’. Lithuania was CinéDOC-Tbilisi’s guest country. The highlight of this section was Giedrė Žickytė’s ‘How We Played the Revolution’, which tells the story of ‘Antis’, a Latvian band founded at the very beginning of the Perestroika

83

piradad Sexvedroda. CineDOC-Tbilisi-is stumari qveyana gaxldaT litva. seqciaSi warmodgenili dokumenturi suraTebidan aRsaniSnavia, gidre Jickites „rogor viTamaSeT revolucia“, romelic 80-ian wlebSi e.w. „perestroikis“ wina periodSi litvaSi daarsebuli musikaluri jgufis „antisis“ istorias asaxavs. amas garda, wlevandeli festivali moicavda moklemetraJian filmebis specialur Cvenebebs (romelSic sami qarTuli filmi

84

in the USSR. The festival also had special screenings of short documentaries, and three Georgian feature documentaries were screened: Mariam Chachia’s film ‘Listen to the Silence’, Vakhtang Kuntsev-Gabashvili’s ‘LIFE IS BE’ and Aleksandre Kvatashidze’s ‘See you in Chechnya’. German documentary films were presented in the section GERMAN DOX, while EROTIC DOX, one of the most distinctive sections of the festival, screened the two films ‘Craigslist Allstars’ and ‘Venus’.

iyo warmodgenili _ mariam WaWias ,„mousmine siCumes“; vaxtang kuncev-gabaSvilis LIFE IS BE; aleqsandr kvataSiZis „CeCneTis gzajvaredini“). germanuli dokumenturi kino warmodgenili iyo seqciaSi- GERMAN DOX, xolo festivalis erT-erTi gamorCeul seqciaSi- EROTIC DOX, ori filmi vixileT _ „qreigslist olstari“ da „venera“. wlevandeli festivalis fokusSi _ Sroma da adamianTa SromiTi uflebebic moxvda. rva dokumenturi filmidan, romlebSic yovelive es sxvadasxva perspeqtividan aisaxa. gamosayofia, 1976 wels barbara koples mier Seqmnili unikaluri dokumenturi, oskarosani suraTi „harlanis olqi“. amerikaSi, naxSiris mompovebel kentukis StatSi, maRaroelTa protesti piks aRwevs, fraza _ Which side on you are _ films refrenad mihyveba da safiqrals mayurebels utovebs. gasaocari vizualis mqone filmSi samarTlianobisTvis, TviTgadarCenisTvis brZola da sikvdili _ ori ukiduresi polusia, romelTa Sorisac uwevT adamianebs arseboba. Tanamedrove samyaroSi SromiTi uflebebis Selaxvis Sedegad, warmoqmnili masobrivi saprotesto procesebia asaxuli frangi avtoris fransua devisis filmSi „rogorc lomebi“.

PEUGEOT qarxnis muSebi, ori wlis ganmavlobaSi sakuTari poziciebis dacvas cdilobdnen... marTalia,

This year, the focus of CinéDOC-Tbilisi was labor rights. From eight documentary films focusing on this issue from different angles, one of the most memorable was Barbara Kopple’s 1976 Oscar winning work ‘Harlan County USA’. In this documentary about labor tensions in the coal mining industry, Kopple films a strike in rural areas of Kentucky.

The question, “Which side are you on?” follows the film as a chorus and gives the audience food for thought. With amazing visuals, it shows two opposite poles people live in: on the one hand, a constant fight for justice and survival, and on the other hand – death. French director Françoise Davisse’s film ‘Brave as Lions’ reflects the massive protests in the modern world resulting from the infringement of labor rights. It is a story about workers of the Peugeot factory in France, who put up a brave two-year fight for their rights… They didn’t achieve their goal, but they managed to put their employer’s reputation into question. The film ‘Merci Patron’ by François Ruffin, another French director, tells the story of an unemployed couple and the left-wing director who sets out to help the couple. French films were screened in the traditional ‘French Program’ section of the festival.

For the first time, the audience had the opportunity to use a video library arranged by Sakdoc Film, where you could find all the films from this year’s edition of CinéDOC-Tbilisi.

85

sasurvels ver miaRwies, magram damsaqmeblis reputacia eWvqveS daayenes; devisis Tanamemamulis fransua rufinis _ „gmadlob, batono!“ usamsaxurod darCenili wyvilis istorias asaxavs, memarcxene reJisori ki maT daxmarebas cdilobs. franguli filmebi warmodgenili iyo „sinedokis“ tradiciul frangul programaSi (FRENCH PROGR). aRsaniSnavia, rom wels pirvelad mayurebels saSualeba hqonda, esargebla Sakdoc Filmis mier organizebuli videobiblioTekiT, maTTvis festivalis msvlelobisas programaSi arsebuli yvela filmi iyo xelmisawvdomi. saerTaSoriso sakonkurso seqcia saerTaSoriso sakonkurso seqciis Jiuri (gidre beinorute (litva), uli kfau (germania), genadi kofmani (ukraina), barbora hudeCkova (CexeTi), maCei novicki (poloneTi), daniel abma (niderlandebi), nana doliZe (saqarTvelo), irina demianova (belorusi), oqsana sarqisova (ungreTi)) rTuli gamowvevis winaSe dadga. aTi konkurentunariani filmidan, romlebic gansxvavebuli iyo, rogorc TemiT, aseve formiT... saukeTeso unda gamoevlinaT. sakonkurso seqciaSi warmodgenili iyo rogorc cnobili reJisorebis namuSevrebi, ise damwyebi avtorebis filmebic.

86

International Competition This year, the jury members of the International Competition – Giedrė Beinoriūtė (Lithuania), Ulli Pfau (Germany), Gennady Kofman (Ukraine) – faced a big challenge. Their job was to select the best film amongst ten outstanding ones that were very different from each other in terms of form and topic. The main competition included films from both very experienced and first-time directors. The films participating in the International Competition were ‘Happy’ by Carolin Genreith, the opening film of the festival; Levan Koguashvili’s ‘Gogita’s New Life’, which had its national premiere at CinéDOC-Tbilisi; Cosima Lange’s ‘Hello,

festivalis sakonkurso seqciaSi warmodgenil iyo: germaneli reJisoris karolin genraitis filmi „bednieri~, romliTac wlevandeli „sinedok Tbilisi“ gaixsna; levan koRuaSvilis _ „gogitas axali cxovreba“, romlis qarTuli premierac swored wlevandel festivalze Sedga; kozima langes namuSevari „gamarjoba, me devidi mqvia“ _ virtuoz/vunderkind pianist devid helfgotze; Cexi dokumentalistis miroslav ianekis gamorCeuli suraTi „normaluri autisturi filmi~; poloneli reJisoris pavel lozinskis „ver warmoidgen, rogor miyvarxar“; litveli audrius stonisis filmi „qali da myinvari~. garda CamoTvlilisa, sakonkurso seqciidan aRsaniSnavia _ helena treStikovas „qorwinebis istoria“; lusia stoieviCis „la Cana“ da devid borenSteinis „ocnebis imperia“.

CIVIL DOC CIVIL DOC 2016 wels daarsda da masSi gaerTianebulia filmebi adamianis uflebebze. wlevandeli konkursis 11 filmi eZRvneboda genderis, umciresobebis uflebebis, migraciis, urbanizmis da SromiTi uflebebis sakiTxebs.

I’m David’, a film about wunderkind pianist David Helfgott; Czech filmmaker Miroslav Janek’s distinguished work ‘Normal Autistic Film’; Polish director Paweł Łoziński’s ‘You Have No Idea How Much I Love You’ ; Lithuanian director Audrius Stonys’ film ‘Woman and the Glacier’. Other noteworthy participating films were Helena Třeštíková’s ‘A Marriage Story’, Lucija Stojevic’s ‘La Chana’ and David Borenstein’s ‘Dream Empire’.

CIVIL DOC Civil Doc was founded in 2016 and is dedicated to films about human rights. This year, the section included 11 films focusing on gender, minority rights, migration, urbanization and labor rights.

Through the eyes of the owner of a domestic work agency in Beirut, Lebanon director Maher Abi Samra’s film ‘A Maid for Each’ tells the story of the “Lebanese import” of Asian and African women to work in Lebanese households. In her film ‘Keep Frozen’, Icelandic director Hulda Rós Gudnadóttir explores the fate of men in hard working conditions; the story takes place in a harbor in Iceland, where men do impossible jobs where one mistake may cost them their life. Italian director Cecilia Bozza Wolf ‘s ‘Vergot’ is a portrait of a family from an alpine valley. Indian director Rahul Jain’s film ‘Machines’ found a most poetic way to depict hard labor; with a strong visual language and

87

honest interviews with the workers, he takes the audience on a journey in another reality.

Over the last few years, Europe has been handling the issue of refugees and trying to find solutions; Guido Hendrikx’s film ‘Stranger in Paradise’ touches the topic of migration.

Danish filmmakers Lea Glob and Mette Carla Albrechtsen create extraordinary portraits of female sexuality. Women talk in front of the camera about their true desires, wishes and complexes.

Pau Faus’ film ‘Ada for Mayor’ follows Ada Colau’s fight to become a mayor. The director focuses on the inner struggles of the main protagonist, her fight for justice, the joy of victory, fears, as well as inner and outer conflicts during the political changes taking place in southern Europe.

libaneli reJisoris maher abi samras filmi „mosamsaxure yvelas“ beiruTSi arsebuli Sina mosamsaxureebis saagentos mflobelis saSualebiT, afrikeli da azieli qalebis „libanur eqsportze“ gviyveba. mZime samuSao pirobebSi adamianebis bediT interesdeba islandieli avtori hulda ros gudnadotiri. „Seinaxe gayinulad“ islandiis portSi, TevzsaWer gemze myofi adamianebis cxovrebaa, romelTac titanuri Sroma da umniSvnelo Secdoma lamis sicocxlis fasad ujdebaT. alpinis mindvrebSi mcxovrebi ojaxis portrets qmnis italieli reJisori sesilia boza vulfi „vergotiSi“. adamianis Sromis poeturi asaxvaa indoeli reJisoris raul jainis „meqanizmebi“. Zlieri vizualuri eniT moyolili ambavs da gausaZlis pirobebSi momuSaveTa gulwrfel interviuebs, mayurebeli sxva realobaSi gadahyavs. bolo ramdenime welia evropa migrantebis nakads „umklavdeba“ da gamosavlis povnas cdilobs. guido hendriqsis namuSevari „ucxo samoTxeSi“ swored migraciis Temas exmianeba. danieli reJisorebi lea globi da mate karla albrexceni araordinaluri formis da Sinaarsis namuSevarSi „venera“ axalgazrda qalebis fsiqo-seqsualur portretebs qmnian. isini kameris win Riad yvebian sakuTari survilebis, miswrafebebis, kompleqsebis Sesaxeb. pau fausis gamorCeuli dokumenturi filmi „ada _ merad“ _ ada kolaus brZolas asaxavs. reJisori samxreT evropaSi mimdinare politikuri cvlilebebis fonze, msxvili xediT gviCvenebs mTavari gmiris gancdebs, brZolas samarTlianobisaTvis, gamarjvebis sixaruls, SiSs da adamianis konfliqts sakuTar TavTan.

88

FOCUS CAUCASUS „sinedokis“ tradiciul saerTaSoriso sakonkurso seqciasa da CIVIL DOC-Tan erTad FOCUS CAUCASUS ormagad mniSvnelovani seqciaa CvenTvis, radgan aqcenti kavkasiis regionSi Seqmnil filmebze keTdeba da qarTveli reJisorebis uaxles namuSevrebs vecnobiT. saqarTvelo, somxeTi, azerbaijani, CeCneTi, afxazeTi, yabardo-balyareTi _ es is geografiuli arealia romelsac FOCUS CAUCASUS-Si warmodgenili filmebi moicavs, romlebic gansxvavebulia TemiT, vizualuri TvalsazrisiT... Sorena TevzaZis „didube bolo gaCereba“ Tbilisis yvelaze xmauriani, datvirTuli, multifunqciuri adgilis Sesaxeb, veterinaruli afTiaqis „mflobelis“ perspeqtividan gviyveba. filmSi „gorani aqlemis kaci“ Sveicarieli mogzauris uCveulo istoriaa asaxuli, misi axalgazrduli Jiniemogzaura `abreSumis gzis~ qveynebSi realobad iqca, poloneli reJisori marCin lesiCi misi cxovrebis qarTul epizods asaxavs. kavkasiis regionSi xalxuri musikiT interesdeba saSa voronovis gmiri filmSi „koconi da varskvlavebi“. reJisori mniSvnelovan da saintereso sakiTxs svams _ ramdenad SesaZlebelia Tanamedroveobisa da tradiciis Tanxvedra. germaneli reJisoris aiSe polatis obieqtivSi xvdeba qarTuli provincia vani, mTavari gmiri ali, Riad saubrobs Tavis somex winaprebze da adgilobriv sivrceSi,

FOCUS CAUCASUS Together with the traditional International Competition and CIVIL DOC sections, FOCUS CAUCASUS is a very important program for the Georgian audience – perhaps even more than the others, as it focuses on the films made in our region, and the audience has the opportunity to watch

89

mcire eTnikuri jgufis mdgomareobaze. amave seqciaSi warmodgenili filmebidan aRsaniSnavia maia zinSteinis „mudam wminda“ da martin doCikos „yvelaferi rac daxuruli fanjridan Cans“. dRes roca msoflio masStabiT dokumentalistikis „oqros xanaa“ da qarTuli saavtoro dokumenturi kino sxva etapze gadadis, ormagad mniSvnelovania amgvari festivalis arseboba. СineDOC-Tbilisi-is roli wlidanwlamde izrdeba da dRes ukve kavkasiis regionis umniSvnelovanesi kinomovlena gaxda. gadaWarbebuli ar iqneba, Tu vityviT, rom is ualternativo platformaa dokumentur sivrceSi moRvawe qarTveli reJisorebisTvis. festivali erTgvari mediumia, romelic saSualebas gvaZlevs, ara mxolod qarTveli reJisorebis, aramed ucxoeli avtorebis, klasikosebis Tu axalbeda

90

new Georgian documentaries. FOCUS CAUCASUS includes films about Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Chechnya, Abkhazia, Kabardino-Balkaria, in a variety of forms. Georgian director Shorena Tevzadze’s film ‘Didube, the Last Stop’ tells the story of Tbilisi’s most loaded, noisy and multifunctional place from the perspective of a veterinary pharmacy owner. The film ‘Goran the Camel Man’ is about a Swiss traveler who fulfilled his childhood dream to travel through the Silk Road countries; Polish director Marcin Lesisz describes the Georgian episode of the traveler’s life.

Sasha Voronov’s protagonist in the film ‘Bonfires and Stars’ is interested in Caucasian folk music, and the possibility of a dialogue between century-old traditions and modern culture is questioned throughout the film. German director Ayşe Polat’s focuses on the Georgian province of Vani, where the main character Ali openly talks about his ancestry and everyday problems the minorities are facing. Some of the highlights of the program were Maya Zinshtein’s ‘Forever Pure’ and Martin DiCicco’s ‘All that Passes by through a Window that Doesn’t Open’.

Today, in a golden age of documentary films all around the world and where Georgian documentaries have reached a very high level, it

reJisorebis namuSevrebs did ekranze gavecnoT, mniSvnelovani Temebi, sakiTxebi, personaliebi msxvili xediT davinaxoT da axali aRmovaCinoT. CineDOC-Tbilisi 2017-is gamarjvebuli filmebia... saerTaSoriso sakonkurso seqcia: mTavari jildo: `ver warmoidgen, rogor miyvarxar~ (pavel lozinski); Jiuris specialuri aRniSvna: `normaluri autisturi filmi~ (miroslav ianeki).

CIVIL DOC: mTavari jildo: `ada _ merad~ (pau fausi); Jiuris specialuri aRniSvna: `venera~ (lea globi, mete karla albrexSteini).

FOCUS CAUCASUS: mTavari jildo: `didube, bolo gaCereba~ (Sorena TevzaZe); Jiuris specialuri aRniSvna: `koconi da varskvlavebi~ (saSa voronovi). studenturi Jiuris prizi: `ucxo samoTxeSi~ (guido hendriqsi). mayureblis rCeuli: `ver warmoidgen, rogor miyvarxar~ (pavel lozinski).

CineDOC-YOUNG-is jildo: `saubrebi seriozul Temebze~ (gidre beinorute). neno qavTaraZe

is crucial to have a festival like CinéDOC-Tbilisi. The role of the festival grows with each year and it has already become the most important documentary film event in the region. It would not be exaggerating to say that it is currently the only platform for Georgian documentary filmmakers. CinéDOC-Tbilisi is a medium between the audience and documentary films, and it gives the opportunity to get to know the works of not only Georgian, but also international filmmakers.

The audience can watch classical documentaries on the big screen, but also some directors’ first films, which gives the chance to think about important topics, see strong protagonists up close and simply discover more.

CinéDOC-Tbilisi 2017 documentary festival winners International competition: the main prize went to Polish director Pawel Lozinski’s film ‘You Have No Idea How Much I Love You’. Special Jury Mention: ‘Normal Autistic Film’ (directed by Miroslav Janek).

CIVIL DOC: the main prize went to ‘Ada for Mayor’ (directed by Pau Faus). Special Jury Mention: ‘Venus’ (directed by Lea Glob and Mette Carla Albrechtsen).

FOCUS CAUCASUS: The main prize went to Georgian director Shorena Tevzadze’s film ‘Didube, the Last Stop’. Special Jury Mention: ‘Bonfires and Stars’ (directed by Sasha Voronov).

CinéDOC-YOUNG: ‘Conversations on Serious Topics’ (directed by Giedre Beinoriute).

Neno Kavtaradze

91

rusTavelis #19 Rustaveli 2016 wlis 17 agvistos Sps `saxelmwifo samSeneblo kompaniam~ daiwyo da 2017 wlis ivnisSi daasrula Teatrisa da kinos universitetis I korpusis sruli reabilitaciarekonstruqcia. proeqtis Rirebuleba 2 514 031 laria, romelic saxelmwifom, saqarTvelos kulturisa da ZeglTa dacvis saministrom gaiRo...

LLC ‘State Construction Company’ started full rehabilitationreconstruction works on the first building of the Theater and Film University on the 17 th of August 2016, and completed the project in June 2017. The project cost GEL 2,514,031, and was covered by the State’s Ministry of Culture and Monument Protection...

saqarTvelos kulturisa da ZeglTa dacvis saministros finansuri mxardaWeriT, saqarTvelos SoTa rusTavelis saxelobis Teatrisa da kinos saxelmwifo universitetis I korpuss sruli reabilitacia Cautarda. reabilitaciis farglebSi, saqarTvelos bankis keTili nebiTa da arakomerciuli miznebiT Sedga uprecendento TanamSromloba, rac iTvaliswinebs bankis mier universitetis studentebisTvis axali Tavisufali sivrcis (kafeteria-samkiTxvelo) srul rekonstruqciasa da aRWurvas.

Senoba, romelSic dRes saqarTvelos SoTa rusTavelis saxelobis Teatrisa da kinos saxelmwifo universitetia, erT-erT mniSvnelovani nagebobaTagania, romelic didwilad gansazRvravs aramxolod konkretuli ubnis,

The first and main building of the Shota Rustaveli Theater and Film Georgia State University was recently fully renovated with the financial support of the Ministry of Culture and Monument Protection.

An unprecedented collaboration took place in the framework of the renovation, with the generous non-commercial contribution of the Bank of Georgia for the construction and refurbishment of a new public space (a cafeteria and reading area) for the University students.

The building now hosting the Shota Rustaveli Theater and Film Georgia State University is an important edifice defining the appearance of not only it neighborhood, but also of Tbilisi as a whole, and we believe that it would be interesting to remember its history.

The first building was constructed in 1840 and belonged to Mamuka Jambakur-Orbeliani at which time it was a two-floor

92

aramed zogadad Tbilisis iersaxes. vfiqrobT, sainteresoa misi istoriac gavixsenoT. Tavdapirveli nageboba 1840 wels aigo da mamuka jambakur-orbelians ekuTvnoda. orsarTulian Senobas sami didi xis aivani amkobda. 1866 wels aq gaixsna sastumro „lira“, romelsac Semdeg daerqva „amerika“ da „baiarskis nomrebi“. pirvel sarTulze ganTavsebuli iyo maRaziebi, meoreze ki sastumro. 1905 wels aq gaixsna pirveli zamTris kinoTeatri „eleqtronuli fanari“. 1910 wels is pirveli gildiis vaWarma miqael aramiancma Seisyida da misi safuZvliani rekonstruqciac gadawyvita, romelic im periodSi cnobil arqiteqtors aleqsandre ozerovs daavala.

Senobis rekonstruqciis dasrulebis Semdeg 1914 wels aq isev sastumro „palas oteli“ gaixsna. es iyo feSenebeluri sastumro liftiT, centraluri gaTbobiT, abazanebiT, eleqtroenergiiT, orsarTuliani goTuri stilis restorniT. amave SenobaSi funqcionirebda

building adorned with three large wooden balconies. In 1866, it hosted the hotel ‘Lyra’, which would be renamed ‘America’ and then ‘Boyarsky’s Rooms’. The first floor consisted of shops, and the second floor was a hotel. In 1905, ‘Electronic Lamp’, the first winter movie theater, was opened on the premises. In 1910, it was bought by Mikael Aramyants, a merchant of the First Guild who decided to fully reconstruct it, and hired famous architect Alexander Ozerov to that end.

After finishing the reconstruction of the building in 1914, the building became home to the ‘Palace Hotel’. It was a fashionable hotel with an elevator, central heating, bathrooms, electricity, and a twofloor restaurant in Gothic style. The famous movie theater ‘Arfasto’ also functioned in the building, the name of which was composed with the first letters of his five children (Aram, Flora, Ana, Solomon, Tamara, Ovanes). Unfortunately, in 1918, the entire structure burned down, and only the façade remained from Ozerov’s project. The next reconstruction took place in 1923-24, under the leadership of architect Abesalomov. The current façade was created according to Alexander Ozerov’s project in 1910-1914, while the interior is a result of the 1923-24 reconstruction phase.

TbilisSi sakmaod cnobili kinoTeatri `arfasto~, romlis saxelwodebac aramiancis xuTi Svilis saxelebisgan Semdgari abreviaturaa (arami, flora, ana, solomoni, tamara, ovanesi). samwuxarod, 1918 wels Senoba mTlianad daiwva da ozeroviseuli nagebobisgan mxolod fasadiRa SemorCa. Semdgomi rekonstiqcia 1923-24 wlebs ukavSirdeba, rodesac naxanZrali nagebobis aRdgena arqiteqtor abesalomovs daavales. dRemde moRweuli Senobis fasadi, 1910-1914 wlebSia Seqmnili arqiteqtor aleqsandre ozerovis proeqtis mixedviT, xolo interieri 1923-24 wlis rekonstruqciis Sedegia.

1923-1927 wlebSi SenobaSi „sasceno xelovnebis instituti“, xolo 1933 wlidan `sasceno xelovnebis

93

umaRlesi kursebi“ funqcionirebda. `saxkinmrewvTan~ da rusTavelis TeatrTan arsebobda dramatuli studiebic, romelTa bazaze 1939 wels Teatraluri instituti Camoyalibda. Tumca, SenobaSi paralelurad sxvadasxva funqciis dawesebulebebic mravlad iyo. stilisturad nageboba ekleqturia, romelic fsevdo goTikis niSnebs atarebs. amas metwilad ganapirobebs koSkebi, romelic mogvianebiT moxsnes, xolo 2012 wlis rekonstruqciis Sedegad kvlav daabrunes. nageboba mTlianad mopirkeTebulia TeTri filebiT. mTavar fasadze ikveTeba

94

In 1923-27, the building hosted the ‘Scenic Arts Institute’, and the ‘Higher Courses of Scenic Arts’ from 1933. There were also drama studios at the ‘Goskingrom’ and the Rustaveli Theater, on the foundations of which the Theater Institute was established in 1939. However, the building also included many other institutions of various function.

The construction style is eclectic, and includes pseudo-gothic hints, mainly found in the towers, which were removed and then reinstated during the reconstruction in 2012.

The building is completely covered in white tiles. The main façade contains four avant-corps, the two central ones being adorned with small pyramidal towers. In the center of the façade, above the main entrance, there is a large bay window with circular columns.

As we mentioned, the internal part of the building was done completely in the style of the 1920s, though its appearance would later be transformed to a certain extent. Due to its function, the inner structure of

oTxi rizaliti, romelTagan ori centraluri patara piramidiseburi formis koSkebiTaa Semkuli. fasadis centrSi, mTavari Sesasvlelis Tavze, farTo erkeria, wriuli svetebiT. Senobis Sida gegmarebiTi struqtura, rogorc ukve aRvniSneT, mTlianad XX saukunis 20-iani wlebis kvals atarebs, Tumca gvian periodSi metnaklebad icvala saxe.

Senobis Sida gegmarebas arawesieri moxazuloba aqvs, romelic Senobis funqciTaa nakarnaxevi. dRevandeli Teatraluri universitetis Senobis gegmis nawils warmoadgens rusTavelis Teatris marcxena ukiduresi nawilic. sadarbazos vestibiuli da kibis ujredi, romlis mimdebaredac akaki xoravas saxelosno studia da sxva saTavsoebia. swored am monakveTidan aris SesaZlebeli rusTavelis Teatris mcire scenaze moxvedra. faqtobrivad, Teatraluri universiteti SoTa rusTavelis saxelobis akademiuri Teatris erT monakveTSi iWreba. savaraudod Senobebs Soris kedeli Teatraluri universitetis daarsebis Semdeg gaixsna, da Teatris Senobis nawili universitetSi integrirda.

SoTa rusTavelis sax. akademiuri Teatris samsarTuliani Senoba 1898-1901 wlebSi aSenda, 1887 wels daarsebuli saartisto sazogadoebisaTvis, pirveli gildiis vaWar isaia piToevis iniciativiT. am nagebobis avtorebi TbilisSi moRvawe arqiteqtorebi, rusi korneli tatiSCevi da poloneli aleqsandre SimkeviCi arian.

XX saukunis 10-20-ian wlebSi Senobis sardafSi mowyobili kafe „qimerioni“ poetTa, mweralTa da mxatvarTa TavSeyris adgili iyo da mniSvnelovan rols asrulebda im drois kulturul, mxatvrul cxovrebaSi. `qimerioni~ 1919 wels moxates cnobilma mxatvrebma: lado gudiaSvilma, daviT kakabaZem, kirile zdaneviCma da sergei sudeikinma.

Senobis istoriaze fasdaudebel informacias gvawvdis 1901 wlis 8 Tebervals gazeT „kavkazSi“ dabeWdili statia, the building was projected in an irregular way. The far-left side of the Rustaveli Theater was also part of the project behind today’s Theater University, as well as the vestibule and staircase next to Akaki Khorava’s atelier and other storerooms, which can serve as an entrance to the small stage of the Rustaveli Theater. The Theater University practically impinges on the building of the Shota Rustavli Theater. The wall between the two was probably removed after the foundation of the University in order to integrate part of the Theater.

The three-floor building of the Shota Rustaveli Academic Theater was built in the years 1898-1901 on the initiative of Isaia Pitoev, merchant of the First Guild, for the Artists’ Society created in 1887.

The men behind the project were two foreign architects residing in Georgia, Russian Cornell Tatishchev and Pole Alexander Shimkevich.

During the 1910-20s, the café ‘Chimerion’ arranged in the basement of the building was the favorite gathering place of poets, writers and artists, and it played an important role in the cultural and artistic life

95

romelic „artistuli sazogadoebis Senobas“ aRwers: „Teatris mayurebelTa darbazi Sedgeba parterisagan, benuaris loJebis, beletaJis, aivnisa da zeda galereisagan da 810 adamians itevs. morTulia rokokos stilSi da daxvewilobisa da moxerxebulobis mwvervalad SeiZleba miviCnioT uzarmazari sakoncerto darbazi _ ludovikos XV stilSi, golovinis prospeqtze gamavali sarkiseburi fanjrebiT. Tuki prospeqtisaken piriT davdgebiT, maSin sakoncerto darbazisagan marjvniv, mcire darbazia, direqtorias epoqis stilSi, mas Semdeg mSvenieri sastumro _ moderne, marcxniv _ momcro darbazi germanuli renesansis da qalTa sastumro oTaxi _ dekadentur stilSi. morTulobis gemovnebisa da daxvewilobis mxriv, ar ici am oTaxebidan romels mianiWo upiratesoba. Tuki sakoncerto darbazidan kvlav foieSi gaxvalT, marcxniv mSvenieri renesansuli sasadilo dagxvdebaT kedlebze mTliani sarkeebiT, sasadilos iqeT ki, axlebur stilSi Zalze orginalurad mokazmuli, patara bufetia. zeda sarTulSi saklubo apartamentTa Soris, aRmosavluri gemovnebiT mowyobili sastumro oTaxia...~ Teatrisa da kinos saxelmwifo universiteti madlobas uxdis kulturisa da ZeglTa dacvis saministros da saqarTvelos banks universitetis prioritetulobis gansazRvrisa da SesaZleblobebis realobad qcevisTvis.

96

of the period. The walls of ‘Chimerion’ were painted in 1919 by famous painters such as Lado Gudiashvili, David Kakabadze, Kirill Zdanevich and Serge Sudeikin. An article from the journal ‘Caucasus’ (‘Kavkaz’) dated from the 8th of February 1901 describes the “Artists’ Society Building” and provides invaluable information about its history: “The theater’s hall consists of a parterre, baignoire loges, balconies, and an upper gallery accommodating up to 810 people. Decorated in a rococo Louis XV style, the enormous concert hall can be considered a peak of refinement and expertise,incorporating mirrored windows on the Golovkin [currently Rustaveli] Avenue. If we stand towards the direction of the street and look to the right, next to the concert hall, we will see a small hall, done in Directoire style, and after that, the wonderful hotel ‘Modern’; to the left – a small hall in German Renaissance style and a “women’s apartment” in decadent style. In terms of taste and refinement, it is difficult to say which room is best decorated. If you go from the concert hall to the foyer, you will see a very nice Renaissance dining room on your left, with large mirrors acting as walls, and beyond the dining room, a very original small buffet. On the upper floor, among the apartments, there is a hotel room done out in the Eastern fashion…”

The Shota Rustaveli Theater and Film Georgia State University expresses its heartfelt gratitude towards the Ministry of Culture and Monument Protection and the Bank of Georgia for understanding the University’s priorities and making its potential a reality.

avT So ba-a

xal w els!

gil

ocav

PLUS a plu s / CUL TURE

e dRes a

swaul

s

e dResaswau

ls

w

ww.c ls ultu re.go brwyinvale dResaswau gilocavT aRdgomis v.g

ure.gov.g e

plus

/ CU LTUR E PL US

1(3)20 16

e

kult ura

5 PLUS 2(2)201

inval

1(3)2016 kultura plus / CULTURE PLUS

s a plu

15 )20 1(1 US

E PL

T aRdgomis brwyinval

www.cult

re.gov.ge

www.cultu

us

/ CU

LTUR

kultur

www.culture.gov.ge

PLU TURE / CUL

015 S 1(1)2

vaJa-fSavelas saxelobis premia saxelmwifo s s saxelobi vela Sa vaJa-f premia s saxelmwifo saxelobi las a fSave vaJa- wifo premi lm xe sa

wels!

RE plus / CULTU kultura

1(1)2015 kultura plus / CULTURE PLUS

-axal locavT Soba gi www.culture.gov.ge

brwy

gilocav

tur

e

T aRd gomis

kul

re.gov .g

kultura plus / CULTURE PLUS 2(2)2015

www .cultu

2(2)2015

gilocavT Soba-axal wel s!

kultura plus / CULTURE PLUS 1(3)20 16

giloc

tu

ra

pl

www.culture.gov.ge kul

v.ge lture.go

www.cu

e ov.g

ure.g

ww

ult w.c

aq SeiZleba ganTavsdes Tqveni reklama 2 4 2016

2 (4) 2016 RE PLUS plus / CULTU us pl

/ CU

ulturaplusm

kul

tu

ra

facebook.com/k

LTUR

US E PL

2 (4)

2016

kultura

facebook.com/kulturaplusm

2016

kultura plus / CULTURE PLUS 2 (4) 2016

24

2 4 2016

lusm

lturap

/ku

k.com

oo faceb

el-fosta: kulturaplusm@gmail.com facebook.com/kulturaplusm tel: 032 298 96 13; (+995) 599 93 50 07; (+995) 599 33 02 01

kultura plus / CULTURE PLUS 2 (8) 2017