კულტურა პლუს 1 (11) 2018

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vaJa-fSavelas saxelobis premia saxelmwifo s s saxelobi vela fSa avaJ o premia s saxelmwif saxelobi las a fSave vaJa- wifo premi saxelm

1 (11) 2018 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 saTaveebTan

2

AT THE SOURCES

Cems Zvel saxlSi

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IN MY OLD HOUSE

cnobili mxatvris ucnobi koleqcia

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A FAMOUS PAINTER’S UNKNOWN COLLECTION

TvaldaTvali `saguramo~

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AND MEMORIES OF GURAM ALWAYS COME TO MIND…

aRelvebuli droeba...

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CTM FESTIVAL

me namdvilad gamimarTla

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I WAS REALLY LUCKY

maestro

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MAESTRO

magram, raRa dros

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BUT IT WAS TOO LATE…

oriode sityva

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JUST A FEW WORDS

samuzeumo koleqciaTa dacvis Sesaxeb

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ABOUT THE PRESERVATION OF MUSEUM COLLECTIONS

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

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gamodis kvartalSi erTxel JurnalSi ganTavsebuli masalis gamoyeneba SeiZleba mxolod redaqciis TanxmobiT

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

ISSN 2346-8165 beWdva: Sps „sezani“ / Print: LTD Cezanne

fotomasalis mowodebisTvis madlobas vuxdiT: qalbaton ia TikanaZes, SatberaSvilebis ojaxs, festival CTM-s, saqarTvelos kulturuli memkvidreobis dacvis erovnul saagentos, stefanwmindis istoriul muzeums, saqarTvelos erovnul muzeums, literaturis muzeums, saqarTvelos erovnul arqivs. garekanze: valerian sidamon-erisTavi _ `qarTveli meomari~ / Cover: Valerian Sidamon-Eristavi – 'Georgian Warrior'

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1 (11) 2018

T

iTqmis ormoci wlis win guram asaTianma Tavisi ukanaskneli wigni _ `saTaveebTan~ (ramdenime cda qarTuli xasiaTisa da esTetikuri bunebis gasarkvevad) gamoaqveyna, romelSic gviCvena, rom:

`sulisa da materiis urTierTltolva, maTi SeTanxmeba da Serwyma fundamenturi Tvisebaa qarTveli xalxis esTetikuri bunebisa~ da `sulieri da nivTieri qarTul parnasze erTmaneTs ki ar aneleben, ki ar nTqaven, aramed isini `ukiduresi~ saxiT monawileoben am kavSirSi da swored amis gamo qmnian iSviaT mTlianobas~. avtorma `saTaveebis~ pirvel gamocemas winaTqma waumZRvara, romlis gamoqveyneba im Jams sabWourma cenzuram mizanSewonilad ar miiCnia. hoda, amitom, dRes gvsurs es `winaTqma~ zogs SevaxsenoT da zogsac pirvelad gavacnoT. gvinda, am mcire SesavliT mkiTxvels kidev erTxel davanaxoT is gansxvavebuli ucnaurobani, rac, Cveni qveynis am `iSviaT mTlianobas~ qmnis...

Cemo megobaro, Tanamemamulev! minda, migiwvio im didi TaRis qveS, minda, SegiZRve SenTvis da CemTvisac im TiTqos nacnob samosaxloSi, sadac gakvirvebiT gvelodebian. ukvirT: rogor iolad, gaukvirveblad gavivliT xolme aqaurobas, TiTqos yvelaferi ase unda iyos, TiTqos es xeivani TavisiT wamoizarda _ iyo, aris, iqneba _ da Senc _ midi, gaiare, seirn-seirnobiT, daufiqreblad, dauyovneblad... ici, rad Rirda, ra fasad dajda amisi arsebobis SenarCuneba? ici, ra miwaa es miwa? ici, Sen rom ase dadixar, ai, ase rom daatareb Sens tans, _ ase miixr-moixrebi, _ aravis msgavsad, ucnaurad, rogorRac, Seneburad _ ra Zneli iyo, rom sxvas ar damsgavsebodi! _ ici, visi madlia es? modi CavufiqrdeT: iqneb sjobs, rac SeiZleba male daviviwyoT Cveneuli ronini, fexi SevuwyoT sxvaTa nabijs, ar gamovirCeT, ar ganvcalkevdeT _ aba, he! rasakvirvelia, ar meTanxmebi. Cemi pasuxic aseTi ggonia. magram modi, jer avwon-davwonoT, mimovixedoT,

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ramdenadac SegviZlia, CavuRrmavdeT. Rirda Tu ara?

Rirda Tu ara, rom Cven maincdamainc aseTni vyofiliyaviT, _ amdeni eSroma, amdeni ezruna, amdeni efusfusa am mzes, am haers, am arils, am cisartyelebs, am cis mananas, am neSos, am TqeSs, rom aseTi ieri, aseTi gamometyveleba moeca CvenTvis?

Rirs Tu ara, boZebulis SenarCuneba? da Tu Rirs, saxeldobr risi, ris gamo, ra mizniT, risi meoxebiT. Tu ar vcdebi, didro ambobda: mercxlebs hgoniaT, triumfaluri TaRi maTTvis aageso. marTla Cven gvekuTvnis es laJvardovani gumbaTi, amdeni xania, Tavs rom gvevleba? marTla Cveni uZiro sulis anareklia, misi idumali siRrme, Tu aq SemTxveviT SemoviareT, droebiTi mdgmurebi varT am WerqveS da xval isev guda-nabadi unda avikraT, ukvalod unda gadavSendeT, rom Cvens nadgomze sxvam isadguros? pasuxisaTvis nu avCqardebiT: modi e r T a d davufiqrdeT. mSvidad, miukerZoeblad, ramdenadac amis uflebas Cveni buneba da Cvenive sabediswerod aCqarebuli dro gvaZlevs.

1 (11) 2018

A

lmost forty years ago, Guram Asatiani published his last book ‘At the Sources’ (Several attempts at revealing the Georgian character and aesthetic nature), in which he showed us that “the mutual attraction of soul and matter, their harmony and fusion, is a fundamental feature of the aesthetic nature of the Georgian people”, and that “the spiritual and material do not diminish or absorb each other on the Georgian Parnassus, but rather participate in “extreme” form in this union, and thus make up a rare whole”. The author had added a foreword to the first edition of ‘At the Sources’, but the soviet censors of the time did not deem it worthy of publication. Therefore, we have decided to print it – for some to remember, for others to discover. With this small introduction, we would like our readers to sense the various peculiarities that assemble our “rare whole” …

My dear friend, my fellow countryman!

I want to invite you under our large dome. I want to lead you to the familiar abode where we are awaited with amazement.

They wonder how easily, without surprise, we pass through these places, as if everything should be as it is, as if this alley has grown all by itself… It was, it is and it will be here… And you, you too – go ahead, walk on, leisurely, giving no thought and without stopping…

Do you know at what expense all this has been preserved?

Do you know what kind of land this is?

Do you know, when walking like that, carrying your body in such a manner and with a very distinct gait, unlike anyone else’s, how hard it was to make sure you looked unique? Do you know whose blessing that was?

Let us reflect more on that.

Maybe it would be better to forgot our gait, our own way of moving, and to instead follow in the steps of others, without being distinguished or separated from them – get going, right-o!

Of course, you will disagree. You would think my answer is the same.

But let us first weigh up everything properly, let us look around and try to understand as deeply as we can.

Was it worth the effort?

Was it worth the effort to be just as we are – was it worth all the hard work, great care taken by this sun, this air, these rays, this rainbow, this heavenly manna, these fallen leaves, these rainfalls, to give us this very expression, this very identity?

Is it worth preserving what we have been endowed with?

And if it is, then what exactly needs to be preserved, and for what reason or purpose, and by what means?

If my memory does not fail me, it was Diderot who said that swallows think the Arc de Triumph was built for them.

Is it really us that this dome of blue skies belongs to, the dome that has nurtured us for such a long time? Is its mysterious depth really the reflection of our unfathomable soul, or are we here only by chance, are we only temporary tenants under this roof and need to collect all our belongings tomorrow and set off to infinity, leaving no trace behind and letting someone else settle where we used to live?

Let us not hurry with an answer: let us give it careful thought t o g e t h e r – calmly, without bias, to the extent that our own nature and the time running fatefully fast allows us.

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jer kidev Tavmouyrel, sabolood gaurandav da daulagebel sityvebs, Cems win dazvinul Zvel Canawerebs, Cems warmodgenaSi Tvaladuri leqsikoni hqvia... vici, am did xvavs, didi xnis nagrovebs, ase erTbaSad da mTlianad ver mouvli... jerjerobiT mxolod ganzraxuli `Tvaladuri leqsikonis~ WaSniksa vwer. mas Semdeg vwer, rac davrwmundi. rom sityvebsa da gamoTqmebs mxolod CemTvis ar vagrovebdi. erTi sityviT, gadavwyvite Cemi ojaxis, karis mezoblebisa da gare mezoblebis ena saaSkaraoze gamometana. magram, rogorc vTqvi, es mxolod WaSnikia. mTliani `Tvaladuri leqsikonis~ damTavreba da gamoqveyneba isev momavlis saqmed meCveneba.

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1 (11) 2018

Cems Zvel saxlSi IN MY OLD HOUSE

odesme sofel kavTisxevSi Tu moxvdebiT da Tan mis, silamaziT ganTqmul, uban TvaladSi amohyofT Tavs, nu daizarebT da SatberaSvilebis Zvel saxlsac SeavleT Tvali. winarexisken mimavalni, gudaluras xids rom gascdebiT, soflis Saragzidan marjvniv, jer SatberaSvilebis karis eklesias _ wminda nikolaozis saydars mohkravT Tvals da mere ZvelisZvel orsarTulian saxlsac SeamCnevT. taZars gars soflis sasaflao artyia, sadac bevri Zveli, xavsmodebuli saflavis qva dagxvdebaT. albaT, am qvebze, jiuti da CaZiebuli kaci, soflis istoriis wakiTxvasac SeZlebs. saydris gverdze aswlovan muxas ise Zlierad gaudgams fesvebi, rom dro dRemde verafers aklebs. cota moSorebiT mgdomi saxli ki drois dinebas umowyalod gauwiravs _ Robe-yore moungrevia, kedlebs datakebia da sadacaa daZlevs... magram is mainc amayad dags, jer kidev ar icvlis `fers~. pirvel sarTulze samzareulo da marania. meoreze ki or did oTaxTan erTad, didebuli aivani, romelic TeTri kirqvis mTas _ kataulas _ gahyurebs. Turme, roca es saxli Sendeboda, swored iqidan mohqondaT kiri da saSen masalad iyenebdnen.

If you ever visit Kavtiskhevi village and find yourself in the ‘Tvaladi’ (handsome) quarter, famed for its beauty, don’t miss out on the old house of the Shatberashvilis. When you cross the Gudalura bridge on the way to Tsinarekhi, on the right side of the village’s main road, you will first see the Shatberashvili family church – the Church of Saint Nicholas, after which you will spot the ancient two-floor house.

The surroundings of the church contain the village’s cemetery, where you will find many gravestones covered in moss. A stubborn and curious person might even be able to read the history of the village on these stones. Next to the church, a century-old oak tree is rooted so firmly in the ground that time has taken none of its charm, though the same can sadly not be said of the house standing a little bit further on. The hands of time have ravaged it mercilessly, destroying its fence, attacking its walls, and nearly knocking it down... But it still stands proudly, and has lost none of its character.

The first floor consists of a kitchen and a wine cellar. On the second floor, apart from two large rooms, a long balcony offers a view on Kataula, a white limestone hill from which they once brought the materials to build the house.

Built without ostentation by noblemen at the beginning of the 19th century, this house isn’t an ordinary one: as I told you, time has

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XIX saukunis damdegs, sadad aSenebul aznauris am saxls, ubralo aRar eTqmis: rogorc giTxariT, drom is karga gvarianad Selaxa, magram amasTan erTad, erTi mniSvnelovani ramec mohmadla _ is, Tavisdauneburad, saqarTvelos istoriis mcire nawilad iqca...

SatberaSvilebis saxlis kedlebs, ornamentebiT morTul aivans, maranSi Camarxul qvevrebs, Tu Wermisferi kramitis qveS Camalul sxvens, dRes mravali ambis moyola SeuZliaT...

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damaged it considerably, but it has also blessed it with an important feature, as this house now plays a humble role in Georgia’s history…

The walls of the Shatberashvili house, its ornamented balcony, the wine jars buried in its cellar, and the attic hidden below its apricot tiles, have many stories to tell…

The Shatberashvilis from Tvaladeli were the Counts of the Kvatakhevi Monastery, one of the last centers of erudition in the region of Kartli. There lived Iona Khelashvili, Professor of Ioane Batonishvili, the first Georgian encyclopedist and author of ‘Kalmasoba’. The Shatberashvili family also had a tower near the monastery, but it no longer exists. The family’s descendants were always involved in the political turmoil of their time… and when it was necessary, they were unhesitant to take up arms. Some of the first inhabitants of this house were sacrificed to the unfortunate events of their epoch: three brothers – Ivane, Philipe, and Father Zebede supported Aleksandre Batonishvili in the rebellion of 1812. According to Aleksandre Orbeliani, it is Father Zebede who enrolled his brothers to escort Batonishvili from Trialeti to Kakheti. According to official Russian documents, it is also Zebede who took an oath not to hand Georgian peasants, water or products to Russians. Ivane perished in battle near Napareuli, while Philipe and his brother Father Zebede passed on their way to being exiled. Russians referred to them as “the most hostile enemies of the Russian Empire”.

1 (11) 2018

Tvaladeli SatberaSvilebi, qvaTaxevis monastris aznaurebi iyvnen. qvaTaxevi erT-erTi ukanaskneli mwignobruli centri iyo qarTlSi. aq moRvaweobda, pirveli qarTveli enciklopedistis, „kalmasobis“ avtoris, ioane batoniSvilis maswavlebeli, iona xelaSvili. monasterTan axlos mdebareobda SateberaanT koSkic, romelic dRes aRar dgas. gvaris Camomavalni mudam CarTulni iyvenen, droebis politikur oromtrialSi da... roca amas saWiroeba moiTxovda, arc xelis xmalze gakvraze ambobdnen uars. am saxlis erT-erTi pirveli binadarnic imdroindel movlenebs Seewirnen; sami Zma _ ivane, filipe da mRvdeli zebede aleqsandre batoniSvilis mxardamWerebi iyvnen da 1812 wlis ajanyebaSi iRebdnen monawileobs. aleqsandre orbelianis cnobiT, swored zebedes dauyoliebia Zmebi, rom batoniSvili TrialeTidan kaxeTSi gadaeyvanaT. rusi Cinovnikebis dokumentebis mixedviT ki swored zebedes dauficebia qarTlis glexoba, wyali da sakvebi ar miewodebinaT rusebisTvis. ivane nafareulTan brZolaSi daRupula, filipe da misi Zma _ mRvdeli zebede ki gadasaxlebulni, katorRis gzaze. rusebi maT rogorc „наизлейшие враги Российской империи“ moixseniebdnen.

1812 wlis ajanyebis Semdeg, Tvaladel SatberaSvilebs aznauris tituli CamoerTvaT, Tumca, mis dabrunebas arc ise didi dro dasWirda. XIX saukunis meore naxevarSi da XX saukunis damdegs, maT, dalxenili cxovreba hqondaT, imdenad dalxenilic ki, rom rogorc ojaxuri legenda gviambobs: erTxel romanoz SatberaSvils, didi ivane SatberaSvilis SvilTaSvils, kars germaneli saqmosnebi midgomian da mTa kataulas gayidva SeuTavazebiaT. kiris mTaze, evropelebs karieris mowyoba surdaT da am saqmeSi fulis gadaxda ar enanebodaT. romanozs, romelic qarTluri wesis _ `gzebze sufris gadafenis~ _ didi moyvaruli iyo, „investorebi“ civi uariT gaustumrebia.

Tan civi uari, myari argumentiT `dausabuTebia~ _ roca

After the rebellion of 1812, the Shatberashvilis of Tvaladeli were stripped of their Aznauri (Count) title, but it didn’t take long for them to retrieve it. In the late 19th century and beginning of the 20th, they lived a shattered life, so much so that as the familial legend tells us, Romanoz Shatberashvili, the great-grandson of Ivane Shatberashvili, found German businessmen at his door offering to buy the Kataula mountain from him. They wanted to arrange a quarry on the limestone mountain, and weren’t shy to spend good money on it.

Romanoz sternly rebuffed the offer, and gave a valid argument for his refusal – “When I wake up in the morning, I go on the balcony to look at the view of the Kataula mountain, and it puts me in a good mood.

Now if I sell it, when I look at it in the morning and realize that it’s not mine anymore – my mood might well be ruined for the whole day.”

The rebellion of 1812 wasn’t the last political event to play a substantial role in the destiny of this family. In the 1910s, in parallel to the revolutionary movements in Russia, social-democrat military detachments started raiding Kartli, and Georgia in general, in pursuit of the nobility. They savagely killed a number of men in the villages neighboring Tvaladi. In Kavtiskhevi, they skinned Gigutsa Tarkhnishvili alive, and in Zemo Nichbisi, they burned Kote Tsitsishvili alive in a lime kiln. At that time, the Shatberashvilis were actively involved in the village, region and country’s life, including Ivane, son of Romanoz,

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who was married to Tamar Gogibedashvili and had four children – Giorgi (who would become the writer discussed in this article), Nato, Levan, and Shota.

Unfortunately, the killings committed in the neighboring villages also reached Tvaladi itself. Ivane’s uncle Zakaria was murdered in front of his children by his own godson, who was collaborating with one of the terrorist squads at that time. If not for the courage of the village peasants, the squad would probably have killed the younger generation of Shatberashvilis too. This is what Giorgi Shatberashvili would write about the events many years after their happening: “The first corpse I saw lying in a coffin was Akaki Tsereteli. Before that, I had seen neither poet, nor corpse… I was six years old then, and all the members of my family were alive. I don’t remember the coffins of my own grandfathers – my paternal grandfather Romanoz and my father’s uncle Zakaria, though their deaths, and especially Zakaria’s murder, took place in front of my eyes, to become the start of a captivating adventure for my family.”

The Shatberashvilis miraculously escaped death in 1924 – after the August rebellion was put down, Mikheil Lashkarashvili, the head of Kartli’s Partisan Movement, found shelter for Kakutsa Cholokashvili in the Shatberashivili house in Tvaladi. In order to confuse the enemy, the family hid him in the attic, which was locked from inside the house, and asked some loyal villagers to barricade the doors and

diliT meRviZeba, aivanze gamovdivar da Cems win kataulas xedi iSleba, karg xasiaTze vdgebio. axla, rom gavyido, diliT, rom gamoval da mivxvdebi, rom mTa Cemi aRaraa _ xasiaTi mTeli dRiT SeiZleba wamixdeso.

1812 wlis ajanyeba ar yofila bolo politikuri movlena, romelmac gansakuTrebuli gavlena moaxdina am ojaxis bed-iRbalze. 1910-an wlebSi, rusuli revoluciuri moZraobebis paralelurad, qarTlSi da mTels saqarTveloSi, TareSi daiwyes social-demokratTa razmebma, romlebic devnidnen Tavad-aznaurebs. Tvaladis axlo-maxlo soflebSi maT sastikad mokles ramdenime kaci. kavTisxevSi _ giguca TarxniSvils cocxlad gaaZres tyavi, sofel zemo niCbisSi ki kote ciciSvili sakireSi dawves. am droisTvis, SatberaSvilebi aqtiurad iyvnen Cabmulni soflis, kuTxisa da qveynis cxovrebaSi... maT Soris romanozis vaJi ivane, romelic Tamar gogibedaSvilze iyo daqorwinebuli da misgan oTxi Svili hyavda _ giorgi (momavali mwerali), nato, levani da SoTa. mezobel soflebSi momxdari mkvlelobebi samwuxarod TvaladSic ganmeorda. ivanes alali biZa, zaqaria bavSvebis

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Tvalwin mokla Tavisive naTlulma, romelic im dros teroristebis erT-erT razms mitmasneboda; rom ara soflis glexebis vaJkacoba, bandis wevrebi, albaT, SatberaanT bavSvebsac gamoasalmebdnen sicocxles. ai, ras wers, mravali wlis Semdeg, am ambis Sesaxeb giorgi SatberaSvili: „pirveli micvalebuli, romelic kuboSi mwoliare vnaxe, iyo akaki wereTeli. manamdis arc poeti menaxa da arc micvalebuli... maSin me eqvsi wlisa viyavi da Cems ojaxs sikvdili ar enaxa. mas Semdeg gardacvlili Cemi papebis _ mamaCemis mamis romanozisa da mamaCemis biZis _ zaqarias kuboebic ki ar maxsovs, Tumca maTi sikvdili, gansakuTrebiT zaqarias mkvleloba, Cem Tvalwin moxda da Cemi ojaxis saintereso Tavgadasavlis saTaved iqca.“ SatberaSvilebi saswaulebrivad gadaurCnen sikvdils 1924 welsac _ agvistos ajanyebis damarcxebis Semdeg, qaquca ColoyaSvilis SeficulTa razmis wevrma da qarTlis partizanuli moZraobis meTaurma, mixel laSqaraSvilma Tvalads, SatberaanT saxls Seafara Tavi. imisTvis, rom mdevrebisTvis gza-kvali aeriaT, ojaxma devnili sxvenSi damala da Tavad saxlSi, Signidan Caiketa, Tanac ramdenime saimedo glexs sTxova _ kar-fanjara garedan aeWedaT. bolSevikebis mier iq mivlinebulma

windows from the outside. The Ossetian punitive squad sent by the Bolsheviks held the inhabitants to be gone to the city, and therefore didn’t search the house.

After these events, Tvaladi experienced relative peace…

The majority of Shatberashvili descendants lived in Tbilisi; the children needed to receive a good education, and their parents thought that this could be better achieved in the city. But they still spent most of their summers and winters in Tvaladi. The village became a place to rest and to spend time in nature. Giorgi became passionate about Georgian language and literature, and not only classic literature – the tales, legends and improvised poems he heard in the village enriched his perspective. This is also the period when his first literary attempts came to be: “I loved history, and reading books filled me with joy. I couldn’t get enough of reading ‘The Georgian Chronicles’, ‘Kalmasoba’… I was in a never-ending quest, and writing down this or that word and its meaning soon became a daily need.”

The first judge of his early works was Mikheil Javakhishvili, to whom Giorgi was brought by his godfather, General Giorgi Mazniashvili.

From 1929, his writings were printed in literary newspapers, and in 1932, he published his first collected works. His play ‘The Enemy’ came out soon after and would be staged at the Rustaveli Theater by Shalva Aghsabadze in 1934, following the recommendation of Sandro Akhmeteli.

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This was also the time of the first soviet repressions. Giorgi Shatberashvili’s works didn’t please soviet censors, especially his play ‘The Enemy’ and poem ‘Letter to the Youth’, which were deemed inappropriate for being “too patriotic in nature.” In addition, the poem was followed by the abbreviation ‘T. Ch-l-s’ (“To T. Ch-l”) And this was interpreted by “well-wishers” as a dedication to Cholokashvili himself; the poem itself was indeed dedicated to Kakutsa, but when Giorgi was summoned and questioned about the abbreviation, the writer explained that it was a dedication to Kakutsa’s daughter, Tamara…

Because of this, Giorgi was sentenced to exile in Almaty.

In 1936, they allowed him to return to his homeland, but refused him the right to live in Tbilisi. Giorgi started to teach Georgian, literature, history and Russian in Kavtiskhevi. He also started working on his dictionary (which would take him 20 years), titled ‘A Taste of Tvaladian Georgian’. In his diary, Shatberashvili writes: “Everything deteriorates, crumbles and turns to dust… only words are indestructible and unfading. They can endure a dictator’s wrath, the sword of the executioner, the battering of a heavy hammer – they won’t break, they won’t bend, they won’t wear out… only words are indestructible!”

osurma sadamsjelo razmma, mobinadreni qalaqSi gaxiznulad CaTvala da saxli aRar gaCxrika. am ambebis Semdeg TvaladSi met-naklebma simSvidem daisadgura...

SatberaSvilTa STamomavlebi ZiriTadad TbilisSi cxovrobdnen; bavSvebs kargi ganaTlebis miReba sWirdebodaT da mSoblebic Tvlidnen, rom amas qalaqSi ukeT SeZlebdnen. Tumca, zafxulisa da zamTris did wils TvaladSi atarebdnen. sofeli dasvenebisa da cocxali samyaros axleburad Secnobis adgilad iqca... giorgi qarTulma enam da literaturam gaitaca, magram misi interesi mxolod klasikuri literaturiT ar Semofarglula _ sofelSi mosmenilma zRaprebma, Tqmulebebma, Sairebma Tvalsawieris axali kari gauxsna. am dros gaCnda giorgis pirveli literaturuli mcdelobebic: „miyvarada istoria da siamovnebas maniWebda wignis kiTxva. vkiTxulobdi da ver vZRebodi „qarTlis cxovrebis“, „kalmasobis“ kiTxviT... mudmivi Cxirkedelaoba, ama Tu im sityvis amowera da axsna yoveldRiur moTxovnilebad mqonda qceuli.“ misi bavSvuri nawerebis pirveli msajuli mixeil javaxiSvili iyo, romelTanac naTliamisma _ generalma

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giorgi mazniaSvilma miiyvana. 1929 wlidan is ukve beWdavda nawarmobebs literaturul JurnalebSi, 1932 wels ki pirveli krebuli gamosca. maleve gamovida misi piesa „duSmanic“, romelic sandro axmetelma 1934 wels daadgmevina rusTavelis Teatris scenaze Salva aRsabaZes. am dros ssrk-Si represiebi daiwyo. giorgi SatberaSvilis nawarmoebebi imdroindel sabWour cenzuras TvalSi ar mouvida da, gansakuTrebuli yuradReba, piesa „duSmansa“ da leqss „werili axalgazrdobas“ miaqcia. es nawarmoebebi, im droisTvis Seuferebeli, patriotuli suliskveTebisa iyo. amasTanave, leqss abreviatura _ T. C-l-s _ uZRoda... es ki „keTilismsurvelebma“ Tavad ColoyaSvilad gaSifres; leqsi marTlac qaqucas eZRvneboda, magram rodesac giorgi dakiTxvaze daibares da axsna-ganmarteba mosTxoves, mweralma abreviatura qaqucas qaliSvilis _ Tamarisadmi _ miZRvnad `monaTla~... am ambavs sasjelad alma-ataSi gadasaxleba mohyva.

1936 wels, gadasaxlebuli samSobloSi daabrunes, Tumca TbilisSi cxovrebis neba ar misces. giorgim kavTisxevSi qarTuli enis, literaturis, istoriisa da rusuli enis maswavleblobas mihyo xeli. am dros daiwyo muSaoba

‘A Taste of Tvaladian Georgian’ is precisely a study into this indestructibility... But it is neither an academic dictionary nor can it be considered a dictionary of the Kartlian dialect. Its charm lies in the fact that it studies the small stream thanks to which the worlds of ancient and modern existence unfold before our eyes.

And even this small stream of the Georgian language has numerous layers, numerous little “languages” of their own: “The language of a housewife differs from that of the head of the family. Mothers talk the language of rooms, yard, clay oven and kitchen garden, while fathers’ language has the aroma of vineyards, cellars, country roads, fields and mowing. You listen to them, write down words, remember them, and somewhere inside you, these two currents merge, as once did the souls, blood and flesh of these two individuals, when they united to create you… They were the ones who first let me savor a sample of Georgian, who taught me its profoundness, made me taste its sweetness, as if they were telling me: “All the secrets of this language are hidden within!”

Thanks to such a delicate, reverential, and at the same time scientific approach to the Georgian language, Giorgi Shatberashvili created an authentic style characterized by its clarity, transparency, and lexical richness. Aside from ‘A Taste of Tvaladian Georgian’, he published several other stories, poems, and scientific articles, and a

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leqsikonze (romelic 20 weli gagrZelda) da romelsac `Tvaladuri qarTulis WaSniki~ hqvia. giorgi SatberaSvili „ubis wignakSi“ wers: „yvelaferi ixrwneba, ifSvneba da mtverdeba... mxolod sityvaa uxrwneli da umtverebeli. is uZlebs diqtatoris Serisxvas, jalaTis maxvils, mZime uros cemas, ar gaiWreba, ar gaiRuneba, ar gacvdeba... mxolod sityvaa uxrwneli!“ „Tvaladuri qarTulis WaSnikic“ swored am uxrwnelis kvlevaa... Tumca akademiuri leqsikoni ar aris da qarTluri kilos leqsikonadac ver CaiTvleba; misi xibli qarTuli enis im mcire Senakadis kvlevaa, romlis saSualebiTac Cven Tvalwin Zveli Tu Tanamedrove yofis samyaro cocxldeba. qarTuli enis am mcire Senakadsac ki uamravi plasti aqvs, uamravi patar-patara `ena~: „sxva aris diasaxlisis ena da sxva aris mamasaxlisis ena. deda oTaxis, ezo-yuris, saTonis, bostnis eniT saubrobs, mamis enas venaxis, marnis, orRobis, mindvris da saTibis surneli dahkravs. usmen, iwer, imaxsovreb da sadRac

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number of his theater plays were staged. His sizable novel ‘The Sun of the Dead’ was published in 1959, revolving around the eternal theme of the rivalry between father and son. He considered this novel to be his most accomplished work.

His relation to his native village and its everyday life didn’t end with ‘A Taste of Tvaladian Georgian’; Tvaladi always remained one of the main themes in Shatberashvili’s creations. ‘In my Old House’, ‘The Death of Mamalkhine’, ‘Three Brothers’ Wedding and Konstantine’s Suggestions’, and many other works are dedicated to the everyday life and the concerns of his native region. And his house, which was declared a cultural heritage monument by the State in the 21st century, and is now unfortunately at risk of crumbling down, has always remained in his thoughts…

We express the world around us through language, and we live in the world our language voices. Language is our home. And this home needs to be looked after!

Ivane Ninoshvili

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SenSi es ori nakadi erTmaneTs erTvis, rogorc odesRac am ori adamianis suli, sisxli da xorci Semovida SenSi da gaerTianda... pirvelad maT damawafes qarTulis WaSniks, damanaxves siRrme misi, magemes sitkbo misi da TiTqos miTxres: „yoveli saidumloi ama enasa Sina damarxul ars!“ enisadmi amgvari faqizi, mowiwebuli da amave dros mecnieruli damokidebulebis gamo giorgi SatberaSvilma gansakuTrebuli da avTentikuri stili Seqmna, romelic sicxadiT, gamWvirvalobiTa da leqsikuri simdidriT gamoirCeva. „WaSnikis“ garda gamoqveynda misi araerTi moTxroba, leqsi, samecniero statia da daidga ramdenime piesac. 1959 wels gamoica „mkvdris mze“, vrceli moTxroba-romani, romelic mamisa da Svilis qiSpobis maradiul Temas eZRvneba. am romans giorgi, Tavis mTavar nawarmoebad Tvlida.

mSobliuri sofeli, misi yofa-cxovreba, mxolod „WaSnikiT“ ar damTavrebula; Tvaladi yovelTvis rCeboda giorgi SatberaSvilis Semoqmedebis erT-erT mTavar Temad. „Cems Zvel saxlSi“, „mamalxines sikvdili“, „sami Zmis qorwili da konstantines Segonebani“ da kidev mravali sxva Tvaladuri yofierebisa da mSobliuri karmidamos satkivars eZRvneba. da saxli, romelic dRes, XXI saukuneSi, saxelmwifos mier gamocxadebuli kulturuli memkvidreobis Zeglia da samwuxarod dangrevis pirasaa, mudam mis safiqrals warmoadgenda... enis saSualebiT Cven aRvwerT samyaros da iseT samyaroSi vcxovrobT, rogori enac gvaqvs. ena Cveni saxlia... da am saxls mixedva sWirdeba! ivane ninoSvili

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cnobili mxatvris ucnobi koleqcia

A FAMOUS PAINTER’S UNKNOWN COLLECTION VALERIAN SIDAMON-ERISTAVI

`1920-30 wlebis erT-erT yvelaze TvalsaCino da mravalmxrivi interesebis mqone xelovans _ valerian sidamon-erisTavs moskovis ferweris, qandakebisa da xuroTmoZRvrebis saswavlebelSi hqonda miRebuli ganaTleba. XX saukunis 10-ian wlebSi moRvawe sxva qarTveli mxatvrebis msgavsad, valerian sidamonerisTavisTvisac umTavres amocanas erovnuli formis Zieba warmoadgenda. am mizeziT, ukve 10-iani wlebis dasawyisSi, man garkveuli upiratesoba istoriul Temas mianiWa. sidamon-erisTavis Semoqmedeba, am TvalsazrisiT, Tanadroul qarTul mxatvrul garemoSi gamonakliss warmoadgens da met siaxloves amJRavnebs XIX saukunis

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Valerian Sidamon-Eristavi, one of the most remarkable and versatile artists of the 1920-1930s, received his education at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture and had a wide array of interests. Like other Georgian artists of the 1910s, he sought to rely on national forms, which is why he was prone to paint historical themes.

In this regard, Sidamon-Eristavi’s works were an exception in the Georgian art scene of the time, looking more like Russian paintings from the late 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, in which the consideration of historical processes could already be felt in academic paintings. In the beginning of his artistic career, his paintings were mostly related to the artists of the Abramtsevo circle and to the art of N. Rerich. By accentuating battle themes, he estranged himself from

ATTACK OF THE RED HORSEMEN; OIL ON CANVAS, 174X300 CM; 1920s.

wiTel cxenosanTa Seteva; tilo, zeTi,174X300 sm; 1920 - iani ww.

valerian sidamon-erisTavi

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bolosa da XX saukunis pirveli aTwleulebis rusul mxatvrobasTan, sadac istoriuli procesis gaazrebis mcdeloba ukve akademiur mxatvrobaSi gamovlinda.

Semoqmedebis sawyis etapze, sidamon-erisTavis nawarmoebebi zogierTi niSniT yvelaze metad abramcevos wris mxatvrebisa da nikolai rerixis Semoqmedebas ukavSirdeba, bataluri TemisTvis upiratesobis miniWebiT ki igi, piriqiT, emijneba rusuli istoriuli ferweris warmomadgenlebs.

1910-20 wlebSi sidamonerisTavi, istoriuli Temis garda, qmnis portretebsa da yoveldRiuri movlenebis amsaxvel tiloebs, sadac mxatvris damokidebuleba TiTqos ramdenadme gansxvavebulia. sidamon-erisTavis mTeli Semoqmedeba maCvenebelia

the representatives of the Russian historical painting school.

During the 1910s and 1920s, apart from pictures dedicated to historical themes, Sidamon-Eristavi created portraits and depicted everyday life situations on canvases, displaying various approaches. His works attest to the fact that there is no unimportant topic or event for him. By employing simple artistic means, he turns a casual event into a significant one – whether it is by generalizing forms, “fixing” the essence of the reflected scene, depicting platitude with elongated, free brushstrokes, using less contrasting colors accentuated by exceptionally refined, broad stresses, using humor…

The works created by the artist in the 1920s explicitly reveal signs of Expressionist art. Some of the paintings made in this avtoportreti; tilo, zeTi, 71,2X40,5 sm. 1920-iani ww. / SELF-PORTRAIT; OIL ON CANVAS, 71,2X40,5 CM. 1920s.

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interierSi; qaRaldi, tuSi, 24X19,5 sm. 1913w.

IN INTERIOR; INK ON PAPER, 24X19,5 CM. 1931.

imisa, rom mxatvrisTvis umniSvnelo Tema Tu movlena ar arsebobs. erTi SexedviT, naklebad TvalSisacemi mxatvruli xerxebiT igi Cveulebriv movlenas mniSvnelovnad aqcevs _ iqneba es formis ganzogadeba, asaxulis arsis `daWera~, wagrZelebuli, Tavisufali monasmebiT dawerili sibrtyobrivi garemo, suraTis araCveulebrivad daxvewili, Tamami maxvilebiT gamniSvnelovanebuli, naklebad mkveTri koloriti, msubuqi iumori, sinamdvileSi mZafri, magram Separuli groteski Tu sxv. sidamon-erisTavis 1920-iani wlebis nawarmoebebSi aSkarad aisaxa eqspresionistuli xelovnebis niSnebi. am periodSi Seqmnil ramdenime namuSevarSi (`wiTeli mTesvelebi~, `wiTel cxenosanTa Seteva~, `bavSvebi baRSi~) yvelaze zustad gamoixata im mimdinareobis Taviseburebebi, romelic gardamavali situaciisa da socialuri klimatis Sedegad, saukuneTa mijnis Semdgom 1925 wlamde evropis TiTqmis yvela regions axasiaTebda. bunebrivia, rom mZafrad patrioti mxatvari, valerian sidamon-erisTavi, wiTeli armiis Semosvlis Semdeg eqspresionisti gamxdariyo. aristokratuli warmomavlobis mxatvrisTvis bolSevizmi ara mxolod misi samSoblos dapyrobas niSnavda, aramed imasac, rom am dromde SemorCenil qarTul aristokratias ganadgureba eloda. gansakuTrebiT

dekoraciis eskizi; qaRaldi, akvareli, 13,8X21,2 sm. / SKETCH FOR A STAGE DESIGN; WATER-COLOR ON PAPER, 13,8X21,2 CM.

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dekoraciis eskizi; qaRaldi, akvareli, 12,3X20,5 sm. / SKETCH FOR A STAGE DESIGN; WATER-COLOR ON PAPER, 12,3X20,5 CM.

period, such as ‘Red Sowers’, ‘Attack of the Red Horsemen’, ‘Children in the Garden’, clearly reflect the peculiarities of the movement which, due to the transitional social climate, happened to dominate all regions of Europe from the turn of the century until 1925. There is no surprise in the fact that as a patriotically-minded artist, Valerian Sidamon-Eristavi would become an Expressionist artist after the annexation of Georgia by the Soviet Army. For an artist of aristocratic descent, bolshevism meant not only the occupation of his country, but also the destruction of the ancient Georgian aristocracy. His most disturbing and harrowing work is ‘Red Sowers’, painted in the 1920s, a strikingly bold canvas loaded with symbols and allegoric references. The picture features a soldier on a clear, early spring day, against a background of white blossoming trees, marching heavily on the newly ploughed land towards the onlooker, as if he intended to cross the picture.

This man represents the typical new Bolshevik, whose clothes do not bear any military signs. With his broad cheekbones, a short, snubbed nose and a merciless stern appearance, he is depicted with his head turned to one side and staring at something, as if he was studying his future prey. He is followed by youngsters, shown at almost regular intervals. The spots on their bright red shirts are the most visible accents in the picture. The faceless creatures march on their native land with steady, rhythmical steps, sowing Bolshevism... baRSi; tilo, zeTi, 36,5X27,7 sm. / IN GARDEN; OIL ON CANVAS, 36,5X27,7 CM.

Maia Tsitsishvili, Nino Tchogoshvili

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baqos navTobis WaburRilebi; muyao, zeTi, 44,1X61,5 sm. 1935w. / OIL WELLS IN BAKU, OIL ON CARDBOARD, 44,1X61,5 CM. 1935.

SemaSfoTebeli, Rrmad SemZvreli, Zrwolis momgvrelia 1920-iani wlebis dasawyisSi Seqmnili `wiTeli mTesvelebi~, im droisTvis gasaocrad Tamami nawarmoebi savse simboluri da alegoriuli miniSnebebiT. adreuli gazafxulis naTel dRes, TeTrad ayvavebuli xeebis fonze, axlad gadaxnul miwaze mayureblisken, CeqmebiT ise moabijebs samxedro piri, TiTqos sasuraTo sibrtyis aqeTac apirebdes svlis gagrZelebas. es tipuri axalbeda bolSevikia, romlis samoss raime samxedro niSani ar aqvs. farToyvrimalebians, mokle, paWua cxviriTa da Seubralebeli, mkacri saxiT, Tavi gverdiT miubrunebia da daJinebuli mzeriT CaSterebia raRacas, TiTqos momaval msxverpls akvirdeba. ukan TiTqmis Tanabari intervalebiT daSorebuli axalgazrdebi mohyvebian. maTi xasxasa wiTeli perangis laqebi yvelaze aqtiuria suraTSi. es upirisaxo arsebebi, ritmuli, myari, swrafi nabijiT mxatvris mSobliur miwaze moabijeben da bolSevizms Tesaven... maia ciciSvili, nino WoRoSvili

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In order to study and preserve Georgia’s cultural heritage, it is crucial to list, categorize, research and rehabilitate the numerous artworks that are kept in private collections.

Finding and popularizing important artworks known by few because they are hanging in private homes should be an essential cultural policy.

Today, both in Georgia and abroad, a significant number of cultural heritage pieces is kept in private collections.

We often stumble upon works that could be hanging in museums, be it for their artistic, stylistic or epochal importance.

The project ‘Rarity’, on which Baia Gallery has been working since 2004, and in the framework of which more than 50 exhibitions have been arranged, encompasses research in the field of cultural heritage and the study of private amxanagebi sergo orjonikiZe da lavrenti beria baqos WaburRilebTan; tilo, zeTi, 209,5X194 sm. 1935 w.

COMRADES SERGO ORJONIKIDZE AND LAVRENTI BERIA AT BAKU'S OIL WELLS; OIL ON CANVAS, 209,5X194 CM. 1935.

wiTeli mTesvelebi; tilo, zeTi, 27,5X36,3 sm. 1920-iani ww. / RED SOWERS; OIL ON CANVAS, 27,5X36,3 CM. 1920s.

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peizaJi. Telavi; tilo, zeTi, 52,5X72 sm. 1920-iani ww. / LANDSCAPE. TELAVI; OIL ON CANVAS, 52,5X72 CM. 1920s.

saqarTvelos kulturuli memkvidreobis Seswavlisa da dacvis TvalsazrisiT mniSvnelovania kerZo koleqciebSi arsebuli xelovnebis nimuSebis aRricxva, katalogizacia, kvleva da reabilitacia. kerZo koleqciebSi samuzeumo mniSvnelobis xelovnebis nimuSebis moZieba da popularizacia _ kulturis politikis mniSvnelovani mimarTulebaa.

kostiumis eskizi; qaRaldi, Sereuli teqnika, 33X52,5 sm. 1939 w.

SKETCH OF COSTUMES; PAPER, MIXED TECHNIQUE, 33X52,5 CM. 1939.

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collections in Georgia and abroad, in order to find unique artworks that were unknown to the general public until their discovery. Often, artworks kept in private collections represent high cultural heritage value, and most of them have never been exhibited or studied, so it is regrettable for them to be “hidden” in private collections.

It would often be more than advisable to move these artworks to a museum, where they would be properly preserved, and have many more people able to appreciate them, in turn increasing their cultural impact on society. Artworks that hold this rarity status need an appropriate environment – forms of preservation, visualization, popularization and communication that can only be found in museums or in exhibition spaces. Generally, when such artworks are not properly preserved – in museums, there is a real risk of their destruction, damage, or their disappearing into oblivion. Sometimes, all trace can be lost if they are moved to another private collection.

In this regard, we can consider that the recovery of the collection of such an important painter as Valerian Sidamon-Eristavi – a major figure of Georgian modernism and a superstar of the Georgian art world of the 20th century – which included more than 400 paintings and graphic artworks, along with photographs and archive documents, manuscripts and library, is a sensational fact and

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dRes, rogorc saqarTveloSi, ise mis farglebs gareT kerZo koleqciebSi kulturuli memkvidreobis mniSvnelovani nawilia daculi. xSirad, am koleqciebSi iseTi namuSevrebi gvxvdeba, romlebsac samuzeumo statusi gaaCniaT _ mxatvruli, stilisturi Tu epoqaluri mniSvnelobiT. proeqti `rariteti~, romelzedac `baia galerea~ 2004 wlidan muSaobs da romlis farglebSic 50-ze meti gamofena moewyo, iTvaliswinebs kulturuli memkvidreobis kvlevas da saqarTvelos da ucxoeTis kerZo koleqciebSi iseTi nimuSebis moZiebapopularizacias, romlebsac unikaluri, samuzeumo mniSvneloba aqvT da aRmoCenamde ucnobi iyo farTo sazogadoebisTvis. xSirad, kerZo koleqciebSi daculi namuSevrebi kulturuli memkvidreobis mniSvnelovan orientirebs warmoadgenen da maTi umravlesoba arasdros yofila gamofenili an gamokvleuli. zogjer, dasanania maTi `damalva~ calkeuli kerZo koleqciebSi. sasurvelia da, xSirad aucilebelic, am nimuSebis gadatana muzeumSi, sadac maTi daculoba uzrunvelyofilia, xolo wvdomis da kulturuli zemoqmedebis socialuri areali gacilebiT gazrdili. raritetuli statusis mqone xelovnebis nimuSebi

peizaJi; qaRaldi, akvareli, 22,5X31,3 sm. / LANDSCAPE; WATER-COLOR ON PAPER, 22,5X31,3 CM.

discovery. Valerian was a contemporary of David Kakabadze, Lado Gudiashvili, Petre Otskheli, Elene Akhvlediani, and Shalva Kikodze; he was the first Georgian scenic designer in theater, and a pioneer in Soviet production design in cinema; a painter, graphic artist, illustrator and pedagogue. He introduced and established the historic genre in Georgian art, and was a master of battle scenes.

krwanisis brZola; tilo, zeTi, 107X161 sm. 1920-iani ww. / BATTLE OF KRTSANISI; OIL ON CANVAS, 107X161. 1920s.

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Even discovering a single artwork from this painter in a private collection is a very important fact, but discovering a whole collection (400 works) is an unprecedented occurrence – it had never happened in Georgia before.

According to statistics in the market of art, Valerian SidamonEristavi’s works are considered among the rarest in Georgia, alongside those of Niko Pirosmani, Petre Otskheli, Shalva Kikodze and David Kakabadze. A large number his paintings are in Georgian museums, and some are in Moscow’s State Museum of Oriental Art and the Tretyakov Gallery.

Valerian Sidamon-Eristavi is one of the most important and versatile figures of Georgian painting in the 20th century, and he practically defined several genres of Georgian painting at the beginning of the last century. His name is connected to the development of the historic genre in Georgian painting, the establishment of battle scenes, the foundation of a school of scenic design for theater, the beginning stages of production design in cinema, and other epochal transformations in Georgian cultures. The tragic and contrastive events of the beginning of the 20th century were reflected in his

kostiumis eskizi; qaRaldi, Sereuli teqnika, 34X21,9 sm.

SKETCH FOR A COSTUME; MIXED TECHNIQUE, PAPER, 34X21,9 CM.

aucileblad moiTxovs saTanado garemos _ dacvis, vizualizaciis, popularizaciisa da komunikaciis iseT formebs, romelic mxolod muzeumSi an sagamofeno sivrceSia SesaZlebeli. xSir SemTxvevaSi, roca ar xdeba xelovnebis aseTi nimuSebis saTanado sivrceSi ganTavseba, maT arsebobas ganadgurebis, dazianebis an miviwyebis realuri safrTxe eqmneba. zogjer ki, maTi kvali ikargeba sxva koleqciaSi gadanacvlebis gamo. am TvalsazrisiT sensaciur faqtad da aRmoCenad SeiZleba miviCnioT iseTi mniSvnelovani qarTveli mxatvris koleqciis (400-ze meti ferweruli da grafikuli namuSevari), foto da saarqivo dokumentebis, xelnawerebis, biblioTekis dabruneba sagamofeno sivrcesa da xelovnebis bazarze, rogoricaa valerian sidamonerisTavi _ qarTuli modernizmis gamorCeuli figura; XX saukunis dasawyisis qarTuli xelovnebis megavarskvlavi; daviT kakabaZis, lado gudiaSvilis,

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kostiumis eskizi; qaRaldi, Sereuli teqnika, 33,7X21,9 sm.

SKETCH FOR A COSTUME; MIXED TECHNIQUE, PAPER, 33,7X21,9 CM.

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mxedari; muyao, akvareli, 23X28,8 sm. / HORSEMAN; WATERCOLOR ON CARDBOARD, 23X28,8 CM.

petre ocxelis, elene axvledianis, Salva qiqoZis Tanamedrove; qarTuli Teatris pirveli mxatvari; sabWoTa kinomxatvrobis pioneri; fermweri, grafikosi, ilustratori, pedagogi; qarTul xelovnebaSi istoriuli Janris Semomtan-dammkvidrebeli da bataluri scenebis ostati. kerZo koleqciaSi aseTi mxatvris erTi namuSevris moZiebac ki Zalian mniSvnelovani faqtia, xolo mTeli koleqciis (400 namuSevari) aRmoCena, uprecedento movlena, romlis analogic saqarTveloSi, am dromde, ar moiZebneba. xelovnebis bazris statistikis mixedviT, valerian sidamon-erisTavis namuSevrebi _ niko firosmanis, petre ocxelis, Salva qiqoZis da daviT kakabaZis msgavsad, yvelaze iSviaT namuSevrebis siaSi moiazreba. am namuSevarTa didi nawili saqarTvelos muzeumebSia

works, also affecting the cultural field, especially when the modernist style shifted to the social realism pathos in the 1930s.

Up to 300 of Sidamon-Eristavi’s artworks are kept in Georgian and Russian museum collections. Among them, two are in the State Museum of Oriental Art in Moscow; 150 in the Shalva Amiranashvili Museum of Fine Arts in Tbilisi; and 112 in the Georgian State Museum of Theatre, Music, Cinema and Choreography. Several dozen of them are also in theater museum collections.

The collection that belongs to his heir includes more than 400 artworks: paintings, graphic art, theater and cinema designs, several albums of sketches, photographs, archive documents – combined, it represents as many works as all those that are kept in museums both in Georgia and abroad.

This occurrence of exhibiting such an important private collection is the first precedent on the Georgian art market. Studying and popularizing it will restore a most interesting part of Georgian

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Tavmoyrili, ramodenime maTgani ki moskovis aRmosavleTis xalxTa muzeumsa da tretiakovis galereaSia daculi. valerian sidamon-erisTavi XX saukunis qarTuli ferweris erT-erTi masStaburi da mravalmxrivi figuraa, romelmac faqtobrivad gansazRvra qarTuli mxatvrobis sxvadasxva mimarTulebebi gasuli saukunis dasawyisSi. mis saxels ukavSirdeba istoriuli Janris ganviTareba qarTul ferweraSi, bataluri scenebis damkvidreba, qarTuli Teatraluri mxatvrobis skolis Camoyalibeba, kinos mxatvrobis istoriis sawyisi etapi da qarTuli kulturis sxva epoqaluri movlenebi. mis SemoqmedebaSi aisaxa XX saukunis dasawyisis tragikuli da kontrastuli movlenebi, romelic kulturis sferosac Seexo, roca saukunis dasawyisis modernistuli stili 30-iani wlebis socrealizmis paTosiT Seicvala. mxatvris 300-mde namuSevari daculia saqarTvelos da ruseTis samuzeumo koleqciebSi. maT Soris, 2 aRmosavleTis xalxTa muzeumSi, moskovSi; 150-mde saqarTvelos Salva amiranaSvilis saxelobis saxelmwifo xelovnebis muzeumSi; 112 _ Teatris, musikis, kinos da qoreografiis saxelmwifo muzeumSi; ramdenime aTeuli Teatrebis muzeumebis koleqciebSi. mxatvris koleqcia, romelic misi memkvidris sakuTrebaa, 400-ze met namuSevars moicavs: ferwera, grafika, Teatris da kinos mxatvroba, eskizebis ramdenime albomi, fotoebi, saarqivo dokumentebi, anu erToblivad imdenive namuSevars, rac mTlianobaSi saqarTvelosa da mis farglebs gare muzeumebSia ganTavsebuli. es faqti, qarTuli xelovnebis bazarze, amgvari mniSvnelobis koleqciis gamotanis pirveli precedentia. misi kvleva da popularizacia aRadgens qarTuli kulturuli memkvidreobis Zalze saintereso monakveTs _ XX saukunis pirveli naxevris kulturis ganviTarebis process _ erTi mxatvris Semoqmedebis magaliTze. am koleqciis TiToeuli Canaxati, eskizi Tu dasrulebuli

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stalini brZolis velze; tilo, zeTi, 69,5X100 sm. 1937 w. / STALIN ON THE BATTLEFIELD; OIL ON CANVAS, 69,5X100 CM. 1937.

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dekoraciis eskizi; qaRaldi, Sereuli teqnika, 20,2X15,9 sm. / SKETCH FOR A STAGE DESIGN; PAPER, MIXED TECHNIQUE, 20,2X15,9 CM.

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fantomi qalaqis Tavze; liTografia, 17,3X25,4 sm. / GHOST ABOVE THE CITY; LITHOGRAPHY, 17,3X25,4 CM.

namuSevari uzarmazar istoriul da kulturul informacias itevs da maTi Seswavla da kvleva Zalze mniSvnelovania erovnuli kulturis ganviTarebis procesis da istoriis aRsadgenad. valerian sidamon-erisTavis koleqciis cal-calke gayidva da gafantva dauSvebelia!, rac misi mflobelis poziciacaa, romelic cdilobs SesaZlo didi mogebis sanacvlod, rac calkeuli namuSevrebis gayidviT SeiZleba moxerxdes, mTlianobaSi SeunarCunos es unikaluri ganZi saqarTvelos. radgan aseTi koleqciis movla-Senaxva, dacva sagangebo pirobebTanaa dakavSirebuli, muzeumSi maT ganTavsebas, saukeTeso gadawyvetilebad vTvliT. mxatvris erTad Tavmoyrili namuSevrebi fasdaudebeli SenaZeni iqneba qarTuli kulturuli memkvidreobisTvis. misi SeZenis iniciatorisgan ki _ erovnuli saganZuris gadarCenis kidev erTi faqti.

cultural heritage – the cultural development processes at hand at the beginning of the 20th century – through the example of one particular painter. Each drawing, sketch, or finished work from this collection contains invaluable historic or cultural information, and studying them is necessary in order to restore the cultural development processes and cultural history of our country.

It would be unacceptable to disseminate pieces from Valerian Sidamon-Eristavi’s collection by selling them separately! This is also the opinion of the owners themselves, who deem that instead of gaining a possible substantial financial profit, which they could find by selling the artworks one by one, they should preserve this unique treasure as a whole for Georgia. Because keeping and preserving such a collection demands special conditions. We think that placing them in a museum would be the best choice. Gathered together, Valerian Sidamon-Eristavi’s artworks would be an invaluable gain for Georgian cultural heritage. And from the initiator of its acquisition – another step towards saving our national treasure.

baia wiqoriZe

Baia Tsikoridze

foto: gia CxataraSvili, gega paqsaSvili, giorgi morbedaZe

Photographs: Gia Chkhatarashvili, Gega Paksashvili, Giorgi Morbedadze

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TvaldaTvali „saguramo“ AND MEMORIES OF GURAM ALWAYS COME TO MIND…

„guramis naCuqari xelnaTura kidev anaTebs da axlac wvdeba mtkvris gaRma napirs... magram iq aRar aris misi navali... mkrTali SuqiT guramis kvals amaod veZeb... magram adamianis guli minaqari sila rodia?! igi facergodoras ufro hgavs da Sig SeRweuls iqve itovebs, vidre Tavadac gardauvali wyaldidobiT wailekeba, axlac ki, rodesac Cemi axalgazrda megobari momagondeba, mtkvars mivaSureb da mis dinebas gulaCqrolebiT vumzer, aq aris Cemi TvaldaTvali „saguramo“... da me mudam gurami maxsendeba, rodesac gaRma, silian napirze iremi Camoivlis da kvals datovebs“. „irmis kvali“, levan goTua.

“The flashlight that Guram had given me still reaches the opposite bank of the Mtkvari River… But the traces of his footsteps are no longer to be seen… Under dim light I try to find Guram’s footprints but all in vain… A man’s heart is definitely not like sand brought by the wind. It is more like a vessel storing everything inside, until it gets carried away by floods... Even now, when I recall my young friend, I bend my steps towards Mtkvari and watch its flowing waves excitedly… This is my “Saguramo”, and whenever I notice a deer on a sandy riverbank leaving its track on the sand, memories of Guram always come to mind.”

From ‘The Deer’s Trace’ by Levan Gotua

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iSviaTad gvxvdebian adamianebi, romlebic bunebis rCeulni arian da xanmokle cxovrebis ganmavlobaSi saocrad bevris miRwevas axerxeben; mokle sicocxlisas waruSlel kvals toveben da TavianTi Taobis simbolod iqcevian. aseTia guram TikanaZe, cnobili qarTveli mTamsvleli da fotoxelovani. sikeTiT uxvad dajildoebuli, gasuli saukunis somocianelTa TaobaSi usazRvro energiiT, saTnoebiT, keTilSobilebiT, mravalmxrivi niWiTa da uzado garegnobiT gamoirCeoda. „aRnagobiTac xelovnebis nimuSs waagavda... igi adamianebisadmi usazRvro rwmeniT iyo ganmsWvaluli da mis garSemo yovelTvis guliTadobis atmosferos qmnida. amitomac iyo, albaT, rom pirvelive gacnobisTanave igi ndobasa da simpaTias imsaxurebda“ _ wers sargis caiSvili. mis Tavisuflebis moyvare suls andamativiT izidavda mTa, ar asvenebda dabrkolebebis gadalaxvisa da maRali mwvervalebis dapyrobis Jini. mTamsvleloba udides gatacebad eqca, fotoxelovneba ki _ alpinizmisgan ganuyofel nawilad. man ramdenime rTuli asvla ganaxorciela kavkasionsa da pamirze da 1958 wels, vercxlis medali miakuTvnes sakavSiro pirvelobaSi sxva qarTvel alpinistebTan erTad. visac Zalis, silamazisa da simamacis naxva surs, mTaSi guram TikanaZe unda naxoso, ambobdnen im dros. sxvebisgan gansxvavebiT, iq mas foto-kinoaparaturis zidvac uwevda.

Tavs ar zogavda, xSirad erTi sasurveli kadrisTvis safrTxeSi igdebda sicocxles da sxvasac mudam mxarSi edga, gaWirvebisas.

One rarely meets people who have been chosen by nature, and despite a short life, manage to achieve so much. During their short life, they leave an indelible mark and become the symbol of their generation. Thus was Guram Tikanadze, the famous Georgian alpinist and photographer.

Endowed with plenty of generosity, he also stood out from his 1960s generation in his infinite energy, kindness, nobility of mind, versatile talents and impressive appearance. “His figure resembled a specimen of art… He had infinite faith in humankind, and he always created an atmosphere of warmth and cordiality around him” – writes Sargis Tsaishvili.

His freedom-loving soul was attracted to mountains like a magnet, and he couldn’t rest from his wish to overcome obstacles and conquer high peaks. Alpinism became his biggest passion, while photography became an intrinsic part of alpinism for him.

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He carried out several difficult ascents in the Caucasus and Pamir mountains, and in 1958, together with other Georgian alpinists, he was awarded a silver medal as a champion of the Soviet Union in alpinism.

“People who want to see strength, beauty and courage should see Guram Tikanadze in the mountains,” – they used to say at the time.

Unlike others, he also had to carry the weight of his photographic equipment. He never tied himself on. He would often put himself in dangerous situations in order to take the pictures he wanted, and he would always help others if they were in need.

Naturalness became the main characteristic of Guram’s photographic art, in opposition to the static, studio photographs that were popular at that time. He was the first in Georgian photography to use the so-called “hidden camera” and long focal length. Instead of staged scenes, his lens captured free and moving photographs seen by the eye of an artist, in both monochrome and color.

Guram collaborated with Georgian, Soviet and foreign newspapers, and he systematically took part in international exhibitions and competitions. His photographs were very popular abroad. He was even the first to receive an international prize in the History of Georgian photography – a bronze medal at the Vienna World Festival of Youth and Students.

bunebrivoba gaxda mTavari maxasiaTebeli niSani guramis foto namuSevrebisa, maSin CvenTan farTod gavrcelebuli statikuri, studiuri fotografiis sapirispirod. man erT-erTma pirvelma gamoiyena qarTul fotoxelovnebaSi e.w. „faruli kamera“ da grZelfokusiani optika. dadgmuli scenebis nacvlad, misi obieqtivi aRbeWdavda Semoqmedis maxvili TvaliT danaxul Tavisufal da moZrav wiaRsvlebs fersa Tu SavTeTr gamaSi. gurami TanamSromlobda respublikur, sakavSiro da sazRvargareTul JurnalebTan, sistematurad monawileobda saerTaSoriso gamofenebsa Tu konkursebSi. mis fotonamuSevrebs didi aRiareba xvda ucxoeTSi. swored man moipova pirveli saerTaSoriso jildo qarTuli fotoxelovnebis istoriaSi _ brinjaos medali axalgazrdobisa da studentTa venis msoflio festivalze.

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misi Semoqmedeba 50-60-ani wlebis saqarTvelos mxatvruli fotomatianea. xelovnebis am nimuSebs mecnieruli, istoriuli da eTnografiuli mniSvnelobac eniWebaT. Tanac maT saucxoo poeturi elferi dahkravT. „Tqven namdvili poeti xarT, vwuxvar, rom aqamde ar gicnobdiT“, _ erT-erTi gamofenis Semdeg uTqvams misTvis Cex mwerals, kohouts. gansakuTrebuli SemoqmedebiTi alRo da mxatvruli xedva gamosWvivis guramis TiToeul namuSevarSi. isini dResac Tanamedroved gamoiyurebian, ise mZafrad igrZnoba maTSi sasicocxlo impulsebi. guramis fotomasala kinokadrebs mogvagonebs. moulodnelad Cavlebuli situaciebi, kolorituli scenebi qalaquri cxovrebidan; Slapiani manekenebis figurebi saucxoo kontrasts qmnian danarCenis fonze. Suq-Crdilebis STambeWdavi TamaSi da originaluri dinamika, saintereso, impresionistuli xilvebi. mTis mcxovrebTa metyveli saxeebi cxadad gadmoscems maT Sinagan samyaros. mTeli galerea cnobili adamianebis portretebisa, maT Soris elene axvledianis, levan goTuas, jorj balanCinis, Jan mares, marina vladis, lolita toresis, hari belafontes, nona gafrindaSvilis, mixeil mesxis da sxv. da, ra Tqma unda, Seudarebeli peizaJebi, gorozi, RrublebSi gaxveuli, cas miwvdenili mTebi...

His works are an artistic photographic chronicle of Georgia in the 1950s and 60s, and apart from mysterious and poetic tones, the pictures carry a scientific, historic and ethnographic importance. “You are a real poet. I am sorry that I didn’t meet you sooner,” Czech writer Kohout told him following one exhibition.

His particularly creative flair and artistic vision can be felt in each of his works. They still look modern today because they are full of life. Guram’s photographs remind us of cinema shots. Unexpected situations, colorful scenes from everyday urban life, and the figures of mannequins and their hats create a sharp contrast with other

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fotosuraTi „maRla anZebze“, giorgi gvaxarias sityvebiT, guramis Taobis „eqstatikuri lirikis WeSmariti dokumentia“. gurams am seriis ramdenime foto aqvs gadaRebuli da aqac amaRlebisken dauokebeli swrafvaa... guram TikanaZes naTlad hqonda gacnobierebuli, rom alpinizmi bediswerasTan Widilia. es damatebiT momxibvlelobas sZens kidec mTamsvlelobas, Tumca adamians am mimzidvel, uTanasworo SerkinebaSi, SesaZloa, marcxic eweros. 1961 wels ubis wignakSi Canaweri gaukeTebia: „jumberi! kuxo! da iliko! saSinelebaa! alpinizmi umsxverplod SeuZlebelia...“ narkvevSi „damarcxebuli goliaTebi“ gurami gulRiad gviambobs mTebis av-kargze: „mTamsvlelebs xSirad gvekiTxebian: ra gvainteresebs mTaSi? es kiTxva uadgilod gveCveneba da xSirad upasuxod vtovebT. axla ganmartebisaTvis zogierTi gancda mogveSveleba. mTasTan ar vlaparakobT da saubriT ar vamyarebT siyvaruls. kargad viciT, rom aq yoveli qvis qveS da fifqSi marcxia Casafrebuli. mowolili Rrublebi

photographers’ works. He did impressive work with light and shadow, created original dynamics, and interesting, impressionistic visions. The expressive faces of mountain people plainly convey their inner world.

He also has a whole gallery of portraits of famous people, including Elene Akhvlediani, Levan Gotua, George Balanchine, Jean Marais, Marina Vlady, Lolita Torres, Harry Belafonte, Nona Gaprindashvili, and Mikheil Meskhi. And of course, the magnificent landscapes of our proud mountain ranges covered in clouds and reaching to the skies…

As Giorgi Gvakharia puts it, Guram’s photograph ‘High on the Pillars’ is “an authentic document of the ecstatic lyricism” of his generation.

Guram took several photographs for this series, and here, too, one can feel his unrestrainable desire for heights…

Guram Tikanadze was very well conscious that alpinism is intrinsically linked to fate. It makes it even more attractive, but this unbalanced relationship can also end badly for humans. In 1961, Guram wrote in his notebook: “Jumber! Kukho! And Iliko! It’s terrible! Mountaineering is impossible without sacrifice…” In his essay ‘Defeated Giants’, Guram Tikanadze wrote: “People often ask us mountaineers why we are so keen on mountains. We think such a question is out of place and often leave it unaddressed. Now, for the sake of explanation, I shall resort to certain

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Weqa-quxils da Tovls fantaven mwvervalTa kalTebze. mcxunvare mze ki qvis cveniT da zvavebis korianteliT afxizlebs qedebs. mudam siaxle, sifxizle, moZraoba.

Cven mTasTan da yinulTan met saerTo enas vnaxulobT, vidre barTan da zRvasTan.“ misi erT-erTi gansakuTrebiT sayuradRebo foto „mowyveta ailamas qedidan“ TiTqos winaswarmetyveluri aRmoCnda. gurami 1963 wlis 27 agvistos Sxaradan daSvebisas daiRupa. mamaci, axalgazrda mTamsvleli, albaT, sakuTar Tavs da beds cdida, roca mTis mwvervalidan erTi TokiT gadawyvita daSveba. da, samwuxarod, es Tamami, vaJkacuri nabiji misTvis sabediswero gamodga... guram TikanaZeze saubrisas, ar SeiZleba, ar gavixsenoT misi megobari, meore gurami, rCeuliSvili, massaviT niWieri da tragikuli bedis mqone, axalgazrda mwerali... maT, orives, msgavsi xvedri ergoT... aseTi gamorCeuli xiblisa da niWis mqone pirovnebebi da maTi danatovari fasdaudebelia CvenTvis da Cveni momavali TaobebisTvis, da amitom... nino Wyonia

experiences. We don’t talk with the mountains and don’t communicate our love in words. We know very well that there danger is waiting for us under every stone and in every snowflake. Overhanging clouds spread thunderstorms and snow over the mountain slopes and the burning sun alerts the mountain ranges with falling stones and a multitude of avalanches. There is constantly something new; there is always motion and cheerfulness. We find a common language more with mountains and ice than with lowlands and sea.”

‘Falling from the Ailama Ridge’ is one of his most noteworthy photographs, as it turned out a premonitory one. Guram would die on the 27th of August 1963, while descending from the mountain Shkhara.

The courageous young alpinist was probably challenging himself and his luck when he decided to come down from the summit with a single rope.

And unfortunately, this bold decision turned out to be a fateful one.

When talking about Guram Isakadze, we cannot fail to recall his friend, the other Guram, Mr. Rcheuleshvili, a young writer who had the same talent and same unfortunate destiny… They both had the same fate… Such charming and talented individuals, and their heritage is invaluable for us and our future generations.

Nino Chkonia

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C TM FESTIVA L

‘U N EAS Y TIM ES DEMA N D UN EAS Y M U S I C’

aRelvebuli droeba, mSfoTvare musikas iTxovs

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CTM Festival, romelic berlinSi ukve mecxrameted Catarda, kargi magaliTia imisa Tu ras niSnavs dRevandelobis amsaxveli, Tanadrouli musikisa da xelovnebis forumi. wlevandeli CTM-is programa, eqsperimentuli, eleqtronuli musikisa da audio-vizualuri xelovnebis nazavs warmoadgenda. teqnologiuri progresi, ukanaskneli wlebis politikuri, ekologiuri da socialuri qartexilebi, festivalis saxelwodebaSi TURMOIL (SfoTva, qaosi) araerTazrovnad ikiTxeboda. misi Sinaarsobrivi mxare da musikaluri programa, TURMOIL-is, rogorc mRelvarebis da SfoTvis Temebis garSemo trialebda. aTdRianma sakoncerto, kluburma, saSemsruleblo da musikaluri programis nawilma _ haklabma musikosebisTvis, artistebis Ria saubrebma da gamofenam _ `savaraudo momavlis sazareli xeobebi~ (Uncanny Valleys of a Possible Future) _ festivali Sinaarsobrivad ufro mravalferovani da Rrma gaxada. wlevandeli CTM FESTIVAL-ma Tematuri simZafris kulminacias gabedul, eqsperimentul samusiko da perfomatiul programaSi miaRwia, romelic monawileebma samecniero fantastikis, bio-xelovnebisa da imersiuli instalaciebis TanakveTaze warmogvidgines.

CTM Festival, the 19th edition of which took place in Berlin as per tradition, is a good example of presenting and reflecting on the state of contemporary music and art. This year, CTM’s program presented a blend of experimental/electronic music and audiovisual art practices.

Technological progress and the latest tribulations in the political, environmental and social fields were addressed by the main theme of the 2018 edition: TURMOIL, with its contents and musical program revolving around the theme of turmoil and turbulence of our times.

Together with open meetings for musicians and artists, ‘Hacklab’ and a ten-day program of concerts, clubbing, performances and music, as well as the exhibition ‘Uncanny Valleys of a Possible Future’ made the festival more diverse and profound in terms of content.

The thematic culmination of this year’s CTM Festival was to be found in the daring experimental music and performing arts program, the participants of which produced works at the conjunction of art, science, fiction, bio-art, immersive installations and so on.

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berlinSi uamravi saintereso ram vnaxeT da movismineT... am weriliT gvsurs, gagacnoT ukanaskneli drois mecnierebisa da xelovnebis sinTezis ramdenime saintereso magaliTi:

We saw and heard numerous interesting things in Berlin, and with this article, we would like to acquaint you with some of the most striking instances of recent installations presenting a synthesis between science and art.

namuSevari #1 _ Geomancer 2065 weli... xelovnuri inteleqti universaluri, adamianis cnobierTan miaxlovebuli yovlismomcveli movlena gaxda da... kacobriobam misi regulacia, individualizmis SezRudva moindoma. xelovnur inteleqts, pirvel rigSi, xelovnebis qmnis ufleba SeezRuda _ ase iwyeba lorens lekis spekulaciuri fantastikis Janris CGI filmi (kompiuteris mier generirebuli gamosaxuleba), romelic xelovnuri inteleqtis Geomancer-is istorias mogviTxrobs. `jeomansers~, samxedro daniSnulebis satelits, TviTSecnobis Semdeg, artistobis, Semoqmedad `dabadebis~ survili uCndeba da dedamiwaze brundeba. am 45 wuTian filmSi `mTavar gmirs~ megzurobas, aseve fiqciuri gamofenebis _ Sim-Singapore (1965-2065) and Geomancer (2045-2065) warmosaxviTi kuratori uwevs; kvantur kompiuterebSi neironuli qselebis integraciam arnaxulad ganaviTara xelovnuri warmoSobis kognituri SesaZleblobebi da adamianis SesaZleblobebs TiTqmis yvela sferoSi gadaaWarba. `araxelovnur~ gonierTa am uZlurebas win gaeros kanonmdebloba aRudga da xelovnur inteleqts adamianTa ukanasknel sulier TavSesafarSi _ xelovnebaSi moRvaweoba aukrZala.

AI-is (xelovnur inteleqts) aekraZla _ nobelis, puliceris premiebSi, oskaris nominaciebsa da sxvadasxva bienaleze gamoCenac ki. es akrZalva mxolod Zalzed cota xelovnurma inteleqtma airida da... miuxedavad aralegitimurobisa maT Camoayalibes moZraoba sinofuturizmi _ erTgvari mcdeloba Tavisufal xelovnebaSi darCenisTvis. lorens lekis videonamuSevari bevr kiTxvas badebs `ukve arsebul~ momavalTan dakavSirebiT, romelSic teqnologia, media da politika krizisuli wrebrunvis Semadgeneli nawilebia. gamofenaze warmodgenili sxva namuSevrebidan, romelSic momavlis ukve ganxorcielebuli xedva arsebobda iyo gi ben-aris (Guy Ben-Ary) proeqtis cellF-is dokumentaciac.

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Artwork N°1 – Geomancer 2065… Artificial intelligence has become an ubiquitous phenomenon close to human consciousness and… humanity now wants to regulate it and restrain its individualism. In the first place, artificial intelligence is forbidden to create art – this is how Lawrence Lek’s speculative fiction CGI (computer-generated imagery) film starts, which tells us the story of the artificial intelligence ‘Geomancer’; After gaining self-awareness, the military satellite ‘Geomancer’ wants to become an artist and decides to head back to Earth for that purpose. In this 45-minutes film, the “main character” is guided by the

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AI curator of fictional exhibitions titled Sim-Singapore (1965-2065) and Geomancer (2045-2065); the integration of neural networks in quantum computers has developed the cognitive capabilities of artificial intelligence to an unprecedented extent, exceeding those of humans in almost every field. The weakness of “non-artificial” intelligence was addressed by UN laws, which prevented intelligent machines from taking part in the last spiritual refuge of humans: art.

AI is banned even from attending the Nobel and Pulitzer prizes, the Oscars, and various art biennales. Only a few AI manage to bypass

this ban, and despite the illegality of their enterprise, they found the “Sinofuturism” movement as an attempt to remain in the field of art.

Lawrence Lek’s video art raises many questions about the future we are already living in, in which technology, the media and politics are integral components of a crisis cycle.

Another work presented at the festival and including a vision of an “already present” future was Guy Ben-Ary’s project CellF. * *Documentation about the project was on display at the CTM 2018 exhibition.

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Artwork N°2 – CellF CellF goes far beyond the standard audio installation format; it consists of two parts – on the one hand, that of a percussionist, and on the other hand, that of a biological network of 100,000 neurons that were engineered from the author’s live cells and produce a musical dialogue with the musician by way of electric impulses sent to a analog synthesizer.

The neural networks were created in a Petri dish (shallow cylindrical glass used to culture cells); they are autonomous and react to external stimuli. The electrical impulses coming from the neural network are recorded on electrodes and sent to the synthesizer, which creates a musical improvisation according to the sequence of signals. CellF works autonomously as an analog system, without any digital technology or computer; its neural network acts as its “brain”, and the analog synthesizer as its body.

As a music instrument created from the live cells of its author, CellF is a kind of cybernetic “self-portrait” of the artist. It is also related to his childhood dream of becoming a rock musician.

CellF’s author Guy Ben-Ary is a member of the artistic research lab SymbioticA, and he has been working in biotechnological artworks for more than a decade. Launched in 2000 at the University of Western Australia, SymbioticA is a platform gathering scientists and artists for collaborative works in both research and creative works.

Like any collaborative project at the crossroad of art and science, the creation of CellF has required the participation of people from

namuSevari #2 _ CellF CellF standartul audio instalaciis formats scildeba; igi ori nawilisgan Sedgeba _ erTi mxriv perkusionistis, xolo meore mxriv instalaciis avtoris cocxali ujredidan gamozrdili 100 000 neironisgan Semdgari biologiuri qselisgan, romelic eleqtro impulsebis analogur sinTezatorTan mimocvlis gziT musikalur dialogSi Sedis musikosTan. petris Tasis (biologiuri WurWeli) xelovnur garemoSi Seqmnili neiroqselebi individualurad arseboben da reagireben gare gamaRizianeblebze. neironuli qselidan gamomavali eleqtroimpulsebi eleqtrodebis meSveobiT sinTezators ukavSirdebian, romelic Semavali signalebis mimdevrobidan gamomdinare musikalur improvizaciaSi gardaisaxeba. CellF yovelgvari cifruli teqnologiisa Tu kompiuteris gareSe, avtonomiurad, analogur reJimSi arsebobs, romlis `tvinis~ funqciasac neiroqseli, xolo sxeulisas _ analoguri sinTezatori asrulebs.

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CellF artistis erTgvari kibernetikuli `avtoportretia~, mxatvris ujredisgan Seqmnili musikaluri instrumenti, romelic avtoris adreul ocnebas _ rok musikosobas ukavSirdeba. namuSevris avtori gi ben-ari art-laboratoria SymbioticA-s wevria da ukve meore aTwleulia, rac xelovnebis da bioteqnologiebis mimarTulebiT muSaobs.

SymbioticA mecnierebis da artistebis kvleviTi da SemoqmedebiTi TanamSromlobis platformaa, romelic 2000 wels `dasavleT avstraliis universitetis~ bazaze Seiqmna. rogorc yvela kolaboraciul proeqtSi, romelic xelovanebisa da mecnierebis TanamSromlobiT iqmneba, am namuSevris Seqmnasac mravali profesiis gadakveTa dasWirda; am namuSevarSi gaerTiandnen bio inJineriis, neiromecnierebebis, molekuluri biologiis, audiovizualuri xelovnebis da a.S. profesionalebi. kolaboraciulma midgomam da tradiciul samecniero disciplinebsa da xelovnebas Soris sazRvrebis moSlam, xelovnebis axal mimarTulebebs samoqmedo areali gauxsna, romlis samomavlo potencialsac pirveli neironuli sinTezatoris Seqmnac adasturebs. adamianis emociuri, vizualuri da smeniTi SesaZleblobebis kvleva festivalis yvelaze masStaburi namuSevris _ Skalar-is mTavar amocanas warmoadgenda.

many different professions. Among others, it has brought together professionals in the field of bioengineering, neuroscience, molecular biology and audiovisual art.

By getting rid of the borders between traditional scientific disciplines and art, this collaborative approach has opened new creative horizons for the artistic field, and their potential has already been substantiated by the creation of the first ever neural synthesizer that is CellF. The research of emotional, visual and auditory capacities in humans was the main undertaking of the festival’s largest artwork – SKALAR.

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Artwork N°3 – Skalar It is already the second time that the former power plant Kraftwerk Berlin, a landmark of the city’s industrial history, has hosted Christopher Bauder’s project, now in collaboration with Kangding Ray, in the framework of CTM Festival. The audiovisual and immersive installation SKALAR was created expressly for this venue.

The installation consisted of a synchronous interplay of 65 motorized mirrors, 90 moving lights and a multichannel sound

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system, naturally immersing the audience in this technological performance. Christopher Bauder’s previous work ‘Deep Web’, which was made in collaboration with famous German audiovisual artist and musician Robert Henke, was also staged in Kraftwerk in 2016.

At first sight, the resemblance to ‘Deep Web’ is evident, but the audiovisual concept and dramaturgy of this year’s performance were clearly directed towards influencing the emotions of the audience.

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namuSevari #3 _ Skalar Kraftwerk-is yofili Tbosadguris, berlinis industriuli istoriis nawilia, romelSic kristofer bauderma festival CTM-is farglebSi, ukve meored, kangding reisTan erTad Sesrulebuli proeqti warmogvidgina; Skalar _ audio-vizualuri da, imavdroulad, imersiuli instalacia specialurad am sivrcisTvis Seiqmna. instalacia, romelic 65 moZrav sarkes, 90 moZrav sanaTs da mravalarxian audiosistemas sinqronulad aerTianebda, damswreT, teqnologiur `aqtSi~ bunebrivad iTrevda (immersion). Skalar-is winamorbedi proeqti Deep Web kristofer bauderma 2016 wels, cnobil germanel audivizualur artistTan da musikosTan, robert henkesTan erTad, aseve Kraftwerk-is sivrceSi dadga.

Skalar-is msgavseba Deep Web-Tan, erTi SexedviT, gardauvali iyo. Tumca, wlevandeli performansis audio-vizualuri koncefcia da dramaturgia, adamianze emociuri zegavlenis Ziebisken iyo mimarTuli. skalar-Si sinaTlis modulaciebi ufro skulpturularqiteqturuli iyo, xolo kangding reiseuli audiokompozicia ki xazgasmiT meditaciuri. mZlavri ganaTeba moZrav sarkeebTan da `saundTan~ sinqronSi moqmedebda, romelic adamianis aRqmas afarToebda da Seucnoblis kars uRebda. akustikurma Ziebebma festivalis farglebSi MONOMis eqsperimentuli sivrcec moicva, sadac xuTi dRis ganmavlobaSi artistebs da musikosebs saSualebas miecaT namuSevrebi 4D audiosistemiT warmoedginaT.

SKALAR’s light modulations were more sculptural-architectural, and Kangding Ray’s audio composition was rather meditative. Powerful lights worked in unison with moving mirrors and sound, enlarging the spectator’s perception and opening doors to the unknown for them.

Another component of the festival’s undertakings in acoustic research was MONOM’s experimental space, where artists and musicians were given the opportunity to perform on the 4DSOUND system for five days.

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namuSevari #4 _ Monom 4D audiosistemebi ukanasknel wlebSi Seqmnili imersiul-akustikuri garemos magaliTia. Monomis kvadratul darbazSi sagangebod simetriulad ganTavsebul 16 audiosvetSi Cadgmuli dinamikebi, xmas 360 gradusiT avrcelebdnen da realobis srul simulacias qmnidnen. specialurad am teqnologiisTvis dawerili kompiuteruli programa Semsrulebels saSualebas aZlevda realur droSi xmis sivrcobrivi gadanawileba emarTa da msmenelic sxvadasxvagvar audio `gamocdilebaSi~ gadaeyvana.

Cineli artistis pan daijinis improvizaciuli performansi amis kargi magaliTi aRmoCnda. Cabnelebul darbazSi erTaderT saorientacio wertils mudmivad cvladi audioTxroba badebda. darbazis da namuSevris sivrculi aRqma xmis moZraobis Sesabamisad icvleboda. audio instalaciaSi erTmaneTs artistis vokali, mZime `noizi~ da improvizirebuli Txroba enacvleboda, rasac saerTo daZabuloba da „siRrmiseuli mosmena“ (Deep Listening) axal ganzomilebaSi ahyavda.

4D audio teqnologiebis SesaZleblobebi jer kidev kvlevis da ganviTarebis etapzea, romelic mis gamoyenebis areals sakmaod did potencials hpirdeba.

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xelovnebis da mecnierebis TanakveTa namdvilad araa axali movlena; farTo auditoriasTan misi mitanis aucilebloba ki CTM-is festivalma kidev erTxel mkafiod daafiqsira. festivalis aTdRian programaSi, teqnologiebis, xelovnebis, mecnierebis da politikis Tematika siRrmiseulad iyo warmodgenili... da es sazogadoebas erT kiTxvas utovebs _ rogori iqneba CTM festivali Semdeg wels?!

Artwork N°4 – Monom 4DSOUND systems are a good example of the immersive-acoustic environments created in recent years. From the 16 audio pillars arranged in MONOM’s square hall, speakers were emitting 360° sound, thus creating a complete simulation of reality. The software of this technology gave performers the ability to control the spatial distribution of sound in real time, and in this way to bring the audience from one audio “experience” to another.

Chinese artist Pan Daijing’s improvised performance was a great example of this. The only way to find one’s bearings in the darkened

room was to follow her ever-changing audio narrative. The spatial perception of the hall and the audio piece were transforming according to the movement of sound. The artist’s vocals, a heavy noise and an improvised storytelling were interchanging in this audio installation, and were bringing the audience in a new dimension through collective tension and “Deep Listening”.

The possibilities of 4D audio technologies are still at a research and development stage, and the latter suggest a very promising potential for the fields in which it could be used.

The junction of art and science is clearly not a new thing, and CTM Festival has once more explicitly shown the necessity of bringing it closer to wider audiences. The themes of technology, art, science, and politics were presented in detail during the ten-day program of the festival… and the experiences have left the audience with a question – what will CTM Festival put on the table next year?! vato uruSaZe / Vato Urushadze

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rac Tavi maxsovs, musika sul ismoda Cvens ojaxSi. kargi smena mqonda da deda, svetlana jijixia-virsalaZe, romelic musikosi gaxldaT, aTwledSi Seyvanamde, saxlSi mamecadinebda. mama, mixeili, eqimia, magram rogorc yvela virsalaZe, isic musikaluri smeniT kargad ukravs... garda amisa, biZaCemi _ koba jijixia, romelic aseve eqimi iyo, bavSvobidan masmeninebda Tavis jazuri firfitebis unikalur koleqcias. amdenad, Cemi formireba aseT garemoSi moxda, da musikac bavSvobidanve organulad SeviTvise. aTwledSi, rogorc yvelas, mqonda klasikuri programa, magram maSinve daviwye smeniT dakvrac, risi survilic jer kidev pataraobidan gamiCnda. mecadineobis dros viwyebdi improvizacias, razec deda xSirad mibrazdeboda. vTqvaT, vukravdi mocarts, Sua dakvraSi Cems fantaziebSi gaviWrebodi xolme... ra Tqma unda, es jer ar iyo jazi. warmoidgineT, is droa roca CvenTan arc jaz-klubebia da arc bevri informacia jazze... dini virsalaZe:

me namdvilad gamimarTla, rom biZas, garda imisa rom melomani koleqcioneri iyo, kargi gemovnebac hqonda da mxolod namdvil jazs masmeninebda. ase SeviWeri jazis samyaroSi _ CavrTavdi xolme romelime firfitas, pegi lis an ela ficjeralds, xelSi boTlis gasaxsneli meWira mikrofoniviT da viwyebdi moZraobas, TiTqos me vmRerodi. es TamaSi da warmodgenebi CemTvis maSin im saocari samyaros nawili iyo da Tan Zalian marTobda. fortepianos visTan swavlobdiT? aTwledSic da konservatoriaSic Cemi didi bebiis, anastasia virsalaZis mowafeebTan, TinaTinebTan _ zautaSvilTan da gogolaSvilTan vswavlobdi. anastasias Zalian moxucebuls moveswari da swuxda, rom ver mamecadinebda. kargad maxsovs, `mixeilis~ saavadmyofosTan cxovrobda da Zalian miyvarda maTTan misvla, yovelTvis saintereso stumrebi hyavdaT, romlebsac CaiT, murabiTa da namcxvriT umaspinZldebodnen xolme. eqvsi Tu Svidi wlis viyavi, rodesac anastasia gardaicvala. konservatoriis wlebSi Zalian saintereso gakveTilebi mqonda nina mamraZesTan, romelic Cemi naTesavia virsalaZeebis Stodan, misi usazRvrod madlieri var, Zalian bevri ram momca. paralelurad organzec vswavlobdi eTer mgalobliSvilTan.

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As far as I can remember, one could always hear music in our family.

I had a quite musical ear, and before enrolling me to the musical institution (an extracurricular talent academy providing 10 years of music lessons), it was my mother Jijikhia-Virsaldadze, a musician herself, who used to teach me at home. My father Mikheil is a doctor, but like all other Virsaladzes, he also had a thing for music, so he plays quite well… and my uncle Koba Jijikhia, who was also a doctor, made me listen to his jazz records in my childhood. This is the kind of environment in which I was raised, and therefore, I have absorbed music naturally since my early years.

At the musical institution, I had the same classical program as everyone else, but I also started to play by ear right away, which I had been wanting to do from my early childhood. While studying, I started to improvise, which didn’t please my mother. For instance, when I was playing Mozart, I could switch and play it as I wanted in the middle of the piece… but of course, this wasn’t jazz yet.

Imagine, this was a time when there were no jazz clubs, nor was there any information about jazz in Georgia…

Dini Virsaladze:

I was really lucky, that apart from being a music lover, my uncle also had good taste, and made me listen just to authentic jazz. This is how I entered the world of jazz – I would put a record on, Peggy Lee or Ella Fitzgerald, with a bottle opener in my hand in place of a microphone, and I would start moving as if I were singing. These little games and “shows” used to be part of a wonderful world for me, and they kept me well entertained.

Who was teaching you piano?

I was studying under Tinatin Zautashvili at the music school and Tinatin Gogolashvili at the Conservatoire, both of whom were pupils of my great-grandmother Anastasia Virsaladze. Anastasia was very old when I was born, and she always regretted that she couldn’t teach me music. I remember that she used to live near the “Mikheil” Hospital, and I loved going to her place, because she always had interesting guests, whom she would host with tea, jam, and cake. I was six or seven when Anastasia passed away. At the Conservatoire, I had a very interesting lesson with Nina Mamradze, who is my relative from the Virsaladze side; I am very grateful to her, she gave me a lot. Apart from that, I also studied the organ with Eter Mgaloblishvili.

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organzec improvizirebdiT? diax, magram amas Cumad vakeTebdi. CemTvis didi pasuxismgebloba iyo mamidis eliso virsalaZis avtoriteti. man mxolod erTxel, aTwledSi swavlisas momismina. misi koncertze daswreba yvelasTvis didi stresi iyo, CemTvis ki asmagad, Zalian vRelavdi da kargad ver davukari. aravin ifiqros, rom virsalaZeoba raimes miiolebda konservatoriaSi, piriqiT, amis gamo Cemdami bevrad momTxovni xdebodnen xolme. droTa ganmavlobaSi es stresic davZlie da axla scenaze Tavs komfortulad vgrZnob, miuxedavad mRelvarebisa, romelic isev maqvs, sanam instruments mivujdebi. jaz-pianistad rodis gamoCndiT scenaze? sakmaod gvian. miuxedavad imisa, rom megobrebis viwro wreSi an klasebSi, leqciebs Soris, jazs yovelTvis vukravdi. imas rom scenaze gamovidodi da seriozul jazs davukravdi, ver warmomedgina da verc gavbedavdi, sanam `yuriT ar gamiyvanes~ scenaze... maSin festivalebis dros, koncertebis Semdeg jemseiSenebi imarTeboda da visac survili hqonda, SeeZlo

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Were you also improvising on the organ?

Yes, but I was doing it in secret.

The fact that Eliso Virsaladze was my aunt has bestowed great responsibility upon me. She listened to me playing only once, when I was in the musical institution. Her presence at the concert made everybody nervous, but it was a hundredfold more stressful for me, and I didn’t play well. Nobody can say that being a Virsaladze has helped me in any way at the Conservatoire; on the contrary, teachers were often much more demanding with me because of that. Little by little, I managed to overcome that stress, and I feel very comfortable on stage now, despite still getting nervous before I sit at the instrument.

When did you perform as a jazz pianist for the first time?

Quite late, actually, even though I was always playing jazz when I was with friends or between lessons at the Conservatoire. I couldn’t imagine that I would go on stage and play “serious” jazz, and I wouldn’t dare do so myself, until they took me on stage by force!

At that time, during festivals, jam sessions were always held after concerts, and whoever wanted to could participate, but I didn’t dare to go on stage; I always needed someone to incite me, and nobody did back in the day.

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monawileobis miReba, magram ver gavbede; yovelTvis mWirdeba adamiani, vinc amisken mibiZgebs, maSin ki aseTi aravin aRmoCnda...

1993 wels filarmoniaSi jazis gala koncerti mzaddeboda da organizatorebma Zalian mtkice gadawyvetilebiT mommarTes, rom aucileblad damekra, radgan cnobilebTan erTad axali saxelebis wardgenac undodaT. mec sxva aRaraferi damrCenoda _ davTanxmdi da im momentidan radikalurad Seicvala Cemi cxovreba.

Tavs solo repertuarSi grZnobT komfortulad, trioSi Tu bendSi? komfortulad Tavs yvelanair situaciaSi vgrZnob, roca es musikas exeba. Cveulebriv, vcdilob trio mainc Sevadgino xolme, JReradobas Zalian avsebs roca bgerebiT da ferebiT kontrabasi an dasartyamebi SemogeSvelebian; saqsofonic Zalian miyvars. maqvs mudmivi trio daTo masteranovTan da daTo jafariZesTan erTad. magram aris SemTxvevebi, roca mxolod solosTvis miwveven.

ZiriTadad, es ucxoeTSi xdeba da aseT SemTxvevaSi an marto an iqaur musikosebTan erTad vukrav xolme. ise, yvelanairi situaciisTvis var mzad. SeiZleba sruliad

In 1993, a gala concert was being prepared at the Philharmony (current Tbilisi Concert Hall), and the organizers had firmly decided that I needed to play, because together with renowned musicians, they wanted to present new, young faces. I didn’t have a choice – I agreed, and since then, my life has changed radically.

Do you feel more comfortable in solos, in trios, or in bands?

I feel comfortable in every situation that is related to music.

Generally, I try to gather at least a trio, because the sonority is much more wholesome when a double bass or percussion instruments provide their own sounds and “colors” to the music. I also love the saxophone. I have a trio with Dato Masteranov and Dato Japaridze.

But I’m also invited to play alone, as a soloist – this mainly happens abroad, and in that case, I play either alone or with local musicians.

Actually, I’m ready for any situation. I sometimes have to play with musicians I’ve never met before. That’s precisely the peculiarity and charm of jazz – you can go on stage without any rehearsal, and create music by improvising; the relationships that are then established between musicians is impossible to describe in words.

I recorded my last album in New York with percussionist Manolo Badrena, and I had a presentation of it on the 22nd of January. Badrena first played in Weather Report with Joe Zawinul, and then in the

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ucnob adamianebTan momiwios dakvra. swored esaa jazis didi xibli _ repeticiis gareSe gaxvide scenaze da improvizirebiT Seqmna musika. am dros iseTi kavSirebi myardeba musikosebs Soris, risi axsnac SeuZlebelia. niu iorkSi perkusionist manolo badrenasTan erTad Cavwere Cemi bolo albomi da 22 ianvars iqve mqodna misi prezentaciac. badrena jer Weather Report-Si ukravda jo zavinulTan da Semdeg missave `sindikatSi~. Cveni dueti Zalian uCveulo gamodga. repeticiis dro ar gvqonia da mxolod Temebi gaviareT, rom daemaxsovrebina _ badrenam iseTi partnioroba gamiwia da ise Seavso Tavisi instrumentebiT Cemi musika, rom msmeneli amas verasdros mixvdeba. es Cemi pirveli ucxouri albomia, Tan niu iorkis studiaSi Cawerili. pirveli ori albomi TbilisSi Cavwere, mesame ki berlinSi. 2013 wels erT-erT klubSi jguf `aliansTan~ erTad mqonda koncerti indoel gitarist da vokalist amit CaTerjisTan erTad, romelic aseve zavinulis `sindikatSi~ ukravda; iqve davukari markus mileris solistTan aleqs hanTanac. axla rom vfiqrob, xumroba-

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latter’s band ‘Syndicate’. Our duet turned out a very unusual one.

We didn’t have the time to rehearse, so we simply went through the musical themes he had to memorize – Badrena supported me and “completed” my music with his instruments to an extent that listeners could never guess. This is my first foreign album, and of course, the first one recorded in New York. My first two albums were recorded in Tbilisi, and the third one in Berlin.

In 2013, I had a concert in a club together with Indian guitarist and vocalist Amit Chatterjee’s band ‘The Alliance’. Amir also used to play in Zawinul’s ‘Syndicate’. I also played there with Marcus Miller Band’s soloist saxophonist Alex Han. Thinking about it now, I’ve played with such great musicians, I could simply be in a dream.

On the invitation of Givi Gachechiladze, I’m also a soloist in the Tbilisi Jazz Band, together with Otar Maghradze. It’s very different to play with an orchestra – you have givens, you need to perform what Mr. Givi has written, you are only free in your solo parts; actually, even in the solos, if he is not satisfied with what we play, he suggests something else. This is rare, but is part of a healthy musical process.

Both in trios and bands, I get irritated when musicians “throw out” notes in order to impress the audience, and start to show off their

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xumrobaSi iseT musikosebTan momiwia TanamSromloba, rom Tavi sizmarSi mgonia. oTar maRraZesTan erTad givi gaCeCilaZis mowveviT var `Tbilisi jaz-bendis~ solisti. orkestrTan dakvris specifika sxvagvaria _ gaqvs mocemuloba, is rasac batoni givi wers, Tavisufali mxolod soloSi varT da Tu igi rameSi ar gveTanxmeba an oTars an me, gvTavazobs sxva gzas. es Zalian iSviaTad xdeba da jansaRi musikaluri procesiis nawilia. trioSic da bendSic Zalian maRizianebs, rodesac efeqtis mosaxdenad bevr nots `isvrian~ da pirvelive kvadratidan sakuTari virtuozuli SesaZleblobebis Cvenebas iwyeben. es xom dialogia da mosaubres xeli ar unda SeuSalo. mirCevnia pasaJi naklebi iyos da ufro logikuri ganviTareba hqondes. minimalizmi yovelTvis karg gemovnebaze metyvelebs, xolo kargi msmeneli minimaluri dakvriTac mixvdeba vin xar. iciT bolo dros ras mivxvdi? yvelaze did siamovnebas svingi maniWebs _ pirdapir mabednierebs. amas yovelTvis

virtuosity from the very first part. It should be a dialogue, and you shouldn’t hinder the people with whom you are conversing. I prefer having fewer passages (rhythm changes) and for the whole piece to have a more logical development. Minimalism is always a sign of good taste, and a good listener can value a good musician even with the most minimalist work.

Do you know what I discovered lately? Swing is the form of music which gives me most pleasure – it simply makes me happy. I always felt it, but I only realized it consciously very recently.

There are still many things to be achieved. When I listen to my own recordings, I want to mute it: I’m never fully satisfied with myself. I love the recording process itself, but afterwards, the evaluation process goes on endlessly, and I always want to do something better… Both recordings and concerts make you progress a lot, they give you the possibility to sit down and have a listen to yourself. Unfortunately, because I finance the recordings myself, the process is quite slow. I got financed for my last album, which was very helpful.

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markus milerTan erTad / WITH MARCUS MILLER

vgrZnobdi, magram axla vacnobiereb. jer kidev bevri ramaa misaRwevi. yovelTvis, roca Cems Canawers vusmen, minda gamovrTo, bolomde kmayofili arasdros var. TviTon Caweris procesze vgiJdebi, magram Semdeg gaanalizebis procesi usasrulod grZeldeba, gsurs ukeTesi iyos... Canaweri, iseve rogorc koncerti, musikalurad Zalian gzrdis, dakvirvebis saSualebas gaZlevs. samwuxarod, ramdenadac Caweras meve vafinanseb, procesic nela midis. bolo amerikuli albomi damifinanses da es Zalian kargia.

What about tours?

All my invitations originate from personal contacts. Unfortunately, I’ve never had a manager, and if I don’t get an invitation from someone, I’m not the kind of person to try to find concerts myself.

This attitude has both positive and negative aspects to it, because I think that those who want to “force themselves” on stage, however great as musicians they might be, will always generate antipathy in the end. But on the other hand, if I had done more in this regard, I’d be much more advanced in many aspects – at least in the number of concerts I would have performed.

In your composition ‘Tale’, which sounds close to impressionistic music, one can clearly feel that you have also received a classic musical education.

Yes, the level of “jazziness” of the piece you are playing doesn’t matter, people can always tell if you got a classical education or not.

It can be felt in the sounds, in your pianism… Actually, today, there aren’t any jazz musicians to be found who haven’t received a classic musical education. In our time, learning jazz was more a practical thing, and not theoretical. We listened to a composition and then we would rearrange it – we used to call it “catching the music by ear”.

When you memorize music like that, it is impossible to forget even the tiniest detail. There were also manuals – you definitely need to know classic harmony, chords, and solfeggio in order to be able to master jazz harmony. But practice is still the most important aspect.

How different can compositions become from one concert to the other?

They always differ. I never played any musical theme in the same way, let alone improvisations. But I always try to preserve the original aspect of a theme, the one that the author gave it. It’s very important to play a theme correctly, both in terms of sound and dynamics. And with improvisation, you become a co-author, because you open up the theme with your own vision, impressions and emotions.

gastroli... yvela Cemi miwveva mxolod pirad kontaqtebzea damyarebuli. samwuxarod, menejeri arasdros myolia da Cems xasiaTsac Tu gaviTvaliswinebT, SemoTavazeba sxvisgan Tu ar modis, me arafers vcdilob. es Tviseba Tan kargia, Tan cudi, radgan, vfiqrob, rom is xalxi, vinc cdilobs Tavi ZaliT gaitanos, rac ar unda kargi Semsrulebeli iyos, saboloo jamSi antipaTias iwvevs. magram, meore mxriv, rom ara es Tviseba, bevr rameSi ufro win viqnebodi, Tundac koncertebis raodenobiT. Tqvens kompoziciaSi `zRapari~, romelsac TiTqos impresionistul musikas uaxlovdeba, aSkarad igrZnoba klasikuri ganaTleba. diax, rogor jazur musikasac ar unda ukravde, yovelTvis Cans gaqvs Tu ara klasikuri ganaTleba. es igrZnoba bgeraSi, pianizmSi. klasikuri ganaTlebis ron karterTan erTad / WITH RON CARTER

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gareSe dRes ukve aRarc arian jazis Semsruleblebi.

Cvens dros jazis swavla praqtikuli procesi ufro iyo, vidre Teoriuli. vismendiT da Semdeg vawyobdiT, amas `yuriT moxsnas~ veZaxdiT. ase damaxsovrebuli musikidan, gamoricxulia Tundac umciresi detali dagaviwydes. iyo saxelmZRvaneloebic _ aucileblad unda icode klasikuri harmonia, akordika, solfejio, rom Semdeg jazur harmoniaSi gaerkve. magram, praqtika mainc yvelaze mniSvnelovania. ramdenad icvleba erTi kompozicia koncertidan koncertamde? yovelTvis. erTnairad araTu improvizacia, Temac ki arasdros damikravs. Tumca, yovelTvis vcdilob Temas pirvandeli saxe SevunarCuno, ise, rogorc mocemulia

Who are your favorite musicians?

The first time I was really impressed, was with the Oscar Peterson and Count Basie duet which I saw on TV. I’d already listened to it once, but it was a completely different thing to watch; to see how happy both the performers and the audience become during improvisations. Right now, I really like Bill Evans, and I would name him as one of my favorites. But there is also Herbie Hancock, Michel Petrucciani, Miles Davis, Joe Zawinul‌ Which keyboard instrument is your favorite?

There are some themes that should definitely be played on a grand piano. But fusion demands an electric sonority, and for that, I use a synthesizer. When I compose a melody, I hear it in various

manolo badrenasTan erTad / WITH MANOLO BADRENA

avtoris mier. Temis sworad dakvras udidesi mniSvneloba aqvs, ginda bgeris, ginda dinamikis TvalsazrisiT. Tanaavtori ki improvizaciidan xdebi, radgan misi gaSla ukve Seni xedviT, Seni STabeWdilebebiT da SegrZnebebiT xdeba. gyavT gamorCeuli Semsruleblebi?

Cemi pirveli didi STabeWdileba oskar pitersonis da qaunT beisis dueti iyo, romelic televizorSi vnaxe. mosmenili ki mqonda, magram naxvas sul sxva efeqti axlda, roca xedav rogori bednierebi arian improvizaciisgan TviTon Semsruleblebi da mere msmenelic. axla Zalian miyvars bil evansi da erT-erTi pirvelia, visac naTan istTan da bob jeimsTan erTad / WITH NATHAN EAST AND BOB JAMES

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safortepiano sonata. Zalian sasiamovno gancda iyo, rodesac gamomacxades da darbazis siTbo vigrZeni. Tumca, aseTi musika manamde arasdros damikravs. aswavliT? vaswavlidi jazis akademiaSi. axla gavxdi konservatoriis jazis mimarTulebiT asistent-profesori. dRes swavlis mxriv sul sxva SesaZleblobebia, SegiZlia ucxoeTSi iswavlo. amerikis klubebSi erT dRes erTi varskvlavi ukravs, xval _ meore; amaze didi skola ar arsebobs. ara Tu klubSi, yofila SemTxveva, rom kafedan ver gamovsulvar, ise movuxiblivar sruliad ucnob axalgazrdebs, romlebic arafriT Camouvardebian cnobil varskvlavebs. ubralod, iq aseTi sistemaa, varskvlavis orbita dakavebulia da Sen rigSi unda Cadge.

davasaxelebdi. magram aris herbi henkokic, miSel petruCiani, mails devisi, jo zavinuli... romel klaviSian instruments aniWebT upiratesobas? aris Temebi, romelic aucileblad akustikur roialze unda daikras. magram fiuJeni iTxovs eleqtro JReradobas da am dros viyeneb sinTezatorebs. aseve, rodesac vwer melodias, is sxvadasxva bgeriT da toniT mesmis, ris gadmocemaSic sinTezatori Zalian mexmareba _ warmoidgineT zavinulTan rom yofiliyo ferebis aseTi mdidari speqtri. pianisti, rogorc wesi, lideria, aranJirebasac is akeTebs. am upiratesobas Tavad instrumentic iZleva, rac ufro mravalxmiania met inteleqts moiTxovs. amitom sWirdeba diriJors yvelaze didi inteleqti, radgan misi instrumenti orkestria. asrulebT Tqveni dis, maka virsalaZis musikas? konservatoriis mcire darbazSi Semisrulebia makas vokaluri nawarmoebi da agreTve eka WabaSvilis

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xatva Tqveni hobia da musikasTan raime kavSirSia? hobia. ra Tqma unda kavSiri bgerebs da ferebs Soris arsebobs, magram xatvis dros musikas ar vusmen. CemTvis bgeras araferi Seedreba, akordis aRebisas sul sxva gancda meufleba, sxva vneba. xatva gantvirTvaa da xatvisas ufro metad vxedav bgerebs, vidre dakvris dros ferebs. esaubra Salva cxovrebaZe

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sonorities and tones, and synthesizers help me a lot in relaying that – imagine, for instance, Zawinul’s pieces without this rich spectrum.

Generally, pianists are the leaders, and they are the ones who do the arrangement. This is due to the instrument itself – the more sonorities it can provide, the more intellect it demands. This is why conductors need the most intellect, because their instrument is the orchestra.

Do you perform pieces by your sister, Maka Virsaladze?

I have performed Maka’s vocal compositions as well as Eka Chabashvili’s piano sonata in the small hall of the Conservatoire. It was a very pleasant feeling when they announced me, because I could feel the warmth of the audience. I’d never played this kind of music before.

Do you teach?

I used to teach at the jazz academy in Tbilisi. I recently became an assistant professor in jazz at the Conservatoire. Today, there are

many more possibilities in terms of education, as you can go and learn abroad. In American clubs, one famous musician is playing on a given day, then another on the next, and there’s no better school than that. Apart from clubs, it happened that I couldn’t get out of a café because I was too fascinated by a band of youngsters that was completely unknown to me, who had nothing to envy of any famous jazz performer. It’s just that the system there already has its orbit of stars, and you have to wait in line.

Do you paint as a hobby or is it linked to music somehow?

It’s a hobby. Of course, there’s a link between sounds and colors, but when I’m painting, I never listen to music. Nothing can compare to sounds for me, and I have a very special and passionate feeling when I play a chord. Painting is a kind of relaxation, and I see more sounds when I paint than I see colors when I play music.

Interview by Shalva Tskhovrebadze

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maestro MAESTRO 60

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Zneli warmosadgenia, magram Cems nacnob-megobarTa wreSi, metadre, Cems samTaobian ojaxSi da sanaTesaoSi, simdidre umeteswilad `cud tonad~ iTvleboda. gasagebia ratomac: zogjer ki mifiqria _ `qurdis qurdi cxondao~ (e.w. saqmosnebze), radgan komunistebi, farisevlurad, aqaoda, rogori uangaroni varTo, `zeda eSelonebsac~ mizerul xelfass uniSnavdnen; Tumca, inteligenciisgan gansxvavebiT, raRaca `manqanebiT~, mainc didebulad cxovrobdnen. inteligencia (mudam `jamagirze rom cxovrobda~, _ asea axlac, Tuki gaumarTla da samsaxuri iSova) xom gantevebis maradiuli vacia, cxadia, Tu sulgayiduli ar aris.

Cemi ufrosi megobari, usayvarlesi pirovneba da unikaluri mwerali erlom axvlediani, mudam valebSi iyo gaxlarTuli (xandazmuli mSoblebi hyavda); mevaxSis valic ki aiRo, roca moskovis universitetis umaRles sascenaro kursebze swavlobda. swored im dros, moskovSi yofnisas, institutis saocrad Raribul saerTo sacxovrebelSi wamiyvana da sxvadasxva erovnebis Tanakurselebi gamacno. erTi CeCeni biWi damamaxsovrda, romelmac didi mgznebarebiT wagvikiTxa Tavisi rusuli leqsi. mSvenieri leqsi iyo _ cxenebsa da mxedrebze, _ rogorc grigol robaqiZe ityoda, namdvili kavkasiuri

It might be difficult to imagine, but in my circle of friends and acquaintances, especially the three generations of my family and relatives, being rich was usually considered “inappropriate”. But we can understand why: I sometimes thought that “the thief of thieves is justified” (about the so-called criminals), because communists, hypocritically, pretended to be disinterested, saying that even the highest posts received miserable wages. But unlike the intelligentsia, with the use of some particular mechanisms, they were still living a luxurious life.

Aren’t the intelligentsia (who were always “living on a salary” – it’s the same today, if they are lucky enough to have a job) our eternal scapegoat? If, that is, they haven’t sold their souls.

My friend, Erlom Akhvlediani, a delightful person and wonderful writer, was always heavily in debt (he had an elderly parent); he even had a debt towards a usurer when he was studying scriptwriting at the Moscow University. This is precisely the time when he invited me to the very scanty student accommodation of his university, and introduced me to his classmates from various countries. I remember one Chechen boy, who read us his Russian poem with great excitement. It was a great poem about horses and horsemen – as Grigol Robakidze would say, it was written with authentic Caucasian “madness”. I also remember that they were talking about the wouldbe scriptwriter and film director Sasha Ebanoidze, who wasn’t there at that time, with much respect.

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At the time, Otar Iosseliani’s ‘April’, which was shot according to Erlom Akhvlediani’s script, had already been censored, with much fuss. I could only watch this film after the “Perestroika”. I was a cinema enthusiast from childhood, and thanks to favorable conditions and to my friends and relatives, I was even able to watch a number of banned foreign films during my student years.

`gaxelebiT~ dawerili. am droisaTvis ukve didi xmauriT iyo `dablokili~ erlomis scenariT gadaRebuli oTar ioselianis `aprili~, romlis naxva mxolod `perestroikis~ mere meRirsa. bavSvobidan kinomani viyavi, studentobidan bedi da nacnob-megobrebi mwyalobdnen da akrZalul ucxour filmebsac ki vnaxulobdi.

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I deem ‘Fallen Leaves’, which was censored by the authorities several times, to be a cult film.

Even though I often saw Otar Iosseliani on Zemeli Street and Rustaveli Avenue, I had never had the chance to get acquainted with him, until one fine day, very unexpectedly, he called on me at home: “I have just come from Moscow, and I have to give you money sent by Erlom,” he said. We agreed on the meeting place: Rustaveli Avenue, near the pharmacy. I wasn’t surprised, because the person to whom Erlom owed money was the neighbor of our common friend. But I was a bit nervous: after all, I was meeting Otar Iosseliani!

I was punctual and I arrived on time. I thought that because he was an artist, he wouldn’t fail to be late, and that I shouldn’t be so tacky as to go there on time. It’s very easy to get from Griboyedov Street to Rustaveli Avenue, I just needed to go down some stairs, and the pharmacy was right there. But I would be surprised…

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oficiozisagan mravalgzis Serisxuli `giorgobisTve~ sakulto filmad mimaCnda. oTar ioselians xSirad vxedavdi zemelze da rusTavelze, Tumca, ar vicnobdi. moulodnelad saxlSi damireka, _ moskovidan axlaxans Camovedi, erlomis davalebiT fuli unda gadmogceTo. Sexvedrac davTqviT, rusTavelze, afTiaqTan. ar gamkvirvebia, radgan erlomis mevale Cveni saerTo megobris mezobeli iyo. cota ki avReldi:L rogori ambavia oTar ioselianTan Sexvedra! punqtualuri viyavi, droze gavemzade, magram vifiqre, xelovani kacia, uTuod daigvianebs, `goimi~ xom ara var, adre mivide, Tanac griboedovis quCidan kibiT rusTavelze Carbenas ra undoda, afTiaqic xom iqve iyo.

Turme ra melis... daTqmuli droidan xuTiode wuTis Semdeg mivedi: WadarTan mdgomma oTarma jer mkacrad SemaTvaliera, dagvianebisTvis damtuqsa, xeirianad arc damlaparakebia; calxaziani rveulis furcelSi gaxveuli Sekvra

I arrived about five minutes later than we had agreed: Otar, standing by a plane tree, first observed me with a strict look, and then scolded me for being late, without even talking to me properly; he handed me a package wrapped in a notebook page, but for some reason, he wasn’t in a hurry to say goodbye.

I thought to myself that I wanted to get away from this unfriendly man as soon as possible, that I didn’t want anything else from him, and I started walked away briskly. I had reached the stairs when he caught up with me. He was now looking at me with a clearly ironic face (I noticed later that film directors often have a peculiar, penetrating look). He told me that he had made a mistake and given me another package wrapped in a similar way. I quickly returned the first package, which I had put in my bag, told him goodbye, and hurriedly went on my way. Naturally, I didn’t even think of verifying the contents of the package. I took the money to the person Erlom owed that very same evening.

But I was quite naïve. I realized right away that Otar was playing with me: the first time, he purposefully didn’t give me a wrapping of

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gadmomca... magram, damSvidobebas ratomRac ar Cqarobda. gulSi gavifiqre, oRond am uJmur tips movSorde, meti araferi minda-Tqo da Cqari nabijiT gavecale. kibemde viyavi misuli, roca damewia, gamaCera da axla ukve, aSkarad ironiulad amxed-damxeda (SemdegSi mravaljer SemimCnevia, rom reJisorebs gansxvavebuli, gamWoli mzera aqvT), SemeSalao, miTxra da iseTive qaRaldis sxva Sekvra gamomiwoda. saswrafod davubrune CanTaSi Cagdebuli paketi, naCqarevad davemSvidobe da gavqusle saxlisken. paketis Semowmeba, rasakvirvelia, azradac ar momsvlia. erlomis mevales fuli im saRamosve mivutane.

Tumca, sakmaod miamiti viyavi, maSinve eWvi Semepara, rom oTarma gamaSayira: pirvelad fulis Sekvra ki ara, e.w. `kukla~ anu qaRaldis grova Semapara, mere ki fulis paketi gadmomca. axla vfiqrob, rom es ambavi misTvis mxolod patara saxaliso sareJisoro `TamaSi~ iyo. oTar ioseliani Tbilisis poetikis upirvelesi damfuZnebelTagania kinematografiaSi. `giorgobisTves~

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money, but a fake one – a pack of papers.

I now think that his whole thing was just a small, entertaining scene he had created.

Otar Iosseliani was the first to introduce the poetic theme of Tbilisi in cinematography.

‘Falling Leaves’ was followed by ‘Once Upon a Time There Was a Singing Blackbird’, which depicted the “real” Tbilisi and its uniqueness even better. Both films were radically different from the Soviet style, even the best of which displayed the embellished and colored capital in a kitsch communist style or a naïve “lubok” (Russian popular print) one.

The tragic aspect of the failed artist blends naturally with the counterpoint of Tbilisi’s everyday life.

‘Once Upon a Time There Was a Singing Blackbird’ is a real classic, an ageless masterpiece.

Despite the fact that ‘Pastorali’ was never censored, we couldn’t manage to find it for a long time. In that period, instead of the many large and smaller cinemas located on Rustaveli Avenue, in the

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`iyo SaSvi mgalobeli~ mohyva, romelSic kidev ufro mkafiod gamoikveTa `namdvili~ Tbilisi, _ erTaderTi da ganumeorebeli. orive filmi radikalurad gansxvavdeboda sabWouri xelwerisgan: saukeTeso namuSevrebSic ki Selamazebul-Seferadebuli dedaqalaqi komunisturi `kiCisa~ Tu naivuri `lubokis~ stilSi warmoCindeboda.

Tbilisis yoveldRiurobis kontrapunqts bunebrivad erwymoda Seumdgari xelovanis tragizmi. `iyo SaSvi mgalobeli~ namdvili kinoklasikaa, uberebeli Sedevri.

`pastoralis~ naxva, miuxedavad imisa, rom aravis aukrZalavs, didxans ver movaxerxeT. maSin didi da mcire kinoTeatrebiT daxunZlul rusTavelze, mTawmindasa Tu sololakSi, kino `rusTavelSi~ siaruls vamjobinebdiT. `pastorals~, Tu ar vcdebi, `rusTavelis~ kinoekrani ar aRirses, amitomac rusTavelisa da besikis quCis kuTxeSi ganTavsebul `dekas~ (“Дом Красной Армии”) mivaSureT. paradoqsia, rom swored aseTi `saSiSi~ saxelwodebebis (ZerJinskis klubic, besikis quCaze) kinoTeatrebSi bevri iseTi miCumaTebuli ucxouri filmi gvinaxavs, did ekranebze rom ar aWaWanebdnen. `dekaSi~ vnaxeT `pastoralic~. darbazi gadaWedili iyo. sulganabulni, Tvals ver vaSorebdiT ekrans. moxda saocreba: xalxma nel-nela daiwyo gasvla, filmis dasrulebisas darbazSi mxolod ociode mayurebeli SevrCiT. es SesaniSnavi filmi, rogorc axla amboben `kargi~ qarTuliT, _ `arayurebadi~ aRmoCnda!

Mtatsminda or the Sololaki districts, we chose to go to the Rustaveli Theater. If I’m not mistaken, they didn’t screen ‘Pastorali’ at the Rustaveli Theater, which is why we hastened to the ‘Deka’ (“House of the Red Army”), at the corner of the Rustaveli and Besiki streets. The fact that it is in cinemas with such “scary” names that we could watch scandalous foreign films that weren’t projected on a big screen, is quite paradoxical.

It is at the ‘Deka’ that we watched ‘Pastorali’, too. The hall was crowded. We were speechless, and couldn’t look away from the screen. Something crazy happened: little by little, people started walking out of the cinema hall, so that when the film ended, there were only about twenty of us left. This wonderful film, as they would say it in today’s “good” Georgian, turned out to be “unwatchable”.

People often compare (in literature, fine arts, theater and cinema) products created during totalitarist regimes. They ask themselves which one is more anti-soviet, and with this approach we level the talented and the untalented. When censorship and taboo are

xSirad `ajibreben~ erTmaneTs (mwerlobaSi, saxviT xelovnebaSi, Teatrsa da kinoSi...) totalitarizmis dros Seqmnil `produqts~ _ romeli ufro antisabWouria: amgvari midgomiT niWier-uniWos Semoqmedebis nivelirebas vimkiT. ukugdebuli cenzurisa da tabus pirobebSi

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xSirad sworxazovnebasTan erTad, axlebur koniunqturas vawydebiT; es ki axali kliSeebis damkvidrebis mcdelobaa. vin mogvca ufleba, raime moTxovnebi wavuyenoT xelovans, miuxedavad imisa, ragvar `reJimSi~ moRvaweobs!

removed, we often get, together with linearity, a new conjecture. And there is an attempt to establish new clichés. Who gave us the right to ask for anything from artists, regardless of the “regime” they live in?!

About ‘Pastorali’, I just want to say that it is a universal film which could have been made in any context or regime. In essence, it is an “antipastorale”, a refined, aesthetic depiction of the tragic global illness of the 20th century that is alienation, and it is done in a direct, simple and utterly natural manner.

The final scenes of Otar Iosseliani’s films always stand out for their great semantic charge, and ‘Pastorali’ is no exception; the flawless Eduki is a symbol of the future; bright rays, hope for the better, and at the same time, of regret and disappointment. I think that this kind of ambivalence can also be found in other films by the great director.

When living in France, Otar Iosseliani caught the attention of the cinema industry with his magnificent art-house films, and was awarded prestigious prizes. He never betrayed his style. To be completely honest, his “French” films do not touch my soul and heart as much as his earlier works do, and this is precisely why I awaited his Georgian-French ‘Chantrapas’ with much anticipation. While shooting

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`pastoralze~ mxolod imis Tqma minda, rom es universaluri filmia, romelic nebismieri reJimis dros SeiZleba Seqmniliyo. arsebiTad, es aris `antipastorali~, XX saukunis tragikuli, globaluri sneulebis _ gaucxoebis udaxvewilesi, filigranuli esTetikiT gadmocema, _ uSualod, sadad, SesaSuri bunebriobiT. rogorc yovelTvis, oTar ioselianis filmebis bolo kadrebi didi azrobrivi datvirTviT gamoirCeva, asea `pastoralSic~; umanko eduki momavlis, naTeli sxivis, ukeTesis molodinis, imavdroulad _ sinanulis, gacruebuli imedis simboloa. msgavsi ambivalenturoba, Cemi azriT, didi reJisoris sxva filmebis Tanamdevicaa. safrangeTSi moRvawe reJisorma Tavisi e.w. saavtoro, Cinebuli arakomerciuli filmebiT yuradRebac miipyro da prestiJuli jildoebic daimsaxura. Tavisi xelwerisTvis mas arasdros uRalatia: Tu bolomde wrfeli viqnebi, misi `iqiTuri~ filmebi Cems sulsa da guls naklebad esalbuneboda; amitomac gansakuTrebuli interesiT velodi mis qarTul-frangul `Santrapas~. filmis saqarTveloSi gadaRebebis dros telewamyvani dainteresda, _ ratom daarqviT `Santrapao~; reJisorma

the film in Georgia, a television host asked him why he had named it ‘Chantrapas’; the director answered him with his usual laconicism: “Because the film is about a “chantrapas” (“good for nothing”), which became a source of intrigue. In the Tbilisian slang of the 1960s-70s, this Russian word had two meanings: “chantrapas” was used for swindlers, cheaters, and marginalized people, but also for groups of friends, for distinguished individuals, a famous boy or girl – “he or she belongs to this chantrapas” or – “he came with his chantrapas”.

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Cveuli lakoniurobiT upasuxa, _ imitom rom filmi Santrapazeao, rac damaintrigebeli Seiqna. es rusuli sityva `Zveli~ anu 60-70-iani wlebis Tbilisuri JargoniT orazrovani iyo: Santrapa TaRliTs, yalTabands, marginalsac miesadageboda da megobarTa, axlobelTa gundsac, vinme gamorCeul, cnobil biWsa an gogoze vambobdiT _ ama da am Santrapas miekuTvneba, an _ movida da Tavisi Santrapac moiyolao.

Tavis droze Santrapa rusma Tavadaznaurobam im TviTmarqvia frang guverniorebs daarqva, romelTac ganaTlebis uqonlobis gamo ar SeswevdaT unari musikis swavlebisa _ Tavis dasaZvrenad, aRsazrdelebs cils swamebdnen _ ver imRerebeno! (frang. chantera pas). swored am franguli frazidan Sekowiwebula es sityva. filmis saTauri ase aRviqvi (kvlav ambivalenturad): axalgazrda reJisori, romelic cdilobs Tavisi niWis realizebas, siaxlis maZiebelTa `Santrapas~ miekuTvneba, igi fiaskos ganicdis samSobloSic da ucxoeTSic. visac xelewifeba da evaleba kidec xelovanis mxardaWera, mxolod mogebaze fiqrobs da sulac ar anaRvlebs filmis bedi. reJisoris TiToorola damfasebeli (`aqac~ da `iqac~) ver qmnis aminds. meore mxriT, kinematografis komercializaciis upirobo msaxurT ufro miesadageba `Santrapa~, _ radgan ar aqvT saTanado kompetencia da arc mzaoba niWisTvis gzis gakvalvisa.

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Originally, “chantrapas” was a term used by Russian nobility to refer to self-styled French governors who had no musical talent due to a lack of education – in order to shift the attention, they would slander their children: “he won’t be able to sing!” (in French, chantera pas), and this is how this word appeared.

I interpreted the film’s title in this way (again, ambivalently): a young director, who is trying to perfect and display his talent, belonging to the “chantrapas” of those who are always looking for something new; he experiences failure both in his homeland and abroad. Those who can and should support the artist only think about profit, and don’t care the least bit about his films. The few people who do value the director (both “here” and “there”) don’t have the power to change things. On

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finali (biWis wyalSi gauCinareba) metaforad mesaxeba: wyali _ wyaloba _ Sewyaleba, ganwmenda... erTxel ori wlis ninukas locvas vaswavlidi: `ufalo Segviwyale~, bavSvma wamsve gaimeora: `ufalo, mome wyali~. gamaxsenda teleekranze nanaxi erTi filmis STambeWdavi kadri: navi mdinares mihyveba, romelSic eulad oTar ioseliani dgas (samwuxarod, misi es filmi ar minaxavs); gamaxsenda frangi mwerlis margaret iursenaris brwyinvale moTxrobis siuJetic: Cineli mxatvari xatavs mdinares da navs, xatavs wlobiT, auCqareblad, srulyofilebis misaRwevad dReniadag umatebs TiToeul Strixs, mere, ukve Rrma moxuci, `Sedis~ Tavis naxatSi, navSi jdeba da uCinardeba...

Tuki kinematografis dRevandel tendenciebs gaviTvaliswinebT, roca teqnikuri progresi _ specefeqtebi, kompiuteruli Careva, grafika, montaJi, koreqtireba da a.S. _ TandaTanobiT, mxatvruli Tu SemoqmedebiTi TvalsazrisiT, fitavs da sulierad anadgurebs xelovnebis am dargs, isRa dagvrCenia, providenciuri filmis `Santrapas~ avtors vuTxraT: bravo, maestro! lali avaliani

the other hand, the term “chantrapas” also applies to the unconditional servants of cinema commercialization, because they don’t have any competence or wish to pave the way for talent to walk on.

I think the final scene (in which the boy disappears into the water) is a kind of metaphor: water – mercy – forgiveness (all three words have the same etymology in Georgian), purification... Once, I was teaching two-year-old Ninuka how to pray: “Lord, have mercy”, and the girl repeated: “Lord, give me water”.

I recall an impressive scene from a film I watched on TV: a boat is moving down-river carrying the lone Otar Iosseliani (unfortunately, I haven’t seen this film of his). I was reminded of French writer Marguerite Yourcenar’s outstanding novel: a Chinese painter is painting a river and a boat, he paints this for years, without hurry, adding strokes everyday in order to reach perfection; then, in his old age, he “enters” his painting, sits in the boat, and disappears...

If we take a look at the current cinematographic tendencies, little by little, technical progress (special effects, computer graphics, editing, corrections and so on), from an artistic or creative point of view, is extinguishing and spiritually destroying this field of art, and we are left with only one thing to do: to tell the author of the providential film ‘Chantrapas’: bravo, Maestro!

Lali Avaliani

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magram, raRa dros...

But it was too late…

sicocxleSi Sinaurni uyurebdnen, rogorc xelmocarul kacs, ruseTis general-maioris Svils, romelsac ar hqonda niWi moxeleobisa da unari simdidris SeZenisa; xolo mis SemoqmedebiT niWs ufro metni almacerad ucqerdnen, damfaseblebic gvian, Znelad gamouCndnen... aleqsandre yazbegis cxovrebis gza bedisa da ubedobis monacvleobis asparezia, romelSic don kixotiviT, miusafari da martosuli, qancgawyvetiT jiutad ebrZvis droebis usamarTlobas... „me ar maqvs xasiaTad, saqme erTxel Tavs ver movides da maSinve davsustde da maSinve brZolis velidan gaviqce... sruliad sapirispiro xasiaTis kaci var... ukeTu romelime ganzraxvis aRsrulebaSi sxvadasxva dabrkoleba Semxvda, TiTqos amiT Zala ufro memateba da yovelTvis ufro momatebuli energiiT vibrZvi“ _ wers igi.

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In his lifetime, his relatives and friends considered him an unsuccessful man, the son of a Major-General of Russia, who wasn’t good enough to become an official and didn’t have the talent to accumulate wealth; as for his creative talent, most people looked at it with disdain – he would only be appraised much later, after a difficult path…

Fortune and misfortune alternated in Alexander Kazbegi’s life, in which he stubbornly and tirelessly fought injustice; like Don Quixote, solitary and homeless…

“My character doesn’t allow me to surrender and walk away as soon as something fails to work out… I have a completely opposing character: If I meet any obstacle on my way to my purpose, I only become stronger, and I always fight with more energy” – he wrote.

Note: Alexander Kazbegi will be referred to as Alexander, Sandro, and Kazbegi in this article.

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As the only consolation of his parents, his birth generated great joy. His father, Mikheil Kazbegi, a stern feudal magnate, sacrificed a deer at the sacred chapel ‘Spatangelozi’. Pampered beyond measure by his parents, the little Sandro, as he was called, was looked after by servants, and was raised by two exemplary nurses – Nino and Tsiko. The good-looking child was sometimes dressed in a European way, and sometimes in a Georgian “chokha” (Georgian national suit) with golden and silver weapons, and he would be put on a horse to wander the streets of the town. In order to entertain his son, Mikheil would gather boys from the village to practice boxing and other games.

They selected the best schools and teachers for his education; a Russian and a French governess, and Ivane Kereselidze, editor of the journal ‘Tsiskari’, to teach him Georgian… Alexander’s mother, Elisabed Tarkhnishvili, was a royal descendant, and education was very important for her. He was brought to school in a phaeton, where they had to endure his capricious, touchy character. If he was in a bad mood, he would always argue, which is why his mother nicknamed him “Mochkhubaridze” (“Fighterson”). This nickname would become his pseudonym during his first steps in literature.

Many were surprised by such pampering, and said he was being spoiled – but was it his fault? They loved him for his good heart; from his early childhood, he was always generous and sympathetic to

mis amqveynad movlinebas didi sixaruli mohyva, rogorc mSoblebis erTaderT nugeSsa da sixaruls. mamam, mixeil yazbegma, xevis mkacrma batonma, did salocavs „spaTangelozs“, iremi Seswira. mSoblebisgan uzomod ganebivrebul patara sandros Sinamosamsaxureebi dahfofinebdnen da saTno xasiaTiT gamorCeuli ZiZebi _ nino da ciko zrdidnen. lamazi Sesaxedaobis bavSvs, xan evropulad, xanac qarTul CoxaSi gamoawyobdnen, oqros da vercxlis iaraRebiT morTavdnen, cxenze Sesvamdnen da qalaqis quCebSi daatarebdnen. memkvidres rom ar moswyenoda, xevis batoni glexis biWebs krebda da krivs da sxva TamaSobebs amarTvinebda. saukeTeso saswavleblebi da maswavleblebi SeurCies; guvernantebi _ rusi da frangi, qarTulis maswavleblad ki „ciskris“ redaqtori ivane kereseliZe... aleqsandres deda, elisabed TarxniSvili, mefis STamomavali iyo _

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ganaTlebis didad pativismcemeli. memkvidres gimnaziaSi etliT daabrZanebdnen da mis Jinian, butia znesac itandnen. Tu xasiaTze ar iyo Cxubobda da amitom dedam metsaxelad `moCxubariZe~ Searqva. es metsaxeli mere, pirvel samwerlo nabijebsas, mis fsevdonimad iqca. bevrs ukvirda misi aseTi ganebivreba da ambobdnen Svils ryvnian, afuWebeno _ magram ra brali iyo sandrosi? is uyvardaT keTili gulis gamo; guluxvoba da TanagrZnoba Tavidanve dahyoloda masze dabla mdgomi Tanatolebisadmi. ar iSurebda maTTvis arc tkbileuls da arc vercxlis fuls. ToTxmeti wlisam dawera komediuri piesa „amRzrdelebi“, sadac gakicxuli hyavda mSoblebi. igi dascinoda ganebivrebas Svilisas, romelsac usityvod emorCilebodnen da amiT ojaxis didi guliswyroma gamoiwvia: „qveynis sasacilod gagvigdeo“ _ uwyreboda deda. amis sapirispirod ukve zrdasruli aleqsandre, Tavis sayvarel gamzrdel ninos, siTboTi savse werils miswers: „Seni sityvebi ar daikarga muqTaT da aq daimarxa Cems gulSi da exla, amTveni xnis ganmavlobis Semdeg, rodesac SemiZlian angariSi mivce Cems moZraobas, unda siamayiT giTxra: Sens gazrdilSi Tu ipoveba rame rigiani, bavSvobidanve Canergili, amis mizezi Sena xar, risTvisac gmadlob warmouTqmelad“.

people his age who were from families of lower standing than his. He wouldn’t shy away from giving them his candy, or even silver coins.

At 14 years old, he wrote the play ‘Educators’, a comedy in which he criticized his parents, mocking the way they pampered their child and

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Tvrameti wlis iyo, roca mama gardaecvala. mTaSi gansakuTrebuli glova icodnen: sakinZeCamowyvetili kaci xelis sibrtye maTraxs icemda kiserSi cxedris garSemo samjer SemovliT. am wess TviTon yazbegi velur tradiciad Tvlida da ewinaaRmdegeboda. miuxedavad amisa, glovis gamosaxatad, yvelasgan moulodnelad, Seasrula es wesi. kiserdasisxlianebuls ron hkiTxes, rad gaakeTe aseo? _ upasuxa: „xalxi ifiqrebda, mamis sikvdili gauxardao. exla ki darwmundebian, rom mamaCems Rirseulad vglovob“. simarTlis moyvaruli iyo. aTas rvaas oTxmocian wlebSi stefanwmindas Seaweres saxelmwifo xarji, romlis gadaxda mTis mcxovreblebs ar SeeZloT, mTavrobis Cinovnikebi ki ZalmomreobiT arTmevdnen maT ukanasknel lukmas. am faqtma ise aaRelva aleqsandre, rom boqauls miadga saCivriT da saSuamdgomlo Txovna akaki wereTelsac gaugzavna. vaxtang kotetiSvili ixsenebs, rogor Camoxsna giorgi yazbegis oTaxidan ruseTis xelmwifis suraTi da

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how they would obey any of his demands. Naturally, this angered his family: “You made us the laughing stock of the country” – his father yelled at him. In contrast to that, an already adult Alexander would write letters full of warmth to his favorite nanny, Nino: “Your words were not lost: they are buried in my heart, and now, after so much time has passed and that I can be held accountable for my actions, I have to tell you proudly: whatever decent part there is in me, whom you raised, you are the one who put it there a long time ago, and there are not enough words to thank you for this.”

He was 18 when his father died. Mourning was something special in the mountains: a man in an undone shirt had to hit his neck with a whip as wide as a hand, while walking around the corpse three times. Alexander Kazbegi deemed this tradition a savage one and was against it, but regardless, he performed it himself, to the surprise of all onlookers. His was covered in blood, and they asked him why he had done it. He answered: “Otherwise, people would have thought that I rejoiced in my father’s death. Now they will be certain that I mourn my father honorably.”

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miawera: „davwvi Seni samarTali, Seni kanondebuleba, Seni azri, mofiqreba, Seni mironcxebuleba“ _ Semdeg ki buxarSi Seagdo da kidev miaZaxa: „daiwos Seni STamomavloba, Tqveni kanoni, Tqveni mTavrobis Zalao!“ aleqsandre yazbegma marjved gamoiyena erTi SemTxveva: _ roca ruseTSi mimavali egzarxosi paladi stefanwmindaSi gaCerda, Sexvda mas da mouTxro gergetis taZris istoria, aRuwera misi didebuleba. SesCivla V saukunis taZris mdgomareoba da daxmareba sTxova.

1867 wels swavlis gasagrZeleblad ruseTSi gaemgzavra, uatestatod, ormocdaaTi TumniT. eqimoba hqonda ganzraxuli, magram petrovskis akademiaSi mxolod Tavisufal msmenelad mowyoba SesZlo. am ucxo, civ qveyanaSic bevri gaWirveba eloda. saarsebo Tanxis molodinSi dedisgan mxolod werils da CurCxelebs iRebda. am SemTxvevaSic gaiZvera siZem, furmanma `ivaJkaca~, sandros deda daarwmuna, rom mas fuli gasarTobad sWirdeboda. moskovis maxloblad,

He was a defender of the truth. In the 1880s, a contribution was imposed by the Empire on Stepantsminda; the inhabitants couldn’t pay it, and government officials took their daily bread away by force.

This fact agitated Alexander so much that he filed a complaint to the police superintendent, and also asked Akaki Tsereteli to intervene.

Vakhtang Kotetishvili recalls how Alexander removed the picture of the Russian Tsar from Giorgi Kazbegi’s room and wrote on it: “I burn your justice, your laws, your thoughts and opinions, your enthronement” – then he threw it in the fireplace, and yelled: “May your posterity burn, and your laws, and your government’s power!”

Alexander Kazbegi cleverly used an occurrence to his advantage: when exarch Paladi took a break in Stepantsminda on his way to Russia, he met him, told him the history of the Gergeti Trinity Church, and explained its importance. He complained about the condition of the temple and asked for his help.

In 1867, Alexander traveled to Russia in order to continue his studies there, without any attestation and with only 500 rubles. He wanted to become a doctor, but could only attend the Petrovski

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sofel CervlenoeSi memamule SatixinTan cxovrobda, romelsac qarTveli siZeebi hyavda. erT-erTi, levan WavWavaZe aleqsandres megobari iyo. aqve, SatixinebTan gaumijnurda nina CerniSov-kruglikovas. Seyvarebulma sandrom stefanwmindaSi dedas werili gamougzavna da qalis dasaniSnad cotaoden fulTan erTad gulsakidi da princ albertis naCuqari beWedi sTxova. Tumca, elisabedis sixaruli maleve mwuxarebad iqca _ ramdenime TveSi sandro stefanwmindaSi marto dabrunda... am burusiTmocul istorias, savaraudod, yazbegi SemdgomSi Tavis daumTavrebel moTxrobaSi `cxovrebis Carxi~ aRgviwers...

Academy as an auditor. Many difficulties awaited him in this foreign, cold country. He expected subsistence money from his mother, but only received letters and churchkhelas (Georgian sweets). This time, it was a sly in-law, Furman, who made the right move- convincing Alexander’s mother that he needed money to entertain himself.

He was living near Moscow, in Chervlenoe village, and his landlord Shatikhin had Georgian in-laws. One of them, Levan Chavchavadze, was Alexander’s friend. It was at Shatikhin’s house that he fell in love with Nina Chernishov-Kruglikova. The enamored Sandro sent

mwerali arc samSobloSi miatova bedis ukuRmarTobam. mas aq glexis qali Seuyvarda, magram ZiZias Zmebma es urTierToba ar moiwones _ is batoniSvilia, naswavli, Sen ras gikadrebs, Sercxvenils dagtovebso. aqeT sandrosac eCiCinebodnen: glexis qali ra Seni sakadrisia, jvarsac ar dagwereno. ZiZia sandros dardiT daavadda da gardaicvala, sandrom ki Tavisi bolo siyvaruli daasaflava da saflavze daifica: „Sengamets me qals ar SevirTavo“. swored am ambis Semdgom yazbegma ojaxi datova da

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cxvarSi gavida... es nabiji naTesaobam iukadrisa, mwerals zurgi aqcia _ sad gagonila, generlis Svili da mecxvare?! _ albaT, marTla gagiJebulao. deda misgan `mefis kacobas~ eloda da axla ra Rone exmara, aRar icoda. Svidi weli Tavis erTgul namglebTan erTad gaatara. gudaSi kalami, qaRaldi da kartofilis sanTeli ewyo. dRisiT mwyemsavda, Rame ki sanTlis Suqze gatacebiT werda... `namwyemsuris~ Semdeg muSaoba „droebis“ redaqciaSi daiwyo. akaki wereTels miuyvania. redaqtorma sergei mesxma iqve oTaxi miuCina sacxovreblad _ were da dagibeWdavo. ase gamoqveynda pirveli publicisturi naSromi „moxeveebi da imaTi yofa-cxovreba“. werili moiwones. miuxedavad imisa, rom redaqciis patara oTaxSi, siviwroesa da ayal-mayalSi, mwerlobisTvis Sesaferisi pirobebi ar hqonda, aleqsandres SeeZlo Seusvenebliv emuSava. mwerali ilia Wyonia ixsenebs, rogor gamoketa sandro oTaxSi da uTxra, sanam rames ar damiwer gazeTisTvis, ar gamogiSvebo. ori saaTis mere ki mzad iyo yazbegis erT-erTi saukeTeso moTxroba „cicka“. male

a letter to his mother in Stepantsminda, and together with some money for the engagement, he asked her to send him a pendant and a ring given to the family as a present by Prince Albert. But Elisabed’s joy was soon transformed into sorrow, as Sandro would return to Stepantsminda a few months later, alone... Kazbegi probably describes this vague story in the unfinished ‘Тhe Wheel of Life’ he would later compose…

Twists of fate continued to bother the writer in his homeland. He fell in love with Dzidzia, a farmer’s daughter, but her brothers didn’t like the relationship – “He is a noble, educated man, he will allow himself too much towards you, and leave you ashamed.” And they told Sandro: “A peasant girl doesn’t suit you, they won’t even do the religious wedding ceremony”. Because of her longing and sorrow, Dzidzia became ill and died; as for Sandro, he buried his last love, and swore on her grave: “I won’t have any other wife than you”.

It is after this episode that Kazbegi left his family to become a shepherd. The decision was not met favorably by his family members, who turned their backs on the writer – “Who can imagine a general’s son becoming a shepherd?! He must have gone crazy!” His mother

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sazogadoebam `moCxubariZe~ gaicno, rogorc niWieri beletristi. „elgujas“ gamoqveynebam ki mas sayovelTao aRiareba moutana. stambis muSebiT dawyebuli, didi grigol orbelianiT damTavrebuli, yvela aRfrTovanebuli darCa. „SabaS, qarTvelT omiros ars!“ _ uTqvams generals. Tumca, samwerlo gzaze Semdgars ar dahklebia moSurneni da vai-kritikosebi _ zogi stils uwunebda, zogi-enas, zogi ki saerTod ar Tvlida mwerlad. gamoCndnen iseTebic, Sinaurni, eWvqveS rom daayenes misi avtoroba: gana ra dasajerebelia _ mecxvaris qonian tyapuWSi gaxveul kacs raime rigiani daeweroso?! „me gansakuTrebiT auarebelis warmodgenisa ar var Cems nawerebzed da arc imisTvis vwer, rom ukvdavebis saxeli davimsaxuro... me miyvars Cemi xalxi, Cemi gza da yoveli kacis movaleobaTa vxdi, rom emsaxuros Tavis xalxs imiTi, riTac SeuZlian“ _ am dros wers yazbegi. honorarebs TiTqmis ar iRebda. cotaoden fuls gayiduli wignebidan aZlevdnen, cotaodens TeatrSi lekuris cekviT Soulobda.

TeatrSic akakim miiyvana. samsaxiobo niWi didad expected him to behave like a real aristocrat and had no idea what to do to bring him back. He spent seven years with other, loyal shepherds. In his bag, he had a pen, paper, and a potato candle. He would herd sheep during the day, and write passionately by night...

After his shepherding period, he started working at the newspaper ‘Droeba’, at the invitation of Akaki Tsereteli.

Editor Sergei Meskhi gave him a room to live in at the office, and told him: “You just write, and we’ll publish”.

This is how his first work as a publicist, ‘Khevians and Their Way of Life’, came to be. They liked the article.

Despite the fact that there were no proper conditions for a writer in the bustle of the small editorial room, Alexander would work tirelessly. Writer Ilia Chkhonia recalls how he locked Sandro in the room and told him that until he wrote something for the newspaper, he wouldn’t let him out. Two hours later, Kazbegi came out with one of his best works, ‘Tsitska’. The public soon got to know “Mochkhubaridze” (“Fighterson”) as a talented writer. It was the publication of ‘Elguja’ that finally won him fame and acknowledgment. From the workers of the printing house to the great Grigol Orbeliani, everybody was amazed at him. “Well done! There is a Homer among Georgians!” – а general even said. But on his way to fame, there were also many jealous writers and “critics” – some attacking his style, some his language, and some not likening him to a writer at all. Even some of his friends and

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ar hqonda, magram arc ufiqria Teatridan wasvla, imdenad SeeTvisa. siduxWiresTan erTad, 1886 wlidan aleqsandre yazbegs avadobac daetyo; ar hqonda bina, qiris gadauxdelobisa gamo xSirad ubinaod rCeboda. xandaxan Rames dis saxlis SesasvlelSi aTevda, an romelime megobarTan. erTxans biZaSvil bibosTan cxovrobda, romelsac misTvis TeTri Coxa uyidia da vaJa-fSavelasTan erTad, SemTxveviT rom Sexvda TbilisSi, ukanaskneli suraTi gadauRia. iakob mansvetaSvili igonebs: „erT civ zamTarSi qarian dRes Semxvda sandro, gaCqarebuli midioda, TiTqos saqmeze ugviandebao. Tavze kaxuri qudi exura, romelic kefas Zlivs ufaravda, tanze wamoegdo kargad mocveTili, daZonZili mokle nabadi; fexT ecva maRalyeliani mestebi, zogan gaglejili, vkiTxe _ amisTana darSi ram gamogiyvana gareT? _ mipasuxa: me miyvars amisTana dari; Cem mTas magonebs, Cem mecxvareobaso“.

Tu ram gaaCnda, gayida. sagvareulo Zvirfasi saxareba „wera-kiTxvis sazogadoebas“ mihyida, dedis Zvirfasi qirmanis Salic da bolos, arafris mqonem, „Jako“, patara maimuni, romelic sul Tan hyavda, gasayidad gaimeta. saavadmyofoSi myofs gulisxmierad epyrobodnen gansakuTrebiT eqimi gedevaniSvili, romelic misi didi gulSematkivari relatives put his authorship into question: “How could one believe that a shepherd in a wool coat would be capable of writing anything decent?!” – they wondered.

“I don’t have a particularly high opinion of my writings, and I don’t write for my name to become eternal… I love my people, my path, and I believe it is the duty of all to serve their people as much as they can” –Kazbegi wrote at the time.

He almost never took royalties. They would give him some money from the sales of his books, and he would earn some spare change by dancing “lekuri” (traditional Georgian dance) in a theater (again, it is Akaki Tsereteli who took him there).

He wasn’t a good actor, but he liked the theater so much that he never thought about leaving it.

In addition to his financial hardship, Alexander started to become ill in 1886; he didn’t have an apartment, because he was often thrown out for not paying rent. He would sometimes spend the night in the entrance of his sister’s house, or at a friend’s place. For a time, he lived with his cousin Bibo, who bought him a “chokha” (traditional Georgian suit) and took his last photograph, the one with VazhaPshavela, whom they stumbled upon in Tbilisi.

Iakob Mansvetashvili recalls: “It was a cold winter and a windy day, and I met Sandro, who was walking fast as if he was late to some serious task. He was wearing a Kakhetian

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iyo. erTxans gamokeTda kidec da anton furcelaZes miswera: „balnicaSi Cavardi kargaTmyofi da marwmuneben giJi xaro! veficebi Tqvenzed Wkviani var-meTqi da ar mijereben. erTi Semo, uTxar da daarwmune, ar var gagiJebuli, aramed isini gagiJebulan, vinc me mxedaven giJaT... magram avadobam TandaTan imZlavra da bolos sruliad uRonod aqcia. mixeilis saavadmyofoSi, miurTmeviaT xaverdisydiani Txzulebebis krebuli, iqneb gavaxaroTo, magram usiamod miuRia, sakuTari suraTi dauxevia da wigniTur moutyorcnia... 1893 wlis 10 dekembers gardaicvala da rogorc akakim brZana: „maSin ki mze da mTvare daaxales mis kubos qarTvelebma, magram raRa dros?“ lela xuleliZe

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(regional) hat that hardly covered the back of his head, a worn, ripped cloak, and broken shoes… I asked him what had brought him out in this bad weather, and he answered: ‘I like this kind of weather; it reminds me of my mountains and my time as a shepherd’.”

He sold everything he had. He sold his precious heirloom bible to the Society for the Spreading of Literacy Among Georgians, his mother’s precious Persian shawl, and finally, when he had nothing left, even his little monkey Jako, who had followed him everywhere. At the hospital, they treated him with kindness, especially Doctor Gedevanishvili, who was a great supporter of his. He got better once, and wrote to Anton Purtseladze: “I was a little ill, and they’re telling me I became crazy! I swear to them I’m much cleverer than they, and they don’t believe me. Please come, convince them that I haven’t gone crazy: those who think that I am are the ones who are out of their minds…”

But his illness gradually got the better of him, and he lost all his energy. At the Mikheil Hospital, in an attempt to cheer him up, they brought him a collection of his works in a velvet cover, but he didn’t react positively – he ripped up his own photograph and threw it away, together with the book… He passed on the 10th of December 1893, and, as Akaki put it: “Georgians then started to mourn him, but it was too late…”

Lela Khulelidze

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o r i o d e s i t y v a

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„niRbis miRma“, oTar meRvineTuxucesis Semoqmedebis yvela aspeqts moicavs, da, rogorc qandakebis aRqmaa, yvela mxridan Tu wertilidan SesaZlebeli, asevea _ es wignic... aq SeiZleba nebismieri „rakursiT“ davinaxoT da SevicnoT oTar meRvineTuxucesi _ artisti, xelovani da moazrovne. wignis avtori xelovnebaTmcodne da kinodokumentalisti oliko JRentia. misi profesia, kinoazrovneba mkafiod ikveTeba am naSromSi _ „gmiris“ portretis Sesaqmnelad, igi iseT kinoxerxebs mimarTavs, rogoricaa montaJi, msxvili da saSualo xedi, panorama, da, wignic iseve aRiqmeba, rogorc kinonawarmoebi. iSviaTia, rodesac kritikosi amgvarad aRiqvams xelovans. teqstis qronologiuri Tanmimdevroba zogan irRveva, icvleba detalebi _ msaxiobis monologebs, sxvadasxva recenziebidan, statiebidan, werilebidan amonaridebi enacvleba. am montaJur nakadSi CarTulia im pirTa saubrebi, interviuebi (werilebis formiT mowodebuli), romlebic uSualod iyvnen dakavSirebulni meRvineTuxucesis cxovrebasa da SemoqmedebasTan. es gansakuTrebiT acocxlebs wigns. mkiTxvels saSualeba eZleva amoikiTxos rogorc teqsti, aseve, qveteqsti. rodesac wigns erTi avtori hyavs da is Tavad qmnis nawarmoebs, iq qveteqstic gasagebia. magram, wignSi „niRbis miRma“ teqsti da qveteqsti bunebrivad erwymis erTmaneTs. sainteresoa, Tu rogor gadadis msaxiobis Semoqmedeba Teatridan kinoSi... ai, Cndeba pirveli kinoroli, pirveli dabrkolebebic da... avtori iqve ixmobs werils, romelsac axalgazrda oTari Soreuli kinoeqspediciidan ugzavnis ivane gvinCiZes _ marjaniSvilis Teatris maSindel direqtors. sainteresoa, Tu rogor mimarTavs marjaniSvilis Teatris damwyebi msaxiobi Tavis xelmZRvanels, asakovan adamians _ rogorc Tanatoli Tanatols. ai, aseTi iyo oTari, is arasodes iyo `yma~ da es qiziyuri bunebaa... wignis erT-erT Rirsebad isic mimaCnia, rom, erTi SexedviT, TiTqos, darRveulia rolebis Tanmimdevroba, magram arsebobs Sinagani logika, rasac, fotokadrebis monacvleobac eqvemdebareba... erT-erTi aseTi STambeWdavi kadria _ vaso goZiaSvili (kaTalikosi melqisedeki) da oTar meRvineTuxucesi (mefe giorgi), filmidan „didostatis marjvena“. absoluturad sxvadasxva skola... oTari TiTqos, erTi mTliani grafikuli namuSevaria, romlis Sinagani samyaros feradovneba mJRavndeba... is pativs scemda Tavis profesias da eTayvaneboda scenas, mis sivrces, da es kargad gamoCnda am wignSi. oTari daibada, rogori aqtiori, mas, Semdeg ar SeuZenia aqtioruli Tvisebebi _ is gaxldaT aqtiori mTeli arsebiT, mTeli SegnebiT, romlis sxvadasxva Tviseba sxvadasxva rolSi gamoikveTa. is gaxldaT saxasiaTo msaxiobi, gavixsenoT, rogor brwyinvaled Seasrula leos

“Behind the mask” encompasses all aspects of Otar Megvinetukhutsesi’s work, and just as one can appreciate a statue from all angles or perspectives, the same can be applied to this book… Here, we can discover and get to know all the faces of Otar Megvinetukhutsesi – the actor, the artist, and the man.

The author of the book is art historian and documentary filmmaker Oliko Jgenti. Her professional approach to cinema can clearly be felt in this work – in order to create a portrait of the “hero”, she uses cinema tricks such as editing, close-ups, middle-shots and panoramas, so the book can be considered another cinematic work. It is rare for critics to approach an artist in this manner.

Chronological order is sometimes disregarded in the book, some details change, and the actor’s monologues are replaced by excerpts from various reviews, articles, and letters. This edited flow also contains the dialogues and interviews of people who were directly connected to Megvinetukhutsesi’s life and work, which particularly enlivens the book.

The reader has the opportunity to perceive both the text and the subtext. When a book has one author and he or she creates the text himself, the subtext is often quite clear. But in ‘Behind the Mask’, the text and subtext are naturally and harmoniously combined. The transition of the actor from theater to cinema is worth noting…

The first cinematic role, the first obstacles appear, and to transmit this, the author makes use of a letter sent by the young Otar, from a faraway shooting expedition, to Ivane Gvinchidze, then director of the Marjanishvili Theater. The novice actor of the Marjanishvili Theater addresses his superior, who also happened to be much older than him, in an interesting way – as someone the same age. This was the kind of person Otar was, he has never been a “serf”, which is characteristic of the Kizikian (from a historic Eastern Georgian region) nature.

One of the greatest values of this book is that, at first sight, it doesn’t seem to respect the sequence of roles played by the actor.

But it has an internal logic which is also supported by the alternation of photographs… One of the most impressive pictures is that of Vaso Godziashvili (Catholicos Melkisedek) and Otar Megvinetukhutsesi

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roli speqtaklSi „provinciuli ambavi“ _ es ar yofila msaxiobis aRmoCena _ is iyo msaxiobi _ xelTuqmneli ZegliviT. oTari iyo msaxiobi, romelmac Tanamedroveobas uCvena, Tu rogorebi iyvnen Cveni winaprebi. oTari gamorCeuli iyo Tavis TaobaSi, da misi, rogorc lideris potenciali, am wignmac gamoavlina. oTaris saxasiaTo Tviseba _ es aris raindoba. igi sakuTar TavSi moicavs drois sam ganzomilebas _ warsuls, awmyosa da momavals _ igi samive drois ganuyreli „nawilia“, Cvens warmodgenaSi igi ganasaxierebs qarTveli gmiris potenciur SesaZleblobebs wina saukuneebSi, TanamedroveobaSi, da, rogori SeiZleba iyos qarTveli xval? garda imisa, rom es wigni exeba oTars da mis Semoqmedebas, amave dros, warmoaCens im epoqasac, romelSiac msaxiobs mouxda cxovreba da moRvaweoba.

Seiqmna fundamenturi naSromi msaxiobis Sesaxeb _ aseTi masStaburi proeqti qarTvel msaxiobze iSviaTia... dRes, saqarTveloSi, ar meguleba arc erTi Teatrmcodne,

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(King George), from the film ‘The Right Hand of the Grand Master’.

They are from totally different schools… In this picture, Otar seems to be a graphic artwork, displaying the colorfulness of his inner world…

He was very respectful of his profession, and adored the stage and its space, which can clearly be felt in this book. Otar was born an actor, and he didn’t need to assimilate these skills – he was an actor by essence, and the various facets of his character came to the surface in this or that role. He was a typical actor… Let us remember how wonderfully he performed Leo’s role in Medea Kuchukhidze’s play ‘Provincial Story’ – this was not the discovery of an actor, it was an actor, and he was like a statue that wasn’t made by human hand.

Otar was an actor who showed his contemporaries how our ancestors used to be. He stood out from his generation, and his potential as a leader can also be felt in this book.

Otar’s characteristic trait was chivalry. He united the three dimensions of time – past, present and future – and he was an integral “part” of those three dimensions, too. He impersonated, in our consciousness, the potential of Georgian heroes in past centuries, in the present time, and “tomorrow”, in the future.

Apart from the fact that this book is about Otar and his work, it also

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Cemi CaTvliT, da arc kinomcodne, romelic, teqnikuri TvalsazrisiT aseT Sromatevad samuSaos gaswevda. magaliTad, rogorc filmis dasasruls _ titrebSi, aseve, am wignSi miniSnebulia yvela is piri, romelmac garkveuli wvlili Seitana am naSromis SeqmnaSi. samwuxarod, TeatrTan dakavSirebiT, xSirad amas ver vaxerxebT. ori mniSvnelovani principia, riTac movixible _ erTi, wignis „aparatura“ _ sqolio, SeniSvnebi, komentarebi da meore _ forma, romelsac avtori mimarTavs. xdeba xolme _ daiwereba wigni da is mxolod avtors ekuTvnis an mkiTxvelTa viwro wrisTvis aris gamiznuli. aseTi wigni maleve „kvdeba“. „niRbis miRma“ki iqneba cocxali wigni _ yvela, vinc oTar meRvineTuxucesis pirovnebiT da cxovrebiT dainteresdeba, aucileblad moixmobs da xSirad daubrundeba am wigns. es niSnavs wignis sicocxles. naTela arvelaZe Teatrmcodne

describes the epoch in which the actor lived.

With this book, a fundamental work about the actor was created – there are very few such large-scale projects about Georgian actors.

Today, in Georgia, I know of no theater or cinema specialist (including myself ) who could achieve such a large-scale project from a technical point of view. For instance, just like in the end credits of a film, this book pays tribute to all the people who have participated in its creation. Unfortunately, we seldom manage to do the same in the field of theater.

I was charmed with the two main principles of the book – on the one hand, the “paraphernalia” of the book, meaning its notes, remarks, commentaries; and on the other hand – the form used by the author.

It sometimes happens that a book belongs only to its author, or that its target audience consists of a small circle of readers. These kinds of books “die” fast. I hope that ‘Behind the Mask’ will be a live book for all the people who are interested in Otar Megvinetukhutsesi as a person and as an artist; readers will undoubtedly often use and return to this book. And this means that this is a live book.

Natela Arveladze Theater Critic

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kinomcodne oliko JRenti daxelovnda monografebis, ilustrirebuli krebulebis Sedgenasa da gamocemaSi. mkiTxvelisTvis cnobilia misi istoriebi: „baTumi kinoSi“, „Tbilisi kinoSi“, agreTve, krebuli: „knut hamsuni da saqarTvelo“. 2015 wels, oliko JRentis proeqtiTa da erovnuli kinocentris mxardaWeriT gamoica wigni kinodramaturg suliko JRentze, saxelwodebiT: „rogor SerCebi maradisobas“. da es aris, vixileT misi kidev erTi saavtoro proeqti _ wigni saxelganTqmul artistze _ oTar meRvineTuxucesze. oTar meRvineTuxucesis Sesaxeb krebulis Sedgena metad rTuli saqme gaxldaT, vinaidan, uamravi masala arsebobs mis moRvaweobis Sesaxeb; am masalis mogroveba, SerCeva da dalageba garkveuli gegmiT, masalis SeswavlasTan erTad, kompoziciis codnasac moiTxovs. oliko JRentma amjeradac SesaniSnavad gaarTva Tavi amocanas da mkiTxvelis winaSe warsdga didi msaxiobi, misi cxovreba da Semoqmedeba. „saqmeman Senman gamogaCinoso“, naTqvamia. oTaris saqmeebidan ki oliko JRents araferi mniSvnelovani ar gamorCenia, garda amisa, mas ekuTvnis esei, romelic, specialurad, wignisTvis momzadda da romelSic igi msaxiobis kinoSemoqmedebis farul Sreebs, msaxiobis niRbis miRma samyaros ikvlevs da aanalizebs.

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Filmmaker Oliko Jgenti mastered the creation and publication of monographies and illustrated anthologies. Georgian readers will know her “stories” ‘Batumi in Cinema’, ‘Tbilisi in Cinema’, as well as the anthology ‘Knut Hamsun and Georgia’. In 2015, with the support of the Georgian National Film Fund, she published a book about scriptwriter Suliko Jgenti, titled ‘How You Will Become Eternal’. And now, we have the joy of reading another of her compositions – a book about the famed artist Otar Megvinetukhutsesi.

Creating a book about Otar Megvinetukhutsesi must have been hard, as there is a lot of material about his activities; gathering all this material, selecting and rearranging it according to one’s objective, demands, together with the knowledge of the material, the knowledge of the art of composition. Once more, Oliko Jgenti has faced the challenge head-on, managing to present the public with the life and deeds of the great actor flawlessly. As the Georgian saying goes, “may you stand out for your deeds”. And none of Otar’s deeds have been neglected by the author; moreover, she has also written an essay specially for this book, in which she studies and analyzes the hidden layers of the actor’s work in cinema – the world behind his mask.

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oTar meRvineTuxucesis fenomens, niWisa da inteleqtTan erTad qmnida garemo, wreebi, adamianebi... upirveles yovlisa _ msaxiobi da meuRle guranda gabunia, romelic oTaris dialeqtikuri mxare gaxldaT. xSirad minaxavs, biWvinTis dasasvenebeli saxlis ezoSi, agreTve, marjaniSvilis quCaze mimavali col-qmari, romlebic gamudmebiT msjelobdnen xelovnebis sakiTxebze, da, es msjeloba, rogorc etyoboda, polemikaSic gadadioda. aseTi aqtiurobiT amdidrebdnen isini erTmaneTs. Cemi maSindeli dakvirveba winamdebare naSromSic gamovaqveyne, am wignSic hpova Tavisi adgili. vinc wigns dakvirvebiT waikiTxavs, yvela detali, rogorc Zvirfasi qvebi, mis cnobierebaSi Seikribeba... rezo kveselava kinodramaturgi, publicisti

The phenomenon of Otar Megvinetukhutsesi was created by his talent and intellect, but also by his environment, circle of friends and relatives; in the first place by his wife, actress Guranda Gabunia, who was often Otar’s “dialectic” side. I often saw the couple in the yard of their summer house in Bichvinta, as well as on Marjanishvili Street, and they were always discussing art. It seems these discussions would often turn into small arguments. This is how actively they would complete each other.

I already expressed my amazement at Oliko Jgenti’s previous work, and she has managed to produce the same feeling in me once again.

Those who read this book attentively will enjoy collecting each detail like gathering gemstones…

Rezo Kveselava Scriptwriter, publicist

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samuzeumo koleqciaTa dacvis Sesaxeb

About the preservation of museum collections muzeumis, rogorc instituciis roli kulturuli, religiuri da istoriuli mniSvnelobis masalebis moZieba, dacva, Seswavla, saganmanaTleblo mizniT sazogadoebisTvis wardgenaa.

Tanamedrove sazogadoebaSi mkafiodaa gamoxatuli muzeumebis konkretuli misiis, funqciebisa da marTvis strategiis gansazRvris saWiroeba. muzeumis umTavresi resursi koleqciebia; erT-erTi ZiriTadi funqcia ki maTi dacva da movla-patronobaa. eqsponats mniSvneloba daekargeba, Tu is, an masTan dakavSirebuli informacia ganadgurdeba. miuxedavad imisa, rom dRes samuzeumo koleqciebis dacvasa da Senaxvas ufro metad eqceva yuradReba, vidre warsulSi,

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As an institution, the role of a museum is to find, preserve, research and present materials of cultural, religious and historic importance to society, with an educational purpose.

Together with technological developments, the necessity of defining the concrete missions, functions and management strategy of museums has become apparent in our modern society.

The main resources of museums are collections. Because museum collections represent a non-renewable resource, museums must look to their preservation and protection. Exhibits will lose their importance if information related to them gets destroyed. Despite the fact that today, more attention is paid to the protection and preservation of museum collections than in the past, there are still many cases in which museums fail to prevent the damaging of their

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amJamadac xSiria SemTxvevebi, roca muzeumebi ver uzrunvelyofen koleqciebis saTanadod dacvas. yovelive es sxvadasxva mizeziTaa ganpirobebuli. arasaTanadod dacvis problemebis ZiriTadi mizezebi SeiZleba iyos finansuri da adamianuri resursebis, sakmarisi codnisa Tu swori prioritetebis uqonloba, an am mizezTa erToblioba. bevri muzeumi koleqciebis Sesanaxad saWiro saxsrebis naklebobas ganicdis, an arasworad gankargavs maT. bevr maTgans ar gaaCnia saTanado codna konservaciis, Senaxvis sistemebisa Tu sxvadasxva saxis usafrTxoebis normebis Sesaxeb. arsebobs garkveuli garemoebebi, rac damazianebel zemoqmedebas axdens samuzeumo koleqciebze. yvela muzeums eqsponatebis dazianebasTan dakavSirebuli sxvadasxva problemebi aqvT, gamomdinare misi geografiuli mdebareobidan Tu klimaturi pirobebidan. magaliTad, dasavleT saqarTveloSi aRmoCenili arqeologiuri warmoSobis liTonis eqsponatebi yovelTvis ufro metadaa dazianebuli, vidre aRmosavleTSi, rac dasavleT saqarTvelos maRali tenianobiTaa gamowveuli. aseTi procesebi adamianisgan damoukideblad mimdinareobs, razec zegavlenis moxdena SeuZlebelia. Tumca arsebobs procesebi, rasTan brZolac SesaZlebeli da Sedegianicaa. gansakuTrebiT dRes, ganviTarebuli teqnologiebis pirobebSi. dazianebuli eqsponatisTvis pirvandeli iersaxis srulfasovnad dabruneba Cvens SesaZleblobebs aRemateba, Tumca arsebuli mdgomareobis gauaresebis procesis SeCereba SegviZlia. koleqciebis dazianebis iseTi gamomwvevi mizezebis, rogoricaa temperaturisa da fardobiTi tenianobis xSiri da mkveTri cvalebadoba, Seusabamo ganaTeba, dabinZurebuli haeris aRmofxvra SesaZlebelia, aseve arakeTilmowyobili da konstruqciulad Seusabamo samuzeumo nagebobebis reabilitacia da samuzeumo adaptacia. saqarTveloSi bevri muzeumia dabinavebuli Zvel, xSir SemTxvevaSi istoriuli mniSvnelobis SenobaSi. aseTi Senobebi savsebiT ar pasuxobs im saerTaSoriso standartebs, romelsac Tanamedroveoba gvkarnaxobs, radgan dRevandeli da gasuli saukunis samuzeumo moTxovnebi mniSvnelovnad gansxvavdeba erTmaneTisgan. aseT dros muzeumi or mniSvnelovan sakiTxzea pasuxismgebeli. pirveli, uzrunvelyos Senobis istoriuli da arqiteqturuli iersaxis ucvleloba-SenarCuneba da meore, muzeumma unda SeZlos srulfasovani funqcionireba. axali samuzeumo Senobebis proeqtirebisas ki gaTvaliswinebulia yvela saWiroeba, rac uzrunvelyofs koleqciebis saTanado dacvasa da sainteresod warmoCenas. gansazRvrulia saWiro sivrceebis moculoba da dizaini; usafrTxoebis, ventilacia-kondecirebis, ganaTebis sistemebi Tu sxv.

collections. There can be many different causes for this. The main reasons for problems related to the inappropriate preservation of collections can be the lack of financial or human resources, of sufficient knowledge or the right priorities – or the sum of these reasons. Many museums suffer from not having the necessary resources to preserve their collections, and should they in fact have them, they often misuse them. Most do not have the correct knowledge of conservation and preservation systems or other kinds of security norms.

There are a number of conditions that can produce a damaging impact on museum collections. Every museum experiences problems related to the damaging of its exhibits, be it because of their geographic location or climatic conditions. For instance, the archaeological metal exhibits discovered in western Georgia are always more damaged than those from eastern Georgia: a result of the high level of humidity found in western Georgia.

These processes take place without human involvement, and it is impossible to influence them. But there are also processes that can be opposed and regulated – especially with the technological possibilities we have today. If we cannot achieve full recovery of the original condition of damaged exhibits, we can nonetheless halt the process of deterioration. And it is possible to eliminate causes of damage altogether, such as frequent and sharp changes in temperature and relative humidity, inappropriate lighting, and polluted air; and it is also possible to rehabilitate and adapt museum buildings that were improperly constructed or lack appropriate facilities.

In Georgia, many museums are located in old, often historic buildings. These buildings do not satisfy any modern international standards, as the norms of the field have completely changed from the last century to the current. In this case, museums have the responsibility to first care for the preservation of the building’s historic and architectural aspects, and secondly, to function correctly.

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saqarTveloSi muzeumebi erTmaneTisgan gansxvavdebian rogorc, mdebareobiTa da klimaturi pirobebiT, ise koleqciebiTa da SesaZleblobebiT. saerTaSoriso organizaciebi, rogoricaa UNESCO, ICOM da sxvadasxva msxvili muzeumebi, saxelmZRvaneloebis saxiT gvawvdian koleqciebis dacvasTan dakavSirebiT konkretul miTiTebebs, kerZod: prevenciuli konservaciis mniSvneloba; koleqciebis mdgomareobis kvleva; eqsponatebis konseravciis dagegmva; sxvadasxva saxis dazianebis gamomwvevi mizezebi da maTi gamovlenis meTodebi; saWiro garemopirobebis uzrunvelyofa; parazitebTan da mavneblebTan brZolis meTodebi; eqsponatebTan muSaobis, SefuTvisa da transportirebis wesebi; fondsacavebis aRWurvisa da koleqciebis saTanado Senaxvis meTodebi da sxv. koleqciebis movlasTan dakavSirebuli sakmaod didi informaciis arsebobis miuxedavad, yvela muzeums prevenciuli konservaciis erTiani sistemis SesamuSaveblad individualuri midgoma esaWiroeba. es ki sxvadasxva RonisZiebaTa erTobliobaa, romelic mimarTulia koleqciebis sicocxlisunarianobis gasaxangrZliveblad. am RonisZiebaTa ganxorcielebiT nivTebis mdgomareobis gauaresebis procesi mniSvnelovnad mcirdeba. prevenciuli konservacia mimdinare da mudmivi procesia. is moicavs Sesabamisi garemopirobebis,

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While planning new museum buildings, we must take into account all the needs for a proper collections care system and an interesting display of exhibits. The necessary spaces and designs can be defined keeping security, ventilation, air conditioning, and lighting systems in mind.

In Georgia, museums differ from each other in terms of geographical location and climatic conditions, but also in terms of collections and capabilities. International organizations such as UNESCO, ICOM, and various large museums provide us with manuals containing specific instructions regarding the protection of collections, namely: the importance of collections care; study of the collections’ condition; planning the conservation of exhibits; methods for determining the various causes of damage; maintenance of external factors; methods for fighting parasites and other pests; working norms, how to wrap and transport exhibits; and the equipment and correct preservation methods for museum reserves.

Despite the existence of many sources of information about the preservation of collections, each museum demands an individual approach in order to work out a unified collections care system. Collections care is a combination of various measures aimed at lengthening the collections’ viability. By adopting these measures, the process of worsening of a collection’s condition will be significantly reduced. Collections care is a continuous and

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eqsponatebis Senaxvis, gamofenis, SefuTvisa da transportirebis, sagangebo situaciebis marTvis, koleqciebTan muSaobis swori praqtikis erTian sistemas. prevenciuli konservaciis sistemis ganxorcielebis sawyisad SeiZleba miviCnioT eqsponatebTan muSaobis swori praqtika, romelic erTiani sistemis ZiriTadi sazomia da aucilebelia eqsponatebis mofrTxilebisa da dacvisTvis. kolqciebTan muSaobis teqnika xSir SemTxvevaSi rTulia. samuzeumo saqmianoba moiTxovs nivTebTan muSaobis specialur codnas. magaliTad, liTonze uxelTaTmano xeliT Sexebam SeiZleba daaCqaros koroziis procesi. nebismierma arasworma qmedebam SeiZleba gamoiwvios sxvadasxva saxis meqanikuri dazianeba. yvelas, visac aqvs samuzeumo nivTTan Sexeba, unda ixelmZRvanelos koleqciebTan muSaobis sagangebo miTiTebebiT. iseTi RonisZiebebi, rogoricaa gamofena, fotogadaReba, dokumentireba, SefuTva, transportireba, moiTxovs nivTebTan uSualo kontaqts. eqsponatebTan xSiri da pirdapiri kontaqtis Sesamcireblad, SesaZlebelia aslebis damzadeba im tipis koleqciebze, rogoricaa foto da video masala, xelnawerebi da sxva mniSvnelovani saarqivo dokumentebi. xelmisawvdomobis zrdisa da samuSao procesis moqnilobisTvis, aucilebelia maqsimalurad srulyofili informatiuli kompiuteruli bazebis Seqmnac.

perpetual process. It consists of a unified system encompassing the proper environmental conditions, exhibit conservation, display, wrapping and transportation, the management of emergency situations, and, more generally, the right practice when working with collections.

One of the first steps in implementing collections care is making sure that exhibits are handled properly, which can be considered the main criterion for the whole conservation system and is vital for the safekeeping and protection of the exhibits. Object handling techniques can often be quite difficult, and demand specialist knowledge. For instance, handling metal objects without gloves may accelerate their corrosion. Any unprofessional contact can result in various kinds of damage, and therefore, those who work with museum exhibits should do so under the guidance of specific directions as to how to handle the pieces. While exhibiting, taking photographs, documenting, packing, or transporting, one needs to come into direct contact with the objects, and in order to reduce the frequency of direct contact, museums can produce copies for collections such as photographic and video material, manuscripts and other important archive documents. For accessibility and an easier working process, museums also need to create comprehensive digitalized databases.

It is also important to plan the museum budget correctly and for the longer run. Museums frequently resort to conservation

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aseve, mniSvnelovania, samuzeumo biujetis sworad da grZelvadian perspeqtivaSi gankargva. muzeumebi koleqciebis dacvis mizniT, xSirad mimarTaven eqsponatebis konseravacia-restavracias, maSin, roca muzeumSi ar aris koleqciebis mdgomareobis Sesabamisi garemopirobebi. garkveul masalebTan mimarTebaSi es fuWad daxarjuli dro, Sroma da finansuri resursia. magaliTad, arqeologiuri warmoSobis, koroziiT dafaruli rkinis eqsponatis meqanikuri gawmenda, xSir SemTxvevaSi kargavs Sinaarss Tu mas isev arasaTanado garemoSi (maRali temperatura da fardobiTi tenianoba) davabrunebT, radgan droTa ganmavlobaSi (2-3 Tve), nivTis zedapiri isev daifareba koroziis produqtebiT. koleqciebis dacva Zvirad Rirebuli saWiroebaa. muzeumebis imgvarad aRWurva, rac koleqciebis sruli usafrTxoebis garantias mogvcems, ekonomikurad Zlieri qveynebisTvisac ar aris martivi mocemuloba. aqedan gamomdinare, SesaZlebelia sxvadasxva aucilebeli dacviTi RonisZiebebis etapobrivi ganxorcieleba. prevenciuli konservaciis erTiani gegma muzeumis marTvis saerTo programisgan gancalkevebulad ver ganxorcieldeba. sakonservacio gegmiuri RonisZiebebi

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or restoration works on exhibits in order to preserve them, while failing to offer the proper conditions for collections care.

With regards to some materials, this is a waste of time, labor, and financial resources. For instance, it is pointless to restore a corroded metal exhibit if it will then be stored in an inappropriate environment (high temperature and relative humidity) afterwards, as in time (two to three months), the corrosive effects will doubtless reappear.

Collections care is an expensive necessity. From an economic point of view, equipping the museums in a way that fully guarantees the security of exhibits is far from easy, even for well-off countries. As a result, it would be more realistic to implement the various necessary measures for collections care gradually.

A unified system for collections care cannot be established without a general museum management strategy. The process of implementing conservation measures should be smoothly integrated into the unified and consistent scheme of the museums. Aside from collections care, a museum’s activity includes various educational and cognitive activities (exhibitions, children’s programs, etc.). The collections themselves should, in the first place, take these kinds of services into account, and not be a goal in themselves. This will also improve the liveliness of the museum.

1 (11) 2018

unda ganixilebodes, rogorc erTiani, Tanmimdevruli, samuzeumo saqmianobasTan integrirebuli procesi. aseTi midgoma sasurvel Sedegamde migviyvans. koleqciebis dacvis garda, muzeumebis saqmianoba iTvaliswinebs sxvadasxva saxis SemecnebiT-saganmanaTleblo aqtivobebs (gamofenebi, sabavSvo programebi da sxv.). koleqciebic pirvel yovlisa, am sferoebis aqtiur momsaxurebas unda iTvaliswinebdes, da ara ubralod arseobobdes, rogorc TviTmizani. rac Tavis mxriv muzeumebis sicocxlisunarianiobas ganapirobebs. muzeumi qveynis ganviTarebis donis erT-erTi mniSvnelovani maCvenebelia. naTelia, rom ganviTarebuli da ganviTarebadi qveynebis muzeumebis SesaZleblobebi gansxvavebulia. is, rac sadReisod Tanamedrove saerTaSoriso standartebiTaa gaTvaliswinebuli, CvenTvis metwilad Zvirad Rirebuli fufunebaa. ideebisa da codnis gacvlis intensivobis mizniT, aucilebelia msxvil da mcire muzeumebs Soris TanamSromlobis gaaqtiureba. aseT SemTxvevaSi, ara mxolod ganviTarebis etapze myofi muzeumebi miiReben Sesabamis codnas, aramed is muzeumebic romelTac ukve gaaCniaT eqsponatebTan muSaobis, maTi

Museums are one of the most important indicators of a country’s level of development. Naturally, museums from developing countries have different capabilities than those of developed ones. Most of the measures needed to satisfy modern international museum standards would be a luxury for Georgia. In order to intensify the exchange of

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dacvis, Senaxvisa da zogadad, muzeumisa da koleqciebis marTvis xangrZlivi gamocdileba. miuxedavad arsebuli siZneleebisa, saqarTveloSi TandaTan Cndeba Tanamedrove, saerTaSoriso standartebis Sesabamisi muzeumebi. amis magaliTia svaneTis muzeumi. momzadebulia da ganxorcielebis procesSia, stefanwmindis istoriuli muzeumis, didi mcxeTis arqeologiuri saxelmwifo muzeumnakrZalis, borjomis mxareTmcodneobis muzeumis, borjomis e.w. `kavaleriis korpusis~, likanis sasaxlisa da sxva mniSvnelovani muzeumebis kompleqsuri sareabilitacio proeqtebi, romlebic moicavs koleqciebis srulfasovani kvlevis, prevenciuli konservaciis erTiani sistemis, saeqspozicio koncefciisa da dizainis, marTvis gegmis SemuSavebis aspeqtebs.

Tanamedrove muzeumi gansxvavebul kulturaTa gaziarebis mniSvnelovani xelSemwyobi faqtoria. muzeumis, rogorc instituciis umTavresi mizani samuzeumo koleqciebis sazogadoebisaTvis miwodeba da momavali TaobebisTvis SenarCunebaa.

ideas and knowledge, it is essential to stir up collaboration between small and large museums. In this case, not only will the museums that are at a developmental stage gain knowledge, but so will those that already have extensive experience in handling, preserving, storing exhibits, and more generally, in managing the museum and its collections.

Despite the existing obstacles, museums that satisfy modern international standards have started to appear in Georgia. A good example is the Svaneti Museum. Complex rehabilitation projects are finished and being implemented at the Stepantsminda History Museum, the Didi Mtskheta State Archaeological Museum-Reserve, the Borjomi Local Museum, the so-called ‘Cavalry Building’ in Borjomi, the Likani Palace, and other important museums, encompassing full-fledged study of the collections, a unified collections care system, exhibition concept and design, and the development of the museums’ management strategy.

Modern museums are a most important factor in the spread of culture. As institutions, the museums’ main objective is to deliver collections to society and to preserve them for future generations.

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