კულტურა პლუს 3 (25) 2021

3 (25) 2021

3 (25) 2021 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 poeturi variaciebi - givi gegeWkori

2

POETIC VARIATIONS – GIVI GEGECHKORI

interviu sandro asaTianTan

10

INTERVIEW WITH SANDRO ASATIANI

dimitri erisTavi

22

DIMITRI ERISTAVI

aluda qeTelaurisa da mucalis virtualuri orTabrZola Tengiz abulaZis `vedrebis~ gamo

40

ALUDA KETELAURI VS MUTSALA BASED ON “THE PLEA” (VEDREBA) BY TENGIS ABULADZE

SemoqmedebiTi sivrce cixis nacvlad

54

CREATIVE SPACE INSTEAD OF A PRISON

me da Cemi elfebi

58

ME AND MY ELVES

mizandarebis sagvareulos Rvawli qarTuli profesiuli musikis istoriaSi

66

THE ROLE OF THE MIZANDARI FAMILY IN THE HISTORY OF PROFESSIONAL MUSIC IN GEORGIA

„yovelTvis moclas vucdidi, netai ar mamecada“...

78

“I WOULD ALWAYS WAIT FOR THE WAITING, I WISH I HAD NOT WAITED…”

reqviemi megobrisTvis

81

REQUIEM FOR A FRIEND

revaz TavaZis xsovnas

92

IN MEMORY OF REVAZ TAVADZE

saredaqcio jgufi EDITORIAL STAFF xaTuna kereseliZe KHATUNA KERESELIDZE ekaterine CulaSvili EKATERINE CHULASHVILI ioseb feiqriSvili IOSEB PEIKRISHVILI revaz iukuriZe REVAZ IUKURIDZE

dizaineri DESIGNER nikoloz bagrationi NIKOLOZ BAGRATIONI

el-fosta: kulturaplusm@gmail.com facebook.com/kulturaplusm beWdva: favoriti stili / Print: Favorite style

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 garekanze: dimitri erisTavi, `iebis gamyidveli~, qaRaldi fanqari, pasteli, 57x39, 1965 garekanis me-4 gverdze: ilustracia ianuS korCakis moTxrobisTvis `mefe maTeuS pirveli~, qaRaldi, tuSi, kalami, 27x20, 1971 Cover: Dimitri Eristavi, Violet Seller, Pencil and crayon on paper, 57x39, 1965 4th page of the cover: Illustration to "King Matt the First" by Janusz Korczak, Indian inc and pen on paper, 27x20, 1971

3 (25) 2021

qeTevan kokozaSvili

poeturi variaciebi - givi gegeWkori

KETEVAN KOKOZASHVILI

POETIC VARIATIONS – GIVI GEGECHKORI -2-

3 (25) 2021

g

ivi gegeWkori Tbilisis ganuyofeli nawilia. `me var qalaqis beRura Citi“, _ ase ambobda Tavad da amitomac am mtkvarze daxrili qalaqidan is arsad wava, ver miatovebs mis qvafenilebs, mis zafxulebsa da zamTrebs, mis sicxesa da sicives; am Zveli saxlebis simyudroves, am viwro quCebs... `qalaqis beRuram“ am aRmarT-daRmarTebis sixaruli da sevda unda `kenkos~ da SeigrZnos. kaci, Serwymuli TbilisTan yoveli dRiT, yoveli saaTiT, yoveli wamiT... fiqriT, guliT, gonebiT, gancdiTa da grZnobiT. axlac kargad maxsovs, rogor `aRmovaCine~ pirvelad givi gegeWkoris poezia. misi leqsebi Jurnal `ciskris~ furclebze wavikiTxe. maSin jer kidev skolis moswavle viyavi da, cxadia, bolomde ver gavacnobiere am leqsebis yvela Rirseba, magram imas namdvilad mivxvdi, rom sruliad gansxvavebuli da gamorCeuli poeturi samyaro iyo. mere da mere Jurnalebs wignebic daemata da cota mogvianebiT, studentobisas, Cemi pirveli sakurso naSromic metwilad swored givi gegeWkoris Targmanma ganapiroba, es iyo artur rembos `mTvrali xomaldis~ qarTuli Targmanebis mimoxilva. axlac mikvirs maSindeli siTamame, sami qarTveli poetis _ paolo iaSvilis, givi gegeWkorisa da oTar WeliZis (daviT weredianisa maSin jer kidev ar arsebobda) Targmanebis analizi da frangul teqstTan Sedareba rogor gavbede. Tumca, TavisTavad, es interesi Cemgan, albaT, aravis gaukvirdeba da arc is iqneba gasakviri, rom givi gegeWkoris Semoqmedeba da misi Targmanebi franguli poeziidan Tu prozidan CemTvis Zalian axlobeli samyaroa. axla, roca Cveni yoveldRiurobis tempi sruliad Seicvala, Zalian aCqarebul droSi gviwevs cxovreba. adamianebi gauucxovdnen ara mxolod erTmaneTs, aramed bevr Zvel sasiamovno Cvevasac. teqnikurma progresma bevri ram gadaasxvafera, bevri ram Caanacvla, Seicvala wignisadmi damokidebulebac. TiTqos ise aRar kiTxuloben, adrindeli tkbobiT, adrindeli TavdaviwyebiT, Rameebis TenebiT, furclebis CaniSvniT, sityvebis wiaRSi, ucxo samyaroSi Caflulebi. da ukve wigni agoniur mdgomareobaSi rom ggonia, am dros gesmis kiTxva: sad viyidi am krebuls? sadme xom ar gegulebaT? am adamians nacnob bukinistTan miaswavles da sanam arseboben bukinistebi, es iSviaTi wignebis Semgroveblebi da gadamrCenebi, sanam jer kidev gveguleba patara myudro adgilebi iSviaTi gamocemebiT, sanam Zvel wignebSi viRacas SeuZlia saaTobiT eZebos, furclos da aRmoCenis sixarulic ganicados, sanam erT wvimian, moJamul dRes viRac kidev jdeba savarZelSi fexmorTxmuli, rom am ZlivsnaSovn wigns striqonstriqon gauyves, xan fanqriT moniSnos, xan warsulis wvdoma da xanac momavlis ganWvreta Seicnos da Seimecnos, manamde sityvas sul eqneba jadosnuri, magiuri Zala

G

ivi Gegechkori is an integral part of Tbilisi. “I am the sparrow of the city”, he used to say, and this is the reason why he will never leave this city ­– the city over the Mtkvari river. He won’t leave its cobblestones, its summers and winters, its heat and cold; The cosiness of these old houses, these narrow streets ... The “city sparrow” needs to feel the joy and melancholy of these uphills and downhills. He is united with Tbilisi every day, every hour and every second... in his soul, heart, and mind.

I can still remember how I discovered Givi Gegechkori’s poetry.

I read his poems on the pages of the magazine “Tsiskari”. I was still in school when I first read them, so I couldn’t understand the whole value of his poems, but I did know that there was something different and special about his poetic worlds. Little by little I added books to the magazines, and later, during my student years, my first thesis was related to Givi Gegechkori’s translation of “The drunken boat” by Arthur Rimbaud when I wrote a review and compared the Georgian translations. To this day, I am surprised by my boldness to analyse the translation of three Georgian poets – Paolo Iashvili, Givi Gegechkori and Otar Chelidze (Davit Tserediani’s translation was not out yet) – and compare them with the French original. However, no one will be surprised by my interest and by the fact that I felt rather

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da eqneba fasic; es gadaxveva ki imisTvis damWirda, rom swored givi gegeWkoris `franguli poeziis anTologias“ eZebda erTi gogona; damWirda imitomac, rom xandaxan mis leqsebSi gakrTeba xolme kiTxva, Tu gnebavT, eWvi, _ `vin damfasebels moeli“? momavalSi eyoleba Tu ara mis sityvas, mis gulisTqmas, mis fiqrebs, misi sulis moZraobas Tanamoziare; iqnebian Tu ara adamianebi, `romlebic iocnebeben, Sen rom ocnebob, aseve, da Sens fuls, kaci Tu Wridi, uTuod dagifaseben...“ poeti da mTargmneli, sakuTar originalur teqstebsa da grZnobier samyaroSi Cafluli da sxvaTa naazrev-nafiqris gamziarebeli da qarTul enaze gadmomtani, rogorc Tavad ambobda, `ori batonis msaxuri“ _ aseTia givi gegeWkoris SemoqmedebiTi portreti, mTeli misi yofa, misi cxovreba da yoveldRiuroba. misi Semoqmedebis es ori Senakadi mkiTxvelisTvis erTi mTlianobaa, ganuyofeli erTmaneTisgan da, vinc icis namdvili poeziis, daxvewili, rafinirebuli sityvis fasi da yadri, misTvis es ritmul-saxeobrivi samyaro gamorCeuli da gansakuTrebuli poeturi sivrcea.

close with Givi Gegechkori’s work and his translation from French poetry or prose.

Now that the pace of our day-to-day lives has completely changed, we have to live hasty lives. People are alienated not only from each other, but also from many old and pleasant habits.

Technical progress has changed many things, replaced many things, and changed the way we see books. It is as if people are no longer reading with the same feeling of pleasure, when you would completely lose yourself in a book, read through the night, marking pages, immersed in the words, in a foreign world.

And when you think that books are already a thing of the past, suddenly, you hear the question: "Where do I buy this collection?

Do you know a place?". Then they would suggest going to secondhand bookstores, and as long as we have bookstores and book lovers around, rare book collectors and saviours, as long as we still have small cosy places with rare editions and people who can read page by page for hours, searching and looking for something, live in a written word and experience the joy of discovery; people who can sit in a chair and read for hours, follow each and every line,

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rogor unda SeTavsdes sazRvruloba da usazRvroeba, sinaTle da sibnele, xmauri da siCume, forma da Sinaarsi erTmaneTTan? es aris is metafizikuri kiTxvebi, romlebic gansazRvravs mtkivneul poetur meditacias da givi gegeWkoris poezias srulyofilad da siRrmiseulad ver gaviazrebT, Tu aseT ontologiur wesrigs Tanmimdevrulad ar mivyvebiT. is iyo mravalmxriv ganaTlebuli adamiani, xelovnebis sxvadasxva dargis kargad mcodne, rogorc TviTon ambobs, `wignis kacad qceuli tvinis neironebiT, guliTa da filtviT~ cxovrobda. es iyo misi yofa da cxovrebis wesi da iqneb amitomac SeinarCuna bolomde bavSvuri uSualoba, da sisufTave da TiTqos imaves cdilobda Tavisi poeziiTac _ `yvela kacSi umanko bavSvis gamoRviZeba~ undoda. `vinc gaiara umZimesi gza cxovrebisa da mainc isev gulubryvilo darCa xbosaviT~ anda `visac naZvis xe bavSvobaSi isev abrunebs“, es adamianebi iyvnen Sinaganad misi axloblebi. xasiaTiT mokrZalebuls, Tavmdabalsa da TavSekavebuls urTierTobac aseT adamianebTan ufro metad uadvildeboda. poezias sarkiseburi zedapiris Tviseba aqvs, yvela fiqri, yvela gancda, yvela SegrZneba airekleba masSi, dakvirvebuli mkiTxvelis gulisTvis ki dafarulic gacxadebulia, amitom sul rom ar gcnoboda axlos batoni givi, missave striqonebSi mJRavndeba mTeli Tavisi bunebiT,

sometimes mark them with a pencil, visit the past and sometimes see the future while reading – as long as we have that, written words will still have their magical powers and value. I needed to digress because there was one girl looking for Givi Gegechkori’s 'Anthology of French Poetry'; I needed this because sometimes in his poems I see a question, or a doubt if you will, - “Who will appreciate these?" Will there be someone who will appreciate his words, his wishes and thoughts in the future? Will there be people who “will dream the same dreams as you, will they appreciate you if you are worthy ...”

A poet and translator, immersed in his own original texts and world.

Sharing thoughts of others and transmitting them into Georgian, as he himself said, “Servant of Two Masters” – this is Givi Gegechkori’s creative portrait, his whole life, his essence. These two directions of his creativity are one whole and inseparable for the readers. Those who know the value of true poetry, know that he had a special type of poetic sense.

How can you combine boundaries and infinity, lightness and darkness, loud noises and silences, form and content? These are

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unatifesi sulis xveulebiT, Tundac dafaruli tkiviliTa da leqsSi gacxadebuli dramatuli gancdebiT, romlis gareSec Rirebuli poezia ar iqmneba; dahqonda gaubzaravi `suli-faifuri“, dahqonda idumali sevda-wuxili, Tumca rogorc zogjer miwisqveSa wylis mdinareba gaiJoneba sadRac wveT-wveTad, iseTi simsubuqiT gamokrTeba xolme sityvebs Soris es dafaruli gancda; am dros ki missave enaze molaparake adamiani sWirdeba gverdiT, adamiani, romelic gaigebs, `rogor gadarCa, rogor ar waxda, rogor iara“ da rogor gauZlo cxovrebis bevr sirTules. wyvdiadi da sinaTle vaxsene zemoT da siyvarulis Suqia swored Cauqrobeli sulieri sinaTle, Signidan wamosuli, dauSreteli, yovlismomcveli. es aris givi gegeWkorisTvis maradiuli siymawvile, zogjer zurgidan ucabedad mogepareba, Tvalebze xels agafarebs da Tavdaviwyeba walekavs yvelafers. xan ivlisis mzesaviT aburburdeba da xan sul ubralo poetur saxeSi gamJRavndeba, Sens martoobaSi SemoiWreba da kremisferi marlis kabis simsubuqiT gars Semogexveva; am leqsebSi siyvaruli arRvevs yovelgvar wesrigs, roca mdinaresaviT adiddeba da kalapotidan gadmodis; ise agibnevs Tavgzas,

the metaphysical questions that define painful poetic meditation.

Givi Gegechkori’s poetry cannot be fully and deeply understood if we do not follow such an ontological order methodically. He was a well-educated man, well versed in various fields of art, as he says, “his neurons, heart and lungs have turned into that of a man of books”. This was his life, his way, and perhaps that is why he maintained his childlike directness till the end, as if he wanted to do the same with his poetry – “to awaken an innocent child in every man”. “Those who went through the hardships of life and remained naive and innocent” or “those who fall back to childhood when they see a Christmas tree”, these people were the closest to him. Being modest, humble, and reserved, he would find it easy to relate to such people.

Poetry is like a mirror, every thought, feeling, emotion is reflected in it, and for an observant reader even the hidden parts are on a surface. So even if you didn’t know Mr Givi, you’d be able to read who he is in his verses, his complex soul, pain and dramatic emotions. Poetry cannot be valuable without all of these. He would carry an unbreakable “porcelain soul”, and a mysterious melancholy; these emotions can only be seen between the lines, just like how

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rogorc mefe solomoni aamRvria sulamiTis sakocnelad gapobilma bagem. is tkbil-mware grZnobaa da bolos upeze dagordeba siyvarulis oboli da RvTaebrivi cremli... sainteresoa is sivrce da garemo, is urTierTobebi, sadac givi gegeWkori Camoyalibda adamianad da poetad; saocari ojaxuri intimi, myudro da Tbili saxli, erTmaneTTan damokidebuleba. adamianebi midian, yovelive elfers icvlis, magram isini rCebian poetis leqssizmrebSi, aq yvelaferi isev isea, waSlilia zRvari sizmar-cxadisa, realurisa da irealurisa, aq araferia warmavali, mama isev iseTi romantikosia, isev klasSia da bavSvebs aTas jadosnur ambavs uyveba, sityvas, rogorc Samani, ise daimorCilebs... mere ki sinamdvile da zmaneba erTmaneTSi gadadis, erTmaneTs erTvis da is kvlavac modis mocartis msubuqi menuetiviT da TiTqos araferi Secvlila, yvelaferi Zveleburadaa. dedas isev Zalian uxdeba maqmanebiani kaba, isev roialTan zis da nacnob melodias ukravs, isev mReris da `erTi bgeris dabadebiT kvdeba meore~. aq aucileblad unda vaxseno givi gegeWkoris verlibri, is xSirad ar iyenebs am saleqso formas da amitom ufro sayuradReboa misi mowesrigebuli ritmuli struqtura, Sinagani musika, romelsac emorCileba leqsis

sometimes, an underground river can ooze out. This is when he needs a person who speaks the same language as him, a person who can understand what “how he survived, how he didn’t break and how he walked” means, how he endures all the hardships of life.

I mention the darkness and light, the lightness coming from love is how the soul shines, coming from within, all-embracing.

This is the eternal youthfulness of Givi Gegechkori, sometimes he

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yoveli striqoni (sagangebod aRarafers vambob riTmian leqsebze, sakmaod vrclad visaubre sxva werilSi da isedac gasagebia maTi ritmul-intonaciuri Taviseburebebi). gansakuTrebiT sainteresoa leqsi `gverdiTi oTaxi“, es aris aTasi feriT, surneliT, detaliT, suraTiT, mogonebiT dawerili da gadmocemuli poeturi biografia ojaxisa, leqsi-saga, mravalferovani ambavi, gadajaWvuli erTmaneTze, ojaxis sami Taoba, sofeli da qalaqi, bavSvobis suraT-xatebi, Tbilad areklili poetis gulsa da gonebaSi; aq aris bebo, romelsac `suni asdioda qinZis da obis“, romelsac `puri mihqonda gulTan“ da suls umRvrevda `Zveli wignebis naRvliani epilogebiT“. aq aris papa, man `sikvdilis win moisurva venaxis naxva“, am mravlismTqmeli detaliT mTeli sisruliT ixateba sayvareli adamianis xasiaTi da poetis ganwyoba mis mimarT da ase TavisTavad gviwevs gadasvla erTawmindaze, qarTlis sofelze, dediseul mxareze, romelic poets Zalian uyvarda. aq aris mogonebebSi gacocxlebuli saxeebi, erTmaneTs enacvlebian axlobeli adamianebi da warmosaxvaSi cocxldeba Zveli saxlis intimuri yofa, sosanaanT zalika da suleli anua, wyaroze mimavali ori kokiT, saxeSefakluli qalebi da maTi saamo RuRuni; aq Zvel samovars Semounaxavs pitnis surneli, yurs Soridan sasiamovnod swvdeba xbos bRavili da kaklis xe misiania, axlobeli, rogorc adamiani. aq givi gegeWkorma WanWuris aryis gamoxdac poeziad aqcia, WiqaSi gakeTebuli jaWvi da nakverCxlebze gadaqceuli aryis iisfrad avardnili ali ulamazesi suraTia da am sofelSi is TiTqos miwas swydeba, realobis SegrZnebas kargavs da am araamqveyniur samyaroSi zRaprisa da sinamdvilis zRvaric iSleba. ferTa, sxvadasxva tonTa, gamaTa, mxatvrul-poetur saxeTa, xazTa, saganTa mravalferovnebis Semdeg aucileblad unda gamovyoT givi gegeWkoris siaxlove mxatvrobasTan. man imdenad kargad da Rrmad icoda xelovnebis es dargi, rom bevri qarTveli mxatvris Semoqmedebaze araerTi esec dawera. swored feris,

can sneak up on you, cover your eyes and all turns into oblivion.

Sometimes, he will rise like the Sun in July, sometimes it will simply manifest in poetry, break into your solitude and bring in lightness and ease. Love disrupts any kind of order in his poems, just like when rivers overflow their banks. It’s a bittersweet feeling that will end with lonely tears of love.

It is very interesting to look at the places, environments and relationships that affected the forming of Givi Gegechkori as a person and a poet: an incredible intimacy in the family, with a cosy and warm relationships. People leave and everything is changing, but his family stays in the poet’s verses, everything is the same here, there is no more line between dream and reality, the father is still the same romantic, he is still in the classroom, telling children thousands of magical stories, and they follow his word as if he was a shaman... And then the reality and verb intertwine with each other and come as Mozart’s menuetto, as if nothing had changed, and everything were the same old way. Mother still looks amazing in a lace dress, playing the piano, singing “with the death of one sound another is born”. I must mention Givi Gegechkori’s free verse form – he doesn’t use it often and this is exactly why it is even more important to pay attention to the rhythmic structure and inner music that you feel in every verse (I won’t mention his rhythmic poems, I’ve written a lot about that subject, and the peculiarities of their rhytmic intonation are clear).

The poem 'Side Room' is especially interesting, it is full of diverse feelings, emotions and memories, it is like the poetic biography of a family, the intertwined stories of three generations, both in the village and in the city, the happy childhood memories of a poet. We see the grandmother “who smells of coriander and mold”, who “would put bread to her heart” and who would “always be full of the melancholy of old books”. Here we see the grandfather, who “wanted to see the vineyard one last time before he died”, these details tell the whole story of how the poet felt about the

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musikisa da sityvis sinTezi qmnis mis poezias da amiT aris TviTmyofadi misi poeturi sivrce, aseTi erTianobiT aRiqvams igi samyaros. mxatvruli suraTebi ganumeorebeli lirizmiTa da sifaqiziT gamoirCeva da es kidev erTi gansakuTrebuli maxasiaTebelia misi poeturi xelwerisa. saerTod ki sainteresoa, ra SeiZleba akavSirebdes poets sayvarel mxatvrebTan da maTs SemoqmedebasTan, mag. givi gegeWkors elene axvledianTan? rasakvirvelia, am SemTxvevaSi umTavresia msgavsi mxatvruli xedva da esTetikuri principebi da sxva ra unda gagvaxsendes am dros, Tu ara leqsi `siRnaRi“. borcvze zRapruli sasaxlesaviT gadaSlili aprilis qalaqi, romelsac oqros ZafebiT moqarguli samosi acvia da amayi areopagiviT wamomarTula. aseTi mSvenieri tiloa Seqmnili sityvebiT. bolos ki unda gamovarCio leqsi `farda“. ferweruli tilo mainc statikuri suraTia, is ki dinamikaSi, mTeli Tavisi moZraobiTa da mimoxriT, frialiTa da farfariT xatavs suraTs da cxadad igrZnoba, rogor Srialebs da livlivebs sityva muslinis fardis sicelqiTa da simsubuqiT, rogor abreSumiviT damyolia da nel-nela rogor Semoaqvs oTaxSi fardaze areklili fanjris mziani silueti. swored ase TavisTavad Semodis CvenSi givi gegeWkoris poezia da qarTuli sityvis haerovneba, xibli Semoaqvs.

loved one and just like this, very organically we move over to a Georgian village. We see memories, faces that came back to life, we can see what life was like in an old house, how Zalika and Anua would carry spring water, lovely women and their glowing faces. The old samovar still has a mint aroma, you can hear the calf crying and feel the walnut tree that is also a part of the family. Givi Gegechkori turned the process of distilling plum spirit into poetry, with purple flames coming up from the firebrand – all of these makes you lose the line between reality and a fairytale.

We must highlight Givi Gegechkori’s intimacy with fine art. He knew this field in detail to a level where he wrote several essays about many Georgian artists. It is the synthesis of colour, music and written word that make up his poetic style, and this harmony is how he is remembered. Another feature of his poetic style is the special lyricism and tenderness of the artistic images he draws.

In this regard, I have to point out his poem 'Curtain'. A painting is static and still, while the poem is dynamic, you can almost feel the movement with every word and see the sunny window reflected on the lightness of the curtain. This is the way Givi Gegechkori’s poetry comes into our lives and brings in the fairness and charm of Georgian words.

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ia anTaZe

interviu sandro asaTianTan

IA ANTADZE

INTERVIEW WITH SANDRO ASATIANI

_ sandro, gasagebia, rom yvelani Cveni bavSvobidan movdivarT, magram piradad Tqven rogor modixarT Tqveni bavSvobidan? _ orenovani bavSvi viyavi. bebia warmoSobiT ukraineli iyo, qarTuli esmoda, magram ver laparakobda. amitom bebias, romelTanac bevr dros vatarebdi, rusulad velaparakebodi. albaT, am orenovnebis gamo, samyarosTan komunikacia miWirda. SeiZleba iTqvas, „SigniT“ wavedi _ fiqrebSi, mosazrebebSi, ocnebebSi... es samyaro sul Tan damqonda. rom gavizarde, isev davubrundi im fiqrebs da sxvanairad Sevxede _ ukve didis TvaliT. roca bavSvebs vxvdebi Cems sabavSvo wignebTan dakavSirebiT, veubnebi, rom SeiZleba ufrosebs ucnaurad an sasacilod moeCvenoT Tqveni fiqrebi, ocnebebi, sizmrebi, magram isini Zalian

– Sandro, it is clear that we all come from our childhood and everything starts there, but how was it personally for you?

– I was a bilingual child. My grandmother was from Ukraine, she understood Georgian, but she could not speak it. I spent a lot of time with her and we spoke in Russian. Perhaps because of my bilingualism, I had difficulty communicating with the world. It can be said that I went “inwards” – into my thoughts, opinions, dreams...

I had this world with me. When I grew up, I went back to those thoughts and looked at them differently – from the point of view of a grownup. When I meet children about my children’s books, I tell them that adults may find your thoughts, dreams, desires a little strange or ridiculous, but it doesn’t matter, because you have to know that all of these dreams are important. When you grow up, you may start writing books, or invent something that never existed before and that

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mniSvnelovania. roca gaizrdebiT, SeiZleba wignebis wera daiwyoT, an rame iseTi gamoigonoT, rac manamde ar arsebobda da razec bavSvobaSi gifiqriaT. _ bavSvobis sandros dRes Tu xedavT TqvenSi? _ diax, ra Tqma unda. asaki memateba, magram weraSi an xatvaSi mexmareba, roca vubrundebi im Temebs, romlebzec bavSvobaSi vfiqrobdi. ZiriTadi ganZi, romelic damaqvs, albaT, bavSvobaSi davagrove. _ sxvaTa Soris, TqvenSi Zalian igrZnoba raRac, bavSvobidan gamoyolili. Tqveni citataa: „patara adamians sWirdeba gulaxdili zrdasrulebi, romlebic sakuTar gamocdilebas gauziareben.“ fiqrobT, bavSvebi mzad arian ufrosebis gulaxdilobisTvis? _ arsebobs sabavSvo wignebi, sadac, magaliTad, cdiloben, bavSvebs auxsnan, ra aris sikvdili. sakmaod rTuli Temaa. rodesac „didebis Temebze“ bavSvs elaparakebi, ra Tqma unda, amas forma unda mouZebno.

Zalian ar miyvarda fraza: „gaizrdebi da mere gaigeb.“ Tumca, mec miTqvams es fraza Cemi SvilebisTvis da mimaCnia, rom arasworia. nebismier Temaze, romelic bavSvs ainteresebs _ ra Tqma unda, misTvis gasagebi formiT _ laparaki aucilebelia. _ gulwrfelobas ratom ukavSirebT? _ TviTon bavSvebSi aris es gulwrfeloba, bavSvi tyuils cudad egueba. mere vizrdebiT da varT im samyaroSi, romelSic varT. bavSvobaSi rac gvaqvs, is rom asakTan erTad gamoviyoloT, ramdenad ukeTes samyaroSi vicxovrebdiT?! amitom aris Zalian mniSvnelovani, rom gulwrfeloba ar gavaqroT. rogorc vTqvi, me Zalian bevri ram wamoviRe bavSvobidan. maSin rom „CaeketaT“ raRac mimarTulebebi; ufrosebs rom eTqvaT, amaze ar ifiqro, jer patara xaro, _ mere ufro gamiWirdeboda. Tu bavSvTan gulwrfeli xar, rom gaizrdeba, bevr rameze barierebis gareSe eqneba warmodgena. _ bevr adamianTan gixdebaT urTierToba, leqtori xarT, sxvadasxva proeqts axorcielebT. Tu aris raime mniSvnelovani, riTac Tqveni socialuri „me“ Tqveni pirovnuli „me“-sgan gansxvavdeba? _ albaT, ara. am proeqtebSi ufro met dros vxarjav, vidre Cems ojaxTan da axloblebTan urTierTobaSi. rasac vakeTeb, yvelaferi mainteresebs. adamiani warmoudgeneli arsebaa im gagebiT, rom iseT rames akeTebs, rac jer ar arsebobs. es fenomeni Zalian mainteresebs _ ratom gvaqvs survili, gamovigonoT personaJi, romelic ar arsebobs da mere es ararsebuli personaJi Sinagan dialogSi SemoviyvanoT? proeqtebi, romlebzec vmuSaob, aerTianebs adamianebs, romlebic qmnian raRacas, rac jer ar arsebobs, mere Cndeba da Tavisi cxovrebiT cxovrobs. es procesi bevr dros marTmevs da CemTvis Zalian sainteresoa.

you thought about as a child.

– Do you see little Sandro in yourself today?

– Yes, of course. I do get older, but it helps me to go back to those topics I would think about when I was a kid while writing or drawing.

Most of the treasure I have, I probably collected in my childhood.

– By the way, it is very apparent that you keep something coming from your childhood. These are your words: “A little person needs honest adults to share their experiences.” Do you think children are ready for adults to be honest and sincere?

– There are children’s books where they are trying to explain what death is to children. It is quite a difficult topic. When you talk to a child about “grownup things”, you have to find the correct form for this.

I never liked the phrase: “You will understand when you are older”.

Even though I have also used this phrase with my children, I think it’s wrong. It is necessary to talk about any topics that the child is interested in – in a way that is understandable for them.

– Why do you connect it with honesty?

– There is this sincerity and honesty in children themselves, a lie sits wrong with a child. Then we grow up and are in the world we are in. How much better would life be if we took the things we have from childhood?! That is why it is so important that we do not lose our sincerity. As I said, I learned a lot from my childhood and kept it with me. If they were to “lock” some topics; If the grownups told me not to think about something because I was too small – then it would be more difficult for me. If you are honest and sincere with your child they will have fewer obstacles and barriers concerning various topics when they grow up.

– You have to meet and communicate with a lot of people, you are a lecturer, you are working on many different projects. Does your social “self” differ from your personal “self”?

– Probably not. I spend more time on these projects than I do with my family and loved ones. I am greatly interested in everything that I’m working on. Humans are incredible creatures in the sense that they do things that do not yet exist. I am very interested in this phenomenon – why do we want to invent a character that doesn’t exist and then bring this non-existent character into an internal dialogue? The projects I am working on bring together people who create something that does not yet exist, then something comes to life and goes about. This process takes a lot of time and is very interesting to me.

– So the reason why your social and personal “self” is the same is that you are truly interested in the things you are working on with others?

– I am fortunate to be able to work on things I truly care about. I have a background in fine arts. When I graduated from the Academy of Arts, I realized that if painting became my profession, I would be forced to paint even when I did not want to. So I chose to have painting as my hobby and thus save something important to me.

Then I started doing a lot of different things. Things that both pay the bills and are interesting to me. Now I am at a stage where I can do what I am interested in.

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3 (25) 2021

_ anu Tqveni socialuri da pirovnuli „me“ imitom ar gansxvavdeba erTmaneTisgan, rom namdvilad gainteresebT is, rasac sxvebTan erTad akeTebT? _ es bedniereba maqvs, rom vakeTo is, rac marTla mainteresebs. pirveli profesiiT mxatvari var. roca samxatvro akademia davamTavre, mivxvdi, rom Tu xatva gaxdeba Cemi profesia, iZulebuli viqnebi, maSinac vxato, roca amis survili ar meqneba. amitom, varCie, rom xatva Cemi hobi gamxdariyo da amiT gadamerCina raRac, CemTvis mniSvnelovani. Semdeg daviwye bevri sxvadasxva ramis keTeba, rasac, erTi mxriv, Semosavali moaqvs da, meore mxriv, marTla sainteresoa. axla vimyofebi im etapze, roca SemiZlia is vakeTo, rac mainteresebs. _ erTxel TqviT, bavSvobisas ar mqonda warmodgenili, ras gavakeTebdio. Tqven werT da ilustraciebs ukeTebT sakuTar wignebs, jeolabis da unilabis damfuZnebeli xarT, leqciebs kiTxulobT, sxvadasxva proeqts axorcielebT. me ki CamovTvale, magram Tqven rom gkiTxoT, ras akeTebTmeTqi, SegiZliaT, erTi koncefciiT gaaerTianoT Tqveni mravalmxrivi saqmianoba da ise mipasuxoT? _ albaT, isev imaves gipasuxebdiT _ Zalian mainteresebs procesi, roca qmni imas, rac jer ar arsebobs. magaliTad, unilabi rogor Seiqmna: vfiqrobdiT, rom studentebisTvis, axalgazrdebisTvis unda arsebobdes sivrce, sadac maT saSualeba eqnebaT _ da Cvenc davexmarebiT _ ipovon sakuTari Tavi. adamiani universitetSi modis ara mxolod imitom, rom raRac konkretuli profesia SeiZinos, aramed, imisTvisac, rom cxovrebis Sesaxeb meti Seityos. fiqrobs, rom universitetSi daxvdebian masze ufrosi da gamocdili adamianebi, romlebic raRac iseTs daanaxeben, rasac TviTon ver xedavs, magram rac sWirdeba imisTvis, rom Semdegi nabiji gadadgas cxovrebaSi. Tumca, swavla xSirad gadaiqceva xolme yoveldRiur rutinad da adamians aviwydeba, ratom movida universitetSi. jeolabis da unilabis SemTxvevaSi, vcdilobT, davexmaroT adamians, sakuTari Tavi ipovos. am mxriv, teqnologiebi Zalian kargi instrumentia. _ ratom? _ imitom, rom teqnologebi gvexmareba, Cveni ideidan mis realizaciamde gza maqsimalurad SevamokloT. adre amas aTwleulebi sWirdeboda. _ skolebSic da universitetebSic axalgazrdebs exmarebiT, iswavlon cifruli teqnologiebi, risi codnac momavali aTwleulebis ganmavlobaSi aucilebeli iqneba. ramdenad xarisxiani da konkurentunariani codnis miRebaa SesaZlebeli dRes saqarTveloSi? _ rogorc yvelaferSi, aqac ucnauri situaciaa. erTi mxriv, teqnologiebTan wvdoma gvaqvs. erTi ucxoeli, msoflio bankis eqsperti meubneboda: Tqveni problema teqnologiebze xelmisawvdomoba ar aris, am

– You once said that you didn’t know what you wanted to become when you were a kid. You are a writer and you also illustrate your books. You are the founder of Geolab and UniLab, a lecturer and are working on many different projects. I did list these, but could you tell me what is it that you are doing and somehow unites the various things you are involved in?

– I’d probably answer in the same way – I am very interested in the process of creating something that does not yet exist. As an example, I can tell you how UniLab was created: we thought that the students and young people needed a space where they could “find themselves” and we could help them in this. Kids go to universities not only so that they can learn something, a profession, but also to learn more about life. They think that they will meet people, older and more experienced people who will be able to show them something that they haven’t noticed before and this will somehow give them direction in life. But then learning turns into an everyday routine and people forget why they came to a university in the first place.

In the case of GeoLab and UniLab, we are trying to help people find themselves, in this regard technology is a great tool.

– Why? – Because technology helps us shorten the amount of time ideas take to turn into reality. It used to take decades before.

– You are helping young people in both schools and universities to learn digital technologies, skills that are going to be essential in the coming decades. What is the education level like in Georgia today in terms of quality and competitiveness?

– Just like with anything else, the situation here is a little odd.

On the one hand, we do have access to technology. There was one World Bank expert who told me that the problem that we have is not access to technology but the way we use it (or the ability to use it).

He travelled to different parts of Georgia and would ask children if they have ever gone onto the Internet. They would say that they did, then he’d ask if they knew anyone who didn’t and they did not know anyone like that. This means that there is access to technology, we just need to know how to use it properly. On many occasions, I have seen how children learn to go onto Youtube, how to choose a video and then they use their computers like TVs. When you turn on the TV the only thing you can do is watch something you’re interested in. But the Internet and possibilities with it are endless: You can ask a question, or make a video yourself and then upload it...but often, we are limited. Technology is the tool, it can never be the aim itself. The aim is to fulfil yourself. On the other hand, the area where I believe we are competitive is creativity, Georgian people are very talented. Why did we need to invent our alphabet? A lot of nations that were more developed than us just used the Latin one. Inventing an alphabet in those times would’ve taken enormous effort. Or take the Trialeti cup as an example, a historical artefact. Making this cup is like launching a rocket ship to space. Our ancestors would have to use the most intricate technology of the time to make something like that. There was a time when using our creativity, diligence and hacking abilities (“to hack” means to find a short, different way) we created something

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3 (25) 2021

teqnologiebis gamoyenebis unariao. sxvadasxva regionSi yofila da bavSvebisTvis ukiTxavs _ vinme Tu aris am oTaxSi, vinc internetSi arasdros Sesulao? aravis xeli ar auwevia. Semdeg ukiTxavs, Tu icnobT iseT bavSvs, romelic internetSi arasdros Sesulao? xeli isev aravis auwevia. es niSnavs, rom teqnologiebTan wvdoma arsebobs. ubralod, saWiroa, maTi adekvaturad gamoyeneba vicodeT. bevrjer minaxavs, rom bavSvma iswavla, rogor Sevides YouTube-Si, rogor aarCios video da kompiuters iyenebs, rogorc televizors. televizors rom CarTav, mxolod is SegiZlia, romelime arxze Sexvide da naxo, rac gainteresebs. magram internetis SesaZleblobebi usazRvroa: SegiZlia, kiTxva dasva; an TviTon gadaiRo rame da atvirTo... magram xSirad SezRudulebi varT. teqnologiebi instrumentia, TviTmizani verasdros gaxdeba. mizani sakuTari Tavis realizaciaa. meore, raSic konkurentunarianebi varT, Cemi azriT, is aris, rom qarTvelebs SemoqmedebiTi unarebi gvaqvs. raSi dagvWirda, rom odesRac Cveni anbani gamovigoneT? bevrma Cvenze metad ganviTarebulma xalxma aiRo da laTinuri anbani gamoiyena. im droisTvis anbanis gamogonebas saswauli Zalisxmeva dasWirdeboda. an TrialeTis Tasi rom gavixsenoT, qristianobamdeli artefaqti. am Tasis gakeTeba dRes kosmosSi raketis gaSvebas udris. im droisTvis yvelaze ufro rTuli teqnologiebis gamoyeneba iyo saWiro, rom es Tasi gaekeTebina Cvens winapars. odesRac SevZeliT, rom Cveni kreatiulobiT, SromismoyvareobiT da hakeruli unariT („dahakva“ niSnavs mokle, arastandartuli gzis moZebnas) raRac iseTi SevqmeniT, rasac imdroindel msoflioSi analogi ar hqonda. es potenciali CvenSi aris. Tu teqnologiur instrumentebs gamoviyenebT, SeiZleba, kidev erTxel gavaocoT samyaro. _ Tanamedrove bavSvebi izrdebian garemoSi, sadac bunebrivad arsebobs kompiuteri, interneti. rodesac isini skolaSi midian, SeiZleba, Tavis maswavleblebze ukeTesad icodnen kompiuterTan urTierToba. ama Tu im Temaze moswavlem SeiZleba bevrad mravalferovani masala moZebnos, vidre maswavlebeli sTavazobs. migaCniaT Tu ara es problemad? _ es mTel msoflioSi xdeba. amboben, rom bavSvebs gacilebiT meti SesaZlebloba aqvT, vidre maT saganmanaTleblo sistema sTavazobs sxvadasxva qveyanaSi. _ imis gamo, rom bavSvebs ufro metad miuwvdebaT xeli teqnologiebze? _ ara mxolod. bavSvs ufro meti dro aqvs, rom axali teqnologiebi gaarCios, vidre maswavlebels da bavSvi ufro swrafad iTvisebs teqnologiur siaxleebs. amitom, axla bevrs saubroben imis Sesaxeb, rom maswavleblis roli unda Seicvalos. maswavlebeli unda gaxdes mimarTulebis mimcemi da ara uSualod codnis gadamcemi.

that didn’t have an analogy in the world. We do have the potential. If we use technology, there is a chance we can surprise the world once again.

– Children these days grow up having computers and the internet around. When they go to school, it’s very much possible that they know how to use a computer better than their teachers.

The Children can find more difference and rich materials about a given subject than what the teacher has to offer. Do you think this might be a problem?

– This is happening all around the world. They say that the children have way more possibilities than the education system can offer in many countries.

– Because children have more access to technology?

– Not only this. A child has more time to get to know new technologies than a teacher does, and children learn technological innovations faster. This is why they are discussing how the teacher’s role has to change. A teacher has to become someone who will be able to give children direction and inspire them, rather than merely transfer knowledge to them. Today we have an immense number of places where you can get information from. But a teacher has a role that cannot be replaced by a machine: A teacher gets to see the whole picture. Children in the same grade have different levels. For example, a child in the first grade can sit in front of a computer and study geometrical form, but may not know how to count. A teacher is a person who has to help each and every child to fill in the gaps. A teacher’s role is unbeatable when it comes to the “secret curriculum”.

It’s not written down in the rule book, but a teacher is the one who teaches a child what kind of a person to be. I was trying to be as good as my teacher when I was a kid.

– When will our teachers be ready for their new role and be in line with the new system?

– We have a lot of teachers as is. Very interesting people among them. But there is no mechanism for these interesting teachers to share their knowledge.

– They are sharing, we can see this on social media, but for now, sharing is more of a free will.

– Our system didn’t see him, but foreigners did appreciate Lado Apkhazava. He found ways to work on projects with children. This is crucial. Lado Apkhazava would sit with the children and ask them.

What is the problem? How can we solve it? There are teachers like this.

There are just a few that we know about. We don’t have mechanisms to analyse the situation and find them to encourage knowledge sharing.

– What is the situation like when it comes to computer science in schools?

– Children are learning computer science from grade 2 till grade 6.

We need to push it up till grade 9 and then make it either a general subject or one that children can pick if they want to learn it at a deeper level.

– I want to remind you of something you said at a public event: “According to research, students that are going to graduate soon

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3 (25) 2021

dRes informaciis uamravi wyaro arsebobs. Tumca, maswavlebels rCeba funqcia, romelsac, albaT, manqana ver Caanacvlebs: maswavlebeli xedavs mTlian suraTs. klasSi bavSvebi araTanabrad arian ganviTarebulebi. magaliTad, pirvelklaseli dajdeba kompiuterTan da geometriul figurebs iswavlis. magram SeiZleba Tvla ar icodes. maswavlebelia is adamiani, romelic TiToeul bavSvs unda daexmaros, rom codnis danaklisi Seivsos. maswavleblis roli Seucvlelia imaSic, rasac „farul kurikulums“ uwodeben. arsad ar weria, magram maswavlebeli bavSvs aswavlis, rogori adamiani unda iyos. me, magaliTad, patara rom viyavi, vcdilobdi, iseTive kargi vyofiliyavi, rogoric Cemi maswavlebeli iyo. _ Cveni maswavleblebi rodis iqnebian mzad, rom Tavisi axali funqcia Seasrulon da ganaxlebuli garemos adekvaturebi iyvnen? _ zogadad, bevri maswavlebeli gvyavs. maT Soris Zalian saintereso adamianebi arian. magram ar arsebobs meqanizmebi, rom am saintereso maswavleblebma Tavisi codna sxvebs gauziaron. _ gaziareba xdeba, amas TvalnaTliv vxedav socialur qselebSi. magram, jerjerobiT, gaziareba adamianebis keTili nebaa. _ Cvenma sistemam ver dainaxa, magram ucxoelebma dainaxes da saTanadod Seafases lado afxazava. man ipova midgomebi, rogor imuSaos bavSvebTan erTad proeqtebze. es umniSvnelovanesia. lado afxazava bavSvebTan erTad jdeba da kiTxulobs, aba, ra problema gvaqvs? rogor SeiZleba, rom es problema movagvaroT? aseTi maswavleblebi arseboben. ubralod, Cven erTeulebis Sesaxeb viciT. ar gvaqvs meqanizmi, romelic sistemur niadagze daayenebda maTi mignebebis da gamocdilebis gaziarebas. _ uSualod kompiuteruli teqnologiebis swavlebis kuTxiT ra xdeba skolaSi? _ axla kompiuteruli teqnologiebi meore klasidan meeqvse klasis CaTvliT iswavleba. es sagani unda avides mecxre klasamde da mecxre klasis mere an sxvadasxva saganSi gamWol kompetenciad unda iqnas aRiarebuli, an, Tu bavSvma es sfero airCia, maSin arCeviTi sagnis farglebSi unda hqondes saSualeba, rom ufro siRrmiseulad iswavlos. _ minda, SegaxsenoT citata Tqveni sajaro gamosvlidan: „arsebobs kvlevebi imis Sesaxeb, rom studentebi, romlebic axla amTavreben universitets, cxovrebis ganmavlobaSi ramdenjerme Seicvlian profesias.“ Tqven maT urCevT rom mTavari, rac unda icodnen, swavlis swavlaa _ rogor daimaton axali codna ama Tu im mimarTulebiT. aseve, naTqvami gaqvT, rom axalgazrdebma unda ganiviTaron SemoqmedebiTi unarebi. rogori iqneba is garemo, romelSic dRevandel moswavleebs da studentebs mouwevT cxovreba?

will change their profession several times in their lifetime”. Your advice is that the most important thing is to learn how to study – how to learn new skills. You also said that it’s important for young people to develop their creativity. What will the world look like, the one in which today’s children and students are going to live?

– They say that a lot of jobs that are boring and repetitive will be done by the machines instead of us. For example, soon, we will have cars without drivers. This means that there will also be a plane, a ship that won’t be operated by a man. Just imagine how many drivers will become unemployed. Let’s have a TV set factory, executives of said factory want to employ as many robots as possible: they won’t go on a strike and will work 24/7... but if all the people will be replaced by the machines, no one will have enough money to buy those TV sets. So the discussion that we have on hand is that when a person is born he will have to have enough income to sustain himself.

– Where will this resource come from?

– They are thinking of putting some sort of a tax on robots. If you have a robot at your factory, you are required to pay a fee to a foundation that will be responsible for sustaining the basic needs of people (food, education, housing). Then it’ll be up to people: if they want more – a good car, summer house, etc. – they will have to work, but the manual work will be done by robots, while people can work in creative fields. What is it that a robot can not do? We know that robots can build cars better than people. But a robot will never stop to ask “why am I doing it like this? Let me try a different way”. But an artist, a musician can open new borders. I think this is going to be in demand.

– It is possible that today’s study qualifications are going to be enough for creative skills in the future. But some specialisations and fields will have to be covered by the machines. The people who studied mathematics, physics, biology and other sciences will have to find new roles for themselves.

– Even today we see that mathematicians are moving over to data analysis. Apart from eradicating some professions, technology is also creating new ones. Learning to study is exactly for these types of situations so that you can build on top of your existing knowledge.

– Does learning to study mean additional time in an academic environment? I mean the time spent in universities will not increase?

– Learning to study should start in schools. The educational system that we have now was created in the time of the industrial revolution and we almost don’t see an alternative. The bell rings and a factory starts to work, or a child starts to learn...the bell rings and the work is done, or the schoolday is over. I did not create an environment where I work or learn. Someone just told me: this is your work area, sit around here and do your things.

– But this is changing.

– Yes, because there was a different principle before the Industrial revolution - workshops. A small group of people would gather in the same space, where they would have a specific goal or a problem and

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3 (25) 2021

_ amboben, rom bevr saqmes, romelic mosawyenia, meqanikuria, droTa ganmavlobaSi, manqanebi gadaibareben da Cven magivrad gaakeTeben. magaliTad, saubaria imaze, rom axlo momavalSi gaCndeba manqana mZRolis gareSe. es niSnavs, rom gaCndeba TviTmfrinavic da gemic, romlis marTvas adamiani ar dasWirdeba. warmoidgineT, mZRolis profesiis ramxela plasti rCeba usamsaxurod. aviRoT televizorebis qarxana. am qarxnis xelmZRvanelobas aqvs mizani, rom rac SeiZleba meti roboti daasaqmos: isini ar gaificebian, 24 saaTi imuSaveben... magram Tu adamianebs srulad Caanacvleben manqanebi, maSin televizorebis qarxnis produqciis SesaZeni Tanxa aRaravis eqneba. amitom, dRes saubaria imaze, rom roca adamiani daibadeba, mas ukve unda hqondes garantirebuli sabaziso Semosavali. _ saidan unda gaCndes es resursi? _ fiqroben, rom robotebs daekisros raRac gadasaxadi.

Sen Tu roboti gyavs qarxanaSi, Sesabamisi Tanxa unda gadaixado fondSi, romelic TiToeul adamians

they would not leave until they’d solved it, sometimes they would work through the night. A person in the workshop would learn from doing. This is seen very accurately with artists. We know that Verrocchio was Leonardo Da Vinci’s teacher. Verrocchio painted the Baptism of Christ. As he was the master he painted Jesus and John the Baptist, while youthful Leonardo painted an angel. The pupil outdid the master and there is even a legend according to which Verrocchio dropped down his brushes and said that he will never paint again. Leonardo Da Vinci grew and developed in Verrocchio’s workshop studio, and then became better than his teacher. The workshop principle is coming back. On the one hand, we need that basic knowledge, on the other, these skills and knowledge have to grow in a workshop environment. This is what we are trying to do at UniLab. We have a biology student who is also learning to program. The academic system created in the Industrial Revolution is transforming and changing. We need more spaces where people with different levels of experience will experiment together and learn from each other.

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3 (25) 2021

uzrunvelyofs sabaziso moTxovnebis (kvebis, ganaTlebis, binis) doneze. Semdeg adamianze iqneba damokidebuli: Tu ufro meti unda _ kargi manqana, agaraki _ maSin unda imuSaos. magram Tu profesiebi, ZiriTadad, robotebis mier iqneba dakavebuli, adgili darCeba mxolod SemoqmedebiTi profesiebisTvis. risi gakeTeba ar SeuZlia manqanas? viciT, rom manqanas adamianze ukeTesad SeuZlia manqanis awyoba. magram ver ityvis: „ase ratom vakeTebT?! modi, sul sxvanairad vcadoT!“ meore mxriv, mxatvars, musikoss SeuZliaT, axali sazRvrebi gaxsnan, Tavidan razec vlaparakobdiT. albaT, amaze iqneba moTxovna. _ SemoqmedebiTi unari iseTi ram aris, rom swavlis dRevandeli kvalifikacia, SeiZleba, merec sakmarisi aRmoCndes. magram xom aris iseTi specialobebi, romlebSic dRevandel kvalifikacias mTlianad manqanebi dafaraven. maSin adamianma, romelmac iswavla maTematika, fizika, biologia da ase Semdeg... raRac sxva kvalifikacia unda SeiZinos, rom Tavisi adgili ipovos? _ dResac xdeba, rom, magaliTad, maTematikosi gadava monacemebis analizze. amis garda, axali teqnologiebi arsebul profesiebs rom aqrobs, axal, aqamde ararsebul profesiebs aCens. swavlis swavla swored amisTvis aris saWiro, rom SeZlo, Sens codnas raRac daaSeno zevidan. _ swavlis swavla iseTi ram aris, rasac akademiur garemoSi damatebiTi drois gatareba aRar sWirdeba? anu universitetebSi swavlis dro SeiZleba arc gaizardos? _ swavlis swavla skolidan unda daiwyos. is saganmanaTleblo garemo, rac axla arsebobs, industriul epoqaSi Seiqmna da, TiTqos, mis alternativas ver vxedavT. zari daireka, qarxanam muSaoba daiwyo, an adamianma swavla daiwyo... zari daireka da damTavrda samuSao da saswavlo dRe. garemo, romelSic vmuSaob an vswavlob, me ar Semiqmnia. viRacam mimiTiTa: es aris Seni samuSao sivrce, aq ijeqi da aq akeTe Seni saqme. _ magram es icvleba. _ diax, imitom, rom industriul epoqamde iyo sxva midgoma _ saxelosnos principi. adamianebis patara jgufi Sekrebili iyo erT sivrceSi, sadac hqondaT konkretuli amocana da sanam am amocanas ar gadawyvetdnen, SeiZleboda, Rameebic gaeTenebinaT. adamiani saxelosnoSi swavlobda keTebiT. es mxatvrebis magaliTze Zalian kargad Cans. Cven viciT, rom verokio iyo leonardo da vinCis maswavlebeli. verokiom daxata naxati, naTlisReba. rogorc maswavlebelma, daxata qristes da ioane naTlismcemlis gamosaxulebebi, xolo angelozis gamosaxuleba moswavles daaxatvina. im moswavlem kidev ukeTesad daxata, vidre maswavlebelma da arsebobs legenda, rom verokiom funjebi dayara _ me mets aRar davxatavo. verokios saxelosnoSi ganviTarda leonardo da vinCis niWi da mere Tavis maswavlebelze ukeTesi ram Seqmna. saxelosnos principi nel-nela isev

– The next step after technological innovation is a knowledgebased economy. Georgia will not be exempt from this. But where does our country stand now when it comes to a knowledge-based economy?

– Here we have a rather electing situation as well. We missed several phases, so we do lack things when speaking of, let’s call it “knowledge ecosystem”. Estonia is a small country, like us, and they are the proud inventors of Skype. We don’t have an example like this in Georgia. I’m always on the lookout and hoping for something to change. Young people are interested in technology and I am hopeful. Also, I can’t even imagine and don’t know any examples of when a programmer was hired in a company due to nepotism.

This is a field that has many places that you can occupy with your knowledge.

– Regardless of how strange this may sound for today’s Georgia, along with Zura Jishkariani you are working on cyber immortality. Could you tell us how technology can make people immortal?

– This is more of a memorial, a digital copy if you will. Say you were to record every answer I’ve given to all the questions I’ve been asked through my life and upload them to a programme, there will be a programme that would answer a question as I would, even if I am no longer alive. If I am dead, but you can talk to me with the help of this programme, we can call this cyber immortality. Throughout their lives, people are leaving an immense amount of digital trace. In the old times, we kept archives on paper. But if the information is stored in digital format we can write a programme and make an interactive archive. For example, we already have chatbots – talking machines, if you will – such as CyberGalaktioni. You can ask him a question and get a response.

– What kind of answers are these?

– In the case of Galaktioni, it’s like writing a book. When one person is writing a book about another person you can always say that “things were a little different”. Zura Jishkariani was working on the digital brain of CyberGalaktioni. Someone could argue with Zura and day that Galaktioni would have answered differently.

– Does this mean that there was also a better answer in the digital database?

– Or that the answer existing in the digital database should have been different.

– But the digital bank has real information, doesn’t it?

– Yes, but this information is stored in the form of a dialogue.

For example, you won’t be able to find the word “uncle” in any of Galaktioni’s works. But we know that he used this word in speech. So if you were to ask him “Which school did you go to?” He could have answered “this and that school, uncle”.

– What does Zura Jishkariani do in that regard?

– He is one of the people who are working on dialogue narration.

They are creating the design of a speech, say how Galaktioni speaks, and convert the things that are written in Galaktioni’s diaries into a dialogue.

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3 (25) 2021

Semodis. erTi mxriv, Cven gvWirdeba sabaziso codna, magram, meore mxriv, am codnis ganviTareba da ganvrcoba saxelosnoSi unda moxdes. es aris, ris danergvasac vcdilobT unilabSi. movida studenti, romelic, vTqvaT, biologias swavlobs da, aseve, swavlobs programirebas. faqtia, rom is akademiuri garemo, romelic industriul epoqaSi Camoyalibda, transformacias ganicdis. saWiroa Tavisufali sivrce, sadac gamocdili da naklebad gamocdili adamianebi erTad arian da keTebiT erTmaneTisgan swavloben. _ teqnologiur ganviTarebas bunebrivad mohyveba codnaze dafuZnebuli ekonomika. amas saqarTvelo ver ascdeba Tanamedrove samyaroSi. magram dRes sad aris saqarTvelos adgili codnis ekonomikis rukaze? _ aqac Zalian ekleqturi garemo gvaqvs. raRac etapebi gamovtoveT da am ekosistemaSi _ codnis ekosistema davarqvaT _ zogi ram gvaklia. estonelebs CvensaviT patara qveyana aqvT da imiT amayoben, rom Skype Seqmnes. saqarTveloSi aseTi magaliTi ar gvaqvs. sul molodinSi var, rom iqneb, raRac Seicvalos. axalgazrdebs teqnologiebis mimarT interesi aqvT da amaSi vxedav perspeqtivas. Tanac, ver warmomidgenia da verc magaliTs vixseneb, rom romelime kompaniaSi programistad nacnobobiT an naTesaobiT daeniSnaT vinme. es is sferoa, sadac jer bevri Tavisufali adgilia, romelic SegiZlia, Seni codniT daikavo. _ rac ar unda ucnauri iyos, Tanamedrove saqarTveloSi _ mravali kuTxiT CamorCenil qveyanaSi _ Tqven, zura jiSkarianTan erTad, muSaobT kiberukvdavebis Temaze. gviambeT, rogor aris SesaZlebeli, teqnologiebma adamiani ukvdavi gaxados. _ es aris ufro memoriali, adamianis cifruli asli. magaliTad, Cemi cxovrebis ganmavlobaSi, Tu programaSi CavtvirTe yvela im kiTxvaze pasuxi, rac CemTvis dausvamT, Tundac, aRar viyo cocxali, iarsebebs programa, romelic kiTxvebze imas upasuxebs, rasac me vupasuxebdi, cocxali rom vyofiliyavi. Tu cocxali aRar var, magram CemTan saubari SesaZlebelia programis meSveobiT, amas SeiZleba davarqvaT kiberukvdaveba. adamiani, cxovrebis ganmavlobaSi, uzarmazar cifrul kvals agrovebs. adre qaRaldis furclebze rCeboda arqivi. magram Tu informacia cifrul formatSia gadatanili an cifruli saxiT aris datovebuli, SegviZlia, programebi avawyoT da aseTi cifruli arqivi interaqtiuri gavxadoT. magaliTad, arsebobs Cetboti _ anu molaparake manqana _ kibergalaktioni. SeiZleba adamianma mas kiTxva dausvas da pasuxi miiRos. _ ra xarisxis aris pasuxebi? _ galaktionis SemTxvevaSi, es hgavs wignis daweras. roca erTi adamiani meoris Sesaxeb wers wigns, sxva SeiZleba Seedavos _ rom es ase ar yofila. kibergalaktionis cifrul tvinze zura jiSkariani muSaobda. SeiZleba,

– Do you know the questions beforehand?

– No, this was Zura’s idea: while working on a screenplay, the writer has his hero and creates his portrait, which helps the actor to play the part in the right way. This is how the narration designer is creating the portrait of a hero. When a chatbot is being created, this means that a person’s portrait is being created. Dialogue is based on this. By the way, I don’t think there is anything like this in the world, but at UniLab we have a narration design course you can take to learn how to write and design dialogues.

– Do you teach dramaturgy or technology?

– Imagine a car without a driver. I get on it and say: “take me home”, if it’s a BMW, it should respond with a “let’s go, brother!”. Today a person is buying a lifestyle along with a car. Same class cars differ only with a lifestyle. BMW is considered to be suited for “wild” people so it has to respond in that way. If we are talking about speaking with cars in general, then we’d need a narration designer to have the gadget/ machine speak in the correct form with me.

– I want to dig deeper. We are headed to a world where AI is going to be a big part of our lives. According to futurists and specialists of these technologies, AI will be free of human control and robots may be going to act hostile towards humans. How real is this and should we be scared of AI? – The most important thing that they are saying is that we don’t know what will happen if robots get the sense of “self”.

– How can a machine get the sense of “self”?

– Where does the sense of “self” come from in humans? Do animals have it? Experts are still arguing about this. If you have a sense of “self” you are thinking about your living environment. If a robot gets a sense of “self” and grows fast enough is it possible that machines are going to think that humans are in the way of their development? This is the danger that is being discussed. If a machine has a sense of “self” where will the humans stand in their living environment?

– But as far as I know, no one has proven that a machine may get a sense of “self”.

– This is like music over the radio. I want to find music on the radio. I can disassemble the radio into tiny pieces but I won’t find any music. We know that consciousness doesn’t have anything to do with the size of a brain. An elephant has a bigger brain than a human does, but we know that humans have a sense of “self”, while we don’t know that about elephants. We know that ants and bees don’t have brains, they only have a nervous system all over their bodies, but they know something mathematical because they can transmit digital signals. I wrote a short stories book about technology. In one of the stories, every computer program that a person writes is like a reflection of himself. We say that programs collect personal data, but they are not doing this out of their will, people are giving them their data. People may do this knowingly and without having any knowledge about it. People are greedy so the programs they write are also greedy. We tend to give technology our traits.

– Good and bad.

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3 (25) 2021

zuras vinme Seedavos _ ase ki ara, ise unda epasuxa galaktionso. _ es imas niSnavs, rom cifrul bankSi ukeTesi pasuxic iyo? _ an cifrul bankSi arsebuli pasuxi sxvanairi unda yofiliyo. _ cifrul bankSi xom realuri informaciaa? _ diax, magram es realuri informacia dialogis formatSia gadayvanili. magaliTad, arsad CanawerebSi galaktions ar aqvs sityva „biZiko“. magram viciT, rom saubrisas is am sityvas iyenebda. amitom, roca raRacas ekiTxebi, pirobiTad _ romel skolaSi swavlobdiT? SeiZleba, gipasuxoT: ama da am skolaSi vswavlobdi, biZiko! _ zuras inteleqti raSi monawileobs? _ im specialistebs, romlebic dialogebs awyoben, Cven narativdizaineri davarqviT. is qmnis saubris dizains _ vTqvaT, rogor ilaparakebda galaktioni; is, rac galaktionis dRiurSi weria, rogor gadavakonvertiroT dialogSi. _ kiTxvebi Tavidanve gaazrebulia? _ ara, es zuras idea iyo: filmis scenaris dawerisas, scenarists hyavs filmis gmiri da qmnis mis portrets, rac mere msaxiobs exmareba, rom gmiris rolSi Sevides. aseve qmnis gmiris portrets narativdizaineri. roca romelime Cetboti iqmneba, es niSnavs, rom iqmneba adamianis portreti. iqidan gamomdinare ewyoba dialogi. sxvaTa Soris, mgoni, msoflioSi arsad ar aris da unilabSi gvaqvs narativdizainis kursi, sadac adamians dialogis dizainis awyobas vaswavliT. _ dramaturgias aswavliT, Tu teqnologias? _ warmoidgineT, rom manqana mZRolis gareSea. Cavjeqi aseT manqanaSi da veubnebi: „wavediT saxlSi!“ Tu es manqana aris „BMW”, man unda mipasuxos: „wavediT, Zma!“ dRes adamiani, manqanasTan erTad, ganwyobas yidulobs. erTi klasis manqanebSi gansxvaveba TiTqmis ar arsebobs, ganwyobis garda. „BMW” TavzexelaRebuli adamianebis manqanad aris miCneuli da Sesabamisad unda mesaubrebodes.

Tu, zogadad, manqanebTan urTierTobas verbalur formatSi gadavitanT, iq ukve narativdizaineri iqneba saWiro, rom mowyobiloba „sworad“ damelaparakos. _ kidev ufro Sors minda wavideT. bolos, yvelaferi midis iqiT, rom xelovnuri inteleqti daikavebs adamianis cxovrebis did nawils. futurologebis da teqnologiebis specialistebis gamoTvliT, savaraudod, mimdinare saukunis Sua wlebSi dadgeba xana, roca SesaZlebelia, xelovnurma inteleqtma adamianis kontrols daaRwios Tavi, anu SeiZleba robotebma adamianisgan damoukideblad da adamianis nebis sawinaaRmdegod miiRon gadawyvetilebebi. ramdenad realuria da ra udevs safuZvlad SiSs xelovnuri inteleqtis mimarT? _ mTavari, rasac amboben, is aris, rom Cven ar viciT, ra moxdeba, Tu robots „me“-s aRqma gauCndeba. _ saidan SeiZleba, manqanas „me“-s aRqma gauCndes?

– Yes. If we give AI our good qualities and even our desires and dreams like we do this with religion, fairytale and myths, AI may be able to help us and make those dreams come true. We need to have a pure heart when we are dealing with technology. Because if we give it human aggression, violence, war and other bad qualities... one day this may backfire.

– But it’s impossible to control this, is it not?

– Yes this is fiction. But the danger is there: a machine gets a sense of “self”, a desire to broaden their territory and we are in the way.

– As far as I know, the western world has some sort of “blocking” mechanisms. They are looking at the progress from an ethical point of view as well.

– We know that we already have “drones” military planes that don’t need pilots, but it is made so that a person has to push the button for the drone to fire. This means that you need someone who will make responsible choices. Although we have seen immense technological development, the role of humans is still vital. The medical field has seen tremendous technological development, but it’s still the doctor who makes decisions.

– I’ve heard that some things that are prohibited in Europe are allowed in China, things that have to do with ethical barriers.

So there is a possibility that China will see faster technological growth.

– To develop AI you need a huge amount of data. AI in its turn is a rather interesting term. We call those programs AI that can learn itself and make analysis (machine learning).

– Is it possible for the machine to learn how to learn itself? And after this, a person won’t be able to control what the machines are learning.

– If a sense of “self” comes from a large amount of data then theoretically it is possible that the machines get a sense of “self”.

– It is way harder to lay your hands on available data in the West than in China.

– Yes, in the West personal data is protected and not easily available. Chinese are not afraid of sharing personal data, so what if the Government needs it?!

– On many occasions, I have read and heard that as the technology develops, we will see more cyborgs around, biological creatures that are enhanced with technology. As far as I heard this is since other planets are not suitable for human life so we will have to enhance ourselves using technology to be able to inhabit those planets in the future. Do you think Georgia is ready to discuss these topics?

– If we are discussing cyber immortality, why can’t we talk about transhumanism? Sometimes people are saying that with technological development humans are growing as well and at some point, we may go to war with each other. As if war was to be a sharp line. The thing is that there won’t be any harsh divisions, with technological development humans will grow as well - what is technology, what is human.

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3 (25) 2021

_ saidan Cndeba „me“ adamianSi? aqvs Tu ara cxovels „me“-s SegrZneba? amaze dRemde kamaToben. Tu „me“-s SegrZneba giCndeba, ukve iwyeb fiqrs Sens saarsebo garemoze. Tu robots „me“ gauCndeba da swrafad daiwyebs ganviTarebas, xom ar CaTvlis, rom adamianebi xels uSlian? ai, am safrTxeze saubroben. manqanas Tu gauCndeba „me“, sad viqnebiT adamianebi mis radarze, mis saarsebo garemoSi? _ magram, ramdenadac vici, jerjerobiT, aravis dausabuTebia, rom manqanas odesme SeiZleba „me“-s aRqma gauCndes. _ es hgavs musikas, romelic radiodan ismis. minda, musika vipovo radioSi. davSli umcires nawilebad, magram musikas ver vipovi. viciT, rom cnobiereba tvinis zomaze ar aris damokidebuli. adamianze didi tvini aqvs spilos, magram adamians „me“ aqvs da spilos, ar viciT, aqvs Tu ara. viciT, rom WianWvelas da futkars ar aqvT tvini;

– Is it because medically speaking, these technologies are already part of humans and will be an even bigger part of us?

– Yes, there are a lot of articles about this. Kurzwei, a futurist, says that there was a time when computers would take up the whole room, then they became smaller and we put them on our desks, now a smartphone, which is essentially a computer, fits into our pockets. People are saying that whatever it is that we have on our phone screens will soon be in our glasses. I always have my glasses on, meaning that a computer will always be running. Then I will be able to enlarge my intellectual abilities with the help of technology. Now here’s a question: is this still a human or a new form of life? I mean will this result in a new form of life that is part human, part machine? You can’t call it a computer, nor can you call it a machine.

– I’d like to go back to today’s Georgia from the far away future.

Most of the media is politicised, this means soon we will have people – journalists or not – who can’t see their place in the

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3 (25) 2021

maT mxolod mTel sxeulze gadanawilebuli nervuli sistema aqvT, magram maTematikis raRac ician, radgan cifrul informacias gadascemen. moTxrobebis krebuli davwere teqnologiebze da iq maqvs erTi moTxroba. yvela kompiuteruli programa, romelsac adamiani akeTebs, misi garkveuli anareklia. vambobT, rom programebi pirad informacias agrovebs. magram Tavisi surviliT xom ar agrovebs, adamiani debs am informacias. SeiZleba, nebiT Cados, an uneblieT Cados. xarbi adamiania da xarbi programa gamouvida. Cven, nebiT Tu uneblieT, teqnologiebs Cvens Tvisebebs gadavcemT. _ kargsac da cudsac. _ diax. Tu xelovnur inteleqts gadaveciT Cveni kargi Tvisebebi da, ufro metic, is survilebi, ocnebebi, romlebsac vdebT religiebSi, zRaprebSi, miTebSi, SeiZleba, xelovnuri inteleqti momavalSi dagvexmaros, rom Cveni survilebi da ocnebebi axdes. teqnologiebTan unda mivideT sufTa guliT. imitom, rom Cven Tu gadaveciT amas adamianebis agresia, brZola, vaswavleT omi, Cxubi da ase Semdeg... erTxelac SeiZleba, es yvelaferi Cven winaaRmdeg Semoatrialos. _ amis gakontroleba xom SeuZlebelia? _ diax, es mxatvruli teqstia. magram safrTxe arsebobs: manqanas gauCnda „me“, gauCnda teritoriis gafarToebis survili da iq Cven sadRac fexebSi movedeT. _ rogorc vici, dasavleTis samyaroSi garkveuli „Camketebi“ arsebobs, progress eTikuri kuTxiTac yuradRebiT akvirdebian. _ cnobilia, rom arsebobs „dronebi“, upiloto samxedro TviTmfrinavebi magram isea mowyobili, rom bolos Rilaks TiTs adamiani aWers. anu Sen gWirdeba viRac, vinc pasuxismgebelia gadawyvetilebis miRebaze. imis miuxedavad, rom teqnologiebi ganviTarda, Zalian mniSvnelovania adamianis roli. medicinaSi uamravi teqnologiaa, magram gadawyvetilebas eqimi iRebs. _ aseTi ram msmenia, rom is, rac evropaSi akrZalulia, CineTSi daSvebulia da SesaZlebelia, CineTSi ufro swrafad ganviTardes teqnologiebi, vidre evropaSi, swored eTikuri „Camketebis“ gamo. _ xelovnuri inteleqtis ganviTarebisTvis saWiroa bevri monacemi. xelovnuri inteleqti, Tavis mxriv, sakmaod spekulaciuri terminia. praqtikulad, xelovnur inteleqts eZaxian iseT programas, romelsac daswavla SeuZlia: monacemebis safuZvelze swavlobs da daskvnebs akeTebs. _ mere SeiZleba, sxva etapze, TviTonve iswavlos, rogor iswavlis. da amis Semdeg ras iswavlis, imas adamiani ukve veRar gaakontrolebs. _ „me“ Tu Cndeba maSin, roca monacemis raodenoba Zalian didia, SeiZleba, marTla dagrovdes imdeni monacemi, rom, raRac momentSi, manqanas „me“ gauCndes.

media. You, for example.

– It is not only that I don’t see my place. Today’s media is not interesting for us.

– But the topics that we are discussing are very interesting.

Do you think that digital platforms can be a fulfilling place for people like you to present themselves?

– It is possible. The younger generation is not interested in receiving information from television anymore. With my youngest child, we are using a TV set as a computer screen. I never put on cable and we find out about the current news from social media. I think that the younger generation prefers this form, to be able to choose when to watch the news or anything else that they are interested in.

– Do you think digital platforms will be able to compete with television, financially speaking?

– In the case of our small country, I think it’s impossible. We won’t be able to find enough people to invest in digital platforms so that they can compete with television.

– Georgia is looking rather depressed these days because there is no perspective or hope for a better future. Once you put hope on the younger generation, what kind of change will we see in 10-15 years?

– I will tell you about my “dream Georgia”: it should be an open space, borders will be conditional, we won’t escape globalisation.

I would love for people to have the opportunity to unleash their potential to the fullest.

– What do you expect from yourself in the given time of life?

– After I wrote my short stories book, I was thinking maybe it’s time to put more effort into creativity. I have an Instagram page “Sandro’s books” where I am sharing my drawings. Part of it is new, and the rest are old pieces. Sometimes I think, that’s how I drew it back then, but what would I draw now? I would probably wish to devote more time to this.

– Thank you very much for this interesting discussion. I will end the interview with your comment on two expressions of famous people. The first quote belongs to Besik Kharanauli (1939): “There is nothing I know to the level of not finding out something new every day”.

– We talked about creativity. The education system puts people into boxes and then they have a hard time being creative. I think the ability to be able to look at something I already know from a different point of view is priceless and will be even more important in the future.

– The second quote belongs to the founding father of the United States Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790): “One day is worth two tomorrows”.

– I completely agree. We all know that something has to change in many fields – we are lagging behind in some things, other things are not the way we want them to be. We talked about the future. This future has to be created today. There are a lot of things that we have to be doing today.

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_ dasavleTSi bevrad naklebi monacemia xelmisawvdomi, vidre CineTSi. _ diax, dasavleTSi, magaliTad, piradi informacia xelmiuwvdomelia. Cinelebs ar aqvT SiSi pirad monacemTan dakavSirebiT. ra moxda, Tu saxelmwifo iyenebs?! _ bevrjer momismenia da wamikiTxavs, rom teqnologiebis ganviTarebis kvaldakval, gaCndebian kiborgebi, romlebic naxevrad biologiuri da naxevrad teqnologiuri arsebebi iqnebian. ramdenadac vici, es idea gaCnda kosmosis aTvisebis konteqstSi _ rom sxva planetebze Cvennairi adamiani ver iarsebebs da amitom mas, ase vTqvaT, teqnologiurad gaZliereba dasWirdeba. rogor fiqrobT, dRevandeli saqarTvelo aris Tu ara mzad am da msgavs Temebze saubrisTvis? _ Tuki kiberukvdavebaze vsaubrobT, ratom ar unda visaubroT transhumanizmze? zogjer amboben, rom teqnologiebi viTardeba, kacobriobac vviTardebiT da bolos, raRac momentSi, SeiZleba, erTmaneTTan omi daviwyoT. TiTqos, ori mkveTrad gamoyofili xazia. saqme is aris, rom aseTi mkveTri gayofa ar iarsebebs. teqnologiebis ganviTarebasTan erTad, es zRvari waiSleba _ sad aris teqnologia da sad aris adamiani. _ imitom, rom samedicino kuTxiT es teqnologiebi ukve Semodis adamianSi da, savaraudod, kidev metad Semova? _ diax, bevri statiaa amis Sesaxeb gamoqveynebuli. kurcvaili, futurologi, ambobs, rom adre kompiuters mTeli oTaxi ekava, mere dapataravda da magidaze idga, axla telefoni, romelic faqtobrivad kompiuteria, ukve jibeSi gvidevs. aris saubari, rom is, rac telefonis ekranze maqvs, ukve saTvaleze meqneba. saTvale sul CemTan aris da, ese igi, kompiuteric sul CarTulia. mere Cemi gonebis SezRudul SesaZleblobebs gavifarToeb teqnologiebis gamoyenebiT. aq Cndeba kiTxva: es isev adamiani iqneba, Tu SesaZlebelia, sicocxlis axali saxeoba gaCndes? anu xom ar moxdeba naxtomi, ris Semdegac gaCndeba axali saxeoba _ teqnologiebis da adamianis gaerTianeba? mas ukve verc kompiuters daarqmev da verc adamians. _ Soreuli momavlidan isev dRevandel saqarTveloSi minda, davbrundeT. televiziebis umravlesoba politizebulia da, Sesabamisad, gaCndnen adamianebi _ Jurnalistebic da araJurnalistebic _ romlebic am televiziebSi Tavis adgils ver xedaven. magaliTad, Tqven. _ aramarto adgils ver vxedavT, arc aris CvenTvis saintereso dRevandeli televiziebi. _ Tumca, rasac Tqven gviyvebiT, Zalian sainteresoa.

SesaZleblad migaCniaT Tu ara, rom cifruli platformebi gaxdes Tqvennairi adamianebis prezentaciis srulfasovani sivrce? _ SesaZlebelia. axalgazrda Taobas naklebi interesi aqvs mowodebis im formebisadmi, rasac televizia sTavazobs. Cems umcros SvilTan erTad televizors

viyenebT, rogorc kompiuteris ekrans. arxebi ar davayene. momxdari ambebis mokle Sinaarss socialuri mediidan vigeb. me vfiqrob, rom am axali TaobisTvis, ai, aseTi forma, rom me ki ar vewyobi satelevizio badeze, rom am dros CavrTav imitom, rom axali ambebia, aramed me TviTon virCev, rodis ra vnaxo, anu Cemi arCevania. es forma ufro misaRebia maTTvis. _ rogor fiqrobT, finansurad iqneba Tu ara SesaZlebeli cifruli platformebis ise gaZliereba, rom televiziebs gauwios konkurencia? _ Cvennair patara qveyanaSi eg SeuZlebeli mgonia. albaT, ver moiZebneba imdeni adamiani, romelTa Semowiruleba televiziebTan konkurencias uzrunvelyofs. _ dRevandeli saqarTvelo depresiulad gamoiyureba, radgan perspeqtivis gancda, TiTqos, dakargulia. Tqven erTxel axalgazrdebs didi cvlilebebis imedi daukavSireT. ra cvlilebebs elodebiT uaxloes 10-15 weliwadSi saqarTveloSi? _ Cemi ocnebis saqarTvelos Sesaxeb getyviT: Ria sivrce unda iyos. sazRvrebi, albaT, kidev ufro pirobiTi gaxdeba _ globalizacias ver avcdebiT. agreTve, visurvebdi, rom adamianebs hqondeT Tavisi potencialis srulad realizebis SesaZlebloba. _ Tqveni cxovrebis am etapze, sakuTari Tavisgan ras elodebiT? _ bolo dros, moTxrobebis krebulic rom davwere, vfiqrobdi, xom ar movida dro, rom Semoqmedebas meti dro davuTmo. instagramis gverdi maqvs: „Sandro’s Books”, sadac Cems naxatebs vdeb. nawili axali naxatia, nawili Zveli, romelsac davubrundi. vfiqrob, maSin ase davxate, magram axla rogor davxatavdi? albaT, Cems Tavs vusurvebdi, amisTvis meti dro dameTmo momavalSi. _ didi madloba saintereso saubrisTvis. intervius davasrulebT Tqveni komentariT cnobili adamianebis or gamonaTqvamze. pirveli citata ekuTvnis qarTvel mwerals _ besik xaranauls (1939): “araferi ise ar vici, rom yoveldRe Tavidan ar aRmovaCino.” _ kreatiulobaze vilaparakeT. ganaTlebis sistema standartebSi, CarCoebSi svams adamians da mere mas uWirs, rom iyos SemoqmedebiTi. es unari da niWi, rom rac vici, imas sxva TvaliT Sevxedo, gadavafaso da masSi raRac axali aRmovaCino _ Cemi azriT, Zalian mniSvnelovania da kidev ufro mniSvnelovani gaxdeba. _ meore citatis avtoria amerikis erT-erTi damfuZnebeli mama, saxelmwifo moRvawe benjamin franklini (1706-1790): „erTi dRevandeli dRe or xvalindel dRes jobia.“ _ diax, veTanxmebi. yvela vxvdebiT, rom raRac unda Seicvalos bevr sferoSi _ sadRac CamovrCebiT, sadRac ise ar aris, rogorc gvinda, rom iyos. Cven vilaparakeT momavalze. es momavali dRes unda SevqmnaT. dRes gvaqvs gasakeTebeli Zalian bevri ram.

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dimitri erisTavi rogorc Tavad brZanebs, iRbliani Semoqmedia. fanqriT, tuSiT, pasteliT Tu akvareliT Sesrulebuli poeturi naxatebi Tavidanve aRiara da Seiyvara sazogadoebam. dimitri erisTavi grafikosia. misi samocwliani Semoqmedeba klasikuri (akademiuri) tradiciebis gagrZelebasa da siaxleebis ganWvretas efuZneba. man didi wvlili Seitana saqarTveloSi naxatis srulyofasa da ganviTarebaSi. misi grafika moicavs sxvadasxva Tematikas: Janrobriv scenebs, peizaJs, portrets, torss (niu), naturmorts. mxatvris mier Seqmnili samyaro mravalferovani, metyveli, gamomsaxveli da, imavdroulad, piradulia. garda grafikuli namuSevrebisa, romlebSic mTavari Tema Tbilisi da Tbiliselebia, is asze meti wignis damsuraTebelicaa. gaformebuli da gamocemuli aqvs ilia WavWavaZis, uiliam Seqspiris, Carlz dikensis, Jiul renanis, maqsim gorkis, mixeil zoSCenkos, oTar da Tamaz WilaZeebis, otia ioselianis, rezo WeiSvilis da sxvaTa nawarmoebebi. rogorc kinomxatvars umuSavia msoflioSi aRiarebul bevr qarTvel reJisorTan. 2006 wels mxatvari rusTavelis premiiT dajildovda.

DIMITRI ERISTAVI He says he can count himself a very lucky artist. The poetic beauty of his pencil, ink, pastel and watercolour paintings won popular recognition from the very outset of his career. Dimitri Eristavi is a graphic artist. His painting endeavours stretching back over sixty years are known for their adherence to classic (academic) traditions, as well as for their openness to novelties. Dimitri Eristavi made a tremendous contribution to the development of Georgian painting. He experimented with a wide range of styles and themes throughout his career as a graphic artist: genre scene, landscape, portrait, torso (nu), and still life. His painting is a versatile, expressive medium which offers a deeply personal experience. Besides graphic depictions of Tbilisi and Tbilisians, he has created outstanding illustrations for over one hundred books. He is the publisher and illustrator of works

by Ilia Chavchavadze, William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, Jules Renard, Maxim Gorki, Mikhail Zoshchenko, Otar and Tamaz Chiladze, Otia Ioseliani, Rezo Cheishvili, and others. As a cinema painter, he has been involved in great projects with world-renowned Georgian directors.

In 2006 He was awarded the Shota Rustaveli Prize.

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mama: mamam, vaxtang erisTavma, samxatvro akademiis grafikis ganyofilebis ilustraciis saxelosno daamTavra. misi pedagogi ioseb Sarlemani iyo, romelic mogvianebiT mec maswavlida. Sarlemani ruseTis imperiaSi gamosuli ukanaskneli fulis banknotis graviuris avtori gaxldaT. mamas Tbilisis realuri saswavlebeli hqonda damTavrebuli. im droisTvis man inglisuri ena gamorCeulad kargad icoda, romelic TavisiT iswavla.

1955 wels moskovis dakveTiT konstantine gamsaxurdias romani `didostatis marjvena~ Targmna inglisurad, romelic gamoica kidec. davibade da gavizarde dRevandel galaktion tabiZis quCaze. am Tbilisur mravalerovan ezoSi cxovrobdnen giorgi da niko nikolaZeebi da niko musxeliSvili. mamam akademia gvian, 1938 wels daamTavra da Semdeg Zalian

Father: My father, Vakhtang Eristavi, attended the Academy of Art’s illustration studio within the graphics department. He took the classes of Joseph Charlemagne, who later became my master too.

Joseph Charlemagne is credited with having designed the Russian Empire’s last ever banknotes. Father was a Real School graduate and a fluent speaker of English – self-taught, though. In 1955 he accepted an order from Moscow to translate into English Konstantine Gamsakhurdia’s The Right Hand of the Grand Master, which was put into print.

I was born and grew up in the street currently named after Galaktion Tabidze, in a multicultural society, side by side with Giorgi and Niko Nikoladze and Niko Muskhelishvili. My father finished his studies at the Academy in his mature years, in 1938, after which his painting endeavours absorbed him completely. Apart from painting and translating, he had many other passions, including a

eskizi kino-filmisTvis `araCveulebrivi gamofena~, qaRaldi, tuSi, kalami, 26X41, 1967

SKETCH FOR THE FILM "EXTRAORDINARY EXHIBITION", INDIAN INK AND PEN ON PAPER, 26X41, 1967

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naTela erisTavis portreti, qaRaldi, feradi fanqari 49x36, 1982

PORTRAIT OF NATELA ERISTAVI, COLOURED PENCIL ON PAPER, 49X36, 1982

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ilustracia ilia WavWavaZis moTxrobisTvis `kacia _ adamiani?!~, qaRaldi, feradi fanqari, 44X34, 1987 ILLUSTRATION FOR THE STORY "IS HE A HUMAN, THIS MAN?!" BY ILIA CHAVCHAVADZE, COLOURED PENCIL ON PAPER, 44X34, 1987

bevrs muSaobda. garda xatvis da inglisuri enisa sxva gatacebebic hqonda. Tundac is, rom TbilisSi, giorgi nikolaZis TaosnobiT, Catarebul pirvel saWadrako turnirze, cnobil rus saWadrako etiudist gefslerTan I-II adgilebi gaiyo. deda: babuaCemi, mixeil qarTveliSvili, momrigebeli mosamarTle, SeZlebuli kaci gaxldaT. Wabua amirejibma babuas saxe `daTa TuTaSxias~ personaJis advokat irakli

flair for chess, which landed him in the Giorgi Nikoladze-led chess tournament in Tbilisi, where he played against the outstanding Russian etudist Gepsler and shared first and second prizes with him.

Mother: My grandfather, Mikheil Kartvelishvili, who served as an arbitral judge, was a man of wealth and status. Chabua Amirejibi used him as the prototype for the lawyer Irakli Khurtsidze in his Data Tutashkhia.

Mother, Tamar Kartvelishvili, a graduate of St. Nino School, received

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ilustracia ilia WavWavaZis moTxrobisTvis `kacia _ adamiani?!~, qaRaldi, feradi fanqari, 42X35, 1987 ILLUSTRATION FOR THE STORY "IS HE A HUMAN, THIS MAN?!" BY ILIA CHAVCHAVADZE, COLOURED PENCIL ON PAPER, 42X35, 1987

xurciZis prototipad gamoiyena. dedam, Tamar qarTveliSvilma, wminda ninos saswavleblis damTavrebis Semdeg swavla SveicariaSi gaagrZela. man SesaniSnavad icoda franguli da inglisuri enebi da gasabWoebamde TbilisSi Sotlandiis saelCoSi msaxurobda. albaT, amitom da Zmis gamo is 1924 wels daapatimres. dedis Zma: biZaCemi msoflioSi cnobili

her further education in Switzerland. She was praised for fluency in French and English and worked at the embassy of Scotland in Tbilisi before the Soviet regime gained the upper hand in Georgia. It was due in part to this fact and partly due to her brother that she was brought to trial and sent to prison in 1924.

Mother’s brother: My uncle, Aleksandre Kartvelishvili (Kartveli), was a world-renowned engineer who pioneered the early development

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ilustracia anatol fransis moTxrobisTvis `krenkebili~, liTografia, 49X35, 1956 ILLUSTRATION FOR THE STORY "L'AFFAIRE CRAINQUEBILLE" BY ANATOLE FRANCE, LITHOGRAPHY, 49X35, 1956

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aviakonstruqtori, `boingisa~ da sxva mravali samxedro da samoqalaqo sahaero xomaldis Semqmneli aleqsandre qarTveli (qarTveliSvili) iyo. mis Sesaxeb CvenSi am bolo dros ramdenime werili daiwera da ori kargi filmic gadaiRes. Tavdapirvelad man ganaTleba parizSi miiRo da Semdeg amerikis SeerTebul StatebSi gadasaxlda. biZaCemTan dakavSirebiT bavSvobidan erTgvari SiSi gamomyva. saxlSi mis saxels yovelTvis Cumad axsenebdnen. im dros TviTmfrinavis axal models konstruqtori Tavad cdida. maxsovs, rogor Relavdnen babua da deda yoveli aseTi gamocdis win da mxolod maSin wynardebodnen, roca depeSiT igebdnen, rom yvelaferma kargad Caiara. amerikelebi aleqsandre qarTvelze ambobdnen _ Tu moindoma, nebismier nivTs aafrenso.

1966 wels, rusTavelis 800 wlis iubileze, TbilisSi cnobili qarTvelologi aleqsandre jafariZe Camovida, romelmac meuRlesTan erTad vaxSmad mimiwvia da saSa qarTvelze bevri saintereso ram gviambo. is biZaCems erT wveulebaze Sexvedria, Tavad ver gaubedavs masTan

miTologiuri scena, qaRaldi, fanqari, 40X27, 1983 MYTHOLOGICAL SCENE, PENCIL ON PAPER, 40X27, 1983

zafxuli, qaRaldi, feradi fanqari, 45X37, 1993 SUMMER, COLOURED PENCIL ON PAPER, 45X37, 1993

of Boeings and military and civilian aircraft. A number of newspaper articles and two inspiring films were recently dedicated to him. He was educated in Paris and then moved to the United States. In my childhood my uncle filled me with an attitude of awe. His name was always pronounced in a low whisper. In those days aircraft engineers had to test-fly all the aircrafts they had built. I remember my grandfather and mother became increasingly agitated about such flights and could only breathe a sigh of relief after getting a telegram saying that everything had gone smoothly. Americans believed Aleksandre Kartveli could make anything take off and fly.

In 1966, on the 800th anniversary of Rustaveli’s birth, the famous expert of Georgian studies Aleksandre Japaridze arrived in Tbilisi and invited me and my wife to supper. He recalled the most thrilling episodes from Sasha Kartveli’s life, including the day he came across my uncle at one of the parties but shied away from getting acquainted with him. It was my uncle who took the initiative in striking up a friendship by suggesting that Aleksandre Japaridze keep up the party spirit in his own place. “I was delighted to accept his offer. On entering his room my eyes widened in amazement at

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balerinebi, qaRaldi, feradi fanqari, 37.5X53, 1972

misvla, vaxSmis bolos ki aleqsandre Tavad gascnobia da saRamos gagrZeleba masTan saxlSi SeuTavazebia. siamovnebiT davTanxmdi _ miyveboda mecnieri. roca mis samuSao oTaxSi Sevedi, gaocebuli davrCi _ kedlebze qarTuli xuroTmoZRvrebis uamravi Zeglis suraTi ekida. moulodnelad mommarTa _ Cemze amboben qarTuli ar iciso _ gamomiwoda `vefxistyaosani~ da _ daiwyeT nebismieri strofi da gavagrZelebo... skola: rusul skolaSi vswavlobdi engelsis quCaze. klasSi viyaviT: oTxi qarTveli, sami rusi, amdenive ebraeli da somxebi. Cemi Tanaklaseli cnobili kompozitori miqael tariverdievi iyo. maxsovs, griboedovs vswavlobdiT da karikaturebi gavakeTe _ tanad didi tariverdievi orosnad gamovsaxe, meore Tanaklaseli, patara xotianovski ki _ friadosnad. namuSevars Sesabamisi warwerac gavukeTe griboedovidan _ `uzarmazari zomis distancia~. saSualod vswavlobdi, magram Cems pedagogebs Zalian undodaT medali

BALLET DANCERS, COLOURED PENCIL ON PAPER, 37.5X53, 1972

the sight of paintings of Georgian monuments dotting the walls” – the researcher said and went on to narrate: “They say I don’t speak Georgian – Sasha Kartveli suddenly exclaimed handing to me The Knight in the Panther’s Skin: “pick any random line from this book and I’ll cite it by heart” – he assured me confidently”…

School: I used to attend the Russian-language school on Engels Street. In my class we were four Georgian pupils, three Russian and the same number of Jewish and Armenian children. The prominent composer Mikael Tariverdiev was my classmate. We were poring over Griboedov as part of our curriculum when I drew two caricatures. The larger one was a visual likeness of Tariverdiev portrayed as a slacker, the smaller one referred to Khotianovsky as the most hard-working pupil. The caricatures bore a humorous inscription Distance of Great Length – a quote from Griboedov. My educational performance was mediocre; but my teachers wanted at least one Georgian to get the medal for excellence. The medal, however, did not come my way as I got one grade lower than expected in my history and Russian language exams. But if I had earned the medal then I would have

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klasobana, qaRaldi, fanqari, pasteli, 68X46.5, 1965

HOPSCOTCH, PENCIL AND CRAYON ON PAPER, 68X46.5, 1965

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wvima, qaRaldi, feradi fanqari, 45X55, 2006

qarTvelsac mieRo. gamosaSveb gamocdebze, rusul werasa da istoriaSi, oTxianebi miviRe da medlis gareSe davrCi. medali rom mimeRo, mec Cemi mravali Tanaklaselis msgavsad politeqnikur institutSi Cavabarebdi hidromSeneblobis fakultetze. akademia: samxatvro akademiaSi Cavabare. es marTlac gansakuTrebuli wlebi iyo. maswavlidnen sergo qobulaZe, duda da soso gabaSvilebi, ioseb Sarlemani. im dros reqtori, gvars ar gagimxelT, namdvili `cerberi~ iyo. es adamiani niWier axalgazrdebs akademiidan ricxavda, maRali kursidan dabalze gadahyavda _ elguja berZeniSvils Tavidan mouwia Cabareba, levan cucqiriZe ferweris fakultetis IV

RAIN, COLOURED PENCIL ON PAPER, 45X55, 2006

ended up, in common with the majority of my classmates, at the hydro-engineering faculty of the Polytechnical Institute.

Academy: I enrolled at the Academy of Art. Those were truly fascinating years. I kept imbibing the teachings of Sergo Kobuladze, Duda and Soso Gabashvili, and Joseph Charlemagne.

The rector of the Academy in those years, whose name I decline to release, was a very maleficent sort of person, a real Cerberus who was notorious for expelling gifted students from the Academy and making final-year students take the same course with new entrants.

Elguja Berdzenishvili, for example, had to re-sit his entrance exams; Levan Tsutskiridze, a four-year student of the pictorial art faculty was paired up with first-year students from the graphics faculty; thanks to this rector, Edmond Kalandadze, who is seven years older

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kursidan grafikis fakultetis I kursze dasva, edmond kalandaZem ki, romelic Cemze Svidi wliT ufrosia, am kacis `wyalobiT~ akademia Cems Semdeg daamTavra. es `reqtori~ komkavSiris krebaze movxseniT da pirveli stipendiac Semdeg, sergo qobulaZis reqtorobisas miviRe. sadiplomo namuSevrad konstantine gamsaxurdias `mTvaris motacebis~ dasuraTeba gadavwyvite. Tumca, ratomRac, amis ufleba ar momces. amitom, gabrazebulma, anatol fransis `krenkebili~ avirCie. `nobaTi~: akademia 1956 wels davamTavre. es is droa, roca SedarebiTi Tavisufleba miviReT. muSaoba Jurnal `ciskris~ damatebaSi `nobaTi~ daviwye. aq davumegobrdi marTlac bumberaz adamianebs _ vaxtang WeliZes, giorgi SatberaSvils, Tamaz da oTar WilaZeebs, otia paWkorias, tariel Wanturias, givi gegeWkors, jansuR Carkvians. am adamianebs Sinagani Tavisufleba yovelTvis hqondaT da sabWoTa cenzuris CarCoebs arRvevdnen.

than me, graduated from the Academy at a much later date. We finally managed to squeeze him out of academy life at a Komsomol meeting, and I earned my first scholarship only after his dismissal, under the rector Sergo Kobuladze. I wanted to complete a diploma of illustration for Konstantine Gamsakhurdia’s Kidnapping of the Moon but I was not, for some reason, allowed to do it. Feeling indignant at this refusal I decided to try my hand at Anatole France’s Crainquebille.

“Nobati”: I graduated from the Academy in 1956. It was a period when artists were given greater creative freedom. I signed up with Mnatobi Magazine – the Tsiskari literary supplement – where I made friends with forceful personalities such as Vakhtang Chelidze, Giorgi Shatberashvili, Tamaz and Otar Chiladze, Otia Pachkoria, Tariel Chanturia, Givi Gegechkori, and Jansugh Charkviani. They always gloried in their inner freedom, escaping the grasps of heavy-handed censorship.

Aspects of Vision: Tengiz Mirzashvili, Jemal Lolua and Zurab Nizharadze were my closest friends. In those days, walking along

saubari, seriidan `mamakacTa garToba~ qaRaldi, tuSi, kalami, 62X85, 1975

CONVERSATION, FROM THE SERIES "AMUSEMENT FOR MEN", INDIAN INK AND PEN ON PAPER, 62X85, 1975

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xedvis specifika: Cemi uaxloesi megobrebi iyvnen Tengiz mirzaSvili, jemal lolua da zurab niJaraZe. im drois TbilisSi Cveni `restorani da kafe~ rusTavelze seirnoba iyo. maxsovs, Tengizi Sors lamaz gogos SeamCnevda da metyoda: Cems obieqtivSi lamazi gogo gamoCnda. misi `obieqtivi~, anu xedvis specifika, farTo sivrceSi patara figurebia. Cemi ki patara CarCoSi figurebiT gaWedili kompoziciebi. aseTi gansxvavebuli aRqma gvqonda sinamdvilisa. me ufro plastikas vaqcev yuradRebas. personaJebi metwilad profilSi myavs gamosaxuli. profilSi figuris svla, moZraoba, inercia gamokveTilad Cans da amitomac miyvars. feri: araCveulebrivi werili aqvs elguja berZeniSvils, sadac is wers, rom sezans gacilebiT didi da Rrma ferweruli fantazia aqvs, vidre salvador dalis. dalis ferwera, zogadad, Temis fantaziaa. me sada kolorits,

manekenebi, qaRaldi, feradi fanqari, 36X48, 2004

Rustaveli Avenue was just as much fun as going to fabulous restaurants and cafes. I remember Tengiz saying: “I see a pretty girl appearing in the field of my vision”. His field of vision was made up of small figures in a vast expanse, whereas mine consisted of figures filling up the small space of a frame. We had different visions of reality.

I am more focused on the plasticity of my artistic language. I enjoy drawing human figures in profile. Profiles show figures in dynamic flexibility and full range of motion.

Colour: In one of his remarkable essays, Elguja Berdzenishvili writes that Cezanne has a more bewildering and vibrant pictorial fantasy than Salvador Dali. Dali’s fantasies are reflected in his themes. I achieve the desired effect in my simple arrangement of colours and tones with my pen, pencil and pastel.

Painting: I never paint in oils. The only portrait I started paint with oil I had to finish with coloured pencils. The “blame” for my only encounter with oils must be borne by Edmond Kalandadze. Elguja

MANNEQUINS, COLOURED PENCIL ON PAPER, 36X48, 2004

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gazafxuli, qaRaldi, fanqari, pasteli, 63X82, 2006

fers, sasurvel Sedegs kalmiT, fanqriTa da pasteliT vaRwev. ferwera: zeTis saRebavebiT arasdros mimuSavia. erTaderTi portreti maqvs Sesrulebuli, romelic bolos mainc feradi fanqriT davasrule. es ki edmond kalandaZis `bralia~. elguja berZeniSvili, zurab niJaraZe, edmondi CemTvis yovelTvis ferweris metrebi iyvnen. erTxel edmondma miTxra _ pianistma aTi weli unda ukras gamebi da Semdeg gabedos baxis da beThovenis Sesruleba, asevea ferwerac. `SemaSina~. mec xumrobiT vupasuxe _ CemTvis axla cota gviania gamebis dakvris dawyeba-meTqi. am mxriv konservatori var, daviwye kalmiT, fanqriT, pasteliT da dResac ase vagrZeleb. ramdenime istoria: `klasobana~ jer kidev tabiZis quCaze cxovrebisas Sevasrule. Cvens did ezoSi am TamaSs patara gogonebi dilidan saRamomde TamaSobdnen. erTxel, operis pirdapir videqi da Senobidan gamosuli gogonebi SevamCnie. saswrafod gadavedi da ulamazesi

SPRING, PENCIL AND CRAYON ON PAPER, 63X82, 2006

Berdzenishvili, Zurab Nizharadze and Edmond Kalandadze have always been painting gurus for me. “To perform Bach or Beethoven you need to have been practicing scales routinely for at least ten years. The same is true of painting”– Edmond once told me. He meant to scare me. I retorted that it was a bit late to start on scales at my age.

I have essentially a conservative approach. I started with pen, pencil and pastel and still continue to stick with them.

A few episodes: My painting Hopscotch can be traced to the years when I still lived on Tabidze Street. It was a hugely popular playground game with the small girls in our yard.

I was standing on the opposite side of the Opera House when I glimpsed a group of girls walking out of the building. I quickly popped over the road to get a closer look at them. They appeared to be graceful Russian ballerinas, whose movement betrayed a somewhat extraordinary level of plasticity, uncommon for Georgian women. That’s how my Ballerinas came into existence.

I would grow increasingly impatient for the advent of spring in Tbilisi, along Rustaveli Avenue. I admired the time when women

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rusi balerinebi damxvdnen. maT moZraobaSi qarTveli mandilosnebisgan gansxvavebuli plastika aRmovaCine. ase Seiqmna `balerinebi~. yovelTvis mouTmenlad velodebodi Tbilisis, rusTavelis gazafxuls. miyvarda dro, roca mandilosnebi zamTris tansacmels ixdidnen. `gazafxuli~ `saqarTvelos qalis~ ydaze daibeWda da redaqciaSi Semosul ramdenime werilSi erotikaSic ki damdes brali. seria `landebi~ sxvadasxva dros Seiqmna da asakis matebasTan erTad, samyaros aRqmis, xedvis cvlilebam gamakeTebina. magaliTad, `miwisqveSa gadasasvleli~. erTi SexedviT metroSi Casvla Cveulebrivi movlenaa, Tumca axla me masSi sxva Zalebs, sxva simboloebs vxedav. realuri samyarodan viReb Temas da vuyureb rogorc landebs. `gaCerebuli dro~. rames Tu mivaRwie feris da koloritis mxriv, am seriaSi mivaRwie. is sagnebi davxate, romlebic Cemze ufrosebi arian _ da rac Tavi maxsovs _

baTumis yavaxana, qaRaldi, fanqari, pasteli, 59X80, 2006

stripped off their winter garments. When my Spring appeared on the cover of Georgian Woman Magazine, many condemned it as increasingly erotic.

My Shadows series has evolved over different periods of time, reflecting the irreversibly changing processes of my perception and cognition. Underground is one of such paintings. There is seemingly nothing out of the ordinary in going into the subway, but I view the subway through a prism of symbols. I use real-life themes but condense them into shadows.

Arrested Time. If, in terms of a colour system, I have achieved any success at all, it lies in this series. I painted objects, which are far more advanced in years than me and have lived with me since my earliest memories: shabby armchairs, my father’s bookcase, books, a handless clock…

Compliments: Otto Weininger is quoted as saying that an endowed person’s memory perceives the individual moments of life as points, whereas a woman’s memory – as compliments. Like many other artists, I still cherish all the compliments I have ever earned.

CAFÉ IN BATUMI, PENCIL AND CRAYON ON PAPER, 59X80, 2006

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gazafxuli, qaRaldi, fanqari, pasteli, 68X79, 1965

Zveli savarZlebi, mamas wignebis karada, wignebi da uisro kedlis saaTi, mudam CemTan iyvnen. komplimentebi: oto vainingers aqvs naTqvami _ geniosis mexsiereba wertilebiTaa savse, qalebis ki _ komplimentebiT. komplimentebi, rogorc bevr xelovans, mec ar maviwydeba. nino surgulaZis, niWieri qarTveli momRerlis, portreti Sevasrule. namuSevari vaCuqe. meore dRes mamamisma damireka, madloba gadamixada da miTxra _ megona, Cems qaliSvils vicnobdi da Turme, mxolod axla gavicanio... roca lado gudiaSvilma Cemi `iebis gamyidveli~ naxa, momitrialda da miTxra _ me rogor gamomrCa es Temao. kino: pirveli filmi, romelzec mxatvrad mimiwvies, rezo CxeiZis `zRvis biliki~ iyo. gadaRebebi baTumSi gvqonda. mTavar rols sergo zaqariaZe asrulebda.

SPRING, PENCIL AND CRAYON ON PAPER, 68X79, 1965

Recently I painted a portrait of the brilliant Georgian singer Nino Surguladze and gave it to her as a present. On the following day her father called and thanked me saying: “I thought I knew my daughter but after seeing this portrait I guessed I hardly knew her”…

When Lado Gudiashvili saw my Violet Vendor, he turned around and told me: “how this theme could have escaped my attention”…

Cinema: the first movie for which I was signed up as a painter was Seashore Path by Rezo Chkheidze. The filming took place in Batumi.

Sergo Zakariadze was cast in the lead role. Then I was offered a job in Me, Grandma, Iliko, and Ilarion directed by Tengiz Abuladze. Moscoweducated and exceptionally talented Georgian directors matched themselves up with a cluster of promising artists in Tbilisi: Nikoloz Kazbegi, Givi Gigauri, Dima Takaishvili, Kristesia (Khristika) Lebanidze, Kakhi Khutsishvili, and others.

Giorgobistve was the first movie that brought me into contact with Otar Ioseliani. I remember I was carrying my From the Outskirts from

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the Blue Gallery when I ran into him on the stairs. He asked me to show him the painting and I truly value the fulfilling friendship that has unfolded between us since then. While directing Favourites of the Moon I suggested using long takes. We had to shoot an episode in which the protagonist is seen walking down the street while his wife indulges herself in sexual intercourse with her lover on the fifth floor of a nearby house. It seemed then an uphill struggle to film a sequence of actions in one single shot without any editing. After a few days of pondering I came up with this idea: the protagonist would wave away a pigeon and make it soar up into the air and perch on the window-sill of the fifth floor.

The camera would then shift the focus smoothly from the pigeon into the interior of the room. The idea appealed to Otar. However, as his wife later recalled, he had a hard time doing an endless number of takes before luring the bird high up to the fifth floor.

metro, qaRaldi, feradi fanqari, 36X48, 2002 METRO, COLOURED PENCIL ON PAPER, 36X48, 2002

Semdeg Tengiz abulaZesTan vimuSave `me, bebia, iliko da ilarionSi~. moskovSi ganaTlebamiRebul, niWier qarTvel reJisorebs marTlac Zalian kargi mxatvrebi daxvdaT TbilisSi _ nikoloz yazbegi, givi gigauri, dima TayaiSvili, qristesia (xristika) lebaniZe, kaxi xuciSvili da sxvebi. oTar ioselianTan pirvelad `giorgobis Tveze~ vimuSave. maxsovs `cisferi~ galereidan namuSevari `qalaqis gareubnidan~ gamomqonda. kibeebze Semxvda da SemaCera _ maCveneo _ mTxova. ase daiwyo Cveni SemoqmedebiTi megobroba. `mTvaris favoritebSi~ SevTavaze grZeli kadrebi gadagveRo. erTi epizodi maxsendeba. quCaSi modis mTavari gmiri, misi meuRle ki am dros saxlSi mexuTe sarTulze sayvarelTan nebivrobs. gagviCnda safiqrali _ rogor gadagveba es kadrebi montaJis gareSe. ramdenime dRis Semdeg movifiqre. momavali gmiri mtreds uqnevs xels, romelic frindeba da maRali sarTulis fanjris rafaze jdeba. iqidan ki kamera interierSi Sedis. oTars moewona. Tumca, Semdeg misi meuRle miyveboda, rogor iwvala am epizodis gadaRebisas. uamravi dublis Semdeg mainc moaxerxa da mtredi fanjris rafaze dasva.

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saaTi, seriidan `saukunis Tanatoli~ qaRaldi, pasteli, 73X46, 1999 CLOCK, FROM THE SERIES "EQUAL TO A CENTURY" CRAYON ON PAPER, 73X46, 1999

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miwisqveSa gadasasvleli, qaRaldi, feradi fanqari, 41X54, 1997

iRbliani adamiani var _ rezo CxeiZesTan, Tengiz abulaZesTan, eldar SengelaiasTan, oTar ioselianTan, merab kokoCaSvilTan bevri mxatvari inatrebda muSaobas. ojaxi: Cemi meuRle, naTela, baTumSi gavicani `zRvis bilikis~ gadaRebisas. zRvis piras megobrebTan erTad vijeqi da profilSi mjdomi axalgazrda gogona SevamCnie. uceb wamomcda _ SeuZlebelia!.. naTelas profilma botiCelis erT-erTi namuSevari gamaxsena... erTxel mkiTxes _ Tqven, albaT, Zalian giyvarT adamianebis xatvao. vupasuxe _ adre miyvarda, axla mainteresebs-meTqi. axla saxlidan iSviaTad gavdivar da ZiriTadad Zvel eskizebs vimeoreb. viwyeb dids da didxans vmuSaob. dro gadis...

SUBWAY, COLOURED PENCIL ON PAPER, 41X54, 1997

I am certainly lucky – many artists would feel very privileged to work with Rezo Chkheidze, Tengiz Abuladze, Eldar Shengelaia, Otar Ioseliani and Merab Kokochashvili.

Family: I first met my wife Natela in Batumi, while filming Seashore Path. I was sitting on the beach with a bunch of friends when I saw a young girl in profile. “It cannot be” – I cried out, suddenly excited.

Natela’s profile was so reminiscent of one of Botticelli’s paintings.

Someone asked me whether I enjoyed drawing human beings. I told him that earlier I really enjoyed it, but now I find it interesting.

I seldom go outdoors and keep recurring to old themes. I usually choose a voluminous one and work for long hours. Time flies…

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lali avaliani

aluda qeTelaurisa da mucalis virtualuri orTabrZola Tengiz abulaZis `vedrebis~ gamo

LALI AVALIANI

ALUDA KETELAURI VS MUTSALA BASED ON “THE PLEA” (VEDREBA) BY TENGIZ ABULADZE

1967 wels meored viyavi SatilSi, didad gamimarTla: maestro Tengiz abulaZe `vedrebis~ erT-erT epizods iRebda. didi kinomani ki gaxldiT, magram filmis gadaRebis process arasodes davswrebivar. rom ara `vaJafSavelas kabinetis~ eqspediciaSi monawileoba, rasac profesor grigol kiknaZes vumadli, aludasa da mucalis `orTabrZolas~ ver vnaxavdi. didi mecnieri da pedagogi grigol kiknaZe (19091974) TxemiT terfamde disidenti gaxldaT, rogorc

I was in Shatili for the second time in 1967 and it was very fortunate that Maestro Tengiz Abuladze was filming one of the episodes of “The Plea” during that period. I was an avid film lover, but I’ve never had the opportunity to attend the production process and see the shoot.

I have Professor Grigol Kiknadze to thank for being part of the VazhaPshavela Cabinet research expedition, otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to see the filming of the fight scene between Aluda and Mutsala.

Grigol Kiknadze (1909-1974) was a great scientist and a teacher, he was a dissident, a freethinker from head to toe, both in literal

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`literaturuli~, ise zedmiwevniTi gagebiT. mudam wnexis qveS iyo. 1945 wels brwyinvaled daculi sadoqtoro disertacia `vaJa-fSavelas Semoqmedeba~, romelmac oponentebisa (akaki SaniZe, korneli kekeliZe) da universitetis samecniero sabWos umaRlesi Sefaseba daimsaxura, cekas brZanebiT gaauqmes. mravalTa Soris erT-erTi `braldeba~ aseTi iyo: stalinis arcerTi citata ar aris moyvanilio! `vaJa-fSavelas Semoqmedebis~ dastambva mxolod 12 wlis Semdeg, 1957 wels moxerxda. imavdroulad, batonma grigolma wamoiwyo TiTqosda utopiuri saqme, rac 1962 wels universitetis reqtoris akademikos evgeni xaraZis xelSewyobiT, `vaJa-fSavelas kabinetis~ CamoyalibebiT dagvirgvinda. batonma griSam, uzado reputaciisa da piradi nacnobobis wyalobiT, sruliad usasyidlod SesZina universitets uZvirfasesi ikonografiuli masala: vaJas raritetuli gamocemebi, elguja amaSukelis, elene axvledianis, lado gudiaSvilis, irakli da gogi oCiaurebis, levan cucqiriZis, Temo jafariZis da sxvaTa naxatebi da qandakebebi (vaJas qandakeba, misive portreti, TxzulebaTa ilustraciebi); Tavis sawer magidasTan ekida Temo jafariZis naxati _ `ias uTxariT turfasa~... grigol kiknaZe daaxloebuli iyo Tbilisis artistul elitasTan, Teatralur institutSi qarTul literaturas aswavlida. megobrobda gogi gegeWkorTan, naTela uruSaZesTan, zinaida kverenCxilaZesTan, zaira arseniSvilTan; didi Teatrali iyo, premieras iSviaTad daakldeboda. Tengiz abulaZe, romelmac sakavSiro kinematografiis instituti daamTavra, manamde sami weli Teatralur institutSi swavlobda. safiqrebelia, rom swored im wlebidan daiwyo maTi megobroba. batoni grigoli, Tengiz abulaZis Semoqmedebis didad damfasebeli da qomagi, `vedrebis~ mTavari konsultanti iyo. *** `vaJa-fSavelas kabinetis~ eqspediciis barisaxos skolainternatSi dabanakebul jgufs Satilisaken unda aeRo gezi. batoni grigoli 1964 wels ukve namyofi iyo SatilSi da, fexebmtkivans, gzis simZime afiqrebda; yoymanobda, ar undoda Cveni marto gaSveba, miT umetes, rom 1967 wels arc leqso WinWarauli (Cveni mogzaurobis suli da guli) da arc jumber TiTmeria (`pirveli yoCi~ da gaWirvebis talkvesi) gvaxldnen. qalebi _ universitetis leqtori meia yubaneiSvili, kabinetis TanamSromeli londa mamulaSvili, me _ qarTuli enciklopediis axalbeda samecniero redaqtori, studentebi manana avaliSvili (Semdgom Cinebuli prozaikosi), manana janeliZe (dRemde profesionali redaqtori), literaturaTmcodne leila sulxaniSvili da mevioline da scenaristi zaira

and "literary" sense. He was constantly under extreme pressure. His brilliantly defended doctoral thesis “Vazha-Pshavela works” (which was praised even by his opponents and the scientific council of the University) was annulled by the order of the Central Committee of the Communist Party in 1945. One of the reasons for this was that he did not cite Stalin in the thesis.

The publication of his thesis “Vazha-Pshavela works” was made possible only in 12 years, in 1957. Meanwhile, Mr Kiknadze started a seemingly utopian affair which was supported by the University Rector Evgeni Kharadze and resulted in the launching of the VazhaPshavela Cabinet in 1962.

Thanks to his impeccable reputation and a good network Mr Grisha managed to collect valuable iconographic materials for the University completely free of charge. Rare editions of Vazha-Pshavela, works of art by Elguja Amashukeli, Elene Akhvlediani, Lado Gudiashvili, Irakli and Gogi Ochiauri, Levan Tsutskiridze, Temo Japaridze (Vazha’s sculpture, his portrait, illustrations of his works); hanging over his desk he had Temo Japaridze’s painting “Tell the beautiful Violette” Grigol Kiknadze was close to the art elite of Tbilisi. He was a professor of Georgian literature at the Theatre and Film State University. He was friends with Gogi Gegechkori, Natela Urushadze, Zinaida Kverenchkheladze, Zaira Arsenishvili. He was an avid theatre lover, he would rarely miss a premiere.

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arseniSvili (mogvianebiT, didebuli romanisti) _ iseT mZime gzaze `sarqals~ saWiroebdnen. Cven ki axalgazrda biWebi gvaxldnen: universitetis TanamSromlebi iuza evgeniZe, vaxtang goguaZe, nodar sivsivaZe da ori studenti. maTgan arasdros dagvklebia daxmareba da yuradReba, magram batoni griSa mainc nerviulobda. mxned gaveSureT Satilisaken, miT umetes, rom sabargo manqanam daTvis jvramde agviyvana: 1964 wels ki uReltexilze ugzoobis gamo qveiTad mogvixda asvla.

Satilis misadgomebTan patara jgufi SevniSneT, maT Soris erT-erTi saukeTeso qarTveli kinooperatori lomer axvlediani, romelic sixaruliT gamoeqana meiasaken (axlo naTesavebi arian). Cven ar gagvkvirvebia, vicodiT, rom Tengiz abulaZe da `vedrebis~ gadamRebi jgufi iq dagvxvdebodnen. maSin Tbilisi marTlac patara qalaqi iyo da amitomac bevrni _ axlodan Tu Soridan, erTmaneTs vicnobdiT (teleekranis, `feisbuqebis~ Tu abezari `postebis~ dauxmareblad). lomer axvlediani keTili da sayvareli

Tengiz Abuladze used to study at the Theatre and Film State University before graduating from the All-Union State Institute of Cinematography. It is very possible that this is when their friendship began. Grigol was a great admirer and supporter of Tengiz Abuladze’s work and worked as the main consultant for the film “The Plea”. *** Vazha-Pshavela Cabinet’s research expedition group camped out at Barisakho boarding school and made their way to Shatili. Mr Kiknadze had already visited Shatili in 1964 and while having sore feet was thinking about the severity of the journey ahead; he hesitated, didn’t want to let us go on alone (especially given that in 1964 we didn’t have Lekso Chincharauli (the soul of our journeys) nor Jumber Titmeria (our main helper) with us. As for women – university lecturer Meia Kubaneishvili, cabinet employee Londa Mamulashvili, myself ( an amateur scientific editor of the Georgian Encyclopedia), students Manana Avalishvili (who became an excellent prose writer), Manana Janelidze (who works as a professional editor to this day), Leila

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biWis, Tanaklasel nugzaris ufrosi Zma da Cemi ufrosi megobris erlom axvledianis biZaSvili iyo; mSvenier Tea gabunias skolidanve vicnobdi. jgufSive aRmoCnda axalgazrda rostom lorTqifaniZe (mogvianebiT, _ sasuliero piri), dauviwyari Zia giorgi ciciSvilisfanaskertelis vaJis vato ciciSvilis klaseli. aqve vityvi, rom rostomis aRmosavluri vaJkacuri silamaze `vedrebis~ reJisors ar gamohparvia: misi STambeWdavi saxe `stumar-maspinZlis~ epizodSi sasowarkveTili aRazas Rameul xilvebsa Tu zmanebebSia warmoCenili. im dros SatilSi imyofeboda cnobili folkloristisa da eTnografis, aleqsi oCiauris erT-erTi qaliSvili, biologi dedika, erTmaneTi arasodes gvenaxa; Cemda gasaocrad, danaxvisTanave mxiarulad gamiRima da, _ Sen qalbatoni Cutus qaliSvili xaro? _ SemekiTxa. dedaCemi qeTevan beqaia, romelsac misi yofili leqtori da reqtori niko kecxoveli Cutunikos, xolo studentebi mudam Sinaurul saxels _ qalbaton Cutus eZaxdnen, universitetis docenti, mcenareTa fiziologi iyo. dedas ki vgavdi, magram mainc gamikvirda da gamixarda.

Sulkhanishvili (a literary scholar), and Zaira Arsenishvili (violinist and screenwriter), they needed some sort of a wheel on such a difficult road. We were accompanied by young men: university staff member Iuza Evgenidze, Vakhtang Goguadze, Nodar Sivsivadze and two students. They always offered help and attention, however, Professor Grisha was still a little worried.

We headed up to Shatili in good spirits, especially given that a truck gave us a lift to the Bear’s Cross: In 1964 there were no roads so we had to walk the rest on foot.

We noticed a small group of people at the outskirts of Shatili, there was one of the best Georgian cinematographers Lomer Akhvlediani, who ecstatically rushed towards Meia (they are close relatives). We were not surprised, as we knew that the crew of Tengiz Abuladze’s “The Plea” would meet us there.

Back then Tbilisi truly was a small city where everybody knew each other (without the help of TV screens, social media platforms and Facebook and its obscure posts). Lomer Akhvlediani and Nugzar’s older brother were classmates, while he was also my friend Erlom Akhvlediani’s cousin. I knew the lovely Tea Gabunia from preschool.

Young Rostom Lortkipanidze (who became a clergyman) was Vato

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im droisaTvis Satils xalxis aseTi mozRvaveba, albaT, arc axsovda: kinostudiis jgufi erTob xalxmravali iyo (reJisori, msaxiobebi, operatorebi, reJisoris asistentebi, e. w. `masovka~, teqnikuri personali uxvi aRWurvilobiT, eqimic ki...), axla kidev Cvenc mivemateT, Cveni karvebiTa da bargi-barxaniT. *** erTi saukunis win grigol robaqiZem dawera: tfilisi ucnauri qalaqia, am bolo dros (igulisxmeboda 1918-1921 wlebi) kidev ufro aucnaurdao. manve monaTla Tbilisi `fantastikur qalaqad~. aseve ucnaurad da fantastikurad warmogvidga Satili 1964 wels pirveli naxvisTanave. axla, roca SeiZleba SatilSi jipiT agrialeba, Zneli warmosadgenia, ra sirTules vawydebodiT gzaze. bunebis mSveniereba gvmatebda Zal-Rones. visac safaris monasteri unaxavs, moexseneba ra xiblia misi moulodneli, uecari gamoCena. maSin ase iyo Satilis gzazec: erTi rigiTi mosaxvevis Semdeg, uecrad aRmovCndiT qarTuli xuroTmoZRvrebis,

Tsitsishvili’s (son of Giorgi Tsitsishvili-Panaskirteli) classmate. Here I want to mention that Rostom’s eastern looks and handsomeness did not go unnoticed by the director of “The Plea”: We can see him in episodes of “Host and Guest” during Aghaza’s night visions and daydreams.

One of the daughters of the famous folklorist and ethnographer Aleksi Ochiauri, – Dedika (a biologist) was also in Shatili at the time. I was surprised when she greeted me with a smile and asked if I was Ms Chutus’s daughter. My mother Ketevan Bekaia was a university professor, a plant physiologist (university lecturer and rector Niko Ketskhoveli would call her Chutuko, while students would always lovingly address her as Ms Chutu). I did look like my mother, but I was still pleasantly surprised when she asked me this.

Shatili probably doesn’t remember having this many people. The film crew had rather many people (the director, actors, cameramen, director’s assistants, extras, technical crew with a large amount of equipment and even a doctor), and now also us with our tents and luggage.

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savaraudod, aTaswlovani, TiTqosda xelTuqmneli didebulebis winaSe. ufrosebi win migviZRodnen: grigol kiknaZe, solomon xuciSvili, leqso WinWarauli. `dideba Senda, RmerTo~ _ aRmoxda baton solomons da pirjvari gadaiwera. joxze dayrdnobili batoni grigoli didxans idga uCumrad. Satilion leqsos ki RapaRupiT Camosdioda cremlebi, Semdeg gamoirkva, rom didi xania (Tu ar vcdebi 15 weli) ar enaxa mSobliuri sofeli.

Satilionebma gulRiad da qarTveluri pativiscemiT migviRes. dagvaTvalierebines Satilis sacxovrisebi, xevsuruli nakeTobani: vercxlis xanjlebi da samkaulebi, bunebrivi mqrqali saRebavebiT, didi gemovnebiT Sesrulebuli naqargobani Tu naqsovi fardagebi, tansacmeli, qudebi Tu windebi. guldagul Senaxuli samosidan zogi mraval wels iTvlida. xevsurma qalbatonebma sazeimod gamomawyves (TviTon SemogvTavazes, me verc gavbedavdi), lamazi Tavsaburavi momarges da nodar sivsivaZem fotoc gadagviRo. axla ki, sami wlis Semdeg, `vedrebis~ jgufis saqmianobam Satili kidev ufro `aaucnaura~, es yvelaferi TiTqos fantaziis sferos ganekuTvneboda.

*** Over a century ago, Grigol Robakidze wrote: "Tbilisi is a strange city, and lately (meaning 1918-1921) it has become even more strange."

He was the one who called Tbilisi “a fantastic city”. Shatili appeared strange and fantastic to us in 1964 when we first saw it.

Now when you can drive up to Shatili in a Jeep it is hard to imagine what kind of hardship we had to endure on our way there. The beauty of nature would give us energy.

Those who have seen the Sapara Monastery know how sudden and mysterious it is when first noticed.

It was the same thing with the road to Shatili, after a seemingly normal turn you would suddenly appear before Georgian architecture, glorious scenery untouched by a man for millennia.

The older ones were leading us: Grigol Kiknadze, Solomon Khutsishvili, Lekso Chincharauli.

Solomon crossed himself and said in relief “Thank you, Good Lord!”

Leaning on a cane, Grigol stood in silence for some time. Lekso (who was from Shatili) had tears in his eyes (later we found out that it had been 15 years since he had last seen his village).

People of Shatili hosted us with pleasure according to all the Georgian traditions. They showed us around, showed us Khevsurian crafts: silver daggers and jewellery, exquisite embroidery made with

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natural dye, knitted carpets, clothes, headwear and socks. Some of the diligently kept clothes were decades old.

Khevsurian women dressed me up festively (they offered it themselves, I wouldn’t even dare to ask) they gave me a beautiful headdress, Nodar Sivsivadze even took a photo.

Now, after three years, the activities of “The Plea” crew made Shatili even more strange, it seems like all of this is from a fantasy world.

*** aluda _ Tengiz arCvaZe im droisaTvis ukve saxelganTqmuli da yvelasaTvis sayvareli artisti iyo; marjaniSvilisa da rusTavis dramatuli Teatrebis msaxiobs warmatebulma kinodebiutma (`keTili adamianebi~, 1961) imTaviTve didi popularoba mouxveWa, `vedrebamde~ eqvs filmSi monawileobda (maT Soris gamovyofdi `xevisber goCas~, `xevsurul baladasa~ da `Sexvedras mTaSi~). Tavmdabloba WeSmarit kinovarskvlavs kidev ufro momatebul xibls sZenda, savele pirobebisaTvis Sesaferad ecva, sanam jgufi gadaRebis samzadisSi iyo, dilauTenia mxarze Tofs gadaikidebda da marto Seuyveboda gzas. nanadireviT arasodes dabrunebula, rogorc Cans, mTaSi xetialiT aluda qeTelauris rols `irgebda~.

Cems ufros TanamSromels, filologs, mTargmnels, Cinebul redaqtors, mTamsvlels nodar ebraliZes SatilTan axlos mcxovrebi moxuci qalbatonis TxovniT, Tvalis raRac deficituri malamo hqonda naSovni, xevsureTSi Casvlas ki ver axerxebda; roca Cemi wasvlis Sesaxeb Seityo, gauxarda, _ Cemi megobari Tengiz arCvaZe axla iq aris, Tan momikiTxe da im moxucsac wamals rogorme TviTon miawvdiso. asec moxda.

Tengiz arCvaZes Zveleburi xevsuruli talavari mxolod gadaRebis dros ecva. namdvili aluda iyo, moxdenili da vaJkacuri.

*** Aluda – played by Tengiz Archvadze, who was already a famous and popular actor; His acting career in film started from a role in “Ketili Adamianebi” in 1961. He had played in six films (among those worth mentioning are: “Khevisberi Gocha”, “Khevsuruli Balada” and “Shekhvedra Mtashi”) before his role in “The Plea” and was acting at the Marjanishvili and Rustavi State Theatres. His humility gave the movie star even more charm. He had dressed appropriately for the harsh conditions in the field, while the whole crew was getting ready he would go on about his walk early in the morning with a rifle over his shoulder. It seems that by wandering in the mountains he was trying to get in the role of Aluda Ketelauri.

By the request of an old woman living close to Shatili, my colleague, philologist, translator, excellent editor and mountaineer Nodar Ebralidze had found an eye ointment in the city, but he himself couldn’t make it to Khevsureti; when he found out that I would be going, he asked me to visit his old friend Tengiz Archvadze and ask him to deliver the ointment to the old lady. And we did just that.

Tengiz Archvadze was dressed in an authentically khevsurian gown only while filming. He looked exactly like Aluda, graceful and courageous. ​​ *** Mutsala – played by Geidar Palavandishvili was the father of a lovely boy and a girl, the husband of Marine Rcheulishvili (My mother’s friend Maro Nizharadze’s daughter), who later became a Doctor of Philology and researcher of her elder brother’s Guram Rcheulishvili’s work. I remember Geidar from childhood because every girl from my school ( female boarding school #1 and then school #47) had a crush on him.

*** mucali _ geidar falavandiSvili am droisaTvis dedaCemis bavSvobis megobris maro niJaraZis qaliSvilis marine rCeuliSvilis (mogvianebiT, _ filologiis doqtori, literatori, ufrosi Zmis guram rCeuliSvilis cxovrebisa da Semoqmedebis mkvlevari, arqivis Svidtomeulis Semdgeneli da unikaluri interpretatori) meuRle da mcirewlovani qal-vaJis mama iyo. Tumca me

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igi bavSvobidanve maxsovda, radgan mTeli Cemi skola (I qalTa, Semdeg 47-e) giJdeboda geidarze, I vaJTa skolis moswavleze. masze oriode wliT umcrosi viyavi. bavSvebs xom gamZafrebuli esTetikuri grZnoba aqvT: garda rusTavelisa da zemelisa, yvelaze xSirad Cvens skolasTan, CitaZis quCaze vnaxulobdiT, radgan xSirad stumrobda megobar giorgi Sengelaias (nata vaCnaZis saxli maSindel cxakaiasa da CitaZis quCaTa Sesayarze iyo). axlac Tvalwin midgas CitaZis quCis aRmarTze mimavali meTerTmeteklaseli geidari, TeTr sportul kostiumSi, mzemokidebuli, _ qarTuli jiSisa da aristokratuli brwyinvalebis gansaxovneba. didma moqandakem elguja amaSukelma 1959 wels vaxtang gorgasals geidaris saxis nakvTebi miusadaga. Zegli daidga 1967 wels, swored im dros, roca maestro Tengiz abulaZem geidari qist vaJkacad _ mucalad gardasaxa. geidar falavandiSvils ukve hqonda mopovebuli didi popularoba giorgi Sengelaias `sakulto~ film `alaverdobaSi~ (1962) Sesrulebuli mTavari rolisaTvis. guram rCeuliSvilis moTxrobis kinoversia 1960 wels tragikulad daRupuli avtoris rekviemad aRiqmeboda.

Tengiz arCvaZes, WeSmarit profesionals, mravali gmiris samosi hqonda morgebuli, amitomac xevsurulis gaTaviseba ar gasWirvebia. geidar falavandiSvils ki uTuod esaWiroeboda qistur mokle Calisfer CoxasTan, mTiulur CeqmasTan, an, gansakuTrebiT, kravelis boxoxTan Segueba. geidari qudiT zamTarSic ki ar menaxa. qisturi Cacmuloba Zalian Svenoda.

He was only a couple of years older than me. Children do have heightened senses: other than Rustaveli ave. and Zemeli st. I would see him most often near our school on Chitadze st., where he would visit his friend Giorgi Shengelaia (Nata Vachnadze’s house was at the corner of Tskhakaia st. and Chitadze st.)

I can still picture him, Geidar in the 11th grade on Chitadze st. wearing a white suit, with the sun over his shoulders, an embodiment of Georgian aristocracy.

In 1959 while the great sculptor Elguja Amashukeli was working on David the Builder’s monument, he gave David’s face some elements of Geidar’s looks. The monument was put up in 1967, just when maestro Tengiz Abuladze had turned Geidar into a Kist man – Mutsala.

Geidar Palavandishvili had already been a popular actor when he played a leading role in Giorgi Shengeliaia “Alaverdoba” in 1962. A film adaptation of Guram Rcheulishvilis’s novel was seen as a requiem for the tragic loss of the author in 1960.

While Tengiz Archvadze did not have any trouble wearing khevsurian gowns, it was harder for Geidar to adjust to the short chokha worn by kists, their mountain boots, and especially lambswool papakha (a tall caucasian hat). I have never seen Geidar wear a hat, even in wintertime, but the Kist way of dressing looked good on him. ​​*** The great Maestro Tengiz Abuladze (1924-1994) received many awards throughout his career. His first film “Magdana’s Donkey”, which he directed with Rezo Chkheidze won the “Best Fiction Short” award at the 1956 Cannes Film Festival. The same year he received a Special Prize at the Edinburgh International Film Festival. Many other international prizes and awards followed. It would take the whole page to list all of them.

He was slender, had a European appearance and was always balanced. He used to dress modestly, appropriate for the mountains and the surroundings – yet he still looked like a dandy. In Cannes, when received an award for his film “Repentance” – he was wearing a tuxedo with a black bowtie.

*** did maestros Tengiz abulaZes (1924-1994), `magdanas lurjas~ (rezo CxeiZesTan erTad) gamo kanis mTavari prizis `oqros palmis rtosa~ da edinburgis kinofestivalis pirveli premiis mflobels (orive _ 1956),

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SemdegSi imdeni saerTaSoriso jildo hqonda mopovebuli, rom amis CamoTvlas erTi gverdic ar eyofa. iyo moxdenili, evropuli garegnobis, mudam gawonasworebuli. mTasa da garemos Sesaferisad mokrZalebulad ecva, _ mainc dendiviT gamoiyureboda, iseve rogorc kanSi, `monaniebis~ gamo dajildoebisas, _ smokingSi, Savi bafTiT. eqspediciis wevrebs keTilganwyobiT, gulRiad Segvxvda.

Cven gvian CavediT, reJisors, rogorc Cans, mxolod erTi epizodi darCenoda gadasaRebi, mere ki TbilisSi unda dabrunebuliyo. udidesi cnobiswadiliT, mouTmenlad velodiT am dRes. *** manamde ki Cveni eqspediciis mTavari mizani `vaJafSavelas albomisaTvis~ qistebis soflis jaregos gadaReba iyo. biWebma winaswar gagvafrTxiles, rom jaregomde Zalian mZime gza gveloda da qalebis wasvla metismetad saxifaTo iqneboda. gansakuTrebul moridebas yvelaze ufros zaira arseniSvilis mimarT amJRavnebdnen, icodnen, rom mas Cvenze metad gauWirdeboda. arada, swored zaira aRmoCnda yvelaze Seuvali da mizanswrafuli _ jiutad ar apirebda daTmobas. meia yubaneiSvili Tavs SeuZlod grZnobda, londa mamulaSvilmac darCena irCia. miuxedavad qisteTis naxvis

We welcomed us, the members of the expedition, with kindness and generosity.

We arrived late, the director seemed to have only one episode left to shoot, and then he had to go back to Tbilisi.

We were so curious and looked forward to that day. *** But first, the main goal of our expedition was to take photographs of the Kist village Jarego for “Vazha-Pshavela’s Album”. Men did warn us that the road up there was hard to follow and that it would be harder for women. They were especially worried about Zaira Arsenishvili as she was the oldest. However, she was also the most stubborn one and was not going to stay behind.

Meia Kubaneishvili was not feeling well, Londa Mamulashvili also decided to stay. Despite the great desire to see the Kist side I didn’t want to leave Meia behind and didn’t want to be an additional burden to the men. I was already grateful: as soon as we arrived in Shatili one of the men would always carry my bags, they were so attentive and took care of us.

Even then Iuza Evgenidze, immensely kind and witty (he later became a University Professor and established the Akaki Tsereteli Cabinet) stayed behind as our guard. He was so funny and made us laugh so much.

Early in the morning Vakhtang Goguadze, photographer Nodar Sivsivadze, students Zaira Arsenishvili, Manana Avalishvili and

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didi survilisa, arc meias mitoveba da arc biWebisaTvis mZime tvirTad qceva mindoda. isedac didad madlieri viyavi: SatilSi Camosvlisas xan erTs hqonda akidebuli Cemi zurgCanTa da xan meores, yovelmxriv gvSvelodnen da zrunavdnen Cvenze. axlac ase moxda: iuza evgeniZem, uaRresad gulkeTilma, zrdilma da saocrad enamaxvilma (SemdegSi universitetis profesorma da `akaki wereTlis kabinetis~ damaarsebelma), gadasdo Tavi da Cvens `guSagad~ darCa, Zalian bevrsac gvacinebda Tavisi `misiis~ gamo. vaxtang goguaZe, fotografi nodar sivsivaZe da studentebi, zaira arseniSvili, manana avaliSvili da manana janeliZe adrianad gaudgnen gzas. gza Tu ugzooba marTlac xifaTiani da Zneli aRmoCnda, Tumca jaregos naxviTa da qistebis guliTadi stumarmaspinZlobiT moxiblulni, ucxo STabeWdilebebiT aRvsilni dabrundnen. manana janeliZem axlaxan gaixsena qistebis didi pieteti mucalisa da misi rolis Semsruleblis geidar falavandiSvilis mimarT. misTvis saCuqrad gamougzavniaT axladdakluli cxvris mozrdili barkali, romelic mTeli gza yvelaze Zliers, Cvens `boss~, rogorc me Sevarqvi, vaxtang goguaZes (SemdegSi universitetis profesori, proreqtori) sul buzRun-buzRuniT utarebia. im ugzoobaSi, roca marjvena xelSi cxvris barkali gaqvs CabRujuli da am dros `susti~ sqesis warmomadgenlebsac unda waeSvelo _ marTlac didi Saria. kidev kargi, maTi dabrunebisas `mucali~ arRunis xeobaSi, Tu ar vcdebi, anatoris axlos unaxavT da vaxtangs qistebis armaRani, wamsve adresatisaTvis gadaumisamarTebia. ukve kargad iyo mosaRamoebuli, roca pirvelad Coxianboxoxiani geidari SevniSneT, xelSi qistebis nobaTiT, mas ki gasavaTebuli, magram uaRresad bednieri Cveni eqspediciis wevrebi mohyvebodnen. *** mdinare arRunis piras mdebare Satilis marcxniv, patara mdinare Satilis wyali arRuns uerTdeba. gadaRma mxares damreci naSali kldea, aqa-iq mcire buCqnariT. swored es adgili SeirCa orTabrZolisaTvis. gamoRma, mcire `amfiTeatrSi~ mravalricxovani mayureblebi movTavsdiT: Satilionebi, kinostudiis TanamSromlebi da Cveni eqspediciis uklebliv yvela wevri.

CemTvis gasaocari iyo didi maestros Tengiz abulaZis simSvide da gawonasworebuloba gadaRebis dros, yvela reJisori, ratomRac mSfoTvare diqtatorad warmomedgina.

Tengiz arCvaZec da geidar falavandiSvilic zustad asrulebdnen reJisorisa da kinooperatoris miTiTebebs. marTlac rom feeriuli sanaxaoba iyo _ vaJas samyarosa da droSi gadanacvleba. mxolod ramdenime dubli dasWirdaT, miuxedavad

Manana Janelidze started their journey. The road turned out to be hard and dangerous, but they came back full of lovely impressions from seeing Jarego and the Kists' hospitality.

Manana Janelidze recently remembered how Kists sent a freshly slaughtered lamb thigh to Mutsala (Geidar Palavandishvili) as a present, that the strongest of us (our “boss” as I called him) Vakhtang Goguadze (later University Professor, prorector) had to carry back (while grumbling the whole time).

Having to carry a lamb thigh in one hand and helping women on a dangerous road with another really is tricky. It was lucky that they ran into “Mutsala” on their way, near the Arguni valley, Vakhtang gave him his present in an instant.

It was already rather late when we noticed Geidar wearing chokha and papakha, and holding his present. Behind him there were exhausted but happy members of our expedition. *** To the left of Shatili on the banks of the river Arghun, the water of the small river in Shatili joins the Arghun river. On the other side, there is a smashed boulder and small bushes around. This is the place that was chosen for the fight scene. On the opposite side, there was a small circle where we accommodated a large number of spectators: Shatili villagers, the film studio crew and almost all the members of our expedition.

I was surprised by the calmness and harmony of Maestro Tengiz Abuladze while filming. For some reason, I always thought that all the directors were a little anxious.

Tengiz Archvadze and Geidar Palavandishvili were following the directors and cameramen’s notes.

It was incredible to be able to witness this, Vazha’s world had travelled and transformed in time.

It only took a couple of takes, despite the fact that it was far from easy or safe to run around with old rifles in the mountains. During one

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imisa, rom naSal, ubiliko mTis kalTaze Zveleburi TofebiT swrafi gadaadgileba arc advili iyo da arc usafrTxo. erT-erTi garbenisas Satilis wylis maxloblad, geidars fexi daucda, Setortmanda, Tavi ki Seikava, magram boxoxi gadasZvra da daRmarTze dagorda. geidari gamoedevna, magram ver miuswro. Satilis wylis swraf dinebas SesaZloa qudi arRunamdec Caetana, magram kinostudiis biWebma imarjves da boxoxi didi gaWirvebiT amoitanes. gadaReba mxolod mcire xniT Seferxda, kargad dabertyili boxoxi maleve moarges mucals...

Zneli saTqmelia, ramdenjer maqvs nanaxi `vedreba~ _ premieraze (batonma Tengizma ara marto grigol kiknaZe, aramed `vaJa-fSavelas kabinetis~ TanamSromlebi da eqspediciis wevrebic migviwvia), did kinoTeatrebsa Tu televiziiT. STabeWdileba marTlac rom gamaognebeli iyo. axlaxan, did cifrul teleekranze kinofilmis zemoxsenebuli epizodis, vin icis, meramdened naxvisas gaocebiT aRmovaCine mucalis boxoxze patara margalitebiviT mbrwyinavi Satilis wylis wveTebi, risTvisac arasdros mimiqcevia yuradReba.

of the scenes, Geidar slipped, he managed not to fall over but he lost his hat that fell over to the river. Geidar tried to get it, but couldn’t do it in time, the flow of the river took it down to Arghan so film studio people had to run and get it. The shoot stopped momentarily before the hat was returned to Mutsala…

It is hard for me to say just how many times I have seen “The Plea” (Tengiz Abuladze had invited Grigol Kiknadze along with everyone from the “Vazha-Pshavela Cabinet" and expedition), in cinemas and countless times on television. The impression is always breathtaking.

Just recently while watching the fight scene on a full HD TV screen for the first time I saw small silver droplets of water on Mutsala’s hat, I’ve never noticed this before. ​​*** Tengiz Abuladze went back to Tbilisi; it looks like the film was almost ready for post-production, the maestro was in a hurry. Film studio executives were rushing him to finish “the Plea” by the end of the year: the film is dated 1967.

The goal of the “Vazha-Pshavela Cabinet” expedition (to photograph the village Jarego and see the filming process) was also reached, we packed our things and went back. We were already at the Bear’s Cross pass, hungry and exhausted, when we saw that Mr Grisha had rented a car to come and get us because he was greatly

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*** Tengiz abulaZe TbilisSi dabrunda; rogorc Cans, filmi TiTqmis mzad iyo montaJisaTvis, maestro ki Cqarobda, kinostudiis xelmZRvanelobis moTxovniT, wlis bolomde unda daesrulebina `vedreba~: filmi 1987 wliT aris daTariRebuli. `vaJa-fSavelas kabinetis~ eqspediciis mizanic (jaregos fotografireba da filmis gadaRebebze daswreba) miRweuli iyo, avibargeT da barisaxosaken gaveSureT. is-is iyo, daTvis jvris uReltexilamde avaRwieT, rom daqanculebsa da damSeulebs didi siurprizi gveloda: baton griSas sabargo manqana eqiravebina da, ganerviulebuli, karga xans gvelodeboda. Jivil-xiviliT mivirbineT manqanasTan misasalmeblad, saRsalamaTebma da gamxiarulebulebma; Zaraze aZromisTanave, iqve dagvxvda batoni griSas momaragebuli nobaTic, romlis gemo dResac maxsovs: uzarmazari TeTri puris ugemrielesi `buxanka~ (aseTi puri maSin mxolod raionebSi cxveboda), yveli da msxvilTava mwvane xaxvi. swored rom mefuri sufra iyo! *** `vedrebis~ premieraze, rac mxurvale taSis grialiT dasrulda, aRtacebulma gamomsvlelebma films didi momavali da mravali saerTaSoriso jildo uwinaswarmetyveles.

worried. Happily, we ran towards the car and climbed on top of it. Mr Grisha had prepared some food and drinks for us, I still remember the taste: it was a huge loaf of white bread (you could only get this type of bread in the villages), cheese and green onion. It was a royal feast indeed! ​​​​*** The premiere of “The Plea” ended in ecstatic applause, which predicted a very successful future for the film with countless international awards.

It truly was an innovative arthouse film, a different look at VazhaPshavela’s works. I am not going to shy from it and say that it was a

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creative collaboration of two incredible artists.

es iyo WeSmaritad novatoruli, saavtoro filmi, vaJafSavelas axleburi gaazreba, ar momerideba amis Tqma,

Back then sending films to international festivals was the

_ gansxvavebul epoqaTa ori xelovanis SemoqmedebiTi

prerogative of the Central Committee and “The Plea” (telling Vazhas

tandemi.

stories with the language of cinematography) was not quite in line

maSin ragindara `sabWoTa~ filmis ucxoeTis

with the ideology of the Soviet Union. It was not a coincidence that

festivalebze wargzavna sakavSiro Tu `mSobliuri~

back then Tengiz Abuladze chose a young amateur Aleksander

cekas prerogativa iyo. `vedreba~ _ vaJas SemoqmedebiTi

(Sashka) Antipenko to be his first assistant cameraman, who gave a

kontrapunqtis (poemebi, leqsebi, publicistika,

mysterious (formal) glow to the black and white film.

eTnografiuli werilebi da sxv.) kinematografis

Even the critics supported the officials and wrote terrible reviews

Sesabamisi formiTa da xerxebiT gadmocema, mwerlis

about the film: “Elements of Freud-like psychoanalysis and boring

msoflaRqmisa da vizionebis mravalplastiani velis

existential philosophy”; “questionable professionalism”; “entrusting

axleburi gaazreba, _ miuRebeli aRmoCnda sabWouri

the viewer with “fantasy”; ”Has some symbolic trouble”... and

ideologiisaTvis. arc is iyo SemTxveviTi, rom Tengiz

“provincial manners” – from: “When the viewer is leaving the hall” G.

abulaZem mTavar operatorad maSin sruliad axalgazrda aleqsandre (saSka) antipenko miiwvia, romelmac Sav-TeTr films raRac ucnauri, mistikuri (anu `formalisturi~)

“Tbilisi”, 1968; “A hard reproach”; “literary Georgia”, 1968 etc.)

Elguja Amashukeli, Neli Amashukeli, Akaki Bakradze, Nodar Gurabanidze, Rezo Kveselava, Mukhran Machavariani, Jansug

elferi SesZina.

Charkviani, Nodar Tsuleiskiri and others gave their response to such

arc kritikosebi aRmoCndnen `jabanni~ da mxari aubes

critics by people I won’t list.

oficiozs, dagmes filmi `egzistencialisturi mosawyeni

In 1968, the magazine“Literary Georgia” published a sort of

filosofiisa da froidistuli fsiqoanalizis moWarbebuli elementebis~, `bundovani profesionalizmis~, `mayureblis

summarising article by Grigol Kiknadze (the main consultant of the

`fantaziasa~ da niWze mindobis~, `viTomda simboluri

film) titled “Did everyone turn bad?” (about “The Plea”). In the article,

davidarabis~ da, arc meti da arc naklebi, `provinciuli

he reviewed the letters from the authors (that I did not mention)

maneris~ gamo da a. S. (werilebi `roca mayurebeli

in a deep academic manner. He gave a brilliant answer to overly

tovebs darbazs~, g. `Tbilisi~, 1968; `Zneli sayveduri~,

ambitious critics and supported the messages of their opponents.

`literaturuli saqarTvelo~, 1968 da misTanani).

He writes: “For me, the most important is that the film managed

amgvari `opusebis~ avtorebs (gvarebi Segnebulad

to embody Vazha’s motives as well as give us a realistic view of life in

ar davasaxele), dasabuTebuli pasuxi gasces elguja

the mountains, that would only be possible with Tinatin Ochiauri’s

amaSukelma, neli amaSukelma, akaki baqraZem, nodar

consultations. For me, as for a viewer, it was incredible to see the

gurabaniZem, rezo kveselavam, muxran maWavarianma, jansuR

indestructible truth in T. Archvadze’s Aluda with a trembling lip and

Carkvianma, nodar wuleiskirma da sxv. amave, 1968 wlis bolos `literaturul saqarTveloSi~ gamoqveynda `vedrebis~ mTavari konsultantis, grigol kiknaZis erTgvarad Semajamebeli statia `Cveni suyvela

the innocence in the eyes of G. Palavandishvili’s Mutsala, calmness and readiness for death in Kapianidze as Zviadauri. The inner world and face of Gvtisia (Spartak Bagashvili) are especially memorable, Ramaz Chkhikvadze’s evil spirit with his cynical gaze and actions. Each and every frame by cameraman Antipenko can be seen as a piece of art. We have to also appreciate the work that the composer N. Gabunia had put into this film. As for the production design, you have to be a professional to be able to evaluate the work R. Mirzashvili put in this film.

I find it impossible to neglect director’s Tengiz Abuladze’s great talent – to be able find like-minded enthusiastic people who are trying to reach the same goal and connect them, lead them and bear the heavy weight of arts.

With some delay, Tengiz Abuladze’s incredible film managed to escape the Iron Curtain: In 1973 it received the Grand Prize at San Remo International Film Festival.

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gacudda?~ (`vedrebis~ garSemo)~, romelSic akademiuri

STambeWdavia RvTisias (spartak baRaSvili) Sinaganad

siRrmiT, gamowvlilviT iyo ganxiluli zemoxsenebul

mdidari da daZabuli saxe, ramaz CxikvaZis macduri

(Tu Cems mier `uxsenebel~) avtorTa werilebi; brwyinvale

macili _ Tavisi cinikuri gamoxedviTa da qceviT.

da dauridebelma polemistma, safuZvliani pasuxi gasca

operator antipenkos TiTo kadri mimaCnia me erTi

mikerZoebul, angaJirebul Tu zedmetad ambiciur

kargi suraTis Rirebulebis tolad. sul ver vigrZeni

kritikosebs, jerovnad daafasa maT mowinaaRmdegeTa

musikaluri ostatobis Cvenebis survili da amitomac

kontrargumentebic.

faseulia kompozitor nodar gabunias arCeuli gza. rac

grigol kiknaZem vrceli werilis erT-erT fragmentSi

Seexeba mxatvrobas, aq iseTi Tvalia mxatvrisa, rom revaz

sakadrisi miuzRo yvela im xelovans, romelic maestrom

mirzaSvilis am namuSevris Sefaseba Sesabamis profesiul

SeakavSira didi miznis misaRwevad:

ganswavlulobas saWiroebs.

`CemTvis mTavari is aris, rom am filmSi vaJas motivebia

SeuZleblad mimaCnia ugulebelyofa filmis reJisoris

gansaxierebuli da mTis yofa mowodebulia iseTi

Tengiz abulaZis talantisa _ ipovos enTuziastebi,

eTnografiuli simarTliTa da taqtiT, rogorc, Cemi

didi miznis gansaxorcieleblad SeakavSiros isini,

azriT, amJamad mxolod TinaTin oCiauris konsultaciiT

uwinamZRvros maT da bolomde ataros sapasuxismgeblo

SeiZleba miRweuliyo. CemTvis, rogorc mayureblisaTvis,

tvirTi xelovanisa~.

waruxocelia dafiqrebuli saxe da mTrTolvare bageebi

Tengiz abulaZis gamorCeulma da originalurma filmma

aluda qeTelaurisa Tengiz arCvaZis gansaxierebiT,

dagvianebiT, magram mainc gaaRwia rkinis fardis miRma:

qoris gamoxedva mucalisa, geidar falavandiSvilma rom

1974 wels san-remos saavtoro filmebis XVII saerTaSoriso

gviCvena, sidinje da auRelvebeli mzaoba sikvdilisaTvis

kinofestivalze `vedrebas~ Rirsebisamebr mieniWa mTavari

zurab qafianiZis zviadaurisa. gansakuTrebiT

premia `gran-pri~.

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laSa CxartiSvili

SemoqmedebiTi sivrce cixis nacvlad

LASHA CHKHARTISHVILI

Creative space instead of a prison „vangrevT stereotipebs da vambobT, rom kultura cixis nacvlad, Semoqmedeba danaSaulis nacvlad da gamixardeba, Tuki im yofil patimrebs, romlebic me-12 dawesebulebaSi sasjels ixdida eqnebaT saSualeba, rom imave adgilas, rac ar unda mZime iyos, ukve sasiamovno gamocdileba miiRon rogorc mayurebelma...“ _ ganacxada saqarTvelos kulturis, sportisa da axalgazrdobis ministrma Tea wulukianma, roca presasTan pirvelad daaanonsa axali, alternatiuli, SemoqmedebiTi sivrcis gaxsna orTaWalaSi, yofili me-12 penitenciuri dawesebulebis teritoriaze, romelsac „sivrce #12“ ewoda. axali kulturuli arenis saxelwodeba simboluria, raTa yvelas axsovdes, an icodes, rom adgili, romelic negativis, Tavisuflebis aRkveTis, danaSaulis simbolo iyo, gadaiqca Tavisufali,

“To break stereotypes by saying culture instead of prisons, creativity instead of crimes. I will be happy if former prisoners who served their term in penitentiary institution #12 will have the opportunity to come to the same place, however hard it may be, and gain pleasant experiences as visitors…” – Tea Tsulukiani, Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth announces to the press the opening of a new, alternative, creative space in Ortachala on the territory of former penitentiary institution #12, which will be called “Alternative Cultural Space #12”. The name bears a significant meaning so that everyone remembers or learns that this place was a symbol of negativity, imprisonment, and crime, but turned into a cultural space where any young or older generation can carry out their creative project.

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aratradiciuli xelovnebis Seqmnisa Tu prezentaciis adgilad, kulturul sivrced, sadac nebismier axalgazrdas Tu ufrosi Taobis warmomadgenels SeeZleba Tavisi SemoqmedebiTi proeqtis ganxorcieleba. „sivrce #12“ aris pirveli, ukve realobad qceuli iniciativa damoukidebeli saqarTvelos istoriaSi, roca saxelmwifo Tavadve qmnis Tavisufali artistebisTvis platformas, sadac xelovanebs nebismieri SemoqmedebiTi ideis Tavisuflad ganxorcielebis saSualeba eqnebaT. multifunqciuri sivrciT sargebloba SeeZlebaT profesiul Tu moyvarul dasebs rogorc Tbilisidan, ise regionebidan, saSualeba eqnebaT, isargeblon sarepeticio sivrciT, gamarTon speqtaklebi, koncertebi, gamofenebi, performansebi, Sexvedrebi, konferenciebi da sxvadasxva SemecnebiTi RonisZiebebi. „rodesac am sivrcis rekonstruqcias daviwyebT, iq gavaCenT sarepeticio sivrceebs da aseve gvinda, rom iyos bavSvebisTvis, axalgazrdebisTvis sxvadasxva SemoqmedebiTi proeqtebis gansaxorcielebeli sivrce. ratomac ara, samuzeumo sivrce, sadac Tanamedrove xelovnebis dargSi moRvawe Semoqmedi adamianebi TavianT eqsperimentul sivrces gaaCenen da absoluturad Tavisuflebi iqnebian. es ar iqneba klasikuri kulturis infrastruqtura, romelsac hyavs direqtori, samxatvro xelmZRvaneli, es sivrce iqneba Tavisufali, sakmarisi iqneba martivi procedurebiT misi dajavSna. am etapze ufasoa, magram rodesac iqneba namdvil kulturis kerad gadaqceuli Tavisi aRWurvilobiT, aparaturiT iq SeiZleba saubari iyos mxolod simbolur saijaro gadasaxadze...“ _ acxadebda ministri Tea wulukiani da 2021 wlis 10 agvistos „sivrce #12“ ukve pirvel stumrebs maspinZlobda. „sivrce #12“ marneulis kulturis centrTan arsebuli Teatris speqtakliT „marina revia“ gaixsna, romelic aleqsi CiRvinaZis piesis mixedviT reJisorma goCa xviCiam dadga. speqtakli 15 wlis Semdeg patimrobidan ojaxSi dabrunebuli dedis marina revias da mis SvilebTan Sexvedris Sesaxeb mogviTxrobs. goCa xviCias speqtakli „marina revia“ erT-erTi gamorCeuli speqtaklia, romelic pandemiis periodSi daidga saqarTveloSi. speqtaklis aseTi warmateba piesaSi mimdinare movlenebis detalurad gaazrebulma reJisuram, mxatvris tato geliaSvilis mier Seqmnilma uaRresad realisturma, yofiTma, naturalizmamde dasulma scenografiam da rac mTavaria artistebis: marina joxaZis, TaTia TaTaraSvilis, qeTi abaSiZis da zura xafTanis TamaSis zedmiwevniT realisturma maneram da artistulma gulwrfelobam, scenurma uSualobam ganapiroba. amavdroulad, Teatris scenaze dadgmuli speqtakli organulad moergo garemos yofili cixis ezoSi, Ria cis qveS, sadac mayurebeli stumrad marina revias saxlSi mivida.

“Alternative Cultural Space #12” is the first example of its kind in the history of independent Georgia where the Government is creating a platform for artists where they will be able to gather and facilitate creative activities. Professional or amateur groups from both Tbilisi and the regions will be able to use its multifunctional space, enjoy the rehearsal stage, hold performances, concerts, exhibitions, to organize conferences and various educational events.

“When the reconstructions start we will make sure to have rehearsal spaces as well as spaces for children and youth to encourage them to realize their creative projects. We will have an exhibition venue, where contemporary artists will be free to experiment. This will not be a traditional cultural institution, with a head or artistic director, the space will be extremely flexible and unrestrained, with easy procedures to book. It will be free of charge at the time, but once it turns into a cultural center, with professional facilities and equipment we may consider a small rental fee.” – according to Minister Tsulukiani.

On August 10th 2021 “Alternative Cultural Space #12” hosted its first guests.

The Space was opened with the performance “Marina Revia”, of the Cultural Center of Marneuli Municipality, directed by Gocha Khvichia and based on a play by Aleksi Chigvinadze.

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mniSvnelovani iyo 16 oqtombers, zurab rTveliaSvilis dabadebis dRes, „alternatiul kulturul sivrceSi #12“ zurab rTveliaSvilis saxelobis premiis gadacemis ceremoniali, romelic performansis TanxlebiT gaimarTa. performansi, romelic reJisorma irakli gogiam axmetelis Teatris msaxiobebis monawileobiT warmoadgina. yofili me-12 penitenciuri dawesebulebis kedlebze zurab rTveliaSvilis saukeTeso performansebis instalacia iyo naCvenebi, aseve gaTamaSda specialurad am dRisTvis Seqmnili „margo korabliovas Teatris“ performansi, xolo RonisZiebis dasasruls, „axmetelis Teatris“ msaxiobebma zurab rTveliaSvilis piesa „qvemodan zemoT“ Teatralizebulad waikiTxes. „sivrce #12“ saintereso aRmoCnda giorgi aleqsiZis saxelobis „Tbilisis Tanamedrove baletis“ xelmZRvanelisTvis, qoreograf mariam aleqsiZisaTvis, romelmac axali proeqti _ multimediuri baleti „12 paemani“ ganaxorciela. axal baletSi xmis dizainsa da video instalaciaze nika maCaiZem imuSava, xolo originaluri musika natalia beriZem Seqmna, xolo qoreografiaze mariam aleqsiZem. proeqtis Seqmnis idea daviT maziaSvils

“Marina Revia” is a social drama. The play tells the story of a mother who was in prison for 15 years and how she goes back home and sees her children. The performance directed by Gocha Khvichia is a special piece that was designed during the pandemic in Georgia. The success of the performance is credited to the detailed consideration of events in the play by the director, incredible scenographic work of Tato Geliashvili, who portrayed extremely realistic, mundane and organic image while actors Marina Jokhadze, Tatia Tatarashvili, Keti Abashidze and Zura Khaptani performed in an innocent, frank and realistic manner. The performance, directed for a theatre stage, looks inherent in the courtyard of the prison, outdoor where viewers visit Marina Revia’s home.

October 16th was Zurab Rtveliashvili’s birthday, and “Alternative Cultural Space #12” hosted the Zurab Rtveliashvili award ceremony.

The ceremony was full of incredible events, including a performance

by Akhmeteli Theatre actors directed by Irakli Gogia. The walls of the former penitentiary institution were covered with the installation of Zurab Rtveliashvili’s best performances, Margo Korabliova’s Performance Theatre also staged a creative reading of Rtveliashvili’s play “From bottom to top” specially for the occasion.

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ekuTvnoda. multimediuri baleti 12 sxvadasxva Taobis qal patimarze mogviTxrobda, romelic araverbaluri formiT originalurad gaTamaSda. cixis kedlebze warmodgenis msvlelobis gadioda video, romelic cixis SigniT arsebul mdgomareobaze, cixis sakanSi myofTa gancdebs gadmoscemda. SemoqmedebiTma jgufma SeZlo gansxvavebuli formiT, originaluri xerxebiT da mravalferovani gamomsaxvelobiTi saSualebebiT eCvenebina 12 qalis sulieri da fsiqikuri mdgomareoba. gansakuTrebiT mniSvnelovani da amaRelvebeli iyo marina aleqsiZis, maka maxaraZisa da qeTevan muxaSavria Tanamedrove baletSi xilva, romlebic 30 welia mayurebels scenaze ar unaxavs. pirveli damoukidebeli alternatiuli sivrce saqarTveloSi, Tbilisis gare ubanSi, yofili eleqtrogadamamuSavebeli qarxnis teritoriaze, reJisorebis mixeil Carkvianisa da daviT xorbalaZis TaosnobiT 2016 wels gaixsna, romelsac „Ria sivrce/ Open Space“ ewoda. alternatiul sivrceebze muSaobs festivali „axali drama“, romelic principulad uars ambobs tradiciul saxelovnebo keraze, xolo „sivrce #12“ pirveli platformaa xelovanebisTvis, romelic saxelmwifom SesTavaza damoukidebel (da ara marto) artistebs.

“Space #12” also turned out to be an interesting venue for Mariam Aleksidze, Artistic director of Giorgi Aleksidze Tbilisi Contemporary Baller found, who staged her new project, multimedia ballet “12 visits”.

Nika Machaidze created the sound design and video installations, while Natalia Beridze composed the music and Mariam Aleksidze was the choreographer of the ballet. David Maziashvili wrote and directed the project. The ballet tells the story of 12 female prisoners. During the performance, the walls of the prison showcased video art of what was going on in the cells. The team managed to show the mental and spiritual states of 12 women using various creative means. It was especially important and exciting to see Mariam Aleksidze, Maka Makharadze and Ketevan Mukhashavria perform, who have not been seen on stage for the past 30 years.

The first independent alternative space in Georgia “Open Space” was founded by Mikheil Charkviani and Davit Khorbaladze in 2016.

Located in Tbilisi's suburbs on the territory of a former power plant, the “New Drama” festival is working on an alternative space, they are opposed to anything related to traditional art practices, while “Alternative Space #12” is the first platform of its kind that the Government offered to independent (but not only independent) artists.

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3 (25) 2021

me da Cemi elfebi Tu saswaulebis gjera…

ME AND MY ELVES If you believe in miracles… mariam wiklauri Mariam Tsiklauri

Hello, my name is Mariam Tsiklauri – I am a Georgian children’s writer. I am eager for the world to know Georgian children’s literature as well as we know the children’s literature of the whole world. We in Georgia, translate, read and love children’s books of authors from various countries. However, until now, this has been a one-sided process. Extraordinary books have been created in Georgia and are still being created in all genres of children’s literature. You might be interested and find out what kind of country Georgia is, who the authors of Georgian children’s books are, what values they hold, and what kind of books do they write for children. It would be fascinating if their books became appealing to the young readers speaking in various languages. I can only wish those who place stars in the sky to be merciful to our success and help us by sending the kind elves of translation.

How else can my country’s children literature become accessible to European and world readers? If we do not believe in miracles, the reality is not providing us with many chances. Thus, cheers to the miracle!

gamarjoba. me mariam wiklauri var _ qarTveli sabavSvo avtori. didi survili maqvs, qarTul sabavSvo literaturas msoflio iseve icnobdes, rogorc Cven vicnobT msoflio sabavSvo literaturas. qarTvelebi vTargmniT, vkiTxulobT da gviyvars sxvadasxva qveynis avtorTa sabavSvo wignebi. magram es calmxrivi procesi ufroa jerjerobiT. saqarTveloSic Zalian kargi wignebi iqmneboda da axlac iqmneba sabavSvo literaturis yvela JanrSi! iqneb dainteresdeT da gaigoT, rogori qveyanaa saqarTvelo, vin arian qarTveli sabavSvo mwerlebi, ra Rirebulebebs atareben isini, rogor wignebs weren bavSvebisTvis da ra kargi iqneboda, rom maTi wignebic axlobeli gaxdes sxvadasxva enaze molaparake patara mkiTxvelebisTvis. isRa damrCenia visurvo, wyalobis TvaliT gadmogvxedos man, vinc caze varskvlavebs Cveni warmatebisTvis ganalagebs da Targmanebis keTil elfebsac dagvaxmars. sxvanairad aba rogor gaxdes Cemi qveynis sabavSvo literatura evropeli da msoflio mkiTxvelisTvis xelmisawvdomi?! saswaulis Tu ar gvjera, realoba did Sansebs ar gvCuqnis. maS, gaumarjos saswauls!

istoria maTTvis, vinc ar icnobs saqarTvelos... saqarTvelo uZvelesi kulturisa da unikaluri bunebis qveyanaa. is kavkasiaSi mdebareobs. iq sadac, RmerTebma adamianebisTvis cecxlis mopovebis gamo dasjili miTiuri promeTe miajaWves mTaze. saqarTvelo ujredSorisiviTaa evropisa da aziis kontinentebs Soris. masze gadioda yvela droisa da samyaros kulturaTa, civilizaciebis,

History for those who do not know Georgia Georgia is a country of ancient culture and unique nature. It is located in the Caucasus. It is the place where Gods chained mythical Prometheus in order to punish him for obtaining fire for the humans.

Georgia is like an intercellular space, located between Europe and Asia. It was crossed by the cultures of all times and from all over the world, as well as by the roads of trade, war, silk, and many others.

According to the myth, the Golden Fleece was stolen by the Greeks from here, the extraction of metal began here, ancient threads were found here. It is not even surprising. World anthropology considers Georgia to be the home of an ancient civilization. The

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vaWrobis, omebis, abreSumis Tu sxva gzebi. miTis Tanaxmad, aqedan gaitaces oqros sawmisi berZnebma, aq dairwa metalurgiis akvani, aq uZvelesi Zafis boWkoc aRmoaCines. an ra gasakviria?! saqarTvelos, msoflio anTropologia, uZvelesi pirvelyofili adamianebis samyoflad Tvlis.

Cveni qveyana msofliom Rvinisa da xorblis samSoblod aRiara. unikaluri polifoniuri simRerisa da poeziis qveynad. uZvelesi originaluri qarTuli anbani da damwerloba, romelic msoflios aramaterialuri kulturis Zegladaa aRiarebuli, literaturuli Zeglebi, mdidari folklori, uxsovari tradiciebi da kultura civilizaciis sawyisebidan iRebs saTaves. me-12 saukuneSi qarTvelma qalma mefem, Tamarma, sikvdiliT dasja akrZala. xolo me-12 saukunis poema „vefxistyaosani“ msoflio poeziis SedevrebSi ixsenieba. saqarTveloSi istoriulad, da dRemdec, maRalia literaturuli Tamasa. xolo literaturis mniSvneloba ganuzomeli. magram gana literatorebi da mwerlebi, miT ufro sabavSvo avtorebi qmnian kulturis politikas qveyanaSi?! samwuxarod maqvs eWvi, rom qveyanas da politikas is moqalaqeebi ganageben, romlebic bavSvobaSi wignebs ar kiTxulobdnen… da arc elfebTan megobrobdnen saidumlod… ena _ sazRvari qarTuli literaturis korifeebi da saintereso mwerlebi msofliosTvis dRemde ucnobia. ase xdeba, roca qveyanas imperiebi ipyroben da ganadgurebas uqadian.

world has recognized Georgia as the homeland of wine and wheat.

It is considered to be a country of unique polyphonic music and poetry. The ancient original Georgian alphabet and writing, which is recognized as an intangible cultural heritage, originates from the beginning of civilization. In addition, literature, rich folklore, traditions, and culture also take their origin and are connected to the earliest civilizations. In the 12th century Georgian Queen Tamar prohibited the death penalty. On the other hand, “The Knight in the Panther’s skin”, a poem written in the 12th century, is considered to be one of the masterpieces of world poetry. Historically and even today, the demand for quality literature is tremendous and its importance is immense. However, do authors, and especially children’s writers, influence the cultural environment throughout the country?!

Unfortunately, I doubt that the country and its politics are run by the people who did not read books in childhood, nor were they secretly friends with the elves.

Language and border The luminaries and impressive writers of Georgian literature are still unknown to the world. This is what happens when the country is occupied by empires and is at the risk of destruction. This is what happens when an empire or conqueror is replaced by another, when the tsarist Russian regime is replaced by the bloody Bolshevik one, when the outstanding representatives of literature, science, and intelligence are executed, when good books are prohibited and people are accountable for their words, when life is the price for one’s statements. It is true that after the 1970s, communists no longer shot

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3 (25) 2021

roca erT imperias, meore cvlis, roca caristul rusul reJims, bolSevikuri sisxliani reJimi cvlis, roca mwerlebis, mecnierebis da inteligenciis saukeTeso nawils xvreten, roca krZalaven karg wignebs da sityvebisTvis pasuxs sicocxliT agebineben adamianebs. marTalia, 1970-iani wlebidan komunistebi aRar xvretdnen mwerlebs, cotas kidec Targmnidnen msoflios xalxTa enebze, magram qarTuli wigni evropam SedarebiT masStaburad 2018 wels, frankfurtis `buxmeseze~ mTavari stumris statusiT myof saqarTvelos dReebze gaicno. arada, uZvelesi literaturuli xelnaweri Zegli, hagiografiuli romani „SuSanikis wameba“ 1500 wlisaa da iqidan moyolebuli qarTuli literatura inarCunebs uwyvet azrovnebas da erTian saliteraturo enas. diax, Zvel teqstebs, Cven dResac Cveulebrivad vigebT da vkiTxulobT. amxela literaturas ki romeli `buxmese~ eyofa?! Tundac ori `buxmese~?! Tundac sami?! saukunis dagvianebiT, mougvarebeli saqmeebi, erT dReSi arasdros keTdeba, aseTi keTili jadoqrebic ar gvyavs, rom es SeZlon. maT Soris sruliad uTargmneli darCa sabavSvo wignebic. radgan amdeni dapyrobisa da omis

writers, and some books were even translated into foreign languages.

But on a larger scale, Europe got acquainted with Georgian literature in 2018, during the Georgian days at the Frankfurt Book Fair (Frankfurter Buchmesse), where Georgia was the guest of honor.

However, the oldest Georgian literary manuscript, the hagiographical novel, “Martyrdom of the Holy Queen Shushanik”) dates back 1500 years. Since then, Georgian literature maintains a continuous tradition and a unified literary language. Yes, even nowadays we read and comprehend old writings. And which Buchmesse will be enough for such tremendous literary content? Two Buchmesse!? Even three Buchmesse!? Issues that are unresolved for a century cannot be handled in one day. Unfortunately, we do not have such kind wizards who could accomplish that. Among them, children’s books remained without translation. Because in the midst of so many conquests and wars, we remain a poor country. Therefore, we always lack financial support to be generous when it comes to culture. People might even believe that it is easy to live without books and poems. I send my kind elves in every direction to eradicate such ideas. However, whoever listens to the elves is immersed in their mobile phones, concerned about their career advancement, about their happiness and wellbeing.

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pirobebSi mainc Rarib qveynad vrCebiT da arasdros gvyofnis finansebi xelgaSlilebi viyoT kulturis politikaSi. is ki arada, lamis daijeros xalxma, rom wignebis da leqsebis gareSec advilia cxovreba (miTumetes bavSvebisTvis). yvela mimarTulebiT vgzavni Cems keTil elfebs, rom aseTi azrebi ar gauCndeT adamianebs. magram vin usmens elfebs, yvela Tavis mobilurSia CamZvrali, Tavis karierul winsvlaSi, Tavis bednier myofadSi… mudmivi omi legendebi gviamboben, rom RmerTebma Tavisi saagarako miwebi dagviTmes qarTvelebs. diax, Cveni qveyana marTla ulamazesi da unikaluri mxarea. misi buneba, klimati, miwawyali namdvili RvTis saCuqaria. xolo mdebareoba mudmivi sasjeli, radgan is didi imperiebis SuaSi aRmoCnda da aris moqceuli, rogorc uZvelesi qristianuli forfosti, rogorc gasasvleli Sav zRvaze, rogorc namdvili margaliti... dResac, Cemi patara saxelmwifos 20% uzarmazari ruseTis mieraa okupirebuli da qveyana savsea iZulebiT gadaadgilebuli adamianebiT, romlebic gamorekes TavianTi qalaqebidan, soflebidan saxlebidan, da aiZules ltolviloba sakuTar qveyanaSi Tu emigraciaSi! qarTvelebis eTnowmendas afxazeTis, qarTlis teritoriebidan adasturebs saerTaSoriso samarTlis instanciebi, magram problema ara da ar gvardeba. marTalia, dRes ar isvrian da ar vibombebiT, magram

Constant war Legends tell us that the Gods gave their summer houses to the Georgian nation. Our country is genuinely beautiful and unique indeed. Its nature, climate, and environment are gifted from gods.

However, as we are located right in-between large empires, our location has been a punishment. Since ancient times, Georgia is at the heart of Christianity. It borders the black sea and is considered to be the pearl of the Caucasus. Therefore, Georgia was constantly struggling with conquerors and danger. Even today 20% of my country is occupied by enormous Russia. Consequently, our country is full of refugees and internally displaced people who have been forced to leave their homes, villages, cities, and have involuntarily become refugees in their own or foreign countries. The ethnic cleansing of Georgians from the territories of Abkhazia and Kartli is confirmed by the instances of international law, however, the problem remains unresolved. The last war was in 2008, when Russia invaded Georgian territory, followed by the occupation of new territories and even more refugees. By all means, this creates big problems for everybody!

Although today we are not being bombed and shot at, however even during the so-called “peace”, Russia stretches barbed-wires throughout the Georgian territory and divides Georgian villages and

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e.w. „mSvidobis pirobebSic“ ruseTi yoveldRiurad mavTulxlarTebs Wimavs saqarTvelos teritoriebze da Suaze yofs qarTul soflebs, miwa-wyals. bavSvebi _ bednierebis uflebiTa da unariT! vcdilobT, Cven qveyanaSi mcxovreb nebismieri erovnebis bavSvs imis SiSi gauqres, rom mis saxls dambombaven, daungreven skolas, daaSoreben ojaxs, megobrebs, ar eqneba sakvebi, saTamaSoebi da wignebi! ar eqneba qveyanas da aq moqmed fondebs SesaZlebloba, umkurnalon mozRvavebul leikemiis da onkologiur daavadebebs patrebSi... sastiki da daundobelia realoba, romelic Zalian bevr socialurad daucvel ojaxs da bavSvs gvaxvedrebs yoveldRiurobaSi. romelTac arc wamlis fuli aqvT da arc swavlis. erTxel socialuri qseliT sabavSvo wignis fulic ki Semigroves ucnobma da nacnobma adamianebma. maT winaswar iyides gamoucemeli wigni da Semdeg gadaecaT sakuTari, winaswar nayidi egzemplarebi. es Tavgadasavlebi sabavSvo wignebis ydebSi eqceva. uamrav bavSvTan gvaqvs Sexvedra skolebSi baRebSi, saokupacio zonasa Tu mTel saqarTveloSi. sofel niqozsa da sxva saokupacio zolTan ganlagebuli soflebis bavSvebs vfiqrob, mTeli msoflios bavSvebi unda icnobdnen da amxnevebdnen. maT aqvT ufleba da unari iyvnen bednierebi! da es Cven maTTvis ufrosebma, unda SevZloT!

land. The occupation border keeps on crawling towards the capital of my country. This is a huge tragedy and violation of human rights.

Russia is attempting to prevent Georgia from European integration and tries to make it completely dependent on Russia. This is the harsh reality in which we are obliged to live, to pursue our activities, our spheres, to follow the principles of democracy, and to preserve our civic dignity and duties. Unfortunately, my elves cannot solve this problem, nor can commissions of the international community.

Children with the right and ability of happiness!

We try to create an environment in our country where children will not be afraid that their houses will be bombed, that their school will be destroyed, that they will be separated from their family and friends, that they will not have food, toys, and books! The country and various foundations operating in it will not have the ability to provide medical care for leukemia and oncological diseases in children. Yet their mothers and fathers will go far to foreign countries in order to earn a living. Elder grandparents will take care of the children. Some children will start working to earn a miserable amount of money, they will collect scrap to buy bread or medicine for their grandmothers. The reality is cruel and ruthless, consequently, we encounter vulnerable families and children on a daily basis. They do not have enough money neither for medicine, nor for education.

Often the whole country collects money for the health and well-being of a stranger. Georgian social media networks are like angels, who unite all their strength to help someone. And this does not include healthcare alone. Once strangers and acquaintances on the social network even helped me to raise money for children’s book. They prepurchased an unpublished book and later, after the publication were given their pre-purchased copies. These adventures appear in the covers of children’s books. We meet a tremendous number of children in schools, kindergartens, and in the occupation zone throughout the whole Georgia. I think that children from the village Nikozi and those living in the villages located along the occupation line should be known and encouraged by other children from all over the world.

Children genuinely have the right and ability to be happy! And that’s what we, adults, should be capable of doing for them!

We start speaking with poems Our children begin speaking with the help of poems. Centuries of experience prove that musical, rhythmic, and small stanzas are easier to remember. Even nowadays, this helps children develop their speeches. Children’s literature develops their imagination, vocabulary, their love towards the world and people, it develops kindness! In the Georgian language, the word “illiterate” is considered to be an insulting word. Georgian folklore is rich with myths, folk wisdom, fairy tales, legends, stories, poems, and this has become a basis for children’s literature. While studying the history of children’s literature, one will discover that ancient Sumerian literature has preserved the earliest character for the children, a monkey called Luciluci. However, this Georgian children’s poem from the folklore is even older

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than Luciluci. Children study this poem even today: “The sun is my mother The moon – my father, And these tiny stars Are my sisters and brothers. “ The first printing house which opened 300 years ago in Tbilisi, used to print children’s books: children’s prayers, alphabets, reading for children, and others. In addition, in the 19th century booksellers in Tbilisi sold children’s books for a much cheaper price than those of adults.

In 2006, a Georgian Children’s Book Day was established with my initiative and with the help of Children’s Literature Development Foundation. We celebrate it every 27th of October in honor of the greatest Georgian public figure, Iakob Gogebashvili. This is his birthday. He worked so hard to make sure that Georgian children had good children’s books. He made sure that the best authors were writing and translating books for children, that they had the best textbooks, and were raised as decent, worthy citizens. Georgian

laparaks leqsebiT viwyebT Cveni bavSvebi laparaks leqsebiT iwyeben. saukunovani gamocdileba aCvenebs, rom ase advilad imaxsovreben musikalur, ritmian pawia strofebs. romlebic maT ametyvelebaSi exmarebaT. asea dResac! sabavSvo literatura aviTarebs bavSvebis fantazias, leqsikas, ayvarebs samyaros, adamians da sikeTes! odiTgan qarTul enaSi sityva „uwignuri“ salanZRav sityvad iTvleboda. qarTuli folklori umdidresia miTebiT, xalxuri sibrZniT, zRaprebiT, legendebiT, TqmulebebiT, leqsebiT, didi xania sabavSvo literaturis myar safuZvlad iqca. roca sabavSvo literaturis istorias swavlob, aRmoaCen, rom Zvelma Sumerulma literaturam Semogvinaxa uZvelesi sabavSvo literaturis personaJi maimuni, saxelad lusilusi. Tumca lusilusize Zveli es qarTuli sabavSvo leqsia folkloridan, dResac rom swavloben patarebi: `mze dedaa Cemi, mTvare-mamaCemi, es wvril-wvrili varskvlavebi da da Zmaa Cemi“.

TbilisSi 300-ze meti wlis win gaxsnil pirvel stambaSic ibeWdeboda sabavSvo wignebi.: locvani, anbanebi, sakiTxavi yrmaTaTvis da sxv. xolo me-19 saukunis bukinistebic ki bavSvebze wignebs gacilebiT iafad hyiddnen, vidre ufrosebze.

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children’s literature, together with many interesting authors, texts, books and illustrations developed and flourished thanks to these foundations. So why did we establish this celebration, when “World Children’s Book day April 2”, which is the birthday of Hans Christian Andersen, has been established since 1967? The reason is that, because of the so to say free but in fact wild post-soviet economy, Georgian and foreign authors had unequal terms and conditions. The need for the promotion of Georgian authors and writings was vivid.

Or otherwise, cheap copyright books overwhelmed the market in a way that Georgian original texts and drawings of illustrators remained unattended. Even my kind elves were angry about this issue and one fine day whispered this idea into my ear. So, we did it! I could not say that we scared uncles and aunts of the publishing business, nor the armies of the readers. However, we still came up with the idea of saving ourselves!

2006 wels ki „sabavSvo literaturis ganviTarebis fondis“ meSveobiT daarsda „qarTuli sabavSvo wignis dRe“, romelsac yovel 27 oqtombers aRvniSnavT, udidesi qarTveli moRvawis, iakob gogebaSvilis pativsacemad. es am didebuli qarTvelis dabadebis TariRia, romelmac Zalian bevri iRvawa imisTvis, rom qarTvel bavSvebs kargi Jurnalebi ekiTxaT, romlebSic karg avtorebs ewerT da eTargmnaT maTTvis... ratom davaarseT es dRe, maSin roca arsebobs 1967 wlidan „sabavSvo wignis msoflio dRe _ 2 aprili“ hans qristian andersenis dabadebis dRis TariRi? imitom rom qarTveli da ucxoeli avtorebi araTanabar pirobebSi Caayena postsabWourma Tavisufalma, sinamdvileSi ki velurma ekonomikam. saWiro gaxda qarTveli avtoris da qarTul enaze dawerili teqstebis popularizacia.

Torem iafma kopiraitulma wignebma amoavso wignis bazari, qarTveli avtorebis originaluri teqstebi da ilustratorebis originaluri naxatebi gverdze dagvrCa… amaze Cemi keTili elfebic brazdebodnen da es idea miCurCules yurSi erT mSvenier dRes. hoda, aRvasruleT!

Today I will return to the original topic of the discussion. I desire for Georgia to be mentioned among the world’s news channels not only for its conflicts, political scandals, and occupation barbed-wires, but also to be known for its culture and accomplishments in literature. I desire for the books of Georgian authors to be read by many foreign children!

Georgians became nominees of Alma in 2010 for the first time.

At that time, together with the writer Irma Mlatsidze, I became a nominee as the founder of the “Children’s Literature Development Foundation”. As for “Alma-2020” I was presented by Georgia as a writer, which is a great honor for me! However, I firmly believe that wonderful children’s literature created in Georgia needs to be published in foreign languages. It needs to be published in other countries and consequently needs to be introduced and popularized to the world. We were late for the children’s celebration. However, we always start our friendship with people with whom we have a common interest, based on dignity and benevolence. Let us get to

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ver vityvi, rom Zalian SevaSineT sagamomcemlo biznesis Zia-deidebi an mkiTxvelTa armiebi, magram mainc vipoveT Tavis gadarCenis idea!

know each other, listen to each other, and share both our joy and

dRevandeli dRe isev sawyis TemasTan davbrundebi _ minda saqarTvelo ara mxolod konfliqtebiT, politikur TamaSebiT da saokupacio mavTulxlarTebiT iyos cnobili msoflios sainformacio arxebze, aramed qarTuli kulturisa da literaturis miRwevebiT. raTa qarTveli avtorebis wignebs bevri ucxoeli bavSvi kiTxulobdes! `almas~ nominantebi pirvelad mweral irma malaciZesTan erTad 2010 wels gavxdiT. „alma-2020“ ki rogorc mwerali, saqarTvelom warmadgina da es didi pativia CemTvis! Tumca vTvli, rom qarTul enaze Seqmnil karg sabavSvo literaturas sxva enebze da sxva qveynebSi gamocema da msoflios mier misi gacnoba, popularizacia sWirdeba. Cven davagvianeT did sabavSvo dResaswaulze, magram yovelTvis RirsebiT da keTilganwyobiT viwyebT megobrobas adamianebTan, visTanac es gadaudebeli, saerTo saqme gvakavSirebs. gavicnoT da movusminoT erTurTs, gavuziaroT sixaruli da tkivilebi. bavSvebs ufrosebis aRzrda, gaerTianeba, siyvarulis swavla SeuZliaT!

complexes related to the poverty of my country. My inner force is the

sorrow. Children are the greatest gift in the world; they can unite adults for good deeds. I am full of hope; thus I try not to have the strength of countless generations of ancestors. This is coming from my relationship with the Georgian language. I want to share this driving force with other people, with children from other countries!

Georgian authors have a wide range of things to tell them. At first sight, it seems challenging to translate this fascinating children’s poetry, even prose, fairy tales, fantasy, or stories, however they are created! Written! I write, and it is pure happiness! Writing for children is happiness to an even greater extent! Children are the truth of the world! Fighting for this truth is the only righteous war in the world! "Gamarjoba" (victory)- this is how we Georgians say hello to each other, "dila mshvidobisa" (peace to you) this is another way. Yes, we love people; we need victory and are born for peace. We live in one small and sunny country, which aspires to be known and heard by the world. My elves encourage and give hope to me. They were the ones who gave me the secret elixir of eternal childhood. I will share it with you, I have plenty.

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mizandarebis sagvareulos Rvawli qarTuli profesiuli musikis istoriaSi THE ROLE OF THE MIZANDARI FAMILY IN THE HISTORY OF PROFESSIONAL MUSIC IN GEORGIA uaxlesi genetikuri kvlevebis Tanaxmad, mizandarebis winaprebi preistoriul epoqaSi mesopotamiaSi cxovrobdnen. savaraudod, Zv. w. XX s-dan, asureTis imperiis eqspansiis periodSi isini kavkasiaSi dasaxldnen. saqarTvelos istoriis asparezze mizandarebi mogvianebiT gamoCndnen: `amaT winaparTa kaTolikis sarwmunoebasTan dakavSireba XVII sauk. miewereba.

Zveladganve es gvari SesamCnev Cenil gvarad iTvleboden kaTolikeTa ricxvSi~. wers cnobili qarTveli mkvlevari zaqaria WiWinaZe (1853-1931). qarTvelebis kaTolikobasTan dakavSirebis mizezze 1897 wlis gazeTi `iveria~ iuwyeba: `miaRebines kapucinebma kaTolikoba saqarTvelodgan sparseTSi gadasaxlebul da iq gamahmadianebul qarTvel TavadaznaurTa: baraTaSvilebs, sumbaTaSvilebs, erisTavebs, orbelianebs, ColoyaSvilebs, andronikaSvilebs, yandarelebs,

stefane mizandaris portreti, 1846 w. saqarTvelos xelovnebis muzeumi STEPHANE MIZANDARI PORTRAIT, 1846. ART MUSEUM OF GEORGIA

According to the latest genetic findings, the ancestors of the Mizandari family lived in Mesopotamia in the Prehistoric Age. Presumably, they have moved to and settled in the Caucasus during the expansion of the Assyrian Empire in the XX BCE. We can see the appearance of the Mizandari family in the history of Georgia later in time, famous Georgian researcher Zakharia Chichinadze (1853-1931) writes: “This last name has been considered to be a prominent one among Catholics. Their ancestors have been related to the Catholic religion since the XVII century”.

The magazine “Iveria” explained how Georgians are related to the Catholic religion in 1987: “Noble Georgian families who emigrated to Persia have been converted to Catholicism by the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin. Those families were: Baratashvili, Sumbatashvili, Eristavi, Orbeliani, Cholokashvili, Andronikashvili, Kandarelebi, Mizandarelebi, Bilanishvilebi, Ishkhnelebi, Chkheidzeebi, Jakelebi and many others”.

From the official correspondence of Stephan Mizandari (1819), we can learn why the Mizandari ancestors emigrated to Persia: “My ancestors escaped the captivity of Tatars and settled in Tbilisi, they have been serving the kind with loyalty and were granted the last name Mizandari”.

Much like his ancestors the son of Stephane Papa Shergilashvili was serving Erekle II and received the post of a tax collector – “Mizandaroba of Tbilisi”. He started a new family “Mizandari”. When explaining the meaning of last names, Ioane Bagrationi writes: “Shergil were leading Lezgins and men of this name were officials”.

“Shergil” means “Lion tamer” in Persian, according to Z. Chichinadze other members of this family were “prosperous merchants who went to Persia and the Ottoman Empire, old citizens and many other titles”.

During the outbreak of the Black Death in 1812-1813 Stephane Mizandari was appointed the commissioner of quarantine in Avlabari and Garetubani. Fearlessly he would go into the houses with infected people and separate those who were healthy and would send those infected to hospitals and outskirts of the city. He would allocate funds to save them from death. It was due to his efforts and caution that the spread of the disease stopped soon.

According to Z. Chichinadze, Stephane’s eldest son Ioseb Mizandari (1807-1878) was “a popular man for his time. A good Georgian, well versed in the Georgian language and literature. He was also a great pianist and a marvellous teacher of music. He had many admirers within the high society of Tbilisi at the time”.

Ioseb’s children Aloiz and Felix Mizandari played a crucial role in the creation and development of the professional music industry in Georgia.

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ferenc listi da aloiz mizandari. mxatvari irma svaniZe FRANZ LISZT AND ALOIZ MIZANDARI. PAINTED BY IRMA SVANIDZE

mizandarelebs, bilaniSvilebs, iSxnelebs, CxeiZeebs, jayelebs da mraval sxvaTac“.

Tu ratom aRmoCndnen sparseTSi mizandarebis winaprebi, amas vigebT stefane mizandaris 1819 wlis oficialuri mimoweridan: `Cemi winaparTagani adreT saukuniTgan TaTarTa mZlavrebisagan datyvevebiT saqarTvelosa Sina gardmoyvanila da tyveobisagan gamoxsnil dasaxlebula tfilissa Sina da Semdgomad missa mama-papa Cemi rodesac aqaursa saqarTvelos mefobasa Tana namsaxurobiTa da erTgulebiTa gamocxadebulan, maSin uboZebiaT saqarTvelos mefeTa saxelod tfilisis mizandaroba sakuTariTa sargeblobiTa da merme ama saxelosa gamo uwodebiaT gvarad mizandari~. aznaurma stefane papas Ze SergilaSvilma, winaparTa msgavsad, mefe erekle II-sgan miiRo samefo gadasaxadebis amkrebis samemkvidreo saxelo `tfilisis mizandaroba~ da saTave daudo mizandarTa axal sagvareulos, romelTa winaprebze ioane bagrationi TavadaznaurTa gvarebis aRweraSi aRniSnavs: `Sergil iyo lekTa mTavari da amaTi gvaris kacni arian moxeleni~. `Sergil~ sparsulad `lomis damWers~ niSnavs, mamakacis sakuTari saxelidan warmoebuli am mravalfuZiani gvaris sxva warmomadgenlebi ki z. WiWinaZis TqmiT, `iyvnen mdidarni vaWarni Zveladganve da mavalni sparseTsa da osmaleTs. Zvelni moqalaqeni da mravalic sxvani“.

1812-1813 wlebSi, TbilisSi Savi Wiris epidemiis mZvinvarebis dros, stefane stefanes Ze mizandari daniSnes avlabrisa da gareTubnis karantinis komisrad. is uSiSrad Sedioda Savi WiriT daavadebulTa saxlebSi, gansakuTrebuli mzrunvelobiT acalkevebda dasneulebul da janmrTel moqalaqeebs, gadahyavda lazareTebsa da qalaqis SemogarenSi. warmatebiT moiZiebda saxsrebs raTa

Aloiz Mizandari came on stage as a pianist and a composer in the 1950s. He learned to play from a Polish pianist Leon Yanishevsky, since back then there was no Music School in Tbilisi or even in the Caucasus. There were only a couple of fortepianos in the whole city, and even there you could only take collective lessons as a form of entertainment.

He appeared in front of a large audience for the first time while studying at the University of St. Petersburg, he only had his talent to count on. The young, amateur pianist had to play in front of leading figures of music, people like Rubinstein, Leshetitsky, Balakirev and others. After this great success, Rubinstein invited the novice pianist to take part in a concert. The proceeds of the concert were used to build the future St. Petersburg Conservatory.

Taking the advice and help of Irakli Gruzinski and other Georgian friends A. Mizandari decided to continue his studies and master the art of piano in the musician capital of Europe of the time – Paris, in 1865.

The musical and literary salons of Paris attracted many famous poets, composers, conductors and other artists. A. Mizandari was the first person from the Caucasus who was lucky enough to be part of these

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aloiz mizandari (1837-1912)

ALOIZ MIZANDARI (1837-1912)

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gatherings and take advice from the most famous musicians of the time.

Perhaps the most interesting and fruitful was his visit to Gioachino Rossini’s salon. A. Rubinstein gave him a recommendation that opened the doors to the most sought after salon in Passy. Every Saturday they would have musical gatherings. During these gatherings, Mizandari met ​​Auber, Thomas, Guinot, Verdi, Marmontel and Herz.

Franz Liszt was teaching Mizandari to perform for two years. They would often play two pianos together.

Liszt loved musical humour – sometimes he would start playing, then the lights in the hall would go out, and when they would come back on, it would be Aloiz Mizandari sitting at the piano. The guests would be confused, not knowing when the pianists changed. The delighted audience applauded the great Hungarian composer and the Georgian pianist.

Before he returned home, Aloiz Mizandari gave three concerts in Vienna in 1867. At the third concert, he performed Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3 with his cadences (which he, unfortunately, did not record). During this concert, he met the great German composer Johannes Brahms and the Polish composer and pianist Józef Wieniawski.

These are quotes from the several reviews of his performance in Europe and at home: “Mr Mizandari stunned the listeners with his elegant and genius performance” (“Der Wanderer” 1867).

“Undoubtedly, the most interesting part of the evening was the performance of Mr Aloiz Mizandari, a young virtuoso from Tbilisi, who travels to Europe to perfect his talent and visited our music community in Vienna. With his exquisite and original performance, he showed rare

iohanes bramsis da aloiz mizandaris Sexvedra. mxatvari artem antanosi THE MEETING OF JOHANNES BRAHMS AND ALOIZ MIZANDARI. PAINTED BY ARTEM ANTANOS

daexsna isini sikvdilisgan. misi didi ZalisxmeviTa da sifrTxiliT daavadebis gavrceleba male SeCerda. xolo stefanes ufrosi vaJi ioseb mizandari (18071878) z. WiWinaZis sityvebiT iyo `Tavis dros kargad cnobili, kai qarTveli, kargad mcodne qarTulis enis da mwignobrobis, Tavis drosac kargi damkvreli pianinosi da misi kargi maswavlebelic, bevri pativismcemlebi hyvandnen mas Tfilisis ganaTlebul sazogadoebisagan.~ iosebis Svilebma aloiz da feliqs mizandarebma didi Rvawli gaswies qarTuli profesiuli musikis Camoyalibeba-ganviTarebaSi. aloiz mizandari rogorc pianisti da kompozitori musikalur asparezze XIX s-is 50-ian wlebSi gamovida. man musikaluri ganaTleba polonel mweral da pianist leon ianiSevskisTan miiRo, radgan im dros Tbilissa da saerTod mTel kavkasiaSi, musikaluri saswavlebeli ar arsebobda. qalaqSi sul ramdenime roiali idga da gasarTobi xasiaTis gakveTilebic koleqtiurad mimdinareobda. peterburgis universitetSi swavlisas, axalgazrda gamoucdeli pianisti sakuTari niWis amara, pirvelad warsdga mravalricxovani mayureblis winaSe, xelovnebis

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`wuTieri fiqrebi Cemi megobrisTvis~, 1867 w.

"FUGITIVE MUSINGS FOR MY FRIEND”, 1867

iseTi korifeebis TandaswrebiT, rogorebic iyvnen: rubinSteini, leSeticki, balakirevi da sxv. am didi warmatebis Semdeg, a. rubinSteinma debiutanti miiwvia monawiled koncertSi, romlis Semosavalic moxmarda peterburgis momavali konservatoriis Seqmnas.

1865 wels, irakli gruzinskisa da sxva qarTveli megobrebis rCeviTa da daxmarebiT, a. mizandari pianisturi ostatobis Semdgomi amaRlebis mizniT evropis maSindel musikalur centrSi _ parizSi gaemgzavra. parizi Tavisi musikaluri da literaturuli salonebiT yoveli kuTxidan didZal mxatvrebs, poetebs, kompozitorebs, diriJorebsa da sxvadasxva dargis artistul Zalebs izidavda. a. mizandari pirveli kavkasieli iyo, romelsac wilad xvda bedniereba, am salonebis uSualo wevri gamxdariyo. Sexvedrebi musikaluri kulturis korifeebTan, maTi rCeva-darigebani a. mizandarisaTvis namdvil skolas warmoadgenda. yvelaze ufro saintereso da nayofieri aRmoCnda misi misvla joakino rosinis salonSi, sadac yovel saRamos uamravi xalxi ikribeboda. rubinSteinis rekomendaciam mizandars gauRo rosinis saxlis kari pasiSi. sadac SabaTobiT imarTeboda musikaluri saRamoebi. mizandari xvdeboda obers, tomas, gunos, verdis, marmontelsa da hercs. ori wlis ganmavlobaSi mizandari mecadineobda ferenc listTan. swavlobda misgan saSemsruleblo xelovnebas.

mastership and was highly admired by the listeners. “ (“De Diebette”, 1867).

“According to our knowledge, Mizandari has returned from Vienna and is currently in Kutaisi. Rumour has it that he is planning to several concerts in Tbilisi this winter. Even before he travelled to Europe, he would delight the local public with his performances. Over the three years abroad he has mastered musicto a level that even Vienna's listeners admire him”. (“Droeba”, 1867).

“What can I tell you about Mr Mizandari? I was under so much impression that it is hard to find the right words. He performed Rubinstein’s “Barcarolle” and Liszt’s “Walts-Ekspromt”. I have seen Brahms perform these masterpieces in Leipzig and the only difference between his and Mr Mizandari’s performances is that Mizandari has more impact on the soul” (“Kavkaz”, 1877).

In 2014 the director of Georgian Art Palace Giorgi Kalandia invited me to work on the private archives of Aloiz Mizandari. When I was reading and deciphering manuscripts I realised that I had the first samples of Georgian piano and orchestra music before me! “ Fugitive Musings for my Friend” – this is the name of the work Mizandari composed in Vienna. Before this, the first sample of Georgian professional music was considered to be A. Mizandari’s romance “We Are Separated”, published in St. Petersburg in 1863. We now have the first sample of Georgian piano music.

The second manuscript “Lekuri” is now a well-known masterpiece.

Mizandari wrote this and “Eastern Melody” when he returned home.

In 1870 “Droeba” wrote: “This was the day when Aloiz Mizandari reminded us of familiar “voices” that he remasted for piano. It is immensely important to know that his work was not in vain, because under his fingers the piano sounded like the music we knew, and transmitted his character to the listeners”.

The third manuscript – “Tiflis Polka” was written for a symphonic orchestra in 1867. This is the only sample written for an orchestra by Mizandari that we know of, and it is also the first score of Georgian professional music.

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`tiflis polka~ partitura. 1867 w.

"TIFLIS POLKA” SCORE. 1867

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In 1880 there was a private, permanent orchestra led by Aloiz Mizandari in Tbilisi. If we take into account that Mizandari was a world-famous musician we can say that a Georgian conducting school was established in 1880. As for the composition of the orchestra, according to Mizandari’s “Tiflis Polka”s score, this was a rather big orchestra consisting of all the musical instruments variations.

Maestro Vakhtang Kakhidze conducted the restored version of this composition in 2016 with tremendous success.

Between the 19th and 20th centuries, Aloiz Mizandari’s piano plays were published in St. Petersburg, Moscow and Tbilisi: “Aloiz Mizandari did not compose many works. But this is not important for us, he is precious for us not only because he was a restless, talented pedagogue, but because he was the first Georgian composer” (“Tiflis paper” 1893).

N. Giorgadze (Mizandari’s biographer) writes: “First of all, these are the compositions where Georgian professional music starts. Thanks to these works we heard the reflections of native voices”.

Margarita Vachnadze, a pianist, professor of musicology at the University of Paris (Sorbonne) says: “If we are to analyse all the compositions written and published while there was no professional music in Georgia we will see the role that the first educated composer Mizandari played”.

Aloiz Mizandari, Kharlampi Savaneli and Konstantine Alikhanov founded the first Music School in Tbilisi (and in the Caucasus) in 1874.

A Music College in 1884, before it turned into the Tbilisi Conservatoire

aloiz mizandaris klasi, marjvniv ana TulaSvili ALOIZ MIZANDARI CLASS. ANA TILASHVILI ON THE RIGHT SIDE

moswavle-maswavlebeli xSirad ukravda or roialze. ferenc lists uyvarda musikaluri xumrobebi da aseT fands mimarTavda _ iwyebda dakvras, aqrobdnen darbazSi sanTlebs da ganaTebisas fortepianosTan aloiz mizandari ijda, ise rom msmeneli ver xvdeboda, rodis cvlidnen pianistebi erTmaneTs. aRtacebuli publika ovaciebiT egebeboda did ungrel kompozitorsa da qarTvel pianists.

1867 wels, samSobloSi dabrunebisas, aloiz mizandarma venaSi gamarTa sami koncertSi. mesame koncertze man didi warmatebiT Seasrula beThovenis safortepiano koncerti #3 sakuTari kadenciiT, romelic avtors, samwuxarod, ar Cauweria. aq man gaicno didi germaneli kompozitori iohanes bramsi da poloneli kompozitori da pianisti iozef veniavski. ai ra recenzia mohyva mizandaris sakoncerto gamosvlebs evropasa da samSobloSi: `iSviaTi moxdenilobiTa da genialuri SesrulebiT batonma mizandarma msmenelebi ganacvifra~. (gazeTi `Der Wanderer”, 1867). „saRamos yvelaze saintereso nawils udavod

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aloiz mizandari

ALOIZ MIZANDARI

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warmoadgenda Tbiliseli axalgazrda virtuozis b-n aloiz mizandaris dakvra, romelic mxatvruli srulyofis mizniT evropaSi mogzaurobs da venas gavliT Cvens musikalur sazogadoebas estumra. uaRresad natifi da genialuri SesrulebiT, man iSviaTi ostatoba gamoamJRavna da msmenelTa didi aRfrTovaneba daimsaxura“. (`Die Debatte”, 1867). `rogorc viciT, mizandari dabrunda venidan da amJamad quTaiss imyofeba. amboben, viTomc am zamTars Camova tfilisSi da miscems aq ramdenime koncerts. adreve vaxarebT tfilisis publikas, radganac, vidre sazRvargareT wavidoda, mas aqauri publika aRtacebaSi mohyavda Tavisi dakvriT. TiTqmis sami wlis sazRvargareT yofnam ise daaxelovna muzikaSi, rom venis publikac ki aRtacebaSi moiyvana, raRa gveTqmis Cven, romlebic rigiani dakvriT ara varT ganebivrebulni, rogorc vena, sadac arasdros gamoileva evropaSi ganTqmuli damkvreli~. (`droeba~ (1867): ...ra mogaxsenoT Cveni b-ni mizandaris Sesaxeb?

STabeWdileba imdenad Zlieri iyo, rom sityvebiT ver gamomiTqvams. tfilisSi jer msgavsi araferi momismenia. igi asrulebda rubinSteinis `barkarolas~ da listis `vals-eqspromts~, romelsac me movusmine laifcigSi, cnobili pianist-kompozitoris, bramsis SesrulebiT da dabejiTebiT SemiZlia giTxraT, rom b-n mizandaris dakruli bramsis Sesrulebisagan mxolod imiT gansxvavdeba, rom ufro metad zemoqmedebs sulze...~ (`Кавказ~, 1877); 2014 wels, „saqarTvelos xelovnebis sasaxlis direqtorma, profesorma giorgi kalandiam mimiwvia aloiz mizandaris pirad saarqivo fondze samuSaod, xelnawerebs gavecani da maTi gaSifvrisas mivxvdi, rom Cems win

on the 1st of May 1917. From the day it was founded, the Music School did not have a building. This is the reason why on the 12th of August, 1891, Mizandari’s friend and teacher Anton Rubinstein organised a huge charity concert at the Opera Theatre and appealed to the public. They managed to collect 58000 rubles, which was enough for the construction.

It is symbolic that Aloiz Mizandari performed at two concerts in 1862, the proceeds of which were allocated towards the establishment of the St. Petersburg Conservatory. Rubinstein paid it forward in 1891.

The college officially opened its doors on the 2nd of September 1903. A year later, with the help of one of the founders of the college Konstantine Alikhanov and patrons of art Iakob and Stephane Zubalashvili, they opened a concert hall.

Another fact that is also full of symbolism is that great Georgian educators Aloiz Mizandari and Iakob Gogebashvili passed away on

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musikaluri saswavlebeli, axlandeli konservatoria THE MUSIC COLLEGE, NOW THE STATE CONSERVATOIRE

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qarTuli profesiuli musikis pirveli xelnaweri notebi da qarTuli safortepiano da saorkestro musikis pirveli nimuSebi ido! „wuTieri fiqrebi Cemi megobrisTvis“ _ ase ewodeba nawarmoebs, romelic a. mizandarma venaSi dawera. Tu aqamde mxolod dabeWdili saxiT gvqonda 1863 wels peterburgSi gamocemuli qarTuli profesiuli musikis pirveli nimuSi a. mizandaris romansi „Cven davSordiT“, axla Cven xelT gvaqvs qarTuli safortepiano musikis pirveli nimuSi. meore xelnaweri, cekva „lekuri“, sazogadoebisTvis aw ukve cnobili nawarmoebia, is da `aRmosavluri melodia“ avtorma samSobloSi dabrunebis Semdeg, Seqmna, rasac 1870 wels gazeTi `droeba~ gamoexmaura: `im dRes uf. aloiz mizandarma gagvagona Cven zogierTi Cveneburi simReris „xmebi“, romelic imas pianoze dasakravaT gadaukeTebia.

Cven didi siamovnebiT SevniSneT, rom mis Sromas unayofoT ar Cauvlia. imitom, rom mis xelSi pianom mSvenieraT mihbaZa Cvenebur muzikas da misi xasiaTi msmenelebs ucxoT gadmogvca~. mesame xelnaweri _ `tiflis polka~ simfoniuri orkestrisTvis dawerilia 1867 wels. es aris dRemde mikvleuli erTaderTi saorkestro nawarmoebi aloiz mizandaris SemoqmedebaSi da pirveli partitura qarTul profesiul musikaSi. 1880 wels TbilisSi musikisa da Teatris moyvarulTa wresTan arsebobda musikis moyvarulTa kerZo, mudmivi orkestri, aloiz mizandaris xelmZRvanelobiT. Tu gaviTvaliswinebT imas, rom mizandari msoflioSi ganTqmuli musikosi iyo, SegviZlia qarTuli sadiriJoro skolis dabadebis TariRad 1880 weli miviCnioT. rac Seexeba orkestris Semadgenlobas, mizandaris `tiflis polkas~ partituris mixedviT, sakmaod didi simfoniuri orkestri yofila da sakravTa yvela jgufs moicavda. aRdgenili nawarmoebi 2016 wels Tbilisis simfoniurma orkestrma maestro vaxtang kaxiZis diriJorobiT didi warmatebiT Seasrula.

XIX-XX ss. mijnaze, aloiz mizandaris safortepiano piesebi peterburgSi, moskovsa da TbilisSi gamoica: `...rogorc kompozitorma, aloiz iosebis Zem dawera cota nawarmoebi. magram amaSi ar aris saqme, rogorc aRvniSneT, is CvenTvis Zvirfasia ara mxolod dauRalavi, niWieri pedagogi, aramed pirveli kompozitori TanamemamuleTagan~. (`Тифлисский Листок~, 1893) `pirvel rigSi, es is nawarmoebebia, romelTac mekvleoba gaswies qarTul sakompozitoro xelovnebaSi da win uZRvian qarTul profesiul musikalur nawarmoebTa Seqmnas. swored maTi wyalobiT gaisma pirvelad mSobliuri xmebis anarekli~. wers mizandaris biografi n. giorgaZe, `Tu Tvals gadavavlebT yvela im nawarmoebs, romlebic maSin daiwera da gamoica, rodesac saqarTveloSi jer

Sarlemani _ mizandari da Caikovski borjomSi mestvires usmenen. saqarTvelos xelovnebis muzeumi CHARLEMAGNE – MIZANDARI AND TCHAIKOVSKY LISTENING TO WIND INSTRUMENTS IN BORJOMI. ART MUSEUM OF GEORGIA

the same day, on the 1st of June 1912 (June 14th according to the new calendar).

A quote from the article published on the 3rd of June in “Kavkaz” magazine reads: ”Public memorial service for Aloiz Mizandari will be held at the Music College, the service for Iakob Gogebashvili will take place at Kashueti Church”.

25th of February 1921 marks the day when the communist government was installed in Tbilisi. Public figures were considered to be imperialists and their names were forgotten. However, truth can never be lost. When Stalin passed away in 1954, the first Georgian Female professor, pianist Ana Tulashvili published an article about Aloiz Mizandari: “Aloiz Mizandari holds an important place in the history of professional music education in Georgia. He was an extremely talented musician. His musical craft was widely admired by the public.

Moreover, he is the first Georgian pianist who created a Music School.

He holds the greatest role in creating a Georgian musical culture”.

In 1970, the remains of Aloiz Mizandari were reburied in the cemetery of public figures in Didube and the 1st Musical School named after him.

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kidev ar arsebobda profesiuli musika, davinaxavT mizandaris _ pirveli ganaTlebuli qarTveli kompozitoris moRvaweobis did mniSvnelobas~. ase afasebs mizandaris Semoqmedebas sorbonis universitetis musikismcodneobis doqtori, saqarTvelos xelovnebis damsaxurebuli moRvawe, pianisti margarita vaCnaZe. 1874 wels aloiz mizandarma, xarlampi savanelma da konstantine alixanovma TbilisSi (kavkasiaSi) daaarses pirveli samusiko skola, romelic 1884 wels samusiko saswavleblad, xolo 1917 wlis 1 maiss konservatoriad gardaiqmna. daarsebidan, skolas ar hqonda sakuTari Senoba, amitom, 1891 wlis 12 agvistos, mizandaris megobarma da maswavlebelma, ebrauli warmoSobis cnobilma rusma kompozitorma anton rubinSteinma operis TeatrSi didi koncerti gamarTa da sazogadoebas mouwoda qvelmoqmedebisaken. misma nabijma gaamarTla, mogvianebiT saswavleblis fondSi 58000 maneTi dagrovda, rac saSualebas iZleoda praqtikulad gadaeWraT Senobis agebis sakiTxi. simboluri faqtia: 1862 wels aloiz mizandarma monawileoba miiRo or koncertSi, romlis Semosavalic peterburgis konservatoriis daarsebis fondSi gadairicxa, 1891 wels ki, rubinSteinma Tavisi nabijiT „samagiero“ gadauxada mas. oficialurad saswavlebeli 1903 wlis 2 seqtembers gaixsna, erTi wlis Semdeg ki, sakoncerto darbazi, romlisTvisac Tanxebi saswavleblis erT-erTma damaarsebelma _ konstantine alixanovma da aloizis dedis biZaSvilebma, mecenatebma _ iakob da stefane zubalaSvilebma gaiRes. simboluria isic, rom 1912 wlis 1 ivniss, (ax. stiliT 14 ivniss) gardaicvalnen didi qarTveli ganmanaTleblebi _ aloiz mizandari da iakob gogebaSvili. gazeT „Кавказ”-is 3 ivnisis nomeri gvauwyebs: „2 ivniss aloiz mizandaris samoqalaqo panaSvidi gaimarTa musikaluri saswavleblis SenobaSi, xolo iakob gogebaSvilis qaSveTis eklesiaSi.~ 1921 wlis 25 Tebervlis _ gasabWoebis Semdeg, revoluciamdeli moRvaweebi imperialistebad gamocxaddnen da maTi saxelebi daviwyebas mieca. Tumca simarTle ar ikargeba, 1954 wels, stalinis gardacvalebis Semdeg, aloizis gzis gamgrZelebelma pirvelma qarTvelma profesorma qalma, pianistma ana TulaSvilma (1874-1956). gamoaqveyna vrceli statia mizandaris Sesaxeb: „qarTvel moRvaweTa Soris, romlebmac CvenSi mtkice safuZveli Cauyares profesiul musikalur ganaTlebas, erT-erTi pirveli adgili uWiravs aloiz iosebis Ze mizandars. igi iyo iSviaTi niWiT da Sromis unariT dajildoebuli musikosi, romelic Tavisi SemsruleblobiTi ostatobiT sayovelTao aRtacebas

II The advisor Grigol Mizandari (1810-1890) was an actor at the 1st Kutaisi Theatre company. Grigol invited his nephew Felix Mizandari (1843-1896) to live in Kutaisi in 1870.

According to Georgian music researcher Shalva Kashmadze: “A famous pianist Felix Mizandari lived and worked in Kutaisi at the time. He was the first music teacher for Ivane and Zakaria Paliashvili.

F. Mizandari gained his music education in Moscow and Odessa, teaching was the only source of income for him. He was Aloiz Mizandari’s younger brother, whom the Vienna press referred to as a “genius master”. Classes with Felix were the basis of further music education for Ivane and Zakaria Paliashvili.

Musicologist Pavle Khuchua writes: “Together with Zakaria, Vano was learning how to play the piano from Felix Mizandari. Mizandari was aware of the harsh financial situation of their family, so he gave the lessons to talented boys free of charge. The brothers worked their hardest to pay forward and make their teacher proud of their success.

Felix’s son Valerian Mizandari (1894-1926) created a huge military brass band, there was nothing of the sort in Tbilisi. In 1918, when

feliqs mizandari ojaxTan erTad 1890 w.

FELIX MIZANDARI WITH HIS FAMILY 1890

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iwvevda musikalurad ganaTlebul sazogadoebaSi. ufro meti, igi pirveli qarTveli pianistia, romelmac Seqmna sakuTari pianisturi skola. didia misi Rvawli da damsaxureba axali qarTuli musikaluri kulturis winaSe~.

1970 wels aloiz mizandari kukiis sasaflaodan didubis mweralTa da sazogado moRvaweTa panTeonSi gadaasvenes, pirvel samusiko skolas ki uwodes misi saxeli.

II kolegiisa da karis mrCeveli, Sorapnisa da Semdgom quTaisis mazris ufrosi grigol stefanes Ze mizandari (1810-1890) quTaisSi pirveli Teatraluri dasis msaxiobic iyo.

1870-iani wlebSi grigolma quTaisSi sacxovreblad miiwvia da saxli aCuqa Tavis ZmisSvil feliqs iosebis Ze mizandars (1843-1896). qarTuli musikis mkvlevari Salva kaSmaZe gviambobs: „imxnad quTaisSi cxovrobda da pedagogiur moRvaweobas eweoda Tavis droze ganTqmuli pianisti feliqs mizandari, romelic ivane da zaqaria faliaSvilebis pirveli maswavlebeli gaxda musikisa. pedagogiuri moRvaweoba f. mizandaris erTaderTi saarsebo wyaro iyo, mas moskovsa da odesaSi hqonda miRebuli musikaluri ganaTleba. igi umcrosi Zma iyo saerTaSoriso klasis pianistis, rosinis, listisa da sxva didebul musikosTa piradi megobris _ aloiz mizandarisa, romelsac venis presam `genialuri ostati~ uwoda. feliqs mizandarTan mecadineoba safuZvlad daedo ivane da zaqaria faliaSvilebis Semdgom musikalur ganaTlebas~. musikismcodne pavle xuWua wers: „fortepianoze dakvras vano, zaqariasTan erTad, feliqs mizandarTan eufleboda. mizandarma icoda faliaSvilebis ojaxis mZime materialuri mdgomareoba da amitom niWier ymawvilebs ufasod amecadinebda. Zmebic Tavs ar zogavdnen, raTa TavianTi warmatebiT gaemarTlebinaT gulisxmieri maswavleblis amagi da zrunva~. feliqsis vaJma valerian mizandarma (1894-1926) Camoayaliba didi samxedro sasule orkestri, romlis msgavsic TbilisSi ar yofila. 1918 wlidan, saqarTvelos saxelmwifoebrivi damoukideblobis aRdgenis Semdeg, mas saxalxo gvardiis orkestri ewoda. orkestri koncertebs sistematurad marTavda klubebSi, TeatrebSi, sazafxulo estradebze, Sav Coxebsa da yavisfer fafaxebSi Cacmul orkestrantebs yvelgan cnobdnen da didi siyvaruliT epyrobodnen. erTxel, zaqaria faliaSvili daeswro aRlums da diriJors sajarod aseTi sityvebiT mimarTa: Cemo valerian, aseTi daxvewili da maRali gemovnebiT damuSavebuli, iSviaTi JReradobis orkestrisTvis me jer ar momismeniao.

valerian mizandari

VALERIAN MIZANDARI

Georgia regained independence it was named the Military Orchestra of the National Guard of the Georgian Armed Forces.

The Orchestra was often holding concerts, in theatres and summer stages. The public loved and admired the orchestra players, everyone would instantly recognise them, dressed in black chokhas and wearing brown papakhas (traditional headwear).

Once when Zakaria Paliashvili was at the parade, he publicly announced to the conductor: “My dear friend, Valerian, I’ve never had the pleasure to listen to such an elegant sounding orchestra”.

There were 65 musicians in the Mizandari Orchestra, Valerian himself was always conducting wearing a traditional chokha. Looking at the score just once was enough for him to conduct perfectly.

He was conducting at the Tbilisi Opera theatre as well in the years 1919 through 1922. He started conducting in the Opera rather unexpectedly. Giorgi Taktakishvili (Evgeni Mikeladze’s biographer) writes: “If I remember correctly, he replaced Pavlov-Arbenin, who for some reason never arrived in Tbilisi. Vano Sarajishvili was supposed to perform that day and when he learned that Mizandari would be conducting he refused to come on stage, saying: “He’s a spring chicken!”. Vano was nervous, he was performing the part of Nadir in “The Pearl Fishers” by Bizet. Mizandari conducted the whole play flawlessly, Vano couldn’t contain himself and while still wearing makeup, he went up to Valerian, hugged him and thanked him dearly.

They became inseparable friends. These were the years when Evgeni Mikeladze played in the brass band and became Valerian Mizandari’s protege. Valerian Mizandari played a crucial role in Evgeni’s life, he was the one who pushed him to become a conductor. Mizandari is considered to be one of the first Georgian conductors”.

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mizandaris orkestri Sedgeboda 65 musikosisgan, TviT mizandari yovelTvis Coxa-axaluxSi gamowyobili diriJorobda. sakmarisi iyo, erTxel CaekiTxa partitura da nawarmoebs ukve zepirad diriJorobda.

1919-1922 wlebSi igi Tbilisis operis TeatrSic diriJorobda. man Tavisi saopero moRvaweoba sruliad moulodnelad daiwyo. „mexsiereba Tu ar mRalatobs, _ wers evgeni miqelaZis biografi giorgi TaqTaqiSvili, _ maSin man Sescvala diriJori pavlov-arbenini, romelic ratomRac ar Camosula. mReroda im dRes vano sarajiSvili; roca gaigo, mizandari idiriJorebso, man uari ganacxada speqtaklSi gamosvlaze, „tuCebze rZe ar SeSrobia!“ _ Relavda vano, romelic nadiris partias asrulebda bizes „margalitis maZieblebSi“. Zliv-ZlivobiT daiyolies. mizandarma marjved Caatara mTeli speqtakli, vanos gulma aRar mouTmina, grimmouSoreblad mivarda mizandars _ gadaexvia da miuloca. im dRidan ganuyreli megobrebi gaxdnen. swored am wlebSi ukravda sasule orkestrSi evgeni miqelaZe da male igi mizandaris uaxloesi TanaSemwe gaxda. valerian mizandarma didi roli Seasrula evgeni miqelaZis cxovrebaSi, kacma

saxalxo gvardiis orkestri 1918-1921 ww

In 1921 Valerian went blind. However, he continued to conduct by heart, without looking into and checking the score, for another three years.

He would change tremendously at the conducting stand. The audience would never notice that the conductor was blind. The sensational news about a blind conductor resulted in huge lines at the box office of the Opera Theatre. Everybody wanted to see him on the stage.

Going blind took a toll on his nervous system. Even the smallest things caused him anger. His hearing became even sharper after blindness. It became harder to work with him. Several opera musicians couldn’t take it anymore and disrupted a rehearsal once. It was so chaotic that the young conductor’s attempts to establish some sort of order were in vain. The conductor put the baton on the stand and fell ill. It took a whole hour for him to recover and come back to his senses. This incident broke Valerian’s health even further, his illness made it impossible for him to work and he had to leave his favourite thing, music, behind.

In 1925, the magazine “Akhali Gza” wrote the following: “Who doesn’t remember the tremendous work Mizandari put in Music.

Unfortunately, these types of people are only remembered when they

MILITARY BAND OF THE NATIONAL GUARD OF GEORGIA 1918-1921

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are on a stage. Sulkhanishvili passed away in an extremely difficult environment and every Georgia regrets paying little attention to him.

This is the situation young conductor Mizandari is in at the moment.

Illness separated him from conducting, his cherished stage. It is our responsibility to stand by his side, help him and save the talented young man from tragic death”.

Valerian passed away in 1926 and was buried in the old Vake pantheon.

Ms Marine Chikhladze, who founded the Tbilisi State Conservatoire History Museum, found a box marked “Mizandari” in the basement of the building during renovations and gave it to me in 2009. Together with my wife, we looked at every manuscript and found the musical notes of the repertoire of the National Guard Orchestra of Independent Georgia. We made digital copies and handed the archive to the National Center of Manuscripts in January 2010. We then started the process of revitalisation of marches, we did have many difficulties along the way. Perhaps, maybe, everything has its historic time. In 2018 two brilliant samples of Georgian Military music were restored – “Victory March” by Valerian Mizandari and “Pegasus March” by V. Mizandari and Vl. Gonsiorski. According to the decision of the Minister of Defence, “Pegasus March” became the main march of the National Guard. This is very important because the only State symbol of 1918-1921 years we have left is the “Pegasus March”, which was restored three years ago. A symbol of our past, present and future unity.

Levan Mizandari

marjvniv valerian mizandari 1920 w.

VALERIAN MIZANDARI ON THE RIGHT SIDE 1920

rom Tqvas, praqtikulad, swored man ubiZga miqelaZes diriJorobisaken. mizandari erT-erTi winamorbedia miqelaZisa operis TeatrSi da, saerTod, igi erT-erT pirvel qarTvel diriJorad gvevlineba“.

1921 wels valiko dabrmavda, magram 3 wlis ganmavlobaSi mainc ganagrZobda diriJorobas zepirad, upartiturod. sakmarisi iyo mieyvanaT sadiriJoro pultTan, igi saocrad icvleboda. msmeneli ver amCnevda, rom diriJori usinaTlo iyo. brma diriJoris gamosvlebma sensacia moaxdina mTel saqarTveloSi, yvelas pirze es ambavi ekera. operis Teatris salarosTan kvlav gaCnda grZeli rigebi. brma diriJoris danaxva yvelas ocnebad hqonda gadaqceuli. sinaTlis dakargvam saSinlad imoqmeda nerviul sistemaze. mcire mizezic kmaroda mis asafeTqeblad. mxedvelobadakarguls, isedac maxvili smena kidev ufro gaumaxvilda. gaZnelda masTan muSaoba. operis musikosTa erTi nawili Segnebulad ar uTmenda valerians mkacr momTxovnelobas da „pikis qalis“ diriJorobisas mas namdvili obstruqcia mouwyves _ orkestris zogierTi jgufi gangeb erTi-ori taqtiT CamorCa temps. warmoudgeneli qaosi Seiqmna. axalgazrda diriJoris

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marSi `merani~, 1920 w

MARCH "MERANI" 1920

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yoveli cda, wesrigi aRedgina, amao gamodga. ase gagrZelda mTeli pirveli moqmedeba. diriJorma joxi pultze dado da cudad Seiqmna. mTeli saaTi gavida, sanam gons moiyvandnen. am ambavma mTlianad gatexa valerianis janmrTeloba. mZime sneulebam igi sabolood miajaWva sarecels da samudamod daatovebina Tavisis sayvareli saqme _ musika.

1925 wels gazeTi `axali gza~ wers: `vis ar axsovs mizandaris Tavganwiruli muSaoba musikalur asparezze. samwuxarod, aseTi moRvaweebis bedi isea mowyobili, rom isini axsovT maSin, roca mas xedaven scenaze, sulxaniSvili nivTier gaWirvebaSi daiRupa. yvela qarTveli sinanuliT igonebs dRes misadmi aseT uyuradRebobas, swored aseT mdgomareobaSia dRes axalgazrda niWieri lotbari mizandari. avadmyofobam CamoaSora igi lotbarobas, sayvarel scenas. sazogadoebis movaleobaa, gauwios mas TanagrZnoba, Zmurad daexmaros nivTierad da gadaarCinos niWieri axalgazrda udrovo daRupvas~. valeriani 1926 wels gardaicvala, dakrZales vakis Zvel panTeonSi. 2009 wels, Tbilisis saxelmwifo konservatoriis istoriis muzeumis damaarsebelma q-nma marine CixlaZem

konservatoriaSi mimdinare remontis dros, sardafSi aRmoaCina da gadmomca yuTi, romelsac ewera „mizandari“. me da Cemma meuRlem saTuTad gadavfurcleT TiToeuli xelnaweri, gavwmindeT saukunovani mtvrisgan da Cvens win gadaiSala damoukidebeli saqarTvelos, saxalxo gvardiis repertuaris gadarCenili, Cvenamde moRweuli sanoto biblioTekis nawili, davamzadeT notebis cifruli aslebi da es istoriuli Rirebulebis mqone arqivi 2010 wlis ianvarSi xelnawerTa erovnul centrs gadaveciT. mas Semdeg daviwyeT marSebis gacocxlebis procesi, iyo dabrkolebebi. etyoba yvelafers Tavisi istoriuli dro aqvs. 2018 wels aRdga qarTuli samxedro musikis 2 brwyinvale nimuSi _ valerian mizandaris „gamarjvebis marSi“ da v. mizandarisa da vl. gonsiorskis marSi `merani“. es ukanaskneli ki saqarTvelos Tavdacvis ministris gadawyvetilebiT gvardiis mTavar marSad dadginda am istoriul faqts didi mniSvneloba aqvs, radgan 1918-1921 wlebis saxelmwifo simbolikidan mxolod 3 wlis win aRdgenili marSi „merani~ SemogvrCa, simbolo Cveni warsulis, awmyosa da momavlis erTobis.

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levan mizandari

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giorgi alibegaSvili

„yovelTvis moclas vucdidi, netai ar mamecada“...

“I WOULD ALWAYS WAIT FOR THE WAITING, I WISH I HAD NOT WAITED…” GIORGI ALIBEGASHVILI

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s

ofel zemo alvanSi giorgi (iura) jafariZes mTqmel Saqro iCuaiZisgan 1967 wels folklorul eqspediciaSi aseTi mokle gadmocema Cauweria: „TuSs saaTi ro enaxa, eTqva _ e, es ajam kacis mogonil iqneba: Tu daRameba da gaTeneba ver gaige, raRa kacobaao!“ xSirad ambobdnen misi megobrebi, iura fizikurad ki cxovrobda da muSaobda TbilisSi, magram cali fexi mainc sofelSi, gansakuTrebiT ki mTaSi hqonda CarCenilio. aq ki misi sazrdo xalxuri leqsi iyo, romlis yvela niuansi siRrmiseulad icoda Tavisi ucdomeli gemovnebiT da „rioSsa da namdvils erTurTisgan...iolad“ arCevda (Teimuraz maRlaferiZe).

Cemi ufrosi megobrebisgan momismenia: iuras mama, aleqsandre, cnobil qarTvel mecnierTa TanamoRvawe da uaxloesi megobari iyo, Tumca man mainc Tavisi kuTxis, raWis samsaxuri arCia TbilisSi samecniero muSaobas da mSobliur sofel abars daubrunda, qarTuli enisa da literaturis swavlebas Seswira niWi da codna _ ambrolauris raionis sofel uravis skolis direqtori gaxda, daaarsa mxareTmcodneobis muzeumi, sadac am regionis unikalur eqsponatebs mouyara Tavi. qarTuli mwerlobis siyvaruli imdenad hqonda gamjdari da am siyvarulis Tavisi mowafeebisTvis gadacema ise surda, rom vaJas ...aluda qeTelauris“ axsnisas ymawvilebi eqskursiaze raWidan SatilSi wauyvania... aseT ojaxSi izrdeboda iura jafariZe. yvelam vicodiT, rom batoni iura bevrs ar werda, Tumca mis gverdiT yofna da mosmena erTi mozrdili Txroba iyo _ samecnieroc da mxatvrulic, gnebavT, kaiymuri. revaz siraZem TavisTvis Cveuli sarkazmnarevi maneriT erTgan SeniSna: „iura jafariZe cotas werda. arada, werda sakmaod kargad. Zunwsityvaoba misi bunebac iyo, magram, amave dros, iyo Taviseburi protestic sityvamoWarbebuli mecnieruli oficiozis mimarT, romelTac egonaT, rom sibrZne alaparakebdaT. mas disertacia ar daucavs (daucvelad mianiWes docentoba). erTxel ki vuTxari _ disertacias ar unda sce amdeni pativi, rom ar daicvameTqi, magram iura sxvisi rCeviT ar ixarjeboda.“ baton iurasTan Cems ufros megobrebs Tu Tanatolebs bevri mogoneba gvakavSirebs. erTs gavixseneb: agvistos TveSi misaRebi gamocdebis Semdeg qarTul enasa da literaturaSi uSang saxlTxuciSvilma martyofSi migviwvia. viqeifeT tyeSi. wamovediT. amiran gomarTelis manqanaSi vaxtang rodonaia, TaTuna grZeliZe da me visxediT, TaTuna _ saWesTan, Cven nasvamebi varT. Cemma ufrosma megobrebma ician, rom mamaCemi da me saxls vaSenebT yazbegSi. 1988 welia. rogorc maxsovs, me avixire, wavideT stefanwmindaSimeTqi. amyvnen. TaTunam, me ver wamovalo. am dros CaviareT universitetis saxlTan vakeSi, guramiSvilis quCaze. romeliRaca binidan kvamli gamodioda. uamravi saxanZro manqana idga, xalxic blomad ireoda. iuras movkariT Tvali, ganuyreli mundStukiT „primas“ eweoda Tavisive

I

n the village of Zemo Alvani, Giorgi (Iura) Japaridze recorded a short note from Shakro Ichuaidze during a folklore expedition in 1967: “If a Tush person was to see a watch he’d say..this is a blockheaded person’s invention if you can’t tell the night time

from the day, what kind of a person are you”... His friends would often say that Iura may have lived and worked in Tbilisi, but part of him was stuck in the village, especially the mountains. And here he had his beloved folk poem, all the nuances of which he knew in-depth with his unmistakable taste and could tell the difference between “The fake and the real with ease” (Teimuraz Maglaperidze).

I have heard from my older friends that Iura’s father, Aleksandre, was a close associate of famous Georgian scholars, but he still chose Racha to work in instead of scientific work in Tbilisi and returned to his native village of Abar. He was teaching Georgian language and literature, became the director of the Uravi School in the Ambrolauri Municipality, and founded the Museum of Local Lore, where he gathered the unique exhibits of this region. He was in love with Georgian literature and wanted to pass this love on to his students so much that while explaining Vazha's Aluda Ketelauri, he took his young students on an excursion from Racha to Shatili ... This is the type of family Iura Japaridze grew up in.

Everybody knew that Mr Iura did not write much, but being by his side and listening to him was like a folk story – both a scientific and artistic one. In his usual sarcastic manner, Revaz Siradze noted somewhere once: “Iura Japaridze did not write much. However, his writing was rather good. Taciturnity was in his nature, but, at the same time, there was a peculiar protest against scientific officiasl who thought their words were words of wisdom. He did not defend his dissertation (he was granted a degree without it). I once asked him – Shouldn’t you honor your dissertation and defend it? – but Iura did not care for someone else’s advice. “ Together with our older friends and peers, we have a lot of memories related to Mr Iura. I would like to recall one: after the entrance exams of Georgian language and literature in August, Ushang Sakhltkhutsishvili invited us to Martkopi. We had a feast in the woods. We came back. Vakhtang Rodonaia, Tatuna Grdzelidze and I were sitting in Amiran Gomarteli’s car; Tatuna was driving as all the rest were drunk. My older friends knew that my father and I were building a house in Kazbegi. It was the year 1988. As I remember it was me who suggested going to Stephantsminda and the others took me up on it. Tatuna said that she couldn’t come. We were driving by the University house in Vake, on Guramishvili Street. There was smoke coming out of one of the apartments. There were a lot of firefighting cars and a bunch of people in the street. We noticed Iura, who had his “Prima” cigarettes in a mouthpiece and wearing his snow-capped svan hat. He was wearing a winter jacket as if he was about to leave for an adventure. We told him about our plans and he took the wheel instantly. First, we took Tatuna home and then went on our way. We

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ganuyreli svanuri qudiT „TavCaCqniani.“ „Stormovka“ ecva, gegoneba, gasamgzavrebladaao gamzadebuli. vuTxariT Cveni survilis Sesaxeb; egreve saWes miujda, TaTuna mivacileT da xevis gzas davadeqiT. gamTeniisas CavediT. mze axali amosuli iyo, myinvars dahnaToda da iqidan areklili sxivebi samebis monasters TeTrad efineboda. taZris Ziri Savad ilandeboda da sameba caSi dakidebuliviT moCanda... saxli Sua SenebaSi iyo da mama siyrmis megobriselguja quSaSvilis ojaxSi iyo gaCerebuli. mivediT. gaixares. elgujas colma, sonam, egreve xinklis moxveva daiwyo, mxlovani da xabizgina gaaficxa da martyofidan wamoyolilma kaxurma pur-Rvinis madlma stefanwmindaSi gadmoinacvla. maleve SevTveriT. maspinZels, elgujas, moewona batoni iuras saubari, misi xevis tradiciebisa da folkloris codna, sityva-pasuxi...es ra kargi „Stormovka“ gacviao, _ uTxra. naTqvami ar hqonda dasrulebuli, rom iuram gaixada kurtaki da daufiqreblad misca. cota ar iyos, uxerxuloba Camovarda, magram mamam, romelic Tamadobda, es situacia egreve gaalamaza _ megobrobisa da Cuqebisa ar mowyenisa iyoso... karg vaJkacze wera Znelia, Tan siamayis aRmZvrelic. iura jafariZe raind qarTvel winaparTa STamomavali iyo.

arrived in the morning, the sun had just come up, the glacier was reflecting the sun rays and shining over the Sameba monastery. The base of the monastery was black and it looked as if Sameba was floating in the air.

We were in the middle of the building process and my father was living with his childhood friend’s (Elguja Kushashvili) family.

That’s where we went. They were happy to greet us. Elguja’s wife Sona started making khinkali and the feast that started in Martkopi continued in Stephantsminda. We got a little tipsy soon enough.

Our host, Elguja, took a liking towards Iura, the way he talked about his home, knew traditions and folklore…” What a nice jacket you are wearing”, he told him. He didn’t even finish the sentence as Iura took off his jacket and gave it to our host. This made it a little awkward, but my dad who was the tamada found a way out and proposed a toast for friendship and giving gifts.

It is difficult to write about a good man, but also you feel a sense of pride doing it. Iura Japaridze was a descendant of Georgian knights.

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Teimuraz maRlaferiZe

reqviemi megobrisTvis „WalaSi mokvda ukanaskneli Citi jafara“ TEIMURAZ MAGLAPERIDZE

REQUIEM FOR A FRIEND “THE LAST BIRD, JAPARA, DIED IN THE MEADOW”

ucnauri Cacma icoda giorgi jafariZem: misTvis ar arsebobda situaciaTa nairgvaroba, auditoriaSi Tu operaSi iseve iyo gamowyobili, rogorc saeqskursiod amgzavrebuls Seefereba: samTo kurtaki, sqellanCiani fexsacmelebi da ganuyreli, sakmaod SelanZRuli svanuri qudi. Cacmis aseTi manera oden garderobis simwiriT ar aixsneba. Stili iyo misi: sada, tanze momdgari samosi erCivna. tye-RreSi, gina mTaSi moulodnelad wasvla Tu mouwevda, rac Zalze xSirad xdeboda, mzad unda yofiliyo, tansacmlis gamocvla ar unda dasWireboda.

TiTebSua ganuwyvetlad uxrColavda `prima~, xolo svanur quds forma imitom hqonda dakarguli, zogjer sasmisis magivrad xmarobda: gadmoabrunebda da Rvinos an Jipitaurs asxamda Sig. es maSin, roca kacobisa da sindisnamusis sadRegrZelos Sesmas apirebda. svanuri qudi aramarto Tavsarqmeli iyo misTvis, aramed erTgvari simboloc da imas niSnavda, rom fizikurad ki cxovrobda da muSaobda qalaqSi, magram cali fexi mainc sofelSi hqonda CarCenili, mTis adaT-wesebiT, tradiciebiTa da zneobiT sazrdoobda da uSualod exeboda arqaul, pirvelqmnil siwmindes, raRac manqanebiT jer kidev rom SemorCenia qarTveli kacis daCeCqvil, uRvTod gaZarcvul suls. gardasuli saqarTvelos cocxlad SegrZnebasa da gancdaSi Zalze Sveloda Tavisi specialobac: vinRa ar icis, rom qarTuli sityvierebaa is oazisi, sadac, Cvenda sabednierod, damaSvrali sulis moTqma da wminda binulis Sesma kidev SeiZleba am duxWir, pragmatistul droSi. da

Giorgi Japaridze dressed in a rather strange way: there was no difference for him between situations, he was dressed in the same way as a traveller in the auditorium or the opera: a mountain jacket, shoes with think soles and a loose, rather worn svan hat. Such a manner of dressing could not be explained by the scantiness of a wardrobe. That was his style: he preferred simple, well-fitting clothes.

He had to be ready to go on a hike at any time, whether in the woods or in the mountains (which was fairly common), so he had to be dressed accordingly without having to change clothes. He always had his “prima” cigarettes in hand, and the reason his svan hat had lost its shape was that he sometimes used it as a drinking vessel: he would turn it upside down to pour wine or "zhipitauri" (alcoholic drink) into it. He always did that when he toasted to dignity and honour.

The svan hat was not only a headdress for him, but also a kind of symbol, signifying that he physically lived and worked in the city but still had a piece of himself back in the village, nourished by mountain customs, traditions, and morals, and in direct connection with an archaic, primitive sanctity that somehow held together with the burdened, stolen soul of a Georgian man.

His profession has also done much for him to live and preserve the Georgian past: Who does not know that the Georgian language is like an oasis where the exhausted soul can breathe a sigh of relief in these difficult, pragmatic times. And for Iura (as we called him) folk poetry was a subject of undying love and an inexhaustible source of inspiration. He was familiar with all the nuances of oral tradition, had an impeccable ear and excellent taste, and could easily distinguish between true and false. Over the years, by participating in or leading folk expeditions, he had obtained hundreds of new, often unique

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iurasTvisac (ase veZaxdiT SinaurobaSi), swored xalxuri leqsi iyo gaunelebeli trfialebis sagani da STagonebis ulevi wyaro. zedmiwevniT icoda zepirsityvierebis yvela niuansi, ucdomeli smena da gemovneba hqonda da rioSisa da namdvilis erTurTisagan gamorCeva iolad xelewifeboda. wlebis manZilze folkloruli eqspediciebis monawilesa Tu xelmZRvanels, asobiT axali, xSirad unikaluri teqsti aqvs mopovebuli, romelTa analizi da mecnieruli klasifikacia, samwuxarod, veRar moaswro (guramiSvilisa ar iyos, masac SeeZlo eTqva: yovelTvis mocdas vucdidi, netai ar mamecada~). da axla, roca igi Cvens Soris aRar aris, pirdapir unda iTqvas, rom misi dakargviT, xalxuri sityvierebis Semswavlelma mecnierebam didi danaklisi ganicada. wavida, TvaldaxelSua gagviqra originaluri stilis mecnieri _ pedagogi, romelmac TvalsaCino Rvawli dasdo, rogorc universitetis folkloristikis kaTedras, ise studentobaSi erovnuli niSatis gaRvivebis saqmes. igi suliT xorcamde qarTveli iyo, am sityvis maRali gagebiT da misi pirovnuli xiblis saidumloc swored aq aris sagulvebeli. ai, ras wers `saqarTveloSi~ am gazeTis redaqtori b-ni nodar grigalaSvili, giorgi jafariZis mosagoneblad: `me ar Semxvedria masze ufro Rirseuli adamiani. me ar vicnobdi sxvisi Rirsebis masze metad damfasebel kacs.

Cemi Taobis, ise rogorc wina da ukana Taobis filologiis fakultetis studentTa didi nawilisaTvis, Tbilisis saxelmwifo universitetis idealuri saxe giorgi jafariZis xatic iyo. universiteti ar aris abstraqtuli cneba. mis saxes, upirveles yovlisa, profesor-maswavleblebi qmnian. da Tu am Taxsir droSi, Zarcva-glejisa da meqrTameobis droSi, kvlav wminda taZrad aRviqvamT universitets mis kedlebSi aRzrdilni, es imitom, rom iq ramdenime WeSmariti moZRvari da maT Soris giorgi jafariZec

texts, the analysis and scientific classification he unfortunately did not complete (much like Guramishvili, he could have said: "I would always wait for the waiting, I wish I had not waited").

And now that he is no longer with us, we must agree that folklore has suffered a great loss with his passing.

He is gone and vanished, a different breed of scientist – a teacher who has made a significant contribution to the Department of Folklore Studies at the University. In the highest sense of this word, he was Georgian from the soul to the flesh, and the secret of his charm is in this. Mr Nodar Grigalashvili, the editor of newspaper “Georgia”, writes: “I have not known a man more worthy than he. I have not known a man who valued another man’s dignity more than he did.

For most students of my generation, as well as for the previous and last generation of the Philological Faculty, Giorgi Japaridze was the ideal face of Tbilisi State University.

The university is not an abstract concept. Its face is created, first of all, by the professors. And if in this short time, in the era of robbery and bribery, we still perceive the university built within its walls as a sacred temple, it is because there were several true teachers there, including Giorgi Japaridze.

In the era of total levelling of personality, Mr George was the last of the Mohicans, a true man.

In our society he lived like a primitive person who happened to come here from a foreign island, who did not know - what is treachery, hypocrisy, flattery, lies, intolerance, arrogance, oppression of others, begging, kidnapping, mistrust.

He was spinning amid life, not taking a single breath from the bottle called “life.”

It was for this reason that his apprentices wept him to his last journey. What could be a greater reward for a teacher than his student’s appreciation and their mourning? Giorgi Japaridze did embody better qualities of a teacher, he can be compared to his predecessor, Vakhtang Kotetishvili, with no shred of pedanticism, carefree, easygoing, with no hang-ups. Unlike his ambitious colleagues, he was always trying to dismiss the distance between a professor and a student and help expose the full potential of a student. He was always ready to sit on a staircase and chat about the crucial matters of folklore and literature as a whole. He used to say: How much do I know to be teaching someone, you should teach me, if you can. This while, he was one of the most educated persons with deep knowledge of Georgian (and not only) literature.

He loved to give unexpected paradoxes: he did not agree with once and for all, set in stone dogmatic opinions, no matter how authoritative those could be. He was always longing to discover something new, a different point of view. When I think about it, his style of thinking and mannerisms were often based on paradoxes, indicating a relentless intellectual search. Out of the blue, he would say that Titsian was a better poet than Galaktioni and go on to give argumentations to prove his point. Joyce is a figment writer, you understand nothing of his work but say you love it. Or that among

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gvegulveboda. pirovnebis totaluri nivelirebis epoqaSi batoni giorgi iyo ukanaskneli mohikaniviT SemorCenili pirovneba, WeSmariti mamakaci.

Cvens sazogadoebaSi igi cxovrobda ucxo kunZulidan SemTxveviT aq moxvedrili pirvelqmnili adamianiviT, romelmac ar icis _ raa Ralati, orpiroba, mliqvneloba, tyuili, gautanloba, cudmedidoba, ampartavneba, sxvisi daCagvra, xveWa, mitaceba, undobloba. trialebda cxovrebis SuagulSi da erTi Sxefic ar mihkarebia im wumpidan, `cxovreba~ rom hqvia~. swored amitom iyo, misma Segirdebma mwuTxe kurcxali rom waatanes samudamo gza-savalze. da meti jildo raRa SeiZleba arsebobdes pedagogisaTvis am qveynad, Tuki mowafeebi gulmduRared daitireben?

Giorgi jafariZe marTlac ganasaxierebda ukeTes Tvisebebs maswavleblisas, igi did winamorbedis, vaxtang kotetiSvilis tipis pedagogi iyo, pedantizmis nasaxic ar ecxo, laRi, uSualo, ukompleqso, sul imas cdilobda, ambiciiT gatenili zogi profesorisagan gansxvavebiT, leqtorsa da students Soris arsebuli zRvari moeSala da amiT SesaZleblobebis srulad gamomJRavnebisaTvis Seewyo xeli. mzad gaxldaT, Tundac kibeze Camomjdariyo da ise ebaasa folkloris sakvanZo sakiTxebze, literaturaze saerTod. ambobda xolme: me imdeni ra vici, vinmes vaswavlo, piriqiT, aqeT maswavleT, Tu SegiZliaTo. da es maSin, roca erT-erTi friad ganaTlebuli pirovneba gaxldaT, Rrmad mcodne qarTuli da ara mxolod qarTuli mwerlobisa. uyvarda moulodneli paradoqsebis gadmosrola: erTxel da samudamod miRebul, dogmadqceul azrs, ragind avtoritetuli yofiliyo, ver egueboda, raRac axali waxnagis, axleburi Tvalsazrisis aRmoCenas eltvoda mudam. saerTod rom vukvirdebi, misi azrovnebis stili da manera xSirad paradoqsebze iyo dafuZnebuli, rac inteleqtis daumcxral maZieblobaze migvaniSnebs. Uuceb gamoacxadebda: ticiani galaktionze ukeTesi poetiao da argumentebsac didi eqstaziT moixmobda. joisi gamogonili mweralia, misi araferi gesmiT da ibralebT, viTom mogwonTo. an: tolstois nawerebSi `kazakebi~ yvelas sjobda, Tundac eroSkas saxe rad Rirso. an: eg Tqveni prusti, aTi tomis manZilze rom dasdevs dakargul dros, Tu moindomebda, erTi tomiTac Tavisuflad daeweodao. dostoevskis uklebliv yvela romani Zalian Sesamoklebeliao _ ambobda, xolo srulyofili mxatvruli ostatobis nimuSad hemingueis `moxuci da zRva~ da prosper merimes proza miaCnda… kacma rom Tqvas, am paradoqsebSi arc Tu iSviaTad Rvioda simarTlis marcvali, magram zogjer nametan gadaaWarbebda xolme. amas TviTonac grZnobda da Tu Segatyobda rom moTminebidan gamodiodi, cotac

Tolstoy’s novel “The Cossacks” was the best if only for Eroshka’s character; or Proust with “In Search for Lost Time” over 10 volumes, if he wanted to he could have found it in only one volume. He would say that all of Dostoevsky’s novels should be shortened, and considered Hemingway’s “The Old Man and the Sea’’ and Prosper Mérimée’s works as perfect masterpieces of prose.

To be honest, these paradoxes had some level of truth in them, but sometimes it was too much and he would push too hard. He felt it himself, and if he realized that you were running out of patience, sparks would play in his eyes, and he would start laughing frantically.

It seems that he loved such harmless “games”.

He was born to be a poet. A distinctly dramatic poet. In addition to genetic code, this dramatism probably also originated from the fact that there was a great line between the subtle, intangible, colourful perception of the world and the harsh, utilitarian reality that swarmed around, causing great distress, if you will. Let’s recall his now-famous poem “I will tell you in sorrow” which like the artistic embodiment of a scream from an aboriginal soul, should be considered a real masterpiece: A poem by Giorgi Japaridze. In it, the author writes about a troubled soul struggling in pain, the poem masterfully explains how

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da, wonasworoba unda dagekarga, TvalebSi kvimati naperwklebi auTamaSdeboda da gulian sicils mohyveboda. etyoba, aseTi uwyinari `TamaSi~ did siamovnebas hgvrida. poetad iyo dabadebuli. mkafio, dramatuli xmis poetad. dramatizmi, garda genetikuri kodisa, albaT, iqidanac iRebda saTaves, rom didi zRvari arsebobda samyaros miseul, faqiz, Seuryvnel, feradovan aRqmasa da uxeS, utilitarul sinamdviles Soris, romelic abezrad buybuyebda gareSemo, raic didi SeWirvebis, Tu gnebavT, Rrma pesimizmis Tavwyaro gaxldaT. gavixsenoT aw saqveynod ganTqmuli misi leqsi `dardisas getyvi~, romelic, viTarca aborgebuli sulidan amoxeTqili kivilis mxatvruli gansxeuleba, unda CaiTvalos namdvil Sedevrad: `dardisas getyvi, dardisas, / gulSi ro naRvlad diodes: / sixaruls ver miekaro, / suli simwriTa gtkiodes, / dila-saRamos sxeulSi / Sav svetad Camodiodes, / cas broils wvima uwvimdes, / Sen talaxada gdiodes, / Tvalwin saWmeli mogarTvan. / SimSiliT suli gdiodes, / lukma gasinjo da zizRiT / ukanve amogdiodes. / garedan lamazad iyo, / Signi gul-gvami gtkiodes, / qalsa uyvarde lamazsa, / Sens ugulobas Ciodes. / tkbili sityvis Tqma gindodes, / piridan Sxami gdiodes. / baridan mTa geZaxodes, / mTaSi arwivi yiodes, / gaiqce sanaxavada, / yvavi, yornebi Cxiodes. / erT adgils ver moisveno, / suli darbodes, wiodes, / dReis imedi ar gqondes, / xval mze ar amogdiodes, / ase molxeniT cxovrobde, / sisxli arsada gdiodes, / yvelas kaJiviT egono, / Sen sanTeliviT Rviode, / miTxari, amnair yofas / ra yofa unda hqviodes?“ SeuZlebelia, dalxenilma kacma daweros aseTi

this internal pain is never revealed or shown on his face.

A cheerful man can’t write such a poem. His soul must have the nightmarish melancholy, it must be tormented with suffering. Iura Japaridze, of course, was not a cheerful man. Throughout his short life, the ravens of hidden sorrow “gnawed his heart and liver”, as it is said in another, no less bitter verse, but I will not continue to speak about it, and here I must return to the previous verse: It is published in the fourth volume of the five-volume “Folk Wisdom” book, edited by Professor Ksenia Sikharulidze. The book covers almost all genres of Georgian poetic folklore. Together with Vakhtang Kotetishvili’s “Folk Poetry” these collected stories are deskbooks to this day.

“I will tell you in sorrow” is among the well-known samples of poetic folklore in the section “Philosophical Poems” on page 456, and then, to be honest, does not feel to be out of place next to other masterpieces. In the annexe, you can read: “I will tell you in sorrow” by Giorgi Japaridze, Khevsureti. We were together then, living in a tent near the village of Roshki, collecting folklore materials, I witnessed how he wrote this poem to then see how it became part of the spiritual treasure of the Georgian people. This seems to be the same case as with Ivane Tsiklauri’s masterpiece “What made me old”. We all know that the poem has an author, who he was, we knew him, he walked among us and we heard his speeches, he was a great poet, but regardless the poem itself is considered to be folklore and very justly is among those samples in folk collections. Giorgi Japaridze’s “I will tell you in sorrow” is the same phenomenon, we know the author, but as soon the poem was written and published it became folklore, belonged to the people. One particular occasion, which I witnessed, proves it.

In Tianeti, near the Aoni Icon (I was working on a novel about Mirza Gelovani) at a friendly feast, poet Alaza Khaiarum, in his exotic manner and intonation read “I will tell you in sorrow”. I was surprised but happy, and asked him if he knew who wrote this poem and he said that it was folklore. Alaza knew Iura Japaridze from University and despite immense respect for him, he could not believe that the poem was not folklore and was written by Iura.

But, perhaps now that Giorgi Japaridze is no longer among us, dear Alaza will believe this undoubtful truth and, for the sake of Iura’s soul, he puts a piece of bread in "zhipitauri". Perhaps others, strangers who care for dignity and poetry could also perform this ritual? Trust me, you will be doing grace.

Finally, I must add: there are many cases when a poet is forever safe in literature even with a single poem. Citing examples will take us too far.

On the way from Ambrolauri, past the White Temple of Barakoni, near Mindatsikhe, on the left side from Lukhuni valley with Rioni river on your back, appears the village of Abari, located on Kortokh. On the top, there are famous deposits of arsenic. The more you climb up, the better you can see the snowy peak of the Chutkharo range. Every time we would be on this road Iura would remember Konstantine Chichinadze’s beautiful ballade “Rioni apologia” which he could recite by heart:

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leqsi. uTuod sulSi koSmaruli naRveli unda hqondes Catborili da Savad uTimTimebdes, stanjavdes. iura jafariZe, raRa Tqma unda, ar yofila dalxenili kaci. mTeli xanmokle sicocxlis manZilze faruli sevdis yornebi `uglejdnen gul-RviZls~, rogorc erT sxva, aranakleb mware leqsSi aqvs naTqvami, magram amis Taobaze sityvas ar gavagrZeleb, aq ki weRandel leqss unda mivubrunde: igi dabeWdilia `xalxuri sibrZnis~ xuTtomeulis meoTxe tomSi, romelic Sedgenilia profesor qsenia sixaruliZis mier da moicavs TiTqmis yvela Janrs qarTuli xalxuri poeziisas. am TvalsazrisiT, xsenebuli krebuli, vaxtang kotetiSvilis `xalxur poeziasTan~ erTad, dRemde rCeba samagido wignad. da ai, ganyofilebaSi `filosofiuri leqsebi~, sadac Segrovilia xalxuri filosofiuri lirikis didad cnobili nimuSebi, 456-e gverdze, warmodgenili gaxlavT `dardisas getyvi~, romelic, pirdapir unda iTqvas, Tavs sulac ar grZnobs morcxvad da uadgilod, aRiarebuli Sedevrebis gverdiT. bolos SeniSvnebSi, naTqvamia: `dardisas getyvi~ _ giorgi jafariZis mier Cawerili 1962 wels, xevsureTSi. Cven maSin erTad viyaviT, karavSi vcxovrobdiT sofel roSkis siaxloves, erTad vkrefdiT folklorul masalebs da es leqsic Cems Tvalwin daibada, raTa Semdgom fexi aedga da samudamod davanebuliyo qarTveli xalxis sulier saganZurSi. aq, rogorc Cans, imgvarsave movlenasTana gvaqvs saqme, raic ivane wiklauris cnobil SedevrTan _ `ram damabera~ _ aris dakavSirebuli. yvelam viciT, rom leqss konkretuli avtori hyavda: igi marTlac didi poeti, ager, axla, Cvens Soris dadioda, gvesmoda misi deklamacia Tu saubari, xolo leqsi, savsebiT samarTlianad, xalxurad iTvleba da mudmivi adgilic aqvs miCenili yvelaze momWirned Sedgenil rCeulebSic ki, xalxuri poeziisa. asevea Giorgi jafariZis `dardisgan getyvi~, masac hyavs konkretuli avtori, magram leqsi dabeWdvisTanave farTod gavrcelda, gaxalxurda. amis dasturia erTi SemTxveva, romlis damswre da mxilveli Tavad gaxlavarT: TianeTSi, aonis xatSi (maSin mirza gelovanze vwerdi romans), megobrul sufraze, roca guneba agvigumbaTda, poetma alaza xaiaurma, Cveuli rixiTa da ganumeorebeli intonaciiT, CemTvis moulodnelad da sasixarulod, `dardisas getyvi~ warmosTqva. roca vkiTxe: Tu ici, visia eg leqsi-meTqi, ra kiTxva unda, xalxuriao, mipasuxa. alaza universitetidan icnobda iura jafariZes, magram, miuxedavad misdami didi pativiscemisa, ver daijera rom leqsi marTla iurasi iyo, ara, namdvilad xalxuriao, gaiZaxoda. magram, axla, roca giorgi jafariZem ase uecrad da uRvTod mogvtexa beWi, iqneb daijeros Zvirfasma

Abari is looking down on the Lukhuni valley, and Iura’s house stood on the Kortokhi side. It’s an old house, built by Rachvelian carpenters with wooden peg handles, a big balcony and oval-shaped windows looking over mountains. Here you can feel the connection between generations, the rejection of everyday utilitarianism. In the garden, there was a Cypress tree and an old oak tree was covering the whole house. It is very evident that the kind of people who lived here were aristocrats, romantic intellectuals. Ordinary people would take down the oak and plant plum trees to then make plum jams to feed their children and eat themselves and be contempt. Common people wouldn’t understand the need for trees such as oak or cypress, there were useless for them, they thought that people who did have them were “unusual”, they were irritated by them, they thought “Do they think they are better than me because they are reading books?”…

The communists found a perfect term for the eternal conflict between plebeianism and spirituality, they called it the class struggle in which they awakened deeply rooted dark instincts in people and turned them against each other.

Here is one bitter example that proves the point: George’s grandfather, Luka Japaridze, was a very spiritual man - hard-working, literate, thoughtful, smart, the person to whom the whole village

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alazam es ucilobeli WeSmariteba da misi sulis saoxad, JipitaurSi puris natexi Caawos? iqneb sxvebmac, ucnobebma, romelTaTvisac namdvili kacobisa da leqsis yadri sulerTi ar aris, Seasrulon es bolo aTaswlovani rituali? merwmuneT, madls izamT, batonebo! bolos ki unda davZino: xSiria SemTxvevebi, roca poeti erTi leqsiTac samudamod SemorCenilia literaturas. magaliTebis moxmoba Sors wagviyvanda. *** ambrolauridan mimavali, barakonis TeTr taZars rom gascdebi, mindacixesTan, rions mxari unda uqcio da xelmarcxniv Sehyve luxunis xeobas. male kortoxze Sefenili sofeli abaric gamoCndeba. mis zemoT urevia _ dariSxanis ganTqmuli sabadoebiT. ufro maRla da maRla _ Tovl-yinulovani mwvervali WuTxaro. ar maxsovs, aqeT gamogvevlos da iuras ar gaxsenebodes konstantine WiWinaZis brwyinvale balada `rionis apologia~, romelic

would turn for a piece of advice. He had his land, meadow, forest and cattle. I have seen a photo of Luka Japaridze: he had a bright face, a white beard up to his chest, radiating wisdom from his eyes, he looked like a biblical prophet painted by the genius Damiane on the wall of Ubisi. And he lived in the village of Abar with his family.

Fortunately, there were many such families in Georgia at that time: the need for cultural life in perfect harmony with diligent hard work and the love for the land, the vineyard, the cattle, and themselves.

But just this was not enough for them: they introduced culture, education, love of labour to others, to common people. In the families like this, the interests of the country, of Georgia were standing above everything, this was the time of Ilia, Akaki, Vazha, this was when our villagers were strong and smart. And then the communists came with swords and rains of blood and everything turned upside down: they started with strong-willed families, like Luka Japaridze’s: they were deprived of their land, cattle, everything that these people worked their whole lives for. But worst of all, they put ugly, ignorant, and greedy, bogans to lead. The country was left to unworthy men, stray murderers – Meki Vashakidze, Taras Khazaradze, Gvadi Bigvi. These men did not hesitate to put unspeakable labels on Luka Japaridze and his ilk. They would call them “Kulaks”, “Degenerates”, “The enemy of the people” and who knows what else. Age-old Georgian families were overthrown, razed to the ground, the precious gene pool of the aristocracy, which had been transmitted for millennia, was destroyed. Those who, despite the infernal violence, did not want to join communism, were pushed against the wall and shot with no hesitation, and some were treated more generously and sent to Siberia.

He was a different man, he chose not to bend and in this terrible situation, he chose to take his own life.

I shall not continue: the reader can easily imagine how much tears, grief, humiliation, harassment, degeneration is hidden behind this mind-boggling tragedy. The reason I mentioned this was not for Luka Japaridze’s sake, but because It was our national, universal tragedy, a black mark on our fathers, grandfathers and great-grandfathers, which we must not forget.

I knew Iura Japaridze’s father – Mr Aliosha Japaridze, uncle Aliosha, a sweet-spoken, unassuming man, and at the same time, unbendable like his father. For this reason, under Bolsheviks, he also went through a lot of hardships and sufferings. Fortunately, he survived. He was a student at the university, his classmates were many famous scientists and poets, among others was Sholomon Khutsishvili. He was also a living witness and participant in the fierce literary battles of the 1930s that took place in the Writers’ Union. He had a stunning memory, describing in detail what Titsian Tabidze, Mikheil Javakhishvili, Galaktioni, or Konstantine Gamsakhurdia said or did, but he still remembered Terenti Graneli with love and appreciation. They were close friends, the rebellious and homeless poet often spent nights in his room. In uncle Aliosha’s truly magnificent library, I have seen Terenti Graneli’s books, “Memento Mori” and “Tombs from the Soul”, with highly heartfelt captions. Oh, how pleasant and unforgettable it

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Tavidan bolomde zepirad icoda: `Seni saTave vinaxule dRes meorejer, / aq Sen saxelad unazesi gSvenis fazisi, / mesvri TvalebSi kalmaxebis wiTel forejebs, /bavSvis cremliviT uwmindesi da unazesi.~ da, iqve: `aha, Soreul sajixvedan damfrTxal mozverad Seni Zvirfasi qveSevrdomi _ luxuni morbis! o, ar ekuTvnis arasodes mas samduravi~... abari zemodan dascqeroda luxuns, xolo iuras saxli kortoxis qimze dgas, moxuci saxli, papiseuli, raWveli xuroebis naostatari, moxaratebuli _ moCuqurTmebuli rikulebiT, farTo xalvaTi aivniT da ovaluri fanjrebiT _ tyian mTas rom gascqeris. aq yovelive arqaikiTa da darbaisluri keTilSobilebiT sunTqavs, igrZnoba TaobaTa Soris uwyveti kavSiri, fuZisa da keriis madli, mxoxavi utilitarizmis sruli uaryofa, rasac TvalnaTliv adasturebs kibis gverdiT, caSi isariviT atyorcnili uzarmazari kviparosi da mTel saxlze gadafarebuli beberi, dakorZili muxa, Rrmad Cafesvili. aSkaraa, Tu ra yaidis adamianebs ucxovriaT da cxovroben am SemogarenSi: sulieri da

was to sit at the table with uncle Aliosha, to drink “Aleksandrouli” from tiny glasses and to talk about the problems of literature. It did not feel for a second that he lived in the province, he was aware of everything, and he was reading everything.

He truly was public, people’s teacher, a classic type of a rural intellectual, the likes of whom aren’t many. If he deemed it necessary, he could teach a lesson in the woods or by the river, explain Galaktion’s “Nikortsminda ‘’ in the vicinity of a temple. I am a witness of how he took students on a field trip, to Abar and Chargali, and then to Shatili to teach and show them Vazha’s world. Anyone who takes into account the distance and the problems associated with this journey will see the heroism of his actions.

I will never forget how he would take me to the forest of Lukumi.

He was protecting the trees from the people who wanted to cut them down. With regret, he would say ”they think I want to take these trees with me to the grave” (Years after when I came to Iura’s funeral, to see that the cherished forest is now almost completely cut down. uncle Aliosha was gone, Iura could not make it in time to protect it. People don’t seem to realise that they are cutting down the branches they were sitting on…this is a very Georgian “way” (...)

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gvarovnuli aristokratebi, romantikosi inteligentebi _ pirdapiri da gadataniTi mniSvnelobiT; aba, plebei da bogano kviparosis da muxisTvis adgils `rava~ mocdes? moWris muxas, dargavs qliavs, daamwifebs, gaakeTebs murabas, aWmevs col-Svils, TviTonac isiamovnebs da iqneba kmayofili. metic, boganos azriT, `usargeblo~ xeebis, muxisa da kviparosis sakuTar ezoSi damrgvel (gamxarebel) adamianebs cota `uqriT~, aris raRac maTSi gaugebari, ucxo da gamaRizianebeli, `Tavi raRaca hgoniaT~, `riT mjobia axla viTom me is, wigns rom kiTxulobs, imiT?“... plebeizmisa da sulierebis am maradmedin kompleqss, komunistebma, TavianTvis metad sasargeblo saxeli mouZebnes, klasTa Soris garduval winaaRmdegobad da brZolad monaTles, adamianebs bneli instinqtebi gauRviZes da samkvdro-sasicocxlod gadahkides erTmaneTs. ai, amis damadasturebeli erTi naRvliani magaliTi: giorgis babua, luka jafariZe, swored sulismieri kaci yofila _ mSromeli, wignieri, fiqriani, mTel sofelSi WkuasakiTxavi. hqonia Tavisi samyofi saxnavsaTesi, saTibi, tye da hyolia xvastagi. me minaxavs luka jafariZis suraTi: naTeli, gaSlili saxe, mkerdamde TeTri wveri, TvalTagan gonierebas asxivebs, bibliuri winaswarmetyvelia namdvili, genialuri damianes mier ubisis kedelze mixatuli. da cxovrobda igi sofel abarSi Tavisi ojaxiT. sabednierod, msgavsi ojaxebi mravlad iyvnen imdroindel saqarTveloSi: kulturul moTxovnilebebs rom mSvenivrad uxamebdnen daucadebel Sromas miwisadmi, venaxisadmi, pirutyvisadmi siyvaruls da TviTon Rrma sulieri harmoniiT aRbeWdilni, STamomavlobasac am niSatiT zrdidnen. magram mxolod amiTac ar kmayofildebodnen: ubralo xalxSi kulturas, ganaTlebas, Sromis siyvaruls nergavdnen. xsenebul ojaxebSi qveynis, saqarTvelos interesebi yvelaferze maRla idga, ilias, akakis, vaJas kulti gaxldaT damkvidrebuli da Ronieri iyo maSin Cveni provincial, Cveni sofeli, Ronieri da Wkviani. merme maxviliTa da sisxlis wvimebiT movidnen komunistebi da yovelive Tavdayira dadga: upirveles yovlisa, Sxamiani maxvili maT iseT liboZlieri ojaxebisaken mimarTes, rogoric luka jafariZisa iyo: CamoarTves ofliT gapoxili saxnav-saTesi, tye, saTibi, wahgvares napativebi pirutyvi. es kidev araferi: rac yvelaze mouTmeneli iyo, Tavze wamoasves umaqnisi, uvici, msunagi, gaiZvera da momxveWeli Culiani boganoebi. qveyana uRirsebo kacebis, mawanwala mkvlelebis _ meqi vaSakiZeebis, tarasi xazaraZeebis, gvadi bigvebis saTareSo asparezi Seiqna. am arakacebma, luka jafariZes da msgavsTa misTa, guSin rom qudis moxdiT, mowiwebiT esalmebodnen da miwamde uxridnen Tavs, ar daayovnes da `zemodan~

Iura’s parents (Aleksandre and Tamar), played a crucial role in sculpting his personality. (His mother Tamar was a doctor. Her kindness and caring heart are remembered by many families in the Lukhuni Valley). Nothing is surprising: a parent has to raise a child, but whoever saw the relationship in their family, will agree that it was something mysterious, and even pleasantly old-fashioned. It didn’t matter where (home or out) they were Iura would always address his parents in a respectful manner. Their relationship can be characterized by calmness, mutual trust and loudly declared love. In short, the fifth Commandment of the Bible: “ Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you” was very applicable. And I sometimes think: perhaps losing his parents also hastened Iura’s departure, one way or another?

Perhaps the inner connection, be it biological or spiritual, was much deeper and, if you will, even more tragic. In any case, after his mother passed, Iura was no longer the “old” Iura.

Luka Japaridze, Aleksandre Japaridze, Tamar Archvadze-Japaridze, and now also Iura, are resting in peace under that old oak tree in the cemetery among their ancestors.

But, fortunately, we have Iura’s family: our precious and gentle sister-in-law – Manana Avalishvili, a well-known and respected fiction writer. Iura would always avoid talking about her short stories but once when I practically made him listen to my opinion about her new book he smiled with satisfaction and I realized – he was pleased, but then he shook his head and said: everything is useless anyway. There is his first daughter, Tamuna, who, for some reason, reminds me of Mzia from Guram Rcheulishvili’s “Batareka Chincharauli”. A tall girl with a long hand that she doesn’t know where to put, taking her first steps on the difficult path of adulthood...

Isn’t it strange that everyone in the Japaridze family had the same profession? They were all people of letters. Aleksandre was a writer,so were Iura and Manana, Tamuna as well. Iura’s niece and nephew – Irma and Zaza – are also writers. They are truly becoming intellectuals. And lastly, I do want to say a few words about 13-year-old Luka, a young cub.

Those who saw him at the wake will not forget his bottomless, grieving

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waqezebiT, momakvdinebeli iarliyebic miawebes: `kulaki~, `gadagvarebuli~, `bneleTis mociquli~, `mSromelTa sisxlis mwoveli,“ `xalxis mteri~ da vin icis, kidev raRa ara. daaqcies, miwasTan gaaswores ZirZveli qarTuli ojaxebi, uRvTod daJuJes uZvirfasesi genofondi aristokratiisa, aTaswleulebis darjakSi rom iyo gamotarebuli da daxvewil jiSs, raindobas, siqvelesa da gonierebas ganasaxierebda. axla koleqtivi? _ vinc miuxedavad jojoxeTuri Zaladobisa, iq Sesvla ar isurva, kedelTan miayenes da xelisaukankaleblad daxvrites, zogs ki ufro lmobierad moeqcnen _ Soreul cimbirSi. savse kaci iyo, moRunvas gatexva amjobina da arCevanTa Soris, romelic cxovrebam SiSveli ulmoblobiT wauyena, yvelaze Zneli da Semzaravi amoirCia: Tavi moikla, sakuTari xeliT daibnela mze! aRar gavagrZeleb: mkiTxveli isedac iolad warmoidgens

eyes, full of tears. He stood there as a grown man, with a full sense of responsibility, serious, unspoken, greeting mourners, responding to a kiss with a kiss, just like traditions tell us to. And I remember Iura’s story, he told me a few days before he passed, he had just returned from Racha, where Luka was with him: “We couldn’t eat anything other than pears, I almost starved the kid to death... At least I had some wine, but the kid?”

They were invited to a party in the village. There was a generous feast, with plenty of food, but Luka did not touch the meat – he said he didn’t want any. After leaving, Iura asked him: “Why didn’t you eat, you haven’t had meat for so long, I know you wanted some, didn't you?”

– "Yes, I did, but I didn't want to let them think I did not have any meat in a while”.

When I think about this story, I feel warm on the inside. This truly is Iura’s son in all his glory, aristocrat to the core, calm, patient, dignified… So the genetics do work, and fortunately, life is “rushing about”.

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ramdeni cremli, vaeba, damcireba, Seviwroeba, Rirsebis fexqveS gaTelva imaleba am gonisSemSleli tragediis miRma da Tu me mainc Camovagde sityva amis Taobaze, ara imitom, rom luka jafariZis kerZo Wirsaxdeli meambna, aramed, imis gamo, rom es Cveni erovnuli, sayovelTao ubedureba iyo, Cveni mamebis, papebisa da didi papebis Tavze datexili mexi da merexi, risi daviwyeba aramc da aramc ar gvmarTebs. me vicnobdi iura jafariZis mamas _ baton alioSa jafariZes, Zia alioSas, tkbilmoubar, usaTnoes kacs, amave dros, mamamisiviT gauRunavs. ver `maawonebdiT karg ymasa, ra car ujdeboda WkvaSia~ da swored amis gamo, bolSevikebis xelSi manac mravali vaivaglaxi da tanjva gamoiara. sabednierod, gadarCa. igi Zveli universiteteli gaxldaT, Cveni Zvirfasi moZRvarTmoZRvris _ solomon xuciSvilisa da sxva saxelovan mecnierTa da poetTa Tanakurseli, Segirdi didi korifeebisa _ ivane javaxiSvilisa da misi iqcnen Tanamoazreebisa. amave dros, cocxali momswre da monawile ocdaaTiani wlebis mrisxane literaturuli bataliebisa, mweralTa kavSirSi rom imarTeboda. gansacvifrebeli mexsiereba hqonda, detalurad asaxavda, ra Tqves, an rogor moiqcnen tician tabiZe, mixeil javaxiSvili, galaktioni, an konstantine gamsaxurdia, magram gansakuTrebuli siyvaruliTa da intimiT mainc terenti granels ixsenebda. axlo megobrebi yofilan. ambokari da usaxlkaro poeti xSirad mis pawia oTaxSi aTevda Turme Rames. Zia alioSas marTlac rom didebul biblioTekaSi, me Tavad minaxavs terenti granelis wignebi: `memento mori~ da `sulidan saflavebi~, uaRresad guliTadi warwerebiT. oi, ra sasiamovno da dauviwyari iyo Zia alioSasTan erTad sufrasTan jdoma, pawia WiqebiT `aleqsandroulis~ sma da darbaisluri baasi literaturis problemebze. erTi wamiTac ar igrZnoboda, rom igi provinciaSi cxovrobda, yvelafris saqmis kursSi gaxldaT, yvelafers kiTxulobda. igi namdvili saxalxo maswavlebeli iyo, klasikuri tipi soflis inteligentisa, romlis msgavsni, saubedurod Cvenda, amJamad TiTebzea CamosaTvleli mTels saqarTveloSi. Tu saWirod miiCnevda, SeeZlo gakveTili tyeSi, an mdinaris piras Caetarebina, galaktionis `nikorwminda~ am taZris SemogarenSi aexsna, xolo me TviTon var mowme, vaJas samyaros gasacnobad, abaridan CargalSi, xolo Semdeg SatilSi rom waiyvana mowafeebi eqskursiaze. vinc gaiTvaliswinebs manZils da problemebs am mogzaurobasTan dakavSirebuls, es moqmedeba unda CaiTvalos namdvil gmirobad. ar damaviwydeba, rogori faruli siamayiTa da sixaruliT damatarebda aSvetili wiflebiTa da TelebiT damSvenebul tyeSi, luxunisaken daSvebul damrecze rom iyo gaSenebuli. mama-papeuli tyidan esRa SemogvrCa,

TvalisCiniviT vufrTxildebi, kbilebiT vicav, magram rad ginda, ukeTuri kacebi mainc Semoiparebian da Cexaveno, _ miTxra sinanuliT, _ TiTqos es tye CemTvis mindodes da saflavSi mimqondeso. (gaivlis wlebi da iuras dakrZalvaze Casuli, Tavzardacemuli vnaxav, rom odesRac nasaTuTar-naloliavebi tye, axla TiTqmis mTlianadaa gaCexili. Zia alioSa aRar iyo, iuram mis dasacavad ver moicala da aha, galaRdnen Culiani, ukeTuri kacebi, gaialmases najaxebi da briyvulad moWres is toti, romelzedac sxedan. veras ityvi, namdvili qarTuli `xelweraa~(...) batonma aleqsandrem da qalbatonma Tamarma, marTlac rom gadamwyveti roli iTamaSes iuras pirovnebis CamoyalibebaSi. (qalbatoni Tamari eqimi gaxldaT. misi keTili, momferebeli xeli da guli bevr ojaxs axsovs luxunis xeobaze). aq TiTqos gasakviric araferia: mSobelma Svili unda gazardos, aba ra unda Tqvas, magram visac maTi urTierTobisaTvis cota xniT mainc miudevnebia Tvali da yuri, dameTanxmeba, rom iyo raRac idumal-mouxelTebeli da, Tu SeiZleba iTqvas, sasiamovnod ZvelqarTuli, mSoblebisa da vaJiSvilis damokidebulebaSi: Tundac is rad Rirs, rom iura maT yovelTvis, yvela viTarebaSi, Sin Tu gareT, mxolod da mxolod `TqvenobiT~ mimarTavda. simSvide, urTierTndoba da xmamaRla gaucxadebeli siyvaruli, ai, maTi saurTierTo toni. zedmetsityvaoba da enamoCleqili liqna aq saerTod gamoricxuli gaxldaT. erTi sityviT, Zalzed TvalsaCino iyo cxovelmyofeloba bibliuri aTi mcnebis mexuTe muxlisa: `pativi ec mamasa Sensa da dedasa Sensa, rameTu keTili geyos Sen da dRegrZeli iyo qveyanasa zeda~. diax, swored ase gaxldaT, mxolod es kia, saubedurod: ver gamodga iura `dRegrZeli qveyanasa zeda~, dedis gardacvalebidan zustad wlisTavze aResrula. da me zogjer vfiqrob: iqneb mSoblebis wasvlam iuras wasvlac, ase Tu ise daaCqara? albaT Sinagani kavSiri, biologiuri Tu sulieri, gacilebiT Rrma da, Tu gnebavT, tragikulic gaxldaT maT Soris, vidre es erTi SexedviT SeimCneoda. yovel SemTxvevaSi, dedis gardacvalebis Semdeg, iura rom `Zveli~ iura aRar iyo, es cxadze ucxadesia. da wvanan axla, maradisobas SerTulni, luka jafariZe, aleqsandre jafariZe, Tamar arCvaZe-jafariZisa da iura soflidan moSorebiT, beberi, tandaSaSruli muxis ZirSi, sagvareulo sasaflaoze. magram, sabednierod, darCa iuras ojaxi: Cveni Zvirfasi rZali da unazesi daia _ manana avaliSvili, aw frTamotexili qedani, cnobili da pativdebuli beletristi, romlis moTxrobebzec saubars iura yovelTvis Tavs aridebda Segnebulad, magram roca erTxel ZalisZalad davsvi da Cemi mosazrebebi gavuziare mananas axladgamosul wignze, mismina raRacagvari

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kmayofilebiT CaiRima, Sevatyve _ esiamovna, magram bolos xeli Caiqnia da Tqva: eeh, mainc amaoa yvelaferio. darCa pirmSo qaliSvili, Tamuna, romelic CemSi, ratomRac, guram rCeuliSvilis `baTareka WinWaraulis~ mzias asociacias iwvevs. jurxa, tani rom jer kidev kuTxovani aqvs, didroni xelebi sad waiRos, ar icis da vaJkacobis Znel gzaze pirvel nabijebs dgams... batonebo, nuTu arafers geubnebaT is `ucnauri~ faqti, rom jafariZeTa ojaxSi mxolod erTi, erTaderTi profesia zeobs? literatori iyo batoni aleqsandre, literatori iyo iura, literatoria manana, Tamuna, jurxa, literatorebi arian iuras disSvilebi _ irma da zaza. isini marTlac rom namdvil inteligentebad yalibdebian, xolo maT sagvareulo droSaze aweria WeSmaritad amayi sityvebi: `rac ginda Wiri mamkerZo, bilwT ar Sevekvri zaviTa, mcnebas ver Samacvlevineb mozRvavebulis aviTa~. dabolos, minda ori sityva vTqva 13 wlis lukaze, nabolara bokverze: visac igi panaSvidebze unaxavs, ver daiviwyebs uZiro, naRveliT savse, Wkvian Tvalebs, yelSi amoCril xaoian burTs cremlebisas. idga didi kaciviT, pasuxismgeblobis

sruli SegnebiT, seriozuli, utyvi, xels arTmevda mosamZimreebs, kocnaze kocniT upasuxebda, rakiRa asea miRebuli. da me gamaxsenda iuras naambobi sikvdilamde ramdenime dRiT adre, axlad rom iyo Camobrunebuli raWidan, sada luka axlda: `fxalis mets verafers vWamdio, SemomCivla, lamis movkali bavSvi SimSiliT, me kidev ra miSavda _ Rvino mqonda, imas ki ra unda eqnao? erTxel raRac wveulebaze daupatiJniaT sofelSi mama-Svili. uxvi sufra yofila, magram lukas xorcisTvis piri ar daukarebia _ ar mindao, dauJinia. wamosvlis mere iuras ukiTxavs: ratom ar Wame, amdeni xania xorcis gemo ar gagisinjavs, xom vici, rom gindodao? ki mindoda, magram imaT rogor vagrZnobinebdi, rom xorci ar miWamiao? suli minaTldeba, am ambavs rom vigoneb. ai, namdvili iuras lekvi, alikvali mamamisisa: suliT da xorciT aristokrati, dinji, momTmeni, Rirseuli... ase rom, geni Tavisas Svreba da sicocxle, sabednierod, `isev navardobs~.

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revaz TavaZis xsovnas am ramdenime xnis win qarTuli sazogadoeba didi sinanuliT gamoeTxova Zvirfas, keTilSobil da Rvawlmosil adamians, qarTuli inteligenciis TvalsaCino warmomadgenels, Tbilisis saxelmwifo konservatoriis emirituss revaz TavaZes, romelmac Rirseulad ganvlo nayofieri da Sinaarsiani cxovrebis gza. aTeuli wlebis manZilze samagaliTo TavdadebiT da siyvaruliT emsaxureboda qarTul musikalur xelovnebas. iyo farTod ganaTlebuli pianisti da pedagogi, maRali donis profesionali da mSobliuri qveynis didi gulSematkivari. revaz TavaZis dauRalavi moRvaweoba dakavSirebuli iyo Tbilisis konservatoriis safortepiano kaTedrasTan, sadac didi avtoritetiT sargeblobda da romelsac erTxans warmatebiT xelmZRvanelobda. rogorc pianisti sakoncerto estradaze yovelTvis saintereso da safuZvlianad gaazrebuli mravalferovani musikaluri programebiT gamodioda. rogorc pedagogi Rrma codniT, maRali kriteriumebiT, profesiuli keTilsindisierebiT da momTxovnelobiT gamoirCeoda. man gzaze daayena araerTi Taobis axalgazrda musikosi, romelTa Soris arian cnobil saerTaSoriso konkursebze gamarjvebuli, saxelmoxveWili pianistebi. dRes misi mowafeebi warmatebiT moRvaweoben rogorc saqarTveloSi, ise sazRvargareTis musikalur organizaciebSi. axlaxan saerTaSoriso internet-saitze BEST TEACHER AWARD RESULTS gamoqveynda Cveni drois saukeTeso pedagogipianistebis CamonaTvali, romelSic Setanilia ori qarTveli musikosis eliso virsalaZis da revaz TavaZis saxelebi.

Tbilisis konservatoriaSi imdenad sainteresod, gatacebiT da erudiciiT kiTxulobda safortepiano xelovnebis istoriis kurss, rom student-pianistebis garda mis leqciebs eswrebodnen sxvadasxva specialobis warmomadgenlebic. sabednierod, revaz TavaZem dagvitova Tavisi leqciebis eleqtronuli versia, rac mniSvnelovani SenaZenia ara marto profesionalebisaTvis, aramed klasikuri musikiT dainteresebuli farTo auditoriisaTvisac. kidev bevria saTqmeli... didi madloba am didebul adamiansa da musikoss samagaliTo cxovrebisa da moRvaweobisaTvis. manana axmeteli

In memory of Revaz Tavadze Recently, the Georgian society bid its farewell with great regret to a dear, righteous and diligent person, a distinguished representative of the Georgian intelligentsia, emeritus professor of the Tbilisi State University Revaz Tavadze, who has walked the fruitful and meaningful path of his life in a dignified way. For decades, he served Georgian music with exemplary dedication and love. He was a broadly educated pianist and pedagogue, a high-class professional, and a great support of his country.

Revaz Tavadze’s tireless work related to the Grand Piano Faculty of the Tbilisi Conservatoire, where he boasted great authority and which he successfully headed for some time.

As a pianist, he would always offer interesting and well-thought, diverse musical programs during his concerts. As a pedagogue with great knowledge and high standards, he stood out with professional integrity and a demanding character. He nurtured young musicians of several generations, including renowned pianists who won famous international competitions. Today, his students successfully honor his work in musical organizations, both in Georgia and abroad.

Recently, a list of the best pianists-pedgogues of our time was published on the international website “Music and Stars Awards”, in which there were the names of two Georgian musicians: Eliso Virsaladze and Revaz Tavadze.

He was giving lectures about the history of piano music in such an interesting way, and with such passion and erudition, that apart from piano students, representatives of various other fields would attend them at the Conservatoire. Fortunately enough, Revaz Tavadze left us an electronic version of his lectures, which is a precious gift not only for professional musicians, but for the wider public interested in classical music.

There are still many things to say... I would like to express my deep gratitude to this great person for the exemplary life and work he pursued in music.

Manana Akhmeteli

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Mozart

mocarti

“And I’ll tread in the wind like Mozart, With light waves of singing in my heart.”

da waval qarSi, rogorc mocarti, gulSi simReris msubuq zvirTebiT. galaktioni sityvaTa SeTanxmeba: `mocarti _ genialuri kompozitori~, didi xania leqsikonTa da qrestomaTiaTa kuTvnilebaa, magram is srulad ver asaxavs realobas, radgan sityva `mocarti~ iqca simbolod, Tanac ormag simbolod, simbolod `srulyofilebisa~ da simbolod `adreulad gamovlenili niWierebisa~. germanuli sityva _ Wunderkind, qarTulad `saocreba _ bavSvi~, pirvelad, SesaZloa, mocartTan dakavSirebiT Semovida xmarebaSi da SemdgomSi msoflios yvela enis leqsikonSic Sevida. mocartma, marTlac, sul patara asakidan gaaoca mTeli evropa. gaaoca Tavisi kompoziciebiT, improvizaciebiTa

Galaktioni The combination of words “Mozart – genius composer” has long become a common feature of many dictionaries or conversations, but it doesn’t fully represent reality, as the wort “Mozart” has become a symbol, even a two-fold symbol, a symbol of “mastery” and of an “early manifested talent”. The German word “wunderkind” – in English, “wonder child”, might have been widely used for the first time about Mozart, before entering the dictionaries of all languages around the world. And is not a coincidence, as Mozart has amazed the whole Europe from a very young age. He amazed them with his compositions, improvisations, and concerts. And what’s more, Mozart was achieving all this in a surprisingly natural manner – as if

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da dakvriT. Tanac yovelive amas mocarti saocari bunebriobiT aRwevda _ TiTqosda TavisTavad xdebao. hyvebian, rom erTxel erTi ymawvili SeekiTxa mocarts, rogor unda daewera simfonia. `Tqven jer metismetad axalgazrda xarT, ratom ar gsurT daiwyoT baladidan?~ _ hkiTxa kompozitorma. ymawvili Seepasuxa: `Tqven xom simfoniebis wera daiwyeT maSin, rodesac jer aTi wlisac ar iyaviTo~. `diax, _ upasuxa mocartma, _ magram me aravisTvis mikiTxavs, rogor unda daiweros simfonia~. aravisTvis ukiTxavs, magram swavlobda yvelasgan ise, rom maT amis Sesaxeb araferi icodnen. palestrina da telemani, hendeli da baxi, baxis Svilebi _ filip emanueli da iohan kristiani, gliuki da haidni. maTi musika astimulirebda mocarts. rodesac mocarti sadRac SemTxveviT gaecno baxis erT-erT kantatas, mas uTqvams _ ai kompozitori, romlisganac bevri ramis swavla SeiZlebao. ymawvili mocarti ise bunebrivad iwovda yovelive mSveniersa da progresuls, rom es yvelasaTvis SeumCneveli rCeboda.

Tu TanamedroveTaTvis is iyo vunderkindi, momavali TaobebisTvis is gaxda simbolo vunderkindobisa. `meore mocarti~ _ ase naTlavdnen yovel maRalniWiers, magram maT Soris mxolod umniSvnelo nawilma gaamarTla imedebi, xolo mocartis rangis xelovani TiTo-orola Tu gaxda. `mecxramete saukunis mocarti~ _ ase eZaxdnen axalgazrda feliqs mendelson-bartoldis. rogorc vunderkindi is marTlac arafriT Camouvardeboda mocarts. 8 wlis asakSi ukravda beThovenis im momentisTvis SeTxzul rvave simfonias, 15- 16 wlis asakSi Seqmna srulyofili Sedevrebi _ oqteti da musika Seqspiris piesisaTvis `zafxulis Ramis sizmari~, 18 wlisam msofliosaTvis gaacocxla iohan sebastian baxi, pirvelma idiriJora baxis miviwyebuli urTulesi da genialuri nawarmoebi - ,,vnebebi maTes mixedviT~. misgan dadga ubrwyinvalesi kompozitori, magram mainc ara mocartis masStabisa. samagierod beThoveni, romlis mamac norCi beThovenisagan meore mocartis Seqmnas lamobda, aSkarad Camouvardeboda mocarts, rogorc vunderkindi, magram simwifeSi mocartis SemoqmedebiTi masStabi gaimeora, daiwyo ra axali epoqa musikis istoriaSi. da ai, axla mivadeqiT mocartis meore simbolur mniSvnelobas _ srulyofilebas. musikis istoriam ar icis sxva aseTi figura, romelic 6 wlis asakidan gardacvalebamde unatifesi sazogadoebis yuradRebis centrSia, misi aRfrTovanebis, Surisa da mibaZvis obieqtia. mocartis gardacvalebis Semdegac dRemde gvaocebs misi stilis srulyofileba, sadac mefobs harmonia vertikaluri da horizontaluri xazebisa, formisa da Sinaarsisa, rodesac maTi Tanxvedra absoluturia, anu, forma Sinaarsia da Sinaarsi formaa. stilisturi srulyofileba mocartma RvTaebriv simaRlemde aiyvana. meoce saukunis erT-erTi udidesi musikosi _ pianisti

it was happening by itself. They say that once, a child asked Mozart how he should compose a symphony. “You are too young for now, why wouldn’t you start with a ballad?” – the composer asked. The child answered: “Didn’t you start composing symphonies when you were less than ten years old?”. “Yes – said Mozart, – but I never asked anyone how a symphony should be composed”. He never asked anyone, but was learning from everyone, and without anyone being aware of it. Palestrina and Telemann, Haendel and Bach, Bach’s children – Carl Philipp Emmanuel and Johann Christian, Gluck and Haydn. Their music acted as an incentive for Mozart. When Mozart got coincidentally acquainted with one of Bach’s cantatas, he said – “this is a composer from whom one can learn many things”. The young Mozart was absorbing everything beautiful and progressive so naturally that nobody ever noticed. If he was a wunderkind for his contemporaries, he became the symbol of wunderkinds for the generations that would follow him. “A second Mozart” – this is how they used to call all highly talented children, but only a small part of them stood the test of time, as for those who became artists comparable to Mozart could be counted with the fingers of one hand.

“The Mozart of the 19th century” – this is how they used to call the young Felix Mendelssohn Barthodly. As a wunderkid, he didn’t have anything to envy from Mozart. At eight years of age, he was playing all the eight symphonies composed by Beethoven at the time; when he was 15-16 years old, he created refined masterpieces – an octet and music for Shakespeare’s play ‘Midsummer Night’s Dream’; at 18, he revived Johann Sebastian Bach for the world – he was the first to conduct Bach’s forgotten, very complex and brilliant compositions ‘St. Matthew Passion’. He became a wonderful composer, but still didn’t reach the level of Mozart.

On the other hand, Beethoven, whose father strived for him to become another Mozart, was far behind Mozart as a wunderkind, but in his maturity, he equaled the creative level of Mozart, and started a new era in the history of music.

And now, we have reached the second symbolic significance of Mozart – “mastery”. The history of music has never seen another musician who remained at the center of the most refined societies from six years old until his death, and has been a subject of wonder, jealousy, and imitation. Even after Mozart’s death, and to this day, the mastery of his style makes us marvel, with its vertical and horizontal lines of harmonies, and its form and content – when they combine in perfect harmony, or in other words, when form is content, and when content is form. Mozart brought stylistic mastery to a divine scale.

Pianist Edwin Fischer, of the greatest musicians of the 20th century, once wrote: “Mozart’s music is love itself; just like Shakespeare, he elevated tragedy and has shown it to us as Gods themselves see it, without any burden. Even when expressing tragedy, his music does not leave the frames of beauty.” Let us remember Galaktioni’s epigraph, and how it echoes the Edwin Fischer’s views: “And I’ll tread in the wind like Mozart / With light waves of singing in my heart.”

Mozart’s name is a symbol that transcends music. Évariste Galois – the Mozart of mathematics, José Raul Capablanca – the Mozart of

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edvin fiSeri swerda: `mocartis musika TviT siyvarulia, man, rogorc Seqspirma aRamaRla tragikuli da dagvanaxa isini ise, rogorc xedaven mas RmerTebi, aradamZimebulad. misi musika tragikulis gamoxatvis drosac ki ar gamodis mSvenierebis sazRvrebidan~. gavixsenoT epigrafSi moyvanili sityvebi galaktionisa, rogor exmianebian isini ed. fiSeris Sexedulebas: `da waval qarSi rogorc mocarti, gulSi simReris msubuq zvirTebiT~. mocartis saxeli simboloa ara marto musikosebisTvis. evarist galua _ maTematikis mocarti, xoze raul kapablanka _ Wadrakis mocarti, maradona _ fexburTis mocarti, da a.S... da a.S... swored imis gamo, rom mocarti ganasaxierebs srulyofilebas, misi Sesruleba adekvaturad musikisa saocrad Znelia. aq ibadeba kiTxva, Tu aseTi Znelia mocartis musikis dakvra, ratomaa, rom bavSvebi mocartis musikas ufro advilad ukraven, vidre sxva kompozitorebisas. es kiTxva dausves erT-erT udides musikos-pianists, artur Snabels. man upasuxa: `bavSvebi iseTive gulwrfelni arian, rogoric mocartis musikaa, da radgan TviT bgerebis raodenoba mocartis nawarmoebebSi araa uxvi, bavSvebi axerxeben maT gaJRerebas maTTvis damaxasiaTebeli gulwrfelobiT. xolo profesional pianistebisTvis swored bgerebis es simwire qmnis problemebs, radgan yovel bgeras oqros fasi edebao~. is faqti, rom axalgazrda musikosebs ar uWirT mocartis musikis faqturis daZleva, am musikas Seucvlel masalad aqcevs axalgazrdebis musikosebad Camoyalibebis procesSi, radgan Semsruleblisgan moiTxovs filigranul ostatobas, siRrmisa da ubraloebis Serwymas, amaxvilebs smenas da yovelive amis ganviTarebas saswaulebrivad uwyobs xels. es gza gaiara eliso virsalaZem da didad ganapiroba misi musikaluri individualurobis Camoyalibeba. odesRac haidns uTqvams: `mocarti mimaCnia udides kompozitorad imitom, rom sanimuSo ostatobas flobs da saukeTeso gemovneba aqvso~. es Tvisebebi _ sanimuSo ostatoba da daxvewili gemovneba Camouyaliba mocartma eliso virsalaZesac. rogorc viciT, mocarti hqmnida Tavis Sedevrebs gasaocari bunebrivobiT, arsad ar igrZnoboda Zaldataneba, miT ufro xelovnuroba. mocartsac SeeZlo mis ufros TanamedrovesaviT, genialur goeTesaviT eTqva: `me vmReri, viT mReris frinvelio~. magram am artistulma simsubuqem ar unda Segviyvanos SecdomaSi. marTalia mocarti qmnida musikas im enaze, romelzec swerdnen misi Tanamedroveebi da romelic misi TanamedroveebisaTvis gasagebi iyo, magram maTgan gansxvavebiT, gansakuTrebulad STagonebul wuTebSi is, rogorc WeSmariti genia, qmnida momavlis musikasac. misi rondo la-minorSi winaswarganWrets Sopens [moismineT Sopenis valsi la-minori], mocartis do-minoruli safortepiano

chess, Maradona – the Mozart of football, and so on, and so on…

Precisely because Mozart represents mastery, performing his music properly is incredibly difficult. The following question therefore appears – if it is so difficult to play Mozart’s music, how comes children play his compositions in a much easier way than those of other composers? They actually asked this question to one of the greatest musicians and pianists Arthur Schnabel, who answered: “Children are as sincere as the music of Mozart, and because the number of sounds in Mozart’s compositions is not too great, children manage to express them with adequate sincerity. As for professional pianists, it is precisely this scarcity of sounds that creates problems, because each sound becomes as precious as gold.”

The fact that young musicians do not have a hard time understanding the texture of Mozart’s music, makes the latter an irreplaceable material for the development process of young musicians, because it demands a combination of skills, depth, and simplicity from the performer, sharpens audition, and develops all these aspects dramatically. This is the path that was followed by Eliso Virsaladze, and it played a great role in the establishment of her musical individuality. Once, Haydn said: “I regard Mozart as the greatest composer, because he has exemplary mastery and the most refined taste”. These very qualities – exemplary mastery and the most refined taste – have been transferred from Mozart to Eliso Virzaladze.

As we know, Mozart was creating his masterpieces in a surprisingly natural manner, you couldn’t feel any forced parts or inauthenticity.

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koncerti gzas ukafavs beThovenis mesame safortepiano koncerts. rodesac beThovens mousmenia mocartis dominoruli koncerti, pianist da kompozitor jon baptist kramerisTvis uTqvams: `Cven verasodes davwerT aseT musikaso~. da albaT swored imitom, rom aseTi Sefaseba misca mocarts, beThovenma SesZlo axali ganviTareba mieca safortepiano koncertebisaTvis Tavisi me-4 da me-5 safortepiano koncertebis saxiT. sxvaTaSoris, beThoveni sajarod ar ukravda sxva kompozitorTa musikas, gamonaklisi dauSva mxolod mocartisaTvis, ramdenjerme Seasrula ra mocartis re-minoruli koncerti, romlisTvisac SesaniSnavi kadenciebic SeTxza. saerTod mocartis safortepiano koncertebi gasaocari movlenaa. am Janris SesaZleblobebi man moulodnel, manamde arnaxul simaRleze aiyvana. es Janri SemdgomSi ganaviTares sxva geniosebma, magram mocartis safortepiano koncertebis umravlesobis done da musikaluri xarisxi sanimuSod darCa. mocartis am miRwevas moulodneli vuwode imitom rom, mas Semdeg rac, i. s. baxma SeTxza Tavisi saklaviro koncertebi 1725 wels, naxevari saukunis ganmavlobaSi, mocartamde, ar Seqmnila arcerTi iseTi safortepiano koncerti, romelic gauZlebda dros, aqtualuri iqneboda dResac. da gana marto koncertebi _ simfoniebi, kameruli musika, genialuri operebi. mocartis operebi pirveli nimuSebia am JanrSi, romlebic yvela epoqaSi JReren rogorc axladSeqmnili, Tanadrouli, genialuri da sanimuSo qmnilebebi. da kidev erTi jado _ saocreba _ reqviemi. genialuri reqviemebi SemdgomSi Seqmnes verdim, bramsma, berliozma, magram sworupovari mainc mocartis reqviemia. ratom? aba axseneT nebismier sazogadoebaSi sityva `reqviemi~, da imwuTSive erTxmad iquxebs: m o c a r t i ! mravali didi Semsrulebeli miiCnevs, rom bavSvebisaTvis ase misawvdomi mocartis musika mainc urTulesia Sesasruleblad. dokumentur filmSi `daumorCilebeli rixteri~, didi pianisti ambobs: `ki magram, vin ukravs mocarts marTla kargad? pasuxi araa~! mocartis musika mzis sxivisaviTaa, xelSeuxebia, erTi uxerxuli moZraoba, da sxivi dakargavs Tavis formas. daukra mocarti Rirseulad, e. i. daanaxo yvelas es sxivi da TviTon ki unda darCe CrdilSi, ar unda Cande. unda moaxerxo uZvelesi Cineli filosofosis, lao-Zi-s SegonebiT iaro: `gsurdes, survilis arsurviliT, / imoqmedo, moqmedebis arsurviliT, / dainaxo didi, viTarca patara, / dainaxo bevri, viTarca cota, / dainaxo cudi, viTarca kargi, / miaRwio srulyofilebas ise / rom ar izruno sidiadisTvis, / da amgvarad Seqmni sidiades~. aseT sidiades miaRwia mocartma, simbolom srulyofilebisa. rezo TavaZe agvisto, 2010

Mozart could say, like his older contemporary, the brilliant Goethe: “I sing just as the wild bird sings”. But this artistic lightness should not fool us. If Mozart was creating music in the language used by his contemporaries, and music that was understandable to the latter, unlike them, like the true genius that he is, he was also creating the music of the future when he was particularly inspired. His Rondo in A minor anticipates Chopin (listen to Chopin’s Waltz in A minor), Mozart’s Piano Concerto in C minor paves the way for Beethoven’s Piano Concerto #3. When Beethoven listened to Mozart’s Concerto in C minor, he said to pianist and composer Johann Baptist Cramer: “We will never be able to write such music”. And it is probably because he gave such an appraisal of Mozart that Beethoven managed to develop his 4th and 5th Piano Concertos in a completely new way.

By the way, Beethoven never played the music of other composers in public, and the few times he made exceptions was to perform Mozart’s Concerto in D minor, for which he created wonderful cadences.

In general, Mozart’s piano concertos are always astonishing. He elevated the potential of this genre to unexpected, formerly unseen heights. Later, this genre was developed by other geniuses, but the level of most of Mozart’s piano concertos and music quality remained archetypal. I said that the heights he reached were unexpected because after Johann Sebastian Bach created his keyboard concertos in 1725, for half a century, before the arrival of Mozart on the scene, no piano concerto was created that would stand the test of time and still be of relevance today.

And it’s not only about his concerts – it is the same with his symphonies, chamber music, brilliant operas. Mozart’s operas are the first instances of the genre which sound recently made, modern, brilliant, and can be taken as examples in any epoch.

And another wonder – his requiems. Marvelous requiems were composed afterwards by Verdi, Brahms, Berlioz, but Mozart’s requiem is still unrivaled. Why? Just mention the word “requiem” in any society, and you will hear right away: M o z a r t !

Many great performers feel that Mozart’s music, which is so easy to understand for children, is very hard to play. In a documentary film about him, Sviatoslav Richter says: “Who really plays Mozart well?

There is no answer to that question!”

Mozart’s music is like a sunray, it cannot be grasped, one clumsy movement, and the ray will lose it form. To play Mozart well, you need to show this ray to everybody, all the while staying in the shadow yourself. You have to achieve walking this path as old philosopher Laozi suggested: “Wish without wanting to wish, / Act without doing, / Think of the small as large, / And the few as many. / Confront the difficult / While it is still easy, / Reach accomplishment / Without aiming at greatness; / This is how you will create greatness.”

This is the kind of greatness reached by Mozart, the symbol of accomplishment.

Rezo Tavadze August 2010

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