MODI TO GEORGIA Winter 2013 by Modi to Georgia

SVANETI

სSasuratkhato

THE CHARMING & MYSTERIOUS

The Great Family of Balanchivadze

MTSKHETA

PUBLISHER & FOUNDERS Vladimir Dzhishkariani EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Irine Jordania PROJECT CONCEPT Giorgi Akhalkatsi LAYOUT CONCEPT Levan Asatiani ENGLISH TEXT EDITOR Thea Bakhtadze TRANSLATOR Thea Bakhtadze PHOTO EDITOR Zviad Mosiashvili INVITED MARKETING MANAGER Leli Mirijanashvili DIRECTOR Mikheil Amashukeli AUTHORS : Aka Morchiladze/ Giorgi Kalandia / Salome Guruli/ David Bukhrikidze Irine Jordania / Tamar Amashukeli PHOTOS : Zina Barnovi / National Centre of Manuscri pts/ Buba Kudava Alexsandre Roinishvili / Mariam Janashia

COVER by Sandro Antadze “Winter House”

PARTNERS: PARTNERS:

SPECIAL THANKS TO: The Administration of the President of Georgia / Georgian National Museum / Georgian State Literature Museum / National Centre of Manuscri pts Georgian National Archive / International Union For Conservation of Nature / Department of Tourizm and Resorts of Georgia The Agency of Protected Areas / Ministry of Economy and Sustainable of Georgia / The Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Georgian National Investment Agency / Press-speaker of the President of Georgia Manana Manjgaladze / Tbilisi History State Museum Publisher by: Publishing House ‘MODI’ Italy, Milano, 0481, Via Alba 19 Phone +393342701405 E-mai: infmodi@hotmail.com Copyright by Publishing House ‘MODI’ LTD All rights reserved Printed By: Publishing House ‘MODI’ LTD

jer kidev XII saukuneSi cnobili sparsi poeti xayani Sirvaneli Tavis leqsSi qristian qals qarTulad uxmobs: ‘’moi, moi’’. Sua saukuneebis erT-erTi aRmosavleli poeti ki ambobs: ‘’saqarTveloSi viyavi da sul moi, moi viZaxeo’’. rogorc Cans, yvelaze xSirad stumarTmoyvare qarTvelebisgan enis armcodne mogzaurs swored ‘’modi’’ (Tu misi xalxuri forma ‘’moi’’) esmoda da yvelaze adviladac am sityvas imaxsovrebda. qarTvel kacs ver warmoudgenia rame martom akeTos, vinmes ar Seexmianos, ar dauZaxos, ar moipatiJos, azri ar gauziaros. albaT amitomaa amdeni ‘’modi’’ Cvens saubarSi, saqmeSi, cxovrebaSi. qarTvelebi xom ‘’modiT’’ viwyebT: modi vicekvoT, modi vimReroT, modi vTqvaT, modi gavakeToT, modi avaSenoT, modi davlioT, modi wavideT, modi vibrZoloT, modi vifiqroT, modi davweroT, modi vicocxloT da ase usasrulod... erTxelac saubari albaT ase daiwyo: modi, ’’modi’’ gamovceT...

buba kudava

To Georgia

In one of his poems, the 12th century Persian poet, Khaqaini Sherwani, used the word modi when his lyrical hero was trying to attract the attention of a Christian girl. Centuries ago, foreign visitors used to associate the word modi with Georgians, and the country, as they would often hear Georgians say “modi, modi, modi.” Modi is Georgian for “come” and is the word we use to informally call or invite somebody over, yet the meanings within this word are boundless. “Please come over, come in, have a seat, make yourself comfortable…” It is as if this word reflects why Georgians find it unimaginable to do things on their own and invariably invite others to join in, welcome them into their homes, share their experiences and ideas. More often than not, our discourse starts with modi, indicating that the listener is very much welcome - let’s dance, let’s sing, let’s talk, let’s drink together, let’s go, let’s fight, let’s think, let’s write, let’s live our lives… One conversation might even start with, “Let’s publish Modi!

BUBA KUDAVA

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Content

28. Svaneti THE CHARMING &

MYSTERIOUS Salome Guruli

48.

26. FIVE THINGS By Leli Mirijanashvili

48. THE HOUSE OF JOY

Aka Morchiladze

40.

Ilia

Chavchavadze Levan Gambashidze

26. 54. THE GREAT FAMILY

80. SATAPLIA

OF BALANCHIVADZE David Bukhrikidze

54. 16

To Georgia

A Trip in the Prehistoric Times

Content

18.

A Georgian National Costume

88.

18.

64.

KNUT HAMSUN

88.

SASURATKHATO

114.

PROFESSIONAL PUPPETMAKERS

114. 100.

82.

TRAIN TO HAPPINESS

TRIP TO THE CINEMA

Sandro Antadze

Irine Zhordania

100. Winter

A Georgian

INTRODUCTION

Nat ional Costume At the beginning the woolen cloth was called Chokha, lately clothes made from this fabric was named the same way. The Chokha indicated dresses of both sexes, but finally it referred to a male dress only. Generally, the Chokha is a Caucasian phenomenon and each nation of the region has specific style of the Chokha. Not only that, even a Russian or Cossack model exists. Baron Wrangell, the last leader of the Anti- Bolshevik White Army in Southern Russia, worn the black Chocka with decorative cartridge pouch on both sides of the chest, during the whole Russian civil war, that’s why he was called “ the black Prince”. Wrangell had many imitators; hence, for Europeans the black Chokha subconsciously is associated with Russian White Emigration Movement. In Caucasus the Chohka was introduced from Iran and went through several stages of modification until it received the final original shape. In Georgia it spreads as of 17th century and establishes itself as one of the main features of the national clothing. The Chokha was sewn from Georgian or Dagestan woolen cloth, mostly it is black, dark red or maroon. For celebrations the white Chokha was made from the tight fabric. Traditionally, Caucasian Chokha outfit included Samasres (cartridge pouches) on the chest, the belt with silver decorations and the sword, which was the main attribute of the Chokha. In the late the 19 th century there were four types of Chokha in Georgia: the Kartl-Kakheti Chokha or eastern, the Imereti Chokha or western, the Caucasian chokha, and the Khevsur Chokha. Eastern Georgian Chokha was knee length and cartridge pouches were sewn on both sides of the chest, cartridges were decorated with silver pieces. The Chokha is long or short. The longer version of Chokha was born in the cool regions of Ciscaucus, particularly in Cherkesia and Kabardo. Hence, this type of Chokha was referred to with its Russian name Cherkezka through Ciscaucasia and was mostly popular in the west part of Georgia. And one more detail: Because the Chokha is tight on the waist according to Georgian women’s opinion “a man who still has a waist for the Chokha is in a good physical shape” In this particular type of Chokha, the pockets were sewn on the chest, instead of Samasre and sleeves were widening at the wrist and thus were worn turned up.

To Georgia

INTRODUCTION

Winter

INTRODUCTION

GEORGIA IS THE COUNTRY GEORGIA – HOMELAND OF WINE Georgia has been a winemaking country since the ancient times. It was here that the first grapes were cultivated. The geographical location and a variety of soils of the country create perfect conditions for development of viticulture and winemaking. The history of viticulture in Georgia commences from the IV millennium BC. The grape seeds of the time discovered by the archeologists are the oldest in the world, which makes Georgia the homeland of vine. There is an opinion that the word “wine” (ghvino) (“vin”, “wine”, “vine” etc.) is of the Georgian origin. Out of the two thousand vine species in the world, five hundred are Georgian. Archeologists uncovered the Bronze Age artifacts, such as winepresses, wine cellars, the clay and metal vessels for wine etc. A figure of a man drinking wine, also symbolizing fecundity, dated with IX-VII B.C. was discovered, too. The wine bowls made of gold, silver and bronze decorated with the precious stones and vine ornaments attract plenty of attention. The propagation of Christianity in Georgia is also related to viticulture. St. Nino entered Georgia with the vine cross. Quite a few Georgian temples are decorated with vine ornaments. There used to be primitive wineries in Georgian churches and monasteries, with wine cellars and winepresses remaining to this day. As is known, a wine cellar of the IV century was discovered in Nekresi and the remnants of the winery were found in the monastery complex of Ikalto, too. In the grounds of Alaverdi Cathedral, an ancient wine cellar with forty kvevris (large clay wine vessels) was discovered. The monastery keeps up the tradition of wine making to this day. In Kvareli region, there is a unique wine repository located in the 13.5 km tunnel cut in the rock. The temperature in it is 14-16OC at all times, which is the perfect condition for aging the wine. Here the Georgian brand wines are aged up to this day. Enoteca was a brick construction of the XIX century in Alexander Chavchavadze’s estate (Tsinandali, Kakheti region) distinguished for its historical and architectural properties, which housed a collection of the most valuable wines. The oldest of the drinks in the collection “Polish Honey” is dated with 1814.

INTRODUCTION

OF ANCIENT CULTURE PLIQUE-A-JOUR The art of vitreous enamel known since the ancient times originates from Egypt. It is evident that the first goldsmiths filled grooved golden plates with precious stones and glass. The similar technique is practiced in China as well. The Romans did the same with bronze. In Western Europe, the art of enameling dates back to XII century. The art of vitreous enamel developed simultaneously in Georgia and Byzantium and, therefore, there is a certain disagreement among the scientists about which of the two was the first to launch it. In Georgia, the oldest artifacts of vitreous enamel belong to VIII-IX centuries and in the Middle Ages it truly gained ground. The Georgian vitreous enamel is distinguished from plaque-a-jour of Byzantine and the other countries by its specific colors: a broad spectrum ranging from vin rouge to transparent green. From the XV century, the production of enamel terminated in Georgia and the technology fell into oblivion for a long time. In the XX century, the Georgian vitreous enamel was restored and now once again it is at the at center stage of the contemporary Georgian arts.

CARPETS AND RUGS It is hard to say, where the first carpet or rug was made and in general, where the craft originated from. The scholars suppose that the first carpets and rugs may have been made in Iran, Turkmenistan, Central Asia, Mongolia or China, the so- called â&#x20AC;&#x153;belt of carpet-weavingâ&#x20AC;?. According to the legend, Cleopatra, the famous Egyptian queen appeared Julius Caesar wrapped in a carpet. In the Caucasus and the Middle East, the production of carpets was considered one of significant branches of industry. Carpets and rugs were widespread across the entire social structure. They decorated the palaces and religious cult buildings, too. Initially, the daily use items, such as bags, sacks, saddlebags, tents, etc. were made from coarse thread. Gradually, the carpet making techniques refined into the art in its own right. Interest in and demand for the carpets and rugs increased not only in the East but the West, too and soon their practical purpose became less significant.

The quality of carpets is determined by abundance of colors derived from the natural dyes, as well as the weaving techniques expressed in the number of knots, the innovative patterns and the originality of amalgamation of colors. The location of the country contributed to the development of the Georgian carpet weaving. Most of the oriental carpets were exported to Europe by the transit route via Tbilisi, the center of the Caucasus.

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INTRODUCTION

A BIRD’S EYE VIEW OF THE CITY The Ferris wheel in the Mtatsminda Park is somewhat dwarfed by the TV aerial tower (275 m.), but the modesty of its size is misleading. Absolutely safe and wonderfully comfortable, the observation wheel offers an unforgettable ride in its cabins, which revolve on a 55 m. diameter structure. The somewhat extreme nature of the ride is intensified by the fact that the

mountain ridge with the wheel rises 350 m. above Tbilisi (380 m. and 720 m. above sea level respectively), resulting in a truly stunning view from the cabin at the highest point. Those who suffer from acrophobia or vertigo, however, are not recommended to try the Mtatsminda Park Ferris wheel as it is suited more for people that enjoy intense sensations while getting a bird’s eye view of Tbilisi.

THE TRADITION OF EUROPEANCITIES

SINGING CLOCKS OF TOWN HALLS

The singing clock tradition also exists in Tbilisi. The clock of the Town Hall in Tbilisi plays the tune of Revaz Lagidze’s ‘Tbiliso’, which has long become the anthem of the capital. However, the true lovers of clock music prefer to gather in one of the small streets of Old Tbilisi, where a singing tower was erected in front of the Marionette Theatre. The 22

To Georgia

creator of the tower is Rezo Gabriadze – the theatre’s founder and well-known writer and director. Quite a variety of materials were used for the tower, including traditional Georgian brick, cobblestones and ceramic tiles, hand-painted by Gabriadze. But describing this work of art does it no justice, as the tower must be seen to be truly appreciated.

INTRODUCTION

AN UNPLANNED MUSEUM

Karl Richter, who opened the London Hotel in Tbilisi in 1875, must have been a serious businessman and innovative hotelier. The newspaper adverts of those days talk about a new hotel in the downtown Tbilisi, which was ‘fully supplied with electricity,’ offering its customers ‘all kinds of comforts’ such as: baths, telephones, a reading room and breathtaking views of the park and the Mtkvari river. Because the star-rating system was not introduced until the 1930s, it is difficult to evaluate the London Hotel in modern terms. Nevertheless, Herr Richter’s busi24

To Georgia

ness acumen is clearly illustrated by the fact that the hotel had a garage, though there can’t have been more than half a dozen automobiles in Tbilisi at the time. Apparently, Richter and his daughter Ekaterina (the co-owner) were HR experts as well. One customer left the following episode in his memoirs: “I met the maître d’ and had a conversation with him in French, which turned out to be much better than mine. I asked him what other languages he spoke and he enumerated Georgian, Russian, Armenian, English and German.” Such a high esteem of the

able maître d’hôtel is even more flattering when one considers that the author of the travelogue was Knut Hamsun, the famous Nobel Prize winning Norwegian writer, who visited Tbilisi together with his wife and stayed in the London Hotel. Hamsun’s impressions of Tbilisi became part of his travelogue In Wonderland, which covered his journey to Russia, the Caucasus, Turkey, and other exotic places. After the 1917 Revolution, the hotel was transformed into cheap lodgings, where one could rent rooms by the hour and red lamps were quite common. Later, the

building was handed over to the police force and the wine cellars were turned into detention cells. Traces of the inmates can still be found in the numerous inscriptions etched in the walls. Today, 13 Atoneli Street is an ordinary block of flats. Only few know that a seemingly ordinary façade hides an entrance and reception hall to what was one of the most prestigious hotels of its time. Karl Richter definitely was a conscientious businessman as his building has withstood the turmoil of a turbulent history. The building has actually kept his name

alive, while the owners of other hotels have been lost forever. It can be said that Herr Richter has unintentionally created his own personal museum, quite inadvertently though.

MODI To Georgia

FIVE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT GEORGIA By the Marketing Director National Geograpic Georgia-Leli Mirijanashvili

GEORGIAN PEOPLE AND HOSPITALITY Georgia has a unique, welcoming culture, which explains its world-famoushospitality. There is a saying in Georgia that “the guest is the gift from God”. And you will be surprised by the warmth and genuineness of the hospitality you receive wherever you travel and stay in Georgia.

DIVERSITY Although a small country, you can find here the Caucasus Mountain range, Black Sea coastline, curative climate and mineral waters, national parks and UNESCO Heritage Sites, ancient history, diverse culture and traditions, delicious cuisine, rich wine culture.

MODI To Georgia

ON THE CROSSROADS OF EUROPE AND ASIA

LIFETIME MOMENTS AND UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCES

UNIQUE DESTINATION

Georgia has more to offer than any other country of its size in the world. It is a land of contrasts at the crossroads of East and West, influenced by worlds two biggest cultures over centuries, still remaining its unique spirit.

With so many things to offer in such a small country, here are some of the Experiences to make your trip unforgettable. Walk through Tbilisi’s Old Town and experience the stunning architecture and European café-style culture.

There are things that you can only experience and see in Georgia.

- Home-stay in Ushguli, or camp in one of our National Parks. - Trek through the Caucasus Mountains in summer. - Sample of the local wine at a hundred years old vineyard during a wine tour of Kakheti. - Visit the walled city of Signaghi. - White water raft down our glacier fed rivers. - Discover the Monastery at the fabulous caved city of Vardzia. - Go boating deep underground on our amazing underground cave rivers in Imereti - Ski Europe’s highest mountain range at one of our resorts at Gudauri , Bakuriani or Mestia. And for the true adventure, try heli-skiing - Have a traditional sauna in the hot spring baths in the middle of Tbilisi. - Make new friends at a supra – the traditional Georgian feast. These are just some of the things that will make your time in Georgia some of the best moments of your life.

- First Europeans Remains of a 1.8 million year old hominid were discovered in Georgia There are the oldest links to modern man found outside Africa. - Europe’s most diverse and unspool nature Although only 69,700 square kilometers, Georgia’s biodiversity is immense: subtropical marshes, semi-deserts, lofty alpine meadows and mighty snowy peaks can all be found within a hundred kilometers of each other. There are more than 40 protected areas. So much of it is untouched and unspools. - Europe’s highest settlement Ushguli village in the Svaneti region, at 2,300 meters is the highest settlement in Europe. - Cradle of wine Archaeological research provides evidence of viniculture in Georgia stretching back over 7,000 years, and many believe that Georgia is the birthplace of wine. - One of the oldest Christian countries Georgia was one of the first countries in the world to officially adopt Christianity in AD 337. Combine all this with a Mediterranean climate and the legendary Georgian hospitality and you have a unique travel destination.

Svaneti THE CHARMING & MYSTERIOUS

EVERY PLACE HAS ITS OWN STORY. SVANETI’S STORY IS SHROUD IN LAYERS OF HISTORY INTERTWINED IS SUCH A WAY THAT IT HAS ALTERED TIME. IT IS A PLACE INHABITED BY PEOPLE WHOSE LIVES HAVE BEEN FORGED IN A LONG HISTORY OF THE MOMENT, ENTIRELY ON THEIR OWN TERMS.

MAIN STORY

A Salome Guruli

s soon as you catch your breath and begin to take in the dramatic landscape here on the highest mountain range on the European continent, an overwhelming sensation of timelessness engulfs you. Such is the nature of Ushguli, a numinous land time has forgotten, where the ancient gods of a pagan past embraced early Christianity to create an extraordinary mountain culture inhabited by a people who proudly live in a point in time that cannot be measured in human terms.

FOR CENTURIES SVANETI WAS A PART OF A POLITICAL UNION CREATED ON GEORGIAN TERRITORY: THE KINGDOM OF KOLKHETI, LAZIKA...

Ushguli is a community of four villages: Murkmeli, Chazhashi, Chvibiani and Zhibiani, in the Svaneti region of Georgia and is situated at the foot of Mt. Shkhara (5068m. /16,627ft.), the high-

To Georgia

est peak in the country. The altitude of Ushguli is as high as 2 200m. (7,217ft.) and is considered the highest populated point in Europe. There are two versions to the origin of Ushguli. One claims the name comes from Ushishari Guli - the Brave Heart. Historically, Ushguli was a free community where freedom-loving Svans, an ethnic subgroup of Georgia, lived subservient to no one.

The Greek geographer and philosopher Strabo made the first written account of the Svans, calling them “a mighty people…foremost in courage and power.” According to the second version, Ushguli means “wrong place,” due to its geographical position, isolation and severe conditions, which the Svans have endured for centuries.

Mt.Ushba.

MAIN STORY

ALWAYS REMOTE Svaneti culture is an integral part of Georgian tradition. Svans speak an unwritten language with four dialects and is different than the other Georgian (Kartvelian) languages especially in vocabulary. Archaeological and linguistic data places the history of Svaneti and Ushguli back several millennia. Although Svaneti had been a dependency of the Georgian kingdoms of Colchis and Lazi over the centuries, it went over to the Persians for a period before joining the Kingdom of Abkhazia to form a unified monarchy, which was incorporated into the Kingdom of Georgia. These alliances it did on its own terms as the land was never plundered by foreign invaders. Although Georgia adopted Christianity in the 4th century, it would be 500 years before the first churches would appear in Svaneti. By the 12th century, however, Christianity flourished significantly in Svaneti under during the rule of Queen Tamara, who was as venerated as a goddess by the Svans. The relationship between the political center and Svaneti fluctuated with the tumultuous history of

SVANETIAN DEMOCRACY Communal lifestyle has been a characteristic of the Georgian highlands since ancient times and in Svanetia, community governance was very democratic. The community would hold a general meeting to elect a Makhvshi - the community leader. Community members of both genders at least twenty years old had the right to attend the meeting. The Makhvshi would be a distinguished individual known for his intelligence, reliability, fairness and honesty. He had to be obedient to religious doctrine and a preacher of Christianity, as well as a judge in peaceful times and a military leader in times of war. In very important cases, a united congress of rural communities would be held where decisions were made by majority vote. The convention discussed relevant domestic and foreign problems, complicated neighborly issues, proposals on preparation for

forthcoming battles and defensive strategies, issues related to the construction of churches, fortifications, roads, bridges and other facilities, and each communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s contribution to such public activities. The convention also discussed legal matters and imposed punishments accordingly. The convention was the supreme institution in legal hierarchy and was accountable to no one. Its decisions were final and irrevocable. The last convention in Svaneti was called in 1875 when a mass protest was ordered after the Russian Tsarist government raised taxes. Unfortunately, the well-armed Russian soldiers defeated the Svans in the village of Khalde after six days of continual fighting. The Russians razed Khalde, destroying all eleven towers and every structure, both wooden and stone.The Khalde revolt

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MAIN STORY of the elders would put a pebble on the ground and declare, “let this pebble be a gravestone to whoever tells anybody what’s been said here before the time.”

was the third and the last armed protest between Georgian mountaineers and Russian Tsarist rule. The Makhvshi controlled the population’s use of pastures, meadows and woods and also regulated issues of land redistribution and surveying. He settled all disputes in the community in the presence of four or five witnesses. Elders were not ordinarily chosen or assigned because of their age. Whomever the community considered a reasonable and wise person was often automatically treated as a Makhvshi. They would go to him for advice and he would eventually be called to take part in councils. Being a Makhvshi, means being respected, little more – elders were not paid for their “service.”The Makhvshi was very rigorous but fair in his judgments. Wrongdoers, thieves and those who disgraced the community were condemned and banished. All doors were shut to the exiled. His family would also be refused to mill their grist in the community mill, t enter the church, and send their livestock out with the community herd. In cases of grave crimes, the Makhvshi would call a convention where a decision would be made on banishing the offender,

To Georgia

burning up his house, or sentencing him to death. The number of elders in such councils depended on the severity of the case. Three or four elders were usually enough to make a match or solve a case of a girl’s abduction, while it took about eight elders to deal with cases of injuries in fights, and not less than twelve for a murder case. Before the trial began, each makhvshi had to pledge on an icon, which entailed standing in front of one or several icons of saints and swearing to use “the most of their knowledge and brain to conduct a case in a proper way.” Such an oath was, and still is, the strongest word in Svaneti – the connection to the spiritual world is heavily respected here. Rarely does anybody dare break it. An oath breaker would forfeit the community’s support and become a social exile. In small societies like those in Svaneti, this was worse than death.Verdicts would be decided in private. Elders gathered where they could not be heard, sometimes in a separate house, or even out in the forest. Nobody was supposed to know a verdict until it was announced to the disputing parties. After a verdict was brought in, one

Verdicts were usually reconciliation or reconciliation with material compensation. In the first case, families on both sides of a case would just make up. In the second, they would make up after a certain amount of compensation was paid to the injured party.But such simplicity was in fact rather fanciful. In Svaneti, where society is clan-based, blood feuds could sometimes start from even a minor argument. Two centuries ago people would often get killed for merely claiming that some piece of land was theirs. Land was scarce then, especially on the steep slopes of the Svaneti Mountains. Intentional or involuntary murder was also a reason to seek blood from an adversary. Uncontrolled blood feuds would sometimes continue until an entire family was eliminated. In such situations, a council of elders was a mechanism used to stop the vendetta. Elders say that usually two or three deaths from either side were enough to end a feud. After that, the elders would hold a council to reconcile the warring parties. Even when an offender was punished by the state and imprisoned, the council of elders would still consider his case because the aggrieved family would seek revenge, even after he served his sentence. Reconciling two families was crucial for Svaneti’s closed societies.In one part of Svaneti, like the villages of Adishi, Ipari, Ushguli and Tsvirmi, material compensation was usually part of the settlement. The price of course depended on the complexity of the case. The council of elders in Svaneti seems to have been very similar to the modern jury trial (especially in murder cases, when the minimal number of elders in a jury is twelve). Before delivering a verdict, they collected the facts, questioned both sides and witnesses. Being under the sacred oath, elders were very concerned about making the right decision.

Georgia. When the central government was weak, non-existent or under occupation, Svaneti would often find itself tremendously isolated. However, this isolation also helped to preserve Georgiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cultural heritage, as many church treasures were kept hidden in Svaneti during times of conquest.

the mountainous landscape are unique to the region and are in fact mini fortress-homes, which reflect the traditional nature of a people who were always ready to defend their freedom. Built of stone and mortar with schist roofs during the 9th-12th centuries, these tower-homes are still preserved today, many of which are included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Upper Svaneti. The family and cattle inhabited the ground floor, while the second floor was used for winter storage and the third floor was for defense purposes.

ONE SUCH LEGEND IS ABOUT THE DEVI, OR THE FOREST MAN, WHO BECAME THE ENEMY OF USHGULIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S VIRGIN AND DECIDED TO DROWN HER.

Ushguli under snow.

In terms of remoteness, Ushguli is even isolated from the rest of Svaneti and served as a kind of border bastion marked by a great number of fortresses. The remarkable skyscraping towers that organically merge with

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Seven small churches are preserved in the community of Ushguli. The Church of Lamaria (10th century) is surrounded by a towered fence and crowns the highest Ushguli village of Zhibiani. Lamaria is the name Svans gave to The Virgin and this church is their most revered, covered in frescoes dating back to the 10th to 12th centuries. ‘Lamarioba,’ the local Assumption Day, is marked by a festive celebration at this church every year on August 28.

LAND OF LEGENDS

Part of Svaneti’s remarkable charm is attributed to the uncanny mixture of the Christian faith with elements of the local, pre-Christian pagan beliefs and is evident in the many legends and traditions that are kept alive today.

To Georgia

One such legend is about the Devi, or the forest man, who became the enemy of Ushguli’s Virgin and decided to drown her. He built a dam near Kala, west of Ushguli, in the narrow rocky ravine of the Enguri Gorge, which is now known as ‘Devi’s Nasheni’ (meaning ‘built by Devi’). The Devi wanted to collect the Enguri water in order to submerge the Church of the Virgin. Lamaria sought the help of St. Kvirike of Kala and together they released a gold-horned flock to destroy the wall and thus saved Ushguli’s Church of The Virgin. Outside the Lamaria Church is a large stone bench where locals claim Prince Buta Dadeshkeliani was assassinated. At that time Upper Svaneti was divided into the free, unconquered upper region

Abandoned home Traditional Svan ‘Machubi’ Svan

MAIN STORY

MACHUBI The residential house of a Svan (Machubi) is a big two-storied building. The family lived on the ground floor with their livestock and hay and provisions were stored on the second floor. The house was heated by a hearth in the centre of a large room and was where the family cooked their food. As a rule, a tower was attached to the house. Sometimes a Svan family consisted of up to thirty or even a hundred members. We can still find such huge residential compounds in the Mulakhi community.

For example, a three meter fence surrounds the home of the Kaldani clan. There are two towers (one still in a good condition), a small church with distinctive crosses, icons and sanctuaries. Judging by the ruins there were probably three houses; a three-story and a pair of two-story homes. There was also a threshing-floor, dungeon and secret tunnels connecting the residential area to the outside world. Similar homes can be found in the town of Mestia and the village of Latali.

SVANETI MOUNTAINS Surrounded by 3,000â&#x20AC;&#x201C;5,000 meter peaks, Svaneti is the highest inhabited area in the Caucasus. Four of the 10 highest peaks of the Caucasus are located in the region. The highest mountain in Georgia, Mount Shkhara at 5,201 meters (17,059 feet), is located in the province. Prominent peaks include Tetnuldi (4,974m./16,319ft.), Shota Rustaveli (4,960m./16,273ft.), Mt. Ushba (4,710m./15,453ft.), Ailama (4,525m./14,842ft.), as well as Lalveri, Latsga and others.

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MAIN STORY

called Bali, and the lower region was subject to the Dadeshkelianis. The people of Ushguli did not want one person to be responsible for Buta’s assassination so they collected gunpowder grains from everyone and made one bullet. They then fixed a long rope to the trigger of a rifle, which everybody in the village pulled, thus collectively firing the murder weapon. Below the Church of Lamaria, at the edge of the village Zhibiani, there is a small chapel called ‘Jgragi,’ built in honor of St. George. In Svaneti, St. George appropriated a pagan deity’s role as protector of hunters.

To Georgia

The village of Chazhashi is situated at the junction of the Enguri and its tributary Shavtskala. Chazhashi is remarkable for its numerous towers and old dwellings, revealing a unique integration of nature and architecture. Because of this distinctive synthesis of nature, architecture and construction, the Chazhashi complex was made into museum-preserve and has been on the UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996.

OUTSIDE THE LAMARIA CHURCH IS A LARGE STONE BENCH WHERE LOCALS CLAIM PRINCE BUTA DADESHKELIANI WAS ASSASSINATED

When locals went hunting, they asked St. George to protect and help them. Afterwards, they would offer the game’s heart, liver, as well as male aurochs and chamois heads and horns to the church.

CHAZHASHI

The Savior’s Church is in the center of Chazhashi and is built of schist and plastered with a painted façade, which is rarely encountered in other Georgian regions. On the southern façade of the church, is a painted secular scene from the 17th century depicting the heroic epic, ‘Amiran- Darejaniani.’ Having epic and heroic scenes depicted on Christian churches is a custom particular to Svaneti, especially Ushguli.

Mestia, Svaneti Lamaria Church

MAIN STORY

SVAN TOWERS Svan Towers are the symbol of Svanetia. Nowhere else in the world is there an architectural equivalent to these exceptional defensive structures that date back to the early Middle Ages. Historically, each house had a tower as protection against enemies and natural disasters. Besides serving as a refuge in cases of war, the towers were also used as sentry posts to warn the rest of the community of encroaching danger by lighting a fire on top of the tower. The signal would then be passed from tower to tower until the entire valley was lit and instantly ready to fight. All Svan towers look absolutely identical - a square (5 Ń&#x2026; 5m) tapered stone structure 25 m tall. Each tower has four or five levels with windows at the crown. The massive diameter of the tower base made it sturdy enough to withstand earthquakes. Most Svan towers (several dozens) can be found in Mestia and Ushguli. The youngest one is at least two hundred years old.

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MAIN STORY

ARTISTIC LEGACY

All seven churches of Ushguli were decorated with a great number of frescoes, painted icons and crosses. Over the centuries various artifacts and treasures from different parts of Georgia and other countries were donated to them. These treasures are now kept in the Museum of Ushguli, under the direction of Svaneti’s Museum of History and Ethnography and the National Museum of Georgia located in Chazhashi’s tower-house. Svan polyphonic songs and dances are renown for their distinct style and instrumentation reflecting the bold and fierce nature of the Svans. The Chunuri is a spiked bowed lute with horsehair

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strings and is considered the national instrument of Svaneti, which is believed to have spread in the other regions of Georgia from there. Few places in the world can compare to the majesty that is Ushguli, so rich in astounding beauty and ancient mountain culture. It seems a kind of paradox that in a place where time seems to have stopped, not a single day looks like the next. One can rarely find any place where fundamental attitudes, such as God-Nature-Man are so powerfully expressed as they are in this enchanting part of Georgia. Ushguli – as enchanting as it is mysterious

Fresco in “Chajashi” church, 19 th cent.

Making Georgia

Ilia Chavchavadze Levan Gambashidze Ilia Chavchavadze Photo by Aleksandre Roinashvili

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very city in Georgia has a street that bears his name. Statues of him are scattered all across the country. One of Georgiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s main universites is named after him. His image is as much of a state symbol as the St. George flag and he is so revered as Father of the Fatherland that he was even canonized as Saint Ilia the Righteous by the Georgian Orthodox Church in 1987. This man, regarded as one of the founding fathers of modern Georgia was neither king, prophet nor politician but was the writer, poet, journalist and lawyer, Ilia Chavchavadze.

Born in 1837 in Kvareli, in the eastern province of Kakheti, Ilia was born a prince to a noble line that went back to 1726, when King Constantine II granted the family the rank in recognition of valor to the nation. Iliaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s great grandfather was knighted after he defeated an army of 20,000 Persians in Kvareli in 1755. This was a time when Georgia was continually under siege by southern invaders, so in an attempt to bring stability to region, Georgia and Russia signed the Treaty of Georgievsk on July 24, 1783, which made Georgia a protectorate of Russia. This, however, had unexpected repercussions of its own.

Inspired by the growing popularity of liberal thought throughout Europe in the late 19th century, Ilia Chavchavadze used his talents and influence to initiate an awakening of the Georgian national consciousness, an endeavor that likely cost him his life.

First, Russia failed to live up to its commitment to protect Georgia and refused to come to its aid during the Russo-Turkish War in 1787. Tbilisi was destroyed and the population massacred. Then, by the first half of the 19th century, Georgia had lost its sovereignty and was an administrative prov

Making Georgia

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Making Georgia

To Georgia

Making Georgia

Ilia Chavchavadze playing chess with Vasil Machabeli, St. Petersburg, 1873

ince of the Russian Empire. Not only had Georgia lost its political independence, but the Georgian Orthodox Church also lost its autocephaly. Georgian language was banned from secondary schools and Russian became the language of instruction. Moreover, the word ‘Georgia’ was forbidden as the notion itself practically didn’t exist. Instead, there were the provinces of Tbilisi and Kutaisi while all major decisions were made in the Russian capital. With the memories of independence still fresh, several uprisings took place in various parts of Georgia, but were brutally put down. Within time, the Georgian nobility reconciled to their fate and extended their loyalty to the Czar by serving in the army and accepting various positions in the vast Empire.

After finishing the Classic School in Tbilisi, Ilia Chachavadze studied Law at Petersburg University and returned to Georgia in 1861 and joined the ranks of this dynamic generation. By the time Ilia returned to Georgia, he was already a mature poet and writer. However, his earlier poems and stories hold a particular place in the hearts of Georgian readers, as his aspiration and covert desire to see the awakening of his nation’s pride were already traceable. In his student years he was a prolific translator as well, translating Schiller, Heine, Byron, Pushkin and many other poets. Later, together with Ivane Machabeli, another Tergdaleuli, he translated Shakespeare’s King Lear, which was published in 1877.

THE MOST AFFORDABLE UNIVERSITY FOR YOUNG GEORGIANS WAS IN ST. PETERSBURG. BECAUSE THESE STUDENTS HAD TO CROSS THE TERGI RIVER, ON GEORGIANRUSSIAN BORDER, THEY WERE CALLED TERGDALEULI (WHICH LITERALLY MEANS: ‘HAVING DRUNK FROM THE RIVER TERGI’). ILIA CHAVCHAVADZE BELONGED TO THIS GENERATION

By the end of the 19th century, however, a new, radically-minded generation emerged that had been educated abroad and were driven by the desire to introduce social changes. At the time, the most affordable university for young Georgians was in St. Petersburg. Because these students had to cross the Tergi river on the Georgian-Russian border, they were called Tergdaleuli (literally: ‘having drunk from the river Tergi’). Ilia Chavchavadze belonged to this generation.

Petersburg education was European in its essence. Ilia was exposed to contemporary ideas on liberty, equality and independence, which he eventually attempted to introduce in Georgia. In one of his most well-known epic poems, The Ghost, he mentions ‘brotherhood, unity, freedom,’ which recalls the motto of the French Revolution and is evidence that Ilia believed in European values. But to introduce a new political system and change the national mindset, his generation resolved to discard the example of the

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Making Georgia

Russian Empire and followed the European model instead. By adopting European fashion instead of traditional dress, the Tergdaleuli made it very clear they represented change, a view not everybody in Georgia was ready to embrace. Ilia often butted heads with the older and younger generations, opposing their complacency. The Tergdaleuli generation had specific ideas about how to strengthen Georgia as a state. They might not have initially considered seceding from the Russian Empire, yet they felt an acute need to make certain decisions independent of Moscow. One of the priorities of their project was to revive the Georgian language, which was seen as the cornerstone of national identity. For this reason they established ‘The Society of Propagation of Literacy among Georgians,’ to influence the educational sphere. Their ultimate goal was to re-introduce Georgian language into secondary schools and make education accessible and affordable. The Society catered to needy students by providing stipends, rendered financial help to students abroad and built new schools. Founded in 1879, the Society was headed by Dimitri Kipiani, an eminent public figure, while Ilia Chavchavadze became his deputy. In 1885 Ilia was appointed Head, a position he held until his death.

Besides confronting educational issues and spreading literacy, Chavchavadze also supported a highly significant reform to remove several letters from the Georgian alphabet. The young generation thought these letters represented sounds that weren’t used in Georgian any more and were therefore redundant. The reform was violently opposed by the older generation, who saw the change as too radical. The older script might have looked more exotic and traditional, but the younger generation didn’t think it had the flexibility required in the modern times.

BY ADOPTING EUROPEAN FASHION INSTEAD OF TRADITIONAL DRESS, THE TERGDALEULI MADE IT VERY CLEAR THEY REPRESENTED CHANGE, A VIEW NOT EVERYBODY IN GEORGIA WAS READY TO EMBRACE. ILIA OFTEN BUTTED HEADS WITH THE OLDER AND YOUNGER GENERATIONS, OPPOSING THEIR COMPLACENCY

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Another battle between the generations was caused by the attempt to abolish high-brow writing style. The young generation wished to introduce language that would be familiar and understandable not only for the educated nobility, but for the wider public. To achieve this aim they utilized schools and the press, which turned out to be highly effective. Ilia Chavchavadze founded The Herald of Georgia (Sakartvelos Moambe) journal in 1863, which was a rather bold step considering that the concept of country had been banned from use. Nevertheless, he continued to print and by 1877 had expanded by publishing the newspaper Iveria. It was through this mouthpiece that he and his allies disseminated ideas previously unheard of in Geor

Students of the Petersburg University, 1861. Standing (from the left) Al.(Kokhta) Apkhazi, M. Chikvaidze; sitting: (from the left) L. “Shakro” Magalashvili, I. Chavchavadze, N. Aleksi-Meskhishvili, G. Kazbegi;Beloi Ilia Chavchavadze with a group of young people, 1850s. (Ilia, third from left) Ilia Chavachavadze with his wife, Olga Guramishvili “Iveria” editorial office in Tbilisi, on Nikoloz st. Olga Guramishvilisimilit ommo

Making Georgia

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Making Georgia

gia. Their objective was to reach as many readers as possible until the day would come when their ideas would be put to practice. The fact these publications existed at all was quite remarkable because they were instrumental in establishing a new culture and dialogue between various social groups. Apart from modernizing the educational sphere and developing journalism, Ilia Chavchavadze was also active in other public causes. In 1875 he became the acting head of the Nobility Estate Bank, which actually operated as a national bank. It supported educational reforms initiated by the Tergdaleuli along with other progressive projects. In this respect, Ilia Chavchavadze proved to be a skilful manager, and ran the bank for many years. Considering his authority on forming public opinion and transforming the social atmosphere, it is only logical to assume that Ilia Chavchavadze had some sort of influence on the country’s political life. In 1906, he was elected into the State Council of Russia, where he allied himself with the Russian liberals. On August 28th 1907, Ilia Chavchavadze was returning to his countryside house with his wife when his carriage was ambushed by six armed men “What are you doing? I’m Ilia!” he said in his dying breath. One account has an attacker respond by saying, “That’s why you’ve been killed!” The crime was never solved. Soviet authorities blamed the Tsarist secret police, while a more recent investigation charges it was a joint operation by the Social Democrats as a response to Ilia’s condemnation of their violent terrorist ways, his socially conservative vision for Georgian nationalism, and his tremendous popularity among the public. What is for certain is that no other Georgian in modern history has been more responsible for reviving the concept of the Georgian nation than this poet and prince

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iWavWavaZe lia ar arsebobs qveyana, romelsac mxolod erTi poeti, erTi mwerali an erTi gamoCenili sazogado moRvawe hyavs. nebismieri qveynis istoria mravali aseTi pirovnebis Sesaxeb mogviTxrobs, magram, miuxedavad amisa, yovelTvis erTeulebi aRiqmebian ama Tu im qveynis saxed. germaniisTvis, magaliTad, aseTad goeTe SeiZleba moviazroT. inglisze fiqrisas, albaT, pirvel rigSi, Seqspiri gvaxsendeba. Tanamedrove saqarTveloSi ki erT-erTi aseTi pirovneba ilia WavWavaZea(1837-1907). SeuZlebelia, Cvens qveyanaSi stumrad myofi adamiani, adre Tu gvian, ar Sexvdes am saxelsa da gvars. saqarTvelos TiTqmis yvela did qalaqSi centraluri quCa mis saxels atarebs; mravlad aris ilias qandakebebic; arsebobs misi saxelobis universiteti; SeiZleba vTqvaT, rom ilias portreti saxelmwifo simbolikasac ki utoldeba, xSirad, prezidentis Tu sxva maRali rangis politikosebis fonze, swored ilias portreti Cans. miuxedavad imisa, rom igi saukunis win cxovrobda, ilia dResac qveynis ganviTarebis simbolod aRiqmeba.

JUST SO STORIES

Aka Morchiladze Medieval Tbilisi was truly a specific kind of magnificence. There were of course many other cities in the Near East; larger, wealthier and more famous, in a political and eternal sense. While these were cities on a grand scale, Tbilisi had a particular individuality and unbeatable character not found anywhere else. It was known as ‘The House of Joy,’ a moniker that didn’t originate from the local imagination, but was how the foreigners used to refer to Tbilisi. Politically more chaotic than organized, seemingly accustomed to frequent changes of garrisons and razed to the ground several times, Tbilisi still retained a faithfulness to itself, enjoying both its political and mighty trade function. Throughout its

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long history, the city’s importance fluctuated quite frequently. It had seen and lived through everything a Medieval city could experience. At one point it was an independent city-state, while at another it was the capital of a powerful country and yet at another time it was a defeated military stronghold. And all the while, there was something invariable about the city, a never-changing element which ensured its lasting history. The word ‘tbili’ means ‘warm’ in Georgian, somehow indicating that the place where the city was built had to be warm, but not necessarily in the sense of its climate. The legend of how the city was founded sounds less myth-like than it does plausible. One day King

”Maidani” (Old Town), sketch by G. Gagarin, 19th cent.

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JUST SO STORIES Vakhtang Gorgasali, one of the greatest figures of Georgian history, was hunting in a dense forest on the banks of the Mtkvari river. He set his falcon onto a wounded pheasant, but the trained bird of prey failed to return – the King found both the retriever and prey in a warm spring. As legend has it, it was the warm spring that drew the King’s attention. Vakhtang Gorgasali was noted for building cities, so naturally he wouldn’t have ignored such an interesting place. The spring spurted warm sulphur water, but little was known of its chemical nature at that time – warm water with curative properties was a miracle in itself. The King ordered the forest cut down and selected a suitable place to build a fort. He didn’t live to see it completed, but his son and heir, Dachi Ujarmeli, saw the building through and moved the capital from Mtskheta to Tbilisi in the 5th century A.D. Needless to say, it wasn’t only the warm spring that inspired the kings. Both Vakhtang and Dachi appreciated the advantageous strategic potential of the place, as others would too. The following centuries would see Tbilisi an Arab emirate, the capital of Georgia again, the centre of a Persian province, home of a Turkish garrison, the capital of Georgia once again, the main Caucasian city of the Russian Empire and back into the Georgian capital. Baths were built exactly where King Vakhtang discovered the warm spring and they would identify the heart of the city throughout the centuries where they remain today. Not particularly noteworthy at first sight, these sulfur baths have become one of the major symbols of Tbilisi’s longevity. The baths weren’t simply warm or just known for their curative and inexplicable properties. They served as an attraction for visitors of the city, not just for washing the dust off. Built along Persian traditions, the baths of Tbilisi became a world in their own right; an entirely complex industry, complete with its own traditions and magic charm. Unlike their Persian analogues, the water in Tbilisi baths didn’t need to be heated. Moreover, they were marked with a local distinction: an unhurried, leisurely attitude mixed with cheerfulness, so typical of Tbilisi. For foreign visitors the baths are a small, unexpected miracle they can discover under the hilly city streets. Russian poet Alexander Pushkin said he had never seen anything so luxurious in his life, while it took French writer Alexandre Dumas some time to come to his senses after the surprise of discovering them.

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Bronze buckle with a rider from a warrior’s grave at the Treli cemetery (13th c. BC). Bull-shaped wine vessel from the “Royal Grave” at the Treli cemetery (8th -7th c. BC).

Georgia’s capital of Tbilisi has a history of continuous habitation that goes back more than 6,000 years. Today over 250 archeological sites exist in and around Tbilisi, which can be explained by the unique location of the city and its environs. Since ancient times, Tbilisi has been the center of trade routes that criss-crossed east to west and north to south, connecting Asia to Europe. Vakhtang I “Gorgasali” (439 or 443 — 502) of the Chosroid dynasty, the king of Iberia, natively known as Kartli (eastern Georgia), ascended the throne at the age of fifteen. At that time Kartli was continually being invaded by the Persians from the south and Ossetians from the north. The situation was no better in western Georgia where the Byzantines had captured all the lands from Egrisi to Tsikhegoji. King Vakhtang led a victorious campaign against the Ossetians, freed the captive princess (his older sister), and signed several treaties with Caucasian mountain tribes to secure their cooperation in the struggle against foreign conquerors. He liberated western Georgia from the Byzantines, reinforced the authority of King Gubaz, and returned in triumph to Kartli. It was said King Vakhtang was tireless in battle. Legend has it that while vested in armor and fully armed, he could carry a war-horse on his shoulders and climb from Mtskheta to the Armazi Fortress in the mountains outside the city. On the crown of Vakhtang’s military helmet a wolf was depicted on the front and a lion on the back. Upon catching a glimpse of the helmet, the Persians would cry out ,“Dar’ az gurgsar!” (“Beware of the wolf ‘s head!”). This was the source of the king’s appellation “Gorgasali.” King Vakhtang built fortresses in Tukhari, Artanuji, and Akhiza, founded monasteries in Klarjeti at Artanuji, Mere, Shindobi, and Akhiza, and established many other strongholds, churches, and monasteries too. In the year 502, the sixty-year-old king was obliged to defend his country for the last time. In a battle with the Persians he was fatally wounded when a poisoned arrow pierced him under the arm. All of Georgia mourned King Vakhtang’s death. His body was moved from the royal residence in Ujarma to the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral in Mtskheta, which he had built, and was buried with great honor.

saxli sixarulisa es didi fufuneba iyo, Sua saukuneebSi rom TbilisSi moxvidodi. `saxli sixarulisa~: es iyo Tbilisis metsaxeli im Zvel dros da es metsaxeli Tbilisuri gonebis nayofi ar iyo, mas ufro ucxoelebi moixmardnen xolme. politikurad ufro areuli, vidre dalagebuli, garnizonTa xSir cvlilebas TiTqos miCveuli, ramdenjerme pirwmindad gadamwvari mtrebis mier, Tbilisi mainc rCeboda mudmiv samyarod, romelsac politikuris garda, Zlieri savaWro funqciebic hqonda. es qalaqi xSirad icvlida mniSvnelobas Tavisi xangrZlivi istoriis manZilze da yvelaferi gamovlili hqonda, yvelaferi, rac SeiZleba gamoiaros Sua saukuneebis qalaqma, romelic damoukidebeli saxelmwifo erTeulic yofila, Zlevamosili qveynis dedaqalaqic da damcrobili samxedro fortic. magram, arsebobda raRac mudmivoba, rac arasdros Secvlila da ris garSemoc Seiqmna Tbilisi. sityva warm qarTulad Tbils niSnavs, rac TiTqos imas unda gulisxmobdes, rom adgili, sadac es qalaqi aSenda, Tbili iyo. The city is unimaginable without the baths. There were times when they determined the rhythm, routine, celebrations and lifestyle of Tbilisi. Hundreds of stories - fact and fiction - circulated in the Orient about the mysterious powers of the baths; mostly all tall tales. Agha Mohammad Khan, the shah of Persia, even believed the mystic waters could cure his impotency and immediately after taking Tbilisi, he headed for the baths. But when these waters failed him, he razed the entire city. No matter how frequently Tbilisi was set on fire by invaders, nothing ever happened to the baths since water doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t burn. It is as if the eternalness of the city lies in the perpetuation of this mysterious water that seemed to attract everyone as soon as they heard about it. Perhaps the true power of this water is that whoever takes a plunge, whether friend or foe, will never be able to forget Tbilisi

Tbilisis daarsebis legenda albaT sulac ar aris legenda, aramed namdvili ambavi. mdinare mtkvris xeobaSi, gauval tyeebSi nadirobda, saqarTvelos istoriis udidesi personaJi, mefe vaxtang gorgasali. man dageSili qori daadevna daWril xoxobs, romelmac nanadirevi ukan ver moutana: mefem xoxobica da qoric Tbili wylis nakadulSi ipova. rogorc amboben, swored es nakaduli Seiqmna mizezi imisa, rom mefe am adgiliT dainteresda, tyis gakafva da cixis asaSeneblad adgilis SerCeva brZana. Tbilisis cixis dasrulebas is veRar moeswro, magram misma vaJma, rati ujarmelma ki moaTava mSenebloba da Tavisi dedaqalaqi mcxeTidan TbilisSi gadmoitana. Tbilisi, Metekhi Church

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THE SAGA OF THE BALANCHIVADZES

LA VITA COME ARTE

The Great Family of Balanchivadze

David Bukhrikidze

George Balanchine From archives of Tbilisi Z. Palishvili Opera and Ballet State Theater.

ne Georgian writer says that great men are lost without a monument; we’d like to add that so are the great people of art and Nicko Pirosmani could represent a good example of that. Nevertheless, in a century of total information, personal code and a vast number of web-sites, the number of those “lost without a monument” is significantly reduced. The existence of the ‘white spots’ in the past was determined by the fact that the epoch, pressed by the no information era, destined an artist for oblivion. But only for a while...

Among the three children of the composer Meliton Balanchivadze –Tamar, Giorgi and Andria, Giorgi or George Balanchivadze is the most remarkable. The famous choreographer moved to Europe from St Petersburg school of Choreography together with Diagilev’s troupe in the

In the twentieth century the family of Balanchiveadzes, blessed with artistic talent are a clear example of interchanging success, oblivion and glory. In the second half of the nineteenth century, Anton Balanchivadze, born in the village Banoja, the parson of the Church of Peter and Paul, could never have imagined that he would have started the great family, which gave a number of talented artists to his motherland and made his name famous.

Meliton’s younger son Andria is one of the most talented performers of contemporary Georgian music: He was the composer of the first Georgian ballet “The Heart of the Mountains”, which was staged in the 1930s. He taught a whole generation of Georgian composers and his works were very successful all across the Soviet Union.

Both of Anton’s sons, Meliton and Vaso, earned a noble place in the history of art: Meliton Balanchivadze is the founder of Georgian professional music together with Zakharia Paliashvili and Dimitri Arakishvili while Vasili was a remarkable representative of the Georgian theatrical culture. Both of the brothers were awarded the title of ‘Georgia’s Peoples’ Artist’ in Stalin’s time, though they were never proud of this fact, neither were they friendly with the party elite.

1920s. Later, he went to the USA, where he carried out his experiments in ballet. They were eventually qualified as masterpieces, therefore he is justly considered the founder of American choreography. He was the greatest reformer of the twentieth century Neoclassical Ballet.

The elder sister of Giorgi and Andria, Tamar Balanchivadze was undoubtedly artistically gifted and was a talented and original painter. Sadly, she unexpectedly passed away during the Second World War. Andria Balanchivadze’s children were also people of art: a dancer in the Tbilisi Opera and Ballet soloist Tsiskar Balanchivadze and the talented musician Jarji Balanchivadze. We shall now regale the saga of the Balanchivadzes in more detail.

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LA VITA COME ARTE

Meliton Balanchivadze Meliton Balanchivadze, the founder of Georgian opera, composer and public figure became known to Georgian music lovers as early as the nineteenth century, when the young baritone successfully performed several arias on the stage of the Tbilisi Opera Theatre. Later he formed an ethnographic choir and toured in different towns of Georgia. In the 1890s, he moved to St Petersburg, where he took classes in vocal art. Thereafter, he took up composition classes from the great Russian composer Nikolay Rimski-Korsakov. At the same time he formed a choir of esteemed musicians and arranged concerts in Moscow and St. Petersburg, propagating Georgian folk music.The Georgian composer’s family was poor and the rector of the conservatoire and the famous composer Anton

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Rubinstein presented him with a grand piano, which Meliton brought to Georgia when he returned to his motherland. In 1912 in Russia, the fragments from his first opera “The Cunning Tamar” were performed. In spite of his intense concert activity, he still longed to return to his motherland.

Meliton Balanchivadze From family archive

After the revolution he returned to Georgia and started actively working. In 1926, the premiere of his opera “The Cunning Tamar” was performed in Tbilisi for the first time. It marked a great event in the history of Georgian music. In summary, besides his wonderful musical and pedagogical work, he left behind a marvelous heritage for Georgian arts.

Andria Balanchivadze Andria Balanchivadze was born in St Petersburg. It was clear that his father and the musical circle influenced his childhood as his talent in musical composition came to the fore at an early age.

Many famous people used to gather in Andria Balanchvadze’s house. At that time, probably all the famous people of the art world witnessed the unusual duet of the famous Georgian poet Galaktion Tabidze and Andria Balanchvadze: with great dramatic inspiration Galaktion recited “Mary”, accompanied by Massenet’s “Elegy”. This dynamic performance went round the whole of Georgia and was a great success.

His path was chosen from the very beginning. In the 1930s he wrote music for the first Georgian ballet “The Heart of the Mountains”, which was a significant event: the choreographer was Vakhtang Chabukiani, the painter- Soliko Virsaladze, and the conductor Evgeni Mikeladze. He composed a lot of music pieces for films, worked in the theater and was the favorite composer of Kote Marjanishvili.

Andria Balanchivadze From family archive

Andria used to say that Galaktion’s vibrant voice always put him in the right mood. Andrea’s wife Pinna was a no less interesting person, who did much to develop their children’s talent, especially Jarji’s.

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LA VITA COME ARTE

Giorgi (George) Balanchivadze In 1918, Meliton Balanchvadze and his family were summoned to Georgia, as he was supposed to restore a music school in Kutaisi. At first, the family stayed in St Petersburg, though due to neediness they all had to leave except their elder son Giorgi, 13 at that time, who studied in the ballet school of St Petersburg. If Giorgi had been made to return to Georgia he would have had to give up studying. Therefore, being fanatically in love with ballet, George preferred to stay. This choice proved to be painful, as Andria and George parted in the spring of 1918 and only 44 years later were they able to meet again. “It took us almost a month and a half to come here. Then we sneaked up on board the ship in Sebastopol and could hardly reach Poti and then Tbilisi from there.” – writes Andria Balanchivadze in his memoirs. While Meliton’s family was busy with music and other things in Kutaisi, the political situation in St Petersburg became very complicated. In 1923, Giorgi went on a tour of Europe together with the ballet company. He fell ill with tuberculoses and had to leave for Switzerland to receive treatment. He was unable to return to Russia on time and soon he received a letter, informing him about the civil war. So he decided to stay in France.

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George Balanchine From archives of Tbilisi Z. Palishvili Opera and Ballet State Theater.

At first he found it hard to get used to his life in emigration. Two years later, an American producer saw him on stage and invited him to New York. From this period on, Giorgi Balanchivadze’s, or rather, George Balanchine’s road to glory started. (Diagilev, a clever and well-educated man in matters of art, advised him to take up this name, as it was shorter and sounded more European). Initially, he worked in small theaters and earned a modest pay. After gaining good experience he realized that it was necessary to find wealthy producers and sponsors to fulfill his ambitions. One of his acquaintances presented him to Rockefeller, who allotted a big sum to him and thereafter he enjoyed wonderful working conditions. In the 1930-40s, George founded his own Ballet studio, where he created his famous abstract choreographic opuses. George Balanchine’s fame and glory are connected with the merging of choreographic polyphony and generalized concept with the geometric forms, very unusual at that time. It might have been an in-depth response to Georgian polyphonic music and folk dance forms. This is a widely held theory, critics and experts share this idea, all those ones, who have seen Balanchine’s Ballet and Georgian folk dances.

LA VITA COME ARTE

A Long Time Later In May of 1962, Andria and Giorgi Balanchivadzes met in Moscow Airport 44 years since their previous meeting. It could have served as an example of abolishing the ideological barrier, as Khrushchov’s “Ottepel” (“Melting”) was gaining strength. Balanchine’s career as a dancer failed due to physical problems with his leg but he became a great choreographer. As for Andria, he was already a widely revered composer. Everybody realized that it was a very special meeting after a long time apart, in the alienated space, in Moscow airport. This meeting could have become the main subject of any epic novel, best-seller or Hollywood film, though in the Soviet Union it was still forbidden due to Balanchine’s work and his fame. This meeting has been preserved only on the shabby pages of American and European magazines. It is a pity that in Georgia not a single writer had the desire to describe the saga of the Balanchivadzes in the dramatic context of our country’s recent history. In his public interviews Balanchine spoke about his ballet and those innumerable women, who often left him in a strange manner: “I am madly in love with women, but they were constantly jealous and left me for this reason. Nevertheless I always tried to make their lives beautiful. The women used to become much more beautiful in my hands!” He arrived in Georgia for the second time 10 years later. He visited his native Kutaisi and his father’s grave. Delighted by Georgian dance and music, he decided to stage a ballet based on his brother’s music, but the choreographer’s great dream did not come true. George Balanchin died in New York in 1983. According to his will all his property was given to the ballerinas of his own company. As for the ballet company, it bears George Balanchine’s name. Balanchine was truly international - A Georgian by birth, a native of St Petersburg in education and an American in his work and life

To Georgia

IN SEARCH OF GEORGIAN WONDERS

Knut Hamsun

T R AV E L L I N G I N W O N D E R L A N D MANY EUROPEAN WRITERS OR ARTISTS WERE ATTRACTED BY DISTANT LANDS OF CAUCASUS. BY THE TIME THE GREAT WRITER KNUT HAMSUN, A NORWEGIAN AUTHOR AND NOBEL LAUREATE IN 1920, DECIDED TO TRAVEL THROUGH RUSSIA TO CAUCASUS IN 1899, HIS FAMOUS LITERARY WORKS: “HUNGER” AND “MYSTERIES” HAD BEEN ALREADY PUBLISHED: “ IT IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT WORLD MORE ATTRACTIVE PEOPLE , MUCH MORE RED WINE, HIGHER MOUNTAINS AND I BELIEVE THAT COD RESIDES IN KAZBEGI! THE WRITER WROTE ABOUT CAUCASUS AFTER RETURNING HOME…”

In Wonderland The writer dedicated his two works to the theme of Caucasus - “ In wonderland” and” The Queen Tamar”. The premiere took place in 1904 at the National Theatre in Oslo. The critics characterize Knut Hamsun’s “ In Wonderland” as documental prose of his journey through Russia and Caucasus and emphasize that it is the most subjective, travel records in Scandinavian literary history. The author returned to this genre only once, after a long pause, after being declared as mentally dysfunctional, in his last work “On Overgrown Paths”. “This country is not like any other countries seen. I am thinking again that I can live here all my life. Moon and Sun are shining and as if they have a rivalry. Here, a human is belittled by the beauty of the nature. Even the natives of this country, who watch this beauty every day, cannot hide their admiration. A Caucasian has no idea about New York’s stock market, about the stock price and its fluctuation. Caucasian life does not look like a horse race, a Caucasian lives slowly, eats mutton and fruits…”

Unlike the famous travelers, Knut Hamsun does not reveal his identity and in special cases uses his Finnish friend’s visiting card. The author’s companion is his wife Berglijot Gopfert (nee Bech) during this journey, who is mentioned by him as “his Missis”. Later on, after a long, heavy journey, the famous writer stays in Tbilisi. “My hotel “London” is indicated by a star, there are 170 thousand inhabitants in Tiflis and the number of men is two times more than women. You can hear speeches in seventy languages. In summer, the average temperature in Tbilisi is 21°C and in winter -10C. Tiflis has been conquered by Rome, Persia, Turkey for several centuries and now it is ruled by Russia. The prosperity of Tiflis depends on the convenient geographic location, Tiflis locates on the trade crossroad, which is linking the mountains, Caspian Sea, Russia and Armenia. There are wonderful museums, theatres and galleries of paintings, Here is a botanical garden, a castle, Georgian Royal Palace, which is used as a prison today. And at last, a statue of Russian General is standing here… And on the slope of the mountain is ST. David’s Monastery. For Georgians It stands on the Holy Mountain- Mtatsminda. There is the statue of Griboedov, I try to remember Rus-

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IN SEARCH OF GEORGIAN WONDERS sian writers whose names are linked with Tiflis : Pushkin, Lermontov, Tolstoy, and etc…” Since Georgia became a part of Russian Empire, Tbilisi became the main administrative and cultural center of Transcaucasia. The 19th century Tiflis architecture follows the European and Russian architecture of those days. The number of residential buildings and public houses are being built by European architects. The feudal city transforms into European town. However, the fa-

“LIFE IN ASIAN DISTRICTS IS QUIET AND SLOW, IT IS IN DISTANCE FROM THE FUSS OF REST OF THE WORLD. IT IS COMFORTABLE HERE. BUT AROUND IT THERE IS A NOISE TYPICAL TO THE MODERN TRADING CITY, AS IF THERE IS AMERICA THERE...” mous writer is impressed especially by Asian area and he visits it frequently. “In Tiflisi, there are windows with mirrors, “konka” variety clubs, ladies and gentlemen dressed in European style, but an Asian district is all very different. Frankly speaking, I cannot call the local street : a lane, an alley, a stair, That’s all. Stair connects one house with the other- from the side. From above, from underneath. There are representatives of different tribes in “Dukani” and what amazing things they sell.! Persians and Turks are engaged in trade in Constantinople and Tehran. And here everyone sells, everyone who lives in Caucasus: Persian, Turk, Armenian, Arab, Tibetan, Palestinian. It is quiet here, no fuss. Eastern quietness is attractive. White and colored headgears are dominant between colorful headdress, but also a green or blue headdress is suited to someone’s gouges head. The metal belts were painted. I have seen Persian belts too, made from colorful silk. Caucasians, Kurds and Ar-

To Georgia

Former Hotel “London” in Tiflis

Knut Hamsun (1859 -1952) Was a Norwegian author, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1920. He was praised by King Haakon VII of Norway as Norway’s soul. Hamsun’s work spans more than 70 years and shows variation with regard to the subject, perspective and environment. He published more than 20 novels, a collection of poetry, some short stories and plays, a travelogue, and some essays.

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Former Hotel “London” in Tiflis

The young Hamsun objected to realism and naturalism. He argued that the main object of modern literature should be the intricacies of the human mind, that writers should describe the «Whisper of blood and the pleading of bone marrow». Hamsun is considered the «leader of the Neo-Romantic revolt at the turn of the century», with works such as Hunger (1890), Mysteries (1892), Pan (1894), and Victoria (1898). His later works, in particular, his «Northland novels» was influenced by the Norwegian new realism, portraying everyday life in rural Norway and often employing local dialect, irony, and humor. The epic work Growth of the Soil (1917) earned him the Nobel Prize.Hamsun is considered to be «one of the most influential and innovative literary stylists of the past hundred years» (1890–1990).[5] He pioneered psychological literature with techniques of stream of consciousness and interior monologue, and influenced authors such as Thomas Mann, Franz Kafka, Maxim Gorky, Stefan Zweig, Henry Miller, Hermann Hesse, and Ernest Hemingway. Isaac Bashevis Singer called Hamsun «the father of the modern school of literature in his every aspect-his subjective, his fragmentariness, his use of flashbacks, and his lyricism. The whole modern school of fiction in the twentieth century stems from Hamsun». Ernest Hemingway stated that «Hamsun taught me to write».

IN SEARCH OF GEORGIAN WONDERS St. David’s Monastery

Knut Hamsun in Georgia

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IN SEARCH OF GEORGIAN WONDERS menians carry weapons. In “ Dukani”, there are being sold mostly silk cloth, carpets, guns, jewelry, embellishments. Life in Asian districts is quiet and slow, it is in distance from the fuss of rest of the world. It is comfortable here. But around it there is a noise typical to the modern trading city, as if there is America there. Rarely, you can hear laud speeches or cry: law speeches, nodding a head slowly, and that’s all. I go to Asian district everyday while I am in Tiflis. Because this world is different from our world. We have forgotten how to be surprised…”

The Holy Mountain Mtatsminda

”Konka”

“THIS COUNTRY IS NOT LIKE ANY OTHER COUNTRIES SEEN. I AM THINKING AGAIN THAT I CAN LIVE HERE ALL MY LIFE. MOON AND SUN ARE SHINING AND AS IF THEY HAVE A RIVALRY. HERE, A HUMAN IS BELITTLED BY THE BEAUTY OF THE NATURE. EVEN THE NATIVES OF THIS COUNTRY, WHO WATCH THIS BEAUTY EVERY DAY, CANNOT HIDE THEIR ADMIRATION...”. Knut Hamsun was in the Caucasus during three weeks, after which he continued his journey to the East, to Istanbul, and later to Persia, but as the writer underlined himself the Caucasus remained for him as completely distinguished ” wonderland”. “Here , (in Akhstapa) I have drunk water of Mtkvari. It turned out to be a fatal mistake, because, when somebody has drunk water of Mtkvari, he never stops to worry about Caucasus...“

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SATAPLIA

A Trip in the Prehistoric Times THE PRESERVED TERRITORIES OF THE CAVES IN THE IMERETI REGION SATAPLIA- THE MOST BEAUTIFUL MONUMENT OF NATURE. GEORGIAN NATURE IS RICH WITH ITS DIVERSE AND UNIQUE RESERVES. SATAPLIA RESERVE VERY DIFFERENT PLACE WITH THE NATURAL CONDITIONS. THERE IS PROTECTED THE UNIQUE MONUMENTS OF NATURE. THE SECRET OF THIS MONUMENT ARE TRACKS TO IT Winter

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THE COMPLEX OF CAVES OF APPROXIMATELY OF 354 HA, IS SITUATED IN 10KM FROM THE CITY OF KUTAISI. SATAPLIA NATIONAL RESERVE, PREDOMINANTLY COVERED WITH YOUNG, COLCHIS TYPE, SUBTROPICAL WOODS, WITH A NUMBER OF THE RELICTS AND ENDEMIC SPECIES, IS AT 500 M ABOVE THE SEA. NAME OF SATAPLIA IS ASSOCIATED WITH A WHILE BEE SPREAD IN THE CLIFFS OF SATAPLIA. THE COMPLEX OF FOUR KARST CAVES IS SITUATED IN THE RESERVE. THE CAVES STAND OUT FOR THEIR BEAUTY, FAUNA AND FLORA. 72

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THE ENTRANCE TO “SATAPLIA 1” IS ON THE BOTTOM OF THE KARST FUNNEL, DEEPLY CUT INTO A CLIFF. IN THE CAVE, THERE IS A FOREST OF STALACTITE AND STALAGMITE IN THE 900M LONG AND 10M HIGH. IN THE CENTER OF THE HALL, THERE IS A MUSHROOM-LIKE STALAGMITE AND AN ACTIVE STALACTITE, WITH THE WATER RUNNING FROM IT. AT SOME PLACES, THE STALACTITES AND STALAGMITES INTERTWINE AND FORM THE BIG COLUMNS, WHICH CREATE THE FAIRY-TALE STRUCTURES. IN THE CAVE THERE ARE PLENTY OF CHEMICAL FORMATIONS – COLUMNS, GROUPS OF ROCKS, TRACES OF AVALANCHES AND THICK LAYERS OF CLAY. Winter

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THERE ARE STONE FLOWERS OR A BIG TRAVERTINE IN SATAPLIA CAVES. IN THE GALLERY OF “SATAPLIA-2”, THE ARCHEOLOGISTS FOUND A SMALL POOL WITH SPECIFIC FISHES, WHICH ARE UNIQUE IN NATURE. 76

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THERE ARE DINOSAUR FOOTPRINTS AT THE ENTRANCE OF “SATAPLLIA 4”, ON THE RIGHT FROM THE ROAD. IN THE PREHISTORIC TIMES, 50-60 MILLION YEARS AGO, THERE WAS A COAST, IT WAS HAUNTED BY DINOSAURS. THEIR FOOTPRINTS ARE SEEN ON TWO STRATA, WHICH ARE UNIQUE. Winter

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THE RESERVE WITH ITS ADJACENT AREA IS THE DESTINATION OF THE CULTURAL AND ARCHEOLOGICAL TOURS. AT PRESENT, THE LARGE-SCALE WORKS FOR DEVELOPMENT OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE HAVE COMPLETED. THE SPECIFIC FACILITIES, WITH MODERN ACOUSTIC SYSTEMS, AN EXHIBITION HALL, THE RECREATION AREAS, A CAFÉ OR THE SURFACED PATHS HAVE CONSTRUCTED FOR VISITORS. AT THE VISITORS’ CENTER YOU WILL GET THE NECESSARY INFORMATION.

Present column is prepared on the basis of “AGENSY OF PROTECTED AREAS” materials.

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Interview

TRIP TO THE CINEMA Eurimages, the European Film Industry Development Fund is also named the Council of European Cinema. Today, both, film professionals and cine amateurs, engage in discourse regarding the total commercialization of films alike. It aims to promote Art House films, supports filmmakers when it comes to co-production and distribution, and provides backing through Eurimages cinema circuit. More than 1300 projects have enjoyed the support of the fund, coming to a grand total of 407 million €. In 2011, Georgia became the 36th member state of the fund and its membership is without a doubt of great significance for the development of Georgian cinema. Certain results are already obvious.

Interview with Tamar Tatishvili / Interviewer: Irine Jordania

Magazine “MODI” met with Ms. Tamar Tatishvili, the director of Georgian National Film Center, to discuss some related topics. Georgia is a Member State of “Eurimages” – would it be appropriate to say that this is the most important event in recent years for the development of Georgian cinema? Yes, it certainly is. Georgian membership is important in a number of ways, firstly from a financial standpoint. Now there are alternative sources of funding for Georgian film projects and the effects are already obvious. Georgian film producers are currently preparing a film to present at “Eurimages” film festival and only two weeks ago it was publicly announced that the previous competition yielded financial backing for a Georgian film project. It will be realized in Georgia, in cooperation with Pavel Pavlikovski, a famous Polish documentary filmmaker, with Vova Katcharava representing the Georgian side. It will be the first Georgian, British and French co-production. I think it would be a great start for us if a Georgian director were to obtain funding this year. Turkey, for example, received its first funding three years after membership, as did Switzerland, and it is already a great achievement that Georgian project managed to get 550,000 euro in funding.In addition, Georgia has a longstanding film tradition; it is notable that in 2001, the Georgian Parliament decided to establish the National Film Center, with-

out the film center, close cooperation with international funds would have been very difficult. Member States of “Eurimages” agree on the fact that amidst the turmoil caused by the war in Georgia, and amidst social and political crises, we were searching for ways to save Georgian cinema – this was a contributing factor to our membership. The “Eurimages” membership is the indicator that Georgian filmmaking is a part of European cinema and therefore it should be subsidized by Europe. The fund also assists its member states in setting up European film screenings. It is important, because there is a lack of diversity in Georgia and the eight screening venues that we do have are all part of a single company. Unfortunately, there are no other cinemas in Georgia, except for Cinema House and an insignificant number of other small cinemas, which are all in dire conditions. In September with the help of “Eurimages”, we will attempt to re-equip and remodel Cinema House. The fund also offers assistance as a co-financer for cinema restorations, so long as the state is willing to pay half of the expenses. As a result, alternative screening venues will be established for showing European films. This process will take time, but already it is in a reality. In addition, with

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government support, we plan this year to begin the restoration of twelve cinemas across the country.

So, are there certain tendencies in Georgia towards the development of European films? Many international journalists have noted this fact. Eurimages follows closely with its investments if a project has met funding requirements, it also means that it qualifies European standards. Eurimages is effective means of participation in film festivals. For example, there is a film called “Parade”, a co-production between Serbia, Croatia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia, which won three prizes at the Berlin International Film Festival (the “Panorama” program). Since then it is been screened at almost every major film festival.

Can we consider that “Eurimages” protects films from total commercialization and promotes Art House films? “Eurimages” will not finance a blockbuster movie.

To Georgia

But, based on examples such as: Nani Moretti’s film “Habemus Papam” (“We Have a Pope”), that was met with varied reaction across different countries, and Lars von Trier’s “Melancholia”, which was last year’s participant at Cannes festival; both of these projects place greater emphasis on marketing as opposed to other European films. Today, it is called to cross over. Nevertheless, these films are far from James Bond. The fund offers financial support to well-known filmmakers, but it is important to note that preference goes towards debutant directors, which of course is a great stimulus for the development of Art House films.

Today, it is known that Hollywood has an influence upon the world of filmmaking. Are there any methods or mechanisms that can be used to confront this phenomenon? I cannot think of anything, but I can offer alternative films of old filmmaking countries. In this case we may call “Eurimages” the Council of European films. Member States of the fund have expressed their desire to preserve cinema

Tamar Tatishvili with Director SPI OlsbergJonathan Olsberg, Berlinale 2012

Interview

as a vital part of their culture. Without government support, neither French nor Romanian filmmaking, both of which are so highly talked about these days, would exist. The fund is a type of alliance, instated to protect the interests of European cinema. For example, in Europe they have adopted a certain principle: cinemas now show more and more European films next to Hollywood movies, under the incentive of a cash-back system, which reimburses the cinema with a certain amount of money upon screening of European films. The “European Cinema” network operates under this system, putting up a fight against the complete commercialization of films.

I’m getting the impression that for Georgian cinema the wheels have been set in motion, so to speak…

Tamar Tatishvili with Simon Perry, Cannes 2010

It is an accurate observation, and it is a process which, in my opinion, is more or less on the right track. We have made it through a very difficult period of time; over the past fifteen years, the number of Georgian film professionals have significantly diminished. In singular cases, film directors managed to complete movies that were started much earlier during the

Soviet period, but this does not constitute the continuation of a filmmaking process. To my mind, it is the perfect time for resources to be managed properly. In line with that thought, I think that we have been able to put the emphasis correctly, whether it is on membership in “Eurimages”, or vocational trainings for the script development, or other trainings for film producers involving the preparation of project packages. In the Soviet Union, the role of the producer was fundamentally different from what it is now. The producer used to manage money that was already available, at his disposal. Today, it has become the role of production managers. Filmmaking today relies on the creative producer, who takes the risks, believes in the success of the project and seeks out funding independently. The first precedent for that type of system in Georgia was the film “A Trip to Karabakh”, followed by George Ovashvili’s film, “The Other Bank”, by Rusudan Pirveli’s film “Susa”. Levan Koghuashvili’s “Street Days”, Kate Machavariani’s “Salt White” and others. I remember a screening of Levan Zaqareishvili’s film “Tbilisi – Tbilisi”. It was attended by Christa Saredi,

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Interview the famous figure in the film industry and the sales agent (â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sareti World Salesâ&#x20AC;?), who had discovered the directors: Jim Jarmusch and Michael Hanekeâ&#x20AC;Ś I remember his teary eyes and the look on his face when he said that if this film had had the opportunities of passing the path as other European films; it would have been a critical success, a breakthrough film. I recall this story quite often and I grow confident that the wheels are truly in motion. Now, it is important to sustain the support that our film industry has begun to enjoy.

What sort of support do you expect from the state? First of all, what we are working on is a project for an alternative cinema network and this requires state consent. I have hopes that our project will be met with a positive response. Secondly, a simplified tax system for film industries would greatly benefit the development of Georgian cinema. Films that gain funding are also partly subsidized by the state, and those subsidies need to be provided as grants, meaning that they should be interest-free. And thirdly, producers who come to Georgia for shooting should receive a return of their qualified expenses, i.e. twenty percent of costs incurred. This does not mean exemption from taxes and yet it is a very significant factor in attracting work to Georgia, as well as an important factor for the professional growth of Georgian filmmakers and associated professionals. Yet another project, which I think is very important, would be the retrieval and digitalization of old Georgian films, most of which are now in Russia. And what I really want to put the emphasis on is that film education needs to become a priority for the government. Georgian citizens should be able to receive a sound education in filmmaking, here in Georgia. For a small country like ours, films cannot be contained within borders. In most cases films are messages to the world that can achieve greater result than would be possible through hosting even the largest of delegations.

Do you think that some forms of expression are obsolete? Today, Georgian films fall close with classic examples of the Social Cinema. They lack for the metaphorical, fable-like narrative, which during the Soviet era was one way of avoiding censorship. However, at the same time, a distinctive, Georgian film language was created. Tamar Tatishvili The Georgia Stand Berlinale 2012

What I would wish is the re-emergence of humor, of poetic heroes in Georgian films, even absurdity if you will. Warmth and the sense of humor for me is what makes Georgian cinema unique.

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SASURATKHATO “Many of us live idly. All the people try to put the blame of their uselessness on the lack of money. However, they tend to forget that any kind of wealth or property is based not on the money, but on lab our, diligence and courage. Mr. Roinashvili is a wonderful example of all this. An absolutely unassisted, poor man who made up his mind to do something special, managed to show his diligence and courage for twenty years, did his best, to achieve his goal and at last fulfilled his dream. He ran his business and stated that whosoever has such a great love towards what he does, will be able to overcome all the difficulties….” Ilia Chavchavadze

lexandre Roinashvili was born in Dusheti 1846.

Father-Solomon, saddle master, a poor craftsman, died young. Mother, Marine-a gentle, kind-hearted woman, supported her family by needlework. Alexandre was sent to Ananuri “Barracks Scool”.At the age of fourteen Alexandre became an apprentice to a famous artist-photographer in Tbilisi, V. Khlamov. After fire years of studies V. Khlamov handed over to Roinashvili a camera, some tools and materials-all that was necessary for independent work.

Artist Dato Monavardishvili’s objects “Alexsandre Roinashvili and Muslim Woman”

Roinashvili opened his own photo studio, “Sasuratkhato” (photo imagery), in the centre of Tbilisi, in Palace Street. Since that period Roinashvili became keen on archaeology and collecting antiquities, travelled to all parts of Georgia and took photographs of cathedrals, castles, icons and antique things; made

portraits of statesmen, writers, clergymen and actors. Mose Djanashvili: “He took all this and gave a national look to his “Sasuratkhato”. Roinashvili created photo reproductions of Shota Rustaveli and Queen Tamar according to Gagarin’s French edition ‘Caucase Pullore due’. He perfected the photographs, made them look like modern portraits and spread them all over Georgia for free. His studio, ”Sasuratkhato”, became a gathering place for Georgian celebrities. Professional actors and amateurs often held rehearsals there. Akvsenti Tsagareli:”It was high time to establish a theatre company. some people emerged who strongly supported this initiative, among them was Alexsandre Roinashvili…” “Sasuratkhato” was a predecessor of the Society for Dissemination of Literacy among Georgians,to

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ICON which later Roinashvili left his photo archives and all his property. Alexandre Roinashvili’s will: I leave all my property, including a photographic institution, all the negatives, cameras, photographs, also all the archaeological and antique objects as a legal property to the Society for Dissemination of Literacy among Georgians. Roinashvili moved to Telavi. He took photographs of architectural monuments of Kakheti and collected

I LEAVE ALL MY PROPERTY, INCLUDING A PHOTOGRAPHIC INSTITUTION, ALL THE NEGATIVES, CAMERAS, PHOTOGRAPHS, ALSO ALL THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND ANTIQUE OBJECTS AS A LEGAL PROPERTY TO THE SOCIETY FOR DISSEMINATION OF LITERACY AMONG GEORGIANS historical and ethnographical objects.He intended to open the Georgian National Museum. Roinashvili’s letter to Dimitri Bakradze: “I enjoy obtaining and purchasing such items so much, that I could easily do without most of the things, if only it helps me to add something special to my collection. Owing to my enthusiasm I have been able to get 600 pieces and I am going to organize a mobile museum”. He travelled from Kakheti to Dagestan and stayed in Temirkhashura for eight years. By 1880s Roinashvili became the owner of such a significant collection that he was elected a member of Emperor’s Petersburg Archaeological Society, which ordered him to produce photo albums of Caucasian landscapes and genotypes. Roinashvili was awarded the Emperor’s prizes for his works. Georgian “Karachokheli”

He organized the exhibition of Caucasian antiquities in Dagestan and travelled with it to Astrakhan, Saratov, Petersburg and Moscow.

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The magazine “Novoye Vremya”(‘The New Times’): In the hotel “Belle Vue” Mr.Roinashvili presents to the audience the antiquities and rarities collected by him in the Caucasus…”. The exhibition contains plenty of interesting materials for all branches of archaeology, for future scientists and investigators. Roinashvili returned to Tbilisi. He became a member of several cultural and public organizations and carried out enormous charitable activities.He paid great attention to educational and library matters, opened a boarding school, enrolled 17 pupils, provided them with free accommodation and gave them free lessons in the art of photography. Herewith Roinashvili collected the patterns of Georgian national handicraft, fought for restoration of traditional needlework and employed women artisans. Rescuing and revival of folk art became a permanent object of his care. He tried to establish the Georgian National Museum, commissioned the design to an architect P. Shtern, printed its postcards and disseminated them among the people. Unfortunately this project remained unfulfilled. To commemorate the hundredth anniversary of the Krtsanisi Battle, he printed and distributed all over Georgia 2000 photographs of King Erekle. By that time Roinashvili owned three photo studios in Tbilisi: “Sasuratkhato”, “Rembrandt” and “Comradeship”. He collaborated with the French magazine “La Caucase Illustre” and with Georgian publishing houses. 1898, 11 May: On the day when Roinashvili was planning to send the inventory and some books to Dusheti library he felt unwell and died three hours later. His last words were: “I wish a man knew when he will die”.

Present column is prepared on the basis of book “Aleksandre Roinishvili” the Aouthor of project Lika Mamacashvili Winter

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TRAIN TO HAPPINESS Sandro Antadze

Wolves , 2008 Trip in Monte Carlo, 2005 Present Time, 2010 Apple, 2010\ Nail, 2010 White Plain, 2010 Motorbike, 2010

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Special Project

PROFESSIONAL PUPPET-MAKERS

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As against some of the other Georgian museums, the Tbilisi Museum of Dolls may not be attractive to the connoisseurs of the antiquities. However, we pride ourselves in the unique exhibits, and you will hardly find such exhibition elsewhere in Georgia or in other countries. The Museum houses about 3000 unique dolls and other toys arriving in Georgia from over forty countries. Each of them has its own story. The antique dolls and toys made by the Georgian craftsmen or professional puppet-makers, musical, motion dolls, the antique furniture and the other items of visual and applied art depict the history of Georgia of the last three centuries and testify to the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s close ties with the outside world even in the hardiest times.

A German doll, 1903

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Nana Okruashvili

he Tbilisi Museum of Dolls initiated by Ms. Tinatin Tumanishvili, a versatile teacher and a children’s writer was founded in 1936 by the order issued by the State Committee for Education and opened in 1937. It was owing to Ms. Tumanishvili’s dedication, talent and a good taste that the Museum came into being and shaped out in a very attractive place. It is somewhat surprising that the Museum was conceived at one of the toughest times of the Georgian history, the years marked with the Communist terror, permeated with fear and annihilation of the traditional values. Why did the persecuted people show a whole-hearted support to the concept? Was it the desire to escape the bleak reality or create a sanctuary for the traditional values? It was those repressed people that encouraged Ms. Tinatin Tumanishvili to carefully select the collection for the would-be Museum. At first, there were just a few exhibits: Ms. Tumanishvili’s donations and family relics in it. She was always on the look-out for the items that may have been displayed in the Museum, those preserved by her friends belonging to the upper walks of life in the pre-Soviet times. In order to avoid the stigma of the “enemy of the people”, those were glad to get rid of the luxury items setting them apart from the rest of the public. Such families would sell or donate to the Museum their toys, antique furniture etc. beautiful items they cherished so much. Where and how were our exhibits made? How did some of them

Japanese dolls of the XIX century

Pulchinello

Special Project lend in Georgia? Do they have much in common with the Georgian dolls and how did they come to the Museum? Some of the stories are better known, while the others fell into oblivion along with their final owners. Some wonderful, mysterious characters are going to be your guides in your journey to Georgia of the last few centuries and nowadays. Our European collection includes the dolls made by nearly all the distinguished European puppet-makers of the early XIX century. The swimming girl, a unique clockwork toy of the late XVIII century arrived at the Museum in 1943. Whole ensemble of the handmade German dolls the author is unknown (early XIX century). No-one knows how the jolly “Pulcinello” arrived from Sicily to Georgia. Neither do we know anything about the German “Clown” emitting beautiful sounds.

Chshang -Cingu. XX century

Here is the story of a tiny German doll of 1913: Mr. Vasil Kobakhidze, the owner of a restaurant and a French ice-cream café in the garden “Samaya” in Tbilisi would go on regular business trips in Europe. It was from there that he brought the small doll for his daughter who is said to have been unlucky in love. Later, she presented the doll to her niece who fell for her like her aunt had. Curiously enough neither the second owner of the doll had much luck in her private life. Although, there were some children growing in her family, the elderly woman who perhaps wanted it to be well tended to, decided to donate the doll to the Museum in 2009 or was it because she wanted to protect the family members from her own or her aunt’s bad luck.

Princess Elizabeth A gift by Gretta Peters de Roy, 1989. Ms. Gretta Peters de Roy from Holland, was taken over to the Museum in Tbilisi, she was so delighted by the exhibits that on her return home, she sent “Princess Elizabeth” as the gift to Georgian museum, the doll was made herself. And this small girl arrived from America in 1980s during the Cold War. She was donated by Ms. Audrey R. Femer, the American visitor. On her return home, she imparted her impressions to her fellow members of the Gateway Doll Study Club of St. Louis, Missouri who decided to donate the much loved 1930 collection Shirley to the Tbilisi Museum. That’s how the Georgians got to know the Western icon -Shirley Temple, a lovely girl known merely to the Soviet film critics.

’’Princess Elizabeth” A gift by Ms. Gretta Peters and Roy, 1989.

Now let’s throw a glance at the Far East, Japan, with the doll or ningios ( in Japanese)being one of its wonders. The Japanese dolls made at the turn of the XVIIIXIX centuries, now a rarity have been preserved in our collection since 1940s. Recently, Ms. Junco

Special Project

Shirley Temple-1930, the 1988 gift by Ms. Audrey R. Femmer of the Gateway Doll Study Club.

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”Rezo” - A puppet made Ms. Nino Brailashvili, 1942

Special Project

A clown- AGerman Musical Toy of the Early XIX century.

Kamohara, the wife of the Japanese Ambassador in Georgia, ordered the doll kimonos made from the old style cloths for reviving the ceremonious dressing of ningios . Mr. Isamu Azechi, the Ambassadorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s advisor donated three beautiful Japanese dolls. I want to underline the collection of Chinese dolls preserved with us since 1940s. This collection have been replenished as a result of the donations made by Ms. Mali Lu-Kandareli Kwangwen. The family of Ms. Mali Lu has associated with Georgia for a couple of centuries. Mr. Lao Jonjao, her grandfather was invited here to introduce the tea crop with his descendants, still dedicated to the intercultural ties. A doll from India was donated by Mr. Krishnan Chandr, the Indian writer during his visit in Georgia. A bigger part of the collection: dolls and toys (including the clockwork ones) were ordered by Ms. Tinatin Tumanishvili, the founder of the Museum. The clockwork dolls made by the local puppetmakers rival their European counterparts. The Museum also houses the toys of the Soviet times with their specific artistic vision. Museum collection is replenished continuously, with a number of worthy dolls arriving recently. The Museum is in touch with some of the contemporary Georgian artists. The modern Georgian puppetmaking art is the fusion of national, oriental and western cultural elements, this is the unique character of our culture as the existing culture on the crossroad.

Kimekom- A Japanese Doll of the 1950â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, A Gift by Isamu Azechi.

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Gourme’t

“Supra” “Lobio” (Red Beans), it is said to have its origins in the area known today as Georgia. The dish most likely predates any division of the lands into countries or republics. As with many Georgian dishes, “Lobio” is spicy, but not necessarily hot. One of the traditional recipes for “Lobio” does not call for hot peppers but relies solely on ground black pepper for its spice. While there are many ways of making “Lobio”, the earliest is undoubtedly the clay pot. Red kidney beans would be put in the pot with water and spices and allowed to sit overnight. The following day, the pot would be placed over a fire or, if available, in a small exposed oven, and the beans slowly cooked. At the appropriate stages, meat and other vegetables would be added to cook. The cooked “Lobio” would then be served in the clay pot, along with flat bread. In this form, “Lobio” resembles early dishes that start with a basic ingredient such as a starch, legume, or wheat, which is then cooked with whatever other foodstuffs and flavorings are available. The fewer available foodstuffs, the more beans are added. An early recipe for “Lobio” calls for soaking the kidney beans in water with two mashed cloves of garlic, and a handful of basil, mint, and parsley. After soaking, the beans would be cooked in this same water. Once cooked, any excess water was drained; oil was added along with meat, vegetables, and tomatoes. This was then cooked slowly until the meat and vegetables were done (often, the water would be retained to make up for a lack of oil). Sometime in the early 19th century, “Lobio” was transformed as part of fondness of the Russian aristocracy for elaborate dinner parties that began with a full table of hors d’oeuvres, and then proceeded through at least six courses. “Lobio” became an appetizer. In this form, the beans were soaked and cooked, without spices, and then mashed into a paste. This paste was combined with finely minced onion, cilantro (or other available herbs with a sharp flavor) and combined with olive oil and lemon juice. Into this, a great deal of ground black pepper was added. The final product was then allowed to sit for a minimum of six hours. It was then served on either toasted bread or a flat bread. Throughout much of Russia today, this appetizer is what is known as “Lobio”.

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To Georgia

Gourmet’t

Recipe of Cooking “Lobio” with Walnuts The recipe of cooking is different such as: “Lobio” Soap, “Lobio” in a Clay Pot, and “Lobio” with Walnuts and Spices. Ingredients: Lobio -500 gr. Walnuts -1 cup Wine vinegar - 3 tablespoons Garlic-5 cloves Coriander, Cilantro, parsley-10 gr. Directions The recipe of cooking is different such as: “Lobio” Soap, “Lobio” in a Clay Pot, and “Lobio” with Walnuts and Spices. Dishes of Lobio can be served both hot or cold. Place Lobio into a pot and cover with water. If you take fresh beans, the cooking time is two hours; in case of canned beans, the cooking time is 40 minutes. Later on, add Salt and red Pepper to taste, the above-mentioned spice and serve it hot.

“Elargi” “Elargi” is a mix of a corn meal and a cheese. By tradition, at Georgian “Supra”, this main dish is brought with different dressings: “Bazhe” w(A Walnut Sauce) or “Lobio”. Ingredients : Grounded Corn -1 cup Corn Meal - 4 tablespoons “Sulguni”(Traditional Georgian Cheese) - 700gr. Water - 4 cups Directions At first, place 4 cups of water and 1 cup of grounded corn into a tin pot. Allow it to boil for a few minutes. Reduce heat to low and simmer, until mixture thickens. Stir it occasionally to prevent from burning, cut the cheese into small pieces and add them equally. Boiling this mixture until the cheese is melted completely. Serve it hot.

GUIDE

EMBASSY

Fax: (+995 32) 244 73 64

CHINESE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC EMBASSY,

Tbilisi, 37d T. Tabidze St. Tel: (+995 32) 291 49 70, 291 49 71, 291 49 72 Fax: (+995 32) 295 49 78, 291 49 80

Tbilisi, 12a Kipshidze St. Tel: (+995 32) 225 39 61 Fax: (+995 32) 225 11 86

CZECH REPUBLIC - EMBASSY

Tbilisi, 37 Chavchavadze Ave., b. 6 , Tel: (+995 32) 291 67 40, 291 67 41, 291 67 42 Fax: (+995 32) 291 67 44

ESTONIA - EMBASSY

Tbilisi, 4 Likhauri lane Tel: (+995 32) 236 51 22, Fax: (+995 32) 236 51 38

GREECE REPUBLIC - EMBASSY

IRAN ISLAMIC REPUBLIC EMBASSY

Tbilisi, 80 Chavchavadze Ave. Tel: (+995 32) 291 36 56, 291 36 57, 291 36 58 Fax: (+995 32) 291 36 28

ITALIAN REPUBLIC EMBASSY

EU MONITORING MISSION

Tbilisi, 3a Chitadze St. Tel: (+995 32) 299 64 18 Fax: (+995 32) 299 64 15

FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY - EMBASSY

Tbilisi, 7d Krtsanisi St. Tel: (+995 32) 275 21 11 Fax: (+995 32) 275 21 12

Tbilisi, 49 Krtsanisi Tel: (+995 32) 224 37 18, 224 37 10

Tbilisi, 20 Telavi St. Tel: (+995 32) 244 73 00, Fax: (+995 32) 244 73 64

GREECE REPUBLIC - EMBASSY

Tbilisi, 37d T. Tabidze St. Tel: (+995 32) 291 49 70, 291 49 71, 291 49 72, Fax: (+995 32) 295 49 78, 291 49 80 www.greekembassy.ge

ESTONIA - EMBASSY

Tbilisi, 4 Likhauri lane Tel: (+995 32) 236 51 22, Fax: (+995 32) 236 51 38

FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY - EMBASSY

Tbilisi, 20 Telavi St. Tel: (+995 32) 244 73 00,

JAPAN - EMBASSY

KINGDOM OF THE NETHERLANDS - EMBASSY

Tbilisi, 20 Telavi St. Tel: (+995 32) 227 62 00 Fax: (+995 32) 227 62 32

KINGDOM OF SWEDEN EMBASSY

Tbilisi, 12 T. Tabidze St Tel: (+995 32) 255 03 20 Fax: (+995 32) 225 12 26

KINGDOM OF DENMARK HONORARY CONSULATE

Tbilisi,7 N.Nikoladze St. Tel: (+995 32) 299 81 15, (+995 77) 574 40 01 Fax: (+995 32) 292 35 33

KINGDOM OF BELGIUM HONORARY CONSULATE

Tbilisi, 24 Kazbegi Ave. Tel: (+995 32) 246 52 00 Fax: (+995 32) 246 52 00

To Georgia

REPUBLIC OF FRANCE EMBASSY

Tbilisi, 4 Odessa St. Tel: (+995 32) 224 48 58 Fax: (+995 32) 238 14 06

LATVIA REPUBLIC - MBASSY

Tbilisi, 15 Gogebashvili St. Tel: (+995 32) 299 99 76, 293 42 10 Fax: (+995 32) 295 33 75

LITHUANIA REPUBLIC EMBASSY

REPUBLIC OF HUNGARY EMBASSY

Tbilisi, 25 Abuladze St. Tel: (+995 32) 291 29 33, 25 81 00 Fax: (+995 32) 222 17 93

NORWAY HONORARY CONSULATE

Tbilisi, 20 Abasheli St. Tel: (+995 32) 229 09 79 Fax: (+995 32) 229 35 53

PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA - EMBASSY

Tbilisi, 52 Barnov St. Tel: (+995 32) 225 26 70

REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA EMBASSY

Tbilisi, 4 Tetelashvili St. Tel: (+995 32) 295 17 23, 295 94 43 Fax: (+995 32) 96 42 87

REPUBLIC OF AZERBAIJAN EMBASSY

Tbilisi, Kipshidze St., q. 2, b. q Tel: (+995 32) 225 35 26, 225 35 27, 225 26 39 Fax: (+995 32) 225 00 13

REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA EMBASSY

Tbilisi, 61 Agmashenebeli Ave.

Georgian - American restaurant “Vera Steakhouse. 37a Kostava St. Tbilis. www.verasteakhouse.ge

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Tel: (+995 32) 291 01 94, 91 01 95 Fax: (+995 32) 291 02 70

Tbilisi, 83 Lvovi St. Tel: (+995 32) 239 90 08 Fax: (+995 32) 239 90 04

REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN EMBASSY

Tbilisi,23 Shatberashvili St. Tel: (+995 32) 299 76 84 Fax: (+995 32) 229 24 24

REPUBLIC OF POLAND EMBASSY

Tbilisi, 19 Zubalashvili Brothers St. Tel: (+995 32)292 03 98 Fax: (+995 32) 292 03 97

REPUBLIC OF TURKEY EMBASSY

Tbilisi, 35 Chavchavadze Ave. Tel: (+995 32) 225 20 72 Fax: (+995 32) 222 06 66

ROMANIA - EMBASSY

Tbilisi, 7 Lvov St. Tel: (+995 32) 238 53 10 Fax: (+995 32) 238 52 10

RUSSIAN FEDERATION (RUSSIAN FEDERATION INTERESTS SECTION AT THE EMBASSY OF SWITZERLAND)

Tbilisi, 51 Chavchavadze Ave. Tel: (+995 32) 291 26 45 Fax: (+995 32) 291 27 38

SPAIN HONORARY CONSULATE

Tbilisi, 29 I. Abashidze St. Tel: (+995 32) 235 58 35

EMBASSY OF ISRAEL TO GEORGIA

154 Agmashenebeli ave. Tbilisi 0112 Tel: (+995 32) 255 65 00

SWISS CONFEDERATION EMBASSY

Tbilisi, 11 Krtsanisi St. Tel: (+995 32) 275 30 01, 75 30 02 Fax: (+995 32) 275 30 06

UKRAINE - EMBASSY

Tbilisi, 75 Oniashvili St. Tel: (+995 32) 231 11 61 Fax: (+995 32) 231 11 81

UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND - EMBASSY

Tbilisi, 4 Freedom Sq. Tel: (+995 32) 227 47 47 Fax: (+995 32)227 47 92

USA - EMBASSY

Tbilisi, 11 Balanchini St. Tel: (+995 32) 227 70 00 Fax: (+995 32) 227 77 01

VATICAN (THE HOLY SEE)

Tbilisi, Nutsubidze plateau 2m/d,40 Zhgenti St. Tel: (+995 32) 253 76 01, 253 76 04 Fax: (+995 32) 253 67 04

Entering Dzveli Sakhli, you seem to travel in the Old Tbilisi of XIXceturies

GUIDE

HOTELS

SHERATON BATUMI

(+995 250) 27 30 30

TETNULDI

Restaurant- 29 I. Abashidze St. Tbilisi

tel: (+995 90) 512 33 44

restaurant-7 Gorgasali St. Tbilisi

3 Metekhi slope, Tbilisi

BUFFET - ITALIAN CUISINE

Georgian Restaurant Beliashvili St. Tbilisi tel: (+995 95) 243 10 20

Svaneti-Mestia, Margiani str.9 Batumi, Vazha-Pshavela str.2 Tbilsi, Rousen square Tel: (+995 32) 240 22 00

RADISSON BLU HOTEL, BATUMI

INTOURIST BATUMI PALACE

Batumi, E.Ninoshvilis str. 11 tel: (+995 222) 7 55 25

CITADINES

Tbilisi, Freedom square 4 Tel: (+995 32) 254 70 30

HOLLIDAY INN

BAGRATI

Kutaisi, A.Cereteli 2a tel: (+995 331) 4 75 76

SPORT HOTEL GUDAURI

Gudauri

SHERATON METECHI PALASE

Gudauri

POLSPORT

Bakuriani, Didveli (Close to Tatra-puma lift)

MARRIOTT TBILISI

Tbilisi, 26 May square1 (+99532) 293 14 04

Tbilisi, Telavi str. 20 tel: (+995 32) 277 20 20

Telavi, I. Chavchavadze str.154 tel: (+995 32) 272 90 09, (+995 99) 531 69 28,

31 I. Abashidze St. Tbilisi

CARAVAN - LITERARY ARTCAFÉ

10 Purtseladze St. Tbilisi

CHINA TOWN - CHINESE RESTAURANT

Dzveli Sakhli –Georgian Restaurant - 3 Sanapiro St. Tbilisi

Tbilisi, Rustaveli ave 13 tel: (+995 32) 277 92 00

RESTAURANTS, BARS,CAFES

Betsy’s hotel is an exquisitely decorated boutique hotel overlooking the center of Tbilisi.Tbilisi Makashvili str.32/34 www.betsyshotel.com

MISSONI – LOUNGE,

Cocktail Bar - 11 Erekle II St. Tbilisi

OLD METEKHI PHAETON –

PUR PUR

1 A. Tbileli st. Tbilisi

10’ A

Salve – French cuisine

SAKURA

Japanese Restaurant - 29 I. Abashidze St. Tbilisi

TSISKVILI

IN THE SHADOW OF METEKHI

Georgian Restaurant The Right Bank of the R. Mtkvari. Tbilisi tel: (+995 32) 253 07 97

KALA – CAFÉ

Club-Restaurant - 7 Bambis Rigi St. Tbilisi

KGB - CAFE WITH SOVIET INTERIOR

American/Georgian Restaurant -37a Kostava St. Tbilisi

L’EXPRESS - FRENCH CAFE

Asian Restaurant - 29 I. Abashidze St. Tbilisi

Georgian Restaurant-29 K. Tsamebuli Ave. Tbilisi tel: (+995 32) 277 93 83 8/10 Erekle II St. Tbilisi tel: (+995 99) 279 97 37

RCHEULI VILLA

RCHEULI MARANI

BREAD HOUSE- GEORGIAN

on Chardin Street- 12 Chardin St. Tbilisi

Tbilsi, Freedom square 4 Tel: (+995 32) 277 91 00 Fax: (+995 32) 277 91 10

Batumi, N. Zhordania str. 31 tel: (+995 32) 272 90 09, (+995 99) 31 69 28, (+995 222) 7 07 07

BELLE DE JOUR - FRENCH

CHARDIN 12 RESTAURANT

CARPE DIEM

COURTYARD MARRIOTT –

Batumi .1 Ninoshvili Street 6000 Batumi Tel: +995 422 255 555 Fax: +995 422 228 888

MATRYOSHKA – SLAVIC

cuisine- Hero’s Square, Tbilisi

PIROSMANI

Signagi, Central square tel: (+995 255) 4 30 30

RADISSON BLU IVERIA

ANTRE

Batonebi - American café 64 Paliashvili st. Tbilisi

8/10 King Erekle St. Tbilisi

14 Chardin St. Tbilisi

MASPINDZELO - SAKHINKLE

Restaurants Network - 7 Bambis Rigi St. Tbilisi tel: (+995 32) 230 30 30

TWO SIDE

VERA STEAK HOUSE

VONG

DINNING ROOM

38, Paliashvili Street Tbilisi, Georgia tel: (+995 32) 225 09 00

Citadines Freedom Square Tbilisi is the first Apartment Hotel in Georgia. http://www.citadines.com/georgia/tbilisi/freedom_square.html

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123

GUIDE 10 A

Abanotubani, Tbilisi, Georgia tel: (+995 32) 272 00 21

CLUBS TWO SIDE PARTY-CLUB

Tbilisi, 7 Bambis rigi St., reservation: Tel: (+995 32) 230 30 30

BAMBA ROOMS

Tbilisi, 12 Bambis rigi Tel: (+995 32) 243 99 77

BEATLES CLUB

Tbilisi, 25 Kostava St. Tel: (+995 32) 292 09 50

CITY CLUB

Tbilisi, 22 Metechi St., I fl. Tel: (+995 92) 532 32 32

NIGHT CLUBS CLUB 33A

Tbilisi, 76 Chavchavadze Ave. Tel: (+995 32) 222 51 33

Tel: (+995 90) 521 21 21, (+995 95) 221 21 21

Tel: (+995 32) 269 66 47, 269 66 51

NIGHT FLIGHT

THEATERS

Tbilisi, Baratashvili bridge, Mtkvari Right embankment Tel: (+995 32) 292 30 17 Fax: (+995 32) 292 30 16

SAFE

Tbilisi, 2 Rustaveli Ave. Tel: (+995 32) 293 58 11, 93 18 40 Fax: (+995 32) 293 31 15

CINEMA

Tbilisi, 8 Merjanishvili St. Tel: (+995 32) 295 35 82

AMIRANI

G. MICKELADZE STATE TOY THEATRE

Tbilisi, 11 Rkinis rigi Tel: (77) 522 02 82

FINGERS THEATRE

Tbilisi, 36 Kostava St. Tel: (+995 32) 299 99 55, Fax: (+995 32) 293 38 71

CACHE - CINEMA CLUB

Tbilisi, 18 Nikoladze St. Tel: (+995 32) 225 05 80

CACHE - CINEMA CLUB

Tbilisi, 9 Kiacheli St. Tel: (+995 32) 299 05 51, (+995 99) 544 08 18

CINEMA HOUSE

GURU

Tbilisi, 44 Chavchavadze Ave. Tel: (+995 32) 229 25 34, (+995 97) 290 14 94

KALAKURI

Tbilisi, 13 Shavteli St. Tel: (+995 32) 299 66 83 Fax: (+995 32) 292 24 96

MOVIE TIME

RUSTAVELI

Tbilisi, 5 Rustaveli Ave. Tel: (+995 32) 292 03 57, 292 02 85, Fax: (+995 32) 255 50 00

SAKARTVELO

MAGTI CLUB

Tbilisi, 22 Rustaveli Ave.

Tbilisi, 2/9 Guramishvili Ave.

Tbilisi, 64 Guramishvili Ave. Tel: (+995 32) 261 84 26, 261 84 13

INDEPENDENT THEATRE

Tbilisi, 64 Paliashvili St. Tel: (+995 90) 222 64 64

Tbilisi, 12 Rustaveli Ave. Tel: (+995 32) 298 38 03, (+995 93) 522 20 60

Tbilisi,103Agmashenebeli Ave. Tel: (+995 32) 295 69 03 Fax: (+995 32) 295 17 13

G. SHAVGULIDZE THEATRE SAKHIOBA

WHY NOT

Tbilisi, 45 Kostava St. Tel: (+995 91) 568 88 00

A. GRIBOEDOV RUSSIAN STATE DRAMA THEATRE

Tbilisi, 2 Rustaveli Ave. Tel: (+995 32) 298 58 21 Fax: (+995 32) 293 31 15

K. MARJANISHVILI STATE ACADEMIC THEATRE

Tbilisi, 8 Marjanishvili St. Tel: (+995 32) 295 35 82 Fax: (+995 32) 295 40 01

KAKHA BAKURADZE MOVEMENT THEATRE

KONSTANTINE GAMSAKHURDIA SOKHUMI STATE DRAMA THEATRE

Tbilisi, 11a Leonidze St. Tel: (+995 32) 299 74 27, (+995 99) 257 95 92

M. TUMANISHVILI CINEMA ACTORS THEATRE

Tbilisi,164 Agmashenebeli Ave. Tel: (+995 32) 235 31 52, 234 28 99, 235 70 13 Fax: (+995 32) 235 01 94

MEORE SAKHLI (THE SECOND HOME)

Tbilisi, 60 Agmashenebeli Ave. Tel: (+995 32) 295 78 22

MUSIC AND DRAMATIC STATE THEATRE

Tbilisi,182 Agmashenebeli Ave. Tel: (+995 32) 234 80 90, 234 79 59 Fax: (+995 32) 234 80 90

NABADI - GEORGIAN FOLKLORE THEATRE

Tbilisi, 19 Rustaveli Ave. Tel: (+995 32) 298 99 91

NODAR DUMBADZE STATE CHILDREN`S THEATRE

Tbilisi, 99/1Agmashenebeli Ave. Tel: (+995 32) 295 50 67, 95 78 74 Fax: (+995 32) 296 32 89

ROYAL QUARTER THEATRE

Tbilisi,182 Agmashenebeli Ave. (Mushtaidi) Tel: (+995 99) 556 87 57

Tbilisi, 10 Abesadze St. Tel: (+995 32) 292 38 70 Fax: (+995 32) 299 61 71

abaSiZis 10/ 995 32 222222

Bar F1 - 10 Abashidze str. Tbilisi. Booking: (99532) 2252257

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To Georgia

Cocktail Bar - 11 Erekle II St. Tbilisi

S. AKHMETELI STATE DRAMATIC THEATRE

Tbilisi, 8 I. Vekua St. Tel: (+995 32) 262 61 97, 262 59 73

SH. RUSTAVELI STATE THEATRE

Tbilisi, 17 Rustaveli Ave. Tel: (+995 32) 293 65 83, 293 18 94 Fax: (+995 32) 299 63 73

SOKHUMI CHILDREN’S THEATRE

Tbilisi, 8 Tetelashvili St. Tel: (+995 32) 296 17 40

TBILISI STATE MARIONETTE THEATRE

Tbilisi, 26 Shavteli St. Tel: (+995 32) 298 65 89, 298 65 93 Fax: (+995 32) 298 65 89

TEATRALURI SARDAPI – RUSTAVELI

Tbilisi, 42 Rustaveli Ave. Tel: (+995 32) 299 95 00

THEATRE – VERIKO

Tbilisi, 16 Anjaparidze St. Tel: (+995 32) 222 13 38, 299 98 96 Fax: (+995 32) 222 13 38

THEATRE OF PANTOMIME

Tbilisi, 37 Rustaveli Av. Tel: (+995 32) 299 63 14, (+995 77) 541 41 50

THEATRE ON ATONELI

Tbilisi, 31 Atoneli St. Tel: (+995 32) 293 32 38

GALLERY

National Centre of Manuscripts

1/3 Merab Alexidze Street, 0193 Tbilisi, Georgia Tel.: (995 322) 36 41 85 Fax: (995 322) 36 32 41 info@manuscript.ac.ge www.manuscript.ge

GUIDE Z. PALIASHVILI TBILISI STATE THEATRE OF OPERA AND BALLET

Tbilisi, 25 Rustaveli Ave. Tel: (+995 32) 298 32 48, 298 32 49 Fax: (+995 32) 298 32 48

BATUMI THEATRE

Batumi, Rustaveli str. 1

KUTAISI THETRE

Kutaisi, Agmashenebeli square 1

GALLERY ART AND ANTIQUE SALON

Tbilisi, 30 Leselidze St. Tel: (+995 32) 292 05 76

ART GALLERY LINE

Tbilisi, 7 Bambis Rigi; 44 Leselidze St.; Airport,

“PRIMECLASS” CIP LOUNGES

Tel: (+995 32) 250 85 80 Fax: (+995 32) 250 85 80

BAIA GALLERY

Tbilisi, 10 Chardin St. Tel: (+995 32) 275 45 10, (+995 99) 550 53 02

CAMEO

Tbilisi, 11 Rkinis Rigi Tel: (+995 32) 272 48 72, (+995 93) 531 92 66

CHARDIN

Tbilisi, 13 Rustaveli Ave. Tel: (+995 32) 299 09 25

EVENT GALLERY

Tbilisi, 8/10 Erekle II St. Tel: (+995 32) 293 89 14

GALA

Tbilisi, 27 Atoneli St. Tel: (+995 32) 293 14 18

GEORGIAN NATIONAL MUSEUM - PICTURE GALLERY

Tbilisi, 11 Rustaveli Ave. Tel: (+995 32) 298 48 14

GIA GALLERY

Tbilisi, 9 Griboedov St. Tel: (+995 32) 251 43 87, (+995 99) 546 32 72

GTM FRAME

Tbilisi, 10 Abashidze St. Tel: (+995 32) 223 21 07

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To Georgia

HOBBY

Tbilisi, 8 Chanturia St. Tel: (+995 32) 298 98 89, (+995 99) 556 99 71

KARVASLA’S EXHIBITION HALL

Tbilisi, 8 Sioni St. Tel: (+995 32) 292 32 27

KOPALA

Tbilisi, 7 Zubalashvilebi St. Tel: (+995 32) 299 99 02 Fax: (+995 32) 299 99 02

LA MAISON BLEUE - TEXTILE ART STUDIO

Tbilisi, 94 Barnov St. Tel: (+995 32) 223 21 16, (+995 93) 530 70 29

M GALLERY

Tbilisi, 11 Taktakishvili St. Tel: (+995 32) 225 23 34

MARCO

Tbilisi, 30/2 Leselidze St. Tel: (+995 32) 299 88 72, (+995 97) 574 33 00

MODERN ART GALLERY

Tbilisi, 3 Rustaveli Ave. Tel: (+995 32) 298 21 33 Fax: (+995 32) 298 21 33

N GALLERY AND SANDRO ANTADZE

Tbilisi, 15 G. Akhvlediani St. Tel: (+995 32) 292 00 53, (+995 99) 590 33 09

NEWKAZ - TOURISM DEVELOPMENT CENTRE

Tbilisi, 5 Janashia St. Tel: (+995 32) 223 37 56, (+995 99) 551 68 42 Fax: (+995 32) 223 37 56

ORNAMENT - ENAMEL GALLERY

Tbilisi, 103 Agmashenebeli Ave. Tel: (+995 32) 295 28 20, (+995 99) 550 20 80 Fax: (+995 32) 295 17 13

TEVDORE

Tbilisi, 6 Erekle II St. Tel: (+995 32) 298 98 56

VERNISAGE

Tbilisi, 17/6 Agmashenebeli Ave. Tel: (+995 32) 291 00 24

MUSEUMS ANIMATION TOY`S MUSEUM

Tbilisi, 23 Amagleba St. Tel: (+995 32) 299 57 88

ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM

Tbilisi, Agmashenebeli Alley Tel: (+995 32) 252 13 05

CINEMA HISTORICAL MUSEUM

Tbilisi, 88 I. Javakhishvili St. Tel: (+995 32) 34 74 79, 91 01 92

D. BAAZOV GEORGIAN JEWISH HISTORICAL ETHNOGRAPHICAL MUSEUM

Tbilisi,3Anton Catholicos St. Tel: (+995 32) 298 59 92, (+995 32) 298 90 62

DENDROLOGIC MUSEUM (BOTANIC GARDEN

Tbilisi, 1 Botanikuri St. Tel: (+995 32) 272 11 85 Fax: (+995 32) 272 34 09

E. AKHVLEDIANI HOUSEMUSEUM

GEORGIAN FOLK SONGS AND INSTRUMENTS’ MUSEU

Tbilisi, 6 Samgebro St. Tel: (+995 32) 245 77 20, (+995 32) 245 77 21

GEORGIAN NATIONAL MUSEUM

Tbilisi, 3 Rustaveli Ave. Tel: (+995 32) 299 71 76, 298 48 11 Fax: (+995 32) 298 21 33

GEORGIAN NATIONAL MUSEUM-PICTURE GALLERY

Tbilisi, 11 Rustaveli Ave. Tel: (+995 32) 298 48 14

GEORGIAN OLYMPIC MUSEUM

Tbilisi, 2 Dolidze St. Tel: (+995 32) 236 57 23, 236 57 20

I.CHAVCHAVADZE HOUSEMUSEUM

Tbilisi, 22 Chubinashvili St. Tel: (+995 32) 295 02 60

K.MARJANISHVILI STATE ACADEMIC THEATRE’S MUSEUM

Tbilisi, 8 Marjanishvili St. Tel: (+995 32) 294 00 76

MINERALS MUSEUM

Tbilisi, 27/1 Leselidze St. Tel: (+995 32) 298 92 89

MIRZA FATALI AKHUNDOV AZERBAIJANIAN CULTURE MUSEUM

Tbilisi, 17 Gorgasali St. Tel: (+995 32) 272 15 71, 275 35 30

MONEY MUSEUM

Tbilisi, 7 Erekle II St. Tel: (+995 32) 293 64 12 Fax: (+995 32) 298 90 13

Tbilisi, 12 Kiacheli St. Tel: (+995 32) 299 74 12

Tbilisi, 3/5 Leonidze St. Tel: (+995 32) 244 24 05, 244 24 06

PHOKANI - GALLERY OF PHOKA ST. NINO NUNNERY

FOLK AND APPLIED ARTS MUSEUM

NIKO PIROSMANASHVILI STATE MUSEUM

Tbilisi, 7 Bambis rigi Tel: (+995 32) 243 90 47, (+995 99) 597 60 51

Tbilisi, 28 Sh. Dadiani St. Tel: (+995 32) 299 97 22, (+995 32) 299 61 52

RUSTAVELI 34

GEORGE CHITAIA THE OPEN AIR ETHNOGRAPHICAL MUSEUM

Tbilisi, 34 Rustaveli Ave. Tel: (+995 99) 573 17 30

RUSUDAN PETVIASHVILI`S GALLERY

Tbilisi, Kus tba highway 1 Tel: (+995 32) 272 90 46

Tbilisi, 29 Pirosmani St. Tel: (+995 32) 295 86 73

SH.AMIRANASHVILI STATE MUSEUM OF ARTS

Tbilisi, 1 Gudiashvili St. Tel: (+995 32) 299 99 09 Fax: (+995 32) 298 21 33

SH.RUSTAVELI ACADEMIC THEATRE’S MUSEUM

Tbilisi, 17 Rustaveli Ave. Tel: (+995 32) 298 40 51

SIMON JANASHIA GEORGIAN MUSEUM

Tbilisi, 3 Rustaveli Ave. Tel: (+995 32) 299 80 22 Fax: (+995 32) 298 21 33

SOVIET OCCUPATION MUSEUM

Tbilisi, 3 Rustaveli Ave. Tel: (+995 32) 299 80 22 Fax: (+995 32) 234 86 51

STATE MUSEUM OF THEATRE, MUSEUM AND CINEMA

Tbilisi, 6 Kargareteli St. Tel: (+995 32) 295 19 00, 295 86 98

STATE SILK MUSEUM TBILISI

6 Tsabadze St. Tel: (+995 32) 234 09 67, 234 09 63 Fax: (+995 32) 234 09 67

TBILISI Z.PALIASHVILI OPERA AND BALLET STATE THEATRE’S

Museum Tbilisi, 25 Rustaveli Ave. Tel: (+995 32) 293 37 43

TOY’S MUSEUM

Tbilisi, 17 Shavteli St. Tel: (+995 32)2 99 53 37, 299 65 11

VAKHTANG CHABUKIANI MUSEUM

Tbilisi, 83/23 Agmashenebeli St. Tel: (+995 32) 295 19 63 Fax: (+995 32) 223 70 25

Z.PALIASHVILI HOUSEMUSEUM

Tbilisi, 10 Bakradze St. Tel: (+995 32) 299 81 16

THE NATIONAL CENTER OF MANUSCRIPTS,

1/3, M. Alexidze. Georgia,Tbilisi Tel.(+995 32) 236 41 85 Fax:(+995 32) 236 32 41 www. manuscript.ge

Winter

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