კულტურა პლუს #3

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kultura plus / CULTURE PLUS 1(3)2016

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

J u r n a l i

sarCevi / Contents samSoblos siyvaruli profesia ar gaxlavT

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LOVING YOUR HOMELAND IS NOT AN OCCUPATION

vicnobT ki?

12

DO WE EVEN KNOW HIM?

samomavlod didi samuSao gvelis

24

A LOT OF WORK AHEAD

iyo aseTi qalaqi

30

THERE WAS ONCE A CITY…

`gorda~ xom zRaparia

42

‘GORDA’ AS A FAIRYTALE

suvenirebi saqarTvelodan

52

SOUVENIRS FROM GEORGIA

Salom, Cemo quTaiso

56

SHALOM, MY KUTAISI

saqarTvelos folkloris saxelmwifo centri

66

THE FOLKLORE STATE CENTRE OF GEORGIA

mogzauroba madagaskaridan...

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A JOURNEY FROM MADAGASCAR...

dilabindidan Tenebamde

80

FROM DAWN TILL SUNRISE…

gadaiRe saqarTveloSi - CASH REBATE

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FILM IN GEORGIA - CASH REBATE

LP-ze Cateuli kacobrioba

92

MANKIND ON AN LP

saredaqcio jgufi EDITORIAL STAFF revaz iukuriZe ramaz Wilaia xaTuna kereseliZe nana qvaCaxia qeiTi ruT deivisi

REVAZ IUKURIDZE RAMAZ CHILAIA KHATUNA KERESELIDZE NANA KVACHAKHIA KATIE RUTH DAVIES

dizaineri DESIGNER nikoloz bagrationi NIKOLOZ BAGRATIONI

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

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

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garekanze: sergo qobulaZe, operisa da baletis Teatris fardis eskizi

redaqciisgan: 2016 wlis 30 ianvars Tbilisis zaqaria faliaSvilis saxelobis operisa da baletis saxelmwifo akademiuri Teatris ganaxlebuli Senoba, romlis reabilitacia 50 milionze meti lari dajda, `abesalom da eTeriT~ gaixsna... manamde ki _ 1851 wlis aprilSi, tiflisSi grandiozuli mejlisi Sedga _ qalaqis rCeulma sazogadoebam amierkavkasiaSi pirveli operis Teatris ageba izeima. am movlenas parizuli gazeTi „ilustrasionic“ gamoexmaura: „qalaqis es erTaderTi Teatri, romlis interieri mTlianad mavritanuli stiliTaa gaformebuli, udavod warmoadgens erT-erT yvelaze ufro elegantur, moxdenil da warmtac saTeatro nagebobas, risi aRqmac adamians SeuZlia“. pirveli saopero sezoni gaetano donicetis `luCia di lamermuriT~ gaixsna. sagangebod `gamopranWul~ Tbiliselebs speqtakli italiidan mowveulma diriJorma barbierim da dasma warudgina; donicetis operas maleve mohyva juzepe verdis `ernani~, vinCenco belinis `norma~, joakino rosinis `sevilieli dalaqi~ da...

1874 wlis 11 oqtombers Tbilisis operis Teatri `SemTxveviT gaCenilma~ xanZarma daferfla...

22 weli elodnen `italiuri operiT~ ganebivrebuli qalaqelebi axali Senobis agebas...

1896 wlis 3 noembers, tiflisSi golovinis prospeqtze arqiteqtor Sreteris mier daproeqtebuli e.w. `saxazino Teatris~ mSenebloba dasrulda. Tumca, samwuxarod, ukve XX saukuneSi, 1973 wlis 9 maiss, isic sergo qobulaZiseuli fardiT, samuzeumo da saarqivo masaliT, rekvizitiT, kostiumebiT anu faqtobrivad srulad, uZlieresma xanZarma daanaxSira...

1978 wels operis Senoba, kidev erTxel aRdga; SenarCunda misi aRmosavluri, fsevdomavritanuli stili...

2010 wels gadawyda daewyoT operisa da baletis Teatris safuZvliani remonti; romelmac is ultraTanamedrove saTeatro sivrced aqcia... ZiriTadi sponsoris, fond `qarTus~ garda samuSao ganaxorcieles ucxourma kompaniebmac _ germanulma `geriecma~, `zalcbrenerma~, avstriulma `vagnerma~, serbulma `svetliostma~...

2016 wlis 30 ianvars Tbilisis zaqaria faliaSvilis saxelobis operisa da baletis TeatrTan sazeimod wiTeli xaliCa gaigo...

Tumca, samwuxarod, `yovlismcodneebma~ es dResaswauli Cveni gaurkvevlobis, urTierTdapirispirebis, qilikis dRed vaqcieT da ZiriTadad _ samosze, bileTebze, Sen win rad zixar? _ `avnerviuldiT~... am `vnebaTaRelvis~ miuxedavad premiera Sedga da Teatri gaixsna.

P. S. amas winaT erT satelevizio Sous vucqerdiT, romelSic gogonas sTxoves pasuxi gaeca kiTxvaze _ vin aris egnate ninoSvilis nawarmoebis mTavar gmiri? _ gogia uiSvili, adeqi gogia, biWo-gogia Tu gogia vavaia _ da axalgazrda mandilosanma xanmokle `fiqris~ Semdeg gvipasuxa _ gogia vavaia... _ `vava, vavaia~, iqneb amazed davfiqrdeT batonebo...

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From the Editors: On the 30th of January 2016, the Zakaria Paliashvili Tbilisi Opera and Ballet State Academic Theater inaugurated its refurbished building (the renovation of which amounted to over 50 million Georgian Lari) with ‘Abesalom and Eteri’…

Before that – In April 1851, a magnificent ball took place in Tiflis. The city’s high society was celebrating the opening of the first Opera Theater in the South Caucasus. The prominent Parisian newspaper ‘L’Illustration’ covered the event: “The single Theater of the city, with an exclusively Moorish interior, is undoubtedly one of the most elegant, graceful, and fascinating theater buildings a human being can admire.”

Italian conductor Francesco Barbieri and his troupe were invited to initiate the first opera season of the Theater, performing Gaetano Donizetti’s ‘Lucia di Lammermoor’ before a well-dressed audience, which was soon followed by Giuseppe Verdi’s ‘Hernani’, Vincenzo Bellini’s ‘Norma’, Gioachino Rossini’s ‘The Barber of Seville’, but…

On the 11th of October 1874, the building of the Opera and Ballet Theater “accidentally” caught fire and burned to ashes.

Pampered with Italian operas, Tbilisi’s citizens waited for 22 long years to see it reestablished…

On the 3rd November 1896, architect Viktor Schröter’s so-called “Treasury Theater” was finally completed on Tiflis’ Golovin Avenue (today’s Rustaveli Avenue). Unfortunately, the same disastrous fate would strike yet again in the 20th century, on the 9th of May 1973, destroying Sergo Kobuladze’s magnificent curtain, museum and archive materials, props, costumes – in other words, practically everything…

The Opera building was reconstructed once again in 1978, in its traditional eastern, pseudo-Moorish style.

In 2010, important renovation works began at the Opera and Ballet Theater, transforming it into an ultramodern theater building. Apart from the Cartu Foundation – the general sponsor of the rehabilitation works, foreign companies were actively involved in the process, including, among others, German companies ‘Gerriets’ and ‘Salzbrenner,’ Austrian company ‘Wagner,’ and Serbian company ‘Svetlost.’

On the 30th of January 2016, a red carpet was rolled out before the Zakaria Paliashvili Tbilisi Opera and Ballet State Academic Theater…

Unfortunately, we “know-it-alls” turned this celebration into an evening of confusion, competition, and ridicule – we were more nervous about our clothes, tickets, “why are they sitting in the front”, than about the actual performance… But the premiere did take place regardless of this turmoil, and the Theater is now open to all.

P. S. Recently, we were watching a TV show in which a girl was asked the following question: “Who is the main character in Egnate Ninoshvili’s works? – ‘Gogia Uishvili’, ‘Stand Up Gogia’, ‘Boy-Gogia’, or ‘Gogia Vavaia’?” And after “thinking” for a little while, the young lady answered ‘Gogia Vavaia’… “Vava, Vavaia”, maybe we should also start thinking about this, ladies and gentlemen.

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g n i Lov r you d is n a l e m n o a h t no tion a p u li occ che Ka a Giy

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arasdros gamCenia survili musikis saSualebiT gamomexata Cemi damokidebuleba im umecrebis mimarT, romelic Tan axlavs sxvadasxva epoqis monacvleobas da kacobriobis istoriaSi arsebuli Semzaravi magaliTebis miuxedavad dResac ar kargavs aqtualobas. kargad mesmis, rom xelovneba samyaros ukeTesobisken ver Secvlis. amitomac vcdilob davupirispiro: umecrebas _ ara azvirTebuli mdinare, aramed „dumili“, romelic vizualurad uZravi wylis zedapirs hgavs; permanentul teroristul aqtebsa da daumTavrebeli konfliqtebiT gamowveul uaryofiT emociebs _ simSvide da moTmineba, vinaidan mxolod aseT viTarebaSi mimaCnia SesaZleblad fiqri mSvenierebis iseT xarisxze, romelsac ZaluZs umecrebas win aRudges; ufro da ufro mzard xmaurian garemos _ JReradoba, romelic siCumis zRvars uaxlovdeba; teqnikuri progresis miRwevebsa da urTules teqnologiebs _ maqsimalurad gamartivebuli musikaluri ena; cxovrebis da yofis ufro da ufro aCqarebul ritms _ utrirebulad neli tempebi; patriotizmis egzaltirebul gamovlinebebs, warsulis gandideba-gafetiSebas da religiur fanatizms _ mZafri, dinamiuri kontrastebi, radganac garda sanoto qaRaldze datanili niSnebisa, piradad me, protestis gamoTqmis sxva saSualeba ar gamaCnia. da radgan aRniSnuli garemoebebi Cems sulier mdgomareobaze qvecnobierad moqmedebs da, albaT, garkveul kvalsac tovebs, mixdeba sakmaod maRali niSnulis gadalaxva, raTa yoveldRiuri urTulesi Sromis procesSi, musikaluri formis Seqmnisas, Cemi fiqrebi da gancdebi mimarTuli iyos ara zemoT CamoTvlili problemebis asaxvisken, aramed im ukidegano, uxilavi sivrcis mimarT, romelic Cems warmodgenaSi mSvenierebis, sikeTisa da siyvarulis maradiul cnebebs ukavSirdeba. erTaderTi, razedac vocnebob, gaxlavT is, rom Cemi SemoqmedebiTi sirTuleebi SeumCneveli darCes msmenelisTvis. musikis universaluri ena, romelic Targmans ar saWiroebs, TiToeul msmenelSi gansxvavebul grZnobebs iwvevs. kargad mesmis, rom Cemi musikaluri samyaro mavansa da mavans SesaZloa aRizianebdes kidec, Tumca, keTilmosurneebis danaklisi arasdros migrZvnia. mogexsenebaT, ama Tu im movlenis WeSmariti Semfasebeli mxolod droa da bednieri viqnebi, Tu Cemi Semoqmedeba momavalSi (Tuki is daviwyebas ar mieca) aRiqmeba rogorc mcdeloba Tavis gaRwevisa sibnelidan sinaTlisken.

I’ve never wished to express my attitude towards the ignorance that accompanies changes of time and, notwithstanding all the horrible examples in the history of Mankind, is still acute nowadays.

I do understand that art will not change the world for the better, so I try to oppose: Silence that resembles the surface of still water and not a raging river to ignorance; Peace and patience towards permanent terrorist acts and endless conflicts; because only in such situations can I think of beauty that is able to defeat ignorance; The sound between the verge of silence and an increasingly noisy environment; The simplest musical language to complicated technical progress; Exaggeratedly slow tempos to accelerating rhythm of life; Dynamic contrasts to exalted patriotism, fetish of the past and religious fundamentalism.

I’ve no other means of expressing my protest but the notes written on music paper.

And as the above-mentioned circumstances subconsciously influence and no doubt leave their mark on my spiritual condition, in my daily hard work I have to empty my thoughts and emotions from these problems and address the endless, unseen space connected to the eternal notions of beauty, kindness and love in my perception.

My sole desire is to keep my inner creative struggle hidden from the listeners of my music.

Universal language of music that needs no translation rouses different feelings in each listener. I do understand that my musical world can be irritating for some people, but I have also never lacked followers.

You may agree that the only true appraiser of any event is time and I’ll be glad if my music is seen in the future (if it is not lost in oblivion) as an attempt to escape from darkness towards light.

As a rule, in each new composition I try to overcome obstacles created by myself to feel, at least, temporary relief. This is a torturous process and the illusion of overcoming difficulties is not the guarantee of self-contentment.

I’ve never tried to be distinctive and full of originality. Moreover, I have repeatedly said that the issue of my creating process is as old as the universe: I try to go from subdominant to dominant chords and then to tonic so that I am not drowned in boredom.

I don’t like discussing or talking about my compositions, especially before showing a new piece. After finishing the composition I look forward to the first rehearsal which is to reveal the best and worst sides of my work. The best criteria to assess my music with is silence reigning in the concert hall full of people.

If passion for being original or, even worse, extravagant, prevails the composer, creation of music loses its essence...

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yovel axal namuSevarSi wesisamebr, vcdilob Cem mierve agebuli winaRobebis gadalaxvas, raTa droebiT mainc vigrZno Sveba. es procesi erTob mtanjvelia da sirTuleTa daZlevis iluzia sruliadac ar aris kmayofilebis grZnobis winapiroba. arasodes micdia da arc vcdilob originalobas. piriqiT, xSirad vimeoreb, rom Cemi Semoqmedebis erTerTi mTavari problema samyarosaviT xnieria: imgvarad minda gadavide subdominantidan dominantze, Semdeg ki tonikaze, rom upirveles yovlisa, Tavad ar dameuflos mosabezrebeli mowyeniloba. sakuTar nawarmoebebze bWoba da azris gamoTqma ar maxasiaTebs; miT umetes, jer armosmenilze. morigi opusis dasrulebisTanave, veli pirvel repeticias, rodesac TvalnaTeli xdeba misi av-kargi. sakuTari musikis Sesafaseblad yvelaze mniSvnelovani kriteriumi ki, CemTvis, xalxiT savse darbazis gansakuTrebuli siCumea.

Tu originalurobis da, miT ufro, eqstravaganturobis vneba iqceva dominantad da dagZlevs, musikis weras azri ekargeba... pirveli literaturuli teqsti rodis Seiqmna ver getyviT, is xom droSia Cakarguli. rac Seexeba musikas, saubari SeiZleba saeklesio sagaloblebiT daviwyoT, romlebic aRniSvnis gansakuTrebuli specifikiT xasiaTdeba. aqve SemiZlia vaxseno Cveni xalxuri polifonia, romlis sawyisi niSnebis arseboba ucnobia. xSirad mebadeba kiTxva, vin da rogor Seqmna es Sedevrebi? pasuxs ver vpoulob. aseTi metaforac davuSvi _ SeiZleba guriaSi cxovrobda baxiviT niWieri pirovneba, romelmac uxmo Tavis or mezobels, romelTagan erTerTs beThovenis, meores ki mocartis niWi hqonda da SesTavaza samxmiani polifoniuri simReris Seqmna. Tu amis daSveba SeiZleba, rbilad rom vTqva, ucnauri da gaugebaria, rogor aRmoCndnen erTdroulad `baxi, beThoveni da mocarti~ guriis garda saqarTvelos sxva kuTxeebSic. erT rameSi ki darwmunebuli var _ CvenSi, xalxuri musika, xalxis mier moednebze ar Seqmnila _ mas qmnidnen genialuri anonimebi. amitomac, Tavs uflebas ar vaZlev, anonimebis mier Seqmnili Cems musikaSi gamoviyeno. dasaSvebia, rom amgvar Sedevrebs safuZveli Caeyara qristianobis miRebamdec. amis Tqmis uflebas mTaSi warmarTuli religiis SemorCenili naSTebi maZlevs... svaneTSi, micvalebulis dakrZalvisas, dResac arsebobs garkveuli wesi _ iq, sadac micvalebuli asvenia, sxedan mxolod qalebi... Wirisufali patiJebs Tanasoflel an sxva soflidan `profesional~ momtiral mandilosans, romelic iwyebs tirils _ martiv

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I can’t tell you anything about the very first literary work as it is lost in time, but we can talk about the first musical works starting from religious chants which have a specific character. I’ll also mention folk polyphony, the origins of which are also lost in the past. I often ask myself who created these masterpieces and I can’t find the answer. I thought of a metaphor – maybe in Guria a talented person like Bach once lived; he invited two neighbors of his – one of whom was as talented as Beethoven and the other with the genius of Mozart - and suggested they create 3-voice polyphony. If this could be taken into consideration, it is somehow strange and incomprehensible how “Bach”, “Beethoven” and “Mozart” happened to live together not only in Guria, but in other regions of Georgia as well. I’m convinced of one thing – in our country, folk music was not written by people in the fields – it was created by anonymous geniuses. That is why I don’t allow myself to use the work of anonymous authors when writing my music. It could also be true that these masterpieces existed in our culture long before Christianity.

I can say this judging by the remnants of heathen religion in the mountains... Even nowadays in Svaneti during a funeral, according to tradition only ladies are allowed to sit in the room where the dead person is lying. The relatives of the deceased invite a “professional” weeper from their own or neighboring village. She starts wailing a simple melody and the women in the room sing along with her. At the same time, in the yard a group of men start singing the Svanetian “Toll” – a hymn addressed to heaven. Participants of one of the folklorist expeditions decided to record the ritual and secretly hid a microphone near the entrance door... the recording captured the voices of both men and women. I have listened to it and it’s been a true mystery for me ever since. Exactly this recording gave me the inspiration to invite Hamlet Gonashvili to perform the opening and the middle parts in my 3rd Symphony with the subtitle “The Chant”.

Maybe a century before Artem Erkomaishvili was born, there lived another “Artem Erkomaishvili”, and before him, yet another; this went on and on from generation to generation. I recently talked to the head of the Folklore Center, Giorgi Donadze, who was concerned about the fact that interest towards folk music has decreased, especially in the regions, notwithstanding the fact that 16 musical schools were founded in the peripheries by the State. Our script and language is vitally important for maintaining our identity and the exact same thing can be said about folk polyphony. Nowadays, passion for contemporary genres is normal and understandable, this happens in the whole world and we cannot be the exception. But if it overshadows the devotion of young people towards folk music, our identity will come under real threat.

I remember in 2000 I was a guest composer at the Lucerne Festival.

The organizers suggested I invite one group to participate in it and

melodias da oTaxSi msxdomi qalebi uerTdebian mas. am dros, ezoSi ramdenime mamakacisgan Semdgari gundi asrulebs svanur `zars~ _ zecisken mimarTul himns. erT-erTi eqspediciisas folkloristebma gadawyvites ritualis Cawera da mikrofoni daukiTxavad, Sesasvlel karebTan damales... firCamwerma qalebis tirili da kacebis „zari“ erTdroulad aRbeWda. roca es Canaweri movismine, mivxvdi, rom es saocari movlena CemTvis gaugebari misteriis niSnebs atarebda. swored es Canaweri gaxda Cemi mesame simfoniis Seqmnis erTgvari inspiracia da Cem mier Seqmnili `tirilis~ simfoniis dasawyisSi, Sua nawilSi da boloSi Sesasruleblad hamlet gonaSvili moviwvie. albaT, artem erqomaiSvilamde, saukuniT adre, cxovrobda da mReroda sxva `artem erqomaiSvili~, manamde kidev sxva da ase modioda Taobidan Taobamde. amaswinaT vesaubre folkloris centris xelmZRvanels, giorgi donaZes, romelmac gamoTqva wuxili imis gamo, rom interesma xalxuri muzicirebis mimarT iklo, gansakuTrebiT regionSi. miuxedavad imisa, rom saxelmwifom, swored regionSi, 16 samusiko saswavlebeli daaarsa. Tu Cveni TviTmyofadobisTvis Cvens damwerlobas da enas sasicocxlo mniSvneloba aqvs, aranaklebi mniSvnelobisaa Cveni xalxuri mravalxmianobac. dRevandeli gataceba popularuli JanrebiT normaluri da gasagebia, ase xdeba mTel msoflioSi da amas gverds ver avuvliT. magram Tu es gataceba daCrdilavs axalgazrdobis ltolvas xalxuri musikisadmi, Cvens identobas realuri safrTxe daumuqreba. maxsovs, 2000 wels lucernis festivalis guest composer gaxldiT. organizatorebma SemomTavazes programis farglebSi erTi koleqtivi mimewvia da SveicariaSi ansambli `rusTavi~ Camovida. erT-erT saRamos, specialurad lucernis festivalisTvis Seqmnili Cemi vrceli simfoniuri nawarmoebis Sesrulebis (jansuR kaxiZis diriJorobiT) Semdeg, lucernis axladagebul saocar darbazSi `rusTavma~ qarTuli xalxuri musika Seasrula. maSin mivxvdi, ratom iwvevs Cveni cekvebi mayurebelSi saocar aRtkinebas, xolo xalxuri polifoniis mosmenas mohyveba gaogneba. `Cakrulos~, `xasanbeguras~ da `Cven mSvidobas~ Sesrulebas swored rom gaogneba unda mosdevdes. darwmunebuli var, rom artem da anzor erqomaiSvilebis niWis matarebeli xuTi-eqvsi wlis biWebi dResac mravlad arian... am genetikur kods gansakuTrebuli gafrTxileba da movla-patronoba sWirdeba.

Tengiz (CubCika) mirzaSvilTan da jansuR kaxiZesTan erTad WITH TENGIZ (CHUBCHIKA) MIRZASHVILI AND JANSUG KAKHIDZE

so the Rustavi Ensemble visited Switzerland. At one of the events, after a long symphonic composition which I wrote specially for the Festival (conducted by Jansug Kakhidze), Rustavi performed Georgian folk music in a newly built concert hall. And then I learned why the audiences are delighted by our folk dances and astonished by our polyphony.

Performances of ‘Chakrulo,’ ‘Khasanbegura’ and ‘Our Peace’ should truly be followed by astonishment. I’m sure that there still are many 5-6 year old boys who have the talent of Artem and Anzor Erkomaishvili... We should take care and cherish this genetic code.

It’s good that we’ve had many professional folklorists in the 20th century who contributed to discovering song versions from different parts of Georgia. Proper assessment of these brilliant performers is priceless. I admire their work, especially that of Anzor Erkomaishvili.

But at the same time I want to express my indignation that scientific studies in this field lag behind the treasury of several centuries.

I share Jansug Kakhidze’s dream of having a ‘philharmonic’ life in Georgia like in other cultural and developed countries! This means

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kargia, rom XX saukuneSi gaCndnen profesionali folkloristebi, romelTa Rvawli fasdaudebelia sxvadasxva kuTxis simRerebis fiqsirebaSi, gansxvavebuli versiebis aRmoCenaSi, brwyinvale, ganumeorebeli Semsruleblebis saTanado aRiarebaSi. qeds vixri maTi da gansakuTrebiT anzor erqomaiSvilis Semoqmedebis winaSe. amave dros, ar SemiZlia guliswyromiT ar aRvniSno, rom fundamenturi samecniero kvlevebi am sferoSi saukuneebis manZilze SemorCenil saunjes sagrZnoblad CamorCeba. jansuR kaxiZe natrobda da mec vnatrob, rom iseve rogorc kulturul da ganviTarebul qveynebSi, saqarTveloSic arsebobdes `filarmoniuli~ cxovreba! es niSnavs imas, rom minimum erTi wliT adre musikalur sazogadoebas gaaCndes programa _ sad romeli koncerti Catardeba, sad idiriJorebs esa Tu is diriJori, sad daukravs esa Tu is solisti, ra Sesruldeba ama Tu im koncertze da a.S. es yovelive gawerili unda iyos winaswar. CvenTan ki yvelaferi spontanurad xdeba. festivali _ ki batono, meore festivali _ mSvenieria da vcxovrobT ase _ festivalidan festivalamde, gastrolioridan gastrolioramde. xandaxan xdeba ise, rom erTmaneTs sami koncerti emTxveva. SarSan SesaniSnavma klarnetistma levan cxadaZem, romelic amsterdamSi cxovrobs da evropaSi moRvaweobs, Camoiyvana saukeTeso solistebi, sasule-Casaber instrumentebze Semsruleblebi da ra? es festivali droSi daemTxva eliso virsalaZis festivals TelavSi! ar arsebobs koordinacia da ar arsebobs imitom, rom ar gvaqvs `filarmoniuli~ cxovrebis tradicia. albaT, mova dro, rodesac am tradiciis safuZvlis Cayraze izrunebs saxelmwifo. aSenda sakoncerto darbazi, romelsac daarqves `filarmonia~. Cemi survili ar uwodon am darbazs `filarmonia~ uSedego aRmoCnda _ TiTqmis yvela tele da radio wamyvani xmarobs am termins-saxeldebas... mivaRwie mxolod imas, rom Senobis fasadze gaCnda warwera `didi sakoncerto darbazi~. Cvenma sazogadoebam unda icodes, rom `filarmonia~ gaxlavT sivrce, sadac imarTeba simfoniuri, kameruli da sagundo musikis koncertebi. ar aris swori `filarmonia~ uwodo darbazs, romelSic partiuli yrilobebiT dawyebuli da sxvadasxva sanaxaobiT damTavrebul warmodgenebSi sruldeba yvelaferi, zemoT CamoTvlili Janrebis garda.

Tqven egreT wodebuli `momzadebuli yuri~ axseneT. CemTvis gaugebaria xelovnebis maRali nimuSebis gageba.

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robert sturuasTan erTad WITH ROBERT STURUA

having a musical schedule a year ahead – which concert will be held and where, who the conductor will be, where a certain soloist will perform, which pieces will be performed at certain concerts, etc. This should be scheduled beforehand. In our country everything happens spontaneously. A festival - Yes, sir! Another one – Why not? A grand idea! And we live from festival to festival, from guest musician to guest musician. Last year a wonderful clarinetist, Levan Tskhadadze, who lives in Amsterdam and performs in Europe, brought great wind soloists to Georgia. And then what?! The event coincided with the Festival of Eliso Virsaladze in Telavi! That happened due to lack of coordination and we don’t have coordination because we don’t have a tradition of philharmonic life. Maybe the time will come when the State will think of laying the foundation for this tradition.

The new concert hall was built recently and was named the ‘Philharmonic Hall.’ My attempt to dissuade this name being given to it failed. Almost all TV or Radio journalists call it ‘Philharmonic Hall’...

The only success I gained is that the sign on the front wall says ‘The Great Concert Hall.’ Our society should know that ‘Philharmonic Hall’ is a space where symphonic, chamber or choral concerts are held. It’s wrong to give this name to a hall where party congresses, different shows or, shortly speaking, any spectacles are held but the genres I mentioned above.

You referred to a ‘Ready Ear.’ I don’t know how masterpieces can be understood. The only crucial thing in this matter is feeling and emotion, which excludes understanding. I remember in the Soviet Union there was one channel which was watched by millions of people. In one of the programs a professional musical expert spoke about the structure and form of Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony (6th)

vfiqrob, rom mxolod SegrZnebaa is aucilebeli Tviseba, romelic `gagebas~ gamoricxavs. kargad maxsovs, rodesac sabWoTa kavSirSi erTi telearxi arsebobda romelsac as milionze meti mayurebeli ucqerda, erT-erT gadacemaSi profesionali musikismcodne gvesaubreboda beThovenis meeqvse `pastoraluri~ simfoniis struqturaze, formaze da Semdeg agrZelebda: ama Tu im epizodSi ucbad gaismis Weqa-quxili, iwyeba qariSxali da modis saSineli wvima... mere ki ucbadve gamoCndeba mze, cisartyela... vusmendi am adamians da vfiqrobdi _ axla am as milions xom hgonia, rom beThovenis es simfonia `momzadebuli yurisTvis~ feradi mxatvruli filmia... sxvaTa Soris, ori adamiani, Tu gnebavT col-qmari, romelTac erTad aqvT gatarebuli mTeli cxovreba da romlebic usmenen erTi da igive nawarmoebs, sxvadasxvagvarad aRiqvamen mas. es gaxlavT musikis abstraqtulobis Sedegi da musikis fenomeni swored amaSi gamoixateba. musikas gageba ar sWirdeba, mas sWirdeba SegrZneba! meti araferi... viRac grZnobs ase, viRac sxvagvarad... viRac saerTod ver grZnobs, magram grZnobs sxva Janris musikas... ase rom yvelaferi grZnobazea damyarebuli da ara gagebaze _ amitomac mimaCnia, rom Cveni xalxuri musikis gageba SeuZlebelia.

Cemi bolo nawarmoebis premiera orjer belgiaSi, briuselSi da Semdeg zedized samjer, amerikis SeerTebul StatebSi, sietlSi Sedga. manamde gamovida Cemi morigi diski ori nawarmoebiT, romelsac hqvia `kiaroskuro~ da rogorc aseT dros xdeba gaCnda presac _ absoluturad urTierTgamomricxavi SexedulebebiT. dRes maRali rangis kritikosi iseTive iSviaTobaa, rogorc maRali rangis kompozitori, poeti an mwerali... kompozitorebi xom bevrad metni arian, vidre unda iyvnen da raodenobiT kritikosebic ar CamorCebian maT... erT magaliTs moviyvan _ warmoidgineT asi wlis winandeli periodi. erTdroulad moRvaweobdnen stravinski, prokofievi, puCini, Sonbergi, sibeliusi, raveli, debiusi _ es gaxlavT gansxvavebuli musikaluri ena da azrovneba, absoluturad gansxvavebuli damokidebuleba formis, struqturis mimarT da yvela maTgans hyavs Tavisi apologeti. gavida saukune da dRes filarmoniul programebSi mSvidad Tanaarseboben maleri, SostakoviCi, sibeliusi, veberni, bergi, Sonbergi da es ukureaqcias aravisSi iwvevs. adamianebi modian koncertze da yovelgvari protestis gareSe ismenen am gansxvavebul mimarTulebebs. erTma kritikosma qalbatonma londonSi Cemi `kiaroskuro~ miwasTan gaaswora... am dros imave diskze parizSi daiwera statia, saidanac wagikiTxavT bolo winadadebas: `es musika ki uzomod humanuri

and he added: “In a certain episode a thunder is heard, storm rages and it starts to rain; then suddenly the sun and a rainbow appear...”

I was listening to this person and thought – right now 100 million people assume that Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony is a movie for a ‘Ready Ear’... by the way, two people, say a husband and a wife who have spent the whole life together, listen to one and the same music differently. This is the result of abstractedness of this phenomenon – music. It should not be understood, it should be felt! And that’s that!

One can feel certain music this way, the other – yet another way...

Someone may have no emotions whatsoever towards one kind of music, but adore another... So everything comes to feeling and not understanding – That’s why I think that our folk music cannot be understood.

The premiere of my latest piece was held twice in Belgium, Brussels and then three times in Seattle in the US. Before this my new album containing two compositions was released. It was named ‘Chiaroscuro’ and it received mutually exclusive press. Nowadays, high class critics are as much a rarity as high class composers, poets and writers... There are many more composers than there should be and we also don’t lack in the number of critics... I’ll give you one example: imagine the period a hundred years ago. Stravinsky, Prokofiev, Puccini, Schoenberg, Sibelius, Ravel and Debussy are all alive – this is a different musical language and thinking, an absolutely different attitude towards form and structure and each of the abovementioned composers have their own apologists.

A century passes and nowadays Mahler, Shostakovich, Sibelius, Webern, Berg and Schoenberg peacefully coexist in the philharmonic programs; nobody has a problem with this. People come to concerts and listen to these different styles without protest. One critic in

mstislav rostropoviCTan erTad WITH MSTISLAV ROSTROPOVICH

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eniT metyveli, genialur kompozitors ekuTvnis...~ e.i. safrangeTSi viRac mTvlis genialur kompozitorad, inglisSi ki statia brZanebs rom, `iaffasiani Sampunebis Tu sapnebis maRaziaSi movxvdi da raRac ubedureba movismineo~ _ es gansxvavebuloba normaluria, asec unda iyos. ar vici damijerebT Tu ara _ am ukiduresad urTierTgamomricxav gamonaTqvamebs sakmarisad mSvidad vxvdebi. Tumca gamogitydebiT _ uaryofiTi kritika aranakleb siamovnebas mgvris, vidre dadebiTi. samwuxarod givi orjonikiZis gardacvalebis Semdeg musikaluri kritikis muxti TiTqmis gaqra (sxvaTa Soris amis mizezi filarmoniuli cxovrebis ararsebobacaa). maxsovs, didi xnis win, romeliRac gazeTSi wavikiTxe andria balanCivaZis vaJis, jarjis (SesaniSnavi musikosis, pianistis) werili erT-erT koncertze da saxtad davrCi _ gamaxsenda XIX saukunis bolos da XX saukunis dasawyisSi damkvidrebuli stili, rodesac martivi, gasagebi eniT da ramdenime winadadebiT gadmoicemoda ZiriTadi azri. jarjis SevTavaze, TbilisSi gamarTuli yoveli simfoniuri koncertis Semdeg, daewera recenzia, romlis gamoqveynebaSic davexmarebodi. samwuxarod es idea ver ganvaxorcieleT. ramdenime welia, rac ruseTSi siaruli Sevwyvite, Tumca Cemi musikis Sesruleba iq ar Sewyvetila. ar maqvs survili viaro qveyanaSi, romelSic mosaxleobis umravlesoba, da maT Soris zogierTi Cemi megobari musikosi, mxars uWers gaqnil provokators da qveynis damangrevel prezidents. ronald reiganis droindeli `borotebis imperia~ dRes asmagi energiiT ebrZvis gaerTianebul civilizebul samyaros da cdilobs mis daSlas. amave dros vnanob, rom ZiriTadad mis gamo gavemijneT rusul kulturas.

Tumca mjera, rom axalgazrdobis dainteresebuli nawili rusuli enis arcodnis miuxedavad, kargad naTargmni literaturis meSveobiT eziareba tolstois, dostoevskis da Cexovis Semoqmedebas. sabednierod, musika Targmnas ar saWiroebs da Tanac komunikaciis Tanamedrove teqnologiebis daxmarebiT is praqtikulad SezRudvis gareSe gaxda xelmisawvdomi internetmomxmareblebisTvis. axalgazrda profesional kompozitorTa ricxvma ki minimumamde davida. albaT, es movlena ganapiroba Semdegma garemoebam: dameTanxmebiT, rom saorkestro partituris Seqmna specialurad miRebuli ganaTlebis gareSe SeuZlebelia. ar ifiqroT, rom momravlebuli `bendebis~ winaaRmdegi var. piriqiT, rac ufro meti jgufi iarsebebs, miT

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London pulled my ‘Chiaroscuro’ to pieces... While in Paris an article was written about the same album. Here’s the last sentence from it: “This music, which speaks to us in the language of humanity, belongs to a brilliant composer...” So, someone in France thinks I’m a brilliant composer and in England an article says: “I found myself in a shop of cheap shampoos and soaps listening to dreadful music” – these differences are normal. It should be like this! I don’t know whether you believe me or not, but these contradictory opinions don’t bother me a bit. I’ll be frank with you – negative reviews are as pleasant for me as acclaim.

Unfortunately, after Givi Orjonikidze passed away, music criticism has almost vanished (although this is partly due to the nonexistence of philharmonic life). Once, I was astonished when I read a review in one of the newspapers about a concert, written by the son of Andria Balanchivadze, Jarji (a brilliant musician, a pianist). I remembered the style of the end of 19th and beginning of 20th centuries, when the main idea was brought to the reader in simple, understandable language.

I suggested Jarji write reviews about all the symphonic concerts in Tbilisi, but unfortunately we could not bring this idea to fruition.

I stopped visiting Russia several years ago, but my music is still played there. I don’t want to go to a country where the majority of the population, including some of my musician friends, support a sly

ukeTesia. simravle WeSmariti niWis gamovlinebas uwyobs xels. aseTive damokidebuleba maqvs eleqtronuli musikis mravalricxovan mimdevarTan. problema ki imaSi gaxlavT, rom gitaraze an klaviSian sakravze sami an oTxi akordis monacvleobiT SesaZlebelia kompoziciis Seqmna. simfoniuri orkestrisTvis Rirebuli partituris Semqmnels mravalwliani ganaTlebis miRebis gareSe araferi gamouva. es gaxlavT martivi mizezi imisa, rom axalgazrda kompozitorebis ltolvam konservatoriaSi ganaTlebis misaRebad sagrZnoblad iklo. vfiqrob, es garemoeba damafiqrebelia.

P. S. 80 wels gadavabije da rac ufro meti dro gadis, CemTvis dasafiqrebeli da sawyeni matulobs. mwyins, rom Cemi qalaqi daemsgavsa „Tavkombalas“. mwyins, rom ver moeRo bolo mSeneblobebs, romlebic amaxinjeben garemos. mwyins, rom politikosebs Soris arsebuli gesli da zizRi sagrZnoblad Warbobs urTierTpativiscemas. mesmis, rom srulyofili sazogadoeba SeiZleba arsebobdes mxolod adamianis warmodgenaSi, Tumca Cvens sazogadoebaSi arsebuli gauTavebeli dapirispireba mosabezrebeli da autaneli gaxda. ar mesmis, ratom ver cxaddeba avtomanqanebis mavne gamonabolqvze kontroli, Tu haeris dabinZureba pirdapir emuqreba Tbilisis mosaxleobis janmrTelobas. amave dros, arsebobs erTi SexedviT viTom da umniSvnelo problemebi, Tumca zogierTi maTgani CemSi protestis grZnobas iwvevs. amas winaT gaxldiT funikuliorze restoranSi. ar vici vis sakuTrebaSia dRes es Senoba da arc is vici, Tu vis sakuTrebaSi aRmoCnda Cemi megobris, koka ignatovis brwyinvale namuSevari `firosmanis Tbilisis~ pano. siamayis grZnobiT mivipatiJe stumrebi panos sanaxavad da maSinve vinane! naxevrad Cabnelebul darbazSi (specialuri ganaTeba intimuri atmosferos Sesaqmnelad) damxvda ramdenime magida da Sesabamisi raodenobis skami, gaugebari formis brtyeli Tanamedrove WaRi, romelic faravs panos zeda nawils. vimeoreb, miuxedavad imisa, rom warmodgena ar maqvs restornis amJamindel mflobelebze, minda vTxovo maT pativi miagon xelovnebis nimuSs, gaaTavisuflon sivrce, gadaitanon WaRi Sesaferis adgilze, Secvalon ganaTeba da dadgan panosgan garkveuli manZiliT daSorebuli xis ovaluri moajiri (Tejiri), romlis arseboba cxadyofs, rom xelovnebasTan Sexeba unda xdebodes kaTxa ludis, yavis da sja-baasis gareSe. Tu Cemi survili odesme ganxorcielda, davijereb, rom samSoblosadmi pativiscema gascdeba sufrasTan warmoTqmul maRalfardovan sadRegrZeloebs.

provocateur, a president who attempts to destroy my country. The “Empire of Evil” from Ronald Reagan’s era continues to fight against the civilized world with triple energy and tries to destroy it. It also deeply saddens me that we had to alienate ourselves from Russian culture because of him. But I believe that though youngsters don’t know Russian, they will read great translations of Tolstoy, Dostoevsky and Chekov.

Fortunately, music does not need translation and thanks to modern technologies of communication, anything is accessible with almost no limitations for internet users. The number of young professional composers is on the verge of a minimum. Probably, this is due to the fact that creating an orchestral score is impossible without special education. I don’t want you to think that I’m against the modern bands. The more bands, the better. Multiplicity always helps bring true talent to light. I feel the same way about the multiple supporters of electronic music. The problem is that one can create a composition for the guitar or keyboard using only three or four chords while the score for the symphonic orchestra cannot be created without yearslong education. This is why fewer and fewer youngsters go to the Conservatory.

I think we should give this good thought.

P. S. I have stepped beyond the age of 80 and the more time goes by, the more hurtful are the things I encounter. I’m sorry that my city reminds me of a “tadpole”. I worry that these eternal constructions that disfigure the city cannot be stopped. I ‘m sorry that the hate and spite among politicians drastically exceeds respect for one another.

I realize that a perfect society can only exist in our minds, but the constant opposition and fighting is boring and unbearable for me.

I don’t understand why we can’t control exhaust fumes that pollute our air and threaten the health of our fellow citizens. There are also seemingly unimportant, tiny problems that draw a feeling of protest in me. I was at a restaurant in the funicular garden not long ago. I don’t know who the building belongs to, I’m also not aware who the owner of the wonderful painting ‘Pirosmani’s Tbilisi’ by a friend of mine, KokaIgnatov, is. I was proud to invite my guests to see the painting, but I happened to be so wrong! I was sorry to see several tables and chairs in semi darkness (probably to create intimate space) and flat chandelier of a strange form blocking the upper part of the painting from view.

I want to repeat that although I have no idea who the owner of the restaurant is, I ask him to have respect towards the art work, replace the chandelier, install proper light and separate the painting from the restaurant space with a fence which will be a reminder for visitors that art should be appreciated without beer, coffee or chit-chat. If my wish ever comes true, I will believe that love of your homeland has long passed the high-flown toasts said during the feasts.

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TeatrisTvis sagangebod Seqmnili farda pirveli da unikaluria, rac warmodgenasTan erTad mayureblis mexsierebaSi rCeba. is TiTqos speqtaklis nawilia _ amZafrebs emocias da waruSlel STabeWdilebas tovebs, rogorc dadgmis dawyebamde, aseve misi damTavrebis Semdegac; miT umetes Tu xelovanis xeliTaa Seqmnili. swored aseTi iyo sergo qobulaZis funjiT naxati jadosnoba, romelic 1960 wlidan 13 weli amSvenebda zaqaria faliaSvilis saxelobis Tbilisis operisa da baletis Teatrs.

1973 wlis 9 maisis xanZarma TeatrTan erTad fardac imsxverpla _ farda, romelic Tbilisis operis simbolod qceuliyo da romlis aRdgenac mxolod ormocdasami wlis Semdeg gaxda SesaZlebeli. bunebrivia, dRes fardis avtoris, misi cxovrebisa da Semoqmedebisadmi interesi didia. vin iyo sergo qobulaZe _ mxatvari? mecnieri? eriskaci?

vicnobT ki?

The magnificent stage curtain we are going to talk about was created especially for the Opera and Ballet Theater and is one of its most impressive features and most distinctive symbols. It can almost be perceived as an integral part of the performances, as it intensifies emotions both before their beginning and after their ending. Such was the magic brush painting created by Sergo Kobuladze which embellished the Opera and Ballet Theater for 13 years from 1960 and burned down with the building on the 9th of May 1973. It took 43 years to recreate that curtain and return it to the stage. Naturally, people want to know more about its creator, his life, and career. Who was Sergo Kobuladze – A painter? A scientist? A public figure?

Do We Even Know Him? 1909 wlis 7 Tebervals daibada axalcixeSi. mamamisi samxedro iyo, deda _ diasaxlisi, romelic SesaniSnavad qargavda Turme...

1920 wels ojaxTan erTad TbilisSi gadmosuli skolis paralelurad boris Sebuevisa da nikola sklifasovskis xatvis gakveTilebs iRebda. misi niWi da mowesrigebuli xasiaTi skolisdroindel geometriis rveulSic Cans. skolis damTavrebis Semdeg Tbilisis samxatvro akademiaSi ganagrZo swavla (1925-1930 ww.) _ „pirvel-

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Sergo Kobuladze was born on February 7th, 1909, in Akhaltsikhe.

His father was a military man, his mother a housewife who excelled at embroidery.

After his family moved to Tbilisi in 1920, he started taking painting lessons from Boris Shebuev and Nikolay Sklifosovsky. His talent and discipline can already be perceived in his geometry notebook of that time.

After graduating from high school, he continued his studies at Tbilisi’s Academy of Arts (1925-1930). “The first couple of years, we learned painting technique exclusively. The courses of my first

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meore kursze akademiaSi mxolod xatvas gvaswavlidnen. pirvel wels kursi ioseb Sarlemans mihyavda, momdevnoze ki evgeni lanseres. gansakuTrebulad bevri viswavle da SeviZine gigo gabaSvilisgan, romelic ferweris anabanas gvacnobda. pirvelad misgan gavige, Tu ras niSnavs Tbili da civi tonebi, ramac Cemze didi STabeWdileba moaxdina~, _ ixsenebda mogvianebiT Tavad qobulaZe. Zveli qarTuli xelovnebis ZeglebiT samxatvro akademiaSive swavlisas dainteresda, romelTac mogvianebiT Teoriul-mecnieruli naSromi `oqros kveTa~ miuZRvna. masSi mimoxilulia mcxeTis jvris taZris arqiteqturaSi mignebuli oqros kveTis wesi, atenis sionis XI saukunis freskebSi napovni adamianis sxeulis proporciis etaloni, aseve antikuri da qarTuli arqiteqturuli Zeglebis kompoziciuri agebis principebi... imavdroulad safuZvlianad Seiswavla dasavleT evropuli, gansakuTrebiT ki italiuri renesansis epoqis xelovneba. akademiis damTavrebis Semdeg Teatris dekoraciebi da sxvadasxva speqtaklis kostiumebis eskizebi Seqmna.

1932 wlidan igi aformebs speqtaklebs Tbilissa (kote marjaniSvilis miwveviT) da moskovSi. 1935 wels 25 wlis sergo qobulaZem rusTavelis 750 wlis iubilesTvis „vefxistyaosnis“ dasuraTxatebis

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year were led by Ioseb Sharleman, those of my second year by Yevgeny Lansere. I learned and discovered very much from Gigo Gabashvili, who taught us the basics of painting. It is he who made me understand what warm and cold tones meant, and he had a great influence on me,” Sergo Kobuladze would later recall.

While studying at the Academy, Kobuladze became interested in the architecture of old Georgian buildings. He wrote ‘Golden Ratio’ on this subject, a theoretical scientific research paper discussing the golden ratio principles used in the architecture of the Jvari Church in Mtskheta, the standard proportions of the human body found on the frescoes of the Ateni Sioni Church (11th century), and architectural composition principles used in Georgia more generally, as well as abroad, in antiquity. He also thoroughly studied Western European art and particularly the Italian Renaissance.

After graduating from the Academy, he worked on theater sets and costume sketches for a number of performances. He was a theater set designer from 1932, in Tbilisi (on the invitation of Kote Marjanishvili) and Moscow.

In 1935, 25-year-old Sergo Kobuladze designed an illustration series for ‘The Knight in the Panther’s Skin’ in the framework of a contest dedicated to Rustaveli’s 750th anniversary. His competitors were the highly appraised and famous painters Lado Gudiashvili, Tamar Abakelia and Irakli Toidze, but Sergo won. These masterpieces, which

sakonkurso seria Seqmna. mis garda konkursSi monawileobdnen _ lado gudiaSvili, Tamar abakelia, irakli ToiZe... da gaimarjva. es Sedevrebi patara, bnel saxelosnoSi Seiqmna da... imdroindel samxatvro wreebSi mxatvars didi grafikosis saxeli daumkvidra. samwuxarod, saqarTveloSi erTi namuSevaric ki ar darCa _ nawili maSinve iyida tretiakovis galeream, nawili ki _ moskovSi aRmosavleTis xalxTa xelovnebis muzeums gaegzavna. dRemde qobulaZis ilustrirebuli „vefxistyaosani“ 12-jer qarTulad; 22-jer rusulad; 2-jer inglisurad da TiTojer _ azerbaijanul, arabul, germanul, estonur, somxur, sparsul, frangul, yirgizul da esperantos enazec ki gamoica.

1938-39 wlebSi mxatvarma kidev erTi mniSvnelovani namuSevari Seqmna _ rusuli poemis, „ambavi igoris laSqrobisa“, ori Seudarebeli ilustracia. mxatvris SemoqmedebaSi gansakuTrebuli adgili fanqarSi Sesrulebul savonarolas da dantes saxeebsac uWiravT. 1956 wels am ukanasknels italiaSi, veneciis bienaleze, udidesi warmateba xvda wilad.

were created in a small poorly-lit studio, brought fame to the artist within painting circles. Unfortunately, not a single piece remains in Georgia – the Tretyakov Gallery bought some of them right away, and the rest were sent to the Moscow State Museum of the East. His illustrations for ‘The Knight in the Panther’s Skin’ were published in Georgian versions of the book 12 times, 22 times in Russian and two times in English, and also in the Azerbaijani, Arabic, German, Estonian, Armenian, Persian, French, Kirghiz and even Esperanto versions.

In the years 1938-39, he created another important series – two exceptional illustrations for the Russian poem ‘The Tale of Igor’s Campaign.’

1950-iani wlebis meore naxevarSi samxatvro akademiis studentoba impresionizmisa da postimpresionizmis STabeWdilebis qveS moeqca. am dros akademiis reqtori (1952-59 ww.) sergo qobulaZe iyo. mxatvar-keramikosi nana kiknaZe ixsenebs: `sergo qobulaZem akademiis saaqto darbazSi miiwvia meamboxe sulis axalgazrda Taoba, maT Soris: jibson xundaZe, koki maxaraZe, edmond kalandaZe, gogi ToTibaZe, mito xaxutaSvili, merab berZeniSvili da sxvebi. qobulaZe mSvidad Camovida kaTedridan, magidaze mdgari wyliT naxevrad savse boTli aiRo da gadaWedil darbazs mimarTa _ „me xelSi miWiravs boTli...“ _ darbazs Rimilnarevma dacinvis CurCulma gadauara, SigadaSig studentebis xmamaRali sicilic ki gaisma. „es is boTli ar aris, Tqven rom ggoniaT. es wyliT savse boTlia. me mas

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dedis portreti, 25,5X22,5, oforti PORTRAIT OF MOTHER, 25.5X22.5, ETCHING

franguli sunamos esenciis erTi wveTi davumate, romelic wyals Seeria da is namdvil sunamod aqcia. amas gTxovT Tqvenc, rac gindaT is akeTeT, magram sakuTar namuSevars erTi wveTi erovnulisa yovelTvis daawveTeT da qarTuli arasodes dakargoT“. sergo qobulaZe zogjer ver uZlebda cdunebas da studentebTan erTad leqciazeve iwyebda naturidan xatvas. misi moswavleebi, giorgi wereTeli da Temo gocaZe ixseneben, rom baton sergos ar uyvarda studentTa namuSevrebSi raimes Casworeba, mxolod SeniSvniT ifargleboda da rCevas aZlevda _ „yvelaferi unda icodeT, yvelanair teqnikas unda flobdeT, rom SegeZloT sakuTari ideebis xorcSesxma, da mere gnebavT mravalfeniani xateT, gindaT `a la prima~, impresia da gnebavT kubisturio“.

1969 wels, erT-erTi interviuSi mxatvari aRniSnavs: „SemoqmedebiTi intuicia _ arsebiTi niWia SemoqmedisTvis, ese igi nawarmoebis Sesaqmnelad; magram Tu is inteleqtis mier ar aris organizebuli, stiqiuri da anarqiulia.

SemoqmedebiTi intuiciis organizeba xdeba saxviTi teqnikis dauflebisa da codnis SeZenis gziT. Tu teqnika ostatobamde avida, is xelovnebis ekvivalenturia, magram teqnikis

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His pencil portraits of Savonarola and Dante met with great success in Italy’s Venice Biennale in 1956 and hold a particular place among his creations.

During the late 1950s, Art Academy students were greatly influenced by impressionism and postmodernism. At that time (1952-59), Sergo Kobuladze was the Director of the Academy. Ceramist Nana Kiknadze remembers: “Sergo Kobuladze invited rebellious young students to the conference room: Jibson Khundadze, Koki Makharadze, Edmond Kalandadze, Gogi Totibadze, Mito Khakhutashvili, Merab Berdzenishvili, and many others. Mr. Kobuladze slowly approached a table, took a halffull bottle in his hand and addressed the crowd: ‘I’m holding a bottle in my hand…’ Students started whispering, some of them laughed mockingly. ‘This is not the bottle you think it is. This is a bottle filled with water, but I added a drop of French fragrance to it. It dissolved in the water and turned it into real perfume. This is what I’m asking from you: do what you want, but always add one drop of national spirit to your works and never lose sight of it’, he said.” Sometimes, Sergo Kobuladze couldn’t resist the urge to paint and would start painting in front of his students during his own lectures. His students Giorgi Tsereteli and Temo Gotsadze say that Mr. Kobuladze was never fond of correcting students’ work, he would only make a note and give them a piece of advice – “You need to know everything and master all the techniques to be able to materialize your ideas. If you achieve this, you may paint in many layers, “alla prima”, you may do impressionism or cubism, whatever you like”.

In one of his interviews dating back to 1969, the painter states: “Creative intuition is an essential gift for making compositions.

However, if it’s not controlled by intellect, it becomes disastrous and anarchical. One gains creative intuition by acquiring knowledge and skills. If technique is mastered, then we’re talking about art, but mastering techniques alone doesn’t make art, just

as talent alone doesn’t make art. Art is a combination of creative intuition and skills mastery. This is what I really mean by the word ‘art’.” Kobuladze believed that in order to create a masterpiece, a painter has to know physics, chemistry, geometry, composition, and even the laws of gravity. In 1972, he opened a studio to enable young students to practice and improve their skills and knowledge. The studio is still functioning today under the direction of Giorgi Tsereteli.

Another initiative of Sergo Kobuladze led to the foundation of a special photo laboratory for the archiving of Georgian paintings.

It was later transformed into the George Chubinashvili National Research Center for Georgian Art History and Heritage Preservation.

The laboratory’s objective was to establish scientific standards in the photography of cultural heritage exhibits and monuments. The family archive of the Kobuladze family still holds many unique black and white photos.

“There are artists whose works are the product of rationalization, research, hesitation, and the decision-making processes. They will rarely give themselves more freedom in their creations than pondering allows them to, and they consider thought and mastership to be

SiSveli natura, 82X58, qaRaldi, fanqari NUDE, 82X85, PAPER, PENCIL

srulyofili codna jer mainc ar qmnis xelovnebas, iseve, rogorc marto niWi ar qmnis xelovnebis nimuSs. xelovneba sinTezia SemoqmedebiTi intuiciisa da maRali saSemsruleblo teqnikisa. es aris e.w. mxatvruloba“. qobulaZe Tvlida, rom Sedevris Sesaqmnelad mxatvars zedmiwevniT unda scodnoda fizika, qimia, geometria, kompozicia, mizidulobis kanonic ki. man profesiuli codnis gasaRrmaveblad axalgazrda, niWieri mxatvrebisTvis 1972 wels grafikis SemoqmedebiTi saxelosnoc daaarsa. saxelosno dRemde funqcionirebs da mas giorgi wereTeli xelmZRvanelobs. sergo qobulaZis iniciativiTve Seiqmna qarTuli ferweris ZeglTa fiqsaciis specialuri fotolaboratoria, romelmac mogvianebiT giorgi CubinaSvilis saxelobis erovnul kvleviT centrSi daido bina. laboratoria miznad isaxavda kulturuli memkvidreobis nimuSTa fotogadaRebis mecnierulad damuSavebuli standartebis damkvidrebas. qobulaZeebis saojaxo arqivSi dResac uamravi unikaluri Sav-TeTri fotoa SemorCenili. „arseboben xelovanebi, romelTa xelovneba xangrZlivi fiqris, ufro farTo Ziebis, orWofobisa da

balerina CikvaiZis portreti, 71X51, qaRaldi, sangini PORTRAIT OF BALLERINA CHIKVAIDZE, 71X51, PAPER, SANGUINE

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interdependent. They love some continuous aspect about their work and cherish it: they know every detail exactly because they have thought about it for a long time. The relation between the thought and the touch of the brush is a long and complicated one for them, and thought and decision become one. The execution of their thoughts is up to the hand” – writes Aka Morchiladze in an album dedicated to Sergo Kobuladze. It is after this kind of rationalization process, research, hard work, and many sketches, that Sergo Kobuladze created the curtain of Tbilisi’s Opera and Ballet Theater in 1960. This was a monumental masterpiece done in tempera, pigments, and egg yolk. It took him four years of tireless work, from which three were exclusively spent on preparing the general outline of the curtain, and 11 months of painting countless sketches on parchment and paper. Specialists agree on the fact that, to a large extent, the uniqueness of Kobuladze’s curtain is due to his use of the very difficult multilayered technique used by masters of the Italian Renaissance such as Michelangelo, Raphael, and Leonardo da Vinci. As his student Loreta Shengelia recounts, Sergo Kobuladze would come up with colors that do not exist in nature, which he could achieve through his own magical recipe of colors, combining tones carefully, and with much patience. He also used a special technique that prevented shadows caused by brush strokes to appear on the curtain. Despite his students’ great interest and wish to

fridrix Sileri, `yaCaRebi~, 39.8X24.5, qaRaldi, fanqari, akvareli, guaSi, tuSi FRIEDRICH SCHILLER, “THE ROBBERS”, 39.8X24.5, PAPER, PENCIL, WATERCOLOR, GOUACHE, INK

gadawyvetilebebis Sedegad ibadeba. isini Znelad miscemen xels imaze met Tavisuflebas, rac mas fiqrisas gadauwyvites. fiqri da ostatoba amaTTan erTmaneTis saWiroebiT moqmedeben... maT uyvarT raRac mudmivi TavianT saqmeSi da ufrTxildebian mas: maT zustad ician, radgan didxans fiqroben... fiqrisa da xelis urTierToba, aseT SemoqmedTaTvis xangrZlivi da rTulia, fiqri da gadawyvetileba erTia. maTi aRsruleba xels evaleba“, _ wers sergo qobulaZisadmi miZRvnili erTerTi albomis Sesaval werilSi aka morCilaZe. 1960 wels, aseTi dakvirvebis, kvlevis da dauRalavi Sromis, uamravi eskizis xatvis Sedegad Seqmna qobulaZis xelma Tbilisis operis fardac. es monumenturi xelovnebis Sedevri iyo, Sesrulebuli temperaSi, pigmentebiT da kvercxis guliT, e.w. repinis tiloze. Tavdauzogavi muSaobis 4 weli _ aqedan 3 eskizebis momzadebas dasWirda, 11 Tve ki _ uamravi Canaxatis, eskizis gakeTebas pergamentze da formatis qaRaldze. specialistebi fardis unikalurobasa da ganumeoreblobas metwilad miaweren qobulaZis mier italiaSi aRorZinebis xanis titanebis:

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fridrix Sileri, `yaCaRebi~, 33.6X23,8, qaRaldi, fanqari, akvareli, guaSi, tuSi FRIEDRICH SCHILLER, “THE ROBBERS”, 33.6X23.8, PAPER, PENCIL, WATERCOLOR, GOUACHE, INK

`ambavi tarielisa~, 55X75, qaRaldi, guaSi THE TALE OF TARIEL, 55X75, PAPER, GOUACHE

miqelanjelos, rafaelis, leonardo da vinCiseuli mravalfeniani urTulesi teqnologiis gamoyenebas. mxatvris erT-erTi mowafis _ loreta Sengelias TqmiT, fardis xatvis procesSi, qobulaZe bunebaSi ararsebul ferebs iRebda, romelTa moZiebasac ferTa gamis miRebis sakuTari magiuri receptiT, frTxili SereviTa da funjiT xelSi saocari moTminebiT aRwevda. rogorc mxatvris mowafeebi amboben, fardis xatvisas igi mxolod lisirebis teqnikas iyenebda, rom monasmiT muSaobisas Crdili ar gaCeniliyo. miuxedavad Segirdebis ganuzomeli interesisa da daxmarebis survilisa, mxatvari fardas aravis akarebda (mxolod teqnikur daxmarebas sjerdeboda _ saRebavis Sereva, funjebis momzadeba, a.S.). tilo iatakze hqonda gafenili da masze xatvaSi garTuli, mosiarule da dawolilic aTen-aRamebda... intuiciurad da amave dros skrupulozuri sizustiT amuSavebda fardis detalebs.

Temo gocaZis TqmiT, rogorc yru beThoveni werda musikas, sergoc mis msgavsad xatavda fardas, fragmentfragment, Tumca warmosaxvaSi mis mTlianobas xedavda.

help, he wouldn’t let anybody near it, only allowing technical assistance such as blending colors or preparing brushes. The curtain was spread flat on the floor, and he would stand, walk, and even sleep on it. He would work on its details intuitively, but at the same time, with utter scrupulousness. As Temo Gotsadze tells us, Sergo painted the curtain like deaf Beethoven wrote his music – fragment by fragment, yet never losing the whole picture in his imagination. If any part of the curtain got dusty, he would clean it with brown bread. Based on various sketches and material, we know he painted Orpheus, but after the public identified the figure as a muse, Kobuladze played along…

On the 9th of May 1973, the Opera and Ballet Theater, or “Fairy Palace” as Alexandre Dumas referred to it in his ‘Journey to the Caucasus,’ caught fire. Everything was destroyed – the hall, the stage, almost every sketch, decoration, costume, document, photo, the archive, and the library. Some people were also injured. Last, but not least, Kobuladze’s curtain burned to ashes. This was a tragedy for the painter. In a 1978 interview for the newspaper ‘Tbilisi,’ when asked which of his paintings was his favorite, he answered: “The one that was the most difficult to work on – the curtain of the Opera Theater”.

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Years after the fire, the public still wasn’t able deal with the destruction of this cultural hearth, and when the Opera and Ballet Theater was being rebuilt, Kobuladze was asked to paint its curtain once again. He happily accepted the offer. This time, he decided to use a 23-layer technique and to paint the figure of a horseman instead of Orpheus. He invited his cousin and assistant Ilia Tatishvili and started work on the new sketches.

Unfortunately, he was unable to finish the curtain.

The idea and desire to bring back Kobuladze’s curtain had been present for years in artist circles, although nobody knew how this would be possible. Some, including Gia Kancheli, believed that using today’s technology, digital files would enable the printing of a copy that would be close to the original curtain. A group of artists including Temo Gotsadze, Radish Tordia, Loreta Shengelia, and Muraz Murvanidze got together to find out the best way to restore it. Minister of Culture and Monument Protection of Georgia, Mikheil Giorgadze; Director of the Georgian Theater, Cinema, Music and Choreography Museum, Giorgi Kalandia; and counselor of the Minister of Culture and Monument Protection of Georgia, Giorgi Gegechkori were also actively involved in this process. As Giorgi Kalandia stated, they had four sketches in their possession at the museum, all created at different times and in different

SoTa rusTaveli, `vefxistyaosani~, 54X38, qaRaldi, guaSi SHOTA RUSTAVELI, THE KNIGHT IN THE PANTHER’S SKIN, 54X38, PAPER, GOUACHE

fardaze dagrovil mtvers ki Savi puris guliT iRebda. uamravi Canaxatisa Tu eskizis mixedviT, dokumenturi masalis safuZvelzec, orfeosis figuris daxatva hqonda Cafiqrebuli. mas mere ki, rac sazogadoebam is muzad aRiqva, qobulaZec ar SeewinaaRmdega...

1973 wlis 9 maiss, operaSi _ „feriaTa sasaxleSi“, rogorc mas aleqsandre diuma Tavis `kavkasiaSi ~ moixseniebs, xanZari gaCnda, romelmac gaanadgura _ darbazi, scena, TiTqmis yvela eskizi, dekoracia, kostiumi, dokumentebi, fotoebi, arqivi da biblioTeka. iyvnen daSavebulnic. yvelaferTan erTad TiTqmis bolomde Caiferfla qobulaZiseuli fardac. mxatvrisTvis es udides tragediad iqca. 1978 wels gazeT „TbilisSi“ gamoqveynebul interviuSi kiTxvaze _ „yvelaze metad Tqveni romeli namuSevari giyvarT?, mxatvari pasuxobs: „is, romelzec yvelaze metad gamiZnelda muSaoba... saopero Teatris farda“. xanZris Semdeg ramdenime weli gavida. sazogadoeba ver egueboda erovnuli kulturuli keris ganadgurebas da rodesac Teatris aRdgenaze daiwyes fiqri, qobulaZes

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SoTa rusTaveli, `vefxistyaosani~, 54X38, qaRaldi, guaSi SHOTA RUSTAVELI, THE KNIGHT IN THE PANTHER’S SKIN, 54X38, PAPER, GOUACHE

`Tqmuleba igoris laSqrobaze~, 43X43, qaRaldi, Sereuli teqnika THE TALE OF IGOR’S CAMPAIGN, 43X43, PAPER, MIXED MEDIA

fardis xelaxla Seqmna sTxoves, razec mxatvari sixaruliT dasTanxmda. xelovanma amjerad 23 feniani teqnikis gamoyeneba gadawyvita da... muzis nacvlad cxenosnis figuris daxatva. fardis Sesaqmnelad deidaSvili da asistenti, ilia tatiSvilic miiwvia da axal eskizebze Seudga muSaobas, Tumca, samwuxarod, am Canafiqris xorcSesxma veRar dascalda.

circumstances: the first was done in pencil on paper; the second was the so-called “silver sketch” which had a clear color palette and a wellvisible figure; the third version was a model from a private collection and offered a better rendering of the spatial composition, and the fourth and last was the Kobuladze-Tatishvili sketch. Some of the group believed that the only practicable plan was to create a replica of the curtain. After numerous debates, discussions, and consultations, Nana

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Iashvili (head of the Media Art Department at the Tbilisi State Academy of Arts) managed to create a digital version of Kobuladze’s masterpiece through the use of digital pictures, in a way that maximally preserved the charisma, artistic value, composition, and graphical features of the original, and which would allow its viewers to feel the same emotions they would have experienced in front of Kobuladze’s curtain.

The digital version of the curtain was then sent to the German company Gerriets, one of the leading companies in the field, which took care of the seamless printing process using a 12-meter-long printer. The same technology was used for the curtains of London, Barcelona, Berlin, and Vienna’s opera theaters.

The curtain that was revived using modern technology now embellishes the refurbished Opera and Ballet Theater. Together with their children and grandchildren, people can admire it in this historic monument once again, a mark of history’s continuity, a link between tradition and modernity, and a sign of respect to all the people who

uiliam Seqspiri, `mefe liri~, 51X35, qaRaldi, sangini WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, “KING LEAR”, 51X35, PAPER, SANGUINE

wlebis ganmavlobaSi xelovanTa wreebSi mudam iyo survili qobulaZiseuli fardis aRdgenisa, oRond rogor, ra teqnologiiT, aravin uwyoda. nawili da maT Soris gia yanCelic Tvlida, rom Tanamedrove teqnologiebis arsebobis pirobebSi, SesaZlebeli iqneboda Sesabamisi cifruli failis daxmarebiT originalTan SeZlebisdagvarad miaxloebuli mxatvruli tilos dabeWdva. da marTlac _ daiwyo konkretuli msjeloba, Seiqmna xelovanTa samuSao jgufi: Temo gocaZis, radiS Tordias, loreta Sengelias, muraz murvaniZis SemadgenlobiT, romelSic aseve aqtiurad iyvnen CarTulni saqarTvelos kulturisa da ZeglTa dacvis ministri _ mixeil giorgaZe, saqarTvelos Teatris, musikis, kinosa da qoreografiis saxelmwifo muzeumis direqtori _ giorgi kalandia, saqarTvelos kulturisa da ZeglTa dacvis ministris mrCeveli _ giorgi gegeWkori. yvela cdilobda fardis reabilitaciis yvelaze optimaluri gzis gamonaxvas. giorgi kalandias TqmiT, maT xelT arsebobda fardis oTxi, sxvadasxva dros Seqmnili eskizi: pirveli _ qaRaldze fanqarSi Sesrulebuli eskizi; meore _ e.w. vercxlisferi eskizi, romelSic kargad Canda ferTa palitra da figura; mesame _ maketi

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dante aligieri, 28X16, qaRaldi, fanqari DANTE ALIGHIERI, 28X16, PAPER, PENCIL

(kerZo koleqcia), romelic sivrcul ganwyobas qmnida; da bolo, meoTxe _ qobulaZe-tatiSviliseuli eskizi. xelovanTa nawili Tvlida, rom erTaderTi gamosavali fardis aslis Seqmnas gulisxmobda. araerTi Sexvedris, diskusiis, konsultaciis, monacemTa Sejerebis Sedegad, aseve arsebuli foto-masalis gamoyenebiT, nana iaSvilma (Tbilisis samxatvro akademiis mediaxelovnebis kaTedris xelmZRvaneli), samuSao gundTan erTad, SeZlo qobulaZis Sedevris cifruli versiis Seqmna ise, rom maqsimalurad SenarCunebuliyo xelovnebis nimuSis pirvandeli qarizma, misi mxatvruli Rirebuleba, rogorc kompoziciurgrafikuli, aseve ferweruli, da amave dros axali fardis mnaxvels kvlav daufleboda is gancda, rac qobulaZiseuli originalis xilvisas eufleboda. cifruli teqnologiebiT aRdgenili fardis faili gadaegzavna erT-erT Tanamedrove teqnologiur lider germanul sawarmos Gerriets, romelic Tormet metrian printerze fardis unakerod beWdvas uzrunvelyofda da Canafiqrs xorci Seesxa. londonis, barselonas, berlinis, venis Teatrebis operis fardebic amave teqnologiiTaa Sesrulebuli. dRes, axali teqnologiebis daxmarebiT gacocxlebuli farda iseve amSvenebs Tbilisis operisa da baletis ganaxlebul Teatrs... am monumenturi Zeglis sanaxavad isev daviwyeT Cven, Cvenma Svilebma da SviliSvilebma operaSi siaruli, rac albaT, istoriis uwyvetobas, tradiciebis da Tanamedroveobis kavSirs, im adamianebis pativgebas niSnavs, vinc aq muSaobda, vinc qmnida am Teatris istorias. saqarTvelos kulturisa da ZeglTa dacvis saministros mxardaWeriT saqarTvelos Teatris, musikis, kinosa da qoreografiis saxelmwifo muzeums gadaeca _ erovnuli memkvidreobis nawilad iqca _ ilia tatiSvilis ojaxSi darCenili sergo qobulaZiseuli operis fardis eskizi (aqve inaxeba operis fardis pirveli eskizic). da mainc _ vin iyo sergo qobulaZe _ mxatvari? mecnieri? eriskaci? vicnobT ki?..

P. S. dimitri uznaZis N4-Si darCa erovnuli ganZis Semqmneli didi mxatvris samuSao sivrce, sadac erTmaneTs enacvlebian mulaJebi, Canaxatebi, keramikis gamosawvavi Rumeli (amJamad SesakeTebeli), dgas molberti, masze Camodebuli veeberTela planSetiT, romelic xelovanis xeliT fardis fanqarSi Sesrulebuli erTaderTi gadarCenil eskizia da droTa ganmavlobaSi qreba. albaT, saSuria Tu es saxelosnos muzeumad gadakeTeba da TiToeul Cvengans mxatvris jadosnur samyaroSi moxvedris saSualeba mogvecema. es is adgilia, sadac didi xelovanis suli cocxlobs. maia morgoSia statiis momzadebisas daxmarebisa da fotomasalis mowodebisTvis madlobas vuxdiT giorgi CubiniSvilis saxelobis erovnuli kvleviTi centris Tanamedrove xelovnebis kaTedris gamges mariam gaCeCilaZes da saqarTvelos Teatris, musikis, kinosa da qoreografiis saxelmwifo muzeums

krimhilda, 70X52, muyao, tempera KRIMHILDA, 70X52, CARDBOARD, TEMPERA

have worked here and who have contributed to creating the history of this Opera Theater.

A sketch of Kobuladze’s curtain stayed in Ilia Tatishvili’s family and has now become a part of the national heritage of Georgia. With the support of the Ministry of Culture and Monument Protection, it is now preserved at the Georgian Theater, Cinema, Music and Choreography Museum, next to Kobuladze’s original, first sketch of the curtain.

But still, who was Sergo Kobuladze – a painter? A scientist? A public figure? Do we even know him?

P. S. At #4, Dimitry Uznadze Street, there’ is a studio that once belonged to Sergo Kobuladze. It contains paintings, sketches, a ceramic furnace (that needs to be restored), and most importantly, an easel with an enormous board holding the only surviving pencil sketch done by the painter himself, which is slowly fading.

It would be great to transform this atelier into a museum so that everyone is given a chance to experience the magic world of the painter. This is the place where the great artist’s soul lives on.

Maia Morgoshia Special thanks to Mariam Gachechiladze, Head of the Contemporary Art Department at the George Chubinashvili National Research Center, and to the Georgian Theater, Cinema, Music and Choreography Museum for providing photo material and assistance in writing this article

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samomavlod didi samuSao gvelis A lot of work ahead

Tbilisis zaqaria faliaSvilis saxelobis saxelmwifo operisa da baleti Teatri ori Tvea rac gaixsna, Tumca ukve gaimarTa ramdenime premiera. Teatris sabaleto dasma ganaxlebul TeatrSi vaxtang Wabukianis SemoqmedebiTi memkvidreobidan daviT ToraZis baleti „gorda“ aRadgina da klasikuri sabaleto repertuaridan petre Caikovskis „gedebis tbis“ axali redaqcia SesTavaza mayurebels. sabaleto dasis gegmebze misi samxatvro xelmZRvaneli nino ananiaSvili gvesaubreba The Zakaria Paliashvili Tbilisi National Opera and Ballet Theater reopened two months ago. Since then, it has hosted two premieres: David Toradze’s renewed famous two-act ballet interpretation of Vakhtang Chabukiani’s ‘Gorda,’ performed by the Opera Ballet Company, and Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s classic ‘Swan Lake.’

Ballet company director Nino Ananiashvili discusses their future plans with us.

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_ eqvsi wlis Semdeg, operis Teatris ganaxlebul SenobaSi, sabaleto dasi mayureblis winaSe pirveli premieriT wardga. Tumca, miuxedavad am eqvsi wlisa, rac TeatrSi ver cekvavdiT, mainc saintereso SemoqmedebiTi cxovreba gqondaT... _ 2009 wlis noemberSi davemSvidobeT Teatrs. kargad maxsovs es dRe. sabaleto dasma gamosamSvidobebeli galakoncerti gamarTa. daixura farda da mis miRma darCnen Tvalcremliani mocekvaveebi. zogisTvis Teatris scenaze es bolo warmodgena iyo. baletis mocekvavis cxovreba xanmoklea. cxadia, Znelia daemSvidobo scenas, roca ar ici mogiwevs Tu ara iq kidev cekva.

Semdeg daiwyo Teatris rekonstruqciis xangrZlivi procesi, romelsac dasWirda wlebi, resursi, muxlCauxreli Sroma, Cveni nebisyofa, mayureblis moTmineba... am eqvs weliwadSi sabaleto dasSi bevri ram Seicvala; movidnen axali mocekvaveebi, axali solistebi, dasma axali sisxli da energia SeiZina... sxvadasxva Teatris scenebs Sexiznulebma mayurebels Tvrameti sapremiero speqtakli vaCveneT, saerTaSoriso masStabiT aRvniSneT jorj balanCinis 110 wlis iubile, 90 wlis iubile gadavuxadeT vera wignaZes. magram anSlagebs, xmaurian premierebsa da warmodgenebs mainc yovelTvis Tan axlda sevda, romelic sayvareli scenidan droebiT ganSorebulebs arasdros gvtovebda; madloba minda gadavuxado griboedovis Teatris xelmZRvanels avTo varsimaSvils, romelmac xangrZlivi droiT Segvifara, speqtaklebi gvqonda rusTavelis, didi sakoncerto darbazis, art-holis scenebze.

TeatrSi 2015 wlis martSi davbrundiT. arsebobs mZafri emociebi, romelsac sityviT ver gadmoscem. wlebis Semdeg mSobliuri garemo isev xelSesaxebi gaxda. nanaxma molodins gadaaWarba. cxadia, ucremlod verasdros Sevxedavdi sergo qobulaZis fardis dabrunebas TeatrSi. es Teatris rekonstruqciis dasrulebis kulminacia iyo.

– After six years of renovation works, the Opera Ballet Company performed its first premiere before a captivated audience. In spite of this time spent away from the stage, you’ve led quite an active professional life…

– We bid farewell to the Theater in November 2009. I remember the day well: the Ballet Company presented a gala performance, and when the curtain dropped, our dancers were left standing behind it in tears. Some knew it would be their last appearance on the stage of the Theater. The career longevity of a ballet dancer is short, and it’s obviously difficult to say goodbye to a stage when you don’t know whether you’ll be there again.

Then followed the long reconstruction process of the Theater – it took years, a lot of resources and hard work, willpower from our side, and a lot of patience from our audience. These six years saw many changes in our company and the introduction of new dancers and soloists, giving us new blood and energy. We managed to perform 18 premieres in different theaters, and we duly celebrated the 110th and 90th jubilees of George Balanchine and Vera Tsignadze respectively.

And although these events were all sold-out and very successful, they

_ ganaxlebulma Teatrma sabaleto sezoni „gordaTi“ gaxsna. vaxtang Wabukianis mier 1949 wels dadgmuli baletis aRdgenaze Tqven muSaobdiT. ratom SearCieT Wabukianis memkvidreobidan es speqtakli? _ „gordas“ simboluri mniSvneloba aqvs. gvindoda, Teatrs axali sicocxle Wabukianis memkvidreobasTan erTad daewyo. adamiani, romelmac qarTuli baletis istoria da saukeTeso tradiciebi Seqmna amas namdvilad imsaxurebs. roca TbilisSi Camovedi da sabaleto dass Cavudeqi saTaveSi, Wabukianis memkvidreobis aRdgena erT-erT mTavar miznad davisaxe. am mimarTulebiT pirveli nabiji 2007 wels gadavdgiT, roca TeatrSi „laurensia“

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always had a touch of sadness, because we weren’t able to perform on our favorite stage. I want to particularly thank Avto Varsimashvili, the director of the Griboyedov Theater, for sheltering us during such an extended period of time. We also performed on the stages of the Rustaveli Theater, the Tbilisi Concert Hall, and the Tbilisi Art Hall.

We returned to the Opera and Ballet Theater in March 2015 with emotions so intense there are no words to describe them. After all these years, we could finally come home, and what we saw there was more than we could ever have expected. It goes without saying that I couldn’t hold back tears when I saw Sergo Kobuladze’s curtain return to the Theater. To me, this was the culmination of the Opera and Ballet Theater’s renovation works.

– The renewed Theater opened the ballet season with ‘Gorda.’

You are the one who worked on the adaptation of this ballet, which was first staged in 1949 by Vakhtang Chabukiani. What made you choose this one over others?

aRvadgineT. es baleti Wabukianis SemoqmedebaSi marTlac gamorCeulia. mindoda repertuarSi sxva warmodgenebic gvqonoda. Cven vcdilobdiT Wabukianis ara mxolod baletebi, aramed mis mier dadgmuli calkeuli qoreografiuli nomrebic mogveZia da aRgvedgina. magaliTad, vera wignaZis saiubileo saRamosTvis roca vemzadebodiT aRmovaCineT, rom internetSi gavrcelda ormocdaaTiani wlebis Canaweri _ moskovis didi Teatris scenaze qalbatoni vera da batoni vaxtangi asruleben valss. Tu ar vcdebi, qarTuli xelovnebis dekadis koncertia. rogorc gavarkvieT, es Wabukianis dadgmuli nomeri gaxldaT. Cven aRvadgineT is, misi musikaluri masalac Tavidan davamuSaveT da... vera wignaZis iubileze CikagoSi moRvawe qarTvelma mocekvaveebma _ vika jaianma da Temur suluaSvilma Seasrules. mSvenieri gamovida. „laurensias“ garda, sabednierod, kinofirma Semogvinaxa batoni vaxtangis kidev ori baleti _ „sinaTle“ da „otelo“. magram, bevri fiqris Semdeg gadavwyviteT, rom mainc ufro gamarTlebuli iqneboda „gordas“ aRdgenaze gvezruna. jer erTi, es baleti 90-ian wlebSic arsebobda repertuarSi da im Taobis balerinebsac aqvT nacekvi, romlebic axlac cekvaven.

TeatrSi dResac muSaoben adamianebi, romlebic „gordas“ batoni vaxtangis dros cekvavdnen. amitom, SesaZlebeli gaxda Tavdapirveli qoreografiuli teqstis aRdgenaze gvemuSava. „gordaSi“ kargad Cans qarTuli erovnuli xasiaTi, Cveni rTuli da tragikuli istoria, problemac Tanadroulia _ keTilisa da borotis brZola mudmivad arsebobs da yovelTvis iarsebebs, qoreografiuli teqstis daZlevac dasisTvis problemas ar warmoadgenda. amitom gadavwyviteT misi aRgena da axali qoreografiuli versiis Seqmna.

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– ‘Gorda’ has great symbolic significance. We wanted to start the new life of the Theater with a piece of Chabukiani, as he played a substantial role in the history of Georgian ballet and established new traditions and definitely deserves recognition.

Adapting a ballet from Chabukiani has been one of my main goals since I got back to Tbilisi and started working as a director. Our 2007 adaptation of his ballet ‘Laurencia’ at the Opera and Ballet Theater was our first step in this endeavor. I also wanted to include other kinds of performances in our repertoire, so we tried to research and adapt his non-ballet choreographies as well. When we were preparing for Vera Tsignadze’s jubilee evening, we discovered rare video footage of Mrs. Vera and Mr. Vakhtang dancing a waltz on the stage of Moscow’s Bolshoi Theater in the 1950s. If I’m not mistaken, it was for a concert dedicated to Georgian art, and as we later found out it was choreographed by Chabukiani himself. We restored the video and its music, and Victoria Jaiani and Temur Saluashvili, two Georgian dancers based in Chicago, performed the piece at Vera Tsignadze’s jubilee. It was wonderful. Apart from ‘Laurencia,’ film rolls have preserved two other ballets by Chabukiani: ‘Light’ and ‘Othello.’ But after some consideration, we decided that adapting ‘Gorda’ would be the most appropriate choice. For one, this ballet was in our Theater’s repertoire in the 1990s and some of the ballerinas who had already

_ „gordas“ axalma versiam ra cvlilebebi ganicada, riT gansxvavdeba igi Wabukianis dadgmisgan, anu rogoria am baletis Tqveneuli redaqcia? _ Cemi amocana gaxldaT mayureblisTvis damebrunebina ganaxlebuli, axleburad danaxuli speqtakli. eqvsi aTeuli wlis win dadgmuli zustad im formiT rom gadmogvetana dRevandeli mayureblisTvis SeiZleba saintereso ar aRmoCeniliyo. amitom, gadavwyviteT, gagvekeTebina speqtakli, romelic ufro Tanamedrove iqneboda. magram es imas ar niSnavs, rom SevcvaleT Wabukianis qoreografia. cvlilebebi ZiriTadad Seexo speqtaklis dinamikas. Tavis droze „gorda“ iyo oTxmoqmedebiani speqtakli, magram dRes mayureblisTvis aseTi xangrZlivi speqtaklis naxva rTulia. axali speqtakli ormoqmedebiania. Semcirda zogierTi scena, daixvewa detalebi da speqtaklSi gamoviyeneT videoinstalacia. mTavari aqcenti Tanamedrove ganaTebaze gakeTda, ris farTo saSualebasac ganaxlebuli scenis teqnikuri aRWurviloba iZleva. „gordas“ aRdgenaze muSaobis dros bevri saintereso detali moviZieT, vesaubreT speqtaklis adrindel monawileebs, vimuSaveT saarqivo masalaze. aRmoCnda, rom Tavad Wabukiani mudmivad cdilobda daexvewa, Seevso es speqtakli. baletis premiera Wabukianis sicocxleSi oTxjer Sedga da SeiZleba umniSvnelod, magram icvleboda qoreografiuli teqstic. 80-ian wlebSi scenografia da kostiumebic ki gamoicvala. muSaobisas yvela es informacia gamoviyeneT da vfiqrobT, didma Sromam sasurveli Sedegi mogvca.

danced it are still in our company. What’s more, some of the people who are currently working at the Theater performed ‘Gorda’ during the Chabukiani era, which made it easier to reproduce the ballet’s original choreographic meaning. ‘Gorda’ deals with the eternal battle between good and evil, and displays our difficult, often tragic history and national Georgian identity very well; therefore, understanding the choreography’s essence was not an issue for the Company.

– What were the major changes you introduced in your new version of ‘Gorda’? How different is it from Chabukiani’s original ballet?

– I wanted to present a renewed, different approach to our viewers.

Replicating the ballet as it was staged 60 years ago may have been less interesting for today’s audience, so we decided to perform a more contemporary ballet. But we didn’t touch Chabukiani’s choreography: changes were basically applied just to the dynamics of the show.

Originally, ‘Gorda’ contained four acts, which is challenging for today’s audience to sit through, so our version was reduced to two acts. We shortened some of the scenes, fine-tuned some details, and also used video installation. We put an emphasis on contemporary lighting, which was possible thanks to the new technical equipment of the stage. We discovered many interesting details about ‘Gorda’ after talking to the dancers who performed in the original ballet and by going through the archives. We learned that Vakhtang Chabukiani himself was constantly trying to improve and polish his ballet. ‘Gorda’ premiered four times during his life, and each of those performances had slightly different choreographies. Even in the 1980s, the scenography and the costumes were changed. We used all the information we could gather, and I think our hard work led to a very satisfying result.

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– Who did you work with when adapting the ballet?

– A very interesting group came together. Almost everyone from the Theater worked with the dancers to prepare the performance.

Costumes were created by Ana Kalatozishvili, a very interesting artist with quite a lot of experience in creating theater costumes. Our first collaboration was for Yuri Possokhov’s ballet ‘Sagalobeli,’ which quickly became a signature piece for our ballet company – it never ceased to sell out, both here and abroad. For ‘Gorda’, Ana studied the history and techniques of old Georgian attire, details and accessories from the various traditional regional costumes, and in the end she decided to add some modern features.

Set designer David Monavardisashvili had already designed many large ballet sets, and he came up with a very beautiful one for ‘Gorda.’

The King’s castle and the Caliph’s palace are magnificent, and so is the final set... But maybe it isn’t right to talk about specific scenes, as they form a whole, and one needs to see the choreography, costumes, and music articulated, to understand this wholeness.

I would also like to say a few words about our ballet company.

Javara’s part was outstandingly performed by Lali Kandelaki and Nutsa Chekurashvili, and Nino Samadashvili and Eka Surmava were both splendid in Irema’s part. Gorda’s part was performed by our guest soloist Igor Yebra, who is a principal dancer with the Ballet de l’Opéra de Bordeaux and the Rome Opera Theater Ballet. Gorda’s part was also prepared and very well performed by David Ananiashvili.

– What should we expect to see on this renovated stage in future? Its modernized equipment must offer you the possibility of arranging many new and interesting ballets.

_ visTan erTad muSaobdiT baletis aRdgenaze? _ saintereso jgufi Seikriba. baletis momzadebaze dasTan TiTqmis yvela pedagog-repetitori muSaobda. kostiumebi ana kalatoziSvilma Seqmna. igi saintereso mxatvaria da Teatraluri kostiumebis Seqmnis sakmaod didi gamocdilebac aqvs. ana pirvelad ar TanamSromlobs CvenTan. misi pirveli namuSevari TeatrSi iuri posoxovis baletis _ „sagalobelis“ kostiumebi gaxldaT. es baleti Cveni dasis erTgvar savizito baraTad iqca da ukve rva welia anSlagiT midis rogorc aq, ise ucxoeTSi. „gordasTvis“ kostiumebis mxatvarma sagangebod Seiswavla Zveli qarTuli Cacmulobis istoria, sxvadasxva kuTxisTvis damaxasiaTebeli samosi, aqsesuarebi, sxva detalebi da yvelaferi es ise gadawyvita, rom tradiciuls Tanamedrove elferic miscemoda. scenografia daviT monavardisaSvils ekuTvnis. mas monumenturi sabaleto dekoraciebis Seqmnis didi gamocdileba aqvs da Cveni azriT, sakmaod saintereso gadawyveta SemogvTavaza. masStaburia mefis sasaxle da

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xalifas darbazi, finaluri suraTi... SeiZleba TiToeuli scenis gamoyofa calke ar iyos swori, radgan es erTi mTlianobaa da yvelaferi musikasTan, qoreografiasTan da kostiumebTan sinTezSi unda dainaxo. oriod sityviT minda vTqva Cvens daszec. Zalian kargad icekves sapremiero speqtaklebze javaras roli _ lali kandelakma da nuca CekuraSvilma, iremas partia _ nino samadaSvilma da eka surmavam. gordas partia mowveulma solistma igor iebram icekva, romelic romisa da bordos operis solistia, aseve gordas roli moamzada da kargad Seasrula _ daviT ananiaSvilma. _ qalbatono nino, sxva ra siaxleebs gegmavT ganaxlebul scenaze? albaT, es scena da misi teqnikuri SesaZleblobebi saSualebas mogcemT ganaxorcieloT axali saintereso dadgmebi? _ axal scenaze, „gordas“ Semdeg, ramdenime premiera TiTqmis erTmaneTis miyolebiT gvaqvs dagegmili. saamisod mTeli gasuli weli vemzadebodiT. Teatris oficialur gaxsnamde, 28 ianvars, ganaxlebul scenaze sabaleto dasma pirveli generaluri repeticia gamarTa. Teatralur enaze amas `Cabarebas~ veZaxiT. praqtikulad ki premiera Sedga, darbazi savse iyo baletis moyvarulebiT, xelovnebaTmcodneebiT, Cveni partniorebiT. warmovadgineT irJi kilianis oTxi baleti, maTgan erTi axla daidga. es gaxlavT „sarabanda“. Tanamedroveobis gamoCenili qoreografis am baletis dadgmiT SesaZlebloba gveqneba kilianis baletebi erT mTlian programad warmovadginoT. es marTlac mniSvnelovani da dasisTvis Zalian sapatioa, rom gvaqvs am xelovanis baletebis cekvis ufleba. martSi vicekveT ganaxlebuli „gedebis tba“. bolo redaqcia, romelic aleqsei fadeeCevs ekuTvnis, aTi wlis win daidga. axali versiac misia. „gedebis tba“ sabaleto klasikaa, romelsac yovelTvis hyavs mayurebeli da gvinda amjeradac saintereso dadgma vaCvenoT. kidev erTi saintereso proeqtisTvis vemzadebiT _ es baletis istoriaSi Zalian mniSvnelovani qoreografis _ mixail fokinis baletebis saRamoa. Cven misi ori speqtakli („Sopeniana“ da „vardis zmaneba“) ukve gvaqvs repertuarSi da mas kidev erTi baleti „faskunji“ daemateba. mogexsenebaT, am baletma XX saukunis damdegs, diagilevis „rusuli sezonebis“ dros, aRafrTovana safrangeTi. balets andris liepa dadgams TbilisSi. mokled, gegmebi Zalian saintereso da masStaburia. sezonis bolos „Jizelis“ premiera gveqneba.

Tu gaiTvaliswinebT, rom win gvaqvs ramdenime seriozuli gastroli italiaSi, espaneTSi da amerikaSi, Tan ganaxlebul scenaze adaptacias saWiroebs repertuarSi arsebuli 60-ze meti speqtakli, albaT Tavad mixvdebiT samomavlod Tu ra didi samuSao gvelis. esaubra ilia TavberiZe

– A couple of premieres are already scheduled to take place at the theater after ‘Gorda.’We’ve been preparing for this for more than a year now. Our dance company had its first dress rehearsal on the new stage on January 28th, before the official reopening of the theater. In Georgian theater slang, we call it “passing the test”. It was practically a premiere, as the theater was crowded with ballet enthusiasts, art critics, and our partners. We presented four ballets by Jiří Kylián, and one of them, ‘Sarabande,’ will be performed on stage, after which we will be able to present a whole program of Kylián’s ballets. It is a great honor to have the right to perform the ballets of this great contemporary choreographer. In March, we danced the new ‘Swan Lake.’The last version was staged ten years ago, and, just like this one, it belonged to Alexei Fadeyechev. ‘Swan Lake’ is a classic ballet that always attracts audiences, and we wanted to present an interesting adaptation to our viewers. We are also preparing for another interesting project: an evening dedicated to the ballets of Michel Fokine, a major choreographer in ballet history. We already have two of his ballets (‘Chopiniana’ and ‘Le Spectre de la Rose’) in our repertoire, and we will be adding one more – ‘Firebird.’You may already know how popular and inspiring this ballet was in France at the beginning of the 20th century, during the time of Diaghilev’s “Ballets Russes.” Andris Liepa will be the one directing this ballet in Tbilisi. In short, we have very interesting plans. The season will end with the premiere of ‘Giselle.’

If we consider the fact that we have important tours planned in Italy, Spain, and America, and that the 60+ ballets of our repertoire need to be adapted for the new stage, you can get an idea of how much work we have ahead of us!

Ilia Tavberidze

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daviT turaSvili Davit Turashvili

iyo ase­Ti qa­la­qi There was once a city… esarion belinskis quCaze, sul ramdenime nabijze im saxlidan, sadac legendaruli Salva javaxaZe cxovrobs, im Tbiliseli mewaRis jixuria, romelic maria kalasis fotoebiTaa aWrelebuli.

Tavad mewaRe ki (Tbilisel xelosnebs Soris) erTaderTia (fexsacmelebis gacocxlebis paralelurad), saopero ariebs rom RiRinebs da klientebs Zveleburad uRimis. axla is erTaderTi xelosania, visac Zveleburad uyvars saopero xelovneba da maria kalasis Sesaxeb TiTqmis imdenive icis, ramdenic batonma gogi niJaraZem. magram erTi saukunis, saukunenaxevris win, tfilisis nebismierma xelosanma (nebismieri amqrisa) zepirad icoda erTi an ramdenime aria im sayvareli saopero speqtaklidan, romelic tfilisis operis scenaze idgmeboda. visac zemoTqmuli Cveni patriotizmis gadaWarbebul gamovlinebad moeCveneba, SeuZlia im ucxoel avtorebs (kidev erTxel) gaecnos, vinc gasul saukuneSi Cvens qalaqs estumra da im tfiliseli meezoveebiT aRfrTovanda, dilaobiT, cocxiT xelSi, swored im ariebs rom RiRinebdnen, rac wina saRamos Teatris scenidan ismoda.

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n Besarion Belinsky Street, just a few steps away from the house where legendary personality Shalva Javakhadze resides, there is a shoemaker’s atelier plastered with photos of Maria Callas. The shoemaker himself is the only one (among his many counterparts living in Tbilisi) who (in parallel to breathing life into shoes) is often heard humming opera tunes and still continues to exchange smiles with his clients. Currently, he is the only craftsman who has never ceased to admire opera and knows nearly as much about Maria Callas as Gogi Nizharadze. But a century or, to be more precise, a century and a half ago, any craftsman – a member of any guild - could imitate by heart one or more arias from their much-beloved operas staged in the Tbilisi Opera Theater. Anyone considering it an exaggerated sense of patriotism had better read (once again) the foreign authors who last year chanced to visit Tbilisi and were extremely impressed by yard-keepers who, equipped with brooms, were whistling the very tunes they had heard at the Opera House the night before.

The Tbilisi Opera Theater provides a bizarre chapter framed in a bizarre prologue and a bizarre afterword in the history of 19th century Tbilisi and Georgia as a whole. The idea of building a new opera house was not born in Georgian minds. In the second half of the 19th century

Tbilisis saopero Teatris Tavgadasavali XIX saukunis tfilisisa da saqarTvelos istoriis erTi ucnauri furcelia ucnauri dasawyisiTa da ucnauri dasasruliT. idea axali, saopero Teatris agebisa qarTvelebs ar ekuTvnodaT da gasuli saukunis meore naxevridan, mefis nacvalma voroncovma zustad amoicno gza, romelic amboxebul qarTvel Tavad-aznaurobas ruseTis mekavSired da rac mTavaria Semguebel Zalad aqcevda. voroncovma, rogorc Cans, zustad miagno aqilevsis qarTul qusls da ramdenimejer ajanyebuli Tavadaznauroba, swored voroncovis dros, ruseTis imperiis yvelaze erTgul qveSevrdomad iqca. ramdenime (iSviaTi) gamonaklisis garda, ruseTis moZule qarTvelebma swored rusuli medlebiTa da ordenebiT daimSvenes gulmkerdi da iolad da swrafad daijeres, rom tfilissa da saqarTveloSi Jurnal-gazeTebisa Tu Teatrebis daarseba rusT xelmwifis wyalobisa da siyvarulis niSani iyo qarTvelebis mimarT. rasakvirvelia, im iSviaT gamonaklisebs Soris, vinc rusul Cinsa da epoletebze ar gacvala qarTuli Coxebi, maSinve amoicnes voroncovis mzakvroba, magram umravlesobis gadarwmuneba veRar

Prince Vorontsov, Viceroy of Georgia, was quick to find a way to make the Georgian nobility close allies of Russia and an unquestioningly obedient force. By discovering Georgians’ Achilles Heel, Vorontsov succeeded in his efforts to turn once rebellious Georgian princes into the most loyal vassals of the Russian Empire. For the most part, Russophobic Georgians pinned upon their breasts Russian medals and decorations and came to believe easily and effortlessly that the foundation of editorial houses and theaters in Tbilisi and Georgia was but a clear signal of the Russian Tsar’s benevolence and mercy upon Georgia. The rare exceptions, who refused to exchange Georgian Chokhas for Russian ranks and insignias, immediately got a sniff of Vorontsov’s perfidious designs. However, the majority of Georgian aristocrats were firm in their belief that all cultural endeavors in Tbilisi served the cause of Georgia’s promotion rather than the goal of acquiescing and pulling the wool over the eyes of those Georgians who fought selflessly against the Russian yoke. The main motive behind the decision to build an opera theater was to offer Georgian aristocrats (and others) dazzling entertainment to fill their leisure time and to encourage them to forget their main concerns. The Russian Emperor, who had become fed up with continuous commotions and riots, found this painless way to put right the Georgian problem

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SeZles. umravlesobas ki sjeroda, rom yvela kulturuli wamowyeba tfilisSi qarTuli bednierebisaTvis keTdeboda da ara im qarTuli Tvalebis asaxvevad da dasamSvideblad, vinc mTeli cxovreba ruseTis uRels ebrZoda saqarTveloSi. saopero Teatris ideasac swored es mizani hqonda _ qarTul aristokratias (da ara marto aristokratias) operaSi siaruliT Tavi Seeqcia da umTavres sazrunavze aRar efiqra. qarTuli ajanyebebiTa da SeTqmulebebiT Tavmobezrebul ruseTis imperators Zalian moewona qarTuli problemis mogvarebis es umtkivneulo gza da sixaruliT daTanxmda tfilisis saopero Teatris daarsebis ideas. opera unda yofiliyo italiuri da Senoba unda aego didvaWar TamamSevs, romelmac miwa estate ciciSvilisagan SeiZina, rogorc maSindeli gazeTebi iuwyebodnen `or doSad da or sakabed~. rogori daujerebelic ar unda iyos, dRevandeli Tavisuflebis moednis teritoria, qarTvelma Tavadma estate ciciSvilma imdenad iafad mihyida somex didvaWars, rom batoni TamamSevi, karga xans, TviTmxilvelTa gadmocemiT, gaognebuli yofila. TviTon batoni estate ki, imave TviTmxilvelTa gadmocemiT, mudam eWvis TvaliT uyurebda mudam talaxiTa da RorRiT savse maSindel erevanskis moedans, romlis qvemoTac miwisqveSa arxi gadioda. swored am arxiT gaedineboda zemo sololakidan Camovardnili wyali, muxranis xevis gavliT, mtkvris marjvena sanapiromde. swored saopero Teatris gaxsnis win, `naSuadRevs TbilisSi, kokispiruli wvima movida, adidebulma wyalma sololakSi Zroxa moitaca, gaatara erevanskis moednis qveS gayvanil xvrelSi da Caitana muxranis xevTan~. gazeT `kavkazis~ am informacias zepirgadmocemac adasturebs, romlis Tanaxmadac, operis gaxsnas sololakeli Zroxis ambavi, marTlac, uswrebda win da iqneba amis gamo Teatris gaxsna mogvianebiT, 1851 wlis 24 aprils moxda. Senoba warmoadgenda oTxsarTulian nagebobas, romlis arqiteqtoric gaxldaT imave wels tragikulad daRupuli italieli skudieri. mxatvroba Teatrisa ekuTvnoda gagarins, magram Teatri sinamdvileSi mxolod wina nawilSi moTavsda Senobisa, romelic TamamSevis daJinebuli surviliT, upirvelesad unda aSenebuliyo rogorc qarvasla. da es gasagebi gaxldaT imis gaTvaliswinebiT, Tu rogori miznebi

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attractive and, therefore, acceded with pleasure to the request of founding an opera theater in Tbilisi.

The Opera was meant to be Italian. It fell to the merchant Tamamshev to build an opera house. According to newspaper reports, he bought a plot of land from the Tsitsishvili Estate “for two smoked sturgeon and two pieces of cloth”. The Armenian merchant fell into utter confusion at the miserable price Prince Tsitsishvili asked for the land. But the latter, by eyewitness accounts, was wary from the very outset of the muddy and churned-up Eerevanski Square with a channel running underneath. It was through this channel that a stream of water made its way from upper Sololaki to the right embankment of the Mtkvari River via the Mukhrani ravine.

Immediately prior to the opening of the Opera House, “rain began to fall in torrents in Tbilisi. The downpour of water started to swell, swept a cow from Sololaki and drove it up to the Mukhrani ravine across the channel underneath Eerevanski Square”. This report from Kavkaz Newspaper is further confirmed by verbal evidence saying that the cow incident did indeed take place and caused the delay of the opening ceremony until 24 April 1851. The Opera was a four-storey building. Scudieri, an Italian who died a tragic death the same year, was appointed as its architect. The design is credited to Gagarin. The theater was located in the front part of the building, which, at the insistence of Tamamshev, was initially intended as a caravanserai quite understandable judging from the scope of interests Tamamshev pursued. That he was far from caring about the revival of Georgian theater and culture is an undisputed fact. Another fact is that this wealthy Armenian knew nothing about Armenian culture and cared even less about Georgian culture. Repeated pleas to help his Armenian fellow-citizens constantly fell on deaf ears. He was never persuaded to cough up a penny. Armenians took their revenge on him in the same manner as on the storekeeper Mantashov.

They staged Gabriel Sundukiants’ play titled ‘Oskan Petrovich’s Life Hereafter’ and made the stingy rich man boiling in a cauldron of tar closely resemble Tamamshev. Tamamshev was seen twisting his body and screaming for

hqonda TviTon TamamSevs _ qarTuli Teatrisa da kulturis aRorZinebaganviTarebaze dardi rom ara stanjavda, faqtia. isic faqtia, rom im droisaTvis umdidres somexs, araTu qarTuli, somxuri Teatris dardic naklebad hqonda. miuxedavad tfilisel somexTa araerTgzis Txovnisa (somxebs mainc daxmareboda), kapikic rom ver gaagdebines baton TamamSevs, masac igive gaukeTes, rac sovdagar manTaSovs _ somxurma Teatrma Tavis scenaze dadga gabriel sundukiancis piesa `oskan petroviCi saiqios~ da im wuwuraq mdidars, jojoxeTis did qvabSi rom TuxTuxebda, TamamSevis grimi gaukeTes. TamamSevi scenaze ixarSeboda, miSveleTo yviroda, rada mtanjavT ase sastikado da jojoxeTis xelmZRvaneloba niSnismogebiT pasuxobda: imitom rom tfilisis somxur Teatrs daxmareba ar gauwieo. amboben, rom darbazSi mjdar TamamSevze am scenis xilvas aranairi zemoqmedeba ar mouxdenia, gansxvavebiT manTaSovisagan, romelic speqtaklis damTavrebisTanave, kulisebSi Sesula Turme da karga didi Tanxac Seuwiravs mSobliuri TeatrisaTvis. TamamSevi ki, auRelveblad wasula Sin da ra gasakviria, rom qarTuli kulturis dardi ara hqonoda. hqonda mizani _ rac SeiZleba momgebiani yofiliyo yvelaferi, raSic daabandebda fuls da arc Semcdara _ TbilisSi operis imdeni moyvaruli aRmoCnda, rom arasdros, arc erT warmodgenaze, partersa Tu loJebSi, arc erTi Tavisufali skami ar darCenila. operis moyvarulebs ki, sanam darbazSi SeaRwevdnen, is maRaziebi unda gaevloT, romelTa gamo (sinamdvileSi) aago kidec qarvasla batonma TamamSevma. TamamSevs yvelaferi gaTvlili hqonda, iseve rogorc ruseTis imperiis Tbilisel damqaSebs _ qarTvelebi operas Seiyvareben, imperatoris madlierebi darCebian da Tavisuflebaze fiqrsac SeeSvebiano. safuZveli zemoTqmulisa ki (udavod) hqondaT _ Tbilisis italiuri operis Teatri axali gaxsnili iyo, didi Samilis legendaruli, magram ruseTis mier gadabirebuli naibi, haji-muradi TbilisSi rom Camoiyvanes. im saRamos vinCenco belinis `norma” unda warmoedginaT da `normas” tfiliselTa ukve sayvareli soprano, mSvenieri julia minoci mReroda. speqtaklis dawyebamde ramdenime wuTiT adre (gaWaxWaxebul darbazSi), maRalCinosan rusebTan erTad haji-muradi Semovida, parterSi kuTvnili, sapatio adgili daikava da sinaTlec Caqra. sinaTlis CaqrobisTanave (rogorc Semdeg TviTmxilvelebi hyvebodnen), axalgazrda, TeTr CoxaSi gamowyobili qarTveli Tavadi wamodga da xmamaRla, mTeli darbazis gasagonad, haji-murads (rogorc moRalates) deda Seagina. TeatrisaTvis specialurad parizidan Camotanili uzarmazari WaRi saswrafod

relief but the keeper of Hell remained adamant, saying that the punishment was rightly meted out to him for his reluctance to finance the Armenian theater. Tamamshev, who was attending the performance, did not even raise his eyebrows over this scene, unlike Mantashov, who, immediately following the fall of the curtain, went behind the coulisses and contributed a considerable sum of money to the Armenian theater. As for Tamamshev, he left with his face void of emotion.

So, Georgian culture could cause him no worry, indeed. The only task he set for himself was to extract handsome profits from any business into which he injected money. The Opera venture lived up to Tamamshev’s expectations. Each performance was a sell-out. The stalls and boxes were filled to capacity. The road to the opera hall lay en route to shops, for which (in fact) the caravanserai was built by Tamamshev. Tamamshev, in common with the Russian Empire’s emissaries to Tbilisi, had foreseen everything: Georgians’ immediate infatuation with opera, the resulting sense of gratitude to the Emperor and the eventual abjuring of freedom. They (undoubtedly) had grounds for this. Tbilisi’s Italian Opera Theater was still in its early infancy when Shamil’s naib Hadji Murad (once a figure of legend already forced into submission by Russians) was brought to Tbilisi. The Opera House hosted the day with Vincenzo Bellini’s Norma, featuring the dazzling Julia Minnozi, soprano, in the role of Norma. A few minutes before the curtains rose (in the hall aglow with light), Hadji Murad, followed by a cohort of Russian top brass, made an entrance and took his specifically assigned seat in the stalls. The lights went off. As the hall plunged into darkness, a young Georgian prince clad in a white Chokha suddenly rose and publicly swore at Hadji Murad (as a traitor). The imposing chandelier specifically tailor-made in Paris for the Tbilisi theater was immediately set ablaze with light, guards were called in, but the indignant Georgian prince’s identity remained unknown. The no less indignant public reported seeing the white Chokha somewhere in the uppermost tier. The abusive words were never interpreted to Hadji Murad but their message immediately got across to him and he left without seeing the performance. Hadji Murad knew perfectly well that he would get the label of traitor in Georgia despite the

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aanTes, dacvac gamoiZaxes, magram haji-muradis RalatiT aRSfoTebuli qarTvelis vinaoba ver daadgines. aranakleb aRSfoTebulma publikam mxolod is daadastura, rac sibneleSi SeniSna _ TeTri, Tavaduri Coxa zemoT, galiorkaze. haji-muradisaTvis galiorkis replika ar uTargmniaT, magram is mainc mixvda, raSic iyo saqme da Teatris Senoba ise datova, speqtakli ar unaxavs. man icoda, rom saqarTveloSi viRac mainc CaTvlida moRalated, miuxedavad imisa, rom rusebma gadabireba swored qarTvelebisgan daiwyes da im saRamos, roca hajimuradma qarvasla datova, speqtakli mainc gagrZelda _ Tumca dagvianebiT da ara legendaruli naibis, aramed ulamazesi qarTveli qalbatonis maiko orbelianis gamo, romelsac TeatrSi guli wauvida. parterSi imdeni mondomebuli damxmare aRmoCnda, rom maraoTa simravlem (rogorc mogvianebiT gairkva) filtvebis anTeba damarTa maiko orbelians. mogvianebiT, Worebis moyvarulma Tbiliselebma isic Tqves, kneina orbelianzed hajimuradis Seuracxyofam imdenad imoqmeda, SeuZlod Seiqnao _ albaT is Rame Tu gaaxsenda, saqarTveloSi imperatoris

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fact that Georgians were the first to begin to yield to Russians. The opera performance still continued that evening with a delay, though, through no fault of the legendary naib, rather, owing to the charming Maiko Orbeliani, who lost consciousness in the theater. The number of volunteers who rushed to her rescue was so high that the flapping of their fans led her to pneumonia (as it later turned out). This fact even fueled a rumor in Tbilisi that it was the insult to Hadji Murad that caused Maiko Orbeliani’s shortness of breath – she might even have recalled the night when, during the Russian emperor’s visit to Georgia, Georgians handed her over to Emperor Nikoloz as a sign of reverence to him. The only consolation was that the Emperor was so heavily drunk that night that he’d have hardly spotted the beauty of Maiko Orbeliani.

The claim of Russian literary historians that Lev Tolstoy had allegedly seen Hadji Murad in the Tbilisi Opera Theater (that later served as an inspiration for his book) does not conform to reality. The fact is that Earl Tolstoy never saw Hadji Murad either alive or dead.

When the chopped off head of the myth-shrouded naib was brought to Tbilisi and displayed in a hospital, Lev Tolstoy was not among that huge crowd of people flocking to catch sight of it. The Russian earl

stumrobisas, qarTvelebma pativiscemis niSnad, nikolozs rom mihgvareso. iqve imiTac imxnevebdnen Tavs, im Rames imperatori, iseTi mTvrali gaxldaT, maiko orbelianis simSvenieres veRarc SeamCnevdao. aqve isic unda iTqvas, rom rusul literaturaTmcodneobaSi gavrcelebuli azri imis Sesaxeb, rom lev tolstoim Tbilisis operis TeatrSi haji-muradi naxa (da mogvianebiT amitomac wigni dawera maszed), sinamdviles ar Seefereba. graf tolstois hajimuradi, araTu cocxali, mkvdaric ar unaxavs _ roca legendaruli naibis moWrili Tavi TbilisSi Camoitanes da hospitalSi daasvenes. haji-muradis moWrili Tavi uamravma tfiliselma naxa (rogorc damTvalierebelma), magram mnaxvelTa Soris namdvilad ar iyo lev tolstoi. Tumca, tfilisSi namdvilad iyo rusi grafi da wignis Seqmnis ideac saqarTveloSi pirvelad stumrobis dros gauCnda, swored maSin dainteresda haji-muradis TemiT da uamravi masalac Seagrova, magram piradad igi arasodes unaxavs... qarvaslaSi, operis mosasmenad ki, namdvilad dadioda lev tolstoi da werilebSi verc malavda aRfrTovanebas Teatris gamo. Tbilisis saopero TeatriT aRfrTovanebuli iyo aleqsandre diumac, msoflios yvela cnobili Teatri nanaxi rom hqonda, magram jiutad imeorebda, rom Tbilisis operas veraferi Seedreboda dedamiwis zurgze. veraferi Seedreboda Tbilisel mayurebelsa da msmenelsac, radgan maSin, marTlac, Znelad moiZebneboda qalaqi, sadac adamianebi, erTmaneTTan Sexvedrisas, erTmaneTis mokiTxvis nacvlad, im tenoris janmrTelobiT interesdebodnen, im saRamos rom unda emRera. upirvelesad imas arkvevdnen, sad da ramdenad SeiZleboda zedmeti bileTis Sovna, radgan erovnuli Tu religiuri, kulturuli Tu socialuri siWrelis miuxedavad, yvela tfilisels gasaocaris mondomebiT surda swored scenidan moesmina `la dona e mobile”. swored scenidan, radgan Tbilisis quCebSi, yoveli fexis nabijze, isedac ismoda

did indeed visit Tbilisi and it was during his first visit to Georgia that he conceived the idea of writing a book on Hadji Murad, though he never met him in person…

Lev Tolstoy was a frequent visitor to the Tbilisi Opera Theater and displayed in his writings an unreserved admiration for it. The Opera also drew gasps of admiration from Alexander Dumas, who toured all acclaimed opera houses and was, however, insistent that the Tbilisi Opera Theater was unparalleled anywhere in the world. The Tbilisi audience was also unmatched. Instead of exchanging greetings, Tbilisi-dwellers bade one another good day by enquiring about the health of the tenor due to appear on the stage in the evening.

Their main concern was how to go about getting extra tickets because every citizen of Tbilisi, notwithstanding his or her national or religious, cultural or social diversity, seemed determined to squeeze in to hear “La donna è mobile” right from the stage. From the stage because in the streets opera arias could be heard blaring out from every corner. Starting with water vendors in Eerevanski Square and ending with quiet-tempered Kakhetian merchandisers, everyone tried to vocalize opera music. Under such circumstances, it is little wonder that the number of people with a hankering to hear Antonio Torezella live was really enormous in 19th century Tbilisi. There are reports that Antonio Torezella was credited with the art of conducting the orchestra without scores. So, it is also small wonder that on 5 October 1857, Tbilisi dwellers were very enthusiastic to join a long winding queue for tickets for the premiere of Giuseppe Verdi’s Troubadour in the torrential rain beating down on them. The Tbilisi Opera Theater was the first in the Russian Empire to premiere Bizet’s Carmen and Puccini’s Cio-Cio San. Managers of the Tbilisi Opera Theater were well-versed in advertising, enlisting the services of a certain Abela, whose surname did not go down in history. Abela was the tallest man in Tbilisi in the late 19th century and his rise to fame was due to his extraordinary height. Abela figures in a novel by Armenian artist Bashinjaghianz. Ilia Chavchavadze describes him as the tallest man in Tbilisi walking on wooden stilts in the streets and yelling at the top of his voice the name of the up-coming opera.

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ariebi, romelsac ara mxolod meTuluxCe bavSvebi mRerodnen erevanskis moedanze, Turme dinji kaxeli meduqneebic igives RiRinebdnen da ra gasakviria, rom antonio toreZelas cocxlad naxvis msurveli, marTlac, bevri iyo XIX saukunis TbilisSi. imasac ambobdnen, antonio toreZela partituris gareSe, zepirad diriJorobso da arc isaa gasakviri, rom juzepe verdis `trubaduris~ premieris wina dRes, 1857 wlis 5 oqtombers, kokispirul wvimasa da muxlamde wyalSi, moTminebiT idgnen tfiliselebi bileTebis rigSi. saerTod ki, Tbilisis Teatrs veravin aswrebda axali operis dadgmas da mTels maSindel ruseTis imperiaSi swored TbilisSi daidga pirvelad bizes `karmenic~ da puCinis `Cio-Cio-sanic~. rogorc Cans, Tbilisis maSindeli operis mesveurebs sareklamo saqmec kargad scodniaT da am mizniT, im abelasac ki iyenebdnen, visi gvaric istoriam ar Semoinaxa, magram viciT, rom abela, XIX saukunis meore naxevarSi, yvelaze maRali kaci iyo tfilisSi da mis Sesaxeb somex mxatvar baSinjaRiancs moTxrobac ki aqvs dawerili. abelas Sesaxeb werda ilia WavWavaZec _ werda yvelaze maRali kacis Sesaxeb tfilisSi, romelic xis maRal fexebze Semdgari, mTeli dRe qalaqis quCebSi daabijebda xmauriT da omaxianad amcnobda tfilisis moqalaqeebs, Tu ras SesTavazebda operis Teatri im saRamos Tbiliselebsa da qalaqis stumrebs.

TviTmxilvelTa gadmocemiT, oCofexebze Semdgari abelas naxva, yvelaze

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Abela could most frequently be encountered in overcrowded squares. Standing on stilts, he was always surrounded by a growing mob of children. By eyewitness accounts, Abela was the man who could be addressed for any kind of information on anything or anyone in Tbilisi. Unconfirmed verbal reports even say that it was long and leggy Abela who tracked down in Cambiajo’s studio the photo of the legendary military figure Giuseppe Garibaldi gracing the wall of Ilia Chavchavadze’s study (on Ilia’s request). Nothing happens by chance, and it was perhaps far from incidental that Ilia Chavchavadze took such a close interest in the personality and portrait of Giuseppe Garibaldi, who was then at the helm of the Italian National Liberation Movement. Nor could it have been accidental that Garibaldi had an overpowering lust for opera. There were cases in Italy when Italians (falling under the spell of Nabucco’s opera) felt the urge to go to the battlefield directly from the Opera House. Russians were also quick to get a whiff of dangerous tendencies in the Tbilisi Opera Theater. That Georgians were under the “malignant” influence of Italian opera was not difficult to perceive: on 17 October 1867, Georgian gymnasium students went so far as to fly national flags right in the stalls of the theater. The fury this incident triggered from the Governor General of the Caucasus, Prince Bariatinsky, leading to tough sanctions against the theater’s leadership, centered allegedly on the fact that gymnasium students did not enjoy access to the Opera. But it was only a pretext. The actual reason behind such fury was the Tbilisi Opera Theater reawakening, rather than choking off as was initially

xSirad, yvelaze xalxmraval moednebze SeiZleboda, sadac mas mudmivad gars exveodnen bavSvebi da TviTmxilvelTa azriT, abela swored is kaci iyo, romelic nebismieri xasiaTis informacias flobda TbilisSi, nebismieri adamianisa Tu movlenis Sesaxeb. dauzustebeli (mxolod zepirgadmocemiT Semonaxuli) cnobis Tanaxmad, legendaruli juzepe garibaldis fotoc, ilia WavWavaZis samuSao oTaxs rom amSvenebda (ilias davalebiT), swored grZelma abelam moiZia kambiajos fotostudiaSi. SemTxveviTi, albaT, araferia amqveynad da miT umetes ilia WavWavaZe SemTxveviT ar dainteresdeboda juzepe garibaldis pirovnebiT, im adamianis portretiT, vinc swored im dros edga saTaveSi italiis erovnulgamaTavisuflebel moZraobas. SemTxveviTi arc is gaxldaT, rom Tavad garibaldis Zalian uyvarda opera da italiaSi iyo SemTxvevebi, roca (gansakuTrebiT `nabuqos~ mosmenisas) aRelvebuli italielebi, pirdapir operidan midiodnen sabrZolvelad da (rogorc Cans), rusebma, maTTvis saSiSi tendenciebi, Tbilisis operis TeatrSic aRmoaCines. Tumca ra Zneli aRmosaCeni iyo italiuri operis `mavne~ gavlena qarTvelebze, roca 1867 wlis 17 oqtombers, gimnaziis qarTvelma mowafeebma pirdapir parterSi aafriales qarTuli droSebi. mTavarmarTebeli bariatinski iman ganarisxa, rom gimnazielebs saerTod ekrZalebodaT TeatrSi Sesvla da Teatris xelmZRvaneloba umkacresad dasajes. sinamdvileSi es iyo sababi, mizezi ki gaxldaT nacionaluri grZnobebis kvlav gamoRviZeba saqarTveloSi, romelTa misaZinebladac aaSenes kidec rusebma operis Teatri TbilisSi da Secdnen. mixvdnen, rom Secdnen da sakuTari Secdomis gamosworebasac Seecadnen _ gadawyvites Tbilisis operidan italielTa da qarTvelTa gayra da Teatris gadakeTeba mxolod rusuli operis asparezad. daiTxoves kidec dasis Semadgenlobidan italielebi da qarTvelebi. momRerali qalebi yvelaze cud dReSi aRmoCndnen _ direqtor muraviovTanac dauCivliaT, gaTxovebiTac Cven veRar gavTxovdebiT da ra unda vqnaTo. kacebi cota ukeTes

intended, national sentiments among Georgians. Russians realized their mistake and to correct it they decided to drive off Italian and Georgian singers and adapt the Tbilisi theater exclusively to a Russian repertoire. The measure affected female singers much more deeply, who even complained to Director Muraviov that, with no prospect of marriage, they felt even more hopelessly trapped. Male singers appeared to be in a less vulnerable position.

Blota and Tolle opened flower shops, Joseph Villa started a hatsewing workshop in the vicinity of Tamamshev’s caravanserai (it was perhaps on the shelves of this shop that airdrome-shaped hats later appeared). Director Myraviov seemed totally unresponsive – he just followed instructions. Conductors, too, were sacked.

The process of creating a Russian troupe with a strictly Russian repertoire was put quickly underway - quickly, because demand for opera and classical music was enormously high in Tbilisi.

Kavkaz newspaper reported: “there is hardly any family in Tbilisi not in possession of a piano or a grand piano; there is hardly any mother in Tbilisi not obsessed with trying to give her children a good musical education…”

That is what provided the background for the development of a network of music shops in Tbilisi and the manufacture of top quality pianos and grand pianos.

And that’s why Muraviov acted in haste. He knew opera lovers could not endure long without spiritual nourishment and arranged, with the support of the authorities, for the arrival of Russian singers from various cities of Russia. A new repertoire of exclusively Russian arias was speedily worked out and performances launched again. But they seemed totally oblivious to the fact that music was all there in Tbilisi, Casta Diva pounding from “Meidan”, scales and trills, fioriture and flats filling the air throughout.

The Russian opera provoked a distinctly unfavorable reaction in Tbilisi.

The discerning audience who had become

accustomed to relishing the charms of Italian opera could not come to terms with the strictly homogeneous repertoire forcefully imposed on them. Rumblings of discontent posed a looming threat of riot. It was, of course, unlikely that Italian opera could

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pirobebSi iyvnen _ blotam da tolem yvavilebis maRaziebi gaxsnes, aseve gaZevebulma momReralma jozef villam ki iqve, TamamSevis qarvaslasTan, qudebis Sekerva daiwyo (SesaZloa `aeroportis~ tipis qudebi mogvianebiT, swored villas maRaziaSi iyideboda). direqtor muraviovs arafris gagoneba ar surda _ akeTebda imas, rac nabrZanebi hqonda da diriJorebic daiTxova. saswrafod daiwyes rusuli dasis Seqmna, romelsac mxolod rusuli repertuari unda hqonoda, opera unda yofiliyo mkacrad da kategoriulad mxolod rusuli. Cqarobdnen ki imitom, rom operisa da klasikuri musikis moTxovnileba, marTlac, uzarmazari iyo TbilisSi da amitomac werda maSin gazeTi `kavkazi: `iSviaTia iseTi ojaxi tfilisSi, sadac ar iyos roiali an fortepiano, iSviaTia iseTi deda tfilisSi, rom ar zrunavdes imisaTvis, rom Tavis Svilebs musikaluri ganaTleba misces...” amitomac arsebobda keTxudovis samusiko maRaziaTa qseli TbilisSi da amitomac daiwyo tfilisis fabrikam SesaniSnavi xarisxis fortepianosa da roialebis warmoeba... muraviovic amitom Cqarobda. saopero xelovnebis moyvarulebi didxans ver gaZlebdnen sulieri sazrdos gareSe da xelisuflebis daxmarebiT saswrafod Camoiyvanes ruseTis sxvadasxva qalaqebidan rusi momRerlebi. saswrafod Seadgines axali, mxolod rusuli repertuari da saswrafod ganaaxles speqtaklebi, magram daaviwydaT, rom es iyo qalaqi, sadac `meidanze mRerodnen `kasta divas~ da yovel fexis nabijze gaigonebdiT gamebsa da trilerebs, fioriturebsa da bemolebsa~... amitomac rusul operas TbilisSi Sesabamisi, saSinlad uaryofiTi reaqcia mohyva, italiur operebs miCveulma, gemovnebianma msmenelebma verafriT aitanes mxolod rusuli, Tavsmoxveuli repertuari da qalaqSi ukmayofilebam axali saSiSroeba warmoSva amboxebisa. albaT, Tbilissa da saqarTveloSi,

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really start a riot, but fear always makes molehills from mountains (especially within the ranks of government), so a decision was made to damp down passionate sentiments by taking back Italian conductors and singers. Italian operas were restored.

Tickets became again a scarce commodity. This first glimmer of success infused the Georgian public with great enthusiasm, and the regained chance of encounter with genuine art brought an acute awareness of an occupied homeland. Increasingly frequent use of the word ‘freedom” in Tbilisi entailed a heightened level of censorship. Rules for those seeking entry into the opera house were toughened. Students of gymnasia and non-classical schools were banned from the stalls and even from the uppermost tier.

But hot hearts thumped in the chests of not only young people.

Aware of this fact, the Governor General tasked the mechanic Bocharnikov with installing secret microphones in the theater hall so that he could eavesdrop on all conversations, whether on the stage or in the stalls. To put in place this unprecedented technology, Bocharnikov was paid an astronomical sum – 139 rubles and 72 kopecks, which was more a payment to keep

italiuri operis moTxovniT, aranairi amboxeba arc moxdeboda, magram SiSs, mogexsenebaT, yovelTvis didi Tvalebi hqonda (gansakuTrebiT xelisuflebaSi) da ukmayofiloTa dasaSoSmineblad, isev daabrunes italieli diriJorebi da momRerlebi da isev aRadgines italiuri operebi. zedmeti bileTis Sovna isev problemad iqca Cvens dedaqalaqSi, magram mcire warmatebis miRwevam sakmaod gaamxneva maSindeli qarTuli sazogadoeba da WeSmarit xelovnebasTan xelaxla ziarebam kidev erTxel gaaxsena qarTvelebs TavianTi dapyrobili samSoblo. ramdenadac gaxSirda sityva `Tavisuflebis~ xseneba TbilisSi, imdenad gaZlierda cenzura da gamkacrda operaSi moxvedris wesebi _ gimnaziebisa da realuri saswavleblebis mowafeebs

quiet. When Bocharnikov mentally converted this sum to its equivalent in bottles of vodka and wine, he was struck dumb with joy - fleetingly, though. When Georgian aristocrats feasting in the Europe Restaurant in Mushtaid Garden called gallon-drunk Bocharnikov to order, the latter reacted with dismay, calling them fools. To substantiate his point, Bocharnikov even disclosed details of the secret device. It was from that point mechanic Bocharnikov could no longer rely on the Governor General’s powers of patronage. News of the eavesdropping technology was leaked to the press. Alexandre Orbeliani was filled with indignation because he had known that Russians could not be expected to build an Opera House for disinterested reasons but nobody had believed him at the time. But indeed, it was Russians who built the Opera House and for a definite goal. The goal, however, was not attained and Russians hammered out a particularly barbaric but simple solution: they burned the opera house. It took place in 1874. Russian authorities burned the Tbilisi Italian Opera – one of the most fantastic buildings in the world, which instilled in Georgians feelings other than those Russians hoped to instill.

That’s the reason they burned it. An official version of events is that fire broke out accidentally in merchant Lazarev’s store and it took just minutes for flames to engulf the entire building.

Well, while it can be a coincidence that the Governor General

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sabolood aukrZales araTu parterSi, `galiorkaze~ jdomac ki. magram cxeli gulebi mxolod axalgazrdebs ara hqondaT maSindels saqarTveloSi da samocdaaTiani wlebis dasawyisSi, mefisnacvalma Teatris darbazSi saidumlo mikrofonebi daadgmevina meqanikos boCarnikovs, romliTac mefisnacvlis samuSao kabinetidan yvelaferi ismineboda, rac scenasa da parterSi xdeboda. am xazis gayvanisaTvis (rac uprecedento SemTxveva iyo imdroindel msoflioSi), meqanikos boCarnikovs, imdroindeli sazomiT uzarmazari Tanxa _ 139 maneTi da 72 kapiki gadauxades, magram im pirobiT, rom saidumlos ar gaTqvamda. boCarnikovma gonebaSi rom gadaiangariSa im TanxiT ramdeni boTli aryisa da Rvinis SeZena SeeZlo, sixarulisagan damunjda, Tumca droebiT. restoran `evropaSi~, romelic muStaidis baRSi iyo gaxsnili da romelic qarTvel Tavad-aznaurTa sayvarel adgils warmoadgenda lxinisa da TavSeqcevisa, roca ugonod mTvral meqanikoss simSvidisaken mouwodes, Seuracxyofilma boCarnikovma qarTveli Tavadebi `duraqebad~ moixsenia da argumentebs Soris Tavisi xeliT awyobili saidumlo mavTuli daasaxela. mefisnacvlis mfarveloba iq da im dros, verafers uSvelida meqanikos

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boCarnikovs da garda amisa, informacia saidumlo mosasmeni xazis Sesaxeb, presaSic daibeWda. aleqsandre orbeliani Turme, gansakuTrebiT cxarobda _ vambobdi, tyuilad rusebi operas ar agviSeneben da ratom ar mijerebdiTo. opera ki, marTlac, rusebis aSenebuli iyo da marTlac gansazRvruli mizniT, Tumca mizani miRweuli ar iyo da rusebmac yvelaze barbarosuli, magram yvelaze martivi gamosavali moZebnes _ opera, romelic TviTon aaSenes, TviTonve dawves. ruseTis xelisuflebam 1874 wels, TviTonve dawva Tbilisis italiuri opera _ ulamazesi Teatris Senoba mTel msoflioSi, romelmac qarTvelebSi sruliad sxva grZnobebi gaaRviva, gansxvavebiT imisagan, rac rusebs Cafiqrebuli hqondaT da amitomac dawves. Tumca, oficialuri versiiT, xanZari sruliad SemTxveviT gaCnda vaWar lazarevis duqanSi da Semdeg cecxli mTel Senobas moedo. SegviZlia davijeroT, rom swored wina dRes, SemTxveviT gaemgzavra mefisnacvali borjomSi, magram Zneli dasajerebelia, rom mudam wyliT savse uzarmazari auzi, romelic operis win mdebareobda, swored im saRamos, SemTxveviT aRmoCnda wylisgan sruliad daclili. isic Zneli dasajerebelia, rom Teqvsmeti

iq­ala­q iTe­sa oyi

saaTis manZilze, mexanZreebma ver moaxerxes Teatris Senobamde misvla. arada, Teqvsmeti saaTis ganmavlobaSi mTeli Tbilisi, didian-patarianad, cdilobda sayvareli operis gadarCenas da Teqvsmeti saaTis manZilze (mTeli Rame), mtkvridan vedroebiT (saTlebiT) ezidebodnen wyals xanZris Casaqrobad. SemTxveviTi arc is unda iyos, rom Teatris saxanZro dacvis ufrosi iabloCkini, araTu daapatimres, mogvianebiT daajildoves kidec. daapatimres mxolod meduqne, romelic sasamarTlo procesze jiutad imeorebda, rom cecxli aSkarad ganzrax gaCnda SenobaSi da eWvmitanilebad Tavis konkurentebs asaxelebda, Tumca rasakvirvelia, warmodgenac ki ar hqonda, rom xanZari araTu mezobel duqnebSi, peterburgis umniSvnelovanessa da ubrwyinvales sasaxleSi daigegma. daigegma da ganxorcielda kidec _ miuxedavad TbiliselTa Tavganwiruli mcdelobisa, Senoba ise daiwva, rom mis aRdgenaze fiqrsac ki azri aRar hqonda. azri ara hqonda cremlsac, magram RamenaTevi Tbiliselebi mainc idgnen da tirodnen, radgan, rogorc Cans, qvecnobierad mainc grZnobdnen, rom im dRes kidev erTxel dakarges samSoblo, romelic (sxvaTa Soris) cecxlsac hgavs _ suls Tu ar Seuberav, SeiZleba ubralod Caqres…

departed for Borjomi just a day before the fire, the fact that the huge pool of water in front of the opera building appeared to be completely empty on that ill-fated evening is a highly improbable coincidence. It also seems doubtful that firemen could not reach the place of the incident for sixteen hours. In the meantime, everyone in Tbilisi, people of all ages and from all walks of life, toiled long hours, dragging buckets of water from the Mtkvari to extinguish the blaze. It is not perhaps accidental that Yablochkin, Chief of the Fire Prevention Service was, rather than arrested, awarded a prize. The only person brought to justice was the storekeeper, who kept on insisting during the trial that his store had been deliberately set ablaze by his rivals. He hadn’t the faintest idea, however, that the fire was in fact engineered in St. Petersburg’s magnanimous palace, not in any shop standing nearby. The fire was engineered and carried off flawlessly. The building was burned beyond any hope of repair. Tears were to no avail. But Tbilisians did stand and wept tears of grief, because, deep in their subconscious, they knew they had lost again their homeland, which (incidentally) closely resembles fire: if you don’t fan its flames, it will simply die…

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Cems namuSevrebs xedvis da aRqmis sxvadasxva wertilidan vqmni. yoveli detali, kompoziciuri elementic ki ideis matarebelia da informacias gawvdis, mravalferovan asociacias iwvevs; magram mTavari mainc ideaa, romelic calkeul erTeulebad iSleba da isev saerTo mxatvrul mTlianobas emorCileba; arc erTi xazi ar aris SemTxveviTi, an gaucnobierebeli. is mTliani ideis replikaa, romliTac ikvreba Txroba _ esaa Cemi, mxatvar daviT monavardisaSvilis, ena...

“My work involves different points of view and perspectives. Every detail offers a piece of information and induces many associations, but the essential part remains the master idea, shattered into many pieces that serve the artistic composition as a whole. Not a single line is drawn into the picture unconsciously or by chance: they all represent the idea that ties the whole story together. This is the language I use in my paintings.” – David Monavardisashvili

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Tormet Tebervals zaqaria faliaSvilis saxelobis operisa da baletis ganaxlebuli Teatris sabaleto dasma mayurebels daviT ToraZis baleti `gorda~ warudgina; am dadgmis qoreografia legendarul vaxtang Wabukians ekuTvnis, romelic nino ananiaSvilma aRadgina. warmodgenam garda dasis sacekvao ostatobisa, mayureblis yuradReba saintereso mxatvruli gaformebiTac miiqcia. mxatvar daviT monavardisaSvilis Seqmnilma scenografiam masStaburobiT da mxatvruli gadawyvetiT speqtakls sazeimo elferi SesZina da sabaleto dadgmis mxatvruldekoraciuli gadawyvetis Tanamedrove midgoma, axleburi moTxovnebi warmoaCina. miuxedavad imisa, rom daviT monavardisaSvili Tavs grafikosad Tvlis, bolo ramdenime welia sabaleto scenografiaSic gamorCeuli namuSevrebi aqvs. baletma samxatvro akademiis damTavrebisTanave daainteresa, rodesac quTaisis operisa da baletis TeatrSi rimski-korsakovis `espanuri kapriCio~ da prokofievis `Ze Secdomili~ gaaforma. dRes igi zaqaria faliaSvilis saxelobis operisa da baletis Teatris baletis mTavari mxatvaria. rogorc damdgmel mxatvars gaformebuli aqvs aTze meti speqtakli. 2007 wlidan muSaobs ruseTSic, novosibirskis operisa da baletis TeatrSi, sadac minkusis baletis „baiaderka“ scenografiisTvis ruseTis umaRlesi Teatraluri premia „oqros niRabi“ mieniWa. aseve TanamSromlobs minskis operisa da baletis TeatrTanac.

On the 12th of February, the Ballet Company of the recently renovated Tbilisi National Opera and Ballet Theater performed David Toradze’s ‘Gorda’ with the original choreography created by Vakhtang Chabukiani adapted by Nino Ananiashvili. Besides the outstanding performance, the scenography and the visual aspect of the ballet also attracted the viewers’ attention. The scale and artistic features of the set designed by famous artist David Monavardisashvili added a festive touch to the performance and were perfectly in line with the standards of contemporary ballet scenography.

Despite the fact that Monavardisashvili considers himself a graphic designer, he has created some exceptional scenography pieces in the last couple of years. His interest in ballet grew right after his graduation from the Academy of Arts, when he designed the set for Rimsky-Korsakov’s ‘Capriccio Espagnol’ and Prokofiev’s ‘The Prodigal Son’ in Kutaisi’s Opera and Ballet Theater. Today, he is the Art Director of the Georgian National Opera and Ballet Theater, where he has already worked on more than ten performances. Since 2007, he has also been working at the Novosibirsk State Academic

daviT monavardisaSvili: `gordaze~ muSaoba gamiWirda, CvenSi saero arqiteqtura naklebadaa SemorCenili, Cvens did mefeebs daviT aRmaSenebels an Tamars, albaT, mdidruli sasaxleebi hqondaT, magram rogori iyo isini, ar viciT. amitom, qarTveli mefis sasaxlis Sesaqmnelad replikebi ZiriTadad sakulto arqiteqturidan aviRe _ banas taZris

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Opera and Ballet Theater, where he was awarded a Golden Mask, the most prestigious Russian theater prize for scenography. He also collaborates with the Minsk Opera and Ballet Theater.

David Monavardisashvili: “It was challenging to work on ‘Gorda’.

The architecture of our kings’ times has not been preserved – David the Builder and Queen Tamar must have had sumptuous castles, but we don’t actually know what they looked like. So I mainly used iconic architectural buildings to guide me while setting up the royal residence: I tried to combine pieces from columns of the Bana Cathedral, wedge-shaped carved ornaments, Georgian reliefs... The Georgian King’s palace had to be as magnificent and sumptuous as the ones of other oriental rulers, to display their might and etiquette. I also used video projection to add a surreal, almost fairytale, feel to the set because all in all, ‘Gorda’ is a fairytale, isn’t it? In general, ballet sets have to be impressive and richly decorated rather than conceptual or naive. The viewers should feel they are in a fairytale world. In today’s stressful environment, this could even qualify as a sort of therapy…”

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svetisTavebi, solisebri CuqurTma-ornamentebi, qarTuli reliefebi... vecade am detalebisTvis saero xasiaTi mimeca. qarTveli mefis sasaxle iseTive grandiozuli, mdidruli da pompezuri unda yofiliyo, rogoric aRmosavleli mbrZaneblebisa, maTeuli Zlevamosilebis da gemovnebis Sesaferi. mindoda dekoracia, mTlianobaSic qarTul formebSi gadamewyvita da zRapruli sanaxaoba Semeqmna; amisTvis scenografiaSi videoproeqciac gamoviyene. „gorda“ xom zRaparia... saerTodac, baletis dekoracia gansakuTrebuli, mdidruli, lamazi unda iyos da ara naivuri an konceptualuri. mayurebelma Tavi zRaprul samyaroSi unda igrZnos. dRevandel stresul garemoSi es erTgvari Terapiacaa....

`gordaSi~ daviT monavardisaSvili klasikuri baletis tradiciuli gaformebisken ixreba. ferweruli dekoracia cxra suraTisgan Sedgeba da uSualod mxatvris mieraa Sesrulebuli; amas emateba aplikaciebi, romelic mas saxovanebas da plastikur moculobiT formas sZens. speqtaklisTvis 3700 kv.m. rbili dekoracia moixata, rasac daemata konstruqciuli elementebi _ calkeuli sagnebi da kompiuterul grafika, romelic ukana dekoraciis funqcias asrulebs. amiT, mxatvarma, tradiciuli scenografiis da videoproeqciis sinTezi Seqmna. aRsaniSnavia kostiumebic (mxatvari ana kalatoziSvili), romelic gemovnebiT da eleganturobiT gamoirCeva.

Monavardisashvili’s scenography of ‘Gorda’ follows a rather traditional ballet design. The decoration consists of nine pictures painted by the set designer himself, with small details adding more figurative meaning and providing more shape. 3700 sq. m. of decoration were painted for the performance, completed by construction elements and computer graphics serving as a background.

With this, the art director produced a harmonious synthesis of traditional scenography and video.

The utterly neat and elegant costumes designed by Ana Kalatozishvili are also worthy of attention, with colors and ornamental patterns well-fitting the overall decoration of the ballet and finalizing its artistic idea.

Set design is one of the many things David Monavardisashvili puts his hand to, and, in general, we can say that he is an extremely innovative artist. This can be particularly appreciated in his use of metal for his “monumental graphics”… As he puts it himself, he is a

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maTi ferTa gama kargad erwymis saerTo kolorits da gamoyenebuli ornamentuli motivebi, garkveulwilad, avsebs dekoracias da speqtaklis gaformebis mTlian mxatvrul saxes. magram scenografia daviT monavardisaSvilis Semoqmedebis erTi nawilia da SeiZleba iTqvas, rom igi novatori xelovania. es gansakuTrebiT kargad Cans mis liTonplastikaSi _ „monumentur grafikaSi~... rogorc Tavad ambobs, suliT grafikosia, Tumca rogorc scenografs ferweraSic uxdeba muSaoba, radgan Teatrs, gansakuTrebiT baletis scenografias, ferweruloba sWirdeba. mis mxatvrobaSi udidesi datvirTva aqvs xazs, xazi qmnis formas da moculobas. mowafeobisas „pionerTa sasaxleSi“ qandakebaze dadioda da rogorc `moqandakem~, albaT maSin daiwyo amgvari azrovneba. Semdeg samxatvro akademiaSi grafikis Seswavlisas dagrovili codna gaiazra

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graphic artist by soul, but as a scenographer, he needs to work with painting, too, because theater in general, and ballet scenography in particular, requires it. Lines are his signature feature – he uses them to create both shape and movement.

Monavardisashvili studied sculpting in his youth, and it may have influenced his way of perceiving things. As he continued his studies at the Academy of Arts and got into drawing, he tried sculpture design.

He started by creating three-dimensional engravings and art objects, slowly becoming a full-fledged graphic artist, sculptor, painter and designer. His use of singular materials and unique techniques made him the innovative artist he is today.

“It appears that at a certain point, the child in me woke up and I came up with things like combining drawing and sculpting,” Monavardisashvili says. “When I use cloth in metal art pieces, it is because of the theatrical impulses I sometimes experience. These

da „monumentur grafikaSi“ daiwyo muSaoba da... Seiqmna misi samganzomilebiani graviurebi da art-obieqtebi, romlebSic mxatvari grafikosad, moqandaked, fermwerad da dizainerad mogvevlina. mxatvris novaciebi gansxvavebuli masalis da unikaluri teqnikis gamoyenebaSi gamoikveTa. d.m.: rogorc Cans, konkretul asakSi CemSi bavSvobis impulsebma gaiRviZes, ramac gamaerTianebina xazi _ grafika da qandakeba. rodesac liTonSi gakeTebul art-obieqtSi qsovils viyeneb, ufro metad Teatraluri impulsebi modis win. es xatovani elementebi ki, Cemi TeatriT gatacebis niSania, romlisTvisac damaxasiaTebelia feri da feradovneba. gansakuTrebiT formaze muSaoba mainteresebs. yvelaze Znelad dasaxati an gamosaZerwi adamianis sxeuli da cxenis Tavia. xSirad mwerebis gamosaxulebebsac vakeTeb. bunebis am qmnilebebs warmoudgenlad mravalferovani formebi aqvT, romelic uamrav asociacias iwvevs. erTxel lursmnebisgan gavakeTe oboba, romelic ucxoelma SeiZina da, damatebiT, interieris mosarTavad obobas qselic damikveTa. maSin daviwye fiqri, rom Cemi namuSevrebisTvis

reveal my fondness of theater and are characterized by much colorfulness. I’m particularly interested in working with shapes.

To me, the most challenging pieces to work on are the human body and the horse heads. I also often work on bugs, creatures

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gamoyenebiTi, funqciuri datvirTvac mimeca. liTonis (rkina, foladi) savarZlebis Seqmnis ideac erT dRes, saxelosnodan dabrunebuls, daRlils, televizoris win fiqrisas momivida. jdomis manera plastikur obieqtad aRviqvi da... savarZeli-avtoporteti Sevqmeni. mas „daRlili moqandake“ davarqvi. `daRlil moqandakes~ mohyva savarZlebis seria _ „iuda“ (ocdaaTi vercxliTa da yulfiT xelSi); „cduneba“ (romelsac mSvildi da isrebi uWiravs, Tavze patara rqebi adgas da Semzaravia), `masxara~ (saaTiT da kalendriT xelSi)... d.m.: Cemi savarZlebi da bevri sxva namuSevaric art-obieqtia, vinaidan maTSi aris gaerTianebuli qandakebisTvis da dizainisTvis damaxasiaTebeli elementebi. magram mTlianobaSi konceptualuri TvalsazrisiT samganzomilebiani graviura maqvs gakeTebuli. es art-obieqtebi yofiTi nivTebia, romlebic interiers amdidreben (amravalferovneben) da, imavdroulad, funqciuri datvirTvac aqvT. aseTia mxatvris qalisa da mamakacis skulptura-sanaTebi. masalad aqac isev liToni da

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that come with so much diversity and can inspire countless associations. Once, a foreigner bought a spider I had crafted out of nails, and he later added a spiderweb to his order to hang in his home. This made me think of the practical, functional ways in which my art pieces could be used. While sitting exhausted from work by the TV, I came up with the idea of creating metal chairs.

I looked at the way I was sitting from a sculptural point of view, and this is how my “self-chair-portrait” was born. I named it the ‘Tired Sculptor’.”

A series of chairs followed the ‘Tired Sculptor’: ‘Judas’ (holding a loop and 30 silver coins in his hands), ‘Temptation’ (a grotesque creature with horns holding a bow and arrows), and ‘Jester’ (holding a clock and a calendar).

“My chairs and many other pieces are art objects, because they all include elements of sculpture and design. Conceptually, as a whole, what I do is create three-dimensional engravings,” Monavardisashvili says.

These art objects are household items that enrich and diversify interiors but also hold a functional role. For instance, David Monavardisashvili’s female and male body sculptures are made of metal and different fabrics, giving more theatricality to the piece,

and also serving as lamps. He has an interesting approach on why he chose to use metal in his work, and particularly iron and steel.

“In the extreme poverty of Georgia’s 1990s, a lot of people had to sell their valuable belongings, often metal objects. I used to buy and collect these items in order to create my artworks… I wanted to give them another life, in a new form, with a new idea. Today, most of the metal I get comes from either factory leftovers or objects I find at the flea market. Industrial ‘trash’ like this is hard to find elsewhere, you can only do this in Georgia.”

Besides talent and artistic view, creating these “monumental graphic” and “three-dimensional engraving” pieces requires physically

sxvadasxvagvari qsovilia gamoyenebuli, rac namuSevars met Teatralurobas sZens. daviT monavardisaSvili sainteresod xsnis Tu ratom daiwyo muSaoba liTonplastikaSi da ratom airCia masalad rkina da foladi... d.m.: gasuli saukunis 90-ian wlebSi mosaxleoba gaWirvebis gamo abarebda jarTs, faqtobrivad, yrida xSirad faseul nivTebsac. me ki am dros davdiodi, vyidulobdi an vagrovebdi maT, raTa namuSevrebi gamekeTebina... gamiCnda survili gadayrili, gamousadegari masalisTvis gamegrZelebina cxovreba axal formaSi _ axali saxiT, axali ideiT. dRes liTonis masalas sxvadasxva saamqroSi sawarmoo narCenebSi an `mSral xidze~ vpoulob. aseT samrewvelo „nagavs“ sxva qveyanaSi Znelad `iSovi~, es mxolod CvenTan xdeba. „monumenturi grafikis“, „samganzomilebiani graviurebisa“ da art-obieqtebis Seqmnas, garda niWisa, mZime fizikuri Sromac sWirdeba... am dros xom mxatvris `funji~ eleqtro SeduRebis aparatia, masala ki _ liTonis firfitebis anaWrebi da foladis badis narCenebi... sainteresoa daviT monavardisaSvilis skulpturuli kompozicia „ierusalimad Sesvla“, romelic mxatvarma liTonis mavTulisgan `moqsova~. tradiciuli ikonografiiT

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qriste ierusalimSi saxedarze amxedrebuli samwysoTi Sedis... mwyemsi keTili wminda qalaqs miemarTeba.

TiToeuli figura (macxovari, cxvrebi da Txebi) anatomiurad zustadaa agebuli da liTonis bade kompozicias mTlianobaSi simsubuqes aniWebs; Tumca, imavdroulad, monumentalizmis SegrZnebac devs maTSi. cxvrebisa da Txebis figurebi animalisturi skulpturis maRalmxatvruli nimuSebia. d.m.: „ierusalimad Sesvla“ CemTvis Cveul samganzomilebian graviuraSi gadavwyvite. aseve mindoda gamekeTebina didi savarZeli „saidumlo seroba“ magidiT, mociqulTa figurebiT, magram Zalian didi kompozicia gamovidoda, Sesasrulebladac Sromatevadi iyo da aseve did adgils moiTxovda. patriarqs moewona Cemi „ierusalimad Sesvla“,

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challenging work… Instead of a painter’s brush, the artist holds electric and gas welding machines, and has metal plates and steel grids as canvas. ‘Entering Jerusalem,’ an interesting sculptural composition that Monavardisashvili “knit” with metal wires, follows traditional Christian iconography and presents Christ entering Jerusalem on a donkey with a small flock of sheep and goats – the good shepherd going towards the holy city. Every single figure in the sculpture shows precise anatomical features, and the metal net gives lightness to the whole composition, though keeping a feel of monumentality. The sheep and goats are great samples of animalistic sculpture.

“I decided to craft ‘Entering Jerusalem’ through my usual threedimensional engraving technique. I also wanted to make a chair entitled ‘Last Supper’, with its table, apostles and everything,

isic ki gamomkiTxa rogori teqnikiT iyo qandakeba Seqmnili, magram am ideas gagrZeleba mainc ar mohyva, radgan marTlmadideblur eklesiaSi mrgvali qandakeba akrZalulia. es namuSevrebi daviT monavardisaSvilis mravalferovani Semoqmedebis mxolod mciredi nawilia. liTonSi Sesrulebuli skulpturebi, dazguri namuSevrebi ferwerasa da grafikaSi, gamorCeuli masStabis miseuli sabaleto scenografia mnaxvels ar aviwydeba. is mxatvaria(!), romelic SemoqmedebaSi aerTianebs saxviTi xelovnebis yvela dargs da gviCvenebs ostatis xels da Semoqmedis uCveulo TvaliT danaxul grZnobaTa samyaros. xaTuna kikvaZe

but it would have been a very difficult and time-consuming endeavor, and would also have required a lot of space. The Patriarch of Georgia took interest in ‘Entering Jerusalem’, and he even asked me what techniques I’d used to craft it.

Unfortunately, the idea of my ‘Last Supper’ could not be followed through, since circular sculptures are prohibited in Orthodox Churches.”

These art pieces are only a small part of David Monavardisashvili’s work. His metal sculptures, engravings, paintings, and magnificent pieces of ballet scenography always impress their onlookers. He is an artist who unites all the disciplines of visual arts and masterfully shows us his personal approach to the inner world.

Khatuna Kikvadze

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suvenirebi saqarTvelodan

Souvenirs from Georgia

katalogi `suvenirebi saqarTvelodan“ (mesame versia) 2015 wels saqarTvelos kulturisa da ZeglTa dacvis saministrom gamosca. vfiqrobT, es erT-erTi mniSvnelovani proeqtia, romelic qarTul tradiciuli xelovnebis esTetikur Rirebulebebsa da miviwyebul dargebs exeba... droTa ganmavlobaSi qarTulma rewvam Zveli gamocdileba da istoriuli procesebi SeiTvisa. katalogi asaxavs qarTuli rewvis sxvadasxva saxeobas: meTuneobas, naqargobas, qsovas, teqstilis saxeobebs, minanqars, samSven-samkauls da sxv. aqve SegiZliaT ixiloT unikaluri teqnologiebiT Seqmnili rewvis qarTvel ostatTa saukeTesi namuSevrebi da maTi damzadebis procesi. katalogi, upirvelesad qarTuli sazogadoebisa da Cveni qveynis stumrebisTvisaa gamiznuli. garda amisa,

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The third issue of the catalogue ‘Souvenirs from Georgia’ was published by the Ministry of Culture and Monument Protection of Georgia in 2015. We believe it is an important project depicting the aesthetic values of Georgian traditional arts and nearly forgotten types of craftsmanship. Georgian arts have progressively integrated ancient knowledge and historical processes, and the catalogue presents several fields of our country’s artistry, including ceramics, embroidery, knitting, textile, enamel, and jewelry. The catalogue is first and foremost designed for Georgian society and our country’s guests. It introduces the most interesting creations of Georgian artisans as well as offering detailed information about their crafting through the use of unique technologies. The items presented in the catalogue also display the contemporary tendencies of traditional Georgian arts

katalogSi moxvedrili eqsponatebi tradiciuli qarTuli xelovnebis Tanamedrove tendenciebs asaxaven da ucxoeTSi am nawarmis popularizebasac uwyobs xels. gasul wlebSi saqarTvelos kulturisa da ZeglTa dacvis saministro xelSewyobiT aRdga da gacocxlda uZvelesi sxvadasxva teqnologia da Seqmna iseTi saxelosnoebi, rogoricaa: qarTuli lurji sufris saxelosno, Savpriala keramikis Rumeli, minis nakeTobaTa Rumeli da sxv. swored am saxelosnoebis meSveobiT SesaZlebeli gaxda Zveleburi qarTuli lurji sufris, keramikuli jam-WurWlisa da minis unikaluri minabaZebis

to the world, and serve for the international popularization of these creations. In recent years, the Ministry of Culture and Monument Protection of Georgia has helped restore and revive several ancient technologies and has created specialized workshops, most notably ateliers for traditional Georgian Blue Tablecloths, ceramics, and glass furnaces, which has made it possible to craft unique works of art, and has helped Georgian artisans to enjoy more professional opportunities and improve their skills.

This year, in order to enhance our project, we decided to create an interactive electronic version of the catalogue in which one will be able to browse through every detail of each artwork and get acquainted with the unique technologies used in their traditional Georgian crafting.

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damzadeba. yovelive aman qarTuli rewvis ostatTa dasaqmebas da profesiul daostatebas Seuwyo xeli. wels proeqtis ganviTarebis mizniT Cven gadavwyviteT inovaciuri eleqtronuli interaqtiuli versiis Seqmna, sadac SesaZlebeli gaxdeba TiToeuli nivTis yoveli detalisa da rewvis nimuSTa damzadebis unikaluri teqnologiebis daTvaliereba. vimedovnebT, katalogis axleburi versia gazrdis sazogadoebis, ucxoeli stumrebis interess, gazrdis sferoSi dasaqmebulTa raodenobas da tradiciuli xelovnebis, teqnologiebisa da saxeobebis popularizebas.

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We hope that this new electronic version will not only increase the interest of our society and tourists in Georgian arts, but also provide employment opportunities to people who specialize in this sphere and help popularize our great traditions and technologies.

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Salom, Cemo quTaiso!

Shalom, my Kutaisi!

_ ar isuntla Senze avma angelozma! rasac xeli mohkido, dagenacvle, erTi aTasad geqca! giZriela orfexmac da oTxfexmac, SinSesulma da gareT gasulma!.. es quTaiseli ebraelis nacnobi xmaa, ager, aqamde rom gaismoda Zvel ubnebSi da Taviseburi koloritiT acocxlebda yoveldRiurobas. dRes qalaqis centrSi, uZvelesi marTlmadidebluri taZrebis mopirdapired, sami ebrauli sinagoga SemorCenila _ imis simbolod, rom tradiciuli mosaxleobis TanacxovrebaSi mudam iyo mSvidoba, keTilmezobloba, urTierTobis harmonia. aravin icis, rodis dafuZnda quTaisSi pirveli ebrauli

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“May the Dark Angel never find you, Khaver! May everything you touch be multiplied by a thousand! May your family and cattle have strength; and peace be with those who cross your threshold!� - These words of Jewish acquaintances enlivened the daily routine of the old districts of Kutaisi with a characteristic flow right up to recent times.

Today, three Jewish synagogues remain in the center of the city just across from the ancient Orthodox churches- a symbol of peace, friendship and harmony between the traditional inhabitants of Kutaisi.

Nobody knows exactly when the first Jews settled in Kutaisi, but the oldest official document mentioning Jewish families living in the city dates back to 1644. In the 18th century a lot of Jews from Akhaltsikhe,

Oni, Lailashi, Kareli and other parts of Georgia started arriving there and in 1852, the Jewish population consisted of 1105 people.

Long before the number reached 30 thousand (in the 1970s), these families had fully incorporated local culture and traditions; moreover, they had added their characteristic colors to the city.

Let’s have a look through history to see the importance of Jews in the development of trade and economic ties not only in Kutaisi but in Western Georgia in general.

In 1866, 62 Jews were allowed to travel abroad for trade purposes and in 1867, 44 Jews did the same. According to the surviving documents, most of the people on the list were from Kutaisi. The most prominent tradesman of the First and Second Guilds were the Iakobashvilis, Eligulashvilis, Enukashvilis, Tavdidishvilis and Khananashvilis, all of whom frequently traveled to Istanbul, Trabzon, Moscow, Nizhni Novgorod, Odessa, Kharkov, Rostov, Warsaw, Lodz, and other big cities. The goods brought from abroad were purchased in cash or credit by the local lower-class merchants. Jews exported the following goods in bulk from Western Georgia: raw silk, hog hair, female hair and furs, annually: 50-60 wagons of eggs (each wagon containing 14,400 eggs), 15-20 wagons of feathers, 3-4 wagons of old galoshes, 2-3,000 old carpets and loads of fruit and dry fruit.

Several tradesmen dealt with handmade “Imeretian pashmina”, which was known by this name, but in fact was produced mainly in Samegrelo. Part of the product was sold in Georgia and part was transported to the Russian market. Although cheap pashmina produced in the Russian factories from the beginning of the 20th century was a great competitor of the Georgian product, Georgian pashmina did not lack buyers as it was well-known for its high quality.

A journalist of “Tsnobis Purtseli” (“Messenger”, #2031, 1903) wrote

quTaisi, rionis sanapiro, 33,5X59; qaRaldi, tuSi KUTAISI, RIONI RIVERBANK, 33,5X59; PAPER, INK

ojaxi, uZvelesi oficialuri sabuTi ki, aqaur ebraels rom moixseniebs, 1644 wliT TariRdeba. XVIII saukunidan ukve mravlad Camosaxlebulan axalcixeli, oneli, lailaSeli, qarTleli da sxva kuTxis ebraelebi.

1852 wels qalaqSi 1105 ebraeli cxovrobda. manamde, sanam ebraelTa ricxvi 30 aTassac miaRwevda (XX saukunis 70-iani wlebi), am ojaxebma ara marto SeiTvises da Seisisxlxorces adgilobrivi mosaxleobis kultura da tradiciebi, aramed, sakuTari, TviTmyofadi ferebi Sehmates qalaqs. gadavxedoT istorias, ramdenad damokidebuli iyo ebraelebze Zvel quTaissa da mTel dasavleT saqarTveloSi vaWrobisa da ekonomikuri kavSirebis ganviTareba.

rabini SviliSvilTan erTad, 17,5X16,5; qaRaldi, tuSi RABBI WITH GRANDCHILD, 17,5X16,5; PAPER, INK

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1866 wels sazRvargareT savaWrod wasvlis nebarTva auRia saqarTveloSi mcxovreb 62 ebraels, 1867 wels _ 44-s.

SemorCenili dokumentebis mixedviT, am siebSi yvelaze mravalricxovanni quTaiselebi yofilan. pirveli da meore gildiis vaWrebs Soris gamoirCeodnen: iayobiSvilebi, eligulaSvilebi, enuqaSvilebi, TavdidiSvilebi, xananaSvilebi, romelTac mravalgzis hqoniaT movlili: stamboli, trapizoni, moskovi, niJni novgorodi, odesa, xarkovi, rostovi, varSava, loZi da sxva didi qalaqebi. sazRvargareTidan Semotanil saqonels maTgan naRdi angariSiT an kreditiT yidulobdnen adgilobrivi saSualo da wvrili vaWrebi. ebraelebs saeqsportod dasavleT saqarTvelodan didi partiobiT gahqondaT: daumuSavebeli abreSumi, Roris jagari, qalis Tma, bewveuli; yovelwliurad agzavnidnen daaxloebiT 50-60 vagon kvercxs (vagonSi Tavsdeboda 14 400 kvercxi), 15-20 vagon bumbuls („burdRas“), 3-4 vagon Zvel kaloSs, 2-3 aTas calamde Zvel xaliCas, didi raodenobiT xils, Cirs. ramdenime kaci vaWrobda xeliT naqsovi „imeruli SaliT“, romelic am saxelwodebiT ki iyo cnobili, magram, umTavresad, samegreloSi mzaddeboda. nawarmis nawili saqarTveloSive iyideboda, nawili ki _ ruseTis bazrobebze da, miuxedavad imisa, rom XX saukunis dasawyisidan mas ukve did konkurencias uwevda ruseTis

wvimiani dRe, 22X18,5; qaRaldi, tuSi RABBI WITH GRANDCHILD, 17,5X16,5; PAPER, INK

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boris gaponovi, 28X28; qaRaldi, tuSi BORIS GAPONOV, 28X28; PAPER, INK

in the newspaper: “An acquaintance of mine, Mosha, had bought a huge amount of pashmina (he told me he had paid ten thousand all in all and I don’t think he was lying) and showed us a beautiful sample which he had bought for 6 Manets. He said he would sell it for at least 15. Anyone who has visited the Jewish shops knows this as the truth: pashminas sold there for 10-15 Manets are mostly bought from Megrelian women for 3-6 Manets”.

In the late 20th century several Jewish tradesmen accumulated huge amounts of money. Researcher Ilia Papisimedov wrote: “Almost all the home trade was in their hands. Some of them got involved in big manufacturing ventures and banking; others were named as representatives of banks and at the beginning of the 20th century they founded larger banks, too. The names and addresses of more than 60 Jewish businessmen were regularly published in the press and some of them were elected as representatives of the city self-government.

Yet in contrast to the white stone houses, furniture, clothes and adornments, unimaginable riches and special social positions of such families, petty dealers and their large families had to survive in the most difficult social conditions. Kerosene, salt, soap, medicine, crockery and flour traders with huge bags on their backs would rush out of their huts early Monday morning and flood the streets of the city. At best a dealer would have a horse or a donkey loaded with a huge hamper, carpet sacks or wooden boxes to help them take the goods to the furthest villages, less fortunate ones had to carry the load by themselves. Sometimes it would take them several days to finish their jobs and come back home by Shabbat - tired to the bone, hungry, in torn clothes. And on Monday they would have to start the routine all over again.

fabrikebSi Seqmnili, iaffasiani Sali, Tavisi maRali xarisxis gamo, myidveli ar aklda. „cnobis furclis“ (#2031, 1903 weli) TanamSromeli werda: `nacnob moSas eyidna auarebeli Sali (aTiaTasi maneTis viyideo, gviTxra. mgoni, arca styuoda), da, sxvaTaSoris, gvaCvena erTi SesaniSnavi naxelavi Sali, romelSic 6 man. mieca: `15 man. mainc gavyidio“. amis simarTleSi yvela advilad darwmundeba, visac ki gauvlia quTaisSi SaliT savaWro uriebis maRaziaSi: iqve rom 10-15 maneTad Sali iyideba, is met nawilad megreli qalebisagan 3-6 maneTad SeZenili Salebia“.

XX saukunis meore naxevarSi ramdenime ebraelma vaWarma udidesi kapitali daagrova da, rogorc mkvlevari ilia papisimedovi wers, „TiTqmis mTeli Sinauri vaWroba xelSi Caigdes. amaTgan zogierTi did samrewvelo wamowyebebSi da sabanko saqmeebSic Caeba. zogi maTgani bankebis xmosnad iTvleboda, xolo XX saukunis dasawyisSi msxvili bankebis daarsebaSic monawileobda“. 60-ze meti ebraeli komersantis gvar-saxeli da misamarTi regularulad qveyndeboda imdroindel presaSi, zogierTi _ qalaqis TviTmmarTvelobis xmosnadac iyo arCeuli. am ojaxebis kuTvnili TeTri qvis saxlebis, avejis, samosisa da samkaulebis, saarako fufunebis, gansakuTrebuli sazogadoebrivi mdgomareobis fonze, umZimes socialur pirobebSi uwevdaT Tavis rCena mewvrilmane ebrael vaWrebs da maTi mravalricxovani ojaxis wevrebs. orSabaTobiT, dilauTenia, gamoefinebodnen TavianTi qoxmaxebidan zurgze abga akidebuli, xelkalaTiani mefarTleebi, melengreebi (sagalanterio nawarmis gamyidvelebi), navTiT, mariliT, sapniT, wamlebiT, WurWliT, fqviliT movaWreni. ukeTes SemTxvevaSi, viRacas cxeni hyavda, an saxedari, zed dadgmuli godriT, xurjiniTa Tu „salengre iaSikiT“ (xis didi yuTiT), raTa Soreul soflebSi waeRo saqoneli, Tu arada, fexdafex unda etarebina. ramdenime dRe yovndebodnen saqmeze da daRlil-daqanculni, mSierni, dakonkilni, saSabaTod brundebodnen ojaxebSi, rom orSabaTs kvlav Tavidan daewyoT yvelaferi. swored aReb-micemobisa da savaWro urTierTobis pirobebSi aris Seqmnili quTaisel ebraelTa „saidumlosavaWro ena“. Zveli ebrauli leqsikuri erTeulebis Zirebze darTuli qarTuli prefiqs-sufiqsebiT iyo miRebuli mravali sityva, magaliTad: aamsevre _ aiRe, aiyvane; ganabi _ qurdi, jibgiri; daafaniere _ damale; daviadoT _ viyidoT, SeviZinoT; dalexda _ wavida; davqamdi _ vizarale, movtyuvdi; eTomare _ elaparake; visoxare _ vivaWre; mbredavi _ yaCaRi, mkvleli; melaxa _ saqme; mivamsevre _ miveci; naSa _ qali; sabredavi _ cxeli an civi iaraRi; saToxlavi _ saWmeli; qesefi _ fuli da sxva. es leqsika, romelsac bolo periodamde iyenebdnen movaWre ebraelebi, quTaisis mosaxleobis garkveuli

mkeravi isinka (riJinaSvili), 25X22,5; qaRaldi, tuSi TAILOR ISINKA (RIJINASHVILI), 25X22,5; PAPER, INK

But we should not think that trade was the only occupation of the Jews. The Kutaisi elite were enriched by Jewish intellectuals, wellknown doctors, teachers, engineers, artists or best representatives of many other fields, all making their contribution to the development and cultural progress of the city.

Kutaisi was the hometown of Boris Gaponov, whose translation of ‘The Knight in the Panther’s Skin’ into Hebrew became an event of the century. Other prominent inhabitants of Kutaisi included: linguist Rapiel Shamelashvili, writers Ushangi Rizhinashvili and Iakob Papiashvili, poet Mikheil Kakitelashvili, Doctor of Medicine Shalva Mardi (Mardakhiashvili), journalist Misha Davitashvili, researcher Leila Tetruashvili, artists Makvala and Meir Pichkhadzes, political expert Abon Tsitsiashvili, historian Daniel Khakhanashvili, Mathematician Alexander Eligulashvili, actor Ruti Tavdidishvili and Rabbi Moshe Davarashvili, who was a Member of the first Parliament of Democratic Georgia. The list is truly long, but Ilo Khakiashvili, the beloved photographer of Kutaisians should undoubtedly be mentioned whose character has become inspiration for many writers and artists and who is the only photographer to have a monument erected after his death by the inhabitants of the city.

Citizens of Kutaisi have always had tender feelings towards Jews.

Excluding rare occasions, there have never been anti-Semitic attacks in the ancient Georgian city. For example, on September 10th, 1914, during the Tsarist period, Jews living in the provincial city were not allowed to participate in elections (though it should be noted women of Kutaisi and some categories of men were also stripped of the right to vote).

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nawilisTvis erTgvar qalaqur slengadac ki iqca. quTaTur movaWreebs Soris gaismoda: _ yatoni ar dauqamo! (kapiki ar dauklo!) _ Sens mamons me mivxridi da, rasac mougadoleb, savaxezo iyos! (Sens saqonels me mivyidi da, rasac movugeb, sanaxevro iyos!) _ Cemi muStari gamiSeyera da verc TiTon mixrida (Cemi muStari Camomacala... gadaibira da verc TviTon mihyida). isec ar unda vifiqroT, rom mxolod vaWroba, aRebmicemoba icodnen ebraelebma. quTaisis sazogadoebas ebrauli inteligenciis saxiT SeuerTda mravali saxelganTqmuli eqimi, pedagogi, inJiner-teqnologi, xelovnebis muSaki, sxvadasxva dargis saukeTeso specialisti. maT TavianTi sityva Tqves qalaqis ganviTarebasa da kulturul winsvlaSi. quTaisSi cxovrobda boris gaponovi, romlis mier ivriTze kongenialurad Targmnili „vefxistyaosani“ saukunis movlenad iqca. quTaiselebi iyvnen: enaTmecnieri rafiel SamelaSvili, mwerlebi uSangi riJinaSvili, iakob papiaSvili, poeti mixeil kakitelaSvili, medicinis doqtori Salva mardi (mardaxiaSvili), Jurnalisti miSa daviTaSvili, mkvlevari leila TeTruaSvili, mxatvrebi

rebeka grZeli TmebiT, 23X17; qaRaldi, tuSi REBECCA WITH LONG HAIR, 23X17; PAPER, INK

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abraSka, moSe, xaimi, 22,5X23; qaRaldi, tuSi ABRASHKA, MOSHE, KHAIMI, 22,5X23; PAPER, INK

History tells us of regular outbreaks of fire in the Jewish district. The most severe, in 1896, 1908 and 1928, devoured several houses and tons of goods. Yet a tragedy suffered by Jews was shared by the whole society and people expressed their support in many different ways.

Saba Kldiashvili, a student at Odessa University, was raised in the Jewish neighborhood. He was killed by members of the Black Guard for defending a local Jew in Odessa. Bringing his coffin back to his hometown resulted in a grand political manifestation.

History also tells us that when in 1901 the Russian chauvinist traveling theater brought an anti-Jewish show “Son of Israel” to Kutaisi, young Niko Lortkipanidze and his friends expressed acute protest against the play. Also to be remembered are the sell-outs for performances staged according to the plays by Herzel Baazov and Guram Batiashvili picturing the reality of the relations between Georgians and Jews.

Yes, Christian and Jewish families lived in Kutaisi side by side, sharing happiness and sorrow; their children played in the kindergartens together and sat at the same desks at school. A Georgian housewife would not make a Khachapuri or Satsivi without sharing it with her Jewish neighbor and, in return, she would come back home with Matza, delicious Kaliasoup with pomegranates and onions, and Kosher wine.

The Kutaisi Jewish community was the leading and most multiple group among the condense Jewish population inhabiting the Georgian land. They always had their word to say in important matters. For example, when an erudite and an outstanding rabbi, Khaim Eligulashvili, was offered the position of Head Rabbi of the Soviet Union, he refused, saying that he would not abandon the Kutaisi Jewish community.

_ mayvala da meir fiCxaZeebi, politikuri mimomxilveli abon ciciaSvili, istorikosi daniel xananaSvili, maTematikosi aleqsandre eligulaSvili, msaxiobi ruTi TavdidiSvili da mravali sxva. demokratiuli saqarTvelos pirveli parlamentis deputati iyo quTaiseli rabi moSe davaraSvili. grZelia es sia, magram ilo xaxiaSvils, quTaTurTa sayvarel ilo fotografs, mainc gansakuTrebuli adgili uWiravs. es kolorituli kaci, mravali mwerlisa da mxatvris muza xom msoflioSi erTaderTi fotografia, visac sikvdilis Semdeg Tanaqalaqelebma Zegli daudges. quTaisis mosaxleobas odiTganve saTuTi damokidebuleba hqonda ebraelebisadmi. iSviaTi SemTxvevis garda, ZirZvel qarTul qalaqSi arasodes yofila antisemituri gamoxtomebi. vTqvaT, iseTi, caristuli reJimis dros, 1914 wlis 10 seqtembers Catarebul arCevnebisas rom moxda: xmis micemis ufleba ar hqondaT sagubernio qalaqSi mcxovreb ebraelebs. TumcaRa, maSin arc quTaTur qalbatonebs gaaCndaT amis ufleba da arc mamakacTa garkveul kategorias. istoriam icis permanentuli xanZrianoba ebraelTa ubanSi, gansakuTrebiT _ 1896, 1908, 1928 wlebisa, roca

ebraeli CitiT, 21,5X16,5; qaRaldi, tuSi JEW WITH BIRD, 21,5X16,5; PAPER, INK

luba (megreliSvili) daaseirnebs franciskas, 21,5X16,5; qaRaldi, tuSi LUBA (MEGRELISHVILI) WALKING FRANCISCA, 21,5X16,5; PAPER, INK

Jews mainly lived in the central streets of Kutaisi and on Mtsvanekvavila Hill.

Former Shaumiani, present-day Boris Gaponov Street, and the surrounding area, was known as the Jewish Quarter and was one of the liveliest parts of the city. Ethnic and religious traditions brought

by Jews to the Georgian city were kept untouched, notwithstanding the year-long fight of the Soviet regime with rabbis and religious Jews, closure of synagogues and banning of religious rituals.

Kutaisi Jews of any social or financial position would celebrate the following holidays: Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Hoshana Rabbah, Simchat Torah, Khanuka, Purim, Pesakh, etc. Traditions were passed from generation to generation. For example, “Birkat Hagomel” is the blessing a person recites in the synagogue upon emerging safely from a dangerous trip; Refuh - a prayer the community performs to save a person from illness; Get - specific divorce ritual; Pidyon Haben or redemption of the first-born son - a mitzvah in which a Jewish firstborn son is “redeemed” by use of silver coins from Kohens; Putting on Tefillin - a festive ceremony during which a 13 year-old boy ties traditional leather boxes onto his head and hands as a mark of reaching adulthood; “Torah Sitting” - taking a 5 or 6 yearold boy to a Rabbi to study the Torah.

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cecxlSi dainTqa uamravi sacxovrebeli saxli da qoneba. israelTa mwuxareba qalaqis mTelma mosaxleobam gaiziara, mravalnairi formiT gamoixata saxalxo Tanadgoma da nugeSiscema. quTaisSi, ebraelebis gverdiT izrdeboda odesis universitetis axalgazrda mecnieri saba kldiaSvili, iqauri ebraeli mosaxleobis gamosarClebisaTvis Savrazmelebma rom mokles, mSobliur qalaqSi misi Camosveneba ki grandiozul politikur manifestaciad iqca. istoriam aseve Semoinaxa 1901 wels rus SovinistTa moxetiale dasis mier quTaisis TeatrSi sagastrolod Camotanili, antiebrauli Sinaarsis speqtaklis, „Svili israelisa“-gamo, aRSfoTebuli axalgazrda niko lorTqifaniZisa da misi megobrebis mZafri protesti; axsovs gercel baazovisa da guram baTiaSvilis piesebis mixedviT dadgmuli speqtaklebis sruli anSlagic, vinaidan am warmodgenebSi qarTul-ebrauli urTierTobis realuri suraTi iyo daxatuli. diax, quTaisSi gverdigverd, keTilmezoblurad cxovrobdnen qristianuli da ebrauli ojaxebi, ganuyofeli hqondaT Wiric da lxinic, erTad TamaSobdnen da mere skolaSic erT merxze isxdnen maTi Svilebi. qarTveli diasaxlisi xaWapursa da sacivs rom miukiTxavda ebrael mezobels, igi, sanacvlod, macasa da broweul-xaxviT Sekazmul, saucxoo yalias moarTmevda, qaSeri RviniTurT. quTaisis ebraeloba iyo qarTul miwaze kompaqturad dasaxlebul ebraelTagan yvelaze mravalricxovani da mewinave jgufi. aqaur jamaaTs mudam gansakuTrebuli sityva eTqmoda. cnobili faqtia, uganaTlebulesi da didi avtoritetis mqone quTaiseli xaxamis _ xaim eligulaSvilisaTvis sabWoTa kavSiris mTavari rabinoba rom SeuTavazebiaT, uari uTqvams _ quTaisis jamaaTs ver mivatovebo.

xaxami, 23X30; qaRaldi, tuSi KHAKHAM, 23X30; PAPER, INK

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skatina, 28X23,5; qaRaldi, tuSi SKATINA, 28X23,5; PAPER, INK

Rosa Tavdidishvili’s book ‘Ethnographic Sketches from the old life of Georgian Jews’, which became a bibliographic rarity, describes the tradition of “Juvenility” which was strong in three families: the Pichkhadzes, Buziashvilis and Iakobashvilis until the end of 19th century. Representatives, mainly the heads of the families, had to make a Neder (a vow, an oath) and keep it by sacrificing a chicken, a cock or a bull-calf for the safe recovery of a close relative from an illness.

Religious Jews from Kutaisi particularly would celebrate Shabbat.

On Friday, before sunset, special meals were made, all dishes were washed; all the family members bathed and changed their clothes.

The head of the family would say after the prayers at the synagogue: “Shabbat Shalom!” (“Peaceful Shabbat”) and everyone from boys and girls to grownups would head home, kiss the Mezuzah (a special mark at the entrance) and sit themselves at the table.

A Khakham (prayer leader at a synagogue) was a person with deep knowledge of the Torah from aleph-bet to tiniest detail and was one of the most respected persons in the community. Khakhams had several specializations, including Hazan (a prayer leader), Mohel (circumciser), and Shohet (a person certified to slaughter animals for food). Khakhams were asked for help in all family matters such as discords, marriages and divorces, separation of the family property, and circumcision.

ebraelebi, ZiriTadad, qalaqis centralur quCebSi da mwvaneyvavilas borcvebze cxovrobdnen. yofili Saumianis, dRes boris gaponovis, quCa da mimdebare dasaxleba „ebraelebis ubnis“ saxeliT iyo cnobili da aq mudam gansakuTrebulad duRda sicocxle. eTnikuri da sarwmunoebrivi tradiciebi, rac odesRac Camoitanes qarTul qalaqSi, bolomde xeluxleblad iyo SenarCunebuli, imis miuxedavad, rom sabWouri reJimi wlebis manZilze ebrZoda rabinebsa da xaxamebs, morwmune ebraelebs, auqmebda salocavebs, krZalavda saritualo saqmianobas. quTaTuri ebraelebi, ganurCevlad qonebrivi mdgomareobisa, gansakuTrebulad aRniSnavdnen: roSaSanas, qifurs, suqoTs, oSayanas, simxaTToras, xanuqas, furims, fesaxsa Tu sxva dResaswaulebs. Taobidan Taobas gadaecemoda araerTi tradicia, magaliTad: „gomeli“ _ gasaWiridan gadarCenis, Sori gzidan mSvidobiT dabrunebis aRniSvna salocavSi; „refua“ _ jamaaTis locva avadmyofis gankurnebisTvis; „geTis“ dawera _ ganqorwinebis specifikuri rituali; „qoenobidan daxsna“ _ ufrosi vaJiSvilis gamosyidva qoenidan; `Tefilinis dadeba“ _ 13 wels miRweuli yrmisaTvis srulwlovanebis aRsaniSnavad tyavis Semosakravis sazeimod gakeTeba; „Toraze dajdoma“ _ rabinTan (maswavlebelTan) 5-6 wlis vaJis mibareba Toras Sesaswavlad da mravali sxva. roza TavdidiSvilis bibliografiul iSviaTobad qceul wignSi „eTnografiuli narkvevi (quTaisel ebraelTa Zveli yofa-cxovrebidan)“ damowmebulia „Wabukobis“ tradiciac, romelic XIX saukunis dasasrulamde yofila SemorCenili da mxolod sam gvarSi: fiCxaZeebSi, buziaSvilebsa da iayobaSvilebSi aRiniSneboda. am gvaris warmomadgenlebs, ojaxis Tavkacebs, evalebodaT SekveTilis _ nederis Sesruleba, anu sneulebas gadarCenili axlo naTesavisTvis Tavze Semovleba mozrdili yvinCilisa, mamlisa, mozvrisa. quTaiseli morwmune ebraelebi gansakuTrebulad xvdebodnen SabaTs. paraskev saRamos, mzis Casvlamde, keTdeboda saSabaTo kerZebi, recxavdnen sarecxs, didianpatarianad banaobdnen, icvlidnen samoss. salocavidan dabrunebuli ojaxis ufrosi warmoTqvamda: `SabaT Salom!“ (SabaT mSvidobisa) da ufros-umcrosianad, galobiT gaswevdnen Sinisaken, yvelani miesalmebodnen mezuzas _ karze gakeTebul niSans, waRma Sebrundebodnen da sufras Semousxdebodnen. jamaaTSi uaRresi pativiscemiT sargeblobda xaxami (sinagogaSi locvis ritualis wamyvani), romelsac Rrmad hqonda SeTvisebuli Tora _ `alef-beTidan~ umaRles swavlamde. xaxamebi ramdenime saqmeSi iyvnen specializebulni: iyo xazani (mlocveli), moeli (momnaTlavi, winadamcveTi), Soxeti (frinvel-saqonlis damkvleli) da sxva. xaxams eZaxdnen yvela ojaxuri sakiTxis _ uTanxmoebis, saTxovar-gasaTxovris, ojaxis

sayalie batebi, 24X20; qaRaldi, tuSi DUCKS FOR KALIA SOUP, 24X20; PAPER, INK

Jewish engagement and marriage was full of compulsory rules that were to be fulfilled, and ended with a Ketubah.

Here’s a khupa, a beautiful samite brought from the synagogue and held by four strong Jewish young men like a tent. On a big pillow under the khupa Kallah and Khatan (Bride and groom) are standing.

The Khatan is wearing a silver ring and a silver chain watch while the Kallah looks beautiful with a five strand braid and a white robe. The Rabbi opens a written and painted Ketubah, one corner of which is supposed to be held by the Khatan and the other one by the Kallah.

The other corners are for the Shoshbin (the best man) and the bridesmaid. The Rabbi reads the Kehubah first in Hebrew and then translates into Georgian for everybody to hear the obligations that the Khatan takes before the Kallah. After the Ketubah is finished, the Rabbi blesses the wine, drinks it first and gives it to the Khatan, who passes it to the Kallah and then to the best men, bridesmaids, parents and everyone else who wants to drink even a drop of blessed wine.

After the Kiddush - wine blessing - the groom is supposed to break the wine glass into pieces as a sign of overcoming difficulties in their future mutual life.

In 1972, the Great Aliyah migration began and the Jewish community started to leave Kutaisi, stripping the palette of the city of its unique color. Only several dozen Jewish families remained. Kutaisians still

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gayofis, naTlobisa Tu sxva saqmeebis mosagvareblad. xangrZlivi da mravali savaldebulo wesiT iyo gajerebuli ebrauli niSnoba da qorwili, romlis piks warmoadgenda qeTubas kiTxva. ai, salocavidan motanili saqorwino xufa (oTx joxze karvis msgavsad gadakruli ulamazesi farCa) xelT upyria oTx Ronier israel vaJkacs, xufas qveS ki, did baliSze, Semdgara xaTan-qala (nefe-dedofali). axal samosSi koxtad gamowyobil xaTans vercxlis beWedi da aseTive Zewkviani saaTi Svenis, qalas _ „xuTTiTebiani“ nawnavi da TeTri kaba. rabini gaSlis dawerilsa da daxatul qeTubas, romlis erTi kuTxe xaTanma unda daiWiros, meore _ qalam, danarCenebi _ SoSbinma (siZis xelismomkidem) da mdadem (dedoflis xelismomkidem). rabini jer ebraul enaze, Tavidan bolomde waikiTxavs qeTubas, Semdeg qarTulad Targmnis (yvelas gasagonad), Tu ra valdebulebas iRebs xaTani qalas winaSe. qeTubas dasrulebis Semdeg rabini Rvinos akurTxebs, jer TviTon mosvams, Semdeg xaTans miawodebs, xaTani _ qalas, xelismomkideebs, mSoblebs da yvela msurvels. TiToeuli damswre cdilobs, nakurTxi Rvinis wveTi mainc Seixvedros. kiduSis _ Rvinis kurTxeva _ dasrulebis Semdeg siZem erTi dartymiT unda daamsxvrios Wiqa da amiT, simbolurad, momaval cxovrebiseul siZneleebs sZlios.

1972 wlidan, roca israelSi didi alia daiwyo, ebraelobam masobrivad datova quTaisi da amiT TiTqos raRac gansakuTrebuli feri daaklda qalaqur palitras. sul ramdenime aTeuli ebrauli ojaxiRa darCa. dRemde axsovT quTaiselebs is cremliani sixaruli, israelidan mosuli,

besiona-buxara meuRlesTan erTad, 26X20,5; qaRaldi, tuSi BESIONA-BUKHARA WITH WIFE, 26X20,5; PAPER, INK

remember the happiness through tears when they saw the first envelopes arriving from Israel which survived the Soviet censorship.

Pichkhadzes, Iakobashvilis, Eligulashvilis, Sepiashvilis, Biniashvilis, Matsonashvilis, Mardakhashvilis, Modzgvrishvilis, Gagulashvilis, Papiashvilis, Jinjikhashvilis, Tavdidishvilis, Megrelishvilis, Kakhiashvilis, Ajiashvilis and Buziashvilis sent letters full of love and sorrow to their old neighbors. They wrote that they cherished the memories of Kutaisi - their second mother; that they embosomed their traditions and taught Georgian language, songs and dances to their children.

“If a Son of Israel inhabits the house of another Jew, he will not take the mezuzot off the doors, but if a non-Jew gets the house, the mezuzot should be removed,” - ethnographer Rosa Tavdidishvili writes about the rules of religious Jews in Kutaisi.

Of course, there are no mezuzot on the former houses of Kutaisi Jews, but families living under these roofs know very well that Jews left great love here instead of mezuzot – a huge love full of pain.

Nanuli Tskhvediani Painter Karlo Pachulia, from the series “My Jewish Neighbors”

qaSeris WaSniki, 27X26,5; qaRaldi, tuSi TASTING KOSHER WINE, 27X26,5; PAPER, INK

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ebraelebis qeifi rionis piras, 32,5X36; qaRaldi, tuSi FEAST OF JEWS ON RIONI RIVERBANK, 32,5X36; PAPER, INK

sabWoTa cenzura gamovlili, uxeirod dawebebuli pirveli konvertebis gamoCenas rom mohyva. siyvaruliTa da sevdiT savse baraTebs agzavnidnen Zvel samezobloSi: fiCxaZeebi, iakobaSvilebi, eligulaSvilebi, sefiaSvilebi, biniaSvilebi, mawonaSvilebi, mardaxiaSvilebi, moZRvriSvilebi, gagulaSvilebi, papiaSvilebi, jinjixaSvilebi, TavdidiSvilebi, megreliSvilebi, xaxiaSvilebi, ajiaSvilebi, buziaSvilebi... iwerebodnen, rom saTuTad inaxaven quTaisze _ meore dedaze _ mogonebas, ufrTxildebian aq SeTvisebul tradiciebs, israelSi dabadebul Svilebs qarTul enasa da cekva-simReras aswavlian. „Tu israelma bina gamoicvala da mis yofil binaSi isev

israeli icxovrebs, arc erT karze mezuzas ar moaSorebs, isev datovebs, xolo Tu mis nadgom binaSi araisraeli icxovrebs, im SemTxvevaSi, arc erT karze mezuzas ar datovebs“. _ quTaisel morwmune israelTa wess gvacnobs eTnografi roza TavdidiSvili. cxadia, dRes aRar aris mezuza ebraelTa saxlebis karebze, magram am saxlebis WerqveS mcxovrebma qarTulma ojaxebma kargad ician _ mezuzas nacvlad, dagenacvle, siyvaruli datoves ebraelebma, didi, tkiviliani siyvaruli. nanuli cxvediani mxatvari karlo faCulia, ciklidan `Cemi ebraeli mezoblebi~

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2016 wels 80 weli sruldeba, saqarTveloSi saxalxo Semoqmedebaze zrunvisaTvis sagangebo saxelmwifo instituciis daarsebidan. aTwleulebis manZilze am instituciam ramdenjerme icvala forma da sadReisod ssip `saqarTvelos folkloris saxelmwifo centris~ saxiT funqcionirebs. ganvlili gzis manZilze, aq uamravi Rirseuli adamiani da maRali klasis profesionali muSaobda. centrma uamravi sasikeTo saqme gaakeTa xelovnebis nimuSTa dafiqsirebisa Tu popularizaciisTvis, qarTuli folkloris sxvadasxva dargebis moRvaweTa daxmarebisTvis. qarTuli folklori, gansakuTrebiT ki, Cveni tradiciuli mravalxmianoba, cekva, xalxuri poezia da tradiciuli xelovnebis yvela sxva dargi zogadsakacobrio mniSvnelobis saunjea. swored amitomac, UNESCO-m 2001 wels, qarTuli mravalxmianoba kacobriobis aramaterialuri kulturuli memkvidreobis xelTuqmnel Zeglad aRiara. gansacvifrebelia anonimi geniosebis mier Seqmnili qarTuli simRera-galobis melodiuri, harmoniuli da faqturuli mravalferovneba, formaTa srulyofileba, arqauli da maRalganviTarebuli polifoniuri da harmoniuli azrovnebis nimuSTa Tanaarseboba da musikalur dialeqtTa simravle da TviTmyofadoba. mTeli msoflio, ukve mravali aTwleulia, aRtacebiT usmens qarTul tradiciul musikas da sakacobrio kulturis maRalganviTarebul da umniSvnelovanes SedevrTa gverdiT ganukuTvnebs mas adgils. amis dasturia Cveni folkloruli ansamblebis _ `rusTavis~, `erisionis~, `marTves~, `mTiebis~, anCisxatis gundis, `mzeTamzes~, `biWebis~, samebis taZris gundis, `basianis~,

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2016 marks the 80th anniversary since the establishment of the State Institute for Folklore Protection in Georgia. Over several decades, the institute has been through a number of structural changes; today, it continues its existence as the LEPL “Folklore State Center of Georgia�.

Throughout its evolution, this institution has been a workplace for many notable artists and talented professionals. The Center has greatly contributed to discovering, archiving, and popularizing numerous art pieces, thus helping folklore artists of various fields in their undertakings.

Georgian folklore is a worldwide treasure along with the other national traditional arts; its traditional polyphony, dance and poetry in particular. In 2001, UNESCO recognized the cultural significance of Georgian polyphony and included it in its Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

The fusion of melody, harmony and diversity, the coexistence of archaic and highly developed polyphonic songs, the versatile musical dialects and the originality of the overall result are the stunning features for which we have to thank the anonymous ingenious artists who created Georgian polyphony. The world

`didgoris~, `Savnabadas~, `saxiobas~ da mravali sxva musikaluri koleqtivis gamarjveba-warmatebani msoflios mraval scenaze, maT Soris, umniSvnelovanes musikalur centrebSi. Cveni cekva _ `rokviT ganfenili qarTuli genia~, jer kidev legendaruli nino ramiSvilisa da iliko suxiSvilis droidan, maTi Rvawlmosili da fantastikuri `suxiSvilebis~, aseve `rusTavis~, `erisionisa~ da bavSvTa Tu mozrdilTa mravali sxva qoreografiuli ansamblis RvawliT, aseve kargadaa cnobili msoflios kulturuli sazogadoebisTvis. qarTuli xalxuri poezia, obieqturi mizezebis gamo, Tu samyarosTvis naklebadaa cnobili, amis miuxedavad, qarTulenovani mkiTxvelisaTvis Seufasebeli saganZuria. `vefxistyaosnis~, guramiSvilis, vaJasa da galaktionis eris poeturi metyveleba, poeturi msoflaRqma, azris simaRliTa da gamoTqmis ostatobiT, energetikiTa da gamomsaxvelobis siRrmiT, samarTlianad warmoadgens Cveni erovnuli siamayisa da aRtacebis sagans. xalxuri saxviTi da gamoyenebiTi xelovneba, Rvinis warmoebis unikaluri da, sayovelTao aRiarebiT, msoflioSi uZvelesi teqnologia, SemoqmedebiTobisa da mxatvruli azrovnebis yvela gamovlineba, WeSmaritad erovnul da sakacobrio saganZurs warmoadgens da am sferoebis movla-patronoba, folkloris sxvadasxva dargSi momuSaveTa, ostatTa Tu maTi moswavleebis xelSewyoba metad saWiro da saSuri saqmea. am sferoSi saxelmwifo politikas warmarTavs folkloris saxelmwifo centri. igi SeimuSavebs da axorcielebs samecniero-kvleviTi Tu praqtikulSemoqmedebiTi xasiaTis proeqtebs, Tanadgomas uwevs erovnuli tradiciuli kulturis moRvaweebs, SemoqmedebiT koleqtivebs. bolo wlebSi saxelmwifosa da kerZo seqtoris mxridan, sagrZnoblad gaizarda yuradReba folkloris mimarT. Tumca, mainc minda vTqvaT, rom problemebi Cvens saqmeSi mravalia. am problemaTagan umravlesis mogvarebas ki, folkloris sxvadasxva dargTa gadarCena-ganviTarebapopularizaciis strategiuli, grZelvadiani gegmebis SemuSaveba da, raRa Tqma unda, garkveuli, ufro didi masStabis dafinanseba sWirdeba. folkloris centri am mimarTulebiT cdilobs garkveuli samuSaoebis Catarebas, Cven mWidrod

has been listening to Georgian traditional music with much enthusiasm for several decades, and it is now considered part of the most sophisticated and important vocal traditions ever created. This is attested to by the numerous successful folk ensembles such as, among many others: Rustavi, Erisioni, Martve, Mtiebi, the Anchiskhati Choir, Mzetamze, Bichebi, the Holy Trinity Church Choir, Basiani, Didgori, Shavnabada, and Sakhioba, who have all performed on many of the globe’s prestigious musical stages.

Thanks to the legendary Nino Ramishvili and Iliko Sukhishvili’s fantastic dance company Sukhishvilebi, as well as to Rustavi, Erisioni, and many other child and adult choreography ensembles, our national dances have also become popular around the world.

Georgian poetry, on the other hand, might be less well-known in other societies, but it is an irreplaceable treasure for Georgian readers. Rustaveli’s ‘The Knight in the Panther’s Skin,’ Davit Guramishvili, Vaja-Pshavela, and Galaktion Tabidze are a few examples of the Georgian poetic energy and articulations of fairness, truthfulness, depth of thought and simplicity which makes national poetry a source of fascinating pride to its people.

Georgian Fine and Applied Arts, unique ancient wine-making techniques, and the creative approach to any art movement in general are important national traits as well as part of humanity’s cultural heritage. Preserving them is of utmost importance for any person involved in folklore’s many fields, be they masters or apprentices.

The Folklore State Center of Georgia is the nationwide political

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vTanamSromlobT sxvadasxva samTavrobo Tu arasamTavrobo instituciebTan _ gansakuTrebiT madlierebiT gvinda gamovyoT fondi `qarTuli galoba~, Tbilisis saxelmwifo konservatoria, xelnawerTa erovnuli centri da centraluri arqivi, xalxuri simReris saerTaSoriso centri. Cven vcdilobT gaverTiandeT folklorul xelovnebaTa aRiarebul Tu axalgazrda mkvlevarebTan Tu praqtikos-profesionalebTan. Cven vcdilobT, SevimuSavoT garkveuli strategia, romelSic gaTvaliswinebuli iqneba, rogorc samecniero-kvleviTi midgomebi, agreTve praqtikos-SemsrulebelTa Tvalsazrisi da saWiroebani. magram, mainc gvsurs aRvniSnoT, rom materialuri Tanadgomis gazrdisa da mopovebis gareSe, Cveni sferos SenarCuneba-popularizaciis procesi, samwuxarod, neli tempebiT miiwevs win. amis mizezi isaa, rom simboluri kultura da maRali Rirebulebis mqone xelovneba, mTel msoflioSi arakomerciuli sferoa. TviTdafinansebiTa da garkveuli dotaciis gareSe arakomerciuli xelovneba ver iarsebebs. akademiur-saavtoro Tu tradiciul xelovnebaze zrunvis xarisxi metyvelebs sazogadoebis ganviTarebaze, mis mier sakuTari arsis, gaazrebasa da sakuTari identobis msoflios winaSe Rirseulad warmoCenaze.

Cveni tradiciuli mravalxmiani simRera-galobis da mTlianad folkloruli Semoqmedebis gadarCenis, ganviTarebisa da popularizaciisaTvis sasicocxlod mniSvnelovania regionuli proeqtebis ganxorcieleba folkloris saxelmwifo centris mier. qarTuli tradiciuli xelovneba, saukuneebis manZilze, mudmivad iqmneboda da arsebobda soflad. Cveni simRera-galobis, cekvis, zepirsityvierebis, saxviTi da gamoyenebiTi xelovnebis formaTa mravalferovnebisa da mxatvruli enis maRalganviTarebulobis erTerTi umTavresi mizezi, mudam iyo swored is, rom isini yalibdeboda saqarTvelos sxvadasxva kuTxeebSi, romlebic erTi mxriv, gaerTianebulni arian saerTo erovnul sxeulSi, xolo meore mxriv, TiToeuli maTgani TviTmyofadia da ganumeorebelia esTetikuri azrovnebis, eTnologiuri, kulturologiuri, Tu sxva TvalsazrisiT. komunisturi mmarTvelobisa da postsabWoTa periodis simZimeebiT, aseve XX-XXI saukuneebis globalizaciis procesebiT gamowveulma urbanizaciam, teqnokratiam, tradiciuli erovnuli yofis moSlam, negatiuri zegavlena iqonia qarTuli tradiciuli xelovnebis

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figure in these matters. The Center creates and carries out scientific research projects as well as workshops and performances, and supports national folk artists and collectives throughout Georgia.

In recent years, both the government and the private sector have significantly increased their focus on folklore. It has to be said, however, that folk artists still encounter many obstacles in their efforts. These difficulties may be tackled through long term, strategic and sustainable plans for the preservation, development and popularization of each folklore tradition, and of course, through the allocation of larger funds.

The Folklore State Center itself is doing its best to achieve the above-mentioned goals. We work in close collaboration with various governmental and non-governmental institutions, among which we would like to mention with gratitude the fund ‘Georgian Chanting,’ the State Conservatory of Georgia, the Georgian National Center of Manuscripts, the National Archive of Georgia and the International Center for Folklore. We aim to maintain contact with both famous and amateur folk professionals, researchers, and enthusiasts. Our projects support the development of research and practice in folklore, but as emphasized earlier, without proper financial assistance, those activities aiming at preserving and popularizing traditions are unfortunately restrained. The reason for this is that the Center is not dealing with commercial art, but with symbolic culture, and that non-commercial art cannot exist autonomously without fundraising or donations. Appropriate attention to preserving academic or traditional arts speaks loudly about the level of a society’s development and its understanding of self in relation to the rest of the world.

The establishment of regional projects is crucially important for the preservation, development, and popularization of our traditional polyphonic songs and for folklore in general.

For centuries, traditional Georgian art was created and performed in rural areas. One of the main reasons why Georgian polyphonic songs, dances, oral traditions, and Fine or Applied Arts are so diverse and sophisticated lies precisely in the fact that they developed in different regions of Georgia; on the one hand, these regions are all united under one national identity, but on the other hand each is original and has unique aesthetic, ethnographic, and cultural features.

In the 20th-21st centuries, the various fields of traditional Georgian art were greatly affected by the massive urbanization and technocracy that followed globalization processes, as well as by the communist and post-soviet regimes.

Similar processes are going on in almost any country of the world.

The positive aspects of globalization are accompanied by negative

sxvadasxva dargebis ganviTarebaze. msgavsi viTarebaa, praqtikulad, msoflios yvela qveyanaSi. globalizaciis mier motanil sikeTeebs Tan erTvis amave procesiT gamowveuli safrTxe yvela, da gansakuTrebiT mcirericxovani erebisTvis – erovnulkulturuli TviTmyofadobisa da identobis waSla; adamianTa, sazogadoebebisa Tu erebis qceva erTsaxovan masad, romelic kmayofildeba mxolod yofiTi kulturiT, utilitaruli moTxovnilebebiT da naklebad saWiroebs sulier-simbolur kulturas. es procesi yvelaze metad tradiciuli xelovnebis dargebs emuqreba. maTi qmnadobisa da ganviTarebisTvis Cveuli socialuri yofa-garemo warsulis kuTvnilebad iqca. masobrivi informaciis saSualebebiT farTod kultivirebulma da propagandirebulma komerciulma kulturam ki mTavari adgili daikava adamianTa umravlesobis cnobierebasa Tu azrovnebaSi. swored am process asaxavs cnobili eTnomusikologisa da moazrovnis, izali zemcovskis xatovani gamoTqma: `folklori midis da folklorizmi modis~ e.i. kvdeba an siRrmiseulad icvleba cocxali erovnuli koleqtiurSemoqmedebiTi procesi (romlis sayovelTao cnobili produqtebia `Cakrulo~ da `xasanbegura~, `Sen xar venaxi~ Tu `vefxisa da moymis~ leqsi..) da mis adgils ikavebs, ukeTes SemTxvevaSi _ ukve Seqmnili da simboluri kulturis rangSi gadanacvlebuli genialuri nimuSebis Seswavla-popularizaciis procesi (rac aseve saWiro da erovnuli da zogadsakacobrio mniSvnelobis saqmea), xolo uares SemTxvevaSi _ mdare, dabali mxatvruli Rirebulebis mqone fsevdokultura. zemoTqmulis miuxedavad, saqarTvelos folkloris saxelmwifo centris movaleobas namdvilad warmoadgens, dRevandel yofaSi arsebuli yofiTi kulturis, xalxuri xelovnebis, Tundac dabali xarisxis nimuSebis dafiqsireba-Seswavlac. magram, amasTan, Cveni centris umTavres daniSnulebad migvaCnia, erTi mxriv, Cvenamde mosuli maRali kulturuli memkvidreobis Seswavla-popularizacia, xolo meore mxriv, tradiciuli xelovnebis Semdgomi ganviTarebisaTvis aucilebeli pirobebis Seqmnaze zrunva, upirveles yovlisa, amisaTvis yvelaze bunebriv da Cveul garemoSi _ soflad, saqarTvelos sxvadasxva regionSi. swored amitom, erovnuli tradiciuli saganZuris gadarCena-ganviTarebisTvis, sasicocxlod mniSvnelovnad

ones, such as the neglect of original national identities and the threat of their disappearance, the transformation of individuals, societies, or countries into a unified mass that pays attention only to practical needs, disregarding spiritual and symbolic cultures – and this is particularly true for smaller nations.

Traditional arts are perhaps more at risk than other fields, as the environment in which these arts developed is fading into the past.

Popularized by social media tools, commercial art and culture have more and more impact and have become dominant over other arts in people’s consciousness.

These processes are what the famous ethnomusicologist and theorist Izaly Zemtsovsky was referring to when he said: “Folk is moving away, folklorism is approaching”. He meant that the authentic, actual national folklore activities and processes (the ones that saw the creation of ‘Chakrulo,’ ‘Khasanbegura’, ‘Shen Khar Venakhi’…) are dying or undergoing fundamental changes, and that they are, in the best case, replaced by the study of arts that have become preexistent and are considered as a symbolic culture (which is of course necessary, and an important and respectable endeavor for our country and for humanity in general) or, in the worst case scenario, as poor pseudocultures.

Nevertheless, the Folklore State Center of Georgia without doubt needs to document and research the existent, modern culture and folk arts, regardless of their quality.

But we believe that the main purposes of our Center are the study and popularization of the rich cultural heritage that has reached us, and supporting the further development of traditional art forms, especially in villages located in the regions which represent the most natural environment for this.

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miviCnieT, saqarTvelos regionebSi Cveni centris warmomadgenlobebis daarseba. dReisaTvis ukve daarsebulia centris 16 warmomadgenloba _ ozurgeTSi, mestiaSi, lentexSi, cagerSi, ambrolaurSi, onSi, baRdaTSi, xobSi, walenjixaSi, foTSi, gorSi, TeTriwyaroSi, duSeTSi, yvarelSi, kaspsa da axalqalaqSi. folkloris centris es struqturuli erTeulebi daarsda da funqcionirebs kulturis saministrosa da adgilobrivi municipalitetebis TanadgomiT, risTvisac, maT did madlobas vuxdiT. etapobrivad vgegmavT msgavsi centrebis gaxsnas saqarTvelos sxva municipalitetebSic. upirveles yovlisa, saWirod miviCnieT, rom folkloris centris warmomadgenlobebs muSaoba daewyoT tradiciul mravalxmianobis sferoSi. qarTuli simRera-galobis moyvarulTaTvis, SemsrulebelTa Tu mkvlevarTaTvis, kargadaa cnobili, rom Cveni tradiciuli xelovnebis am umniSvnelovanesi da saamayo dargis mdgomareoba, bolo aTwleulebis manZilze ufro da ufro samwuxaro xdeba. regionebSi gansakuTrebiT klebulobs tradiciuli musikis ostatTa, maRali donis ansamblebis, simReragalobis mcodneTa da maswavlebelTa raodenoba. XX saukunis 60-ian wlebSi dawyebuli folkloruli moZraoba (romelic anzor erqomaiSvilisa da misi TanamebrZolebis, da ansamblebis `gordela~, `rusTavi~, `marTve~ saxelebs ukavSirdeba) ZiriTadad Cveni qveynis did qalaqebSi, da upiratesad _ TbilisSi warimarTa. XX-XXI saukuneTa gasayaris ZnelbedobiT gamowveulma qarTuli soflis daclam ki sabolood daamZima Cveni simRera-galobis mdgomareoba. saqarTvelos regionebSi metad mcire raodenobiT darCa ama Tu im kuTxis simReris mcodne asakovani lotbarebi. gadaudeblad saWiro iyo, raTa am maRali rangis xelovanTa irgvliv Seqmniliyo salotbaro skolebi, raTa momxdariyo maTi codnisa da gamocdilebis drouli dafiqsireba da rac sasicocxlod mniSvnelovania _ axalgazrda TaobebisaTvis gaziareba.

Cveni warmomadgenlobebi uSualod regionebSi zrunaven tradiciuli xelovnebis sxvadasxva dargebis movla-patronobisTvis, saarqivo fondebis SeqmnisTvis da rac mTavaria, fokloruli saunjis momaval Taobebze gadacemisTvis. es procesi mimdinareobs

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This is why, in order to preserve and develop our traditional cultural treasure, the Center decided to open representative offices of its institution in the regions.

Today, 16 offices are being managed– in Ozurgeti, Mestia, Lentekhi, Tsageri, Ambrolauri, Oni, Baghdati, Khobi, Tsalenjikha, Poti, Gori, Tetritskaro, Dusheti, Kvareli, Kaspi and Akhalkalaki. These structural units exist thanks to the support of the Ministry of Culture and Monument Protection and of the local municipalities, for which we are very grateful. More units are planned to be inaugurated in the remaining regions of Georgia.

Georgian polyphony was on the top of our priority list. Folk musicians, professional singers or amateur listeners may already know that in these last decades, this unique form of art has been completely neglected and left in a miserable condition.

Traditional music masters, accomplished ensembles, singing teachers and practitioners are becoming more and more difficult to find in the regions. Unfortunately, the folk movement that emerged in the 1960s (led by Anzor Erkomaishvili and his colleagues, as well as the Gordela, Rustavi, and Martve ensembles) was mainly present in large urban areas, and particularly in Tbilisi. And the urban migration that the country experienced at the end of the 20th century dealt a final blow to our rural polyphony tradition. The number of knowledgeable elderly choirmasters became very scarce in the regions.

It became imperative to establish schools and studios around the remaining elderly masters in order to help record the knowledge and experience they so proudly preserved, and of course – to share it with younger generations.

Our regional office units ensure that the various traditional art forms are well protected, that archive funds are created and, most importantly, that our rich folk heritage is passed on to future generations. These processes are supervised by local staff members, most of them well-known and successful in their field. As for the

folkloris centris mecnier TanamSromelTa aqtiuri CarTulobiT. warmomadgenlobebSi dasaqmebulni arian adgilobrivi kadrebi _ metwilad gamoCenili, da TvalsaCino specialistebi. im kuTxeebSi ki, sadac, samwuxarod, ukve aRar arian adgilobrivi folkloruli dargebis ostatebi, mivavlineT specialistebi dedaqalaqidan. siamayiT da madlierebiT minda movixsenioT lotbarebi, romlebic iRwvian Cvens skolebSi _ islam filfani, tristan sixaruliZe, lia salayaia, irakli maTikaSvili, rostom gogolaZe, vasil cecxlaZe, irodi tikaraZe... maTi Rirseuli memkvidreni arian axalgazrda lotbarebic, romlebic Cvens skolebSi muSaoben. lentexsa da ambrolaurSi simRera-galobasTan erTad iswavleba qarTuli cekvac. amasTn erTad, ra Tqma unda, vgegmavT, rom Cvens warmomadgenlobebSi SevitanoT tradiciuli xelovnebis sxva dargTa swavlebac _ yovel SemTxvevaSi, ama Tu im kuTxisTvis gansakuTrebiT niSandoblivi dargebi mainc.

Cvens skolebSi swavleba ufasoa. dReisaTvis, 700-mde moswavle gvyavs, romlebic asakobriv jgufebad arian dayofilni. vfiqrobT, rom Cven mier daarsebuli skolebi sasargeblo samsaxurs gauweven qarTul kulturas. zemoxsenebulis garda, folkloris erovnuli centri sxva mimarTulebebiTac muSaobs _ vatarebT folkloris erovnul festivals, keTdeba qarTuli sagaloblebis sanoto xelnawerTa monacemTa baza da aRweriloba, gamoicema qarTuli galobis anTologia, saxalxo mTqmelTa poeturi krebulebi, qarTuli xalxuri cekvebis krebulebi, audio Canawerebi, tardeba kompleqsuri eqspediciebi. folkloris centri muSaobs, raTa moxdes UNESCO-s mier zariT dakrZalvis svanuri ritualis kacobriobis aramaterialuri kulturis Zeglad, aseve qarTuli galobis aramaterialuri erovnuli kulturis Zeglad aRiareba (es ukanaskneli, rogorc qarTuli mravalxmianobis nawili, msoflio kulturis Zeglad ukve cnobilia UNESCO-s mier).

TiToeuli es proeqti metad mniSvnelovania da aseve farTod saubars moiTxovs. SevecdebiT, maT Sesaxeb informacia etapobrivad gavacnoT sazogadoebas.

regions where there are no folk masters anymore, office units are run by representatives sent from Tbilisi.

I am proud to gratefully mention the choirmasters who teach at our schools: Islam Pilpani, Tristan Sikharulidze, Lia Salakaia, Irakli Matikashvili, Rostom Gogoladze, Vasil Tsetskhladze, Irodi Tikaradze… I would also like to thank their worthy inheritors, the young choirmasters who also work at our schools.

In Lentekhi and Ambrolauri, Georgian dances are taught alongside polyphonic singing. We are of course planning to introduce other traditional art forms in our courses – at least the most representative ones of each region.

Studying at our schools is free. Currently, we have over 700 students divided into various age groups. We believe that these schools will contribute to the overall development of Georgian culture.

Besides these schools, the Folklore State Center organizes folk festivals, carries out complex cultural expeditions, and is documenting an archive of handwritten music scores; we are going to publish an anthology of Georgian chants, a collection of folk tales and poems, and one of Georgian folk dances, as well as audio recordings. The Folklore State Center is actively working on having the Svan Zari funeral ritual song included in UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list, as well as on having Georgian religious chanting, which has already been acknowledged in the same UNESCO list as part of Georgian polyphonic singing, included in the national list of intangible heritage.

Each of these projects has significant importance for our country and need to be part of further public discussion. We will try to do our best to gradually provide our society with more information.

giorgi donaZe

Giorgi Donadze

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mogzauroba madagaskaridan iohanesburgamde bliuzisa da jazis ritmebiT

A journey in Jazz Blues mixeil TumaniSvilis saxelobis xelovnebis saerTaSoriso festivali Georgian International Festival of Arts in Honor of Michail Tumanishvili

rhythms from Madagascar to Johannesburg

festivalebi erTmaneTs ar hgavs, yvelas Tavisi xasiaTi da xelwera aqvs. 2015 wlis `saCuqaris~ ucxour programaSic iyo siurprizebi da kanonzomierebebi. mayurebelma Janrobrivad da stilisturad sruliad gansxvavebuli speqtaklebi naxa _ Tanamedrove cekvisa da postdramatuli Teatris ostatis _ saSa valcis `dRiuri I _ rvas aklia oci wuTi~, samxreT afrikeli qoreografisa da mocekvave dada mazilos `karmeni~, rigis rusuli Teatris `xanuma~, reJisor gabriele tuminaites `biZebi da deidebi~, peterburgis Tojinebis didi Teatris `qebaTa qeba~... Txroba rimas tuminasisa da dimitri krimovis speqtaklebiT minda daviwyo, radgan am ori gansxvavebuli xelweris xelovanis wlevandel speqtaklebs Soris garkveuli kanonzomieri kavSiri SevniSne, maT namuSevrebs epikuri masStabi da kulturuli refleqsiebi gamoarCevda.

Festivals differ from one another in their character and signature. Likewise, international program ‘Gift - 2015’ had numerous surprises and conformities, with spectators able to watch shows that differed in both genre and style - ‘Travelogue I – Twenty to Eight’ by the master of modern dance and post-modernist theater, Sasha Waltz; ‘Carmen’ by South African choreographer and dancer Dada Masilo; ‘Khanuma’ by the Russian Theater from Riga; ‘Uncles and Aunts’ by Gabriele Tuminaite; ‘Song of Songs’ by the Saint Petersburg Puppet theater… I will start with the performances by Rimas Tuminas and Dmitri Krymov as I noticed a certain characteristic connection between the shows of these two masters of usually totally different signatures and whose works stood out from the others with an epic caliber and cultural reflection.

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rimas tuminasi or Teatrs xelmZRvanelobs _ vilnusis mcire Teatrsa da evgeni vaxtangovis saxelobisas. is rusulsa da msoflio klasikas dgams _ Seqspirs, Cexovs, gogols, lermontovs, brexts, beketsa da sxvebs. dimitri krimovma SemoqmedebiT laboratorias _ dramatuli xelovnebis skolas Cauyara safuZveli, mxatvars, scenografsa da reJisors ufro Tanamedrove scenografia da araverbaluri Teatri izidavs, Tumca arc JanrTa sinTezia misTvis ucxo. literaturul masalaze muSaobisas rimas tuminasi teqstis farul SesaZleblobebs, masSi mimalul siuJetebs eZebs da saaSkaraoze gamoaqvs. mis speqtaklebSi istoria da literatura, miTi da folklori, gamogonili da realuri erTian epikur intersivrced gardaiqmneba. aseTi sivrce JanrTa sinTezis farTo arCevans qmnis.

2015 wlis `saCuqarze~ mayurebelma tuminasis ori speqtakli naxa _ marius ivaSkeviCusis `madagaskari~ (vilniusis mcire Teatri) da aleqsandre puSkinis `evgeni onegini~ (vaxtangovis Teatri). `madagaskari~, romelic ivaSkeviCusma tuminasis TxovniT dawera, realur istoriul movlenebze agebuli eqscentriuli tragikomediaa. nawarmoebSi klounadisa da groteskis eniT damoukidebeli litvis istoriaa moTxrobili or msoflio oms Soris. marius ivaSkeviCusis piesas ori gmiri hyavs: `epikuri~ da `lirikuli~ _ samSobloze gamijnurebuli idealisti patrioti kazimiras pokStasi, romelic kunZul madagaskarze `meore litvis~ Seqmnis utopiuri ideiT aris Sepyrobili (misi istoriuli prototipia _ profesori kazis pakStasi) da salia, romelic im erTaderTs elis, vinc yovelgvari safrTxisgan ixsnis, boboqari mtrebisa Tu bunebis Zalmomreobisagan daicavs (istoriuli prototipi _ poeti salomea nerisi). istoriis literaturuli transformacia realur faqtebsa da konkretuli adamianebis bedSi arqetipuls gamokveTs. patara eris Svilebis winaSe `droTa darRveuli kavSiris~

`evgeni onegini~, evgeni vaxtangovis Teatri

`madagaskari~, vilniusis mcire Teatri ‘MADAGASCAR’, STATE SMALL THEATER OF VILNIUS

Rimas Tumanas runs two theaters - the Small Theater of Vilnius and the Vakhtangov Theater where he directs plays by greats including Shakespeare, Chekhov, Gogol, Lermontov, Brecht, and Beckett.

Painter, playwright and director Dmitri Krymov founded the Creative Laboratory - the School of Dramatic Art and is most attracted by modern stagecraft and non-verbal theater, though in this aims not to alienate himself from a fusion of genres.

When working on literary material, Rimas Tuminas seeks out the secret possibilities and hidden plots of the text and brings them to the surface. In his performances history and literature, mythology and folklore, real and unreal worlds transform into an epic interspace with a wide range of choices to merge the various genres. Visitors to ‘Gift2015’ had the chance to see two shows by Tuminas – ‘Madagascar’ by Marius Ivashkevichus (Small Theater of Vilnius) and ‘Eugene Onegin’

by Alexander Pushkin (Vakhtangov Theater). Madagascar, an eccentric tragicomedy, was written at the request of Tuminas and is based on actual historical events. The play describes the history of Lithuania between two world wars by means of clownery and the grotesque.

Marius Ivashkevichus’s play has two protagonists: epic and lyrical where patriotic idealist Kazimieras Pokstas has a utopian dream of creating a “Second Lithuania” on the Isle of Madagascar (his historic prototype is Professor Kazys Pakstas) and Sale is waiting for the Only One who will save her from the threats and defend her from raging enemies and the violence of nature (historic prototype – poetess Salomėja Nėris). Literary transformation of history formulates the archetype of real facts and fates of specific people. Children of small countries face the tragic and impossible challenge of reviving the “torn connection of times”. History heads towards doomed fate and metaphysics. That is where Tuminas sees the irony, grotesque and drama. Where is the ideal shelter? Maybe in love, as Sale thinks?

Lithuanian Hamlets and Ophelias, Peer Gynts and Solveigs speak a high-flown archaic language and come up with more and more utopic ideas on salvation and the development of Lithuania. Their mindset and national identity is the reflection of pseudo-historic theories, mythological reality and the actual political situation. Their

‘EUGENE ONEGIN’, VAKHTANGOV THEATER

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`evgeni onegini~, evgeni vaxtangovis Teatri ‘EUGENE ONEGIN’, VAKHTANGOV THEATER

Sekvris tragikulad dauZleveli amocana dgeba, istoria bediswerad da metafizikad iqceva. swored aq xedavs tuminasi ironiis, groteskisa da dramis safuZvels. sad aris is, idealuri TavSesafari, iqneb siyvarulSia, rogorc salias hgonia? litveli hamletebi da ofeliebi, per giuntebi da solveigebi maRalfardovani arqaizmebiT gajerebuli eniT saubroben, litvis xsnisa da ganviTarebis erTmaneTze ufro utopiur ideebs qmnian. maTi msoflgancda da nacionaluri identoba fsevdoistoriuli Teoriebis, miTologizirebuli realobisa da realuri politikuri viTarebis anareklia. maTi fantazia mTels msoflios swvdeba, romelic litvis momavali didebis monawiled surT rom gaxadon _ moqmedebis adgili evropidan amerikaSi inacvlebs, amerikidan kunZul madagaskars miaSurebs, xan ki moskovs miemarTeba (salia: _ moskovisaken. moskovisaken. moskovisaken, Cemo daikoebo. (citata Cexovis sami didan)). mTvareze gadasaxlebis ideasac ki hyavs Tavisi adeptebi. speqtakli, erTdroulad sarkastuli da lirikuli, damcinavi da sevdiania. dokumenturi realobis fantastikuri groteskulobis miRma ki adamianTa tragikuli bedis koliziebi ikiTxeba. `evgeni oneginSi~ puSkinis poema reJisor tuminasisaTvis erTgvar amosaval wertilad iqca, romelzedac man fantaziis, zmanebis, sarkiseburi anareklebis samyaro aago (speqtaklis mxatvaria adamas iacovskisi). warmodgenis sivrce sabaleto klasidan ruseTis Tovlian, yru da

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fantasy covers the whole world, which they try to incorporate into the future glory of Lithuania. The venues change from Europe to America, then to Madagascar and Moscow (Sale: “To Moscow, my sisters, to Moscow” [quote from “Three Sisters” by Chekhov]). Even the idea of migration to the Moon has its supporters. The performance is at the same time sarcastic and lyrical, mocking and sad. And beyond the fantastic outlandish reality one can easily see collisions of the tragic fate of people.

Director Tuminas uses Pushkin’s ‘Eugene Onegin’ as a foundation to build the realm of fantasies, dreams and mirror reflections (set designer Adomas Latsocskis). The venue moves from a ballet classroom to snow-capped, remote and immense valleys. Pushkin “combines” Gogol and Shchedrin and tells us about Russian myths and legends with a strange mixture of surreal glamour. All imaginable characters appear on stage. You name them: skomorokhs (wandering actors and minstrels), cabbies, a bear, a rabbit, two Onegins, two Lenskis, Tatiana and her dreams, Olga with the accordion – the instrument of an “open heart” put close to her bosom, corps de ballet of girls, snow and blizzard… The experienced actors of the Vakhtangov Theater somehow become artifacts of the history of the mysterious Russian soul. As Tyutchev would say: “Russia cannot be understood with the mind alone, no ordinary yardstick can span her greatness…”

The gloomiest symbol of the play is the caulked, windowless carriage (resembling a freight wagon) by which Tatiana (with her braids cut) and the group of girls are taken to Petersburg. This episode stirs up a cascade of associations – Peter I cuts the noblemen’s beards

Tvaluwvdenel stepebamde gadaSala. puSkinma gogoli da SCedrini `SeiTavsa~ da groteskisa da glamuris ucnauri nazaviT ruseTis miTebsa da realobaze mogviTxro. vin ar iyo scenaze _ skomoroxebi, meetleebi, daTvi, kurdReli, ori onegini, ori lenski, tatiana da misi zmanebebi, olga, mkerdze akordeoniT _ misi `gadaSlili gulis~ mJReri instrumentiT, gogonebis kordebaleti, Tovli, qarbuqi... vaxtangovis Teatris uxucesi msaxiobebi TviTon iqcnen scenaze artefaqtebad, ruseTis amoucnobi sulis istoriad, rogorc fiodor tiutCevi ityoda, `ruseTs gonebiT veras gaugeb, yvela arSiniT ar izomeba...~. speqtaklis erT-erTi yvelaze pirquSi simbolo ufanjro da dagmanuli etlia (satvirTo ronodas rom waagavs), romliTac nawnavmokvecili tatiana da gogonebis gundi peterburgs gadahyavT. es suraTi asociaciebis nakads aRZravs _ petre pirveli boiarebs wvers kreWs, cimbirSi `etapiT~ patimrebi mihyavT, radiSCevi peterburgidan moskovs miemgzavreba... Cvens warmosaxvaSi yovelive erT did epikur tilod erTiandeba, tatianas dReoba saCuqrebiTa da sakoncerto nomrebiT, misi cekva daTvTan, mucelSi daWrili lenskis SiSveli sxeuli fantelebis trialSi, amis yvelafris momzirali makoveckis skeptikuri onegini... tuminasma erT scenur sivrceSi, erTi scenografiis farglebSi ramdenime ruseTi moaTavsa: didebuli da sastiki, daxvewili da iracionaluri, egzotikuri da pirquSi. garkveuli TvalsazrisiT, universaluri speqtakli gamovida, sanaxaobiTi, komerciul warmatebaze `ganwiruli~ da, amave dros, inteleqtualuri. dimitri krimovis `rusuli bliuzi _ sokoze wasvla~ `madagaskarsa~ da `onegins~ fantaziaSi tols ar udebda, Tumca Tavisi epikuri tilosTvis krimovma sruliad gansxvavebuli esTetika airCia. aq vizualuri Txroba qaRaldis, muyaosa Tu sxva xazgasmulad butaforiuli masalebisgan Seqmnili scenografiuli saxeebiT xdeba. reJisori-scenografi xan XX saukunis pirveli naxevris sabWoTa monumenturi scenografiis vizualuri saxeebiT TamaSobs, xan bunebis suraTebs qmnis, xan wyalqveSa samyaros warmogvidgens. yovelive es ganaTebis, kostiumisa da scenuris sivrcis lakonuri da gamWriaxi transformaciiT miiRweva. qaRaldisa da muyaosgan Seqmnili brtyeli siluetebis frontaluri gamoyenebiT scenaze faratina usivrco samyaros iluzia iqmneba. aq araferia namdvili, garda am `optikur iluziaSi~ dakarguli adamianebisa. kostiumebSi krimovi gamiznul kiCs mimarTavs da Tanamedrove realobis ustilo bunebas warmogvidgens. iseve, rogorc `madagaskarSi~, krimovis speqtaklSic did rols TamaSobs audio Tanxleba, romelic moqmedebas gansakuTrebul azrobrivsa da mxatvrul aqcentebs sZens. speqtaklis CarCo-istoria aseTia: Tanaklaselebis jgufi yovelwliurad sokos sakrefad dadis. es maTi ritualia, romelsac yovel 18 oqtombers ganuxrelad aRasruleben. swored soko

`rusuli bliuzi _ sokoze wasvla~, dimitri krimovis saxelosno ‘RUSSIAN BLUES. IN SEARCH OF MUSHROOMS’, DMITRY KRIMOV LABORATORY

in public, prisoners are transported to Siberia in a prison wagon, Radishchev journeys from Petersburg to Moscow… Our imagination merges all these into one huge, epic painting – Tatiana’s birthday with gifts and stage performances, her dance with a bear; nude and wounded Lenski in the middle of the floating snowflakes and skeptical Onegin (played by Makowiecki) witnessing the scene...

Onto one stage and into one stagecraft Tuminas incorporates several Russias: grand and severe, sophisticated and irrational, exotic and gloomy. In a way, this is a universal performance – a spectacular and intellectual show “doomed” to success.

Dmitri Krymov’s ‘Russian Blues. In search of Mushrooms’ equals ‘Madagascar’ and ‘Onegin’ in creating a fantasy world, though the director chooses different aesthetics to create his art. Visual storytelling here is performed by paper, cardboard and false images.

The director plays with the visual images of early XX century Soviet monumental scenography and then transports spectators either to the depth of nature or an underwater world. The effect is achieved by

`rusuli bliuzi _ sokoze wasvla~, dimitri krimovis saxelosno ‘RUSSIAN BLUES. IN SEARCH OF MUSHROOMS’, DMITRY KRIMOV LABORATORY

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xdeba am butaforiuli da halucinaciuri realobis simbolo. sxvadasxva epizodSi is aucileblad raime saxiT ixsenieba: konservirebuli soko, gamxmari soko, sokos sagzali samSoblos damcvelebs, soko adamianebisTvis, cxovelebisTvis, TevzebisTvis. marTlac, xmeleTis yvela kunWuls moicavs moqmedeba, xan tyeSi varT, xan mkeravis saxelosnoSi, xanac ladogis tbaze, iqneb es veeberTela xomaldi CaZiruli `kurskia~? speqtaklis Janri TandaTan icvleba, komediidan eposSi gadavdivarT, epopeidan tragediaSi gadavinacvlebT. dekoraciis `muyaos didebuleba~ umartivesi saSualebebiT xan wyalqveSa samyaroSi gadagvisvris, xan tbis yinuliT dafarul zedapirze aRmovCndebiT. sokos Semgroveblebis istoria sul ufro tragikuli xdeba, isini wyalqveSa navebSi iRupebian, uwyinari Tevzaobisas yinulWrilebSi ixrCobian, daviwyebulni, dautirebelni, daufasebelni... Tumca maT cxovrebaSi araferi icvleba da yovel 18 oqtombers, tradiciulad, isini mainc ikribebian sokos krefis ritualze. drois svlas maTi samosi Tu gvamcnobs _ jer sabWourad ulazaTo da uformo, Semdeg Tanamedrove `brendebiT~ aWrelebuli. am yvelafers zemodan radiowamyvanis jixuri dascqeris. is ganuwyvetliv mauwyeblobs, mxolod erTxel, Sin kanalizacia rom gaeWedeba da milidan TvalismomWrelad TeTr politikoss amoiyvanen, maSin tovebs posts. periodulad scenaze operis momRerali gamoCndeba brWyviala kabiT da ariebs mReris. sokos `vakxanalia~ ki grZeldeba da grZeldeba da yovel oqtombers, gadarCenilebi sokos sakrefad midian _ moxucebi, patarZlebi, meTevzeebi... speqtakls specifikuri provokaciuli finali aqvs, mas mkafio wertili ar esmis, reJisors unda, rom Tavad mayurebelma dasvas wertili Tavisi wasvliT... nacionaluri, kulturuli Tu politikuri refleqsiebi cocxali Teatraluri procesis ganuyofeli nawilia, gansakuTrebiT ori civilizaciis kulturuli paradigmis mijnaze myof aRmosavleT evropul TeatrSi, sadac identobis formireba istoriuli gamowvevebis fonze mimdinareobs. peterburgis Tojinebis didi Teatris xelmZRvaneli ruslan kudaSevi maradiul kiTxvebze pasuxs bibliis teqstSi eZebs, `qebaTa qeba~ saxe-simboloTa eniT maradiuli siyvarulis ambavs mogviTxrobs. vizualuri saxeebiTa da metaforebiT gaJRenTili sanaxaoba Zalze intensiuria, zogjer gadatvirTuli da erTferovani, is usasrulo suraTebad iSleba Cvens winaSe TeTris, Savisa da mewamulis monacvleobiT, xan oqroTi da brinjaoTi Seferili, `Rvinis, purisa da nayofis~ aRmosavluri simbolikiT daxunZluli. ferweruli da kinematografiuli esTetikiT, sakraluri, samoedno da Tojinuri Teatris xerxebiT, speqtakli adamianis cxovrebis arqetipul situaciebs warmogvidgens _ siyvarulis, vnebis, dabadebisa da sikvdilis wrebrunvas Segvaxsenebs.

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light, costumes and smart, laconic transformations of stage space. Flat paper or cardboard silhouettes used at the front of the stage create the illusion of a plain realm. There is nothing real here except people lost in this “optical illusion”. Costumes are intentionally kitsch and represent the style-less nature of modern times. As in ‘Madagascar,’ audio effects play a very important role in Krimov’s performance and enrich it with additional contextual and artistic features. The storyline of the play is as follows: a group of classmates get together to collect mushrooms every year. They perform this ritual every October 18th with no exceptions whatsoever. Mushrooms become the symbol of a false and hazy reality full of hallucinations, appearing in every episode of the show one way or another: canned mushrooms, dried mushrooms, lunch bags of mushrooms for the defenders of the homeland; mushrooms for people, animals and fish. Truly, the action incorporates all corners of the planet – we are either in the forest, or the tailor’s workshop… We travel to Ladoga Lake; is this huge sunken submarine the Kursk? The genre changes throughout the show – comedy becomes epos, saga becomes tragedy. The “Cardboard Glory” of the decorations takes us to an underwater world or a frozen surface of the lake by the simplest means and technique. The mushroomseekers have tragic fates – they die in submarines or drown in iceholes when fishing… forgotten, unhonored, with no tear shed over their bodies… But nothing changes in the lives of those who remain: every October 18th they get together to go in search of mushrooms.

The time-change can be seen only in their clothes – first they wear plain and unattractive Soviet clothes, but later modern brand logos appear on their apparel. A radio booth tops the stage and the commentator’s voice silences only once during the play – when the sewage system collapses in the house and an astonishingly clean politician is taken out of the pipes. From time to time an opera singer in a shining dress appears on stage and sings arias. The Mushroom Bacchanalia goes on and on and on. Every October the survivors get together to go in search of mushrooms – The old, brides, fishermen…

The performance has a specific provocative finale – it does not end with a full stop, as the director wishes the spectators to make this full stop by themselves by leaving the theater…

`qebaTa qeba~, peterburgis Tojinebis didi Teatri ‘SONG OF SONGS’, SAINT PETERSBURG PUPPET THEATER

`dRiuri I - rvas aklia oci wuTi~, qoreografi saSa valci ‘TRAVELOGUE I - TWENTY TO EIGHT’, CHOREOGRAPHER SASHA WALTZ

Tu tuminasisa da krimovis speqtaklebis sasceno dro epikur xangrZlivobas aRwevs, saSa valcis momajadovebeli `dRiuri I _ rvas aklia oci wuTi“ ki drois mikromonakveTs moicavs. mocekvave, qoreografi da reJisori sruliad cvlis sasceno drois modelirebis princips, mas drosa da sivrceSi adamianis arsebobis is mxareebi ainteresebs, romlebic dramatuli xelovnebis yuradRebisa da SesaZleblobebis miRma rCeba. valcis speqtaklSi wina planze drosa da sivrceSi adamianis arsebobis grZnobadi mxare gamodis. Cveulebrivi moZraoba esTetikuri niSnis mniSvnelobas iZens. aq ar muSaobs tradiciuli cekvis, Jestis, plastikisa da moZraobis principebi. izrdeba adamianis individualobis xarisxi, xazi esmeba misi sxeulisa da bunebrivi moZraobis ganumeorebel enas. adamianis garemos yofiTi nivTebi _ macivari, sawoli, kari, magida, fanjara axal poetur rakursSi warmogvidgeba, TiTqos fizikuri arsebobis mijnebi irRveva, samganzomilebiani sivrcis farglebi ixsneba, uqmdeba gravitaciis kanonebi da kedelze `gavla~ Cveulebrivi movlena xdeba. adamianebi Tavis anTropolgiuri, enobrivi, sxeulebrivi mravalferovnebiT warmogvidgebian. saSa valcs bunebismetyvelsac

National, cultural and political reflections are indigenous parts of live theater. This can be especially said about eastern European theater standing as it does on the threshold between the cultural paradigms of two civilizations where identity is formed amid historic challenges.

Ruslan Kudashev, director of the Saint Petersburg Puppet Theater, searches for answers to eternal questions in the Bible and “Song of Songs” tells us the story of eternal love via the creation of symbolic images. The performance, saturated with visual images and metaphors, is very intense, sometimes overloaded and monotonous; it reveals never-ending pictures full of oriental symbols of “wine, bread and fruit”; they change colors from white to black and purple, sometimes they become gold and bronze. By scenic and cinematographic aesthetics and sacral means of puppet theater, the performance shows us archetype situations of human life – love and passion; reminding us of the circularity of birth and death.

Where the stage time in the performances of Tuminas and Krimov is epic, Sasha Waltz’s ‘Travelogue I – Twenty to Eight’ is extremely short.

The dancer, choreographer and director totally changes the principle of modeling stage time, being more interested in the spiritual existence of a human in time and space. Simple movements gain aesthetic meaning; principles of traditional dance, gestures and plastic arts are

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`biZebi da deidebi~, vilniusis mcire Teatri ‘UNCLES AND AUNTS’, STATE SMALL THEATER OF VILNIUS

ki uwodeben, imdenad gatacebulia is konkretuli `sxeulebrivi~ arsebobis poeturobiT. aq TiToeuli individi, misi yoveli mokrZalebuli moZraoba fasdeba da erTian simfonias qmnis. poeturi, uSualo da bunebrivia litvis mcire Teatris `biZebi da deidebi~ (speqtakli XIX saukunis litveli mwerlis Giuzas tumas vaiJgantasis nawarmoebis mixedviT, gabriela tuminaitem dadga). reJisori da msaxiobebi Sesrulebis gansakuTrebul maneras irCeven _ laRs, xalisians, gulubryvilosa da sadas. soflis idiliur garemoSi severiutesa da mikolauskasis wrfeli, wminda da uiRblo siyvaruli ibadeba. qeraTmiani severiutes saxe, Rimili da Raribuli kabiT Semosili norCi sxeuli mzesaviT asxivebs. cekvavs, ar dadis severiute da yvelas xiblavs ymawviluri sixalasiT. mikolauskasi gamrje da xelmarjve oboli biWia, dauzareli, gulmodgine da uangaro. TiTqos erTmaneTisTvis Seuqmnia isini bunebas, ise uCrdiloa maTi megobroba, maTi saxeldaurqmeveli grZnobebi... magram cxovrebis sabediswero kanonzomierebiT, maTi jer kidev argancdili bedniereba verc ki Sedgeba... reJisor gabriela tuminaites (rimas tuminasis qaliSvili) namdvilad xalasi niWi aqvs, iSviaTad faqizi speqtakli gamouvida, sufTa, Rirseuli da delikaturi, msubuqi ironiiT, sevdiTa da nostalgiiT savse. rigis mixeil Cexovis rusuli Teatris `xanumas~ sadas namdvilad ver daarqmev, speqtakli zRaprulegzotikuri gamovida, sizmrebSi darCenili Soreuli Tbilisi gaferadda, aWrelda da moulodneli jazuri ritmebiT aJRerda. mxatvarma gogi aleqsi-mesxiSvilma

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neglected here. The individuality of a person becomes more important, and body language and unique movement is underlined. We see household items like fridge, bed, door, table or window in a poetic light, as if the borders of the physical world disappear and we merge into a three-dimensional universe. There are no rules of gravitation and having a stroll on the wall becomes an ordinary thing. People differ from one another in their unique anthropologic, linguistic and physical features. Sasha Waltz is considered to be a naturalist due to her devotion to the poetry of physical existence. Each individual and every movement here is respected and creates an integral symphony.

‘Uncles and Aunts’ by the Lithuanian theater is poetic, unaffected and natural (Gabriele Tuminaite directed the show based on the book by XIX century Lithuanian writer Juozas Tumas-Vaižgantas). Director and actors chose a special manner of acting – full of life, buoyant, naïve and simple. Ideal village life gives birth to the sincere, pure and unfortunate love of Severiute and Mykoliukas. The face, smile and young body of blonde Severiute, dressed in a cheap robe, shine like the sun. Severiute doesn’t walk, but dances and charms everybody around with her infantile chastity. Mykoliukas is a hard-working, crafty orphan; he is diligent, eager and unselfish. As if nature has created the couple for each other – their friendship, in fact, their feelings that have no name, are without shadow. But fatal laws of life do not allow their happiness to blossom… Director Gabriele Tuminaite (Daughter of Rimas Tuminas) with her sincere talent creates a uniquely fine performance with decency, delicacy, tender irony, sadness and nostalgia.

‘Khanuma’ by Chekhov’s Russian Theater of Riga cannot be described as simple; it is more an exotic fairy tale. Remote dream-like Tbilisi becomes colorful, speckled and full of jazz rhythms. Artist Gogi AlexiMeskhishvili frees eclectic and stylized costumes from ethnographic limitations, transforms them and paints in different colors. Concert, variety show, ethnic costumes and commedia dell’ arte meet each other in ‘Khanuma’, the vaudeville of the “Globalization Era”. The Lady looks like the Bird of paradise, Kanuma is a true stage star; and they both stand against a background of the fantastic, airy silhouette of Tbilisi. The live performing of Giya Kancheli’s music adds serious

`xanuma~, rigis mixeil Cexovis rusuli Teatri ‘KHANUMA’, RIGA RUSSIAN THEATER

ekleqturi da stilizebuli kostiumebi eTnografiuli farglebidan gamoiyvana, feriTa da formebiT datvirTa. `globalizaciis epoqis~ vodevilur `xanumaSi~ erTmaneTs estrada, variete, eTnikuri kostiumi da komedia del arte Sexvda. qabato samoTxis Cits daemsgavsa, xanuma estradis varskvlavs, maT ukan ki fantastikuri Tbilisis haerovani siluetis maqmani aRimarTa. gia yanCelis jazurma musikam cocxali SesrulebiT am msubuqsa da dinamikur sanaxaobas moulodnelad seriozuli aqcentebi SesZina. miuxedavad imisa, rom ala sigalovas musikalur-qoreografiuli namuSevari, zogjer, zomierebis zRvarze meryeobs, speqtakls namdvilad aqvs siaxlis Sarmi, romelsac warmodgenas axalgazrda msaxiobebis mowadineba da temperamenti sZens. reJisorma cagarelis piesa konstantinovisa da raceris versiaSi dadga (romelic 1972 wels tovstonogovisTvis Seiqmna) da saxeebisadmi panoramul-ilustraciuli midgoma arCia. moqmedeba, ZiriTadad, avanscenaze viTardeba da personaJebic erTiani mxatvruli kaleidoskopis nawili xdebian. yovelTvis sainteresoa erovnuli klasikis ucxouri interpretaciis naxva, es nawarmoebisgan distancirebisa da misi mxatvruli potencialis ukeT gagebaSi gvexmareba. `festivali~ saCuqari samxreTafrikuli speqtakliT dasrulda. qoreografisa da mocekvaves dada mazilos `karmeni~ (iohanesburgis `cekvis fabrika~) `akademiuri civilizaciebisa~ da klasikuri baletis dogmatikasTan `plastikuri polemika~ iyo. karmenis saxeSi, romlis partiasac qoreografi Tavad cekvavda, afrikis kontinentis stiqia, temperamenti da pirvelqmnili plastika gamovlinda. man Tavisi garegnoba, sxeuli da moZraoba Tavisi kontinentisa da sqesis Tavisuflebisa da protestis niSan-simbolod aqcia. Tavgadaxotrili, graciozuli, gamomwvevi dada mazilo TiTqos winaistoriuli petroglifebidan gadmovida, afrikuli xelovnebis uZvelesi eTnikuri fesvebi gaacocxla. bizeSCedrinisa da arvo piartis musikis fonze apolonurisa da dionisuris, feminurisa da maskulinuris Widili gaiSala. mazilom sxeuls tabuebi moxsna da sasiyvarulo rokva gaaSiSvla. sxeuli da vneba Tavisuflebis grZnobad xatebad aqcia. am `wesebis gereSe~ sanaxaobam yvelaferi SeiTavsa _ rituali, eTnikuri cekva Tu klasikuri baleti. vfiqrob, karmenze Zaladobis Semdeg xoses sikvdili am cecxlovani interpretaciis logikuri, Tumca, cotaoden sworxazovani dasasruli iyo. ase `vimogzaureT~ festival `saCuqarTan~ erTad `madagaskaridan samxreT afrikamde~, vimedovneb, rom 2016-Sic saintereso marSruti gvelis.

Tamar bokuCava

`karmeni~, iohanesburgis `cekvis fabrika~ ‘CARMEN’, JOHANNESBURG DANCE FACTORY

accents to this light and dynamic show. Though Ala Sigalova’s musicalchoreographic work at times balances on the edge of reasonableness, the performance does not lack the charm of novelty which is fulfilled by the hard work and temperament of the actors. The director decided to adapt Tsagareli’s play (written for Tavstonogov in 1972) in the style of Tovstanogov and Ratser and chose to create the images in panoramic illustration. The action is performed mainly at the front of the stage and actors become part of the whole artistic kaleidoscope. It’s always interesting to watch a foreign interpretation of the national classic play as it allows us to distance ourselves from the original work and better appreciate its artistic potential.

‘Gift-2015’ ended with a performance by the South African Theater. ‘Carmen,’ by the choreographer and dancer Dada Masilo (Dance Factory Johannesburg), was a plastique polemic against the “academic civilizations” and dogmas of classic ballet. The image of Carmen (performed by the choreographer herself ) revealed the nature, spirit and original plastique of the African Continent. She shows her appearance, body and movement as a symbol of her continent, freedom of gender and protest. Bald-headed, graceful and defiant, Dada Masilo resembles a person from the prehistoric petroglyphs, reviving the ancient ethnic roots of African art. In the music of Bizet-Shchedrin and Arvo Pärt, the Apollonian and Dionysian fight, the eternal struggle of feminine against masculine spreads its wings. Masilo breaks taboos and offers a dance of love. Body and passion become images of freedom. This no-rules performance comprises everything - rituals, ethnic dance and classical ballet. I think the death of Jose after violence against Carmen is a logical but slightly straightforward ending to this fiery interpretation of the classic work.

And this is the end of our journey with the Gift Festival- from Madagascar to South Africa. Hopefully, we will have yet another interesting route laid out for us in 2016.

Tamar Bokuchava

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From Dawn till Sunrise… arafriTaa gamorCeuli Cemi saxlis is saTavso, sadac samsaxuridan, universitetidan, wignis maRaziidan, Tu presis romelime jixuridan xelsgayolebul JurnalgazeTebs vinaxav. erTia mxolod, mere ukve zustad vici sad unda mivakiTxo wakiTxulsa da gancdils. ase gaCnda saxlSi Jurnali „axali saunje,“ romelic megobarma CemTvis ucnobi axalgazrda avtoris gasacnobad maTxova. mas Semdeg 9 weli gavida. da radgan, mxedvelobiTi mexsierebis wyalobiT, gverdebis dizainic da teqstis grafikac ki Tvalwin damidgeba xolme, 9 wlis Semdegac Tvalwin midgas frazebi: `adamis qoCors aaSrialebs rbili mindori...“ `da gza grZeldeba dacemidan vnebis kviramde“ „vercxlis zarebiT Sobis Ramem aivso msgefsi“ „codvilTa dasebs laJvardidan Semotyorcnili SuqiT mouxmobs ioane naTlismcemeli...“ maT Soris gamorCeulad maxsendeba erTi taepi, romliTac amiran (pako) svimoniSvilTan interviu daviwye saavtoro literaturuli rubrikisTvis. „qari aakres Rrubels nalebad, qarSi daxuWa Rvinom Tvalebi, mzis sxivTa tivebs ialqanebad Seabes sevda leqsis tarebis...“ axla rom es Sexvedra maxsendeba, yovel jerze, pasuxgaucemeli kiTxvebi mawuxebs. Tundac is, rom sruliad axalgazrda avtoris aseTi siRrmiseuli teqstebis wakiTxvisas saubris wamowyebac sxvagvarad SeiZleboda. mixaria Cveni Sexvedra am leqsiT rom daiwyo, Cems megobar vako dvaliSvils uyvardao _ miTxra. TiTqos sawyisSive ganisazRvra Cveni dialogis mniSvneloba. leqsTan da prozaul yofierTan

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I have a very ordinary storage place in my house in which I keep magazines and newspapers I’ve stumbled upon at work, university or in bookshops. I know exactly where I can find anything I’ve read from it. One of these magazines is ‘Akhali Saunje’ (New Treasure). A friend lent it to me so that I could discover an up-coming young author. This happened nine years ago. And because, sometimes, the design of the pages and the typography come wandering across my visual memory, I can still see sentences as if they were right in front of my eyes: “The soft grass rustles Adam’s hair…”, “And the path extends from the autumn until Holy Week”, “Silver bells filled up the week of Christmas”, “John the Baptist calls upon groups of sinners with light spreading from the azure heavens…”.

I recall one line particularly well; I started my interview with Amiran (Pako) Svimonishvili for a literature column with it. “The wind sticks to the clouds like a horseshoe, wine shut its eyes in this wind, and the sadness of holding a poem adheres to the raft of sunrays like a sail…”

When I think about this meeting now, many quandaries come to mind. For one, I could have started my conversation with this

CemTvis manamde ucnob damokidebulebaze rom gamimaxvila

young author with something other than by reading these utterly

fiqri. poeziis raobaze saubari Znelia da mxolod orma

profound texts. “I am glad that our encounter started with this

poetma, SoTa rusTavelma da fridrix hiolderlinma

poem, my friend Vako Dvalishvili used to love it,” he told me.

SeZloo _ mixsnida. „angelus sileziuss aqvs fantastikuri

The importance of our dialogue was determined from the very

leqsi, romelsac Die Rose ist ohne Warum hqvia, anu „vards

start. It revealed an approach towards poetry and prose that was

kiTxva „ratom?“ ar daesmis“ (pako svimoniSvili)

unknown to me. “It’s difficult to talk about the essence of poetry,

ratomaa, rom Cems pirad arqivSi daculi masalidan

and only two poets managed to do that: Shota Rustaveli and

2007 wliT daTariRebuli interviu sul axleburad

Friedrich Hölderlin,” he said. Angelus Silesius has a fantastic poem

ismineba?.. imitom, rom yovel jerze axalgazrda poetis

called ‘Die Rose ist ohne Warum’, which can be translated as ‘The

teqstebis axladaRmomCeni var. imitom, rom yovel

rose is without reason.’”

kiTxvaze pasuxi axali gadacemis inspiraciaa. imitom,

Why is it that this interview from 2007 sounds like one I could

rom vusmen adamians, romlisTvisac uleqsod cxovreba

have recorded yesterday? Because each time I hear the young

jojoxeTTan asocirdeba. „poezia sazRvrebze siarulia.

poet’s words, I discover them afresh. Because each of his answers

qerubimuli xetiali hqvia amas germanul poeziaSi. es

inspires new associations. Because I’m listening to a person for

aris wuTisoflisa da, rogorc kaxeTSi ityvian, grZeli

whom life without poetry is equivalent to hell. “Poetry is like

soflis sazRvrebze siaruli. qerubimi icavs imas,

walking on borders. In German poetry, they call it the ‘Cherub’s

rasac sicocxlis xe hqvia, cnobierebis xe hqvia.“ (pako

wander’. It is like walking on the borders of a transient world

svimoniSvili)

(“minute-village” in Georgian), or, as they say in Kakheti, on the

ase mwyobrad da mkvidrad nageb teqsts Cems Tvalwin inaxavs audio programa da pakos poeziac duRabiviT jdeba kiTxva-pasuxs Soris: „da mkacri rogorc qarTuli zmnebi, miuyvebian gzas monazvnebi _ nuSisTvaleba niamorebi...“ 55 wuTi visxediT xmis Camwer studiaSi da saubari kidev

borders of a long village. The cherubim defend the tree of life, the tree of knowledge,” says Pako.

I recorded our dialogue, and Pako’s poetry would appear between our Q&A session every now and then: “And strict like Georgian verbs, nuns follow their way – almond-eyed wild goats…”

didxans gagrZeldeboda, rom ara mobiluri telefonis

We were sitting in the recording studio for 55 minutes, and our

zari. Rilaks didxans ver miagno da ixumra, maiZules es

conversation would have continued for a long time, if it were not for

eSmakis manqana wamomeRoo.

the ringtone of his mobile phone. He was looking for the right button

am intervius Caweridan 7 wlis Semdeg, poetis megobrebi gaga naxucriSvili da beqa qurxuli ukve gardacvlil

for a while and said jokingly: “They forced me to bring this infernal machine with me.”

megobarze imasac metyvian, rom 1974 wls 3 ianvars gaCnda

Seven years after conducting this interview, Pako’s friends Gaga

saocari biWi, romelic am Cvens dabneul da Rrjo droSi

Nakhutsrishvili and Beka Kurkhuli told me a few words about their

bolomde Tavisuflebisa da silaRis gansaxierebad darCa.

deceased friend: “A wonderful boy was born on the 3rd of January

is yvelas uyvarda da urTierTobis gamorCeuli niWiT

1974, one who managed to remain an embodiment of freedom

daajildova gangebam. imdenad, rom sakuTar TavTan

and playfulness in our confused and wicked times. Everybody

martod darCenilic ki SesaniSnavad grZnobda Tavs. pako

loved him, and providence endowed him with an outstanding

da pako mSvenivrad ugebdnen erTmaneTso _ ixseneben

talent for relationships – so much so that he felt perfectly at

megobrebi.

ease when left alone with his thoughts. Pako and Pako got along

20 welia msmenels drois dilabindidan Tenebamde monakveTSi vesaubrebi da mxolod pakosTan Sexvedris

together very well.”

For 20 years, I’ve spoken to listeners during the interval

Semdeg gavige ramdenad Zvirfasi droa es. „qarTvelebma

between dawn and sunrise, and it is only after meeting Pako that I

ver SeviyvareT sikvdili. evropul, gansakuTrebiT

understood how precious this spell is. “Georgians still don’t manage

Teologiur, azrovnebaSi kargad Cans sikvdilisadmi

to savor death. In European, and especially theological thought, the

ltolva. „dilabindidan Tenebamde“ zustad is droa, roca

aspiration for death can clearly be felt. The interval between dawn

sikvdilis sarkmeli ixsneba. es ar aris sikvdili, rogorc

and sunrise is precisely the moment when the window of death

tragedia. es cxovrebis gzaa sikvdilamde misasvleli. es

opens up. This is not death as a tragedy. This is the life path we have

is droa, romelsac saaTze ver aRniSnav. es aris gaocebisa

to walk, leading towards death. It’s a time you can’t see on your

da gakvirvebis dro“ _ (pako svimoniSvili)

watch. It’s a time of amazement and wonder.” – Pako Svimonishvili.

ekaterine talaxaZe

Ekaterine Talakhadze

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*** ca daiferfla molxenili Rrublis auzTan da Semodgomas nekerCxalze fexi daucda. *** SfoTian Rrubels gadaekra isrimisferi, ikvreba Cemi navis fskerze ori zRvis vneba, wveTis siRrmidan aiSleba Rame bosfori da davnebdebi, arc Tu cxadi, arc moCveneba. orSabaTi venaSi vkiTxulob diad gvamTa xasiaTs qandakebebis gayinul pa-Si, ca gaZagruli bindis xazia, erTi mZime da grZeli nafazi. orSabaTia, cisferi kabiT ver iseirnebs dRes grafinia, venuri yava, gazeTi, kafe, vitrinas uyefs jibis finia. iq grafinia, aq grafinia, aryis Wiqebis broli da boli, kelners loTebi daufrenia, aprexili aqvs ulvaSis bolo. ukravs Sav-TeTri dRis alegria meqanikuri saaTis koSkTan da Seeyreba mzis alergia gzajvaredinze oskar kokoSkas. saRamo aia-sofia Savi zRvis sunTqvas mohyveba Suqi, xarebis eldas mtevani itevs, didi TvalebiT svams mzis gubeebs da safironi, talRaze muqi _ mwuxris maria acilebs qristes.

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monadire da Txa niala nanga niala, ninga niala qvian bilikze gadaiala. me qvad viqeci, nanga niala ca mowmendili ialkiala, nanga niala, ninga niala mzis samyofelSi gangan iara, mec mzed viqeci, gaxsnil iarad Semomibrunda nanganiala, daapirqvava mTvaris fiala, didi Tvalebi daabriala. miTxra, SeCerdi, adamiano, sjobs nasesxebi SuqiT iaro.

*** martooba miaqanebs qarebs, mogonebis jer ar yofil wamTa, frTebSi msubuq sevdas gamitarebs.

Rvinis jamSi Seyenebul JamTa mSvenieri ixateba saxe, Tumca mokvdavT verra dainaxes, ver monaxes sitkboebis foni, ZlierebiT tkbeba udabnoSi mediduri ciskris faraoni. vinc ecdeba bedTan SebrZolebas, igi mudam kvdeba Tavmomwone, martoobis gaciebul mkerdze Tvals xiWaven daqanculi droni.

*** viRac wavida.

Catexili riTmaSi qari _ ganwyoba Cemi. sam samanze qreboda dila. siCumes crida aspirozi da lurji mTvare... viRac wavida, sizmars iqiT Rame ixila.

*** qari imoseba SiSvelTa samosiT, nisli icremleba mzis cisfer rtoebad, rqaSi iyineba mzera saRamosi, suli sakuTari kacs eucxoeba. da isev darCeba landebis amara, daxuWul TvalebSi moZebnis saTaves, mTvare mdinareSi samares gaiTxris, dakluli kraviviT cas Semoatyavebs.

sparsuli miniatura ciT aivseba suli, qarSi gafantul mzeras Semownavs garindeba, viT wamwamebi Tvalebs, sizmarSi mkvdari wami, Rrublis waSlili mTvare da fexmorTxmuli Rame udabnos yvavilebiT.

sadamis CV misamarTi _ qalaqi uri, profesia _ diqtatori, enebi da unarCvevebi _ mSobliuria. memkvidreoba _ baRdadis kari, hobi _ mzis Casvla. danarCeni _ piradulia. ukanaskneli publikaciis mTavari xazi, rogorc aRmoCnda, mavanTaTvis sxva sacduria, ver gaugiaT, rom plastmasis iebze nazi gaveSebuli behemotis wyvili yuria.

Persian Miniature The soul be filled with the sky, The gaze scattered in the wind Will be fringed with petrifaction Like eyes with eyelashes.

The minute that died in the dream, The moon-rubbed out by cloud, And the night kneeling down With desert flowers.

Targmna medea zaaliSvilma translated by Medea Zaalishvili

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gadaiRe saqarTveloSi Film in Georgia

CASH REBATE

saxelmwifo programas „gadaiRe saqarTveloSi“ kidev erTi, axali, kinoindustriis waxalisebis komponenti _ Cash Rebate daemata, romlis Seqmnazec saqarTvelos kinematografiis erovnulma centrma muSaoba jer kidev 2009 wels daiwyo. mowveulma eqspertma, msoflio kinokomisiebis (AFCI) prezidentma, martin kafma, kinoindustriis waxalisebis axali komponentis proeqtis Tavdapirveli monaxazi SeimuSava, romelic Semdgom, ukve erovnulma kinocentrma daxvewa da evropuli qveynebis gamocdilebaze dayrdnobiT (xorvatia, malta) sistema _ Cash Rebate Seqmna. am axali meqanizmis danergviT, kinowarmoebiT dainteresebul adgilobriv Tu ucxoel prodiuserebs filmis gadaReba da kvalificiuri xarjis 20%-dan 25%-mde ukan dabruneba SeeZlebaT. anazRaurebis sqema exeba Semdeg mimarTulebebs: mxatvruli filmi, satelevizio filmi, teleseriali an mini-seriali, animacia, dokumenturi filmi, sareklamo videoproduqcia, realiTi Sou, musikaluri klipi...

Another new incentive project for the development of the movie industry has been incorporated into the state-initiated program ‘Film in Georgia.’ The Georgian National Film Center started working on the ‘Cash Rebate’ project back in 2009. As an invited expert, Executive Officer at the Association of Film Commissioners International (AFCI), Martin Cuff, introduced the initial draft of the project, after which the Georgian National Film Center reworked it and created a ‘Cash Rebate’ system based on the experience acquired by European countries such as Croatia and Malta. With the implantation of this new mechanism, local and foreign film producers will be able to get a 20 to 25% rebate on their qualified expenses in Georgia. This reimbursement plan applies to the following products: feature films, TV films, TV shows or mini-series, animation films, documentary films, commercial video productions, reality shows, and music clips.

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saqarTvelos kinoindustriis ganviTarebis axal sqemas The Hollywood Reporter (1930 wels los anjelesSi daarsebuli avtoritetuli mediasaSualeba, romelic kinoindustriaSi mimdinare ambebs aSuqebs) gamoexmaura: „saqarTvelo pirvelia postsabWoTa sivrcis im qveynebidan (baltiispireTis qveynebis garda), romelmac kinoindustriis ganviTarebis axali iniciativa danerga. es qveyana sainteresoa saocari bunebiTa da uZvelesi, aseve evropuli da sabWouri arqiteqturis nazaviT. aqaa: rogorc TovliT dafaruli civi mTebi, ise _ mziani, mwveli udabno da... maTgan ramdenime saaTis savalze ki _ zRvis sanapirosac aRmoaCenT; sistema Cash Rebate saukeTeso saSualebaa, rogorc qarTveli, ise _ ucxoeli prodiuserebisTvis“. saqarTvelos kinematografiis erovnuli centris yofili direqtoris, nana janeliZes, TqmiT: `qarTul bazarze gamoCndebian kinowarmoebis didi kompaniebi, rac imas niSnavs, rom aucileblad gaCndeba moTxovna aRizardon e.w. „meore eSelonis“, axali kadrebi.

Cven weliwadSi maqsimum ori mxatvruli filmis

dafinanseba SegviZlia, es sakmarisi ar aris imisTvis, rom qveyanaSi gaCndes moTxovna iseT profesiebze, romlebic, faqtobrivad, kinogadaRebis xerxemals qmnian. aRsaniSnavia, rom zogierTi kinoprofesiis qarTuli Sesatyvisi termin-saxeldeba, samwuxarod, ar arsebobs. am sistemis wyalobiT axali kadrebis aRzrda, Zalian maRal doneze moxdeba da Tu Cven am yovelives profesiul treningebsac davumatebT, wlebis Semdeg, es yvelaferi pozitiurad aisaxeba qarTuli kinowarmoebis ganviTarebaze; qveyanaSi aseTi farTo masStabis kinowarmoebisas prodiuserebisa da reJisorebis saazrovno sivrcec gaizrdeba. qarTuli kino aris da kidev didxans iqneba „art hausi“. SesaZloa, am axalma sistemam Cveni xedva da saqmisadmi midgoma axal niSnulze aiyvanos _ mTavaria, mivxvdeT, rom kinowarmoeba didi biznesia~.

The Hollywood Reporter (an authoritative Los Angeles media outlet created in 1930 and specializing in the movie industry) wrote about the new development project of the film industry in Georgia: “Georgia is the first former Soviet republic outside the Baltic area to develop an incentives scheme. Last year, it announced plans for a 20 percent-plus cash rebate. This country stands out for its magnificent nature and mixture of ancient, European and Soviet architecture. It offers landscapes ranging from snow-covered mountains to desert to seaside within a few hours’ drive of each location. This cash rebate system is an ideal solution for Georgian and foreign producers alike.”

According to Nana Janelidze, former director of the Georgian National Film Center, “Large production companies will enter the Georgian market, which means that there will be a demand for the training of new qualified professionals. Currently, we can only finance two feature films a year, which is not enough to increase the local demand for professions that are at the core of filmmaking. It is also worth noting that, unfortunately, there are no Georgian equivalents for many words from movie terminology. Thanks to the Cash Rebate system, people working in the movie industry will experience very high filmmaking standards, and if we also implement professional trainings, all this will have a substantial positive effect on the development of the Georgian film industry in a few years’ time. Our country’s producers and film directors will also expand their horizons through the experience of large foreign movie productions. Georgian cinema is and will mainly remain in the ‘art-house’ industry for a long time. We hope this new system will raise our approach towards cinema to a new benchmark. The most important thing for us is to understand that movie production is a big business.”

Many directors wish to shoot an art-house film, but few manage to do so. In today’s cinema, commercial and mainstream movies reach a much higher percentage of viewers than specialty films, and most of the money entering into the state budget from film earnings also

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saavtoro kinos gadaReba bevr reJisors surs, Tumca yvelas ar gamosdis. msoflio kinosivrceSi komerciul, meinstrimul kinos procentulad ufro meti mayurebeli yavs, vidre _ `art-haus~ filmebs; filmebidan biujetSi Sesuli mogebis gadasaxadis maRali procentuli maCvenebeli swored aseTi tipis kinoze modis. amerikuli, evropuli, avstraliuri Tu aziuri warmoeba udidesi kinoindustriebia da am SemTxvevaSi, Cveni qveynisTvis araxelsayreli magaliTia. magram, kino saboloo jamSi, mainc gasayidi produqtia. Sesabamisad, sworeba finansur sargebelze unda gakeTdes: iqneba es meinstrimuli Tu saavtoro kino (romelTa garkveul nawils ukve mxolod A klasis festivalebisTvis iReben). qarTul kinoindustriaSi amJamad saxelmwifo subsidirebis erTaderTi wyaro saqarTvelos kinematografiis erovnuli centria, romelic weliwadSi ramdenime mxatvrul, dokumentur, animaciuri films afinansebs. Tu filmis avtorma Tavad ar moiZia finansebi an ukeTes SemTxvevaSi _ evropul fondebs ar mimarTa, filmis gadaReba, faqtobrivad, SeuZlebeli xdeba. miT umetes, rom dRes, yovelive es, Zviri „siamovnebaa“.

SesaZloa, kinoindustriis ganviTarebis axali sqema stimuli aRmoCndes araerTi avtorisTvis _ alternatiuli gzebiT moZiebuli finansebiT gadaRebuli filmis Semdeg, ukan sagrZnobi procentuli sargebeli daibrunon. Tu gaviTvaliswinebT imas, rom CvenTan proceduruli sqema martivia da, Tematur-Janruli SezRudvebic, faqtobrivad, ar arsebobs; gansxvavebiT evrokavSiris wevri qveynebisgan, sadac avtorebs filmisTvis subsidirebis misaRebad garkveuli regulaciebi aqvT da maT „waxalisebisTvis“ damatebiTi procedurebis gavla uwevT. Cveni qveynis SemTxvevaSi ki yvelaferi gacilebiT martivia: qarTuli an msoflios nebismieri qveynidan Semosuli gadasaRebi

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originates from these productions. American, European, Australian or Asian productions all benefit from huge film industries and, therefore, they do not represent pertinent examples for our country. But in the end, a movie remains a sales product. Accordingly, we must align on financial benefits, be it for mainstream or art-house films (a number of which are already made exclusively for “A” festivals). Currently, the only state-financed institution in cinema is the Georgian National Film Center, which funds several feature, documentary, and animation films yearly. If directors don’t find finances by themselves or get nothing from European funds, it becomes practically impossible for them to shoot their movie.

The new Cash Rebate project may become an incentive for many filmmakers, as they will be able to return a significant percentage of their expenses after shooting a movie with finances they found independently. The application process is fast and simple, and there are practically no restrictions regarding theme or genre, unlike in EU member countries, where in order to obtain a grant, filmmakers must satisfy more regulations and go through lengthier procedures.

In Georgia, everything is much easier: the budget of a movie from

filmis biujeti unda warmoadgendes minimum 500 aTas lars da sistema rebate avtomaturad amoqmeddeba. magram Tu filmi saxelmwifo subsidias miiRebs, Tundac erovnuli kinocentrisgan an sxva alternatiuli saxelmwifo organizaciebidan, cxadia, filmis avtori am subsidiaze damatebiT 20-25% ukan veRar daibrunebs _ saxelmwifo sakuTar Tavs orjer ver daafinansebs. magram yvela sxva sasponsoro saxsrebi _ evropuli, regionuli, nacionaluri Tu CvenTan daixarjeba _ kinoindustriis waxalisebis sistema avtomaturad amoqmeddeba. amas garda, arsebobs e.w. meore donec, roca avtori minimum 300 aTas lars xarjavs dokumenturi filmebis, video produqciis, realiTi Sous Sesaqmnelad. unda aRiniSnos, rom zemoT CamoTvlili mimarTulebebi sxva qveynebs ar aqvT. proeqtis avtorebis azriT es mniSvnelovania, rogorc qveynis popularizebisTvis, ise _ dargis

ganviTarebisTvis. evropis sxva qveynebTan SedarebiT es saqarTvelos konkurentunarians xdis. msoflio kinowarmoebis procesSi, arsebobs sxvadasxva saxis waxaliseba, saSeRavaTo sistemis gansxvavebuli tipebi, aseTebia e.w. Tax Shelter da Tanxis ukan dabrunebis sistema Cash Rebate. CvenSi asamoqmedebeli proeqtis avtorebis TqmiT, maT ar surT kinowarmoeba, gamonaklisis saxiT, gadasaxadebisgan gaTavisufldes, amitom SeirCa is modeli, romelic ufro Seesabameba Cvens sinamdviles. saqarTvelos kinematografiis erovnuli centris distribuciisa da eqsportis mimarTulebis xelmZRvaneli daviT vaSaZes azriT: `jer-jerobiT sitemaSi rebate Cven gvaqvs daxarjuli Tanxis 20%-dan 25%-mde ukan dabrunebis SesaZlebloba (Tumca, msoflioSi aris ufro maRali procentic _ 30-40-mde). dabali gadasaxadebis fonze es sakmaod konkurentuli procentia. Cvens qveyanaSi kinos gadasaxadi xom Zalian dabalia da am mxriv saqarTvelo msoflio aTeulSi Sedis~.

Georgia or any other country of the world only needs to exceed 500,000 Georgian Lari (GEL), and it will automatically be eligible for the Cash Rebate system. Of course, if a move receives a grant from the State, for instance from the National Film Center or other alternative state organizations, its author won’t be able to get the 20-25% back from this particular grant – by law, the State cannot finance itself twice. Movies financed by any other funds (European, regional, local…) will be able to benefit from the new incentive project. Apart from that, there is also a so-called “second level rebate” for cases when producers spend at least 300,000 GEL for the shooting of a documentary film, a video production, or a reality show, genres that don’t get any rebate in other countries. According to the authors of the project, this will help popularize the country and develop its cinema industry, making Georgia more competitive than other European countries.

Various incentives exist in the world’s cinema industry, offering different kinds of privilege systems, including tax shelters and the cash rebate system. According to the initiators of the newly implemented Georgian project, they didn’t want film production to become an exception and evade tax payment, so they chose a model that is more in line with the country’s reality. David Vashadze, Head

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reJisor rusudan Wyonias TqmiT sistema rebate pozitiuri, Tumca dasaxvewi novaciaa: „rogorc vici muSaoben kanonis daxvewaze. axla 25% ki abruneben ukan, magram dRg-is saxiT 18% gveWreba. ase rom ukan dabrunebuli mxolod 7% gamodis; sxva qveynebs bevrad moqnili sistema aqvT, im qveynebs vgulisxmob, sadac Cash Rebate maincdamainc konkurentunarians ver gvxdis. 7% Zalian cotaa. es xarvezi Tu gamosworda qarTveli kinematografistebisTvisac Zalian kargi iqneba da qveynisTvisac. saqarTvelo ucxouri gadamRebi jgufebisTvis bevrad mimzidveli gaxdeba. axalma zelandiam moqnili kanonmdeblobis wyalobiT moaxerxa, da okeaneTSi, holivuduri msxvili prodaqSenebi (warmoeba) Caiyvana _ aman qveyanas milionobiT dolaris mogeba misca. aRsaniSnavia, rom kvalificiuri xarjebis 20%-is (romlis ukan dabrunebis erTaderTi piroba 500 aTasi laria) garda, filmis avtorebs SeuZliaT damatebiT 2%-dan 5%-mde sargeblis miReba. aq ukve moqmedebs e.w. kulturuli testi anu im elementebis aqtiuri aTviseba da gamoyeneba rac saqarTvelosTvis mniSvnelovania. magaliTad, Tu wamyvan poziciaze dasaqmebulni arian saqarTvelos moqalaqeebi, reJisorebi, operatorebi, departamentis xelmZRvanelebi, mTavari rolis Semsruleblebi an ori meore xarisxovani rolis Semsrulebeli (romelic pirvel 10 poziciazea titrebis mixedviT) avtori iRebs 1%. filmis dasrulebis Semdeg, nebismieri premieris, kino-TeatrSi gaSvebis, qveynis

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of the Distribution and Export Department at the Georgian National Film Center, explains: “Currently, we can afford to return up to 20-25% in the framework of our Cash Rebate project. There are higher cash rebate percentages in some parts of the world (up to 30-40%), but because we also have low taxes, 20-25% remains a very competitive offer. Our country is in the top ten list of the lowest taxes for movie productions.”

According to Rusudan Tchkonia, the rebate system is a good initiative, but it needs to be improved: “As I know, they are working on improving the law. They are giving 20% to 25% back, but 18% is withdrawn as VAT, so we actually only get 7%. Other countries have much more flexible systems- countries that are more competitive than us in terms of these kinds of privileges. 7% is very little. If this flaw is corrected, it will be very good for the Georgian film industry and the country in general. Georgia would become much more attractive to foreign film crews. For instance, New Zealand has managed to draw large Hollywood productions to its faraway islands thanks to its adaptable regulations, which resulted in millions of dollars in budget income.”

Apart from the 20% of qualified expenses (returned on the sole condition that the movie’s budget exceeds 500,000 GEL), filmmakers can receive an additional 2% to 5% rebate, provided the movie includes some particular elements. They will get an additional 1% rebate if Georgian citizens are employed in at least one of these leading positions: director, cameraman, heads of department (at least three), lead actor/actress, and supporting actors/actresses (at least two of whom should be listed in the first ten positions in the credits).

farglebs gareT gatanisa da sxvadasxva qveynaSi Cvenebis SemTxvevaSi es damatebiTi kidev erTi procentia. am procentul sargebels avtori iRebs Tu filmSi saqarTvelosTvis mniSvnelovani kulturuli Zeglebia naCvenebi, rogorebicaa iuneskos Zeglebi, iuneskos kandidati Zeglebi, agreTve is obieqtebi, romlebTanac qveynis kulturuli identificireba xdeba, aseTi ki daaxloebiT 40-mdea (landmark). postproduqcia, erTerTi yvelaze susti sferoa saqarTveloSi, Tu ki am mimarTulebiT filmis avtorebi Cvens qveyanaSi daxarjaven 50 aTas lars damatebiT procentul sargebels miiReben. prodiuseri da saqarTveloSi `SemoqmedebiTi evropis~ media qveprogramis warmomadgeneli noSrevan CxaiZe Tvlis, rom „es yvelaferi axlad gamogonili velosipedi ar aris, sakmaod gamocdili, aprobirebuli sqemaa mTel rig qveynebSi; rac Seexeba damatebiT 2%-dan 5%-mde Tanxis dabrunebas aq ukve mniSvnelovania qarTuli kulturuli elementebis CarTva scenarSi da Tavad filmSi, Tu vin arian dasaqmebulni... kulturul tests saqarTvelos kinematografiis erovnuli centri amtkicebs da Semdeg ukve komisia iRebs gadawyvetilebas, sadac sxvadasxva uwyebis warmomadgeneli monawileobs: ekonomikisa da mdgradi ganviTarebis saministro, mewarmeobis erovnuli

After shooting the movie, any premiere, screening in cinemas or outside Georgia will provide another additional 1%, on the condition that the film displays at least one important Georgian cultural monument such as a UNESCO heritage site or candidate site, or a national landmark commonly associated with Georgia (from a list of 40 sites). Post-production is one of the weakest links in Georgia, and filmmakers will get another percent back if they spend at least 50,000 GEL on post-production activities in Georgia.

Noshrevan Chkhaidze, producer and representative of Creative Europe Desk Georgia, says this project isn’t new: “It’s an already well-established custom in many countries. The additional 2% to 5% rebate is an important feature as it requires the inclusion of Georgian cultural elements in the film, and takes into account any Georgians working on it. The meeting of these requirements is verified by the Georgian National Film Center, and then a commission decides on allowance of the additional rebates.

This commission is composed of various institutions, including the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, the National Enterprise Agency (Enterprise Georgia), the Ministry of Culture and Monument Protection, the National Film Center, and the Tourism Department.

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saagento, kulturis saministro, erovnuli kinocentri, turizmis departamenti da a.S. daviT vaSaZis TqmiT: `saqarTvelo, rogorc film-friendly qveyana, erT-erTi pirvelia advilad gadasalaxi biurokratiis barierebiT; sistema Cash Rebate martivi da moqnilia _ yvelaferi onlain reJimSi, aplikaciis SevsebiT iwyeba. Cveni mTavari mizani CvenSi holivuduri warmoebis gamocdilebis danergvaa, romelic yvelaze gamarTulia da msoflioSi wamyvania; TumcaRa evropul filmebzec vakeTebT aqcents. mniSvnelovania bolivudic _ induri warmoeba, romlisTvisac saqarTvelo Zalian mimzidveli qveyanaa. prodiuseri da reJisori qeTi maWavariani iziarebs daviT vaSaZis optimizms: `cvlilebas ramdenime weli velodiT. pirvel rigSi, es adgilobriv investorebs daainteresebs da, rac mTavaria, motivacias gazrdis, moizidavs ucxoel prodiuserebs. es ki kinoindustriis ganviTarebis safuZvelia. gaizrdeba teqnikis raodenoba, aseve kvalificiuri personali. Cemi damokidebuleba pozitiuria~. qarTuli kinowarmoebisTvis seriozuli problemaa adgilobrivi kadrebis dabali kvalifikacia. araerTma reJisorma filmis memontaJe, operatori, xmis operatori, mxatvari ucxoeTidan moiwvia. arafers vambobT postprodaqSenze, romelic TiTqmis yvela SemTxvevaSi qveynis farglebs gareT keTdeba. es is ZiriTadi komponentebia,

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According to David Vashadze, “Georgia is one of the most film-friendly countries in terms of bureaucracy. The Cash Rebate system itself is simple and flexible: everything starts online by filling in an application form. Our main goal is to implement the experience and knowledge of Hollywood production in Georgia, as it is the most developed and successful film industry in the world. But we also focus on European cinema.

Bollywood is another important industry for Georgia, as our country is very attractive for Indian producers.”

Producer and film director Keti Machavariani shares David Vashadze’s optimism: “We were waiting for this for years. This program will not only spark the interest of local investors, but will increase the motivation of filmmakers and attract foreign producers, which is essential to the development of our film industry. There will be more equipment and more qualified personnel. I think it’s going to be a very positive change.”

The lack of qualified local professionals is a serious problem in Georgian film productions. Many directors have invited foreign film editors, cameramen, sound mixers, or production designers to work with them. Not to mention postproduction, which is almost always done abroad. No movie could exist without these professions. These people stand behind the scenes near the film director – they are the ones who “make” the

romelTa gareSec verc erTi filmi ver iarsebebs, am profesiebis miRma swored is xalxi dgas vinc reJisoris ukan, kulisebSia da `kinos akeTebs~. es programa is saSualebaa, romelic qarTul kinoseqtors adgilobrivi kvalificiuri kadrebiT gaajerebs _ maT didi Sansi eZlevaT momavalSi saerTaSoriso kinowarmoebaSi dasaqmdnen.

Tu saxelmwifo iniciativa „gadaiRe saqarTveloSi“ ucxoel avtorebs saqarTvelos ramdenime klimatur zonas da kulturul siWreles sTavazobda, axla qarTvel da ucxoel reJisorebs saSualeba aqvT qveynis resursi (materialur, inteleqtualuri) aqtiurad aiTvison da Tan am yvelaferSi saxelmwifosgan damatebiT daxarjuli Tanxis 20%-dan 25%-ukan daibrunon. es potenciurad niSnavs ufro did warmoebas, raodenobrivad met films, kinoindustriis gaZlierebas, saqarTvelos rogorc investiciebis potenciuri qveynis popularobis gazrdas, kinoseqtoris gaZlierebas, adgilobrivi kadrebis dasaqmebas. kargi iqneba, Tu proeqtis organizatorebis yvela molodini gamarTldeba da qarTuli kinoindustria axali ZaliT amoqmeddeba. dro, filmis mxatvruli Rirebulebis, proeqtis novaciis, ama Tu im wamowyebis yvelaze kargi indikatoria; amitom pasuxs, sul mcire, xuTi wlis Semdeg miviRebT da vnaxavT, ramdenad gaamarTlebs da efeqturad imuSavebs sistema Cash Rebate saqarTveloSi. neno qavTaraZe

movie. Through this project, Georgian film crews will have the opportunity to work on interesting international productions and improve their skills.

Where the state-initiated program ‘Film in Georgia’ used to offer several climatic zones and a variety of cultures to foreign filmmakers, Georgian and foreign directors now have the possibility to actively use the country’s material and intellectual resources, and what’s more, they will be able to get back 20% to 25% of the money they spend. This potentially means bigger productions, more movies, the strengthening of the film industry, the popularization of Georgia as an investment destination, and more employment for local professionals.

We hope that all the expectations of the project’s authors will be met, and that the Georgian film industry will emerge with renewed energy.

Time is the best indicator of a movie’s artistic value, as it is for the success of a project or undertaking, so we’ll see in a few years how effectively the Cash Rebate system works in Georgia.

Neno Kavtaradze

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dro da sivrce ucnobia. ucnobia aramiwieri civilizaciac, romelsac xelSi kacobriobis gzavnili Cauvardeba da mis sapasuxod dedamiwaze humanoids agzavnis. aSS-is samxedro sahaero Zalebi amoucnob obieqts zalpiT egebeba da afeTqebs. xomaldis miwasTan Sejaxebis miuxedavad erTi ucxoplaneteli gadarCeba, romelic uaxloesi saxlisken gaemarTeba, iq ki axalgazrda qvrivi jeni heideni eulad cxovrobs... msgavsi Janris filmebis moyvarulTaTvis metad saTavgadasavlo istoriaa.

The story goes like this: an unknown celestial civilization sends a humanoid being to Earth in response to a message from the human race. The US Air Force greets the UFO with heavy artillery fire and explodes it, but one of the aliens survives and heads towards the nearest house, which belongs to a young widow named Jenny Hayden. Most movies with such a plot may be too adventurous for amateur moviegoers.

1984 wlis miwuruls did ekranebze gamosulma jon karpenteris `varskvlavierma kacma~ (Starman _ mTavar rolebSi jef brijesi da karen aleni) sabWoTa saqarTveloSic SemoaRwia, mogvianebiT ki kinoTeatr `gazafxulamdec~ gaikvala gza. filmis prologSi, ukidegano kosmosur sivrceSi raRac aparati mieqaneba, frena-frenaSi ki gzadagza `stounzebis~ kompozicia I Can’t Get No Satisfaction-iT iqcevs Tavs. aSkarad STambeWdavi dasawyisia. filmis Sinaarsi mere da mere ixlarTeba da azartSi SevyavarT. maxsovs, rodesac ekranze Конец Филма daiwera, mamam miTxra, aparats `voiajeri~ hqvia da masSi `Cakrulos~ Canawericaao... aq ki cnobismoyvareoba gamimZafrda;

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At the end of 1984, the newly released John Carpenter picture ‘Starman’ (starring Jeff Bridges and Karen Allen) pierced through the Soviet Georgian borders and paved its way towards the movie theater ‘Gazapkhuli.’

In the prologue, some kind of spacecraft is floating aimlessly in space while the famous Rolling Stones’ track “I can’t get no satisfaction” progressively fades in – definitely an impressive beginning.

As the movie goes on, the plot twists and intrigues the audience more and more. It was an impressive thing to see for the 13-yearold boy I was – I guess it was very impressive for others as well. I remember that when the inscription “The End” rolled up on the screen, my dad told me that the space probe was called ‘Voyager’ and

CemTvis, 12-13 wlis biWisTvis, msgavsi sanaxaoba STambeWdavi gamodga. albaT, sxvebisTvisac... ukidegano sivrceSi Cveni wili metad mokrZalebulia, magram rac gvaqvs isic kosmosSi gafantula. gafantula da ara ganiavebula. sporti, kultura, mecniereba qveynis erTgvari `Strixkodia~ _ garkveuli gzamkvlevi ucxotomelTaTvis. magram isicaa, rom mecnierebis, am SemTxvevaSi ki astronomiis damsaxurebiT, Cveni kulturis eqsporti kosmosur masStabebs iZens. ramdenime momcro planetas Tu asteroids, romlebic ukidegano sivrceSi usaxelod daexetebodnen, XX saukuneSi qarTuli `sanomre niSnebi~ miakuTvnes. qarTuladaa saxeldebuli mTvaris bneli mxarisa da merkuris kraterebic. saxelebic STambeWdavad JRers: `qarTvelia~, `Tamari~, `SoTa rusTaveli~, `mixeil xergiani~... da kidev bevri, romelTa CamoTvla Sors wagviyvans, magram aris erTi ram, ramac mzis sistemis miRma WurviviT gagvisrola. is erTi ram ki kosmosuri zondi `voiajeria~, swored is, romelzec sagangebod miumagrebiaT `mooqrovili firfitac~ _ erTgvari LP. igi faqtobrivad, mTel dedamiwas, mTel kacobriobas itevs. maT Sorisaa, iuneskos aramaterialuri msoflio memkvidreobis Zeglebis nusxaSi Sesuli folkloruli nimuSi `Cakruloc~, romlis warmomavlobac araTu iq, okeanis gaRma, saqarTveloSic aravin uwyoda. saqarTveloSi bevrs varaudobdnen imaze, Tu vin asrulebda ucxo civilizaciebisTvis gagzavnil „Cakrulos“. daudgeneli iyo momReralTa gvarsaxelebi. mxolod mere, qarTuli mxaris kvleva-Ziebis Sedegad aRmoCnda, rom im „Cakrulos“, anzor kavsaZis xelmZRvanelobiT, qarTuli xalxuri simReris saxelmwifo akademiuri ansambli (solistebi: ilia zaqaiZe da rostom saginaSvili) asrulebda, romelsac 1999 wels `erisioni~ ewoda. „bavSvobidan mesmoda kosmosSi gagzavnil hangze, magram zustad aravin icoda, vin asrulebda mas da is, Tu rogor moxvda qarTuli simRera sabWoTa kavSiridan, _ „Cakrulos“ kosmosur bedTan dakavSirebiT viTarebaSi gvarkvevs reJisori ramaz bluaSvili. _ amerikaSi yofnisas, rodesac didi qarTveli amerikeli aviakonstruqtoris, aleqsandre qarTveliSvilis cxovrebas da moRvaweobas vikvlevdi, saqmidan gamomdinare araerTxel momiwia nasas (aeronavtikisa da kosmosur kvlevaTa centri) arqivTan Sexebam. iq, erT-erTi stumrobisas, „Cakrulos“ bediTac davinteresdi, maT ki amerikeli astronomisa da mwerlis karl saganis meuRlis en druianis meili momces da amixsnes, rom mxolod mas SeeZlo Cemi cnobismoyvareobis dakmayofileba. Sevexmiane, avuxseni, rom saqarTvelodan viyavi da „Cakrulos“ kosmosuri bedi mainteresebda. druiani umal gamomexmaura. momwera, rom mTeli

that it contained a copy of the Georgian folk song ‘Chakrulo’… This is where my curiosity intensified.

Our importance is so minor in relation to the enormous universe, yet whatever we claim to be ours is scattered precisely into that space. Scattered, not wasted.

Sports, culture, and science can be considered a country’s barcode – a kind of guide for foreigners. However, thanks to science, and in this case astronomy, the export of our culture has reached cosmic heights.

In the 20th century, some unnamed small planets and asteroids wandering in space were given Georgian names. The same goes for craters of the dark side of the Moon and Mercury. The names can sound quite impressive: ‘Kartvelia,’ ‘Tamar,’ ‘Shota Rustaveli,’ ‘Mikheil Khergiani’ and many more that we cannot list here. But there is one thing that skyrocketed Georgia beyond the Solar System: the space probe Voyager – the one carrying a gold phonographic record. The LP attached to it practically encompasses our entire planet and Mankind, and among its UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage items, one can find the Georgian folk song ‘Chakrulo.’ If the origins of ‘Chakrulo’ were mysterious on the other side of the ocean, Georgians themselves didn’t know much about it, and they had long discussions trying to guess who recorded and sent ‘Chakrulo’ to unknown civilizations.

Nobody knew the singers’ names. It was only later, based on research from the Georgian side, that the artists were discovered: the Anzor Kavsadze Georgian National Folk Ensemble (soloists Ilia Zakaidze and Rostom Saginashvili), which changed its name to ‘Erisioni’ in 1999.

“I had heard about ‘Chakrulo’ being a message sent to space when

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cxovreba undoda vinme qarTvels ekiTxa es ambavi da misi kosmosuri voiaJis istoriac gamacno. erTi sityviT, aseT istorias yveba: Turme, proeqtze muSaobisas moskovisTvis miumarTavT TxovniT. auxsniaT, amas da amas vakeTebT da gvinda, rom Tqveni saukeTeso musikaluri nawarmoebi gamogvigzavnoTo. moskovidan pasuxi daaxloebiT or kviraSi miuRiaT, romelsac Tan axlda rusebisTvis popularuli simRera Подмосковные вечера. rodesac mas da mis meuRles es simRera mousmeniaT, uTqvamT, rom is mdidari musikaluri tradiciebis saukeTeso arCevani ver iqneboda. mogvianebiT daxmarebisTvis TavianTi megobrisTvis, legendaruli amerikeli folkloristis alan lomaqsisTvis miumarTavT, romelsac moskovidan gamogzavnili simRera gverdze gadaudia da uTqvams, rom umjobesi iqneboda Tu mis xelT arsebul qarTul simRera „Cakrulos“ mousmendnen. mosmeniliT kmayofil sagans uTqvams: „mivxvdiT, rom SedevrTan gvqonda saqme“. `voiajeri~ erTgvari teqnologiuri `noes kidobania~. sami wlis ukan, maSin roca, misi arseboba lamis yvelas gadaaviwyda, kacobrioba kosmosur sivrceTa kvlevis istoriaSi erT-erT mniSvnelovan movlenaze isev alaparakda _ „voiajeri“ „gamoCnda“. saubaria nasas `voiajeris~ unikalur misiaze, romlis odiseac kosmosis uRran sivrceSi 38 wlis win daiwyo da dResac grZeldeba. astronomiuli masStabebiT drosa da sivrceSi frenis 39 weliwadi zRvaSi wveTia, magram CvenTvis, dedamiwelebisTvis kosmosze warmodgenis gasamdidreblad sakmarisize metia. `voiajeris~ misia imTaviTve saocari iyo, rasac dedamiwidan erT-erT yvelaze daSorebul planeta gigantebis _ iupiteris, saturnisa da maTi Tanamgzavrebis Seswavlas warmoadgenda. TiToeuli aparatis gaSveba dedamiwelTa Taviseburi elCobac iyo, risTvisac isini am statusiT aRvWurveT da „oqros firfitis“ saxiT amanaTic gavataneT. Tu odesme kacobrioba arsebobas Sewyvets, kosmosSi mimofantuli Tanamgzavrebi Cveni arsebobis erT-erT an erTaderT mtkicebulebad darCeba. yvelaferi ki ase daiwyo: proeqtis misiis farglebSi nasas specialistebma orkviriani intervaliT ori avtomaturi zondi gauSves. Tavdapirvelad `voiajer 2~

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I was a kid, but nobody knew who initiated sending a Georgian song to space during the Soviet period, or even who performed it,” director Ramaz Bluashvili tells us.

“During my stay in the United States, I was doing research on Alexander Kartvelishvili, a famous Georgian-American aircraft engineer. Due to the nature of the subject, I went through NASA’s archives a couple of times. During one of my visits to NASA, I got interested in ‘Chakrulo’s’ story and they gave me the contact information of American astronomer and writer Ann Druyan (who incidentally was Carl Sagan’s wife), telling me she was the only person who could satisfy my curiosity. I contacted her and explained that I was from Georgia and wanted to know more about the story behind the Georgian folk song on the Voyager’s golden record.

Mrs. Druyan replied immediately. She wrote me that she had wanted a Georgian to ask her questions about ‘Chakrulo’ her whole life, and she shared the story of the song’s cosmic trip with me.”

Here it is. In the beginning, while still fine-tuning the project, they contacted Moscow for a favor – they explained the details of the project and asked them to send NASA their finest musical composition. Moscow replied about two weeks later with a copy of ‘Moscow Nights,’ a song that was very popular with Russians at the time. After listening to it, Mrs. Druyan and her husband decided that this particular song could not qualify as a good example of the rich musical traditions of Earth.

Later on, the couple reached out to their friend, the legendary American folklorist Alan Lomax, for help. He put the song sent from Moscow aside and advised them to have a listen to the Georgian song ‘Chakrulo,’ with which he’d recently got acquainted. Happy with what he heard, Sagan noted: “We knew we were dealing with a masterpiece”.

(1977 wlis 20 agvisto) da ara misi tyupiscali nomeri pirveli (1977 wlis 5 seqtemberi). sagulisxmoa isic, rom `voiajer 1-ma“ gaamarTla rigiTi nomeri, radgan mzis sistemis sazRvrisken mokle da swrafi traeqtoriiT gauSves, ramac mas tyupiscalisTvis gaswrebis saSualeba misca. miuxedavad imisa, rom Tanamgzavrebi droTa ganmavlobaSi mzis sistemas daSordnen da sadRac varskvlavTSoris sivrceSi gaWrilni mogzauroben, erTmaneTSi mainc urTierToben _ informacias cvlian da imavdroulad frenis marTvis centrTanac inarCuneben kavSirs maSinac ki, rodesac Tanamgzavrebidan wamosul radiosignals dedamiwamde CamosaRwevad Sesabamisad, 17 da 14 saaTi sWirdeba. da am dros saubaria fantastikur manZilebze, sadac es 721,9-kilogramiani aparatebi dafrinaven. maTgan `voiajer 1-mde“ daaxloebiT 20,1 miliardi, xolo `voiajer 2-mde“ 16,6 miliardi kilometri gvaSorebs da es daSoreba yovel wams matulobs. meti STabeWdilebisTvis isic vTqvaT, rom im SemTxvevaSi, Tu `voiajer 1~, romelic saaTSi daaxloebiT 61 aTasi kilometr siCqariT mihqris, varskvlav AC +79 3888-s (Jirafis TanavarskvlavedSia da Cveni mzisgan 17,6 sinaTlis wliTaa daSorebuli) 40 aTas weliwadSi 1,6 sinaTlis wlis daSorebiT Cauvlis. zemoT vTqviT, Tu odesme kacobrioba arsebobas Sewyvets, Cveni arsebobis mtkicebulebad kosmosSi mimofantuli Tanamgzavrebi iqnebiano. ase iqneba Tu ise, nebismier SemTxvevaSi `voiajerebi~ gzavnilebia momavalSi. kidev erTxel gavixsenoT, rom es gzavnilebi ToToeuli aparatis bortze moTavsebul mooqrovil unikalur firfitebSia, romelzec Cawerilia Cveni civilizaciis yvelaze `adamianuri~ niSnebi Tu dedamiwis mravalferovnebis amsaxveli 116 gamosaxuleba; im

The Voyager is a technological Noah’s Ark. Three years ago, when almost everybody had forgotten about its existence, people started speaking about this momentous space engine anew – “The Voyager is visible!”

We are talking about a space mission that is unique in many ways.

The Voyager started its journey in 1977, and is still roaming around the universe now. On the astronomical scale, 39 years of traveling through time and space is rather insignificant, but for us earthlings, it is more than enough to enrich our understanding of the cosmos.

Each of the Voyager’s missions was fascinating, starting with the observation of giant planets such as Jupiter and Saturn, as well as their satellites. Many of the other missions were considered a kind of ambassadorship of Earth, which is why the probe got this status and is equipped, among others, with the golden record.

If one day Mankind ceases to exist, the scattered satellites in space will be some of the only evidence, if not the only evidence, of our existence.

Everything started as follows: in the framework of Voyager missions, NASA sent out two space probes with an interval of two weeks – the first one was ‘Voyager 2’ (August 20th, 1977), not its “twin” ‘Voyager 1’ (September 5th, 1977). The latter’s name turned out to be justified: it was sent on a shorter and faster path towards the solar border, and it outstripped its twin probe.

Even though these engines travel in interstellar spaces very far from the solar system, they never lose contact with each other; they exchange new information and keep in touch with the ground control center – regardless of the fact that it takes 14 to 17 hours for a radio wave to reach the Earth.

The 721,9 kg of equipment is traveling through unimaginable distances: ‘Voyager 1’ and ‘Voyager 2’ are currently located 20,1 and 16,6 billion kilometers away from Earth respectively – and these distances are increasing every second.

It is also worth noting that, moving at a speed of 61,000 km/h, in about 40,000 years, ‘Voyager 1’ will have drifted within 1.6 light-years of Gliese 445, a star in the constellation of Camelopardilis located 17,6 light years from our Sun and will be heading toward the constellation Ophiuchus.

As we mentioned earlier, if Mankind perishes, the satellites wandering around the cosmos will stand as proof of our existence.

Either way, the Voyagers are the message Mankind sent to the future.

Let us remind you once more of the unique golden disks these probes are carrying. They cover the best human identifiers of our

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firfitebSia dedamiwis xmebi _ wvimis, Weqa-quxilis, qaris, talRebis, atirebuli bavSvis, traqtorisa Tu matareblis; Citebis WikWiki, WriWinas WriWini da sxv; aramiwieri civilizaciebisTvis 55 enaze Cawerilia misalmebebic. aqvea musikaluri nimuSebi _ dawyebuli baxiT, mocartiT, beThoveniT, gagrZelebuli Cak beriT, lui armstrongiT da damTavrebuli `CakruloTi~. erTi sityviT, esaa dedamiwaze sicocxlis aRmniSvneli Tu aRmnusxveli audiovizualuri masalebi. sxvaTa Soris, aramiwier civilizaciebisTvis gasagzavni repertuaris erTgvari SesarCevi komitetis xelmZRvanelis, amerikeli astronomis, astrofizikosisa da mwerlis karl saganis survili iyo, rom oqros firfitaze „biTlzis“ simRera Here Comes the Sun CaeweraT, magram xmis Camwerma kompania EMI-m, romlis xelTac iyo saavtoro uflebebi, maSin imave saavtoro uflebebiT SeTavazebaze uari Tqva. axla imasac amboben, rom Soreul kosmosSi, sadRac aseulobiT Tu aTasobiT sinaTlis wliT daSorebiT, ucxo civilizaciebisTvis odesRac gagzavnil SetyobinebebSi koreqtivebia Sesatani. am SemTxvevaSi saubaria „voiajerebis“ winamorbed zondebze, 1972 da 1973 wels, Sesabamisad, „pioner 10“ da „pioner 11-Tvis“ gatanebul teqstsa da gamosaxulebaze, romelic dRevandeli gadasaxedidan Turme seqsizmisa da rasizmis niSnebs Seicavs. yovel SemTxvevaSi, msgavsi gancxadebiT gamodis britanel astronomTa da filosofosTa jgufi. `maTze gamosaxulia kaci, romelsac misalmebis niSnad metad vaJkacurad aRumarTavs xeli, qali ki mis zurgs ukan dgas, rogorc morCili da Tavmdabali. amasTan, isini TeTr rasas ekuTvnian, rac Tavis mxriv, dasavluri civilizaciis batonobas usvams xazs, bolo 40 wlis ganmavlobaSi ki bevri ram Seicvala~, _ viTarebaSi gvarkvevs kosmosis sferoSi politikis eqsperti jil stiuarti. arada, bevri britaneli mecnieri Tavdapirvelad ewinaaRmdegeboda kosmosSi axali Setyobinebebis gagzavnas, radgan SiSobdnen, rom msgavsi nabijiT SesaZlebeli gaxdeboda kacobriobisTvis arakeTilmosurne, potenciurad saSiSi ucxo civilizaciebis yuradRebis mipyroba. dava-kamaTSi axali Setyobinebis SemuSavebis momxreebma gaimarjves, romlebsac maTematikuri formulebisgan Semdgari teqsti da gamosaxulebebis Sedgena ganizraxes. saubaria konkursze saxelad Breakthrough Message, romlis erTgvar saprizo fondad _ erTi milioni dolaria dawesebuli (ucxo civilizaciaTa Zebnis proeqtis farglebSi). kerZod, konkursis monawileebs sTavazoben daweron yvelaze mkafio da informaciulad tevadi Setyobineba. maT Soris saukeTesoebis translireba ki kosmosSi moxdeba. giga gurasaSvili

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civilization, 116 images documenting Earth’s diversity, the sound of rain, thunderstorm, wind, waves, a crying baby, a train, birds, grasshoppers... The archive also includes greetings for extraterrestrial civilizations recorded in 55 different earthly languages, as well as the most important music ever created, starting with Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Chuck Berry, Louis Armstrong, and ending with ‘Chakrulo.’

To put it simply, these audiovisual files archive or document life on Earth. By the way, American writer, astronomer, and astrophysicist Carl Sagan, who was in charge of collecting and screening this archive, suggested that it should include The Beatles’ song “Here Comes the Sun”, but for some reason, the recording company EMI, which owned the copyright of the song, denied the proposal.

The contents of some of the messages carried thousands of light years towards extraterrestrial civilizations are still subject of discussion, some saying we should correct them. This concerns the texts and images carried by the Voyagers’ ancestors, space probes ‘Pioneer 10,’ launched in 1972, and ‘Pioneer 11,’ launched in 1973, which, from today’s perspective, include sexist and racist components – according to the statement of a group of British astronomers and philosophers.

“One of those images shows a man holding a masculine pose with one arm outstretched in a sign of salute, while a woman is standing timidly behind him. They are both white Caucasians, which emphasizes western supremacy. A lot has changed in the past 40 years,” says Jill Stuart, an expert in Space Politics.

The majority of British scientists were against sending new messages to outer space, fearing that doing so might attract unnecessary attention from other (potentially dangerous) civilizations. In the end, the scientists who were in support of sending an updated message of mathematical algorithms into space won the debate.

In order to assist the discovery of new civilizations, an open competition called “Breakthrough Message” was organized, which will reward the winners with a pool of prizes amounting to one million dollars. Participants have to come up with the most coherent yet most informative messages, and the best ones get to be broadcasted in space.

Giga Gurasashvili

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