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During his short life and brief literary career Georgian writer Egnate Ninoshvili (ეგნატე ნინოშვილი) (1859-1894) wrote stories and novellas vividly depicting the harsh life of the Georgian peasantry and the greed of tsarist officials.

Before taking up writing he worked as a teacher, telegrapher, typesetter, and manual laborer. His first literary works were articles for the Georgian political newspaper Iveriia (1887). Iveriia was the most popular periodical in Georgia (its circulation was more than 6,000) and was renowned for expressing the democratic yearnings of Georgian society.

Social issues and inequalities were vividly highlighted in Ninoshvili’s subsequent stories. His literary work includes “Gogia Uishvili” (1890), “Christine” (1893), “A Knight of Our Fatherland” (1894), and “Mose the Scrivener” (1894). His historical novel, “The Guria Uprising” (published in 1902), described the peasant revolt in Guria (Georgia) in 1841.

Wanting to see real change in society he co-founded Mesame Dasi (Georgian: მესამე დასი), the first social-democratic party in the Caucasus region. Originally founded as a literary-political group it became affiliated with the international socialist-Marxist movement in 1893.

Ninoshvili died on May 12, 1894, at the age of 35 years.

A museum commemorating Ninoshvili’s life was established in 1948 in his former house. It’s collection includes manuscripts, personal items connected with the writer, and paintings.

Egnate Ninoshvili Museum. Photo by ჯაბა ლაბაძე, via Wikimedia Commons

The museum is situated in the village of Archeuli near the city of Lanchkhuti (Georgian: ლანჩხუთი) in the western region of Guria. It is open everyday, except Monday, 10.00 – 17.00. Ticket price: Adults – 1 GEL, Children and students – 0.50 GEL. Telephone: (+995 99) 564 794.

A statue of Ninoshvili can be found in Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi.

Statue commemorating Egnate Ninoshvili in Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi

The first Georgian feature film “Christine” (ქრისტინე), made in 1916-1918, was based on a story by Egnate Ninoshvili.

Ninoshvili’s literary output comprised a very short period (1887 – 1894) but his remarkable and critical writings will always be remembered for their vivid social conscience.

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