About Art – Paintings of Old Tbilisi by Giovanni Vepkhvadze

Georgian artist Giovanni Vepkhvadze was born in Tbilisi in 1949 and graduated from Tbilisi’s State Academy of Arts in 1973. His work has attracted international acclaim and his series of paintings depicting Old Tbilisi are especially well known and admired. CLICK on the logo to visit GEORGIA ABOUT on Facebook and see photos and news about Georgia. Click LIKE on the page and … Continue reading

About Culture – Ethnic Georgians Living in Turkey

Communities of ethnic Georgians live in remote villages on the Turkish side of the Machakhela River, which is a trans-boundary river between Georgia and Turkey. Georgian traditions and customs still continue, including traditional wine-making. Photos courtesy of the President’s Administration. CLICK on the logo to visit GEORGIA ABOUT on Facebook and see photos and news about Georgia. Click LIKE on the page and … Continue reading

About Sights – The Tbilisi State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre

Opened in 1851, the Tbilisi State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre was the first opera theater in all Transcaucasia. Situated on Rustaveli Avenue, in the centre of Tbilisi, it is the oldest opera house in Georgia. Designed by by the Italian Architect,  Antonio Scudieri, the theater had a capacity of 800 spectators and was comparable to European … Continue reading

About Sights – Niko Pirosmanashvili State Museum in Mirzaani

Niko Pirosmani (Niko Pirosmanashvili) (Georgian: ნიკო ფიროსმანი) is considered to be one of Georgia’s greatest artists. Born in the village of Mirzaani in the Kakheti region, he taught himself to paint but it was only after his death in 1918 that his naive style became admired. The Niko Pirosmanashvili State Museum was established in Pirosmani’s home … Continue reading

About Art – Shalva Kikodze

Shalva Kikodze (Georgian: შალვა ქიქოძე) (1894 – 1921) was a Georgian expressionist painter, graphic artist and cartoonist. After studying at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture he returned to Georgia to work as a theater decorator for Jabadari Theater in Tbilisi. In 1921 Kikodze moved to Paris where his work was exhibited in … Continue reading

About Art – Sign Boards Painted by Niko Pirosmani

Niko Pirosmani (Niko Pirosmanashvili) (Georgian: ნიკო ფიროსმანი) is considered to be one of Georgia’s greatest artists. Self-taught, he led an impoverished life and it was only after his death in 1918 that his naive style became admired. He produced an immense number of paintings, including sign boards for shops and inns, many of which have been lost … Continue reading

About Art – Bronze Statuettes in Tbilisi’s Rustaveli Avenue

Rustaveli Avenue (Georgian: რუსთაველის გამზირი) in central Tbilisi is named after the medieval Georgian poet, Shota Rustaveli. The Avenue starts at Freedom Square and extends for about 1.5 km. Small bronze statues of old Georgian characters line both sides of the avenue for much of its length. The statues were sculpted by talented young Georgian … Continue reading

About History – Ilia Chavchavadze

Ilia Chavchavadze is widely regarded as one of the founding fathers of modern Georgia. Revered as Pater Patriae (Father of the Fatherland) of Georgia, he spearheaded the revival of the Georgian national movement in the second half of the 19th century. Chavchavadze championed the revival of the use of the Georgian language, the cultivation of … Continue reading

About Art – Paintings by Elene Akhvlediani

Elene Akhvlediani (Georgian: ელენე ახვლედიანი) (1898–1975) was a 20th century Georgian painter, graphic artist, costume designer and theater decorator. She is particularly known for her beautiful depictions of Georgian towns. Her studio in Tbilisi is now a museum (12, Kiacheli str., 0108, Tbilisi) exhibiting her landscape paintings, graphics, and set design works of different periods. … Continue reading

About Art – Paintings of Tbilisi by Borys Romanowski

Borys Romanowski (1879-1947) was a Polish artist who lived and worked in Tbilisi in the first half of the 20th century. His use of rich, earthy colors provide a vivid picture of daily life in Georgia’s capital. CLICK on the logo to visit GEORGIA ABOUT on Facebook and see photos and news about Georgia. Click LIKE on the page and become a friend of GEORGIA … Continue reading

About Sights – Statues in Tbilisi

Like most capital cities, Tbilisi honors famous people with statues and monuments. These are some of them. The sculpture of a man holding a horn in Tbilisi is modeled on an ancient Colchian statuette and is affectionately known as ‘Tamada’ (Georgian: თამადა) – toastmaster at Georgian feasts. The sculpture can be found at the beginning … Continue reading

About Literature – Nikoloz Baratashvili

Nikoloz Baratashvili (Georgian: ნიკოლოზ ბარათაშვილი) was a Georgian poet, affectionately known as Tato (ტატო). Born in Tiflis (Tbilisi) in 1817, Baratashvili died of malaria in Ganja, in Azerbaijan, at the age of 26. Unpublished at the time of his death, his poetry did not receive its deserved recognition until later in the 19th century when … Continue reading

About Sights – Egnate Ninoshvili Museum

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 … Continue reading

About Sights – The Giorgi Chitaia Open Air Museum of Ethnography (Georgian: გიორგი ჩიტაიას სახელობის ეთნოგრაფიული მუზეუმი ღია ცის ქვეშ)

The Giorgi Chitaia Open Air Museum of Ethnography (Georgian: გიორგი ჩიტაიას სახელობის ეთნოგრაფიული მუზეუმი ღია ცის ქვეშ) was founded in 1966 by the famous Georgian ethnographer Giorgi Chitaia, whose name it bears. The open-air museum is located on a hill overlooking the Vake district of Tbilisi. The 52 hectare site houses around 70 buildings that … Continue reading

About History – “Savage Svânetia” by Clive Phillipps-Wolley

“Savage Svânetia”, by Clive Phillipps-Wolley, was published in 1883 and describes the author’s experience of travelling in Svaneti in the late 19th century. Though it has a hunting focus, the book also vividly describes life and culture in this mountainous region in the northwestern part of Georgia. The book has several wonderful illustrations of the mountains, … Continue reading

About Art – Vasil Roinashvili (ვასილ როინაშვილი)

Vasil Roinashvili (ვასილ როინაშვილი) (1879-1958) studied the basics of photography in the studio of the famous Georgian photographer Alexander Roinashvili before traveling to Europe and Russia. In 1905 he returned to his homeland, settled in Telavi and married Sophio Kazakhashvili. He built a house and made a photo studio on the first floor. He also created a garden that … Continue reading