akaki wereTeli

1840-1915
Akaki Tsereteli

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 akaki
saqarTvelos mgosani

Akaki
The Great Poet of Georgia

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krebuli Seadgina da gamosacemad moamzada COMPILED AND PREPARED BY
giorgi kalandiam George Kalandia

dizaini DESIGNED BY
irakli zambaxiZe Irakli Zambakhidze

saredaqcio sabWo: EDITORIAL BOARD:

Teimuraz qoriZe Teimuraz Koridze
laSa baqraZe Lasha Bakradze
Tea TvalavaZe Tea Tvalavadze
irakli zambaxiZe Irakli Zambakhidze
sozar laSxi Sozar Lashkhi
arCil gelovani Archil Gelovani

avtorebi: AUTHORS:
giorgi kalandia George Kalandia
sozar laSxi Sozar Lashkhi
esma mania Esma Mania
mzia merkvilaZe Mzia Merkviladze
akaki baqraZe Akaki Bakradze
vasil amaSukeli Vasil Amashukeli

proeqtis menejeri PROJECT MANAGER

qeTevan guraSvili Ketevan Gurashvili

konsultantebi: CONSULTANTS:
marina goZiaSvili Marina Godziashvili
rusudan sixaruliZe Rusudan Sikharulidze
mari CxaiZe Mari Chkhaidze
veronika jaSi Veronika Jashi
nino nasiZe Nino Nasidze
maia naglaZe Maia Nagladze
uSangi ruxaZe Ushangi Rukhadze
Tamar maisuraZe Tamar Maisuradze
lelo WiWinaZe Lelo Chichinadze
irina moiswrafiSvili Irina Moistsrapishvili
klara maWaraSvili Klara Macharashvili
leila zabaxiZe Leila Zambakhidze
maia kapanaZe Maia Kapanadze
elene makasaraSvili Elene Makasarashvili
rima kapanaZe Rima Kapanadze

Targmani TRANSLATION
mari xaraiSvili Mary Kharaishvili

qarTuli teqstis redaqtori: GEORGIAN TEXT EDITOR

elene salariZe Elene Salaridze

inglisuri teqstis redaqtori ENGLISH TEXT EDITOR

qeiTi devisi Katie Davies

redaqtor-konsultanti EDITOR-CONSULTANT
Jiri rousi Jiri Rous

fotografi PHOTOGRAPHER
rafael arzumanovi Rapael Arzumanov

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 saqarTvelos kulturisa da ZeglTa dacvis saministro
Ministry of Culture and Monument Protection of Georgia

xelnawerTa erovnuli centri

National Centre of Manuscripts

xelnawerTa erovnuli centri

NATIONAL CENTRE OF MANUSCRIPTS

akaki wereTlis saxelmwifo muzeumi

Akaki Tsereteli State Museum

saqarTvelos daviT aRmaSeneblis saxelobis universiteti

David Aghmashenebeli University of Georgia

proeqti ganxorcielda saqarTvelos kulturisa da ZeglTa dacvis saministros xelSewyobiT, saqarTvelos xelovnebis sasaxlis,
saqarTvelos literaturis muzeumis, saqarTvelos xelnawerTa erovnuli centris, akaki wereTlis saxelmwifo muzeumis da
saqarTvelos daviT aRmaSeneblis saxelobis universitetis mier

THIS PROJECT WAS CARRIED OUT BY THE GEORGIAN MINISTRY OF CULTURE AND MONUMENT PROTECTION, GEORGIAN ART PALACE,
LITERATURE MUSEUM OF GEORGIA, GEORGIAN NATIONAL CENTRE OF MANUSCRIPTS, AKAKI TSERETELI STATE MUSEUM AND DAVID
AGHMASHENEBELI UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA.

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akaki wereTlis saxli sxvitorSi.
Akaki Tsereteli’s house in Skhvitori

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 akaki wereTeli - Suakaci casa da miwas Soris...

ara marto qarTuli erovnuli poezia da literatura, aramed saqarTve-

los istoriis erTi umniSvnelovanesi periodi - XIX saukunis 50-
iani wlebidan XX saukunis 20-ian wlebamde - akaki wereTlis gareSe
warmoudgeneli iqneboda. poeti, mwerali, publicisti, reJisori, sa-
zogado moRvawe, erovnul-ganmaTavisuflebeli moZraobis erT-erTi
lideri... diax, akaki wereTelsa da mis ganuzomel Rvawlze dausrule-
blad SeiZleba isaubro.
winamdebare gamocema mokrZalebuli mcdelobaa, warmoaCinos didi
poetisa da sazogado moRvawis, saqarTvelos bulbulad Seracxili
saxalxo mgosnis mravalmxrivi moRvaweoba.
krebuli rva ZiriTad Tavs moicavs, romlebSic ganxilulia aka-
kis cxovrebis rogorc sazogadod cnobili aspeqtebi, ise nakle-
bad Seswavlili da ganxiluli. am mxriv sayuradReboa saqarTvelos
xelovnebis sasaxleSi daculi saarqivo dokumentebi akaki wereT-
lis, rogorc reJisorisa da msaxiobis Sesaxeb; aseve gansakuTre-
buli aRniSvnis Rirsia xelnawerTa erovnul centrSi daculi Zvirfasi
dokumentebiT Seqmnili akakis sazogadoebrivi da SemoqmedebiTi
portreti; aRarafers vambobT saqarTvelos literaturis muzeumisa da
sxvitoris akaki wereTlis saxelmwifo muzeumis unikalur eqsponate-
bze. maTi saSualebiT mkiTxveli didi poetis rTulsa da amasTanave
ulamazes SemoqmedebiT cxovrebas gadaavlebs Tvals. krebuli uxvad
ilustrirebulia da, rac mTavaria, am ilustraciaTa umetesoba pirve-
lad ibeWdeba
saqarTvelos xelovnebis sasaxle akaki wereTlis dabadebidan
175 wlis iubilesa da gardacvalebidan 100 wlisTavs winamdebare
naSromiT egebeba, Tumca am sapasuxismgeblo saqmis ganxorciele-
ba SeuZlebeli iqneboda, rom ara Cveni kolegebis daxmareba. es
sayuradRebo naSromi oTxi didi samuzeumo da samecniero uwyebis
saintereso da efeqtiani TanamSromlobis Sedegia.
sasiamovno movaleobad migvaCnia madliereba gamovTqvaT
saqarTvelos kulturisa da ZeglTa dacvis saministros misamarTiT,
romlis mxardaWeriTac krebulis momzadeba da publikacia ganxor-
cielda.
Zvirfaso mkiTxvelo, vfiqrobT, warmodgenili krebuliT saSu-
aleba mogveca gagacnoT mamuliSvili, romelic Tavisi moRvaweobiT
saqarTvelos momavals qmnida; mamuliSvili, romelic casa da miwas
Soris Suakacisa da garemoebis sayviris rols Rirseulad asrulebda.

giorgi kalandia
xelovnebis sasaxlis direqtori

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 Akaki Tsereteli as a Link Between the Sky and the Earth

The existence of Akaki Tsereteli as a poet, writer, publicist, director, public

figure and one of the leaders of the Georgian National Liberation Movement is
essential not only for Georgian poetry and literature, but also for the fact he
lived during the most significant period of Georgian history.
The main goal of publishing this catalogue is to reveal the poet’s unmeas-
urable merit to Georgia. Among the eight basic chapters, the reader will find
out many unknown and interesting facts about Akaki’s life. From archive doc-
uments about Akaki, as an actor and director of theatre, preserved in the Art
Palace of Georgia, and documents about Akaki’s social and creative activities,
preserved in the Georgian National Centre of Manuscripts, to remarkable ex-
hibits preserved in the Literature Museum of Georgia and Akaki Tsereteli State
Museum in Skhvitori. All were major informative sources for the preparation of
this great catalogue, in which many photos are being published for the first time.
This catalogue is dedicated to the 175th anniversary of Akaki Tsereteli’s birth
and 100th year since his death. It is considerable that the outcome would not
have been so satisfactory without the help of researchers from the above four
state museums.
It is our pleasure to acknowledge the Ministry of Culture and Monument Pro-
tection of Georgia for the great support shown in this project, which was essen-
tial for the publication of this catalogue.
Dear reader, we hope that by reading this catalogue you will get to know a
man who contributed to creating the future of Georgia; a man who was the link
between the earth and the sky and who, quite simply, was a voice of the Georgian
people.

George Kalandia
Director of the Art Palace

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 akaki wereTeli
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Akaki Tsereteli

akaki wereTlis deda ekaterine abaSiZe.
1870-iani wlebi
Mother of Akaki, Ekaterine Abashidze. 1870s
akaki rostomis Ze wereTeli daibada 1840 wlis 9(21) ivniss ax-
landeli saCxeris municipalitetis sofel sxvitorSi, imereTis Se-
Zlebuli Tavadis ojaxSi. deda - ekaterine abaSiZe - imereTis mefis,
solomon I-is SviliSvilis Svili iyo, akakis mama - rostom rostomis
Ze wereTeli ki - sxvitoreli wereTlebis STamomavali. akaki bavS-
vobis wlebSi sofel savaneSi, glexis ojaxSi, ZiZasTan izrdeboda.
didma poetma yma glexis ojaxSi aidga fexi, amoidga ena, aq
Caeyara safuZveli yvela im uaRresad naz, spetak da keTilSobilur
grZnobas, romlebiTac akaki Semdeg daukavSirda mSobel xalxsa da
glexobas, maT bedsa da momavals. amas TviT poetic grZnobda da
siamovnebiT aRniSnavda: „ar SemiZlia ar gamovtyde, rom, Tuki ram
darCa CemSi kargi da keTili, ufro imis wyalobiT, rom me sofelSi
viyavi gabarebuli da glexis SvilebTan erTad vizrdebodi“.
gimnaziamde patara akakis, rogorc Cans, Sin amzadebdnen. yovel
SemTxvevaSi, poeti Tavis „TavgadasavalSi“ arafers ambobs imis
Sesaxeb, rom sadme skolaSi eswavlos. piriqiT, igi wers: „gimna-
ziaSi rom Sevedi, gavcecdi: imdeni bavSvi, erTad Tavmoyrili, Cem
dReSi ar menaxao“. „gimnaziaSi Sesvlisas, - aRniSnavs mgosani,
- xucuri vicodi, mxedruli wera-kiTxva Seswavlili mqonda da rusul
amosaRebSidac gatexili mqonda Tvali dedaCemis wyalobiT“.
1852 wlidan akaki quTaisis gimnaziaSi swavlobda, Tumca qalaqis
yofili klasikuri gimnaziis arqivSi daculi dokumentebis mixedviT
Cans, rom rostom wereTels 1859 wlis 7 Tebervals quTaisis guber-
niis saswavlebelTa direqtor pesoCinskis saxelze Txovna Seutania
Svilis gimnaziidan gayvanis Sesaxeb. direqcias rostomis Txovna
daukmayofilebia da akakisTvis miucia mowmoba.
gimnaziidan gamosvlis Semdeg ori Tve, marti da aprili, akakim
sofelSi gaatara. aprilis damlevs igi gamoeTxova ded-mamas, Tavis
mSobliur saxl-kars da gaudga Soreulsa da ucnob gzas ruseTisken!
am dros Wabuki akaki, - rogorc TviTon wers, „qveyanaSi Tvalgaux-
eleli, cxovrebaSi gamoucdeli da ocnebebiT gaberili“ iyo.
mSoblebma ucxo qveyanaSi mimaval Svils sagzaod xuTasi maneTi
aCuqes da Soreul mgzavrobasa da ucxo qalaqSi marto rom ar yofil-
iyo, erTguli Sinayma ivane kirkitaZe gaatanes. „bevris armcodnes
da sruliad arafris mnaxvels, - gviambobs poeti, - unda zRva gamev-
lo, xmeleTi gadamelaxa da erTi biWis amara Cavsuliyav peterburgSi,
sadac Cemi Zma meguleboda „kanvoiSi“ mosamsaxured“.
1859 wlidan akaki wereTeli peterburgis universitetis aRmosav-
leTmcodneobis fakultetze swavlobda. leqsebis wera poetma jer
kidev yrmobis asakSi daiwyo. 1859 wels igi ukve ramdenime dabe-
Wdili leqsis avtori iyo, xolo 1860 wels gamoqveynebulma lirikulma
leqsma „saidumlo baraTi“, romelic imTaviTve simReradac gavrcel-
da, axalgazrda poets farTo popularoba moutana.
1861 wlis ianvarSi akaki wers Tavis pirvel poema „ruseTumes“,
romlidanac ori Tavi, rogorc Cans, yvelaze ufro misaRebi, im-
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 Famed Georgian poet Akaki Tsereteli was born in the village of Skhvi-
tori, (Imereti, region of Western Georgia) on June 9 (21), 1840 to a promi-
nent Georgian aristocratic family. His father was Prince Rostom Tsereteli. His
mother, Princess Ekaterine Abashidze, was a granddaughter of King Solomon
I of Imereti. According to the old family tradition, Akaki spent his childhood
years living with a peasant family and was brought up by the peasant nanny, all
of which made him feel empathy for the peasant way of life in Georgia.
Before entering the Kutaisi Gymnasium in 1852, the poet received educa-
tion from his family. After graduation from the gymnasium in 1859, Akaki
continued his studies in Russia. With just 500 Maneti and a minor servant
with him, Akaki started a new life in a new country.
From 1852, Akaki became a student of the University of Saint Petersburg
in the Faculty of Oriental Languages. By 1859, several rhymes by the poet had
already been published, amongst which the most successful was ‘Saidumlo
Barati’ (Secret Letter) published in 1860.
In his first poem ‘Rusetume,’ Akaki refers to the gap between the young and
the old and in which he presents himself as the new and his family as the old
generation.
‘Meshuri’ was Akaki’s first social rhyme which refers to the unbearable con-
ditions of peasants in Georgia. Before the emancipation reform, the rhyme
was published in the newspaper ‘Tsiskari.’
With his friends Abel Cholokashvili, Alexandre Abkhazi and Rapiel Pat-
kanian, Akaki started to ready himself for the degree exam. In 1862, he rep-
resented the work paper, which referred to the prominent Georgian poem
‘Vepkhistkaosani’ (The Knight in the Panther’s Skin). The work was evaluated
with high marks but as a free attendant at the university, Akaki had to present
a certificate from the gymnasium. This he could not do and so he did not get
a diploma.
The same year the poet returned to Georgia and went on to meet many
well-known Georgian writers. He married and finally settled in Kutaisi. It is akaki wereTlis mama rostom wereTeli.
considerable that despite financial difficulties, Akaki never worked for the 1860-iani wlebi
government. He wrote hundreds of patriotic, historical, lyrical and satiric po- Farther of Akaki, Rostom Tsereteli. 1860s
ems, as well as humourous stories and an autobiographic novel. The rhymes
‘Poet’, ‘Changuri,’ ‘Tsitsinatela,’ ‘Mukhambazi’ and many others were published
in the journal ‘Tsiskari’ He was a founder of journal ‘Akakis Tviuri Krebuli’
(Monthly Works of Akaki) (1897-1900) and an editor of the journal ‘Khu-
mara’ (Jokester), which revealed the protest against the Tsarist regime; due to
which Akaki was imprisoned in 1907.
Akaki also participated in educational, journalistic and theatrical activi-
ties. He was friend of Prince Ilia Chavchavadze, a Georgian progressive in-
tellectual youth leader. During the 1860s, the adult generation of Georgians,
Akaki Tsereteli, Iakob Gogebashvili, Niko Nikoladze, Giorgi Tsereteli, and
Kirile Lortkipanidze, under the leadership of Ilia Chavchavadze, campaigned
for cultural revival and self-determination of the Georgian Nation. Akaki and
Ilia lead the Georgian National Liberation Movement.

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 droindeli cenzurisTvis, gamoqveynda Jurnal „ciskarSi“. akaki ase
aRniSnavs am nawarmoebis Sesaxeb: „es vrceli poema iyo. aq axali
Taobis tipad Cemi Tavi myavda gamoxatuli da Zveli Taobis tipad
- Cemive ojaxi“.
1861 wlis 19 Tebervals gamocxadda cnobili manifesti saglexo
„reformis“ Sesaxeb da am RirsSesaniSnav ambavs akaki exmaureba
leqsiT „muSuri“, romelSic udidesi siZlieriT aris gamoxatuli yma
glexobis daCagruli mdgomareoba. es leqsi, Tavis mxriv, warmoad-
gens erTgvar saTaves akakis socialuri poeziisa.
poetur SemoqmedebasTan erTad akaki ar iviwyebs universitetsac.
1861 wlis dasawyisidanve igi intensiurad emzadeba gamocdebisTvis,
- gadawyvita am wels Caebarebina yvela sagani da mieRo kandidatis
xarisxi. Tavisufal msmenelTaTvis universitetSi savaldebulo ar
iyo oTx weliwads swavla: roca surdaT, maSin Caabarebdnen gamoc-
das da waradgendnen sakandidato Txzulebas.
akakic ase moqceula. daviT arseniSvilis mier moZiebuli doku-
mentebis mixedviT irkveva, rom Cvens poetsa da mis amxanagebs,
agreTve gareSe msmenelebs - abel ColoyaSvils, aleqsandre abxaz-
sa da rafiel patkanians, uTxoviaT universitetis reqtorisTvis,
ufleba miscemodaT kandidatis xarisxze gamocdebis „daWerisa“.
es Txovna reqtors gadaucia gansaxilvelad aRmosavleTis enebis
fakultetisTvis.
1862 wels, martis 31-s, akakim Caabara ukanaskneli gamocda da
moipova ufleba sakandidato Txzulebis wardgenisa.
kirile lorTqifaniZis sityviT, akakis sakandidato Txzuleba
marTlac warudgenia. Tema aRebuli hqonia qarTuli literaturidan, sax-
eldobr, „vefxistyaosnis“ originalobis sakiTxi. am TxzulebaSi
gatarebuli mosazrebani Semdeg ufro vrclad akakis ganuviTarebia
Tavis leqciebSi „vefxistyaosnis“ Sesaxeb.
akakis es Txzuleba universitets mouwonebia da misi avtori Rir-
sad ucnia sakandidato diplomis miRebisa (akaki, rogorc Tavisufa-
li msmeneli, valdebuli iyo waredgina gimnaziis kursis damTavrebis
mowmoba, magram ar warudgenia da amis gamo verc diplomi miuRia).
1862 wels akaki wereTeli Camovida samSobloSi. ruseTidan dab-
runebul axalgazrda „wverosans“ didi sixaruliT dauxvdnen mSobliur
ojaxSi. amave wlis zafxulis damlevs akaki gaemgzavra Tbilisisken.
1863 wlis dasawyisSi akaki isev emSvidobeba droebiT Tavis
qveyanas da miemgzavreba ruseTisaen. 1864 weli akakim moskovSi
gaatara.
poeti gviambobs: „movrCi Tu ara universitets, gadavedi moskov-
Si. iq imave weliwads davcolSviliandi“. colis SerTvis Semdeg akaki
wereTeli sabolood dabrunda samSobloSi da sacxovrebel adgilad
quTaisi arCia. miuxedavad materialuri xelmokleobisa, akaki wereTeli
arasdros Sesula saxelmwifo samsaxurSi. mas udidesi damsaxureba mi-
uZRvis qarTvelTa Soris wera-kiTxvis gamavrcelebeli sazogadoebis

akaki wereTeli
moskovi. 1864 weli
Akaki Tsereteli. 14
Moscow. 1864
 The existence of Akaki Tsereteli and Ilia Chavchavadze appeared to be cru-
cial for maintaining the identity of the Georgian national language. Histori-
cal dramas and poems like: ‘Bagrat Didi’ (Bagrat the Great) (1875), ‘Tornike
Eristavi’ (1883), ‘Patara Kakhi’ (Little Kakhi) (1890), ‘Bashi-Achuki’ (1895-
1896), and ‘Gamzrdeli’ (1898) referred to global moralistic issues and were
essential works for the transitional period in Georgian.
Aside from educational, journalistic and theatrical activities, Akaki paid
attention to issues of Georgian manufacturing. It was he who encouraged the
production of manganese in Chiatura (Imereti region), Georgia. He managed
to maintain and save the deposits of manganese from the western capitalists
who wanted to control the full land resources.
In 1889, the Georgian banking society granted a permanent pension to
Akaki of 1500 Maneti a year.
In 1904, due to overwork, the poet became seriously ill. He was paralyzed
and was unable to see properly. From 1905-1907, he twice went to Paris for
treatment. He finished his poem ‘Vorontsov’ and wrote scenes of ‘Reaction’ in
Paris. In ‘Reaction,’ Akaki expressed his protest against the Tsarist regime and
positive attitude towards the 1905 revolution.
The assassination of Ilia Chavchavadze had a devastating effect on the poet.
On August 30, 1907, when the agents of the tsar murdered the great writer,
Akaki was already ill. He could not walk but despite his state, people took him
in hand and gave him the chance to attend the funeral. During the ceremony,
he finished his impressive speech with words for his friend Chavchavadze: ‘I
will also come to you soon.’
Great poet, writer and public figure Akaki Tsereteli died on January 25,
1915 at the age of 75. Akaki spent the last days of his life in his village Skhvi-
tori. He was buried at the Mtatsminda Pantheon in Tbilisi.

daarsebasa da mis mravalmxriv kulturul-saganmanaTleblo saqmianoba-

Si, qarTuli dramatuli sazogadoebis Seqmnasa da muSaobaSi, qar-
Tuli Jurnalistikis ganviTarebaSi, rogorc uaRresad nayofieri da
mniSvnelovani publicisturi moRvaweobiT, ise yovelTviuri Jurnal
„akakis Tviuri krebulis“ (1897-1900) daarsebiT. igi redaqtorobda
agreTve satirul-iumoristul Jurnals „xumara“, romlis anticaristuli
da erovnuli mimarTulebis gamo dapatimrebulic ki iyo (1907).
ilia WavWavaZesTan erTad akaki wereTeli saTaveSi Caudga
erovnul-ganmaTavisuflebel moZraobas saqarTveloSi da sityviTa
Tu saqmiT, daucxromlad, mizandasaxulad iRvwoda qarTveli xalxis
sulieri aRorZinebisa da erovnuli TviTSegnebis amaRlebisTvis.
swored erovnuli Tema iqca imTaviTve akaki wereTlis Semoqmedebis
laitmotivad.
akaki wereTeli TanamSromlobda Jurnal „ciskarSi“. amave Jurnal-
Si 1862 wels aqveynebs Tavis leqsebs „poeti“ da „Canguri“. avto-

akaki wereTeli
1870-iani wlebi

15 Akaki Tsereteli.1870s
 ria araerTi SesaniSnavi satrfialo leqsisa: „cicinaTela“ (1869),
„muxambazi“ - „rom icode Cemi gulis dardebi“ (1876) da sxv.
akaki wereTelma axali qarTuli saliteraturo enis ganviTarebis,
srulyofisa da xalxSi misi damkvidrebis did saqmeSi metad nayofi-
eri da mniSvnelovani roli Seasrula.
akakim da iliam gadamwyveti ieriSebi miitanes literaturul enaSi
arqauli stilisa da dialeqtis gabatonebis winaaRmdeg da TavianTi
mdidari SemoqmedebiTi praqtikiT gza gaukafes erTiani saxalxo-
literaturuli enis damkvidrebas, mis bunebriv ganviTarebas. akaki
imTaviTve xalxisTvis gasagebi eniT werda. amitom man, jer kidev
TaobaTa Soris mkacri brZolis dawyebamde, ganicada erTgvari Tav-
dasxma arqaistebis banakidan.
erovnuli TviTSegnebis aRorZinebaSi didi roli Seasrula akaki
wereTlis istoriulma poemebma da dramebma: „bagrat didi“ (1875),
„Tornike erisTavi“ (1883), „patara kaxi“ (1890); SesaniSnavma ro-
manma „baSi-aCuki“ (1895-1896) da sxv. udidesi aRmzrdelobiTi mniS-
vneloba hqonda poemas „gamzrdeli“ (1898), romelSic adamianuri
zneobis problemebia wamoWrili.
akaki wereTlis Semoqmedeba fasdaudebelia qarTveli xalxis suli-
eri kulturis istoriisTvis. man Rirseulad daimkvidra axali qarTu-
li literaturisa da saliteraturo enis reformatorisa da erT-erTi
fuZemdeblis saxeli. qarTvelma xalxma sicocxleSive Seracxa akaki
WeSmaritad saxalxo poetad. akakis mravali leqsi qarTveli xalxis
cxovrebis ganuyrel Tanamgzavrad iqca.
1870 wels akaki wereTelma yuradReba miaqcia WiaTuris Savi qvis
(manganecis) sabadoebs. qarTuli manganecisa da tyibulis qvanax-
Siris nimuSebi akakim gagzavna ruseTis centralur qalaqebsa da saz-
RvargareT. cnobili qarTveli mwerali da sazogado moRvawe giorgi
wereTeli werda: „Savi qvis warmoeba pirvelad Cvenma poetma akaki
wereTelma daiwyo. pirveli nimuSebi... manve gagzavna evropasa da
akaki wereTeli. 1870-iani wlebi
ruseTSi. pirveli „partia“ Savi qvisa amis saxeliT gavida evropis
bazarSi“.
Akaki Tsereteli. 1870s
WiaTuris manganeciT dainteresdnen evropeli kapitalistebi da
moindomes am Zvirfasi sabadoebis xelSi Cagdeba. akaki wereTelma
sastiki winaaRmdegoba gauwia maT mtaceblur miswrafebas da presaSi
TavgamodebiT eweoda propagandas, raTa adgilobriv mesakuTreebs
xelidan ar gaeSvaT es simdidre da ucxoelTa xelSi ar CaegdoT igi.
1889 wels quTaisis saadgilmamulo bankis sazogado krebam akakis
dauniSna samudamo pensia wliurad aTas xuTasi maneTis odenobiT.
am movlenas mxurvaled gamoexmaura maSindeli presa.
1904 wlis oqtomberSi, daZabuli Sromisa da mudam Seviwroebuli
cxovrebis Sedegad, akakis dambla daeca. mTeli mowinave qarTveli
sazogadoeba SeaSfoTa am ambavma. dekembris bolos akaki mom-
jobinda, sikvdils gadaurCa, magram mis saxes daRi daaCnda. farTod
veRar axelda Tvalebs. 1905 wlis gazafxulze poeti ucxoeTSi gae-

16
mgzavra samkurnalod, imave wlis seqtembris damdegs ki isev dab-
runda samSobloSi.
1907 wlis 30 agvistos avazakurad mokles ilia WavWavaZe. ilias
dasaflavebas didZali xalxi daeswro. gansakuTrebiT mZime iyo aka-
kis gamoTxovebis wuTebi. „didi amaRelvebeli momenti iyo, roca
sasaxlis quCaze procesia gaaCeres da sastumro „kavkazidan“ xeliT
Camoiyvanes maSin avadmyofi akaki wereTeli, romelmac grZnobiT
savse sityva warmosTqva. bolos atirda da miaZaxa: „mec male moval
SenTan, ilia!“
1908 wlis 7 dekembers qarTvelma xalxma zeimiT aRniSna say-
vareli poetis samwerlo-sazogadoebrivi moRvaweobis 50 wlisTavi.
1909 wlis ivlisSi akaki wereTeli samkurnalod xelmeored gae-
mgzavra parizSi. safrangeTis dedaqalaqSi akakim daasrula Tavisi
poema „voroncovi“. parizSive dawera akakim scenebi „reaqcia“,
romelSic gamoxata Tavisi dadebiTi damokidebuleba 1905 wlis rev-
oluciisadmi da mrisxane guliswyroma mefis xelisuflebis barbaro-
suli sisastikis winaaRmdeg.
1910 wlis Tebervlis damlevs akaki wereTeli samSobloSi dabrunda.
1914 wels mxcovani poeti fizikurad dauZlurda. miuxedavad amisa,
igi kvlav intensiur SemoqmedebiT cxovrebas ganagrZobda, daZabu-
lad muSaobda poemaze „omi“, undoda igi saswrafod daemTavrebina.
21 dekembers, SromiT daRlili da fizikurad dasustebuli akaki sax-
lis mouravma, kote abduSeliSvilma, quTaisidan sxvitorSi Caiyvana.
24 dekembers poets kvlav dambla daeca. es friad samwuxaro am-
bavi elvis siswrafiT moedo mTel saqarTvelos. xalxi gafacicebiT
adevnebda Tvalyurs sayvareli poetis janmrTelobis mdgomareobas.
saqarTvelos yvela kuTxidan Cadiodnen sxvitorSi akakis sanaxavad.
peterburgidan Camovida poetis Svili aleqsi.
1915 wlis 25 ianvars avadmyofs kvlav Caeqca sisxli tvinSi da
Ramis pirvel saaTze saqarTvelos mgosani gardaicvala.
akaki wereTeli
madlierma qarTvelma xalxma 75 wlis poeti sazogado moRvaweTa
mTawmindis panTeonSi miabara miwas.
Akaki Tsereteli

17
akaki wereTeli da misi diswuli aneta dadiani-dadeSqeliani
Tbilisi. 1901 weli
fotografi abram nordStein

Akaki Tsereteli with his niece Aneta Dadiani-Dadeshkeliani

Tbilisi. 1901
Photo by Abraham Nordstein 18
 akaki wereTlis vaJi aleqsi da meuRle natalia bazilevskaia
parizi. 1909 weli

Akaki’s son Alex and wife Natalia Bazilevskaya

Paris. 1909
19
20
 akaki da imereTi
Akaki and Imereti

21
akaki wereTeli naTesavebTan imereTze, saCxeresa da sxvitorze didi mgosani akaki wereTeli
Tavisi saxlis win. arcTu xSirad da Tanac im kuTxiT gvmoZRvravs, rac samomavlod
sxvitori. 1899 weli gamosasworebeli da gasaTvaliswinebelia. Tumca aqve unda iTqvas,
rom albaT ise dawvrilebiT, rogorc akaki mogviTxrobs mSobliur
Akaki with his relatives in front of his house
kuTxeze, arc geografs an eTnografs, anda istorikoss eqneba aR-
Skhvitori. 1899
werili iseTi momentebi da movlenebi, rogorsac mgosnis maxvili
Tvali da smena amCnevs.
akakis Zalian uyvarda Tavisi mSobliuri kuTxe, mamiseuli da ZiZi-
seuli samkvidro.
avtobiografiul nawarmoebSi „Cemi Tavgadasavali“ akaki ase agvi-
wers mamiseul kar-midamosa da bavSvobis pirvel STabeWdilebebs:
„miyvars sazogadod bavSvi, uguliTadesad pativsa vcem moxucebu-
lobas, Rirseulad vafaseb vaJkacobas, magram guli ki Wabukobisaken
mimiwevs da yvelaze ufro imas SefrqveviT vetrfialebi!.. albaT,
amis mizezi unda iyos, rom wylebSiac yovelTvis mdinaris xevis
giJmaJi wyali mirCevnia da maTSi ki upiratesobas erTs maTgans,
Cixuras vaZlev: is iyo Cemi sakuTari embazi da Cemi pirveli sarke“.

22
 The great poet Akaki Tsereteli rarely writes about Imereti and Skhvitori. He
mainly simulates an interest on the reformatory issues of this area. Yet neither
geographer, ethnographer nor historian can express the concept of homeland
in such detail as Akaki does.
We may say that there is no issue referring to society, culture or politics that
was not discussed and responded to by Akaki. He knew perfectly the histori-
cal and contemporary circumstances of the region; the problems, traditions,
language and the mood of the people in Imereti, which is how he managed to
share and express their thoughts, sorrows and aspirations.
Akaki loved his homeland very much. In his autobiography ‘My Adventure,’
he describes the paternal courtyard and gives an impression of his childhood.
He writes: ‘Though I love a child, respect senility and appreciate bravery, my
heart still prefers adolescence. The reason might be the fact that I have always
loved the crazy steam of the ravine. In the mountains, the river ‘Chikhura’ is
exceptional for me as it was a mirror of my very thoughts.’
Reading Akaki’s works about Skhvitori, a person might question how he
was able to give such detailed information about this village. The reason is ap-
parent. He grew up living with peasants there; as a part of their daily life. By
the age of 6 he knew perfectly how to look after cattle, prepare dinner, bake,
tidy, hoe, and sow.
Spending his childhood with his peasant nanny was a wonderful experi-
ence for Akaki, one that lasted forever. He did not like to work in a cornfield
because nobody had free time for him. As for the grazing, he loved being in
the thick of calm quiet nature. It was the paradise to which he used to run in
the early morning without shoes or hat.
For the poet, no child could feel such an incomparable spirit of nature un-
less he had grown up in a village. A child in the village always sees the vari-
ety of nature. In his literature, Akaki used lots of stories and songs from his
villagers. Some of them were pipers, some of them tale-tellers. But the most
influential book for young Akaki was ‘Vepkhistqaosani’ (The Knight in the
Panther’s Skin). He was around eight years old when he first read this poem
and although the story was not easy to comprehend, he still felt excited by
Rustaveli’s work.
The first journey to Kutaisi was no ordinary one for Akaki. He had injured
his ankle by axe while making a bow. ‘I was frightened not because of the pain,
I just didn’t wanted my parents to get angry with me. I collected some hay, put
a strip of cotton on the wound and tied it tightly. The same evening everybody
knew about my injury. For half a year I was treated but the result was not good.
My veins were so badly weakened that I was not able to walk properly. At that
time, my father was appointed a deputy in Kutaisi and my mother asked him
to take me to another doctor there. As I could not spread my legs, they sat me
on a women’s saddle so that my leg was secure. It was a two-day journey to
Kutaisi and during the journey I stretched my leg unexpectedly with the result
that no doctor was needed anymore. Akaki was about 6-7 years old when he
first visited Kutaisi. There was no gymnasium there yet and his education only

23
 momavali poeti izrdeboda glexis bavSvebTan. mis cnobierebaSi
pataraobidanve Rrmad aRibeWda soflis cxovrebis suraTebi. igi uSu-
alod monawileobda Tevzaobasa Tu sokos mogrovebaSi, yvavilebisa
Tu mxaleulis krefaSi, simindis yanis Toxnasa Tu xorblis aRebis
procesSi.
ZiZasTan gatarebuli bavSvobis wlebi iyo is udidesi skola, romel-
ic akakis sicocxlis bolomde gahyva. igi glexebTan yanaSi guls
ver udebda, radgan misTvis aravis ecala, samagierod, „samwyemsurSi
wasvla, mindvrad da tyeSi“ da iq darCena misTvis samoTxeSi Sesvla
iyo. soflad xalxuri poeziis gacnobam da Semdeg misma Seswavlam
udidesi da gadamwyveti gavlena iqonia akakis poetur Semoqmedebaze.
zemo imereTSi da kerZod sofel sxvitorSi bevri kargi mestvire,
moSaire da mezRapre yofila. maTgan gagonili bevri Zveli ambavi
da gadmocema samudamod CarCenia gulSi poets da Semdeg gamouy-
enebia siuJetad Tavis nawerebSi. magram patara akakis gonebisa
da fantaziis ganviTarebaze marto xalxur zepirsityvaobas rodi
mouxdenia gavlena. misTvis udidesi mniSvneloba hqonda agreTve
im pirvel wigns, romelsac mSoblebis ojaxSi gaecno. „ukanasknel
weliwads, - wers akaki im droze, rodesac igi merve weliwadSi iyo
gadamdgari, - bevrs aRar davrbodi, radganac adrindeli TavSesaqcevi
yovelgvari TamaSoba momwyinda da ufro sxva safiqrals gavyevi.
amis mizezi iyo „vefxistyaosani“. wavikiTxe Tavidan bolomde da
Tumca zRapruli mxaris meti ara gamigia ra, magram mainc Zalian
gatacebuli viyavi“... „amgvari iyo saerTo xazebSi, patara akakis
fizikuri, zneobrivi da gonebrivi momzadebis done im xanebSi,
rodesac saswavlebelSi wasvlis drom moaRwia. mSoblebmac gadawy-
vites bavSvis gamgzavreba quTaisSi“...
manamde patara akakis pirveli gamgzavreba quTaisSi erT araCveu-
lebriv SemTxvevasTan iyo dakavSirebuli. es moxda, roca zamTris
piras patara akaki da misi fareSebi mSvild-kodalas amzadebdnen.
akakis waldi koWSi mourtyams. „tkivils ise ar Sevuwuxebivar, ro-
gorc SiSs, vaiTu gamiwyren-meTqi. movagrove ablabuda, davidevi
sqlad gaWrilze, zed bamba davide da Sevikari magrad. mindoda ara-
visTvis gamemxila, magram im Rames qveSagebSi Semxsnoda da sisx-
lis tba damdgariyo. rasakvirvelia, gaiges, miaqimes, magram naxevari
wlis ganmavlobaSi tkivili ar damcxromia. bolos movrCi, magram
ZarRvebi ki ise damisustda, muxli momeRuna da davkutdi. bevri mia-
qimes, magram ara meSvela ra. im xanebSi mamaCemi deputatad dainiS-
na quTaisis saTavadaznauro komisiaSi. dedaCemma urCia, rom mec
waveyvane quTaisSi da eqimebisaTvis eCvenebina Cemi Tavi. radganac
fexis gamarTva ar SemeZlo, qalis unagirze Semsves, gadamadebines
Sexveuli fexi da ise wamiyvanes. quTaisamde ori dRis savali iyo.
gzaSi unagirze Turme fexi gamemarTa. aRarc eqimi damWirvebia da
aRarc wamali“.
es iyo quTaisTan akakis pirveli Sexvedra...

24
began when he was 10 years old, in 1950. By that time he could read and write
in old Georgian language ‘Mkhedruli’, he also knew Russian and Khutsuri. All
these he managed with the help of his mother.
The first impression little Akaki got was the number of children; he had
never seen so many children together before. Kutaisi itself used to look more
like a village, though it was one of the important provinces of Georgia. In Jan-
uary 1957, when Akaki was in 7th grade, Alexandre Dumas (senior) visited
Kutaisi and wrote his impressions about it. ‘This is a city which is located on
the left side of a river. It is a wonderful place for trade and for different kinds of
treatments, especially for fever. It looks like a lovely big village where there are
scattered many houses…’ Akaki spent more than 10 years in Kutaisi. He often
visited the city after graduation, but he rarely narrates its life in his works.
When he returned from Moscow he visited his old friends and neighbors,
visiting the house where he grow up, which he missed very much. The poet
did not stay there for long, however, as he wanted to start a new active public
life. He went to Kutaisi. In the city, the situation was exactly the same as he
had left it in three years ago; lifeless and inactive. The only challenge for its
habitants was choosing which was better- to play lotto, preference or dance.
akakis saxli sxvitorSi
Akaki dedicated an article to this issue. ‘Hard drinking by lotto in Kutaisi’ was
Akaki’s house in Skhvitori

25
26
 akaki wereTeli naTesavebTan.
sxvitori. 1899 weli
Akaki with his relatives
Skhvitori. 1899
27
 quTaisi akakis mowafeobis dros sagubernio centri iyo, Tumca
garegnulad da mcxovrebTa umetesi nawilis saqmianobiT ufro did
sofels waagavda. 1859 wlis ianvarSi, rodesac akaki meSvide klasSi
iyo, quTaisSi Tbilisidan gzad gaiara cnobilma frangma mweralma
aleqsandre diumam (mamam), romelmac Tavis mogzaurobaTa wignSi
aRwera am qalaqisgan miRebuli STabeWdilebebi: „axlandeli qalaqi,
gaSenebulia mdinaris marcxena napirze, dablobSi, mas Zalian kargi
mdebareoba aqvs vaWrobisaTvis, magram kidev ukeTesi ciebisaTvis.
igi did sofels ufro waagavs, vidre qalaqs da warmoadgens Tval-
warmtac midamoSi mimobneuli saxlebis krebas“...
aT weliwadze meti icxovra akakim quTaisSi swavlisas da Sem-
dgomSi, mTeli sicocxlis ganmavlobaSi Zalian xSiri stumari iyo
misi. Tumca aqve SegviZlia aRvniSnoT, rom garda mowafeobis xanis
epizodebisa, akaki arafers mogviTxrobs quTaisis yofa-cxovrebis
Sesaxeb gimnaziis periodidan...
1862 wels ruseTidan dabrunebuli akaki didi siyvaruliT aTvalier-
ebda Tavis kar-midamos, ezo-baRs, moikiTxa moxucebuli Tanaso-
flelebi, Tavisi bavSvobis megobari glexebi, didxans ar darCenila
sofelSi, guli gareT miuwevda. „axalgazrda poets swyuroda sazoga-
doebaSi gasvla, xalxis gacnoba, cxovrebis farTo asparezze fexis
Sedgma“. is gaemgzavra quTaisSi.
„imereTis dedaqalaqi didad ar gamocvliliyo. igive yru, mivard-
nili daba iyo, rogoric man datova sami wlis winaT. quTaTuri sa-
zogadoebis kamaTis sagans im xanebSi erTi metad „Rrma problema“
Seadgenda, saxeldobr, ver gaerkviaT, romeli sjobda, loto, prefer-
ansi Tu cekva“. akakim am „problemas“ 1861 wels miuZRvna werili
„lotoTi loToba quTaisSi“, sadac aRniSnavs, rom „loto arc aris
Cveni bunebrivi TamaSi da arc misTana saTamaSo; rom lotos Tama-
Si eklesiaze mimosvlas amcirebs, mosaxleobis zrunvas atevebinebs
da saamo Sekrebas qalTa arRvevs“. igi xazgasmiT miuTiTebs sazog-
adoebis ganaTlebisken swrafvaze, samkiTxveloebis, biblioTeke-
bisa da Teatraluri dadgmebis aucileblobaze.
quTaisSi akakis didi megobroba hqonda iakob nikolaZisa da besa-
rion xelTufliSvilebis ojaxebSi. gansakuTrebuli megobroba hqonda
niko nikolaZis debTan, kerZod anastasiasTan (aniCkasTan). „akakis
Zlier uyvarda nikolaZeebis mxiarul, megobrul wreSi saaTobriv da
zogjer mTeli dReobiT darCena“. anastasiasadmi megobruli grZnoba
akakim SeubRalavad Seinaxa mTeli sicocxle. rusudan nikolaZe axasi-
aTebs akakis damokidebulebas aniCkasadmi da wers: „es iyo „Cerni-
SevCkiseburi“ megobroba rCeuli bunebis, gulisa da gonebis qalTan,
siyvaruliT savse pativiscemiT aRbeWdili“. „aniCka nikolaZesTan
megobrobas, - ganagrZobs Cveni avtori, - rogorc Cans poetis mi-
moweridan, Rrma kvali hqonda gavlebuli akakis gulSi. kerZo werileb-
Si poeti mas sanugeSo megobars uwodebs. TviT aniCkam ki, SeiZleba
Tamamad iTqvas, mTeli Tavisi guli da piradi cxovreba Seswira am

28
a piece in which he indicated that lotto was not a Georgian national game. He
also referred to educational issues and said that an education did not disrupt
people from attending church or looking after their families. He underlines
the importance of literacy, libraries and theatre performances. “When I visited
Kutaisi, in the gymnasium I met with Mosidze, a Georgian teacher, who told
me that we should try and organize a theatre play for the people in Kutaisi
who had heard a lot about the theatre but had never seen a real performance.
The idea was attractive but because of Georgian traditions we could hardly
imagine that any woman would agree to participate in a play. An alternative
was to disguise boys as women. However, two brave women, Nino Abashidze
and her friend Kekela Iashvili, joined us and we started rehearsals for the play
‘Mzis dabneleba’ (Solar eclipse). The spectators for the most part seemed to be
satisfied, though for some the play was merely a joke. Yet we still conducted
three performances in that winter.”
Akaki got on well with the families of Nikoladze and Kheltuplishvili. Ana-
stasia Nikoladze (sister of Nunko Nikoladze) and Akaki had an especially close
friendship. ‘Anastasia (Anichka) obviously had a deep influence on the poet’s
feelings and inspiration; he always cherished this sincere sense of friendship.’-
writes Rusudan Nikoladze. As for Anichka, all her life she managed to keep
hidden those deep feelings which existed between her and Akaki.
Akaki often held cognitive evenings with his friends Mamia Gurieli, Nino
Orbeliani, Giorgi Tumanishvili (old captain), Giorgi Agiashvili and his wife
Natalia (daughter of Dadiani), Kekela Agiashvili and others. Those present
would drink tea and recite poetry. “One evening we stayed up almost until
dawn. Akaki said that he wanted to sleep and left us. We had some tea and
continued reciting poems. There was debate about who would get the right to
read Akaki’s poem. Of course Mamia got this right as they were close friends.”
remembers Nino Orbeliani.
In 1967 Akaki participated in a literary evening on behalf of ‘Free School of
Women’ in Kutaisi. The wife of count Levashov, a governor at that time, was
trying to obtain financial support by donations and charities. Akaki read his
newly written work ‘Scenebi Sabkrobileshi’ (Scenes in a Jail) on the stage. ‘I
have to admit that the story was not special, but it received applause from the
audience, they even asked me to read it once more,’ said Akaki. The same year
Akaki set of on an organized tour during which time a company of actors con-
ducted the performance ‘Kvarkvare Atabegi’ by G. Eristavi. The leading roles
belonged to Akaki and Epro Kldiashvili. The audience was so excited during
the play that some of them truly believed that the play was real. It is consider-
able that this was the first guest performance held in Georgia and the initiator
of this historical event was Akaki Tsereteli.
While living in Kutaisi, the poet endured hard days. There were many re-
quests for him to start working in the public service but Akaki never turned
from his position. He knew that his foremost duty to his country was to write
as much as possible. As a result of his satire, many officials and noblemen
held a negative attitude towards him. That said, there was other group of peo-

29

akakis da - ana wereTeli,
diswuli - aneta dadiani-dadeSqeliani,
akakis siZe - jansuR dadeSqeliani,
akaki wereTeli da anetas Svilebi.
sxvitori. 1899 weli
Akaki’s Sister - Anna Tsereteli,
niece - Aneta Dadiani-Dadeshkeliani,
son-in-law - Jansul Dadeshkeliani,
Aneta’s children and Akaki
Skhvitori. 1899
megobrobas, - akakis Cangsa da pirovnebas da Seswira miseburad:
srulad da unaSTod; da ise Cumad, ise gulCaTxrobilad, rom es aravis
ar scodnia danamdvilebiT, garda mis da akakisa... aniCkasa da misi
debis, agreTve xelTufliSvilebis wreSi akaki poulobda gulwrfel
megobrul pativiscemas, poeziisa da kulturis siyvaruls, samSoblo-
sadmi erTgulebisa da samsaxuris samagaliTo nimuSs“.
1867 wlis zafxulSi akaki monawileobs quTaisis qalTa ufaso
skolis sasargeblod gamarTul saliteraturo saRamoSi: „am dros
quTaisSi gubernatorad iyo grafi levaSovi da misi meuRle grafinia
levaSovisa, romlis xelSic „qalTa ufaso skola gaxsnes“, scdilob-
da rom, riTac ki SeiZleboda: SemowirulobiT, qvelmoqmedebiT, Tu
sxvebr rogorme im skolisaTvis moegrovebia rame, da am mizniT
erTxel saliteraturo saRamo gaimarTa... bolos gamovedi scenaze
mec, „scenebi sapyrobileSi“ axali dawerili mqonda da daviwye misi
sxva da sxva xmiT kiTxva zepirad, - unda gamovtyde, rom is kiTxva
didi ara iyo ra, magram gamofxizlebul publikas moewona, atyda
sicil-xarxari da imdenad moewona, rom iTxova ganmeoreba“.
amave wlis Semodgomaze akakis iniciativiT quTaisis scenis-
moyvareTa wre sagastrolo speqtakls marTavs TbilisSi, sadac war-
30
ple, mostly of the young generation, who greatly understood and appreciat-
ed his talent. The Maecenas and owner of the hotel ‘Kolkhida,’ G. Chelidze
guaranteed Akaki a permanent apartment in his hotel. The families of Iakob
Nikoladze and Besarion Kheltuplishvili would encouraged and stimulate him
in overcoming his obstacles and keeping the spirit of writing.
In the 1870s Akaki became close friends with Rapiel Eristavi and other
intellectuals. In 1868-70 Rapiel Eristavi used to work as a magister in Kutaisi
court; though it did not prevent him participating in literary evenings and
theatrical performances with Akaki. ‘I took part in a charity performance
which was held by the wife of Count Levashov, Governor of Kutaisi. Countess
Levashova was trying to obtain some financial support for the ‘Free School of
Women’ by donations and charities. While teachers of history, zoology, botany
occupied the stage the audience seemed slumber; then I took to the stage and
read my newly written work ‘Scenebi Sabkrobileshi’ (Scenes in a Jail); I have
to admit that the story was not special, but it appeared to be so spectacular
for the audience that they even asked me to read it once again. Consequently,
Countess Levashova decided to hold one such performance a week. She im-
posed responsibility on Rapiel Eristavi who then asked me for the help and
we started working together. At first we arranged a stage in a public hall; and
then scheduled one performance each Sunday. It was obvious that this way of
working was more profitable, as only by the theatre’s revenue it was possible to
cover all school expenses.’
Close friends Akaki Tsereteli, Epro (Eprosine) Kldiashvili, Rapiel Eristavi
and Zakaria Cheishvili did not stop in Kutaisi and went on to hold the first
Georgian performance in Tbilisi.
The playbill proclaimed: “Today at 8:00 o’ clock; a comedy based on „Be-
tween the Old and the New’ by Akaki Tsereteli. will be staged in five acts.
Language- Georgian. Location- the house of Archi Mukhran-Batoni; near the
bridge of ‘Mukhrani.’ Tickets are available from the editorial bureau of ‘Droe-
ba’; and on location. Price: arm-chair 3 Maneti, chair 2 Maneti.”
The 19th century researcher of public figures, Iona Meunargia remem-
bers: “At the end of 1860s intellectuals of the time would gather with several
families. One of them was the family of Giorgi Gogoberidze, who fixed one
day a week just for intellectual evenings. Such gatherings were unique as the
participants of these evenings were Akaki Tsereteli, Dimitri Bakradze, Petre
Nakashidze, Solomon Leonidze, Erotei Sidamon-Eristavi, David Bakradze,
Data Eristavi, Gerasime Kalandarishvili; and sometimes Giorgi Tsereteli,
Niko Nikoladze and Sergei Meskhi. Many new compositions would be read
at these gatherings. Among others, Mamia Gurieli used to read his rhymes
there. These were people who precisely understood Akaki’s ideology, thoughts
and works; who estimated, criticized and praised Akaki’s works. Such intellec-
tual evenings had a great influence on the young generation of Kutaisi. Both
graduates and under graduates learned that education and patriotism was as
significant and essential for Georgia as a feeling of nationalism and love of the
Georgian language.” Among the adults, G.Chaladideli was one who dedicated

31
sxvitori. akaki wereTlis kar-midamo. saukunovani kaklis xe

The Country Estate of Akaki. Centennial Nut Tree, Skhvitori

32
a rhyme to Akaki. For his part, Akaki also responded and wrote a rhyme. In
1870 Niko Nikoladze persuaded the poet to move to Tbilisi, explaining that
Akaki needed vaster scope and for him the capital city would be more useful.
However, after just five years, in 1875, Akaki went back to Kutaisi and contin-
ued living in hotel ‘Kolkhida’; where he had only one bed, two old armchairs,
two chairs of flax and one small table. “On September 7th, early morning, I
heard a strange whisper. The whisper woke me up; I opened my eyes and saw
the poet in his shoes, in his underwear, shirt and a thin summer coat, walking
in his room and talking with his muse. I pretended that I was not listening
to him. Though, as soon as the muse left him, he quickly called me: ‘Aristo,
Aristo, stand up and write!’ The wonderful rhyme ‘Agmart Agmart mivdiodi
me nela’, (I was slowly going up and up) was created in this way.”
As mentioned above, Akaki would actively participate in the cultural, so-
cietal and political life of his country. The poet’s interference in the trial of
the Svani rebellion (1875-76) is a good example of his attitude towards op-
pressed peasants. In the trial, as a protector of the peasants, he made an official
speech, which was described a real work of art in its content and form. He
indicated that the reasons for the rebellion were the illegal and unfair actions
of the governors. Akaki addressed, with exaggerated respect and biting irony,
the administration of Svaneti. He condemned measures of compulsion, which
did not consider peasants’ demands. Unfortunately, the trial finished in the
government’s favor. Despite the attempts of Akaki, Ilia, and Niko Nikoladze,
the rebels were sentenced to penal servitude in Siberia. Most of the years of
his youth Akaki had spent in Kutaisi. The poet dedicated many rhymes to the
city, though as a progressive intellectual, he often emphasized the faulty and
outdated customs of the city. In his rhyme ‘Kutaisi,’ he perfectly reveals the
history and reality of the city. He remembers ruined fortresses, the Golden
Fleece and Medea and Jason. He admires the abnormal character of Kutaisi,
where it is possible to experience winter in the summer and summer in the
winter. He compares the city to paradise.
On May 8, 1882, Akaki delivered lectures on the poem ‘The Knight in the
Panther’s Skin.’ The lectures were special for the audience as they contained
discussions about people from different regions of Georgia. ‘You can always
distinguish an Imerelian man from others,’ Akaki said. ‘For these are people
who always complain about not having money.
“A man from Imereti will die of hunger but will not buy a loaf of bread. It is
better for him to wait until others help him. The slyness of this man is appar-
ent in his behavior and appearance. If he wants to tell you a story he will start
by telling you some other information; this means that he is preparing you for
the main story. He never insults or praises you to your face. If he intends to
say something bad, he just speaks in a very sophisticated manner so that you
don’t even notice he is insulting you. The same happens in the case of praise;
he doesn’t want others to see that he regards somebody with favor and while
praising he uses words which are more appropriate for insulting people. When
it is needed, this man can become foolish as well as intelligent and always acts

33
sxvitori. akaki wereTlis saxlis aivani

The Balcony of Akaki’s house. Skhvitori

34
35
moadgines giorgi erisTavis „yvaryvare aTabagi“. warmodgenaSi
monawileobdnen akaki da efro kldiaSvili. efro menaxSiris qalis
rols TamaSobda da „ise gaitaca publika, rom zogierTebs isterika
mouvida. yaraman orbelianma, romelic muxlze fexSemodebuli ijda
pirvel wyebaSi, daiRriala: gaiyvaneT eg moTamaSe, Tvara dagvxocao.
es pirveli sagastrolo warmodgenaa, saerTod, qarTuli Teatris mier
mowyobili da amis organizator-iniciatori iyo didi mgosani.
akakis bevrjer SesTavazes saxelmwifo dawesebulebebSi samsax-
uri, magram poeti mtkiced idga im poziciaze, rom samSoblos garda
aravisi msaxuri ar yofiliyo. misi literaturuli moRvaweobis wyalo-
biT poets bevri mimdevari hyavda. mas almacerad ucqerda rogorc
mTavroba, aseve TavadaznaurTa is nawili, romelTac araerTxel Se-
exo akakis satira. mas Zalian gauWirda: „did gaWirvebaSi Cavvardi.
unda Tavze xeli ameRo da sxvebis neba-survils avyolodi, magram
me gavkerpdi da ver vuRalate sakuTar Tavs. col-Svili gavistumre
sofelSi da ulukmapurod, SiSveli, usaxlkarod darCenili, mainc ara-
vis vepuebodi da Cemsas ar viSlidi, maSindeli Cemi mdgomareoba
mSvenivrad gamoxata gulmosulma besarion RoRoberiZem; magasTan
brZola SeuZlebeliao! ra unda waarTva, an ra unda daaklo, rom ara ab-
adia rao!.. Wama-smas ar dagidevs da dasawol-saxuravs!.. marto hyefs
da iRrinebao!“
magram ase rodi fiqrobda akakis Sesaxeb quTaisis axalgazrdoba
da mowinave sazogadoeba. mZime materialuri gaWirvebisas poets
gamouCnda mecenati, quTaisis sastumro „kolxidis“ patroni g. Wel-
iZe, romelmac akakis Tavis sastumroSi miuCina ufaso oTaxi da
saWmel-sasmeli. am periodSi akakis sulier TanagrZnobas uwevda ia-
kob nikolaZisa da besarion xelTufliSvilis ojaxebi. „es ori ojaxi
iyo, rom mamxnevebda, xels miwyobda, guls mikeTebda da mec ufro
Seupovrad da gabedviT mivdiodi Cemi gziT momavlis molodinSi“.
samocdaaTian wlebSi poeti ufro mWidrod uaxlovdeba quTaisuri
inteligenciis mowinave warmomadgenlebs da maT Soris rafiel er-
isTavsac, romelic 1868-1870 wlebSi momrigebel mosamarTled msax-
urobda quTaisSi. maTTan erTad akaki awyobs da xalisiT monawile-
obs saliteraturo saRamoebsa da Teatralur warmodgenebSi.
aucilebelia gavecnoT im garemos, romelSic trialebda akaki
quTaisSi, vin iyvnen pirveli da uSualo msmenelebi, damfaseblebi
da kritikosebi akakisa, romlebic gulwrfelsa da piruTvnel azrs
gamoTqvamdnen misi Semoqmedebis Sesaxeb.
„samociani wlebis bolos, - wers XIX saukunis qarTvel moRvaweTa
cxovrebis pirveli mematiane iona meunargia, - quTaisSi ramdenime
ojaxi iyo, sadac Tavs iyrida im drois qarTveli sazogadoeba.
Tavadaznaurobasa da samsaxuris kacebs fiandazad hqonda gaSlili
stumrobiT ganTqmuli ojaxi guberniis marSlis nestor wereTlisa,
Tavisi lxiniTa da TamaSobiT saRam-saRamoobiT.
am saRamoebSi monawileobdnen akaki, dimitri baqraZe, petre na-

36
with self-interest. Imerelian men are hardworking; their character is balanced,
but they live in poverty. The main reason for this poverty is that they envy
their brothers. He can betray and deceive at any time; that is why you cannot
trust him.”
“But why has the character of Imerelian people formed in such a bad way?
Considering the historical background of Imerelian people, we see many pro-
vocative events which greatly influenced their livelihoods. A number of inva-
sions were carried out in Georgia which showed that people in Imereti used to
be exceptionally firm and brave, unlike people from Kartli. Imerelians man-
aged to go through the hardest times. They looked for the plans and often
found them. As for the slyness, they had to be sly and tricky, otherwise they
would have been destroyed by enemies; consequently, because of self-preser-
vation, these people got used to ruses.”
“There is also a reason why a man from Imereti envies his brother. Those
brothers, who Imerelians envy, would achieve their wealth by committing
high treasons. Each enemy tried to buy such Judas by offering them high so-
cietal positions; therefore people in Imereti used to be tense if anyone from
their brothers was achieving better life conditions. Today, if you convince an
Imerelian man that others are better not because of betrayal but because of
sincere work, you will see how sincere and friendly he can be.”
“I believe in the future, when the circumstances of Imerelian people is good
and secure, they will return to the real inner character and will be sincere and
loyal towards everyone.”
Akaki’s goal was to reveal the negative sides of not only people of Imereti
but also from every part of Georgia; he wanted Georgians to take into account
all significant issues that had to be changed on behalf of the future generations.
In 1889 Akaki received a proposal to become a principal of the Bank of
Kutaisi. Despite Akaki’s refusal, the Committee made a decision to grant him
an annual salary (to the amount of 1500 Maneti). The poet refused three times
to receive the compensation but he was told that it should be taken as an ex-
pression of the peoples’ gratitude; and his refusal was considered a presump-
tion. Akaki was grateful because of the appreciation and consented to receiv-
ing the money. The newspaper ‘Iveria’ wrote an article about it, indicating that
Akaki Tsereteli truly deserved the reward as the work of the poet was un-
measurable for Georgia. In his life Akaki traveled a lot. Moscow, Petersburg,
Kharkov, Baku… and most of all he loved traveling in his homeland meeting
people from lower circles with whom he felt more relaxed.
In 1908 Georgia and almost all Europe celebrated Akaki’s 50 years work an-
niversary. On December 14, Akaki was met with triumph in Kutaisi. This cel-
ebration was made special for of several reasons and amusing incidents. When
Akaki came out of his apartment to travel to forhis party he found youngsters
standing at his cab instead of his horses. The youths took the poet in his cab to
his destination, with numerous people follow him with applause and delight.
The event continued till 01:00 am but people were still to be found waiting for
their poet outside the palace.

37
38
 sxvitori. akaki wereTlis saxli, sasadilo oTaxi
The dining room of Akaki’s house. Skhvitori

sxvitori. akaki wereTlis saxli, biblioTeka

The library of Akaki’s house. Skhvitori

sxvitori. akaki wereTlis saxli, akakis vaJis

aleqsi wereTlis oTaxi

The room of Akaki’s son Alexi Tsereteli

Skhvitori

39
kaSiZe, solomon leoniZe, eroTei sidamon-erisTavi, daviT baqraZe,
daTa erisTavi, gerasime kalandaraSvili, iSviaTad, giorgi wereTeli,
niko nikolaZe da sergei mesxi.
aseTi inteligenciis monawileobiT gamarTulma saRamoebma kargi
zegavlena iqonies quTaisis axalgazrdobaze. „mozardi Taoba ufro-
sis klaselebisa, Tu saSualo saswavleblebSi swavladamTavrebulni...
aqedan swavlobdnen ara puriTa mxolod kacis cxovreba, rom mam-
uliSvilobis garda sagnebis Seswavlisa da samsaxuris erTgulebisa,
saWiro iyo erovnuli grZnobis aRzrda da ganmtkiceba, siyvaruli
qarTuli enisa, mwerlobisa“.
am axalgazrdebs Soris iona meunargia asaxelebs poet giorgi
Waladidels, romelmac leqsi miuZRvna akakis. isic ar darCa valSi da
leqsad upasuxa „pasuxi Waladidelisadmi“.
1870 wels akaki dauaxlovda „droebis“ jgufs. es ki ase moxda:
niko nikolaZem igi daarwmuna, rom misi gadasvla TbilisSi bevr
sasikeTo saqmes moutanda rogorc akakis, ise qarTvel inteligencias
da igi sacxovreblad gadadis TbilisSi. saidanac 1875 wlis zafxul-
Si isev quTaisSia, „kolxidis“ sastumroSi xelmokleobis gamo erT
oTaxSi cxovrobs, sadac erTi „kraoti“, ori Zveli savarZeli, ori
selis skami da magida idga. aRniSnulis Sesaxeb saintereso mog-
oneba aqvs akakis Tayvaniscemel megobars aristo quTaTelaZes:
„7 seqtembrs diliT adre raRac araCveulebrivi CurCuli Semomesma
yurSi. CurCulma gamomaRviZa da davinaxe Semdegi suraTi: mgosani
tuflebSi, perangisa da misi amxanagis amara, zafxulis Txels pal-
toSi, frTxilad dadis oTaxSi da CurCulebs. me Tavi movimZinare
da sulganabuli Tvalyurs vadevnebdi! estumra didebul mgosans misi
sanatreli muza da masTan saubrobda, bolos saubari gaTavda, gaqra
muzac da Cvenma yvelasaTvis sayvarelma akakim mswrafl gadmomZaxa:
„aristo, aristo, adeqi male da daswere!“ es leqsi, romlis Seqm-
nis ambavsac gadmogvcems aristo quTaTelaZe iyo „aRmarT-aRmarT
mivdiodi me nela“.
1882 wlis 8, 11 da 15 maiss, qalaq quTaisSi, xarazovis Te-
atrSi, mravlricxovani msmenelis winaSe akaki kiTxulobs leqciebs
„vefxistyaosanze“. am leqciebiT msmenelTa udides dainteresebas
isic iwvevda, rom maTSi akaki detalurad gadmoscemda qarTlelis,
imerelis, megrelis, kaxelis, gurulisa da sxvaTa xasiaTebs.
1889 wels quTaisis mowinave inteligenciam akakis quTaisis saadg-
ilmamulo bankis direqtoroba SesTavaza, razedac man uari ganacxada
da dasZina: „direqtoroba rom vikisro, sakuTrad me moxeleobas unda
davudva guli da eg iqneba CemTvis Soreuli“...
miuxedavad gaWirvebisa, akaki mainc ar Ralatobs imTaviTve
samSoblosTvis Tavdadebul samsaxurs. akakis mier bankis Tavmj-
domareobaze uaris gancxadebis Semdeg krebam daadgina, rom po-
etisTvis „yovelwliurad uvadod eZliaT direqtoris jamagiri aTas
xuTasi maneTi“. akakim samjer ganacxada uari, madlobis gadaxdiT,

40
 In 1911 Akaki attended the trial of his pledged house. The fact that Akaki
had not taken his pension for 12 years was taken into account and so his debt
was considered to be paid. Yet despite this, all his life Akaki lived in poverty.
In August 1911 Akaki lived in Skhvitori. Professor Al.Khakhanashvili, who
was investigating the monasteries of Savane and Jruchi, visited the poet whom
he found to be delighted by his homeland. He is said to have especially loved
sitting under the plum and nut trees. He used to say: ‘After my death, please,
bury my body here.’
In 1903, Akaki attended the performance of ‘Pepo’ (a play by Sundukiant-
si). Famous doctor Polikarte Chkhikvishvili was playing the role of ‘Pepo’ and
after the performance he came to Akaki and asked him how he’d liked the play.
Akaki responded: ‘ I especially liked the moment when you spread the net and
caught the old fish ‘Tarani,’ Pepo used to net fresh fish and not ‘Taranies.’
In 1911, Akaki also attended the Kutaisi elections. Mikhail Darakhvelidze
nominated a new candidate and said: “The person I nominate can work in one
place for 24 hours straight.’ Akaki responded to Mikhail that a town needed
not a person who could sit in one place for a long time, but a leader with ca-
pacities and a smart brain.
We may speak about Akaki’s satire, humor and smartness endlessly; but the
main goal of this article was to reveal his attitude towards Imereti and Imereli-
ans. Should our readers desire to find out more stories and adventures of the
genial Georgian poet Akaki Tsereteli, we will aim to give more.

Sozar Lashki
Director of Akaki Tsereteli State Museum

41
magram roca krebas sayveduriT miumarTavs poetisTvis: eg dawunebas
niSnavs! marTalia Seni naSromis sasyideli ar aris eg, magram mainc
ise Seiwire Cvengan, rogorc wvlili, madlobis niSnado, - akakic da-
Tanxmebula da jildo miuRia. am faqts gamoexmaura gazeTi „iveria“
da aRniSna, rom akakis sazogadoebisa da samSoblosadmi samsaxuri
ganuzomelia da igi imsaxurebda am jildos. Tumca wlebis ganmav-
lobaSi pensiis miReba-armiReba mgosnisTvis TiTqmis sawvaleblad
iqca.
1908 wels mTelma saqarTvelom ki ara, evropis didma qalaqebmac
aRniSnes mgosnis moRvaweobis 50 wlis iubile. 14 dekembers quTa-
ismac gadaixada es zeimi, romelic imiTaa Rirssaxsovari da gansa-
kuTrebuli, rom binidan sazeimo sxdomaze mimavali akakis etlidan
axalgazrdobam cxenebi gamoxsna, TviTon Seeba Sig da ise miiyvana
TeatrSi. zRva xalxi taSiscemiTa da sazeimo yiJiniT mihyveboda
moxuci mgosnis am triumfalur msvlelobas. igive ganmeorda saRa-
mos dasrulebisas, Ramis 1-el saaTze. amxnobamde quCaSi mozRvave-
buli xalxi gareT idga da eloda Teatridan mgosnis gamosvlas. akaki
xalxma simReriT miacila saxlamde.
1911 wlis ivnisSi quTaisSi akaki eswreba sadgilmamulo bankis
rwmunebulTa krebas. am krebaze irCeva misi dagiravebuli kar-mida-
mos saqme... sadac mxedvelobaSi miiRes is ambavi, rom akakis 12
wlis ganmavlobaSi ar miuRia pensia da misi dagiravebuli mamu-
lis Rirebuleba CaiTvala gadaxdilad. marTalia, bankma apatia poets
davalianeba, magram igi mainc Raribi darCa. aseTi Raribi iyo akaki
mTeli sicocxlis ganmavlobaSi.
1911 wlis agvistoSi akaki sxvitorSia, sadac mas estumra profe-
sori aleqsandre xaxanaSvili, romelsac surda moeaxla da Seeswavla
savanisa da jruWis monastrebi. Tavis mogonebebSi eqimi severian
WoRoSvili wers: „akakis Zlier esiamovna aleqsandre xaxanaSvilis
naxva-stumroba. miiwvia igi pirdapir baRSi, sadac kaklis xis qveS
davsxediT da cota xans visaubreT. Semdeg akaki SeuZRva Tavisi
sasaxlis eklesiaSi, daaTvalierebina eklesia, ris Semdeg eklesiis
win davsxediT tyemlis qveS.
akakis Zlier uyvarda Tavis samosaxlos es kuTxe. saRaamoobiT,
aqve, vake adgilze, xuTas nabijs gaakeTebda dinji siaruliT, eqimis
rCeviT, samkurnalo-savarjiSo mizniT. Semdeg wamojdeboda kaklis
an tyemlis qveS da gvianobamdis rCeboda iq. es adgili akakis ise
uyvarda, rom yvelas gveubneboda - sikvdilis Semdeg am adgilas,
tyemlis gverdiT dammarxeTo“.
es mogoneba albaT SesaniSnavad asaxavs akakis udides siyvaruls
mSobliuri kuTxisa da ra Tqma unda, samSoblosadmi.
1911 wels quTaisis qalaqis arCevnebs akakic daeswro. mixeil da-
raxveliZem wamoayena erT-erTi kandidatura da ase daaxasiaTa igi.
mas, „visac me qalaqis Tavad vasaxeleb, erT adgilze 24 saaTi Seu-
Zlia jdoma da muSaobao“. amaze akakim miugo: „mixeil, Zalian ax-

42
irebulia Tqveni azri: qalaqs Tavad esaWiroeba ara sajdommagari kaci, aramed Wkviani da Tavmagario“.
akakis moswrebul sityva-Tqmaze, iumorsa da satiraze dausruleblad SeiZleba msjeloba. amjerad ki
Cven SevecadeT nawilobriv agvesaxa didi mgosnis damokidebuleba mSobliuri kuTxisadmi.

sozar laSxi

akaki wereTlis saxelmwifo

muzeumis direqtori

akaki wereTlis pasporti.

xelovnebis sasaxle

Akaki’s passport
Art Palace

43
44
 sxvitori. akaki wereTlis saxli, sasadilo oTaxi

The dining room of Akaki’s house. Skhvitori

45
sxvitori. akaki wereTelis saZineblis buxris detali
Detail of the fireplace in Akaki’s bedroom. Skhvitori

46
 sxvitori. akaki wereTlis saZinebeli
Akaki’s bedroom. Skhvitori
sxvitori. akaki wereTlis saZinebeli
Akaki’s bedroom. Skhvitori

47
RvTismSoblis xati. mooqruli. XIX saukune. sxvitori

The icon of the Virgin Mary. Gilded. Skhvitori. 19th Century

48
saxareba. xaverdi, mooqruli ydiT. erekles stamba. 1786 weli. sxvitori.

The Gospel. Velvet, Gilded Cover. The printing-house of Erekle, Skhvitori. 1786
49
vercxlis saeklesio WurWeli.
XIX saukune. sxvitori

Silver church vessel. Skhvitori

19th Century

50
 vercxlis saeklesio WurWeli.
XIX saukune. sxvitori

Silver Vessel of Church. Skhvitori

19th Century

51
sacecxluri. XVIII saukune. sxvitori
Censer. Skhvitori. 18th Century

52
 akaki wereTlis fafanaki. Sali, oqromkedi.
XX saukunis I naxevari. sxvitori

Georgian traditional hat for Akaki

Wool, Gold Thread. Skhvitori. Early 20th Century

53
 akakis dedis samoslis mosarTavi.
abreSumi. oqromkedi.
XX saukunis I naxevari. sxvitori

Embellishment for the clothes of Akaki’s

mother. Silk, Gold Thread. Skhvitori
54 Early 20th Century
 akaki wereTlis fafanaki.
Sali, oqromkedi. 1908 weli. sxvitori
Akaki’s Papanaki
(Georgian traditional hat for Imeretian men)
55 Wool, Gold Thread. Skhvitori. 1908
panagia. bzis xe.
XIX saukune. sxvitori
Engolpion. Box-tree
Skhvitori. 19th Century
56
 xis sini, romelic gagrelma qarTvelebma
akaki wereTels miarTves. 1908 weli. sxvitori

Wooden tray, gifted to Akaki from the Gagrian people

Skhvitori. 1908
57
 akaki wereTlis sagvareulo faifuris WurWeli.
XX saukunis I naxevari. sxvitori

Akaki’s Patrimonial China Crockery. Skhvitori

Early 20th Century

58
59
akaki wereTlis kuTvnili dekoratiuli saaTi,
liToni, bunebrivi qvebi. literaturis muzeumi

Decorative clock belonging to Akaki

Metal, natural stones
Literature Museum of Georgia

60
 moCuqurTmebuli bzis CarCo
akaki wereTlis portretiT.
XX saukunis I naxevari. sxvitori
Portrait of Akaki
with ornament box-tree frame
Skhvitori. Early 20th Century

61
 akaki wereTlis Zmis - iasonis (ilikos) portreti.
1860-iani wlebi. literaturis muzeumi

Portrait of Akaki’s brother Iason (Iliko)

Literature Museum of Georgia. 1860s

62
63
64
akaki wereTlis lampa
XX saukunis I naxevari. literaturis muzeumi
Lamp belonging to Akaki Tsereteli
Literature Museum of Georgia, Early 20th Century

akaki wereTlisadmi miZRvnili

adresis yda. 1908 weli
literaturis muzeumi
The cover of Akaki’s present for his 50 year Anniversary
Literature Museum of Georgia
December, 1908 65
66
 sulis netareba
Bliss of the Soul
67
akaki wereTeli
1909 weli
fotografi nikoloz wereTeli
Akaki Tsereteli
Photo by Nikoloz Tsereteli. 1909

akaki ubralod an Secda, an morcxvobam aTqmevina: „me Cemi Tavi

yovelTvis mimaCnda da mimaCnia patara dRiur muSaT“...
uamravi nimuSis moxmoba SeiZleba imis sabuTad, rom poeti metad
Tavmdablurad afasebda sakuTar niWsa da Rvawls. zogjer ironiuli
RimiliTac ki.
„naxevar saukuneze metia, rac me leqsebs vwer, sxva xeloba ara
maqvs ra da erTxelac ar maxsovs, rom RmerTi damlaparakebodes!..“
„erTaderTi Cem TxzulebaTagani, romelic gansakuTrebiT miyvars
da gasaoxreblad menaneba, aris „Cemi Tavgadasavali“. naTqvamia:
„yvavs Tavis baxala moswonso“. SeiZleba didi ara iyos ra, magram
me ki wminda guli da wrfeli suli maqvs Sig Cadebuli“.
mxolod erTxel wamoscda kmayofilebis sityva. isic sikvdilis
win.
aneta iurkeviCi ixsenebs: mZime avadmyof akakis „gamzrdeli“
wavukiTxeo. poemis dasasruls rom ismenda, poetma qviTini daiwyo.
Sevwuxdi, SevCerdi da gadavwyvite, kiTxvisTvis Tavi damenebebina.
akakis aRelvebiT uTqvams, - „ara, ara, me ar vtiri, magram es marTla
kargad damiweriao“.
am citatebSi ufro akakis pirovnebis buneba-Tviseba moCans,
vidre misi SemoqmedebiTi mrwamsi. es kredo gacilebiT Rrma da
rTulia. akakis poeziis silaRiT, simsubuqiT, gamWvirvaleobiT ar
unda movtyuvdeT. rogorc mowmendili, kamkama, uRrublo zeca malavs
kosmosis uRrmes saidumloebas, asevea dafaruli akakis poeziaSi
SemoqmedebiTi muRami.
saerTod, uzenaesi Semoqmedis sidiades akaki siwynaresa da simS-
videSi ufro Wvretda, vidre xmaursa da grialSi. Tu adamians xmauri
ufro ganacvifrebda, vidre siwynare, es kacis bunebis sisustisa da
arasrulyofilebis brali iyo.
„rodesac foToli gamodis da yvavilebi iSlebian, es didebuli
SemoqmedebiTi procesi adamians arafraT ar miaCnia umecrebis gamo,
magram igive adamiani elva-Weqa-quxilis dros ki pirjvris weriT iZax-
is: „dideba Sens Zlierebas, yovlis Semoqmedoo...“
literaturul xmaur-grialsac SeeZlo ufro metad miepyro adamianTa
yuradReba, vidre mSvid da wynar mwerlur saqmianobas. amas iTval-
iswinebda akaki, magram fexis xmas arasodes ahyolia.
maSin, akakis studentobis Jams, rusul literaturaSi cxared ebrZo-
da erTmaneTs ori principi, ori mimarTuleba - xelovneba xelovneb-
isaTvis da xelovneba cxovrebisaTvis. akaki Tavad aRniSnavs, rom
arc erTs ar emxroboda.
„Cem xangrZliv cxovrebaSi sapirado kerZosa da wvrilmanebSi
uxasiaToba gamoviCine, magram didisa da sazogadosaTvis ki Cems
dReSi ar miRalatebia. mwerlobaSic SemeZlo, rom, sxvebis ayoliT,
didi saxeli momepoebia, magram Cems rwmunebas ver vuRalate... orTa
Sua myofs me Cemi gza mqonda arCeuli da mivdiodi wynarad“.
es gza iyo orive principis Serwyma da erTmTlianobad warmodge-

68
 akaki wereTeli
Tbilisi, agvisto, 1912 weli
Akaki Tsereteli
Tbilisi. August, 1912

Akaki once said: “I consider and have always considered myself as a work-
ing person.’ There is much evidence that the poet was humble in estimating his
talent and merit. Sometimes he indicated, with a smile on his face, ‘It is more
than a half century I have been writing poems, I do not have any profession
but writer and, still, I don’t remember that God has ever come to talk with me.
My only composition which I love most and pity to destroy is ‘My Adventure.’
People say that ‘every crow loves its chick’ and ‘it may not be very special but
I have put my heart and soul in it.’ Only once, before his death, did Akaki say
something positive about himself, Aneta Iurkevich remembers: ‘While being
seriously ill, I read him his poem ‘Gamzrdeli.’ At the end, he started to cry, I
decided to stop reading but he said anxiously ‘I’m not crying, I just think that
this poem is really good.’”
Akaki’s credo was deep and complex. We should not be deceived by the
lightness and transparency of his poetry. As a cloudless and serene sky con-
ceals the secret of space, the creative muse is hidden in Akaki’s poetry. His
inspiration is stronger in silence and calmness rather than in noise. If noise
has more impression on a human being than silence, it indicates the observer’s
weakness and imperfection. People don‘t think about the miracle of growing
a leaf or the blooming of a flower, but they always pray and cross themselves
during a thunderstorm, saying: ‘Glory to you, creator of everything.’ Akaki
could attract attention by noisy distractions in his literature but he never chose
this way. Two principals, art for art and art for life, used to scramble together
when Akaki was a student. However, he supported neither. ‘I debunked weak-
nesses in terms of my private life, but I never betrayed society, literature or
belief; I have always walked on my way peacefully and quietly.’ This way was
the synthesis of both principals which would be represented together. Serving
the sky and the earth held the same importance for Akaki.
Every poet has the head of a woman and the body of a man; these two equal
powers are joined in one body by mistake. A man always acts according one’s
head as the heart is the weakest part in his body, therefore his actions are con-
sidered to be persistent and stable. As for a woman, her heart is the strongest
part of her body and always controls the head, though her actions are also
considered to be stable. A poet’s head and heart have the same strength and
are at permanent odds; sometimes the heart wins, and the poet follows feel-
ings, sometimes the head is the winner and the poet follows the mind. This is
the reason a poets’ art is unstable and unsteady, leading them to be perceived
as doubtful and moody.
There are periods, though, when the poet’s head and heart cohere with each
other and the poet acts like a supreme creature. The unity of a mind and heart
creates something delightful. Akaki said: ‘A poet sometimes has to write with
a goose wing to twitter like a bird and inspire readers, but sometimes he must
have an ability to write with a dog’s bone to restrain vicious power.’
‘Poet! Do not worry about your formidable heart. You just keep thunder
while sleeping and lightning while in darkness.’ (Zgvao ageldi, ageldi!..)
Nations are made by individuals. Everything is linked in the world. For in-

69
na. cal-calke arc erTi - arc xelovneba xelovnebisaTvis da arc
xelovneba cxovrebisaTvis, rogorc cis, ise miwis msaxureba miaC-
nda akakis poetis daniSnulebad. am msaxurebasac uyurebda rogorc
erT mTlianobas. poetSic, rogorc adamianSi, or sawyiss xedavda -
dedakacurs da mamakacurs.
„imaT (poetebs. - a. b.) guli qalisa aqvsT da Tavi ki kacisa. es
ori Tanaswori Zala, SecdomiT, erTs gvamSi moTavsebula.
kaci Tavis cxovrebaSi moqmedobs TaviT, guls advilad ereva, rad-
ganac usustesi aqvs Tavzed, da amis gamo mis moqmedebaSi ixedeba
erTgvaroba da dadgromiloba! qalis guli, rogorc uZlieresi, mudam
imorCilebs Tavs da mis moqmedebaSiac erTgvaroba, erTxasiaToba
ixateba.
magram ra unda hqnan sabralo poetebma, romelTac Tavica da gulic
erTis Zalisani aqvsT? maT bunebaSi es ori Zala mudam ibrZvis: xan
erTi imorCilebs da xan meore, guli gaimarjvebs, - poeti grZnobas
misdevs; da Tavi gaimarjvebs - gonierebas...
ai, ra mizezia, rom maTs SemoqmedebaSi orgvaroba ixateba. ai,
raT gveCvenebian Cven poetebi daudgromlebaT da uxasiaToebaT!..
aqvsT poetebsac dro xandaxan, rodesac maTi Tavi da guli erT-
maneTs uTanxmdebian, maSin isini emsgavsebian maRals zegardmo
Cagonebul qmnilebebs da maSin ki, diax, utyuarad migvaCnia maTi
simRera“.
gulisa da gonebis erTianoba qmnis amaRlebulsa da mSveniers. ma-
gram garemoebaTa cvalebadobis mixedviT, poeti SeiZleba iyos xan
miwisa da xan cis, xan arc erTisa da arc meoris, xan ki Suakacisa
da garemoebis sayviris roli Seasrulos („poeti“). es ar aris dabneu-
loba. es aris Sedegi cxovrebis wesisa. cxovrebis mravalferovneba
bevri saWirboroto problemis pasuxs iTxovs. mwerals ki gverdis
avlis ufleba ara aqvs. igi yvelafers unda gamoexmauros. rogorc
Tavad xumrobda, xan batisfrTis kalami unda eWiros xelSi, rom Cit-
iviT iWikWikos, mkiTxvels aRmafrena mohgvaros. xan ki ZaRlisZ-
vlistariani kalmiT yefa-Rrena exerxebodes borotis dasaTrgunad:

poeto! nurc Sen ekrZalvi

mrisxane gulis Relvasa!..
Zilis dros quxils nu moSli
da sibnelis dros elvasa!
(„zRvao, aReldi, aReldi!..“)

es maSin, roca adamiani miwieri arsebobis oromtrialSi brunavs.

magram adamiani, rogorc kerZo piri, da eric, rogorc adamianTa sa-
zogadoebrivi erToblioba, nawilia mTeli samyarosi. gankerZoebu-
lad araferi xdeba. erTmaneTis bedSi yvelaferi monawileobs. roca
safar-begis bneli gulisTqma unda aRsruldes da nazibrola gaabaxos,
mTeli buneba iryeva, Zrwis, warRvniT emuqreba suliersa da usulos.

70
stance, in the poem ‘Gamzrdeli,’ the vicious intention of Sapar-beg to rape Na-
zibrola shows that all of nature can transform into something terrible, threat-
ening to overcome everyone.
The slumbering world is wrapped in darkness,
Deep, lowering, hang the wrathful skies.
So dreadful is the raging tempest
That even the beast in terror cries.
The winds in whistling fury blow;
The rain in hissing deluge pours;
The lightning glares; in chasms dark
The thunder bursts and deaf ’ning roars.
Bell flings its madness from below;
And all the world in terror groans
Even the devil seeks a place
Of shelter as he shiv’ring moans.
(‘Gamzrdeli’)
Akaki thought that a person who fails to see the connection between the
universe and himself is a strange creature. He assumed that happiness and
misfortune are concrete phenomenon and believed that the infinite world
worries for the destiny of each man. This harmony is the primary sense peo-
ple must cultivate.
In the poem ‘Natela,’ the author perfectly expresses the close connection
between the earth, sky, humans and nature. He draws a wonderful picture of
an astonishingly beautiful morning; how the sky and the earth are delighted
akaki wereTeli, „ilias mokvlis gamo“.
by the sunshine. Nightingales, larks, swallows, and flowers; the whole world is avtografi. 7 seqtemberi, 1907 weli
inspired by the beauty of the morning.
In Akaki’s literature, such harmony can be destroyed only by global power. Akaki Tsereteli „Because of Ilia’s Murder“
In the poem ‘Natela’ the author assumes that during the invasion of Arabs into Autograph. September, 1907
Georgia, there was a fight between the sun and the moon. ‘As soon as their re-
lationship worsened a dragon took power and there was no sun and no moon
in the world any more. There was only darkness around the globe.’
Further, in the poem ‘Bagrat the Great’ he expresses, with the same aspira-
tion, the ravage of Georgia by Temur-leng.

‘The blue serene sky has been covered by a dark cloud…

As a goddess by the dragon;
The peaceful moon has been absorbed by the black cloud.’
Misfortune exists in absence of global harmony. As a norm, the world re-
acts when positive or negative things happen to individuals or nations. When
akaki wereTlis sadarbazo baraTi.
Mongol Noin asks Tsotne Dadiani about hope, he answers: ‘Georgians’ only 1870-iani wlebi
hope is –on the earth, the sea and the land, in the sky – the sun and the moon.’
Visiting Card of Akaki
Akaki believed that it was impossible to express the united world that lives 1870s
in your soul if you look at the world from only one perspective. The poet sup-
ported unity. Imagine a man sitting on a pedestal. There are people around
him and looking at him from different sides. Some of them see his back, some

71
 bnela ise, rom aRar Cans
TiTi, TvalTan mitanili!..
ca mrisxanebs, elva-Weqam
nadirsac ki ufrTxo Zili!..
qari zuis gulsaklavad,
wvima uSvebs kokis pirad;
xan aq, xan iq mTa-RreebSi
gavardeba mexi xSirad.
TiTqo marTla TviT jojoxeTs
auSvia qveynad zari!
aitana SiSis qarma
Tanasworad mTa da bari!
(„gamzrdeli“)

kosmosis da adamianis uxilav kavSirs kaci xSirad ver xedavs.

mas ubedurebac da bednierebac konkretuli, kerZo movlena hgonia. ar
surs, daijeros, rom yoveli sulieri ukavSirdeba ukidegano samyaros.
es samyaro ganicdis yoveli adamianis bednierebas Tu ubedurebas.
am mTlianobis grZnobaSia adamianis Tu mTeli eris Zala. es aris
is harmonia, rac aZlevs sicocxles azrsa da mizans.
akaki wereTeli iyo zeciuri saidumlos poeti da ara yoveldRiuro-
bis muSa. es, garda ukve Tqmulisa, mis TxzulebebSi gafantuli sxva-
dasxva alegoriiTac dasturdeba.
mgosani erT qarTul legendas gviyveba: rogor gaCnda yaWi, anu
abreSumis Wia.
legenda leqsad yofila SeTxzuli. akakis zogierTi strofi
zepirad scodnia. zogierTi daviwyebia, Sinaarsi ki bolomde naT-
lad xsomebia.
bibliuri iobis Tavgadasavals gviambobda is legenda. oRond us-
axelo qarTvel avtors ambis dasasruli daematebina da Taviseburad
gaeazrebina.
gaxsovT, albaT, es: svebednierad cxovrobda iobi. mravlad hyavda
sayoleli da uxvad hqonda saqoneli. esva coli, Svidi Ze da sami
asuli.
erTxel hkiTxa ufalma satanas - rogor ariso Cemi morCili iobi,
alali, wrfeli, RvTismoSiSi, uboroto kaci? dacinviT miugo sa-
tanam: ratom ar iqneba RvTismoyvaruli? gana Sen ar icav mis ojaxs,
sarCo-sabadebels, saxl-kars!.. aba, waarTvi yvelaferi es da naxav,
rogor dagiwyebs gmobas.
misca ufalma nebarTva satanas, daeCagra iobi. araferi SerCa mas
- arc Svilebi, arc qoneba, arc bedniereba. mainc ar hgmo RmerTi.
„ufalma momca, ufalma waiRo. kurTxeul iyos misi saxeli!“
meored hkiTxa ufalma satanas: axla rogorRa ariso Cemi morCili
iobi? isev qirqiliT miugo satanam, - es ubedureba aitana, magram,

akaki wereTeli
1909 weli
Akaki Tsereteli
1909 72
of them his leg, his head and other parts of his body. If each of them insists
that this man does not have anything except what he/she has seen, it will not
be the truth. You have to go up on the pedestal and take a good look from dif-
ferent angles, only then will you be able to correctly describe him.
To see the necessary perspectives, a writer must rise and first recognize
the unity of the universe. Only unity of principals, methods and ideology will
give the writer an ability to see from varying perspectives. This happens in the
poem ‘Natela’ when Akaki appeals to the heart and to the mind to rise over
the sun and the moon; to reach toward the stars and discover their wonderful
secrets. Akaki was truly the poet of the sky; he was never a working person,
which is evident by his amazing works. The poet tells one Georgian legend
about the creation of a silkworm, which previously used to be a poem. Akaki
knew only several verses of the poem by heart, but he remembered the entire
story.
The legend was about the Bible’s Job who lived in the land of Oz and who
was blameless and upright. He was one who revered God and avoided evil. He
had a wife, seven sons and three daughters. He owned plenty of cattle and was
a wealthy man.
One day God asked Satan about his upright and blameless son, Job. Satan
answered: ‘But is it for nothing that Job revered God? Have you not yourself
made a hedge all about him, about his household, and about all that he has?
You have blessed whatever he does, and his possessions have greatly increased.
But just put out your hand now and take away all he has; he certainly will curse
you to your face.’ Then God said to Satan: ‘Everything that he has is in your
power, only do not lay hands on Job himself.’
Satan took away everything from Job, even his children, but he kneeled and
started to pray, ‘God gave me everything and God has taken away, blessed be
the name of God.’ In all this, Job did not sin nor blame God.
On another day God asked Satan about Job, who still was ready for the re-
sponse: ‘Skin for skin, yes a man will give all that he has for his life. But just put
out your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh; he certainly will curse
you to your face.’
Satan obtained the power over Job once again but was forbidden to touch
his life. So Satan afflicted Job from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head
with leprosy. Job did not change his mind though, saying ‘We accept prosper-
ity from God, and shall we not also accept misfortune?’ Again, Job said noth-
ing wrong.
Three friends of Job came to him to show their sympathy and to comfort
him. But when they saw him they could not say a word to him, upon seeing
the terrible trouble he was in. Finally, as Job’s friends spoke of his misfortune,
Job cursed the day of his birth. God saw that even at that moment Job still
remained sincere, he appreciated it and gave back Job twice as much as he had
before. God blessed the last part of Job’s life more than the first part and Job
lived happily until his death.
The Georgian legend adds to this parable some details. An angel of God

73
aba, piradad Seexe mas, mis xorcs, Zvals, sicocxles, maSin naxav, ra
uSveri sityvebiT dagiwyebs ginebas. isev aRiWurva satana uflebiT
- mieyenebina iobisTvis usaSvelo vnebani.
eniT uTqmeli da kalmiT auwereli seni Sehyara satanam iobs. us-
azRvro iyo misi tanjva. mainc ar amunaTebda RmerTs, - „sikeTes
kargad vitanT uflisgan, avis atana ki aRar gvinda“.
sami megobari ewvia sanaxavad sneul iobs. ver uTxres nugeSis
sityva. metismetad didi iyo wameba. maSin daswyevla iobma Tavis
gaCenis dRe, pasuxad megobrebic alaparakdnen. didxans isaubres,
ikamaTes, idaves, gulwrfelad Tqva iobma Tavisi samduravi. moewona
ufals iobis gulaxdiloba. Seibrala igi. „ukurTxa ufalma iobs dar-
Cenili dReebi winandelze ufro metad“. daubruna saqonelic, sayolel-
ic, saxl-karic da Svilebic. uzrunvelad dalia iobma sicocxlis dReni.
amis mere cvlis qarTuli legenda finals da umatebs: RmerTis an-
gelozma iobs mosarCenad erTi jami wyali gadaasxa. cidan Rrubeli
Camovida da daRvrili wyali Seiwova. ca am wyals wvimaSi urevs, rom
dedamiwa gaanayofieros, rom pureulma, xexilma, bostneulma, ada-
mianis sarCenad, nayofi gamoiRos. WiaRua, romelic iobs eseoda,
futkrad, wurbelad, yaWad gadaiqca. im dRidan futkari Tafls awvdis
adamians, wurbela mkurnalobs, abreSumis Wia sxeulidan Zafs iRebs,
rom kaci Semosos...
adamianisa da mTeli samyaros erTianoba-mTlianoba im Cveuleba-
Sic naTlad moCans, romelic saqarTveloSi yofila Zvelad gavrcele-
buli. marTalia, me-19 saukuneSi igi ukve daviwyebiaT, magram qarTve-
li sazogadoebisaTvis aleqsandre orbelians Seuxsenebia.
„qarTveli rom saTesavad gavidoda, jer ramdenime muWa xorbals
ise abnevda xnulSi am sityvebiT: es RmerTs! es mgzavrs, es mters,
es moyvares, es qvriv-obols, es mkvdars, es Tagvs, es frinvels, es
amas da imaso!.. Camoyveboda, aravis iviwyebda, mere ityoda: es me
da Cemianebso!.. da iwyebda erTpirad Tesvaso“.
es ara marto guluxvobis gamomJRavneba iyo, aramed im kavSiris
qvecnobieri gamovlenac, romelic suliersa da usulos, xilulsa da
uxilavs, pirutyvsa da metyvels, casa da miwas Soris arsebobs.....
akakis poeziaSi droc erTmTlianobaa. warsuli, awmyo da momavali
pirobiTad aris dayofili. sxvadasxva epoqaSi mcxovrebi pirovnebe-
bi SeiZleba erTdroulad gamoecxadon adamians. „RvTismSobloba
dRes, erTi sizmari enaxa: qveynad Camosuliyvnen nino, qeTevan da
TviT Tamari“ („Tornike erisTavi“). marTalia, es xilvaSi xdeba,
magram imave poemaSi gamarjvebuli qarTuli spa im simReras mReris,
rac, Tamaz WilaZis sityvebiT rom vTqvaT, „ufro damarcxebuls
Seefereba, vidre Zlevamosilsa da gamarjvebiT galaRebul laSqars“.

mova dro da Tavs aiSvebs,

im jaWvs gaswyvets gmirTa-gmiri!..
sixarulad Seecvleba

74
poured holy water on Job for his healing. The clouds from the sky came down
to the earth and absorbed this water. Ever since, the sky always mixes the holy
water with the rain for a good harvest. Worms that tortured Job were changed
into the bee, the leech and the silkworm. Ever since, bees deliver honey, leech-
es treat ailments and silkworms produce silk to clothe people.
The connection of the universe to man is obvious from 19th Century Geor-
gian stories. Although these stories were forgotten, Alexandre Orbeliani man-
aged to revive them for Georgian society. When a Georgian peasant sowed
wheat, he would first spread wheat onto the ground and say: “This for God,
this for traveler, this for enemy, this for friends, animals, birds etc.” At the
end he would say: “This for my family and me,” and would start to work. This
custom revealed not only Georgians’ generosity but their connection with the
whole world. Yes, a bee gives honey to a man, a leech treats and silkworm
dresses him, but a man also tries to assist everyone. That is why he first thinks
about others and only at the end about himself. Because of their sincere rela-
tionship, a bee can be a symbol of the poet. In the verse ‘Putkari’ (Bee), Akaki
perfectly describes the useful characteristics of a bee and says that others may
praise roses or nightingale and lions, but he prefers to glory this little creature,
which works hard to produce honey for people and candles for God. “You are
a symbol of work and symbol of love”- writes the poet. For Akaki, the hard-
working bee dedicates its life to man and God. That is why the bee is called
labour of the sky’. In the verse ‘Shedareba’ (Comparison), Akaki compares the
poet’s duties to those of the bee, concluding that a poet exists like a bee among
society, whose creation carries the same significance as the bee’s work.
If a bee is the symbol of a poet, then Job is the symbol of Georgia. From
Akaki’s point of view, Job endured misery and torture, and did not lose hope
and love of God. The same happened with Georgia. Despite many difficul-
ties, as Job’s misfortune shifted into happiness, Georgia’s circumstances will
also change in a better way. In the poem ‘Ori Surati’ (Two Pictures) and ‘Omi’
(The War) Akaki shares the main idea of Job’s adventure, stating ‘God is born
through misery; this is a conception which refers to a man as well as to a na-
tion.’ Turning back to the symbolism of Akaki’s poetry, it is significant that
the bee does not have a simple role. According to one Georgian legend, while
buzzing and making honey, a bee says: ‘A candle for a soul and honey for the
flesh.’ Therefore, it connects the soul and the flesh with each other. In the nar-
rative ‘kviteli putkari’ (Yellow Bee), old Sancho says: ‘If there is something
unclean and vicious in a family, no bee will stay there. It will leave the house
and disappear into the desert.’ In his poem ‘Khatis Tsin’ (In front of the Icon),
Akaki perfectly explains that, like a lighted candle, an educated man is able
to illuminate the darkness of foolishness. “A candle is my flesh and my life is
its wick… I see the mystic unity of two of us, from which comes the beautiful
mind of a man.” Unity is everywhere in Akaki’s poetry. Bee – Candle –Light
–Soul –Flesh –Man-Burning – everything is linked and interconnected. Even
time is united there. In his dreams a man can see people together from dif-
ferent eras. In ‘Tamar Tsbieri’ (Tamar the wily) mirage and dream mix with

75
 imdeni xnis gasaWiri!
xilva, zmaneba, sizmari realobis nawilia. sizmrad nanaxi Tamari,
„vefxistyaosnis“ personaJebi - nestani da TinaTini - ufro metad
aris sinamdvile, vidre is dro, romelSic arc nestania, arc TinaTini
da arc Tamari. dros erTmTlianoba aZlevda uflebas, efiqra:

magas raT brZanebT, aba, batono?

gana Tamarni qveynad kvdebian?
saukunidan saukuneSi
ise, viT mTvare, gaaxldebian.
(„Tamar cbieri“)

radgan dro erTmTlianobaa, warsulis uaryofa awmyos uaryofasac

niSnavs da momavlisasac, amitom edaveboda Tavgametebuli qarTvel
social-demokratebs, romelTac warsuli gveliviT ezizRebodaT da
awmyo WiriviT ejavrebodaT. maT axali momavlis aSeneba uwarsulod
da uawmyood undodaT.
„vinc warsuls iviwyebs, is momavalzedac xels iRebs... Cven ki
gvinda misTana momavali Taoba, romelic uaris myofeli ki ar aris
warsulisa, mkvlevaria da mama-papis anderZs dResac kidev gamosadeg
safuZvlad udebs momavals, rom kavSir-gauwyvetlad (xazi Cemia. -
a.b.) ganagrZon istoriuli cxovreba“. amave azrs imeorebs sxva wer-
ilSic. iseTi Taoba gvinda, romelic momavals awmyosa da warsulze
daamyarebso. amiT erTmTlianoba ar dairRveoda.
akakisaTvis warsuli da awmyo Tanabrad cocxali iyo. warsulis
adamianebi iseve cocxlobdnen mis gverdiT, rogorc Tanamedroveni.

vuxmob fridons da avTandils,

mxari mxars mivceT, xeli xels,
nestan-darejan qajebs hyavs,
moelis turfa gamomxsnels!
(„WaRara“)

amas ise ambobs, TiTqos gamogonebul personaJebs an warsulis

adamianebs ki ar mimarTavs, aramed gverdiT mdgom Tanamedroveebs.
am erTmTlian droSi cxovrobs erTmTliani samyaro.
erTmTliani samyaros erT-erTi gamovlena-gamosxivebaa kacobrio-
ba.
kacobriobac erTmTlianobaa da sxvadasxva eri am erTmTlianobis
calkeuli gamovlena-gamosxivebaa.
qarTveli eric erTmTlianobaa da sxvadasxva qarTuli kuTxe-tomi
am erTmTlianobis gamosxiveba-gamovlenaa.
erTis mravalsaxeoba, erTis mravalferovnebaa arsebobis mSven-
ierebis safuZveli.
amis gauTvaliswineblad SeiZleba movtyuvdeT, Secda grigol roba-

76
reality. The world is unreal without the characters of ‘The Knight of in the
Panther’s Skin’ Tamar, Nestan and Tinatin. The poet was against Georgian
socialist-democrats, who hated their past and condemned their present. They
wanted to build the future without acknowledging the past and present. Akaki
strongly believed that by denying the past it is impossible to build the future;
Georgia needed a generation that would analyze the traditions of its ancestors
and establish the future on the present and the past. For the poet, the past and
the present were equally alive.
The united world is an expression of humanity. Humanity is unity and
different nations. Georgians from different regions are part of the Georgian
national unity. The diversity of one nation is a basis for perfection. Grigol
Robakidze once said that only with the love of your motherland is it possible
to create universal poetry. When speaking about the freedom of his country,
he considered the freedom of all humanity. He thought that no nation could
be free if a single nation is without freedom. It is well-known that Akaki was
against chauvinism, discrimination, oppression and humiliation. In the po-
ems ‘My Sorrow,’ ‘To the Friend’ and ‘In the Album,’ he indicates that a man
cannot be named as a man if he distinguishes his nation and condemns others.
The most important point within humanity is love, which feeds people with
positive emotions. If a man is sincere and loyal it does not matter to which
nation he belongs. Love unites not only people with different nations but peo-
ple with different religions. ‘Fraternal Love’ and ‘11th September’ describe the
significance of an ideology based on love, fraternity and unity. The author
dreams of a world, where everybody knows that there is only one God and
where the supreme power is the ideology of love. In his poetry, Georgians are
part of the united world. For Akaki, the bee is a symbol of the poet and the
‘chonguri’ (Georgian musical instrument) is a symbol of unity. He compares
Georgia to a chonguri and its regions to the strings of this instrument. ‘Geor-
gia is a chonguri, and we Georgians are the strings of it’ writes the author in
‘Song of Natela.’

Akaki Bakradze

77
qiZe, roca ifiqra: „martodmarto „mamulis“ siyvaruliT universalur
poezias ver Seqmni“.
roca akaki samSoblos Tavisuflebaze laparakobda, kacobriobis
Tavisuflebasac gulisxmobda. mravali ver iqneba Tavisufali, Tu
erTi ar aris Tavisufali. erTi ver iqneba Tavisufali, Tu mravali
ar aris Tavisufali. akakis rwmenaa:

Cemi xatia samSoblo,

saxate - mTeli qveyana.
(„xatis win“)

kargad cnobilia da yvelam icis, rom akaki mTeli cxovreba ebrZo-

da Sovinizms, erTa uTanasworobas, Cagvrasa da damcirebas. poeti
wamdauwum imeorebda:

aris mxolod erTa Soris

erTi Zala sakavSiro,
viT RvTaeba madlmosili
usazRvaro da uZiro.
es Zalaa siyvaruli,
sxivosani, moelvare:
yvelasaTvis erTad-erTi,
rogorc erTi mze da mTvare.
(„albomSi“)

ara marto sxvadasxva erebs, aramed sxvadasxva religiis adami-

anebsac akavSirebT da aerTebT siyvaruli, Zmoba, erToba. am ideali-
saken unda miiswrafodes kacobrioba, yoveli eri.

miuwvdomelsa da uxilavsa,
yovlis Semoqmed bunebis Zalas,
Cven, qristianni, vuwodebT RmerTad!..
mahmadianni uxmoben allahs!..
Tumc warmodgena idealuri
orivesaTvis igiv erTia,
magram hgonia ugnurebas-ki,
rom sul sxvadasxva ori RmerTia -
erTi-meoris moSurne mteri,
maT-maT ZmisaTvis mtrad gadamkide!
da im TaviTve moZmebis sisxliT
morwyuli iyo kidiTi-kide...
(„Zmuri sityva“)

am erTian Zmur kacobriobaSi Tavisi adgili unda daeWira qarTv-

el xalxsac. es iyo akakis ocneba. am ocnebis gansaxorcieleblad

78
saWiro iyo qarTveli xalxis erTmTlianoba da brZola. akakis po-
eziaSi Cndeba erTianobis simbolo - Conguri. igi xSirad figuri-
rebs akakis TxzulebebSi. ara marto „naTelas simReraSi“ - „Conguri
saqarTveloa, simebi Cven varT yvelao“, aramed publicistikaSic.
„aviRoT magaliTad saqarTvelo. es aris Canguri, romlis simebsac
Seadgenen: qarTli, kaxeTi, imereTi, guria, samegrelo, afxazeTi,
svaneTi, aWara, lazistani da sxv...“
futkariviT Conguric mravalmniSvnelovani simboloa. raki igi
musikaluri instrumentia, poeziis simbolodac aris gamoyenebuli.

me Canguri misTvis minda,

rom simarTles msaxurebdes,
ganamtkicos azri wminda,
guls siwmindiT axurebdes...
......................
gamiqvavdes maSin ena,
Tu rom visme mivefero,
da gamixmes es marjvena,
Tu simrudiT simT vaJRero!
(„Canguri“)

akaki baqraZe

79
zaqaria WiWinaZe da akaki wereTeli.
Tbilisi, 25 ivlisi, 1899 weli.
fotografi aleqsandre roinaSvili
Zakaria Chichinadze and Akaki Tsereteli
Photo of Alexander Roinashvili. Tbilisi
July 25th, 1899
80
81
akaki wereTeli
Tbilisi. gadaRebis TariRi ucnobia
foto aleqsandre roinaSvilisa

Akaki Tsereteli
Photo of Alexander Roinashvili
Tbilisi. Unknown date
82
akaki wereTeli fermis (botanikur) baRSi
quTaisi, 2 agvisto, 1912 weli
fotografi: kote qavTaraZe

Farm of Akaki Tsereteli. (Botanical Garden)

Kutaisi. Photo by Kote Kavtaradze
August 2 1912
83
 akaki wereTeli, daviT kldiaSvili
da varlam ruxaZe akakis saxelobis
samkiTxvelos gaxsnaze
muxiani, 9 seqtemberi, 1913 weli
Akaki Tsereteli, Davit Kldiashvili
and Varlam Rukhadze at the opening
ceremony of reading-hall named after
Akaki Tsereteli. Mukhiani
September 9, 1913 84
85
akaki wereTeli da fati gokieli
samwerlo moRvaweobis 50 wlis iubile
quTaisi, 14 dekemberi, 1908 weli
Akaki Tsereteli and Pati Gokieli
50 year Anniversary of Akaki’s authorship
Kutaisi. December 14th 1908

86
 akaki wereTeli da fati gokieli
samwerlo moRvaweobis 50 wlis iubile
quTaisi, 14 dekemberi, 1908 weli
Akaki Tsereteli and Pati Gokieli.
50 year Anniversary of Akaki’s authorship.
Kutaisi. December 14th 1908

87
88
 akaki qarTul kinosa da TeatrSi
Akaki in Theatre and Cinematography
89
„akaki wereTelis raWa-leCxumSi mogzaurobis“
afiSa. 1912 weli. xelovnebis sasaxle

Poster of ‘The Journey of Akaki Tsereteli in Racha-Lechkhumi’

Art Palace. 1912

daviT kakabaZe
akaki goCas rolSi, 1908 weli.
literaturis muzeumi

Akaki Tsereteli in the role of Gocha

Artist - David Kakabadze
Literature Museum of Georgia. 1908
90
91
 „mxolod erTi asparezi dagvrCenia - Teatri, saidanac SegviZlia
gavigonoT Cveni dedaena: is ena, romelzedac musikobda rusTaveli,
brZaneblobdnen Tamarebi, romelzedac hqadagebdnen ninoebi da rom-
elzedac wamebulni simdabliT RmerTs adidebdnen - qeTevanebi da
maTni msgavsni. Cven, am Teatris wyalobiT, SegviZlian gavixsenoT
Cveni warsuli, davinaxoT awmyo da warmovidginoT momavali“.
amgvari gansakuTrebuli damokidebuleba hqonda akaki wereTels
qarTuli Teatrisadmi. did poetsa da moRvawes kargad gaeTavisebina
qarTuli scenis mniSvneloba da roli, amitomac Teatrs erovnuli
TviTmyofadobis erT-erT umniSvnelovanes burjad miiCnevda. ami-
tom akaki wereTeli, ilia WavWavaZesa da sxva did qarTvel moR-
vaweebTan erTad aRdgenili qarTuli Teatris erT-erTi fuZemdebeli
gaxldaT.
„rac adamianisaTvis, kerZo pirisaTvis sarkea, - werda akaki, - is
mTeli xalxisa da sazogadoebisaTvis Teatria, rom qveyanam Sig
Caixedos, Tavisi rogorc nakli, ise Rirsebac dainaxos da gas-
wordes. Teatri iseve Skolaa xalxisaTvis, momxiblavi, gamaswore-
beli da ara ubralo sasceno ram safundruko“... akaki wereTlisTvis
Teatric garemoebis sayviri iyo, Tanamedroveobis mTeli simZaf-
riT amsaxveli.
qarTuli realisturi Teatrisa da dramaturgiis didi moamagis
giorgi erisTavis TxzulebaTa winasityvaobaSi akaki wereTeli acx-
adebda: „nawerSi, rogorc sarkeSi, naTlad unda ixatebodes mwerlis
Tanadroeba da misi siswor-simarTliT... mwerals neba ara aqvs, rom
yoveldRiur saerTo movlenebs, ragind wvrilmanic iyos, Tvali aari-
dos“...
akaki wereTlis Teatri Tanadroulobis amsaxveli ki iyo, magram
mas arc warsulisaTvis Seuqcevia zurgi da arc momavlis winaSe
dauxuWavs Tvali. piriqiT, akaki wereTlis Teatri istoriuli sagmiro
ambebis warmosaxviT cdilobda, mayurebeli awmyoSi gaerkvia, warsu-
lis gamocdilebiT gamoefxizlebina, awmyoSi garkvevis unari gae-
maxvilebina da miT xalxisTvis momavlis ganWvreta gaeadvilebina.
iliasa da akakis Teatris mTavari mimarTulebis ganmsazRvreli
scenuri saxeebi iyo: arsena, kako yaCaRi, gabro, qarTvlis deda, svi-
mon lioniZe, goCa, patara kaxi, daTo, anania, giJua da pepo, Cacki da
neznamovi, hamleti da karlos moori. akaki wereTels Teatri qarTuli
enis SenarCunebisa da ganviTarebis simbolodac hqonda miCneuli.
Tumca sxvaTagan gansxvavebiT, akakis TeatrTan erTad scenac
uyvarda. pirvelad scenaze 1862 wels gamosula, roca ruseTidan droe-
biT dabrunda samSobloSi. gimnaziis maswavlebels - mosiZes SeuTa-
vazebia warmodgenis gamarTva. isic didi sixaruliT daTanxmebula.
es speqtakli sazogadoebis Teatrisadmi interesis gaRviZebas isaxa-
vda miznad. akakis xelmZRvanelobiT quTaisel scenismoyvareebs war-
moudgeniaT zurab antonovis piesa „mzis dabneleba saqarTveloSi“.
swored amis Sesaxeb werda mogvianebiT Tavad mwerali: „zogierTi

92
 “Theatre is the last way to save the Georgian language which was used by
genius Shota Rustaveli, idolized Queen Tamar and saint Nino herself; this is
a place where we can remember our past, see our present and imagine our
future”- These words belong to Georgian poet Akaki Tsereteli, who, with Ilia
Chavchavadze and other public figures, was the founder of the restored Geor-
gian theatre. Akaki considered the theatre as a mirror of society, revealing both
dignity and defect of the nation. It was a school where people learned how to
live in the right way, rather than a place of mere play and entertainment.
While the theatre of Akaki and Ilia revealed problematic issues of the pre-
sent time, it also expressed the historical past of the country and looked with
hope towards the future.
The main characters in Ilia and Akaki’s theatre were: Arsena, Kako the rob-
ber, Gabro, Mother of Georgia, Svimon Lionidze, Gocha, Little Kakhi, Dato,
Anania, Gijua and Pepo, Chatski and Neznamov, Hamlet, and Karlos Moore.
It is notable that Akaki was keen not only on theatre but also on the stage
itself. In 1862, when he returned to Georgia from Russia, he got an offer from
gymnasium teacher Mr. Toidze to take part in a performance. The main mis-
sion was to increase society’s interest towards the theatre. Through the leader-
ship of Akaki, the play of Zurab Antonov ‘Eclipse of the Sun in Georgia’ was
played on the stage, becoming the first performance of Akaki Tsereteli.
After the final move back to Georgia, Akaki’s goal was to expand awareness
of poetry, public speech and Georgian language. He began to hold educational
evenings; sometimes spending his entire income on the restoration of Geor-
gian theatre.
Tsatsa Amirejibi remembers: “Akaki was a very famous and honourable
person in society, and he knew it! He was always ready to participate in litera-
ture or educational evenings without any payment. He often read the rhymes
‘Tsa-Piruz Khmelet Zurmukhto’ (A Blue Emerald Land) and ‘Kharbuza Put-
kars Shekhvda’ (A Woodcutter met a bee). While reading his own rhymes, he
once forgot the word and started laughing at himself- he had a great sense of
humour! As soon as Kotso Andronikashvili reminded him of the forgotten
word, he continued reading without any embarrassment. Akaki was always
full of charm while reading his rhymes.”
“Those who listened to the voice of the virtuoso for the first time were ex-
cited by the inspiration of his work. Previously, people had read rhymes with
the accompaniment of music, but Akaki did not need such additional help; his
soft and quiet voice was his accompaniment. As for his appearance, with his
face and figure he looked like a real God!” – writes Sergo Kldiashvili.
Akaki was constantly on the search for new talent for the theatre. In his
opinion, an actor/actress had to be erudite and smart and to have the ability to
disguise. Even though an actor is extremely talented, he said, without an edu-
cation one cannot express those essential emotions which are so important for
the audience. Among many marvellous actresses, Mako Saparova-Abashidze,
Niko Garamadze and Areta Lolua are exceptional.
The poet was also a director of several Georgian plays. There exist preserved

93
darbaislebi, Zveli kacebi, javrobdnen: jambazoba da maimunoba ra
sakadrisiao, magram umetesoba ki kmayofili darCa da im zamTars
kidev orjer-samjer warmovadgineT da didi ambavic iyo xolme yo-
velTvis“.
peterburgidan ukve sabolood dabrunebuli akaki wereTeli saTave-
Si Caudga scenismoyvareebs, ilias mxardamxar ibrZoda qarTuli Tea-
tris aRsadgenad, sxvadasxva dros uZRveboda dramatul sazogadoe-
bas, werda piesebs, reJisorobda. roca akaki da ilia saliteraturo
saRamoebze gamodiodnen, qarTuli Teatri jerac ar iyo aRdgenili
da qarTvelebi arc sajaro kiTxvas iyvnen Cveulni, magram mgosani
am wamowyebiT saZirkvels umzadebda qarTul Teatrs, moxdenilad
wakiTxuli nawarmoebebiT kiTxvis kulturas nergavda da qarTuli
mwerlobis popularizacias eweoda. am saRamoebidan miRebuli Se-
mosavali ki qarTuli scenis sasargeblod inaxeboda.
caca amirejibi igonebda: „saRamoebSi akakis monawileoba xalxs
izidavda da Semosavalic didi iyo. es kargad icoda akakim da yo-
velTvis siamovnebiT monawileobda da, ra Tqma unda, usasyidlod.
ufro xSirad kiTxulobda „ca-firuz xmeleT-zurmuxtos“ da „xarabuza
futkars Sexvda“. erTxel akakis daaviwyda leqsi, SeCerda da sicili
daiwyo. mere ra sakvirveli sicili icoda!.. am dros kowo andronikaS-
vilma parteridan ukarnaxa da akakimac ganagrZo kiTxva. im wuTebSi
mgosani iseTi saTno da sayvareli iyo, rom yvelas guli daatyveva.
misi axovani tani, RvTaebrivi saxe, xaverdovani, tkbili xma adami-
anebs misdami TayvaniscemiT ganawyobda“.
„rasakvirvelia, akakisadmi Cveni Tayvaniscema aorkecebda STa-
beWdilebas, magram visac akakisTvis mousmenia, mas cxadia, samuda-
mod mexsierebaSi CarCeboda sayvareli xma da kiTxvis Tavisebureba.
moxuc akakis Cumi, lirizmiT savse xma hqonda. araviTari mimika,
kiTxulobda nela, xmis aumaRleblad, TiTqos locvas warmosTqvamda.
akakis kiTxva ara mxolod siamovnebas gvrida msmenelebs, sulier
TrTolvas ganacdevinebda. leqsis zemoqmedebis gaZlierebisTvis da
iqneb kidev imitom, rom misi buneba moiTxovs amas, Zvelad leqss
musikaluri akompanementi axlda; akakis kiTxvaSi am akompanementis
magivrobas swevda misi xma da kidev ufro - misi garegnoba: Tqven
xom RmerTis Sesadar adamians xedavdiT da usmendiT im wuTSi!“ -
werda sergo kldiaSvili.
akakis saxels ukavSirdeba qarTuli scenis mSvenebis, mako safaro-
va-abaSiZis aRmoCena. saerTod unda aRiniSnos, rom akaki wereTeli
yovelmxriv cdilobda axalgazrdoba ufro aqtiurad yofiliyo CarTuli
qarTuli Teatris cxovrebaSi. amaze Salva dadianis erTi mogonebac
miuTiTebs: „axalgazrdobas TeatrSi akaki mudam gulisxmierad epy-
roboda. magaliTad, respublikis damsaxurebuli artisti niko gvaraZe
„patara kaxis“ rolSi misgan aris gamxnevebuli da Tu SeiZleba ase
iTqvas, dalocvili. aseve bevri sxvebic da maT Soris respublikis
damsaxurebuli artisti areTa lolua... ase iyo sxvebTanac da amitom

94
in the Art Palace museum posters of performances which show that Akaki was
also a director of several Georgian plays, namely: ‘Hamlet’ performed on Oc-
tober 16, 1903 (protagonist Lado Aleksi-Meskhishvili); ‘Kmarta Skola’ (School
for Husbands) performed on October 18, 1903 (protagonist Vaso Abashidze);
‘Rustaveli’ on December 2, 1903 (protagonist Kote Meskhi); ‘Barber of Seville’,
‘Irines Bedniereba’ (Happiness of Irine), ‘Revizori’ (Inspector), and more.
Niko Gvaradze, the protagonist of the play ‘Patara Kakhi’ (Little Kakhi)
remembers: “While working on the role I made a mistake in pronouncing a
word. Akaki was a very exigent director and he made me go back to the begin-
ning and start everything over. In one rehearsal I went back at least ten times!
I finally fell down crying but a wonderful actress- El. Cherkezishvili -came to
me and told me not to worry about Akaki’s strictness, as the stage is both sweet
and bitter at the same time.”
In 1903, the chairman of the Drama Society, Niko Kartvelishvili, asked
Akaki to run the theatre for one season. Akaki agreed with pleasure and on
meeting the actors made a fabulous speech: “I am glad to have the honor of
running the theatre despite my old age. For me, as a director, it is most impor-
tant to see your enthusiasm, diligence and loyalty towards the theatre, which
for me is the monastery of art; a book for the people and a mirror for the na-
tion. As for my requirements in the working process:
1. Precise Georgian speech;
2. Excellent learning of roles, so that nobody needs a prompter;
3. Comprehending the main point of the play;
4. Comprehending the character of the role;
5. Cohabitation; a director and an actor work together in coordination; no
one complains and rejects a role.
I hope, that step by step, we will achieve our goal and will show society both
our country’s sorrow and its happiness.”
However, Akaki’s enthusiasm did not last long and he faced many difficul-
ties while working in the theatre. The most delicate issue occurred when a
group of actors did not get on well with each other. Niko Gvaradze assumed
that Akaki was appointed as a director because of his reputation. Niko Kartve-
lishvili believed that Akaki should have been able to solve all problems in the
theatre. Akaki was a very quiet person and despite his efforts, controversies
still existed within the theatre. For instance, he decided to restore one old play
and chose ‘Patara Kakhi’ (Little Kakhi), but Kote Meskhi insisted on preparing
Shakespeare’s play ‘Chirveuli Tsolis Morjuleba’ (To Pacify a Capricious Wife),
in which he would play the leading role. At the same time, Valerian Gunia
wanted to be the protagonist in ‘Pirveli Buzi’ (The First Fly). Akaki once was
left extremely frustrated as the whole group of actors left him in Kutaisi and
went to Tbilisi. The reason, the actors declared, was the salary which they had
waited for for too long a time. Akaki later found out that they lied and the
salary had been received by all of the actors. This case was the final straw for
Akaki and he left the theatre.
Aside from being a brilliant director, Akaki also was a great spectator. “In

95
iyo, rom Teatraluri axalgazrdobac masTan axlo yofnas da mis
isedac momxibvlel saubars etaneboda“.
akaki msaxiobebisgan bevrs iTxovda da es moTxovnebi man sa-
jarod Camoayaliba: „sazogadod, msaxiobi (aqtiori Tu aqtrisa) nas-
wavli da Wkua-gonebaganviTarebuli unda iyos, Torem marto niWi
veras uSvelis. umecari msaxiobi, camdinac rom niWieri iyos, veras
gaxdeba maSin, rodesac saWiro aris sxvadasxvagvari sulis moZraoba
da Zlieris kveTebiT gadmocema... maTi movaleobac da mniSvnelo-
bac didia xalxisTvis... aqtiori igive moZRvaria xalxisa... mwerlis
suraTebs is axorcielebs da erTad Tavmoyrils xalxs cxovlad da
naTlad gadascems. erTsa da imave dros aqtiors an aqtrisas Seu-
Zlian amodena xalxs agrZnobinos ise, rogorc TviTona grZnobs;
Tvali auxilos da daanaxvos: ra aris cudi da ra aris kargi; ra aris
sagulisxmo an saqebi da sasiamovno. erTi sityviT, daafiqros, agr-
Znobinos da aamoqmedos“.
akaki wereTeli ramdenime qarTuli speqtaklis reJisoric iyo,
xelovnebis sasaxleSi SemorCenilia misi reJisorobiT ganxorciele-
buli dadgmebis afiSebi da programebi. maT Soris aRsaniSnavia lado
aleqsi mesxiSvilis monawileobiT speqtakli „hamleti“ (1903 wlis
16 oqtomberi), vaso abaSiZis monawileobiT „qmarTa skola“ (1903
wlis 18 noemberi), kote mesxis benefisi speqtaklSi „rusTaveli“
(1903 wlis 2 dekemberi), „sevilieli dalaqi“, „irines bedniereba“,
„revizori“ (yvela 1903 wels) da sxv.
SemorCenilia msaxiob niko gvaraZis (romelic mgosnis mier
dadgmul „patara kaxSi“ mTavar rols asrulebda) mogoneba, sadac
naTlad Cans, rom akakis gaTavisebuli hqonda reJisoris pasux-
ismgebloba da rom msaxiobebisadmi obieqturad mkacri iyo:
„Tu ra seriozulad da gulmodgined amzadebda akaki piesebs, movi-
tan erT patara magaliTs. kaxs piesaSi aseTi fraza aqvs: „ufliswu-
loba“... me raRacnairad, rolis swavlis dros, TavSi CamrCenoda „wu-
lobas“ magivrad „wuleba“. gamovidodi scenaze repeticiis dros da
vityodi: „wuleba“. akaki maSinve ukan damabrunebda. kidev daviwyebdi
rols Tavidan da am sityvasTan rom mividodi, mainc „wulebas“
vambobdi. ase damabruna ukan, mgoni, Tu ar vcdebi, aTjer. moT-
minebidan gamosul akakis guli mouvida da gajavrda. aRar vicodi,
ra meqna, wamskda tirili. akakim repeticia Sewyvita. mTeli dasi me
Semomyurebs. bolos, movida CemTan msaxiobi qali elisabed Cer-
qeziSvili, momefera da miTxra: „nu swuxar, Svilo! scenam rogorc
sitkbo icis, iseve simwarecao!“
1903 wels dramatuli sazogadoebis maSindel Tavmjdomares niko
qarTveliSvils akakisTvis erTi sezonis ganmavlobaSi qarTuli Tea-
tris xelmZRvaneloba da reJisoroba SeuTavazebia, razec mgosani
didi siamovnebiT daTanxmebula. Sekrebaze akakis sityva warmouTq-
vams, romliTac mTeli dasi da gamgeoba aRtacebuli darCenila: „.ba-
tonebo! moxaruli var, rom garemoebam am siberis dros kidev gamo-

96
comparison with other intellectuals, he never concealed his emotions, he
laughed when the scene on the stage was funny and expressed concern when
something dramatic happened.”- wrote Shalva Dadiani.
In July 8, 1914, on the initiative of Shalva Dadiani the congress of Georgian
stage members was held in Tbilisi. During the congress, Akaki was chosen as
an honourable leader as a demonstration of gratitude from the whole Geor-
gian theatre society.
It is considerable that Akaki Tsereteli was also the first Georgian movie ac-
tor, protagonist of the first Georgian full length documentary film. In 1912,
Vasil Amashukeli shot the 12 day journey of Akaki Tsereteli through Racha-
Lechkhumi. The movie was innovatory as it revealed astonishing moments
of how people met the poet. Amashukeli was only 26 years old when he took
the responsibility of making the documentary film. He had only 300 meters of
tape and had to wait to receive more from Warsaw. Overall, 1500 m. tape was
used, but after splicing, the tape of the final prepared movie was 1200 m. long.
The name of the movie was ‘The Journey of Akaki Tsereteli in Racha-Lechkhu-
mi from July 21st to August 2nd 1912,’ or short version ‘The Journey of Akaki.’
The film was extremely successful. It was shown first in Kutaisi and then in
Tbilisi, Batumi, Poti, Zugdidi and Chiatura. As for abroad, it was sent to Mos-
cow, Petersburg, Baku, Istanbul and Kharbini.
In 1961, French film-historian George Sadoul wrote to Karlo Gogodze: “As
far as I am aware, before 1912, no documentary film about a public figure had
ever been made in any country before.”
After working on the movie, Georgian professor Gogi Dolidze indicated
that the movie perfectly revealed the traditions, relations and mood of Geor-
gian people. It expressed the special spirit and bravery of the author Vasil
Amashukeli, who took a risk and made a film about an inspirer of the National
Liberation Movement instead of the usual Russian royal ceremonies.
In 1947, on the basis of ‘The Journey of Akaki,’ Konstantine Papinashvili
made a movie called “Akakis Akvani” (The Cradle of Akaki). Famous Geor-
gian actress Nato Vachnadze played the role of Akaki’s nanny. She perfectly
managed to personify a peasant lady from the age of 20 to 80. The actress
visited all villages where Akaki used to spend his childhood. In the 19th cen-
tury the nobility used to give their child to a peasant family for its upbringing.
Young Akaki had been sent to a village called Savane where a peasant women,
Mano, took care of him until his 8th birthday. This may explain the poet’s love
of the nature.
In 1956, film-director Leo Esakia made a wonderful movie based on the
novel of Akaki Tsereteli - ‘Bashi-Achuki.’ In the movie, Georgian actor Otar
Koberidze created the real face of a brave, courageous Georgian man. The film
is special for its patriotic spirit and the unique performances of the actors.

George Kalandia
Director of the Art Palace

97
miyvana TqvenTan erTad samuSaod... mec swored beber xarad gamaba
TqvenTan erTad uRelSi gamgeobam... rom es Sedareba ar geucxooT,
erT magaliTs sxvasac kidev mogagonebT „samSoblodan“. moxuci le-
oniZe eubneba axalgazrda ximSiaSvils: „Cemi mklavi ise mtkice aRar
aris, rogorc Seni, win gauZex jarsao. Sen gamarjveba aswavle da
me sikvdils vaswavlio“. amaze ufro sagulisxmos me CemTavad, rom
kidec movindomo, veras movaxerxeb, da maSasadame, me imas mivbaZav
da getyviT: Tqven damanaxveT erTguleba, mxneoba da gamrjeloba
qarTuli Teatrisadmi da me giCvenebT magaliTs misi siyvarulisas.
vinmem SeiZleba ifiqroT, sad samSoblo da sad Teatrio!.. marTalia,
Sori-Soraa, magram rac ki saWiroa Cveni cxovrebisaTvis da sasarge-
blo, didia Tu patara, yvela xelCasakidebelia. Teatri xelovnebis
taZaria, samoZRvro ambioni da ara ubralo gasarTobi, safundruko
ram. scena aris erovnuli sarke, romelic uSiSrad da utyuarad unda
gvisaxavdes Cveni cxovrebis av-kargs, rom sanaxaobiT moxibluli,
mSvenierebisaken siyvaruliT miviswrafodeT. nu daiviwyebT, rom
Zlieri sarke Tqven unda daiWiroT xelSi. me, rasakvirvelia SeZlebi-
sdagvarad vecdebi avasrulo Cemi Tqvendami movaleoba da Tqvenganac
moviTxov Semdegs:
1) gamtkicebul-gaspetakebul qarTul enas da ara CiqorTuls.
2) rolebis gazepirebas, rom karnaxis (suflioris) imediT aRar
iyoT.
3) piesis mTavari azris Segnebas.
4) Tav-Tavisi rolebis dakvirvebiT Seswavlas.
5) reJisoris survilTan Tqveni survilis SeTanxmebas, rom aRa-
ravin sTqvas: „es didi rolia“, „es pataraao“, „es SemSvenis“, „es
arao“, „amas viTamaSeb“, „imas arao“ da amgvarebi.
xelovneba mSvenierebaa da mSvenierebam ki TavisTavad didi da
patara ar icis. Tu Cven amgvarad nel-nela, dRes-xvalobiT swore
gzas davadgebiT, darwmunebuli var, rom sazogadoebac uyuradRebod
da uTanagrZnobod ar dagvagdebs da uimisod ki neba ar gvaqvs gul-
griloba vukiJinoT sazogadoebas“.
niko gvaraZe akakis daniSvnis Sesaxeb Tavis varauds gamoTqvam-
da: „ra iyo mizezi, rom qarTuli dramatuli sazogadoebis gamgeobam
da, gansakuTrebiT, niko qarTveliSvilma akaki moiwvies reJisorad?
me mgonia, amis mizezi is iyo, rom Cveni damsaxurebuli msaxiobebi
ver rigdebodnen erTimeoreSi. yvela maTgans surda iseTi piesebi
dadgmuliyo, sadac TviTon piradad eqneboda mTavari roli. qarTul
TeatrSi swored aseTi mdgomareoba iyo, roca akaki moiwvies reJi-
sorad. Cvens gamgeobas egona, rom akaki, rogorc yvelasgan pativs-
acemi da Teatris kargi mcodne, am arev-darevas da sceniur intrigebs
bolos mouRebda, magram gamgeoba Zalian Secda. akaki, rogorc zeviT
vTqviT, metad faqizi da zrdilobiani adamiani iyo, Tavis dReSi
xmamaRal sityvas ar ityoda, aravis udierad ar moeqceoda, ar undoda,
rom dasSi ukmayofileba yofiliyo. magram, miuxedavad amisa, dasSi

98
usiamovnebas mainc hqonda adgili. maxsovs akakim „samSoblo“ ram-
denjerme rom dadga da „patara kaxis“ momzadeba daiwyo. undodaT,
raime Zveli, naTamaSevi piesa ganeaxlebinaT. kote mesxma daasax-
ela „Wirveuli colis morjuleba“ Seqspirisa. undoda mTavari roli
- petruCio - eTamaSna; valerian gunias kidev veliCkos „pirveli
buzis“ dadgma undoda, sadac mas piradad mTavari roli hqonda naTa-
maSevi. am niadagze usiamovneba Camovarda“.
akakis, Teatris xelmZRvanelis rangSi, pirvelad daudgams
daviT erisTavis „samSoblo“. warmodgenas didi mowonebiT Sexve-
dria qarTveli sazogadoeba. am speqtakls „iveriac“ gamoxmaurebia:
„siamovnebiT unda vauwyoT mkiTxvels, rom dasawyisi sezonisa,
sazogadod, yovlad Cinebuli iyo. marTalia, saeWvod aravis miaCnia,
rom batoni akaki, dasabamiTve moamage da didad daxelovnebuli
Cveni scenis saqmeebSi, Tavis madlian xels daamCnevda wrevandel
qarTul warmodgenebs, magram kviris warmodgenam mainc yvela molo-
dins gadaaWarba“.
erT-erT Tavis mogonebaSi akaki aseT rames mogviTxrobs:
„erTxel, sezonis miwurulSi, quTaiss CavediT Cveulebrivad. im dros
sabanko kreba mimdinareobda da mTel imereTs quTaisSi moeyara
Tavi. daviwyeT warmodgenebi da zedized TerTmetjer viTamaSeT;
wminda Semosavali xuTas TerTmeti Tumani darCa. Cems ocnebas
sazRvari aRar hqonda. me vfiqrobdi, rom Tu ase wavida saqme, mer-
misisaTvis artistebs jamagirs gavuorkeceb da saTeatro scenac
SeiZleba, gaimarTos-meTqi“.
akakis Teatris reJisorad muSaobis dros araerTi gulistkena da
ciliswameba gadautania. amaze misi erTi mogoneba mogviTxrobs:
„artistebma mimatoves da wavidnen Tbiliss: mizezad is momdes,
rom jamagiri ar gveZlevao. me maSinve miviWer xazinadarTan, romel-
ic valdebuli iyo, jamagiri daerigebina da davTarSi xeli moewer-
ebina artistebisaTvis,
- am Tvis jamagiri ar migicia? - davekiTxe me
- rogor ara! - mipasuxa.
- aba, miCvene davTari!
- davTari damekarga.
- rogor Tu dagekarga? axla xom ufleba aqvsT artistebs, Tu un-
daT daamtkicon, rom fuls ar iRebdnen?
- aki Tqven amowmebdiT xolme yovelTvis, rom vaZlevdi?!
- maS, Sen SegiZlia daamowmo, rom miRebuli aqvsT?
- sityvieraT ki, magram sabuTiT veRar.
mivxvdi, ra ambavic iyo da gavCumdi, meti gza aRar mqonda. bevrma
daijera, rom artistebi jamagirs ar iRebdneno.
erTxel Cemi xazinadari Semovida CemTan da gamomityda:
„davTari ar damkargvia, me maqvso“ da gadmomca davTari. me maSinve
gaveqane „droebis“ redaqciisaken da vTxove mesxs, rom artistebi
Seeyara redaqciaSi da daepirdapirebia CemTvis. daniSnul droze yve-

99
lam Tavi moiyara da rodesac me davekiTxe: marTla ar migiRiaT
jamagiri-meTqi? mxolod safarovis qalma da vaso abaSiZem sTqves:
Cven ara dagvklebia-rao, danarCenebma ki uari ganacxades. maSin
gamovaCine manamdi dafaruli davTari da gamoCnda, ro araTu rac
ergebodaT, zogierTs Semdegi Tvisac ki hqonda miRebuli, mxolod
aleqsandre yazbegs aklda TxuTmeti maneTi da isic mitom, rom
sastumro „kolxidaSi“ gamomarTva sam Tuman-naxevari. artistebma
bodiSi moixades, magram me ki mainc im dRidan CamovSordi qarTul
Teatrs samudamoT“.
daixura Tu ara sezoni, akakim Teatris xelmZRvanelobas Tavi
daaneba da amiT Tavisi sareJisoro moRvaweoba daasrula. miuxeda-
vad amisa, akaki sicocxlis bolomde qarTuli Teatris erTgul megob-
rad da gulSematkivrad darCa. is araCveulebrivi mayurebelic yofila.
amaze yuradReba Salva dadianma gaamaxvila: „akaki“, rogorc mayure-
beli, metad uSualo iyo da gulRia. me minaxavs, ase vTqvaT, akakis
rangis mayurebeli TeatrSi. winaTac da axlac, yvela eseni filoso-
fosebiviT sxedan TavianT savarZelSi da rac unda sasacilo adgili
iyos piesaSi, Rimilsac ver SeatyobT; da Tu rame dramatuli momen-
tia, amasac ver SeamCnevT - iqonia masze gavlena Tu ara. uTuod
imitom, rom sircxvilad miaCniaT, darbaiselma adamianebma TavianTi
grZnobebi sajarod gamoamJRavnon... akaki sul sxva iyo. is cota ram
sasacilozedac scenaze guliT xarxarebda, samwuxaroze - daRvremili
iyo. mis bibliur saxeze aSkarad ixateboda scenebiT gamowveuli
mRelvareba“.
„Teatralebis megobari, gulSematkivari, araerTi saintereso da
saWiro piesis avtori da, rogorc zeviT aRvniSneT, kargi mayure-
beli, qarTuli Teatris arc erT warmodgenas ar akldeboda. swored
amitomac airCies qarTuli scenis moRvaweTa I yrilobis sapatio
Tavmjdomared, romelic 1914 wlis 8 ivliss Salva dadianis organi-
zatorobiT TbilisSi gaixsna. es gaxldaT sapasuxo nabiji Teat-
risadmi mgosnis erTgulebasa da Tavdadebaze“ (e. maxaraSvili).
SeiZleba Tamamad iTqvas, rom akaki pirveli kinogmiricaa. is pir-
veli qarTuli srulmetraJiani dokumenturi filmis mTavari monawilea.
1912 wels mowinave qarTvelebma akakis raWa-leCxumSi 12-dRiani
mogzauroba mouwyves. es movlena momaval Taobebs rom samaxsovrod
darCenodaT, am yvelafris firze aRbeWda gadawyvites. es saqme ki
26 wlis, ukve popularulma operatorma vasil amaSukelma iTava. maSin-
del qarTul presaSi amaSukels ara kinooperatorad, aramed „radiumis“
moxeled da „sinematografze“ suraTebis gadamReb, mcodne kacad
moixseniebdnen. „miznad davisaxe am mogzaurobis erTi mTliani su-
raTi Semeqmna, xelT ki samasi metri lenta (plionka) momepoveboda.
amiT SegveZlo mxolod programis bolos qronikad gveCvenebina“,
- igonebda amaSukeli. gadaRebisaTvis varSavidan 1500 metri firi
iyo gamowerili, romelic gzaSi unda dasweodaT. amaSukeli gahyva
amalas da Seudga mTeli mogzaurobis firze aRbeWdvas.

100
 popularuli poetis stumroba dasavleT saqarTvelos am kuTxe-
Si didi kulturuli da sazogadoebrivi mniSvnelobis movlenad iqca.
„ganurCevlad wodebisa, sqesisa da xnovanebisa, mTeli mazra erT
pirad fexze dadga da erovnulis aRfrTovanebiT litaniobda moma-
vals“, - ase ixseniebda akaki wereTeli am mogzaurobas.
gadasaRebi uamravi iyo da sul male operators firi gamoelia. am
ambavma akakis yuramdec miaRwia, ar esiamovna da amaSukels uTxra:
„ase viciT, biZia, imerlebma, daviwyebT saqmesa da Cxirs movatexT“.
sabednierod da yvelas gasaxarad, male firi CamouvidaT da samuSao
ganaxlda. msgavsi masStaburi gadaReba, roca kadrSi asobiT adami-
ani iyo Sekrebili, ucxo xili iyo operatorisTvis. xalxi amaSu-
kels uneburad xels uSlida, ejaxeboda, kameris win dgeboda - kadrSi
moxvedra yvelas surda. operatori, roca erT gadasaReb obieqts
moiTavebda, meoresTan irCevda adgils da aparats ayenebda. „dilis
aqeT auarebeli xalxi sixaruliT moeloda did mgosans. rogorc op-
eratori, davwinaurdi, rom moxerxebul adgilidan gadameRo procesia,
- igonebs vasil amaSukeli, - movmarTe aparati; is-is iyo, aparatis
saxelurs xeli movkide, rom Cemis zurgidan momesma „vaSa, akakis“
Zaxili da Tofebis griali. gamoCnda mxedarTa razmi. is iyo, unda speqtakli „samSoblo“. afiSa. 1903 weli.
gadaveTele cxenebs, magram movaswari aparatianaT gverdze gaxtoma; reJisori akaki wereTeli
mivixed-movixede, Turme moxveul Saragzazed damidgams aparati da
Poster of the play ‘Samshoblo.’
ver daminaxavda momavali mgzavri, Tu axlos ar movidoda CemTan. Director – Akaki Tsereteli. 1903
movinacvle adgili da es sanaxaoba uxifaTod gadaviRe“.
kinoreJisor irakli maxaraZis sityviT: „Cinebuladaa gadaRebuli
masobrivi scenebi, xalxi da poeti, sixaruli da dReoba, is aRtaceba,
romelsac raWa-leCxumis mosaxleoba iCenda sayvareli stumrisadmi.
Tu mxedvelobaSi miviRebT maSindeli kinos teqnikur dones, mog-
zaurobis dros gadaRebis sirTules, gasagebi gaxdeba, ra gmiroba
Caudenia am patriot adamians. saboloo jamSi, vasil amaSukelma
1600 metramde kinofiri daxarja. mogzaurobis dasrulebis Semdeg
igi quTaisidan TbilisSi Camoitana da sofia ivanickaias laborato-
riaSi Caabara gasamJRavneblad. es procedura aleqsandre diRmelovma
Seasrula. male gamJRavnebuli kinomasala filmis avtors gadaugza-
vna. vasil amaSukeli gaxda am namuSevris reJisoric, operatorica da
memontaJec. damontaJebis Semdeg teqnikuri wunis gamo ramdenime
mniSvnelovani epizodi filmSi ar Sevida da mxolod fotoebze
SemorCa aRbeWdili. ase rom, 1600 metridan darCa 1200 metri. kino-
suraTs daerqva „qarTveli mgosnis akaki wereTlis mogzauroba raWa-
leCxumSi 21 ivlisidan 2 agvistomde 1912 wels“, anu SemoklebiT
„akakis mogzauroba“.
amave wlis 20 seqtembers „radiumSi“ Sedga am filmis premiera,
romelsac daeswro didZali xalxi da maT Soris Tavad akaki wer-
eTelic, romelic Zalze kmayofili darCenila da gaocebula kidec
mayurebelTa simravliT. filmis Cveneba erTi kviris ganmavlobaSi
sruli anSlagiT mimdinareobda. „akakis mogzaurobam“ komerciuladac

speqtakli „patara kaxi“. afiSa. 1903 weli.

reJisori da piesis avtori akaki wereTeli
Poster of the play ‘Patara Kakhi.’
101 Director and playwright – Akaki Tsereteli. 1903
akaki wereTeli Samadavle erisTavis
sasaxlis aivanze
wesi, 23 ivlisi, 1912 weli
fotografi kote qavTaraZe
Akaki Tsereteli on the balcony of
Shamadavle Eristavi
Photo by Kote Kavtaradze
July 23, 1912
gaamarTla da kinoTeatris mflobelebs ramdenime aTasi maneTis
mogeba moutana, vasil amaSukels ki eqvsi Tumani ergo.
quTaisSi warmatebuli Cvenebis Semdeg moisurves, premiera Tbi-
lisSic gamarTuliyo. amisTvis filmis mflobeli vasil amaSukeli
da kinoTeatr „radiumis“ gamge manuCarovi miavlines dedaqalaqs, sa-
dac gadawyvites, rom filmis reklamisTvis SeedginaT evropasa da
ruseTSi ukve popularuli da aprobirebuli reklamis saxeoba - filmis
libreto. teqsti daiwera qarTul enaze, rusuli anotaciiT da quTaisSi
gamoica.
„akakis mogzauroba“ aCvenes TbilisSic, WiaTuraSic, baTumSic,
foTSic, zugdidSic. male am filmma warmatebiT moiara moskovisa
da peterburgis, baqos, stambolisa da xarbinis ekranebi.
„es iyo pirveli qarTuli srulmetraJiani dokumenturi filmi,
romelmac cocxlad Semogvinaxa akaki wereTlisa da zeimis monawile
adamianebis saxeebi, - werda akaki baqraZe, - unikaluri istoriuli
Zeglebi d Zveli raWuli ferxuli. es iyo mkafiod gaazrebuli, myari
da zusti formis, Camoyalibebuli mxatvruli qmnileba, ara marto
qarTuli dokumenturi kinoxelovneba, aramed qarTuli saxioburi kin-
ematografiis sawyisic. misi buneba da xasiaTi, emociuri Zalac,
bevrad scildeba dokumentarobas“.
1961 wels frangi kinoistorikosi JorJ saduli pirad werilSi
kinomcodne karlo gogoZes swerda: „ramdenadac vici, 1912 wlam-
de, arc erT qveyanaSi, arc erTi srulmetraJiani dokumenturi filmi
(1200 metri) arc erTi cnobili pirovnebisadmi ar miuZRvniaT“. 1966
wels TbilisSi yofnisas JorJ sadulma isev daadastura Tavisi azri
filmis Sesaxeb.
qarTvelma kinomcodnem, profesorma gogi doliZem mniSvnelova-
ni wvlili Seitana am legendaruli filmis SeswavlaSi. misi azriT, -
„akakis mogzauroba“ uaRresad mniSvnelovani filmia rogorc Te-
maturi CanafiqriT, ise profesiuli gadawyvetilebiTac. igi aSkara
gamoxatulebaa im saxalxo-demokratiuli tendenciebisa, rac afxi-
zlebda eris sulier cxovrebas da riTac saerTod gamoirCeva pirveli
kavkasieli kinematografistis cxovreba da Semoqmedeba.
„akakis mogzaurobaSi“ mTeli sicxadiT gamovlinda filmis av-
toris namdvili moqalaqeobrivi paTosi da profesiuli simwife.
vasil amaSukeli meqanikurad ki ar aRbeWdavs firze am TavisTavadac
saintereso mogzaurobis mimzidvel scenebs, aramed aSkarad gvagr-
Znobinebs xalxis revoluciuri SemarTebisa da mzadyofnis cocxal,
STambeWdav suraTebs, riTac ase maorganizebeli da STamagonebeli
Zala eniWeba saxalxo poetis mogzaurobas mSobliur mxareSi.
„akakis mogzauroba“ moqalaqisa da xelovanis Tamami gamowveva
iyo. Tu revoluciamdeli ruseTis kinodokumentalistTa umravlesoba
amqveyniur upirveles movaleobad miiCnevda e.w. samefo qronikis
aRbeWdvas ekranze, vasil amaSukelma daarRvia es tradicia da Tavisi
srulmetraJiani filmi miuZRvna ara samefo karis ceremonialebsa Tu
102
mefis nacvlis zar-zeimebs, aramed erovnul-ganmaTavisuflebeli moZ-
raobis namdvil medroSes - akaki wereTels da, amdenad, Cveni sama-
mulo kinematografi imTaviTve Caayena xalxis sulieri moTxovnile-
bebis samsaxurSi. swored amiT varT yvelaze metad davalebulni
vasil amaSukelisgan. man mtkice safuZveli Cauyara qarTul erovnul
kinematografs da Tan naTlad gansazRvra kidec misi Semdgomi gan-
viTarebis konkretuli gza“.
akakis Semoqmedeba yovelTvis popularuli iyo. didi mwerlis
cxovrebas sabWoTa saqarTveloSi biografiuli saxis mxatvruli fil-
mi mieZRvna. 1947 wels reJisorma konstantine pipinaSvilma akaki
wereTlis „Cemi Tavgadasavalis“ motivebis mixedviT gadaiRo mxat-
vruli filmi „akakis akvani“.
am filmSi imdroindeli saqarTvelos msaxiobTa Tanavarsklave-
di monawileobda, maT Soris iyo nato vaCnaZe. msaxiobma filmis
Sesaxeb saintereso mogoneba dagvitova: „winadadeba momces, meTa-
maSa saqarTvelos didi poetis akaki wereTlis gamzrdelis, ZiZis
roli.
im adgilis mixedviT, rac mas scenarSi uWiravs, es roli didi ar
aris, magram amocana, romelic Cemi gagebiT am rolma Cems winaSe
daayena, Rrma da mniSvnelovani iyo. qarTveli dedis saxis Seqmna,
im glexi qalis amaRelvebeli xalxuri saxis gasaxiereba, romelic
erTnairad zrdis da uvlis Tavissa da sxvis Svils; unda gadmomeca
keTilSobili, spetaki mimzidveloba da Rrma sibrZne xalxidan gamo-
suli adamianebisa, - ai, rogor mesaxeboda Cemi amocana.
Cemi muSaoba imiT rTuldeboda, rom yvela scenaSi akaki wereTlis
aRmzrdelis roli moqmedebiT dakavSirebuli iyo jer kidev mcirew-
lovani aRsazrdelis rolTan. sakuTari rolis Sesrulebis dros me
marTlac mixdeboda bavSvebTan aRmzrdelobiTi muSaobis Catareba.
Cems muSaobaSi mexmarebodnen buneba da adamianebi. Semoviare yve-
la sofeli im adgilebis maxloblad, sadac bavSvobisas akaki wer-
eTeli cxovrobda, soflis cxovrebis epizodebi gadaviRe sofel sa-
vaneSi, sadac akaki izrdeboda. es sofeli araCveulebrivad warmtacia.
me Seviswavle masalebi poetis cxovrebaze, vesaubre adamianebs,
romlebsac misi ZiZa axsovT, anda masze naambobi moesminaT, da
vcdilobdi yvelaferi gamomekiTxa, rac misi xasiaTis Tavisebure-
bis garkvevaSi damexmareboda.
saqarTveloSi XIX saukunis samocian wlebSi Cveulebad iyo mdidar
Tavad-aznaurTa Svilebis gaZiZaveba. ZuZuTa bavSvebs glexis qals
aZlevdnen gasazrdelad. amas Cadiodnen imisTvis, rom Tavidan ae-
cilebinaT zrunva-Sewuxeba, an imisTvis, rom bavSvebi bunebriv
pirobebSi, xalxis wreSi aRzrdiliyvnen. akaki wereTeli jer kidev
Cvili gaabares glexis ojaxSi. akakis dedam moisurva, rom mis vaJs
Sroma eswavla, misi sixaruli gaego da Raribi xalxis cxovrebas
gascnoboda. amitom iyo akaki glexis ojaxSi rva wlamde. am aRzrdis
kvali atyvia Rrma xalxuri motivebiT mdidar mis poezias. me msurda

103
 akakis ZiZis - manos saxeSi gadmomeca TavdaWeriloba da simtkice,
simSvide da sibrZne, rac qarTveli qalis Rirsebas warmoadgens. me
rom vicode, es SevZeli Tu ara, did kmayofilebas vigrZnobdi. nam-
dvili saxis Seqmna suraTSi, romelic didi poetis, akaki wereTlis
cxovrebas asaxavs, msaxiobisTvis saintereso, Zneli da sapatio
amocanaa.
es roli imitomac iyo CvenTvis saintereso, rom ZiZis - manos
saxe mraval weliwads viTardeboda, - 20 wlis axalgazrda glexis
qalidan 80 wlis moxucamde, romelic modis akaki wereTlis iubileze.
me msurda didi mxatvruli simarTlisaTvis mimeRwia.
ramdenadac rolis ukanaskneli nawili CemTvis metad saZnelo da
saintereso iyo, amitom moxuci mano ufro Semiyvarda, vidre axal-
gazrda. me vikeTebdi sasinj grims, vcdilobdi ise movqceuliyavi da
memoqmedna, rogorc 80 wlis manos Seefereboda. roca grimiorTan
erTad gasazRvrul garegnul msgavsebas mivaRwie, grimgakeTebuli
kinostudiis direqtor mixeil kveselavasTan Sevedi da ver micno.
maSin Sin davureke bavSvebs: soflidan mamaTqvenis moxuci bicola
Camovida da radgan me ar mcalia, rac SeiZleba gulTbilad miiReT-
meTqi... manqanaSi Cavjeqi, manos tansacmeliTa da grimiT Sin wavedi.
umcrosma Svilma giorgim kari gamiRo. me mivesalme mas, ise rogorc
amas mano Caidenda. binaSi mimipatiJes, davjeqi. da, roca laparaki
daviwye, mxolod maSin micno Cemma Svilma.
es kargi Semowmeba iyo“.
qarTul kinoSi gamorCeulia akaki wereTlis „baSi-aCukis“ mixedviT
1956 wels gadaRebuli filmi oTar koberiZis gmiriTa da patriotuli
SinaarsiT. baSi-aCuki Cveni axalgazrdobisTvis gmirobis, vaJkaco-
bis, Tavdadebis, samSoblosa da moyvasis siyvarulis naTel magali-
Tad iqca. namuSevari qarTuli kinematografiis erT-erTi brwyinvale
nimuSia, rac kinoreJisor leo esakias mier Sekrebil msaxiobTa
TamaSmac ganapiroba.

giorgi kalandia

xelovnebis sasaxlis direqtori

akaki wereTeli TelavSi

21 ivlisi, 1911 weli
fotografi ivane barkalaia
Akaki Tsereteli in Telavi. Photo by
Ivane Barkalaia. July 21, 1911 104
 akaki wereTeli da kote abduSeliSvili
simon jafariZis ojaxSi
WiaTura, 1912 weli
fotografi daviT abaSiZe
Akaki Tsereteli and Kote Abdushelishvili
105 with the family of Svimon Japaridze
Photo by David Abashidze. Chiatura. 1912
106
 vercxlis balTa, sardionis qvebiT. XIX saukune
damdgmeli mxatvari revaz mirzaSvili
filmi „baSi-aCuki“.
1956 weli. xelovnebis sasaxle

The film – ‘Bashi-Achuki.’ Silver Buckle with Carnelians

Production Designer- Revaz Mirzashvili
Tavadi ColoyaSvilis (iusuf kobalaZe) mosasxami. Art Palace of Georgia. 1956
damdgmeli mxatvari revaz mirzaSvili
filmi „baSi-aCuki“.
1956 weli. xelovnebis sasaxle

The film - ‘Bashi-Achuki.’ Pelerine of the Prince Cholokashvili

(Iusup Kobaladze). Production Designer - Revaz Mirzashvili
Art Palace of Georgia. 1956

107
vercxlis gulis fari, sardionis qvebiT. XIX saukune
damdgmeli mxatvari revaz mirzaSvili
filmi „baSi-aCuki“. 1956 weli. xelovnebis sasaxle

The film – „Bashi-Achuki“. Silver Brooch with Carnelians. abduSahilis (dodo abaSiZe) mosasxami.
Production Designer- Revaz Mirzashvili damdgmeli mxatvari revaz mirzaSvili
Art Palace of Georgia. 1956 filmi „baSi-aCuki“.
1956 weli. xelovnebis sasaxle

The film – ‘Bashi-Achuki’

Pelerine of Abdulshahil (Dodo Abashidze)
Production Designer- Revaz Mirzashvili
Art Palace of Georgia. 1956
108
109
110
 selimxanis (kote dauSvili) vercxlis qamris detali.
keTilSobili Tvlebi. XIX saukune
damdgmeli mxatvari revaz mirzaSvili
filmi „baSi-aCuki“
1956 weli. xelovnebis sasaxle

The film - ‘Bashi-Achuki.’ Detail of Selimkhani’s belt

(Kote Daushvili) Precious Gems
Designer- Revaz Mirzashvili
Art Palace of Georgia. 1956

111
 karlo kukulaZe
kostiumis eskizi.
speqtakli „baSi-aCuki“
qaRaldi muyaoze, guaSi,
vercxlisferi brinjao.
zoma: 29.3X17 sm. 1946 weli.
xelovnebis sasaxle

Karlo Kukuladze.
Costume sketch
for the play „Bashi-Achuki“
Paper on pasteboard, gouache,
silver-bronze. Art Palace of Georgia
1946 size: 29.3x17
112
 karlo kukulaZe
kostiumis eskizi.
speqtakli „baSi-aCuki“
qaRaldi muyaoze, guaSi,
vercxlisferi brinjao.
zoma: 30X20 sm. 1946 weli.
xelovnebis sasaxle

Karlo Kukuladze.
Costume sketch
for the play ‘Bashi-Achuki’
Paper on pasteboard,
gouache, silver-bronze
Art Palace of Georgia
1946 size: 30x20

113
 karlo kukulaZe
kostiumis eskizi.
speqtakli „baSi-aCuki“
qaRaldi muyaoze, guaSi,
vercxlisferi brinjao.
zoma: 31X20 sm. 1946 weli.
xelovnebis sasaxle

Karlo Kukuladze.
Costume sketch
for the play ‘Bashi-Achuki’
Paper on pasteboard,
gouache, silver-bronze
Art Palace of Georgia
1946 size: 31x20

114
 karlo kukulaZe
kostiumis eskizi.
speqtakli „baSi-aCuki“
qaRaldi muyaoze, guaSi,
vercxlisferi brinjao.
zoma: 30X19.5 sm. 1946 weli.
xelovnebis sasaxle

Karlo Kukuladze
Costume sketch
for the play ‘Bashi-Achuki’
Paper on pasteboard,
gouache, silver-bronze
Art Palace of Georgia
1946 size: 30x19.5

115
 karlo kukulaZe
kostiumis eskizi.
speqtakli „baSi-aCuki“
qaRaldi muyaoze, guaSi,
vercxlisferi brinjao.
29.5X17.5 sm. 1946 weli.
xelovnebis sasaxle

Karlo Kukuladze
Costume sketch
for the play ‘Bashi-Achuki’
Paper on pasteboard,
gouache, silver-bronze
Art Palace of Georgia
1946 size: 29.5x17.5

116
 karlo kukulaZe
kostiumis eskizi.
speqtakli „baSi-aCuki“
qaRaldi muyaoze, guaSi,
vercxlisferi brinjao.
29.5X18 sm. 1946 weli.
xelovnebis sasaxle

Karlo Kukuladze.
Costume sketch
for the play ‘Bashi-Achuki’
Paper on pasteboard,
gouache, silver-bronze
Art Palace of Georgia
1946 size: 29.5x18

117
 dimitri TavaZe
kostiumis eskizebi. speqtakli „patara kaxi“
qaRaldi, fanqari, guaSi. zoma: 22X13 sm.
1939 weli. xelovnebis sasaxle

Dimitri Tavadze
Costume sketch for the play „Patara Kakhi“ (Little Kakhi)
Paper, pencil, gouache,
Art Palace of Georgia. 1939 size: 22x13

118
 dimitri TavaZe
kostiumis eskizebi.
speqtakli „patara kaxi“
qaRaldi, fanqari, guaSi.
zoma: 22X13 sm. 1939 weli.
xelovnebis sasaxle

Dimitri Tavadze
Costume sketch for the play
‘Patara Kakhi’ (Little Kakhi)
Paper, pencil, gouache
Art Palace of Georgia. 1939 size: 22x13

dimitri TavaZe
kostiumis eskizi.
speqtakli „patara kaxi“
qaRaldi, fanqari, guaSi.
zoma: 22X13 sm. 1939 weli.
xelovnebis sasaxle

Dimitri Tavadze
Costume sketch for the play
‘Patara Kakhi’ (Little Kakhi)
Paper, pencil, gouache
Art Palace of Georgia. 1939 size: 22x13
119
 mixeil gociriZe
kostiumis eskizi. speqtakli „patara kaxi“
muyao, aplikacia. zoma: 25X16 sm
1939 weli. xelovnebis sasaxle

Mikhail Gotsiridze
Costume sketch for the play „Patara Kakhi“ (Little Kakhi)
Pasteboard, application. Art Palace of Georgia. 1939 size: 25x16

mixeil gociriZe
kostiumis eskizi. speqtakli „patara kaxi“
muyao, aplikacia. zoma: 25X14.5 sm
1939 weli. xelovnebis sasaxle

Mikhail Gotsiridze
Costume sketch for the play ‘Patara Kakhi’ (Little Kakhi)
Pasteboard, application. Art Palace of Georgia. 1939 size: 25x14.5
120
 mixeil gociriZe
kostiumis eskizi. speqtakli „patara kaxi“
muyao, aplikacia. zoma: 25X16 sm
1939 weli. xelovnebis sasaxle

Mikhail Gotsiridze
Costume sketch for the play ‘Patara Kakhi’ (Little Kakhi)
Pasteboard, application.
Art Palace of Georgia. 1939 size: 25x16

mixeil gociriZe
kostiumis eskizi. speqtakli „patara kaxi“
muyao, aplikacia. zoma: 25X14.5 sm
1939 weli. xelovnebis sasaxle

Mikhail Gotsiridze.
Costume sketch for the play ‘Patara Kakhi’ (Little Kakhi)
121 Pasteboard, application. Art Palace of Georgia. 1939 size: 25x14.5
122
mixeil gociriZe
kostumis eskizebi. speqtakli „patara kaxi“
muyao, aplikacia. zoma: 24X35 sm
1939 weli. xelovnebis sasaxle

Mikhail Gotsiridze.
Costume sketches for the play
‘Patara Kakhi’ (Little Kakhi)
Pasteboard, application
Art Palace of Georgia. 1939 size: 24x35

123
nikoloz gomelauri
kostiumis eskizi.
speqtakli „patara kaxi“
qaRaldi, akvareli.
zoma: 28X14 sm. 1944 weli.
xelovnebis sasaxle

Nikoloz Gomelauri.
Costume sketch for the play „Patara Kakhi“
(Little Kakhi). Paper, watercolour.
Art Palace of Georgia. 1944 size: 28x14

nikoloz gomelauri
dekoraciis eskizi.
speqtakli „patara kaxi“
qaRaldi, akvareli
zoma: 17X30 sm. 1944 weli.
xelovnebis sasaxle

Nikoloz Gomelauri.
Decoration sketch for the play
‘Patara Kakhi’ (Little Kakhi)
Paper, watercolour
Art Palace of Georgia. 1944 size: 17x30

124
 nikoloz gomelauri
dekoraciis eskizi.
speqtakli „patara kaxi“
qaRaldi, akvareli
zoma: 17X30 sm. 1944 weli.
xelovnebis sasaxle

Nikoloz Gomelauri
Decoration sketch for the play
‘Patara Kakhi’(Little Kakhi)
Paper, watercolour
Art Palace of Georgia. 1944 size: 17x30

nikoloz gomelauri
kostiumis eskizi.
speqtakli „patara kaxi“
qaRaldi, akvareli.
zoma: 30X14 sm. 1944 weli.
xelovnebis sasaxle

Nikoloz Gomelauri
Costume sketch for the play
‘Patara Kakhi’ (Little Kakhi)
Paper, watercolour
Art Palace of Georgia. 1944 size: 30x14

125
 irina Stenbergi
kostiumis eskizi.
speqtakli „patara kaxi“
qaRaldi, guaSi.
zoma: 37X23 sm. 1940 weli
xelovnebis sasaxle

Irina Stenberg
Costume sketch for the play
‘Patara Kakhi’ (Little Kakhi)
Paper, gouache
Art Palace of Georgia
1940 size: 37x23

126
 irina Stenbergi
kostiumis eskizi.
speqtakli „patara kaxi“
qaRaldi, guaSi.
zoma: 36X23 sm. 1940 weli
xelovnebis sasaxle

Irina Stenberg
Costume sketch for the play
‘Patara Kakhi’(Little Kakhi)
Paper, gouache
Art Palace of Georgia
1940 size: 36x23

127
128
 irakli gamrekeli
dekoraciis eskizi. speqtakli „patara kaxi“
muyao, guaSi. zoma: 46.5X50.5 sm. 1943 weli
xelovnebis sasaxle

Irakli Gamrekeli
Decoration sketch for the play ‘Patara Kakhi’ (Little Kakhi)
irina Stenbergi Pasteboard, gouache. Art Palace of Georgia. 1943 size: 46.5x50.5
dekoraciis eskizi. speqtakli „patara kaxi“
qaRaldi, guaSi. zoma: 43.4X31.2 sm. 1940 weli
xelovnebis sasaxle

Irina Stenberg
Decoration sketch for the play ‘Patara Kakhi’ (Little Kakhi).
Paper, gouache. Art Palace of Georgia. 1940 size: 43.4x31.2

129
irakli gamrekeli
dekoraciis eskizi. speqtakli „patara kaxi“
muyao, guaSi. zoma: 47X54 sm. 1943 weli
xelovnebis sasaxle

Irakli Gamrekeli
Decoration sketch for the play ‘Patara Kakhi’ (Little Kakhi)
Pasteboard, gouache. Art Palace of Georgia. 1943 size: 47x54

130
 irakli gamrekeli
dekoraciis eskizi. speqtakli „patara kaxi“
muyao, guaSi. zoma: 47.6X64.3 sm. 1943 weli
xelovnebis sasaxle

Irakli Gamrekeli
Decoration sketch for the play ‘Patara Kakhi’ (Little Kakhi)
Pasteboard, gouache. Art Palace of Georgia. 1943 size: 47.6x64.3

131
irakli gamrekeli
dekoraciis eskizi. speqtakli „patara kaxi“
muyao, guaSi. zoma: 46X62 sm. 1943 weli
xelovnebis sasaxle

Irakli Gamrekeli
Decoration sketch for the play ‘Patara Kakhi’ (Little Kakhi)
Pasteboard, gouache. Art Palace of Georgia. 1943 size: 46x62

132
 irakli gamrekeli
dekoraciis eskizi. speqtakli „patara kaxi“
muyao, guaSi. zoma: 46X62sm. 1943 weli
xelovnebis sasaxle

Irakli Gamrekeli
Decoration sketch for the play ‘Patara Kakhi’ (Little Kakhi)
Pasteboard, gouache. Art Palace of Georgia. 1943 size: 46x62

133
 karlo kukulaZe
dekoraciis eskizi. speqtakli „baSi-aCuki“
tilo, zeTi.zoma: 50X64 sm. 1946 weli
xelovnebis sasaxle

Karlo Kukuladze
Decoration sketch for the play ‘Bashi-Achuki’
Canvas, oil. Art Palace of Georgia. 1946 size: 50x64

134
135
kote kvaliaSvili
dekoraciis eskizi. speqtakli „baSi-aCuki“
qaRaldi, tempera. zoma: 24.8X30 sm. 1951 weli
xelovnebis sasaxle
Kote Kvaliashvili
Decoration sketch for the play ‘Bashi-Achuki’
Paper, tempera. Art Palace of Georgia. 1951 size: 24.8x30
136
 daviT mirianaSvili
dekoraciis eskizi. speqtakli „baSi-aCuki“
qaRaldi, guaSi. zoma: 37X41 sm. 1946 weli
xelovnebis sasaxle
Davit Mirianashvili
Decoration sketch for the play ‘Bashi-Achuki’
Paper, gouache. Art Palace of Georgia. 1946 size: 37x41
137
daviT mirianaSvili
dekoraciis eskizi. speqtakli „baSi-aCuki“
qaRaldi, guaSi. zoma: 49X59 sm. 1946 weli
xelovnebis sasaxle

Davit Mirianashvili
Decoration sketch for the play ‘Bashi-Achuki’
Paper, gouache. Art Palace of Georgia. 1946 size: 49x59
138
 daviT mirianaSvili
dekoraciis eskizi. speqtakli „baSi-aCuki“
qaRaldi, guaSi. zoma: 34X42 sm. 1946 weli
xelovnebis sasaxle

Davit Mirianashvili
Decoration sketch for the play ‘Bashi-Achuki’
Paper, gouache. Art Palace of Georgia. 1946 size: 34x42
139
 dimitri TavaZe
dekoraciis eskizi. speqtakli „baSi-aCuki“
qaRaldi, guaSi. zoma: 45.5X61.6 sm. 1945 weli
xelovnebis sasaxle

Dimitri Tavadze
Decoration sketch for the play ‘Bashi-Achuki’
Paper, gouache
Art Palace of Georgia. 1945 size: 45.5x61.6

140
141
142
valerian sidamon-erisTavi. moTxroba
„gogia meCongure“. ilustracia
1912 weli. literaturis muzeumi
Valerian Sidamon-Eristavi
The novel ‘Gogia Mechongure’
Illustration. Literature Museum of Georgia. 1912
matilda mRebriSvili
poema „gamzrdeli“. ilustracia
1958 weli. literaturis muzeumi
Matilda Mghebrishvili
Poem ‘Gamzrdeli’ Illustration
143 Literature Museum of Georgia. 1958
144

kote WankvetaZe
romani „baSi-aCuki“. ilustracia
1940 weli. literaturis muzeumi
Kote Chankvetadze
‘Bashi-Achuki.’ Illustration.
Literature Museum of Georgia. 1940
Tamar abakelia
akaki wereTeli glexebTan - „Conguri“
1939 weli. literaturis muzeumi
Tamar Abakelia
Akaki Tsereteli with Peasants - ‘Chonguri’
Literature Museum of Georgia. 1939
145
146
147
mamia gvajaia
poema „gamzrdeli“. ilustraciebi
literaturis muzeumi

Mamia Gvajia
Illustration of the poem ‘Gamzrdeli.’
Literature Museum of Georgia

148
 matilda mRebriSvili
poema „gamzrdeli“. ilustracia
1958 weli. literaturis muzeumi

Matilda Mghebrishvili
Poem ‘Gamzrdeli.’ Illustration
Literature Museum of Georgia. 1958
149
150
akakis
mogzauroba raWa leCxumSi
The Journey of Akaki in Racha-Lechkhumi
151
 am patara mogonebaSid vexebi mxolod zogierT momentebs,
romelic gadaRebulia akakis iubiles istoriul suraTSid, rogorc
qarTuli pirveli kinofilmi da romelmac didi yuradReba da aRtaceba
gamoiwvia 1912-1913 ww.
ras warmoadgenda mefis mTavrobis dros kino: marTalia, kinos
ganviTareba ruseTSid iwyeba 1900-ian wlebidan, magram am did saqmes
maSvindeli mTavroba uyurebda, rogorc ubralo, kerZo gasarTobis da
ver warmoedginaT misi kulturulad gamoyeneba; an ki ra gasakviria
aseTi Sexeduleba qonoda mefis mTavrobas kinozed, rodesac Te-
atrebsa da mwerlobas kari qonda daxSuli. kino-Teatrebi iyo mxolod
da mxolod kerZo mwarmoeblebis Semosavlian sagnaT. idgmeboda
iseTi suraTebi, rogoric iyo „tyis yaCaRebi“, „zRvis
mekobreebi“, „duraSkinebi“ Tav-pirsamtvrebi triukebi da sxv. rom
ufro meti Semosavali qondaT kino mepatroneebs, uSvebdnen re-
klamebs: seansebis damTavrebis Semdeg mamakacTaTvis calke safa-
suria daxuruli seansebi... kinofabrikebzed xom xsenebac ar iyo
ruseTSid. aseTi kerZo warmoeblebTaTvis kulturulad gamoyeneba
kinosi xom ucxo xili iyo.
utyuari da istoriuli faqtia, rom kinomatografias didi gasaqani
mieca mxolod sabWoTa xelisuflebis dros da misi keTildReo-
bisaTvis partia da xelisufleba zrunavs, kino-texnikac umaRlesad
ganviTarebulia da mTels sabWoTa teritoriazed Seqmnilia uamravi
kino-Teatrebi, kino-ateliebi, kino-qarxnebi da kino-studiebi, rom-
lebic saxelmwifosagan yovelives mxriv uzunvelyofilia. agreTve
didi yuradReba eqceva kinokadrebis momzadebas da es yovelive
kulturul-ganmanaTlebel saqmisken aris mimarTuli.
1907 w. baqoSi arsebul qarTvels sazogadoebaTa sakrebuloSi
kviraSi erTxel idgmeboda qarTuli warmodgenebi, romlis saTave-
Siac idga kote mesxi. Tavisufal dReebSi uCvenebda kino-suraTebs.
kino mowyobili iyo efemia mesxis qmris, cnobili pedagogis ge-
prenis mier, mowyobiloba ki sazRvargareTeli „gomonis“ firmisa.
am aparatiT mavarjiSebda gepreni da kargadac aviTvise. dro da
droc cviRebdiT baqos navTis warmoebis patar-patara suraTebs,
baqos qronikebsa da vdgamdi Cvens kinoSi. unda aRiniSnos, rom
kotesa da mis siZes geptens, kinos saqmes sxva kinoebTan Sedar-
ebiT kulturulad qonda dayenebuli da idgmeboda xSirad ufro samec-
niero suraTebi: astronomia, medicina, texnika da sxva, romelsac
sazRvargareTidan Rebulobdnen, magram aseTi suraTebis xrjs ver
faravda Semosavali. geprenma ganizraxa gadagveRo da Cvens kinoSi
dagvedga musulmanebis erTerTi seqtis misteria „bairamoba“, anu ro-
gorc baqoSi uwodebdnen „Saxsei-vaxsei“. es dResaswauli imarTebo-
da yovelwliurad auarebeli am seqtis mimdevar xalxTa monawileobiT
da es ritualuri dResaswauli did sanaxaobas warmoadgenda. rode-
sac moaxlovda aRniSnuli dResaswauli, geprenma, rogorc yovelTvis
windaxedulma, ganucxada Tavis ganzraxva suraTis gadaRebis Sesaxeb
akaki wereTeli raWvelebTan,
romlebmac poetis raWa-leCxumSi
gasacileblad sadili moawyves
Tbilisi, edemis baRi, 17 ivlisi, 1912 weli
Akaki Tsereteli with Rachians before his
journey in Racha-Lechkhumi. Tbilisi
152
Garden of Edemi. July 17, 1912
 This short article is written by Vasil Amashukeli and it refers to the mo-
ments of a historical film about Akaki Tsereteli. It was the first Georgian mov-
ie and was made in 1912-1913.
“The development of film-making began in Russia in 1900. However, the
attitude of the government towards its cultural value was very contemptuous.
Cinema was considered as an entertaining means for the society, where peo-
ple could watch movies about robbers, pirates and other criminal adventures.
There were no movie-centers and nobody could imagine that a movie could
have a cultural bases.
As autocracy was abolished, the predominance of the Mensheviks made
things even worse for film-making as Mensheviks considered that theatre and
cinema as disreputable for their prestige.
It is a historical fact that only the Soviet government paid attention to cin-
ematography. The soviet party established many cinemas, movie-centers and
movie-studios which had permanent support from the government. In 1907,
in Baku, through the leadership of Kote Meskhi, the assembly of Georgian So-
ciety held one performance in a week. There was also equipment for the cine-
ma, which was arranged by the teacher Gepreni (husband of Epemia Meskhi).
He brought the equipment from abroad and used to teach me how to work
with it. We used to make movies about astronomy, medicine, techniques and
other cognitive themes, but such movies needed quite a lot of money which
was largely unavailable. Kote once decided to make a movie about the tra-
ditional religious holiday of Muslims. We called the holiday ‘Bairamoba’, in
Baku it was known as ‘Shakhsei-Vakhsei.’ Every year lots of people partici-
pated in the ritual and it made an interesting show. Before the holiday, Gepren
came to the leaders of the sect and told them of his desire. They were annoyed
and declared that Gepren’s desire was against their religion, therefore they
would not predict what the congregation’s reaction would be. Not having the
chance to make a full-length film was very frustrating for me, but Kote said
that I would have lots of opportunities to make serious films in the future.”
“In 1911, the construction of the cinema building was almost done. I was
responsible for arranging the electricity and film-apparatus. Following my
suggestion, Asatiani and Mepishashvili bought cinematic technology from
Gapren, which I used to shoot some short pictures, like parades and meetings
in Kutaisi. Many people used to come in the cinema to watch my films”.
“In 1912, Shamson Dateshidze and Lado Bzvaneli asked Asatiani to make
a movie about Akaki Tsereteli’s journey in Racha-Lechkhumi. When Asatiani
asked me to take the responsibility of film-making, I was extremely happy. I
remembered the words of Kote: “You will have an opportunity to make many
serious films.” I got started and have to admit that I was extremely excited
having seen so much love and respect toward the great poet Akaki Tsereteli.
During the whole journey people expressed the sweetest emotions and were
so happy to see Akaki in their region. Unfortunately, I was running out of
movie tapes as there were plenty of significant moments which deserved to be
shot. I have to admit, Mr. Bzvanely was my savior. He managed to supply me
akaki wereTeli lailaSisa da alpanis
komitetis wevrebTan
alpana, 1 agvisto, 1912 weli
fotografi: kote qavTaraZe
Akaki Tsereteli with Lailashi and
153 Alpani committee members. Alpana
Photo by Kote Kavtaradze. August 1, 1912

vasil amaSukeli.
akaki wereTlis raWa-leCxumSi mogzauroba
xvanWkara, 30 ivlisi, 1912 weli
fotografi kote qavTaraZe
Vasil Amashukeli
The journey of Akaki in
Racha-Lechkhumi. Khvanchkara
Photo by Kote Kavtaradze. July 30, 1912
seqtis gavlenian pirT. isini sastikaT win aRudgen da ganacxaden:
Tu Tqven es ganzraxva ar dagiSliaT, raki Cvens sarwmunoebas ewi-
naaRmdegeba, Cven pasuxs ar vagebT, rasac morwmuneni Caideneno.
amis Semdeg raRa dagvrCenoda, xeli aviReT Cvens gazraxvazed, ra-
mac Zlier damaRona, rodesac kotes SevCivle, rom SemTxveva ar
momeca didi suraTis Seqmnisa-Tqo, man mama-Svilurad miTxra: guls
nu gaitex, rac SeiZleba meti imecadine mag aparatze, jer axalgazrda
xar, vin icis, rogori suraTebis gadaReba mogixdeba Sen cxovreba-
Sio.
1911 wels kino-Teatris mSenebloba daemTavrebinaT asaTians
da mefisaSvils, eleqtrogayvaniloba da kino-aparatis mowyoba ki
me momandves. maT winadadeba miveci SeeZinad gepterisagan kino-
suraTebis saRebi aparati, rac siamovnebiT aasrules. am aparatiT
drogamoSvebiT viRebdi patar-patara suraTebs: aRlumebs, quTaisis
qronikebs da sxv. vdgamdi kinoSid, rasac xalxi blomad eswreboda.
1912 wels, ivlisis TveSid, asaTians estumra samson daTeSiZe
da lado bzvaneli winadadebiT; ewyoba mgosan akakis mowveva raWa-
leCxumSi da Tu moaxerxebT am mogzaurobis kino-lentzed aRbeW-
daso. rodesac es ambavi asaTianma gadmomca da miTxra vikisreb Tu
ara am friad pasuxsageb saqmis asrulebaso, gulSi Cems sixaruls saz-
Rvari ar qonda. momagonda kotes sityvebi: ai, exla meZleva saSuale-
ba Cvens saqarTveloSi gadaviRo iseTi suraTi, sadac didi mgosani
iqneba gamovlinebuli. miveci dasturi da Seudegi samzadiss. miznaT
davisaxe: am mogzaurobisas suraTi erTi mTlian programaT Sem-
eqmna, Cems gankargulebaSid ki mxolod samasi metri lenta (plion-
ka) moipoveboda, riTac SeiZleboda programis boloSi xronikad
gveCvenebia es suraTi da advili warmosadgenia, rogor STabeWdile-
bas datovebda mayureblebzed iseTi suraTebic bolos gveCvenebia
akakis mogzauroba. rogori suraTebis maSvin idgmeboda. dro cota
gvrCeboda lentebis gamosaweraT, sul 6-7 dRe dagvrCa gamgzavrebam-
de. lentebs viwerdiT kerZo afTiaqis mepatrone kokoCaSvilis meS-
veobiT varSavidan. SeukveTeT lentebi kokoCaSvils; imedi ki cota
mqonda, rom lentebi mogviswrebda. daniSnul dRes -1912 w. 21 ivliss
iubilarTan erTad gaudeqiT gzas. Cven visxediT lineikaSid, e.i.
sami sxvadasxva gazeTis korespondentebi, Jurnalistebi, mwerlebi,
fotografi da kino-operatori. sagangeboT morTul etlSi isxdnen
akaki, saibileo komisiis wevrebi da gazeT „Temis“ redaqtori. es
korteJi dilis 9 saaTze gadaviRe WomaSi, wereTlis ezoSi.
gamgzavrebis win asaTianma miTxra, kokoCaSvils depeSa mouvida
- lentebi gamogzavnilia da Tu droze mova, gzaSi dagawevTo. ga-
davwyvite: rac xelT mqonda lentebi, ekonomiurad mexmara da gadam-
eRo mxolod xuTi-eqvsi RirsSesaniSnavi momentebi, mTlianad saiu-
bileo sanaxaobisaTvis ki Tavi damenebebia. dawyebuli quTaisidan
alpanamde, iseTi grandiozuli Sexvedrebi gaiSala da mec gamitaca am
arnaxulma saiubileo zeimebma, rom Cemda uneblieT, lentebi gamom-
leoda, Cavardi sasowarkveTilebaSid: alpanamde Tu Tavis sayvarel
154
with extra tapes, which he ordered in Warsaw. As a result, I made a wonderful
historical movie about Akaki. It reveals only the reality, none of the emotions
are false in there.”
“Among many memorable moments, the meeting in Barakoni was one of
the most exceptional. I was woken up by the noise of singing and dancing.
I came out and saw a very exciting moment. A group of ‘Rachvelians’ were
dancing their traditional dance ‘Perkhuli’. It was amazing; I tried to impress
each movement on the tape, but of course it was much more impressive live.
“We were also in Oni, Nikortsminda and Lailashi. Everywhere, without any
exception, Akaki was met with astonishing love and respect.”
“After returning to Kutaisi, I shot several important moments. One of them
was the farewell of Akaki and his companions after the long journey. As soon
as the film was ready it was shown in our cinema. It is considerable that during
one week, an uncountable number of people came to see the movie. It was also
shown in other regions of Georgia. I was honored to receive acknowledge-
ments from the anniversary committee and from the owner of the cinema”.
The original tape of the movie was given to S. Dateshidze (commission
member) by Asatiani. Dateshidze gave it to the State Museum. As for the neg-
ative, in 1923 it was given to the educational department of Kutaisi.
“While traveling in Racha-Lechkhumi Akaki Tsereteli was already weak-
ened and often asked to stop the cab to have some rest. Mr. Diasamidze (the
editor of the newspaper ‘Temi’) once asked him: ‘Dear Mr. Akaki, when will
our country have vehicles instead of cabs, as all Europe already uses only cars?’
Akaki answered that as long as our county is under the control of Russia, we
have to be grateful that we can use cabs and not drays”.

Vasil Amashukeli

1946

akaki wereTeli
xvanWkara, 30 ivlisi, 1912 weli
fotografi: kote qavTaraZe

Akaki Tsereteli. Khvanchkara

Photo by Kote Kavtaradze. July 30, 1912
155
 mgosans aseTi mozRvavebuli xalxi aRtacebiT umarTavdnen tri-
umphs, zemo da qvemo raWaSi - am bunebis saarako sanaxaobaSid -
raRa iqneboda, miT umetes, ambebi mogvdioda - raWa did samzadisSi
ariso; advili warmosadgenia: alpanidan nikorwmindamde da onamde
am Tval-warmtac bunebasTan erTad ramdeni Zvirfasi sanaxaobebi mr-
Ceboda lentzed aRubeWdavi. gamcileblebTan erTad arc akakis darCa
sasiamovnoT es ambavi, momixmo da miTxra: „ase viciT, biZia,
imerlebmao, - davuwyebT saqmesa da Cxirs movatexT“-o. akakis mxle-
belTa Soris lado bzvaneli didaT mexmarebida suraTebis gadaRebis
dros da bzvaneli maxarobeli gaxda Cemi: alpanis fostis ufrosma
miTxra - lentebia quTaisidan Tqvens saxelzedao; es ambavi yvela-
saTvis sasiamovno iyo, gansakuTrebiT ki CemTvis. ra bednieria
dRes operatoris da ras ganvicdidi maSvin me, ubralo aparatiT da
arasakmao lentebiT.
mTeli saiubileo mogzauroba raWa-leCxumSid, romelic aRbeWdili
maqvs istoriul filmzed, ar vcdilvar Cemi iniciativa gamomevline-
bia ama Tu im zeimebis SeCereba-dawyobaSid, aramed, viRebdi realu-
raT ise, rogorc xdeboda aparatis win.
gadaviareT sairmis saxelganTqmuli mTa, aq gadaviRe iubilari
Tavis TanamgzavrebiT da daveSviT Wrebalos Walebisaken. Wreba-
loSi rom SevdiodiT, Tvalwin gadagveSala didebuli suraTi: gakeT-
ebuli iyo didi TaRi, zed akakis suraTiTa da warweriT, dilis aqeT
auarebeli xalxi, romelnic sixaruliT moelodnen did mgosans. ro-
gorc operatori, davwinaurdi, rom moxerxebuli adgilidan gadameRo
procesi, movmarTe aparati; is iyo aparatis saxelurs xeli movkide,
rom Cemis zurgidan momesma „vaSa akakis“ Zaxili da Tofebis gri-
ali. gamoCnda mxedarTa razmi. is iyo unda gadaveTele cxenebs,
magram movaswari aparatianaT ganzed gaxtoma. mivixed-movixede,
Turme, tolidan momavali WrebalosTan moxveul Sara-gzazed damid-
gams aparati, rasac ver daminaxavda tolidan momavali mgzavri Tu
axlos ar movidoda CemTan. movinacvle adgili da es sanaxaoba
uxifaToT gadaviRe. es cxenosani razmi zemo raWidan iyvnen Wre-
baloSid gamogzavnili, rom iubilari zemo raWisken gaecilebinaT.
barakonamde mravali xalxTa Sexvedra da zeimebi, romelsac xalxi
Tavis sayvarel mgosans uwodebda, gadaRebuli maqvs kino-lentazed.
barakonSid: diliT adre gamogvaRviZa ezoSi mwyobrma ferxulma
da simReris xmam. es dauviwyari sanaxaoba waruSlelia Cems maxsov-
robaSi: axlad amosuli mzis sxivebi uxvad mofenoda „mindacixes“
da barakonis Tvalwarmtac midamos. gamcileblebi rom aivanzed gam-
ovediT, akaki ukve aivnidan TavaRerili da Tvalis quTuToebdaSve-
buli gadayurebda gasaocar Zvelebur ferxuls. aszed meti TeTrwvera
raWvelebi moxuci qalebiT mklavi-mklav gadadebuli gaeSalaT didi
wre da Sexmatkbilebulad ayolebdnen Zvelebur simReras ferxuls. am
moxucTa wkriala xmas gaocebaSi moyavda mayureblebi. es iyo nam-
dvili xalxuri Semoqmedeba, romelic ZvelTagan Semounaxavs zemo

akaki wereTeli
lailaSi, 31 ivlisi, 1912 weli
Akaki Tsereteli
Lailashi. July 30, 1912
156
raWas, movnaxe moxerxebuli simaRle da daviwye ferxulis gadaReba.
rodesac adgili movinacvle, akakisTan mdgomma diasamiZem maniSna,
rom mivsuliyav maTTan. misvlisas akakim miTxra: „ar dazogo codna
da masala, Tu es ferxuli suraTSidac aseTi gamovida, Zlier kargi
iqnebao“. akakis etyoboda, rom gatacebuli iyo am ferxulis sanaxa-
obiT, da albaT gavamarTle akakis survili - maSvindel texnikasTan
SedarebiT suraTSi ferxuli kargad gamovida da Zlier kargi STabe-
Wdileba datova mayurebelzed. im dRes akakis barakonis ezoSi didi
nadimi gadauxades. uamravi xalxi isxda sadilzed, rac Cems mier ga-
daRebula mravali momentebi.
uaxlovdebiT ons. xidTa rions gaRma triumfaluri TaRia morTuli
mwvaniT da cocxali yvavilebiT. SuaSi kidia akakis didi portreti.
TaRs warwera aqvs „dideba Tqvens mobrZanebas, dido mgosano!“ aq
Tavi moeyaraT mTel onsa da raionebidan Camosul dids Tu pataras,
qalsa da kacs, sixaruli aRbeWdodaT saxezed. akakis danaxvazed ig-
riala am zRva xalxma da taSis grialSid gaismoda - „akakis gaumar-
jos“. davwinaurdi suraTis gadasaRebad, magram moxerxebuli adgili
arsad iyo, sul xals daekavebia, bzvanelma aqac didi daxmareba gami-
wia da es sanaxaoba kargaT gadaviRe. meore dRes onSi iubilaris
pativsacemaT gamarTul nadimze, romlis saTaveSi sagangeboT mor-
Tul savarZelSi akaki ijda, garSemo ki aranakleb samasi qali da kaci
isxda, am zeimze sxva momentebTa Soris gadaviRe - onis ebraelo-
bis warmomadgenels sityvis dasasruls akaki kocnis da sapasuxo
sityvas Tval-cremlmoreuli eubneba.
nikorwmindisaken mivemgzavrebiT: moRrublulobisa da wvimian
amindis gamo xotevSi gamarTul zeims viReb. WeliSis monasters
rom miuaxlovdiT, kargi daria. gadaviRe WeliSis monasteri Tavis
wyalvardnebiT. Tvawarmtacia Saoris midamoebi Tavisi xarisTva-
laTi, gancvifrebaSi moyavs adamiani am did mdinare Savrulas, rode-
sac Tqven Tvalwin ikargeba napralSid es midamoebi da Savrulazed
naviT gaseirneba gadaRebulia. diliT adre nikorwmindas XI saukunis
taZris bareliefebs viRebs garedan, akaki mxleblebiTurT taZris
SigniT uZveles ganZeulobas aTvalierebs. rodesac gareT gamovida,
momiaxlovda da miTxra: „es Seni gvari ufro wevar meZebrebis mim-
devari iyo da Sen ki kargi saqmis mimdevroba dagiwyiao“. xalisianad
iyo. Cems gvarzed gadakruls sityvisagan uxerxulobiT nagrZnobma
vkadre: batono akaki, saCxeris mxares mwevar-meZebrebiT nadirobas
vin Seedreboda, magram nadiroba xels ar uSlida axalgazrdobas swav-
la-ganaTlebis miRebaSi-Tqo. miuxedavaT etliT mgzavrobisa, sadac
xSirad cudi gzebi gvxdeboda da zeimebisagan mousvenrobisa, akakis
daRliloba ar etyoboda. misi mxiaruli saxis gamometyveleba CvenSi
qmnida erTgvar aRtacebas, rom es moxuci mxiarulad da momRimareT
iyo, xolo xandixan gajavrdeboda: rodesac komisiis wevrebi an
kote abduSeliSvili Caacivdebodnen: batono akaki, bevri imgzavreT,
moisveneT, wamoweviT, is gajavrebiT ityoda: „damacadeT erTi,
akaki wereTeli Samadavle
erisTavis sasaxlis aivanze
wesi, 23 ivlisi, 1912 weli
fotografi kote qavTaraZe
Akaki Tsereteli on the balcony of
Shamadavle Eristavi’s house
157 Photo by Kote Kavtaradze. July 23, 1912
mama gicxondebaT, aq mainc momaTqmevineT sulio“.
mivemarTebiT lailaSisaken, SevediT lajanuris xeobaSi, es SiSis
momgvreli sanaxaobaa: aqeT-iqeT Tvaluwvdeneli amarTuli kldeebi,
viwro xeoba, sadac mdinare lajanura didis RrialiT eSveba rioni-
saken. am xeobaSid viwro daklaknili gza da qvemoT ufskruli Jruan-
tels gvris adamians, am xeobaSi gadaviRe ramodenime momenti.
SevediT lailaSSid, atexil Tofebis srola da vaSas Zaxili, bazari
daeketaT. mTel lailaSsa da axlo-maxlo soflelebs misasvlelTan
Tavi moeyara, am zRva xalxis win warmdgariyo lailaSis rCeulni
pur-mariliT, sityviT miegeba dadeSqeliani, me movnaxe momarjvebuli
adgili da viReb am didebul suraTs, xalxi gulmxurvaled da sixaru-
lis cremlebiT egebeba sayvarel mgosans. gaTavda misalmeba, cota
xnis dasvenebis Semdeg iubilari mxleblebiTurT miiwvies saucxood
mowyobil sefaSi; nadimze isxdnen ara nakleb 350-400 kaci da qali,
akakisaTvis moerToT saucxoo savarZeli, gadaviRe es didebuli na-
dimi da amiT davamTavre „akaki wereTelis saiubileo mogzauroba
raWa-leCxumSi“ suraTebis gadaReba.
quTaisSi rom davbrundi, meore dRes, gadaviRe saojaxo baRSi
akakis gamomSvidobeba TanmxleblebTan. am suraTis gamzadebis Sem-
deg, pirvelad akakis TandaswrebiT daidga Cvens kinoSid. auarebeli
xalxi moawyda, quCaSi teva ar iyo. rva dRis ganmavlobaSi idgmeboda
suraTi da yoveldRiurad darbazi gaWedili iyo xalxiT. Cveni ekra-
nidan moxsnis Semdeg mraval daba-qalaqebSi iyo naCvenebi es suraTi
da yvelgan warmatebiT idgmeboda. mec gulnatkeni ar damtoves da
rogorc saiubileo komitetisagan, agreTve, kinos mepatronisagan,
madloba miviRe.
am suraTis originali pirobisamebr asaTianma gadasca erT-erT
komisiis wevrs muzeumisaTvis Casabareblad, rac Cemi azriT, aas-
rula pativcemulma komisiis wevrma (s. daTeSiZem), negativi ki daax-
loebiT 1923 wels gadaeca quTaisis ganaTlebis ganyofilebas. misi
monaxva SesaZlebelia pativcemul aleqsandre nikolavas meSveobiT,
romelic TanamSrolobda ganaTlebis ganyofilebaSi, amJamad ki ga-
nagebs quTaisis lombards.
P.S. akaki wereTlis raWa-leCxumSi mogzaurobis dros Zalian
dagvqanca etlebma, moxuci mgosani xSirad gvaCerebda gzaSi da mux-
lebis gasamarTavad Zirs gadmodioda. erT-erT aseT SeCerebaze:
gazeT „Temi“-s redaqtori diasamiZe mgosans Seexmiana: batono
akaki, rodis eRirseba Cvens qveyanas avtomanqanebi, evropaSi ki
didi xania etlebi xmarebidan gamovida, - he, Cemo gigo, sanam Cvens
qveyanas ruseTis TviTmpyrobelobis kanoni marTavs, RmerTs mad-
loba Sewire, rom etlebi ar gaauqmon da Cven Zvelebur urmebze ar
Segvaskupono...

vasil amaSukeli
1946 w.

158
159
160
 raWa-leCxumSi akaki wereTlis
mogzaurobis korespondentebi:
sosiko merkvilaZe, grigol diasamiZe,
vasil amaSukeli, lado bzvaneli (nacvliSvili),
samson daTeSiZe
Correspondents of Akaki while travelling in
Racha-Lechkhumi: Sosiko Merkviladze,
Grigol Diasamidze, Vasil Amashukeli,
Lado Bzvaneli(Natsvlishvili), Samson Dateshidze

161
162
 vasil petriaSvili, vasil amaSukeli, grigol diasamiZe,
samson daTeSiZe, vasil wereTeli, ioba isakaZe,
akaki wereTeli, kote abduSeliSvili,
lado bzvaneli, sosiko merkvilaZe
leCxumis sazRvari, 21 ivlisi, 1912 weli
fotografi kote qavTaraZe

Vasil Petriashvili, Vasil Amashukeli, Grigol Diasamidze,

Samson Dateshidze, Vasil Tsereteli, Ioba Isakadze,
Akaki Tsereteli, Kote Abdushelishvili, Lado Bzvaneli,
Sosiko Merkviladze. The Border of Lechkhumi
Photo by Kote Kavtaradze. July 21, 1912

akaki wereTeli alpanis sazogadoebasTan

(poets xelSi uWiravs goguca kupraSvili)
21 ivlisi, 1912 weli
fotografi kote qavTaraZe

Akaki Tsereteli with the society of Alpani

(The poet is holding Gogutsa Kuprashvili)
Photo by Kote Kavtaradze. July 21, 1912

163
164
 akaki wereTeli ferxulSi:
Tamar gelovani, elene giorgobiani,
nadia CikvaiZe, grigol,
valerian da lado jafariZeebi
27 ivlisi, 1912 weli
fotografi kote qavTaraZe

Akaki Tsereteli in Perkhuli:

Tamar Gelovani, Elene Giorgobiani,
Nadia Chikvaidze, Grigol, Valerian and
Lado Japaridze
Photo by Kote Kavtaradze. July 27, 1912

165
akaki wereTeli onis sazogadoebasTan
27 ivlisi, 1912weli
fotografi: kote qavTaraZe

Akaki Tsereteli with the society of Oni

Photo by Kote Kavtaradze. July 27, 1912

166
167
akaki wereTeli daviT kandelakis saxlis aivanze
nikorwminda, 26 ivlisi, 1912 weli
fotografi kote qavTaraZe

Akaki Tsereteli on the balcony of Davit Kandelaki’s house

Nikortsminda. Photo by Niko Kavtaradze. July 26, 1912

akaki wereTeli daviT kandelakis saxlis aivanze

nikorwminda, 26 ivlisi, 1912 weli
fotografi kote qavTaraZe

Akaki Tsereteli on the balcony of Davit Kandelaki’s house

Nikortsminda. Photo by Niko Kavtaradze. July 26, 1912

168
169
170
 akakis Semoqmedeba qarTul kinoSi
Works of Akaki in Georgian Cinematography
171
172
 afiSa filmisaTvis „akakis akvani“
1958 weli. xelovnebis sasaxle

Poster for the movie ‘Akakis Akvani’

Art Palace. 1958

afiSa filmisaTvis „akakis akvani“

1958 weli. xelovnebis sasaxle

Poster for the movie ‘Akakis Akvani’

Art Palace. 1958

173
174
175
kadrebi filmidan „akakis akvani“
omar Citaia - akaki bavSvobaSi
ekaterine ciciSvili - akakis deda
kote miqaberiZe - papuna (manos qmari)
nato vaCnaZe - mano (ZiZa)
1947 weli. xelovnebis sasaxle

A shot from the movie „Akakis Akvani“ Omar

Chitaia as little Akaki;
Ekaterine Tsitsishvili as the character of
Akaki’s mother;
Kote Mikaberidze as Papuna, Mano’s husband;
Nato Vachnadze as Nanny Mano
Art Palace. 1947

kadri filmidan „akakis akvani“

nato vaCnaZe - mano (ZiZa)
1947 weli. xelovnebis sasaxle

A shot from the movie ‘Akakis Akvani’

Nato Vachnadze as Akaki’s nanny Mano
Art Palace. 1947

176
177
178
 kadri filmidan „akakis akvani“
mixeil yvarelaSvili - akaki iubilari
1947 weli. xelovnebis sasaxle
A shot from the movie ‘Akakis Akvani’
Mikhail Kvarelashvili as Akaki
Art Palace. 1947

179
180
 afiSa filmisaTvis „baSi-aCuki“
1957 weli. xelovnebis sasaxle

Poster of the movie ‘Bashi-Achuki’

Art Palace. 1957

afiSa filmisaTvis „baSi-aCuki“

1957 weli. xelovnebis sasaxle

Poster of the movie ‘Bashi-Achuki’

Art Palace. 1957

181
182
 kadri filmidan „baSi-aCuki“
dodo WiWinaZe - nino
1957 weli. xelovnebis sasaxle

A shot from the movie ‘Bashi-Achuki’

Dodo Chichinadze as Nino
Art Palace. 1957

kadri filmidan „baSi-aCuki“

oTar koberiZe - baSi-aCuki
1957 weli. xelovnebis sasaxle

A shot from the movie ‘Bashi-Achuki’

Otar Koberidze as Bashi-Achuki
Art Palace. 1957

183
184
185
186
 kadrebi filmidan „baSi-aCuki“
dodo abaSiZe - abduSahili,
oTar koberiZe - baSi-aCuki
lia eliava - mTvarisa
1957 weli. xelovnebis sasaxle

A shot from the movie ‘Bashi-Achuki’

Dodo Abashidze as Abdushahil,
Otar Koberidze as Bashi-Achuki and
Lia Eliava as Mtvarisa
Art Palace. 1957

kadri filmidan „baSi-aCuki“

dodo abaSiZe - abduSahili
1957 weli. xelovnebis sasaxle

A shot from the movie ‘Bashi-Achuki’

Dodo Abashidze as Abdushahil
Art Palace. 1957

187
 kadri filmidan „baSi-aCuki“
medea Caxava-melano
1957 weli. xelovnebis sasaxle

A shot from the movie ‘Bashi-Achuki’

Medea Chakhava as Melano
Art Palace. 1957

188
189
kadri filmidan „baSi-aCuki“
giorgi SavguliZe - zaal erisTavi,
Tamar ciciSvili - erisTavis qali
1957 weli. xelovnebis sasaxle

A shot from the movie ‘Bashi-Achuki’

George Shavgulidze as Zaal Eristavi,
Tamar Tsitsishvili as the woman of Eristavi
Art Palace. 1957
190
 kadri filmidan „baSi-aCuki“
lia eliava - mTvarisa,
dodo abaSiZe - abduSahili
1957 weli. xelovnebis sasaxle

The shot from the movie ‘Bashi-Achuki’

Lia Eliava as Mtvarisa,
Dodo Abashidze as Abdulshahil.
Art Palace. 1957

kadri filmidan „baSi-aCuki“

kote dauSvili - selimxani,
meri daviTaSvili - Timsal-mako
1957 weli. xelovnebis sasaxle

The shot from the movie ‘Bashi-Achuki’

Kote Daushvili as Selimkhan,
Meri Davitashvili as Timsal-Mako
Art Palace. 1957
191
192
193
194
akaki da qarTuli musika
Akaki in Georgian Music
195
 cnobili qarTveli kompozitoris dimitri arayiSvilis saarqivo
masalis damuSavebisas, sxva dokumentebTan erTad erT-erTi pirveli
qarTveli kompozitori qalis varinka wereTlis Sesaxeb metad sain-
tereso werils gavecani. masalis Segrovebisas presis furclebze
mivakvlie cnobas imis Sesaxeb, rom meore msoflio omis dros
„suliko“ bulgarel partizanTa sabrZolo himni yofila. es faqti
nawilobriv dakavSirebulia qarTveli musikosis, mevioline iliko
qurxulis saxelTan, romelic gasuli saukunis 20-iani wlebidan bul-
gareTSi cxovrobda da moRvaweobda. qurxuli iqaurebs qarTul simR-
erebs aswavlida da Tavisi musikaluri skolac hqonda gaxsnili. guram
aleqsandria ixsenebs, rom gasuli saukunis 60-iani wlebis damlevs
quTaisSi stumrad aSS-dan studentTa jgufi imyofeboda, romelic
ZiriTadad niuorkeli da kalifornieli axalgazrdebisgan Sedgeboda.
maT xelmZRvanelobda 45-50 wlis darbaiseli aristokratiuli ieris
qalbatoni esTer vaisi. qalaqis daTvalierebisas jgufi akakis Zegl-
Tan SeCerebula. maspinZelma stumrebs didi mgosani warudgina da
Tan daayola, rom igi „sulikosa“ da „cicinaTelas“ teqstis avtoric
gaxlavTo. Tavisdauneburad moskovel Tarjiman gogonas „suliko“
wamouwyia, mas maspinZlebic ahyolian da uecrad yvelasTvis moulod-
nelad maT inglisur enaze xma auwyo qalbatonma esTerma. Semdeg ki
gaocebul stumar-maspinZelTa SekiTxvaze ase upasuxia, Cems qaliS-
vilobaSi „suliko“ Zalian modaSi iyo amerikaSio. minda mec gasuli
saukunis samociani wlebi gavixseno. mSoblebTan erTad qviSxeTis
mweralTa dasasvenebel saxlSi visvenebdi, sadac sxva cnobil adami-
anebTan erTad mwerali dramaturgi oTar CijavaZec isvenebda da yo-
vel saRamos saocar ambebs gviyveboda. mas xSirad uTqvams yvelaze
mZime wuTebSi „sulikos“ vRiRinebdio. igi 1928 wlidan emigra-
ciaSi, safrangeTSi imyofeboda (samSobloSi 1946 wels dabrunda),
xolo espaneTSi samoqalaqo omis dros erT-erT samxedro nawilSi
msaxurobda, sadac ernest hemingueis gverdiT ibrZoda. isini savele
korespondentebic iyvnen da maSin, rodesac evropis qalaqebSi zogi-
erTebi italiuri faSisturi himnis „jovanicas“ hangebze marSirebd-
nen, WeSmariti patriotebi da humanistebi „sulikos“ RiRinebdnen.
savaraudoa, rom swored qarTvelma moxaliseebma, emigrantebma
da aseve bulgarelma, amerikelma, frangma Tu espanelma Tanamebr-
Zolebma gaitanes da gaavrceles mTel msoflioSi varinka wereTlis
esoden naRvliani Sinaarsis, araCveulebrivad melodiuri, gulSiCam-
wvdomi simRera „suliko“. evropasa da amerikaSi saswavleblad Tu
samuSaod wasuli araerTi Cveni Tanamemamule bevrjer Seswrebia im
faqts Tu rogori siamovnebiT asrulebdnen „sulikos“ samSoblos
monatrebul qarTvelebTan erTad maspinZlebic.
varinka-barbare maWavariani-wereTlisa daibada 1874 wels sofel
cxrawyaroSi generlis, spiridon maWavarianis ojaxSi. mas bavSvo-
bidanve mSvenieri xma aRmoaCnda. musikas cnobili lotbaris fili-
mon qoriZis meuRle, musikosi zinaida vorobeci aswavlida. varinka

varinka wereTeli
Varinka Tsereteli
196
 While working on the private archive of the famous Georgian composer Dimi-
tri Arakishvili I came across an interesting letter about the first Georgian woman
composer Varinka Tsereteli. I decided to write an article about the woman who
was the first performer and music composer of the famous rhyme ‘Suliko’ written
by Akaki Tsereteli. I discovered that the song ‘Suliko’ used to be the anthem of
battle for Bulgarian partisans. It is considerable that by that time Iliko Kurkhuli,
(Georgian musician and violinist) was living and working in Bulgaria. He even
had a musician academy in which he used to give music lessons. I assume Iliko
Kurkhuli is connected with the popularity of the rhyme ‘Suliko’. From the book
that refers to Varinka Tsereteli (author- Leri Alimonaki) I found out that groups
of students visited Kutaisi from California and New York in the 1960s. The super-
visor of students was Ester Vaisi, a 40-45 year old attractive woman. While sight-
seeing in Kutaisi, the group stopped in front of Akaki’s monument and the guide
said that it was the statue of the author of the songs ‘Suliko’ and ‘Tsitsinatela’. To
their surprise the interpreter and Ester Vaisi knew the song ‘Suliko’; moreover,
Ms. Vaisi indicated that in her childhood this song had been very popular in the
USA.
Famous playwright Otar Chijavadze used to tell me amazing stories from his
past. In 1928 he immigrated to France and returned to Georgia only in 1946.
During the civil war in Spain, he used to fight together with Hemingway where
the composer recalls that the song ‘Suliko’ was a very popular song among Bul-
garian, American, French and Spanish soldiers. It might have been the way for the
song became popular.
Varinka-Barbare Machavariani-Tsereteli was born in 1874 in ‘Tskhratskaro’
village to the family of General Spiridon Machavariani. She got her education in
Kutaisi sang from early childhood. Her husband was the relative of Akaki Tserete-
li. It is interesting that aside from singing, she used to make music to accompany
the rhymes of Akaki. This fact made the friendship of Akaki and Varinka even
closer. Among her many admirers, Russian Eperor Alexander III was special,
who named her ‘swallow’. In 1895, Akaki Tsereteli wrote the rhyme ‘Suliko’ and
showed it to Varinka to make the music for it. Later, when the poet heard the
song, he was delighted by the harmony of the text and the music. He named
Varinka ‘A Nightingale of May’. The song ‘Suliko’ became extremely popular in
Georgia; though part of the society assumed that it was a folk song, therefore the
real composer Varinka Tsereteli was almost unknown. There are preserved letters
of Sandro Kavsadze, Sandro Tsereteli and Varinka Tsereteli in the Georgian State
Museum of Theatre, Music, Cinema and Choreography which prove that the mu-
sic of the song ‘Suliko’ was really created by Varinka Tsereteli.
Despite Varinka’s great love of singing, she never sang a song after the death
of her husband and son. She was left alone and never came out of her room until
famous director Kote Marjanishvili stopped by to visit her. K. Marjanishvili was
planning to shoot a movie ‘Stepmother of Samanishvili’ and he wanted to use
Varinka’s house for his movie. Varinka received Marjanishvili with great respect
and was glad to host one of the most talented directors.
Varinka Tsereteli died on March 21, 1948 in Zestaponi. Her music is one of
the best expressions of Georgian cultural heritage; revealing the soul, thought,
sorrow and morals of the Georgian nation.
Mzia Merkviladze

197
 akaki wereTlis axlo naTesavs, sergo wereTels misTxovda. igi
garda imisa, rom kargad mReroda gitaris TanxlebiT, Tavadac mSven-
ier simRerebs Txzavda, maT Soris akakis lirikul leqsebze. am gare-
moebam akaki da varinka metad daaxlova. iSviaTi musikaluri niWiT,
xmis Taviseburi alersiani JReradobiT varinka yvelas xiblavda. maT
Soris, rogorc amboben, ruseTis imperatori aleqsandre III-c yofila,
romelsac „mercxali“ uwodebia misTvis. gansakuTrebiT kargad varin-
ka gitaris TanxlebiT amRerebda akakis leqsebs „sanam viyav axal-
gazrda“ da „rom icode Cemi gulis dardebi“. 1895 wels akakim dawera
leqsi „suliko“ da varinkas gadasca „Seneburad xma gamouZebne da
imRereo“. SemdgomSi varinka wereTlis mier Sewyobil hangebsa da
mSvenier namRers didi mgosnisaTvis aRtacebis cremli moufenia da
misTvis xelebi daukocnia. poetma varinkas „maisis bulbuli“ Searqva
da 1897 wels leqsi „moxuci da axalgazrda“ miuZRvna.
„suliko“ dawerisTanave elvis siswrafiT gavrcelda da xalxis
sayvareli simRera gaxda. Salva kaSmaZe werda: „akakis margalitad
asxmulma lirikam saukeTeso gamoxmaureba hpova barbare wereTlis
upretenzio simTa JReraSio“.
niSandoblivia, rom bevri „sulikos“ xalxur simRerad miiCnevda
da misi melodiis WeSmariti avtori CrdilSi aRmoCnda. am Tu sxva
mizezTa gamo saavtoro uflebis mopovebis msurvelni gamoCndnen.
„suliko“ notebze Cawera qarTuli xalxuri simReris didma moama-
gem kote focxveraSvilma, manve fortepianosTvis orjer (1900 da
1905 wlebSi), Semdeg ki meCongureTa gundisTvis daamuSava. 1937
wels qarTuli literaturisa da xelovnebis I dekadaze „suliko“ Ses-
rulda avqsenti megreliZis mier damuSavebuli saConguro akompanemen-
tis TanxlebiT.
1938 wels saqarTvelos kompozitorTa kavSirSi simRera „sulikos“
avtoris garkveva-dadgenis mizniT Sedga sxdoma, romlis oqmi xuTi
oqtombriT TariRdeba (inaxeba xelovnebis sasaxlis xelnawerTa
fondSi). sxdomis oqms Tan erTvis lotbaris, qarTuli simReris
ubadlo Semsruleblisa da Semgroveblis sandro kavsaZis xelnaweri
dokumenti, sadac aRniSnavs, rom 1910 wels WiaTuris saswavlebelSi
moRvaweobis dros, elisabed wereTlis ojaxSi, pirvelad moismina
varinka wereTlis simRerebi da aRtacebuli darCa. amave ojaxSi erT-
erT Tavyrilobaze akaki wereTelic brZandeboda. igi aRniSnavs:
„dailia Tu ara akakis sadRegrZelo, varinkam aiRo xelSi gitara da
sruliad ubralo akompanementiT imRera „suliko“. uxaroda akakis da
gvixaroda Cvenc. es melodia maSin gavigone pirvelad da sxvagan,
garda amisa, arsad gamigonia. Semdeg me Cavwere es melodia note-
bze. vadastureb, rom namdvilad melodia „suliko“ aris varinka wer-
eTlisa“.
metad sayuradReboa TviTon varinka wereTlis welnaweri-gancx-
adeba, daTariRebuli 1938 wlis 2 oqtombriT, romelSic igi mima-
rTavs saqarTvelos ssr xelovnebis saqmeTa saxkomsabWosTan ar-

varinka wereTeli
Varinka Tsereteli
198
sebul sammarTvelos. gancxadebaSi naTqvamia: „simRera „suliko“
leqsis sityvebis avtoris, akaki wereTlis TxovniT 1895 wels Cems
mier aris gamoTqmuli da gitaraze dasamRereblad awyobili. am sim-
Reras aRniSnuli wlidan ramodenime wlis ganmavlobaSi mxolod me
vasrulebdi da swored am gziT gavrcelda igi mTel saqarTveloSi.
yovelive amis dasadastureblad me SemiZlia warmovadgino, rogorc
werilobiTi sabuTebi, agreTve sando mowmeebic, romelTa CvenebiT
gamoirkveva Cemi gancxadebis sruli siswore. aseT mowmeebad Cemi
mxriT vasaxeleb sabWoTa kavSiris umaRlesi sabWos wevrs Salva dad-
ians, umaRlesi sabWos wevrs ordenosans akaki xoravas, kompozitor
ordenosans kote focxveraSvils“. SemorCenilia sabeWd manqanaze
dawerili varinka wereTlis meore gancxadeba misi avtografiT, sa-
dac wers: „Cems mier Seqmnili simRera, rac dasturdeba xelovnebis
komitetisa da kompozitorTa kavSiris mier. vinaidan am simReraze
avtorobis oficialur aRiarebamde es hangi TiTqos, rogorc xalx-
uri daumuSavebiaT da notebze gadautaniaT sxva kompozitorebs
(megreliZes, kilaZes, focxveraSvils da sxva), me Tanaxma var, Cem-
dami kuTvnili am simReris saavtoro honoraris mTeli Tanxidan
gamoeyos 30%, xolo danarCenis 70% sruliad Cems sasargeblod unda
darCes“. am gancxadebas Tan axlavs avqsenti megreliZis minaweric
Tanxis gamoyofis Sesaxeb da kompozitorTa kavSiris ramdenime
dadgenilebac.
metad sainteresoa 1946 wels papuna wereTlis mier Cawerili
varinkas erTi mogonebac: „me-19 saukunis 90-ian wlebSi saCxereSi
yofnis dros akaki Zalian avad gamxdara. ambis gagebisTanave mis
saxlisken gaveSure. im dRes akakis sanaxavad Camovida sazogado
moRvaweebis mTeli jgufi. karebSive Semomegeba vano maCabeli da
misi meuRle taso, romelmac maSinve Tqva, aba, Cqara, gitara moita-
neT, mxolod varinkas simRera moarCens akakiso. fexakrefiT Seve-
diT akakis ojaxSi. is TvaldaxuWuli iwva loginSi. erT gverdze
me davujeqi, meoreze taso. danarCenebi sulganabulni iyvnen Cvens
axlos. me Cumad daviwye simRera. pirvelad vumRere misi sayvareli
„sanam viyav axalgazrda“, Semdeg amas sxva simRera mivayole, vmRe-
rodi kriniT, dabali xmiT, rom didi mgosani ar Semewuxebina. cota
xnis Semdeg akaki gadmobrunda, Tavisi didi Tvalebi SemogvanaTa
da irgvliv rom Tavisi megobrebi dainaxa, gaiRima, yvelas sixaruli
daetyo. vanom ixumra: „aki vTqvi, varinkas simRera moarCens-meTqi“.
im dRes akakisas didi lxini gaimarTa. mis Semdeg akakim gamojanm-
rTeleba daiwyo“.

mzia merkvilaZe

199
200
 varinka wereTeli
simRera „suliko“
Cawerili notebze kote focxveraSvilis mier Varinka Tsereteli
xelnaweri. xelovnebis sasaxle
The notes of the song ‘Suliko’ recorded by
Kote Potskhverashvili
Manuscript. Art Palace
201
robert sturua (ufrosi) Robert Sturua (senior)
akaki wereTeli usmens Akaki listening to Varinka
varinka wereTels - „suliko“ Tsereteli while singing ‘Suliko’
literaturis muzeumi 202 Literature Museum of Georgia
baqoSi wignebis gamomcemeli qarTvelTa amxanagobisgan Poster dedicated to Akaki’s 50 year anniversary,
„kalami“ akaki wereTlis samwerlo moRvaweobis 50 wlis iubilesadmi from the Georgian publishing house ‘Kalami’ in Baku
miZRvnili plakati. mxatvari henrik hrinevski Artist: Henrik Hrivenski
dekemberi, 1908 weli literaturis muzeumi 203 Literature Museum of Georgia. December, 1908
204
 saarqivo
miniatiurebi akakis portretisaTvis
Archive Miniatures in the Portrait of Akaki
205
 erT-erT werilSi akaki „P.S“-s „saaSios“ uwodebs. albaT araferi
ise ar Seesabameba am miniatiurebis Sesaval teqsts, rogorc „saaSio“
minaweri. swored „saaSio“ teqstis konceptualuri gageba Seesabameba
yvelaze metad piradi arqivis sazriss. minaweri aSiaze Tavidan bo-
lomde arqivis kuTvnilebaa. raki is ZiriTadi narativis logikuri
nawili ar aris, misiT iSviaTad interesdeba gamomcemeli. arada,
yvelaze saintereso swored es, publikacias „gadarCenili“ realobaa...
akakis pirad nawerebTan da nivTebTan eqvTime TayaiSvils metad
mniSvnelovani pasuxismgebloba akavSirebs. igi (da mis mier 1907
wels daarsebuli saqarTvelos saistorio-saeTnografio sazogadoe-
ba) akaki wereTlis erT-erTi ZiriTadi samarTalmemkvidre iyo. misi
anderZi, rogorc samarTlebrivi da rogorc sakraluri dokumenti, eqv-
Time TayaiSvilsa da mis sazogadoebas mTel rig privilegiebsac
aniWebs da interesTa konfliqtebisa Tu sxva araerTi sirTulis
winaSec ayenebs. kerZo piris memkvidred yofna saistorio-saeTno-
grafio sazogadoebis, rogorc organizaciisa, axali socialuri da
mentaluri rolia. Sesabamisad, sazogadoebrivi Rirebulebis axali
istoriografiuli mocemulobac.
akaki wereTeli 1915 wlis 26 ianvars gardaicvala. misi anderZi
sami wliT adre daiwera. amitom mzaoba ZiriTadi memkvidreobisTvis
„sazogadoebas“ (igulisxmeba saqarTvelos saistorio-saeTnografio
sazogadoeba) ukve hqonda. Sesabamisad, 1915 wlis 27 ianvars, po-
etis gardacvalebidan meore dRes, sazogadoebis sabWos 11 saaTze
gamarTul sxdomis gansaxilvel sakiTxad akaki rostomis Ze wereT-
lis xsovnisadmi jerovani pativis migeba dadga. sxdomaze, romel-
sac eqvTime TayaiSvili Tavmjdomareobda, gadawyda: a) 28 ianvars
gadaexadaT panaSvidi gansvenebulis sulis mosaxseneblad, mTeli
sabWo daswreboda mis dasaflavebas; b) komisiaSi, romelsac unda
SeemuSavebina da daecva wesrigi dasaflavebisa, „sazogadoebis“
warmomadgenloba daevala Salva qarumiZes; g) gadaido 30 Tumani
im fondisaTvis, romelic unda Semdgariyo „sazogadoebasTan“ sax-
alxo sityvierebis gamosacemad, rogorc gansvenebulis survili iyo,
yvavilebis gvirgvinis samagierod gaRebuli fulidan; d) „sazoga-
doebis“ damfuZnebel wevr grigol diasamiZesa da sabWos wevr ius-
tine abulaZes eTxova, „sazogadoebis“ saxeliT daswrebodnen cxe-
dris gadmosvenebas saCxeridan.
momdevno, 1915 wlis 17 Tebervlis, sxdomis oqmi akakis dakr-
Zalvis xarjTaRricxvasTan dakavSirebul angariSs exeba. irkveva, rom
Tavadaznaurobis mier gaRebuli 1.500 maneTidan 1.422 daxarjula,
Tumca gadauxdeli darCenila saflavis Tanxa; mgosnis mosagonari
„dilidan“ Semosuli 531 maneTidan 500 gadauciaT gansvenebulis
meuRlisTvis; sxdomaze gadawyvetila, Tbilisis Tavadaznaurob-
isTvis eTxovaT 150 maneTi wliurad akakis meuRlis, xolo quTaisis
TavadaznaurobisTvis 300 maneTi akakis dis dasaxmareblad. egzarqo-
sis, rkinigzis mmarTvelis, muslimTa da sxva sazogadoebebisTvis

akaki wereTlis ukanasneli foto

1914 weli
The last photo of Akaki Tsereteli
1914
206
 Akaki often inserted notes in his work. He referred to them as margins
instead of ‘P.s.’ In the private archive, understanding the concept of margin of-
ten means discovering the main point of the story. As margin is not the main
part of the basic body, the reader rarely shows interest in it. However, some-
times it is more interesting and useful as it reveals points that are otherwise
unpublished and unknown to the reader.
Akaki was great because of his ability to open his inner world in every writ-
ten phrase. But a difficult task in working on the archive of Akaki is digging
deeper into the text to open his ‘opened phrases.’ Therefore, it is simultane-
ously easy and difficult to reveal Akaki’s personality through his writings.
Many biographies of public figures are currently being changed and modi-
fied. We know some details of celebrities’ lives, including their relationships
and disagreements, though sometimes the information is provided out of con-
text.
Niko Nikoladze addressed Akaki Tsereteli in the following letter excerpt.
In our opinion, it is a quote that does not require explanation: “The reason for
our disagreement was not money, salary, woman or something private. It was
just a mismatch of ideas, thoughts and actions in public affairs. Besides, I did
not say that the divergence with Iliko refers to private issues”.
No monograph, long article, circular letter or biography would character-
ize Ilia, Niko or Akaki (as a beneficiary of the letter) better than this little
extract of the private letter of Niko Nikoladze.
Overall, notations made in a margin are some of the most important ways
to investigate a person’s real intention. The margins helped us to get closer to
the archives of Akaki and his contemporaries.
‘Time of Gathering’
Ekvtime Takaishvili started to coordinate and organize the collection of
Akaki’s items even during his lifetime. As the poet did not have a peaceful
life, without Ekvtime’s endeavors many significant works and items of Akaki
would have been lost.
The author of the following letter is Giorgi Tumanishvili and it is addressed
to Ekvtime Takaishvili:
“Mr. Ekvtime, I am sending you the rhyme of Akaki ‘Damekhseni Chrdiloe-
lo’ (Leave me Alone, Northerner), which I found in my papers yesterday. I as-
sume the rhyme is written by Akaki, I don’t remember where I got it from. I
think Ivane Machabeli gave it to me, who did not dare to publish it because of
censorship. If you change the word ‘Northerner’ into ‘Stranger’ you might be
allowed to publish it without censorship.
G. Tumanovi
June 14, 1914. Tbilisi.”
A whole era is described by this single little letter.
Akaki was alive but his rhyme, discovered in papers by chance, was sent
to Ekvtime. The secretary of Historic-Ethnographic Society Sergi Giorgadze
made a note on the rhyme ‘Ivane Machabeli’ was lost in June 26, 1898. He
wanted to discover the date the rhyme was written. If Machabeli lost it in

207
 madlobis gamocxadeba piradad da presis saSualebiT davalebia pe-
tre wereTels, giorgi Juruls, niko nikolaZes; ganxilula saflavisa
da biustis sakiTxebic, saflavis meTvalyureoba dakisrebia sosiko
merkvilaZes.
akakis dakrZalvis Semdgom saqarTvelos saistorio-saeTnografio
sazogadoeba erTgvar samoqalaqo pasuxismgeblobaze apelirebis me-
TodiT poetTan daaxloebul sazogado moRvaweebs ugzavnis Sem-
degi tipis personalur mimarTvebs: „mowyaleo xelmwifeo! saqarTve-
los siamayis, gansvenebulis mgosnis akaki rostomis Zis wereTlis
anderZis Tanaxmad, saqarTvelos saistorio-saeTnografio sazoga-
doebis sabWo ukve Seudga gansvenebulis TxzulebaTa gamocemis
Tadarigs. amasTanave, sabWo agrovebs yovelgvars nivTs, romelic
akakis sakuTrebas Seadgenda. akakis werilebs nacnob-naTesavTa da
megobrebisadmi da amaTs werilebs akakisadmi, mgosnis TxzulebaTa
avtografebs da yovelgvars cnobas, romelic mgosnis biografi-
isTvis gamodgeba. gauwyebsT ra amas, sazogadoebis sabWo mogmar-
TavT Tqven, rogorc gansvenebulis mgosnis guliTads megobars da
gTxovT, mogvawodoT Tqveni mogonebani gansvenebulis Sesaxeb,
agreTve Tu ram misi naweri an kerZo werili an naqoni nivTi
mogepoebaT. Tqvenc dagveTanxmebiT, rom ukeTu aseTi masalebi am
mokle droSi ar iqna Sekrebili, rac dro gava, TandaTan gaifanteba,
daviwyebas miecema da samudamod daikargeba“. mimarTvas xels aw-
ers eqvTime TayaiSvili. ase daiwyo akakis sulieri memkvidreobis
gadarCena.

„Jami Sekrebisa“
dRes xelnawerTa erovnul centrSi dacul akaki wereTlis arqivSi
Zalian bevr nivTs etyoba am gziT Semowirulobis kvali. Sesa-
bamisad, akakis xasiaTidan da cxovrebis stilidan gamomdinare, uki-
duresad mimofantul avtobiografiul Tu sxva saxis memkvidreobas
swored eqvTime TayaiSvilis TaosnobiT moeyara Tavi. sagulisxmo
is aris, rom es procesi akakis sicocxleSive iwyeba. bunebrivia,
eqvTime TayaiSvilia giorgi TumaniSvilis am werilis adresati:
„batono eqvTime simonis Zev, gigzavniT akakis leqss „damex-
seni, Crdiloelo“, romelic guSin vipovne Cems qaRaldebSi. leqsi
mgoni TiTon akakis xeliT aris dawerili. mtkiceT ar maxsovs, ro-
dis da vin gadmomca es leqsi. mgonia, momca iv. maCabelma, romelmac
ver gabeda daebeWda is sadme ucenzurobis gamo. sityva „Crdiloelo“
ro SescvaloT sityvaTi „ucxoelo“, iqneba cenzuram neba mogcesT
dasabeWdaT. Tqveni pativismcemeli g. Tumanovi. 14 ivnisi, 1914
weli. Tbilisi“. es patara baraTi mTel epoqas xsnis: akaki cocxalia,
magram upriania, „SemTxveviT qaRaldebSi aRmoCenili“ misi leqsis
sapatronod eqvTime TayaiSvilisTvis gadacema.
sergi gorgaZes, saqarTvelos saistorio saeTnografio sazoga-
doebis mdivans, am werilze Tavisi xeliT wauweria: „iv. maCabeli

eqvTime TayaiSvili

Ekvtime Takaishvili

208
1898, it means that the rhyme was written before this date. Machabeli gave the
rhyme to Tumanishvili; Tumanishvili sent it to E. Takaishvili. It seems that all
owners, trying to rescue the rhyme from censorship, sent it on to more influ-
ential people. As a result of E. Takaishvili’s effort, this rhyme and many other
significant manuscripts are now preserved in the Georgian National Center of
Manuscripts.
The following letter is the response of Elisabed Kheltuplishvili to the re-
quest of the HE Society regarding the collection of items belonging to Akaki.
“Dear Mr. Eqvtime, we received your letter in spring in which you ask us to
send you any letters referring to dear Akaki. Unfortunately, after inspection of
our house, all papers and letters appear to have been removed. I tried several
times to get the letters back but without result. They told me it has been so
long since they took them that they have already been destroyed.”
The Society collected many odd items. For instance, in 1916, Babilina
Kurdgelashvili bought some of Akaki’s hair from the barber Areshidze, who
collected and kept the hair in case a sculptor would need it. Babilina offered to
sell that hair to the Society.
‘Playful Pen’
“My mother was a strong, faithful and objective woman. As a real poet, she
considered nobody except Akaki. She knew not only the rhymes of Akaki but
several of his poems”.- remembers Mukhran Machavariani.
Each writer has his own methods of expression, form of communication
with readers and standards of writing. If we conduct an experiment and ask
people to recall several verses of any rhyme, most of them will remember
a rhyme by Akaki. It means that Akaki is comprehendible for each layer of
society. It is exciting how he managed to create great works with combined
simplicity and lightness. We often respect a writer for his/her work but we
rarely respect and love an author at the same time. From the private archive of
Akaki, it is obvious that people loved and respected him. In 1898 when he was
ill, the doctor of Akaki received 50 telegrams from all over Georgia.
“I am looking forward to your ‘playful pen’”- writes Sergei Meskhi to Akaki.
„Playful pen“ is a good metaphor of the poet’s easy understandable and cogni-
tive writings. Akaki’s friends loved and respected him as well. “Dear Akaki,
your great personality is like the reality of the sun for me, which I believed in
always”- Grigol Robakidze.
Friends of the poet often asked him to write articles for newspapers. For
instance, Sergei Meskhi repeatedly sent letters of request to Akaki, asking him
to write for the newspaper ‘Droeba.’ Niko Nikoladze also wished to obtain
Akaki’s writings for Droeba; asking Akaki to write a major article about Geor-
gians who did their best to oppress others as soon as they achieved success.
Ilia Chavchavadze wrote to Akaki: “I would like our newspaper to be hon-
ored by your name. I hesitate to ask you write for our newspaper as I don’t
want you to be coerced. It really doesn’t matter if you write or not, I still re-
main one of the admirers of your 25 years of work.”
Akaki once wrote a letter to his friend Sergo in which he said that although

209
daikarga 1898 w. 26 ivniss. s. g.“ - albaT leqsis daweris savaraudo
TariRis dasadgenad, e. i. is 1898 wlamdea dawerili. sul mcire, 16
wlis ganmavlobaSi misi bedi avtors arc moukiTxavs. rogorc Cans,
arc Tanamedroveebs gamouCeniaT gulisxmiereba am leqsisadmi. aka-
kis ivane maCablisTvis, ivane maCabels giorgi TumaniSvilisTvis,
am ukanasknels ki eqvTime TayaiSvilisTvis gadaucia, Tumca leqsis
mflobelTa sasargeblod unda iTqvas, rom is yovel mflobels masze
ufro gavlenianisTvis gadaucia.
kidev erTi, 1914 welia da isev aqtualuria cenzurasTan
brZolisTvis aTasi strategiuli fandis gamoyeneba, yvelaze metad
analitikuri maT Soris saTqmelis evfemizebaa („Crdiloeli“ unda
Seicvalos „ucxoeliT“).
dRes es werilic da es leqsic xelnawerTa erovnul centrSi inax-
eba. e. i. rac eqvTime TayaiSvilis xelsa Tu saxelTanaa dakavSire-
buli, dRes Cvenamdea moRweuli, gadarCenili.
akakis arqivSi inaxeba sastumro „grandotelSi“ (quTaisi, 8 seqtem-
beri, 1914 weli) erTi dRiT cxovrebis angariSi. gardacvalebamde
ramdenime TviT adre poetis meniu am sastumroSi aseTi yofila:
rZiani yava (3-jer, erTxel rZis gareSe), orcxobila, limonaTi da
sadili. sadilis raoba SegviZlia misi fasidan gamomdinare ganvs-
azRvroT: Tu erTi Wiqa rZiani yava 25 kapiki Rirda, sadili - sami
Wiqa yavis safasurze odnav meti. sastumroSi akakis 2 sanTelic
mouTxovia. sxvaTa Soris, am qviTarsac azis beWedi: „Уплочено“.
„erT adgils didxans gaCereba akakis ar uyvarda, - igonebs
eqvTime TayaiSvili, - xan TbilisSi iyo, xan quTaisSi. quTaisSi
mas bina niko nikolaZis debis ojaxSi hqonda. katosi da aniCkasi.
eseni cnobili intiligenti qalebi iyvnen da maswavleblobdnen da
amiT irCenden Tavis Tavs. ...Tamami, liberaluri mimarTulebis qale-
bi iyvnen, uqmroebi. akaki iq, rogorc Tavis ojaxSi, ise grZnobda
Tavis Tavs“.

„celqkalmianoba“
1898 wels dasneulebuli akakis mdgomareobis gasarkvevad eqimma
samson Tofuriam saqarTvelos yvela kuTxidan, kerZo pirebisa Tu
sazogadoebebis, sxvadasxva erovnebis warmomadgenelTa aTeulobiT
depeSa miiRo, amis Tqmis saSualebas is gvaZlevs, rom Cvenamde 50-
ze metma depeSam mainc moaRwia.
veli Seni celqi kalmis nawarmoebebso, ase Tamamad da pirdapir
swerda sergei mesxi akakis. „celqi kalami“ SemoqmedebiTi aqtis
amgvari metafora, erTi SexedviT, simCatisa da araseriozulobis
asociacias tovebs, sinamdvileSi ki or mTavar rames usvams xazs:
pirveli advilad misasvleloba akakisTan, rogorc komunikaciuri,
ise aRqmiTi, SemecnebiTi TvalsazrisiT da meore (mTavari) akakis
SemoqmedebiTi procesis Zaldautanebeli, bunebrivi, TavisTavadi
nayofiereba.

210
he had written several rhymes, two novellas –one small and one bigger- and
one big historical drama ‘Nakhit-Pasha’ (which he liked very much) he still
was a single poet who assumed to be a pedigreed horse. This attitude of Akaki
somehow describes his light character and self-humorousness.
It is considerable that you can hardly see any crossed-out lines, unorgan-
ized and ambiguous writings in the archive of Akaki. Each work/writing is
extremely balanced and clean. The only peculiarity is that the poet had two
different signatures. One of them was for texts for public speech and the sec-
ond one for other activities.
In February 13, 1914, Bishop Leonide Okropiridze wrote a letter to Akaki.
The fight for Georgian church autonomy had been started 10 years earlier and
L. Okropiridze asked Akaki to write a rhyme which would reveal the impor-
tance of Church’s autonomy; the rhyme should wake Georgians up and give
them inducement, motive and encouragement to fight till victory.
In 1901, Akaki wrote the 38 verse rhyme ‘khma’ (Voice) which referred to
the unbearable conditions of Georgian Churches under Russian submission.
It seemed the Bishop did not know about this rhyme. However, Akaki wrote
and sent a new rhyme to the Bishop, which L.Okropiridze estimated as a re-
markable work of art.
‘The Biography Enriched by a Letter’
The following letter is written to Akaki in 1905. The author of the letter is
the founder of a well-known Georgian softdrinks company, the philanthropist
Mitropane Lagidze (1869-1960). The letter is special for its content. It seems
that by that time the spirit of revolution had made society more emotional; in-
trigue, intolerance and chaos which is looking for public order. “Dear respect-
ful Mr. Akaki, I wish you a long healthy life. I did not write to you as there was
nothing important and good happening in our society; but today is different:
people now see the real enemy. They have already started to attack the enemy
and struggle in a brutal fight. More than two weeks now the shops have been
closed and everybody proclaims ‘Down with! Down with!’ People are so ex-
cited that if anyone says even ‘calm down,’ he/she is named a betrayer. Though
justice is still here. If anyone insults a woman or steals something, the punish-
ment is made by the masses. The government is worried, nobody knows what
will happen, you can also predict.
Yours sincerely,
Mitropane Lagidze
January 26, 1905.”
It is evident that sometimes a private letter reveals much more than of-
ficial correspondence; sometimes letters received from others better describe
the person of receipt than big, moralistic biographies. The letter of Mitropane
Lagidze adds important details to Akaki’s portrait; these are details which
show Akaki’s reputation and value in that era.
It is interesting that in Akaki’s archive there are 86 letters which he wrote to
his wife and children. Of course, all of them are private, but in nine letters, the
author’s attention is emphasized toward societal issues. The major subject of

sergei mesxi

Sergei Meskhi

211
 am „celqkalmianobas“ akaki, Tavis mxriv, erT-erT werilSi ase
adasturebs: „Zmao sergo, weriTac viqcevdi Tavs, ramodenime leqsi
davCxapne, ori moTxroba - erTi patara da erTic ki gvariani didi
da erTic didi istoriuli drama „naxit-faSa“ davasrule, romelic,
unda gamogityde, me Zalian momwons, magram es kidev ar amtkicebs,
marTla Zalian kargi iyos - radganac CemisTana calmag poetebs
xSirad Tavisi Tavi bedauri hgoniaT xolme“.
sagulisxmoa, „davalebebiT“ ukiduresad datvirTuli poetis avto-
grafebSi iSviaTad Tu SevxvdebiT gadaxazul fragmentebs, kalmis
lafsusebs, gverdebze teqstis daubalansebel organizebas, usiste-
mobas. erTi sityviT, mis arqivSi e. w. „Savi“ nawerebis xvedri-
Ti wili mcirea, Tumca sagulisxmoa erTi Tavisebureba, srulebiT
gansxvavebulia misi avtografi im SemTxvevaSi, roca sityviT ga-
mosvlisTvis saWiro teqsts amzadebs. rogorc Cans, avtorisTvis
sityviT gamosvlebi, oratoruli praqtika sakmaod maRal pasuxismge-
blobas ukavSirdeba.

weriliT gamdidrebuli biografia

es werili 1905 wels quTaisidan aris gamogzavnili. SesaZloa, sak-
virvelic iyos, magram mis Sinaarsze metad mniSvnelovani paTosia.
werilis avtori mewarme, ualkoholo sasmelebis warmoebis fuZem-
debeli saqarTveloSi, sazogado moRvawe, qvelmoqmedi mitrofane
laRiZea (1869-1960). safiqrebelia, rom werilis adresati - akaki wer-
eTelic, romlis „undo gulis“ moxiblva Znelad Tu SeiZleboda, gul-
grili ar unda yofiliyo werilSi amgvari dinamizmiTa da eqspresiiT
aRwerili movlenebisadmi.
„Rrmad pativcemulo batono akaki, imden weliwads icocxleT, ram-
deni dRe iyos, me TqvenTvis werili ar momeweros. aras gwerdi
imisTvis, rom Cvens cxovrebaSi axali da RirsSesaniSnavi sazoga-
doebaSi ara iyo ra, mainc iseTi, rom Tqven gagxarebodaT da Tqveni
undo gulic moexibla. sul sxvaa dRes Cveni cxovreba, Zirian fesvi-
anad Seirya da Seicvala, xalxma naTlad dainaxa Tavisi mteri, icno da
zed mdgari ieriSic miitana da imarjvebs kidec sruliad da utyuvrad.
mas dRes „Tvals“ veRar uxveven. dRes CvenSi yvelgan gamoxcadebulia
samkvdro-sasicocxlo omi Cveni qveynis mtrebTan. ...quTaisSi ager
erTi ori kviraa, yovelive warmoeba SeCerebulia, duqnebi daketilia
da mimosvlac Sewyvetilia, didi da patara sul yvelgan erTxmad gay-
viris da gaiZaxis: „Zirs da Zirs“. ...xalxi isea aRelvebuli, rom vinc
damSvidebas urCevs, is maSinve mtraT iqneba naRiarebi. yolisferze
ufro metaT SesaniSnavi is aris, rom Cveni xalxi TviT aRelvebis
drosac ki samarTlianobas da marTal msjelobas ar kargavs. qalebis
Seuracxyofas, qurdobasa da Zarcva-glejas araviTari adgili ara aqvs
da Tu vinmem gabeda, vai misi brali. imas TviT brbo asamarTlebs
da sastikaTac epyroba. qurdi Tavisi naqurdaliT sajarod gamohyavT
da ayvireben, rom esa da es nivTi me movipare, mapatieT, SemindeT

212
five letters is the revolution of 1905. It is note-worthy that the civil unrest was
a subject of concern for Akaki.
‘Personal Reason’
In 1875, when 35 year old Akaki’s career was at a zenith, he received a letter
from Niko Nikoladze: “I saw a thousand proofs of your influential writings,
which I truly appreciate. That said, I have to tell you frankly that your pos-
sibilities, potential and talent is greater than Ilia Chavchavadze , G.Tsereteli,
I.bebutovi, Meskhi, me and others taken together. How does it happen that,
despite this, you are not in better condition and are not more influential than
we are? I think that life has formed you like this. You have always had foolish
friends that helped you to become lazy. You could do everything easier than
your friends. That reality resulted in the loss of your strength which is so es-
sential for your talent. I look at you and see much less than I should.” It is in-
teresting to wonder what Akaki felt while reading this emotional letter. Niko
Nikoladze knew perfectly that Akaki’s talent was exceptional. Once, the poet
wrote to Niko: “Niko! Our discussion yesterday finally reinforced my opinion
about you. There is a big barrier between the two of us and if we don’t change
something in our characters, a huge rock will be added to this barrier and we
will never be able to see each other. If we have the same direction in our lives,
I am sure we will not disturb each other but also, we will not say sweet words.
Don’t think that I am angry with you, I just appreciate you and want to speak
only the truth.”
It is considerable that despite their disagreements, poets, publicists, writers
and public figures always put national interest higher then personal conflict.
Many people talked about the confrontation between Ilia and Akaki. “Ilia was
a man of tact and he hated hypocrisy. If anyone would start saying bad things
about Akaki as if to please him, Ilia would instantly stop them. But if someone
spoke badly about Ilia, Akaki would join them; not out of hatred; he just was a
person who could be critical about close friends and family.”
‘The Issue of Author’s Rights’
In 1915 ‘The Society’ created a special committee for the publishing of
Akaki’s writings. The members of the committee were: Sergei Giorgadze, Ioseb
Kipshidze, David Kilosanidze, Iradion Songulashvili and Geronti Kikodze.
The conception of the edition, coordination of the project, format, type and
expenditure were determined by the Committee. Nikoloz Eristavi was ap-
pointed as a special representative of the edition. As the Society started work-
ing on this issue, many inconveniences emerged from other editorial houses.
It seems that ‘The Society’ was not the only one that intended to publish Aka-
ki’s works.
According to the Will of Akaki Tsereteli, the right to publish his works
was given only to his legal successor, ‘The Historic-Ethnographic Society.’ The
whole income was to be used for publishing another book. The Will was made
public in Georgian and Russian newspapers, though some journals and news-
papers still published the poet’s writings; moreover, they did it without any
permission or authorization which was against the law.

213
da awi aRar vizamo da amasac apatieben im pirobiT Tu vinicobaa,
gaimeorebs, amxanagebi moklaven. ...mTavrobis warmomadgenlebi SeS-
foTebulni da metad SeSinebulni arian. ra Sedegi eqneba am mRelva-
rebas, RmerTma uwyis da Tqvenc SegiZliaT gviwinaswarmetyveloT.
Tqveni mitrofane laRiZe. 1905 wlis 26 ianvari“.
mTavari saTqmeli mainc is aris, rom zogjer eqspresia ufro
mkafiod ambobs saTqmels, vidre wyalgauvali logika; zogjer piradi
werili ufro metyvelia, vidre mSrali oficialuri mimowera; zogjer
dialeqtizms ufro axlos mihyavxar ganwyobamde, vidre daxvewil
saliteraturo enas; zogjer sxvisgan miRebuli werili arapirdapir
ufro aTvalsaCinoebs moRvawis portrets, vidre moraluri traqtatis
msgavsi, xSirad eWvisaRmZvreli biografiebi. mitrofane laRiZis
es werili, dameTanxmebiT, arcTu umniSvnelo detalebiT amdidrebs
akakis portrets; detalebiT, romelic akakis kidev ufro aadamia-
nurebs da romelic portretTan erTad, epoqasac xsnis!

„sapirado“ mizezi
sainteresoa, ra ganwyobaze dadgeboda 35 wlis akaki, roca 1875
wels, SemoqmedebiTi pikisken mimaval, ukiduresad produqtiul moR-
vawes fostiT es werili mouvidoda: „me aTasi da aTi aTasi damamt-
kiceblebi davinaxe Seni weris sakvirvel gavlenisa da ufro metaT
davafase Seni niWi da grZnoba, magram ...radganac pirdapir laparaki
daviwye, TlaT erTianaT vityvi Cems azrs daumalavaT da aSkaraT
Sens TvalSi. Sen imisTana niWi da imisTana goneba da tvini gaqvs,
rom arc erTi Cveni mwerali, arc erTi Cveni ymawvilTagani Sen ver
Segedreba, garwmuneb patiosani sityviT, rom es moferebiT ar aris
naTqvami, kacma rom yvela Cveni literatorebi erTaT Sea[jeros]
ilia WavWavaZe, g. wereTeli, i. bebuTovi, mesxi, me da sxvani yve-
lani, Cven yvelaves niWi da Zala Sensas ver Seedreba. risgan aris,
rom Sen, magaliTad, Cemze mets ver axerxeb da Cvenze meti gavlena
ara gaqvs qveyanaze? marto imisgan, rom Tavidan giorpira da wagax-
dina im saSinelma gansxvavebam, romelic Sensa da Seni amxanagebis
Sua iyo. Sen yovelTvis uniWo da reti amxanagebi gyavda da maT-
Tan SedarebiT Sen uSromlaT, uswavleladac SegeZlo maTze meti
gagekeTebina. aman gagazarmaca Sen da damjdar Sromas gadagaCvia.
aman mogaklo is Zala, romelic Sens niWs da gonebas Seefereba
da romelTan SedarebiT Seni exlandeli gavlena da Zala me TiTqos
uZlurebaT mimaCnia“.
rogori gulistkivili igrZnoba niko nikolaZis am sityvebSi
da rogor Rrmad esmis mas poetis potencia. am „zenitis“ miuxe-
davad, mainc ararealizebuli potencia. sagulisxmoa, rom publi-
cistma aqcenti aiRo „Zalaze“, rogorc raRac mTavarze, Zireulze,
„tkbilxmovanebas“ aRmatebulze. es albaT is „Zalaa“, 1914 wels
leonide oqropiriZem sazogadoebrivi azris Sesacvlelad rom aR-
mouCina akakis, da „uZlureba“ albaT isaa, waxalisebuli poeti saku-

214
 The issue was complicated. Because of financial problems, ‘The Society’
delayed publication of writings.
In June 5, 1915, another successor of the poet ‘The Society for the Spread-
ing of Writing and Reading among Georgians,’ also expressed its desire to pub-
lish Akaki’s writings. ‘The Society of S.W.R.G’ suggested to ‘The H.E. Society’
that if the society concede the right to them, the writings would be published
in the name of ‘The Society of S.W.R.G“ but on the cover of the book would
be written ‘The property of H.E. Society’. No more than 2000 books would be
published and during 2 years, 15% of the interest would be given to ‘The So-
ciety’. Furthermore, the Head of the Bureau of Journals and Newspapers ‘Im-
ereti’, Isidore Kvitsaridze, The printing house of Bartlome Kiladze and many
others were ready to take responsibility for publishing the poet’s writings.
In February 5, 1919, the editorial house of Mtavrishvili made an offer to
‘The H.E. Society’. It suggested publishing Akaki’s novellas separately as book-
lets.
It is considerable that Sosiko Merkviladze, who was the constant mem-
ber of ‘The H.E. Society’ and who obtained a number of important works of
Akaki: ‘Bashi-Achuki’, ‘Kikolas Naambobi’, ‘Natela’, ‘Bagrat Didi’ and ‘Patara
Kakhi’ for the academic edition, gave all those works to Ekvtime Takaishvili.
In 1919 ‘The H.E. Society’ introduced its requirements to editorial houses.
1. The edition had to be done in the name of ‘H.E. Society’ 2. All expenses had
to be covered by the editorial house. 3. No more than 5000 exemplar could be
published. 4. From each exemplar 15% interest had to be given to the ‘H.E.
Society’ 5. The income had to be given to the Society before one year. 6. The
editorial house had the right to publish Akaki’s works separately as booklets.
8. ‘H.E. Society’ kept the right to publish Akaki’s writings in volumes.
In February 4, 1920, the Bureau of Mtavrishvili published ‘Tornike Eristavi’
(300 exemplars); „Patara Kakhi“ (2400 exemplars); ‘Tamar Tsbieri’(2400 ex-
emplars) and ‘Gamzrdeli’ (no amount is indicated).
In 1920, Ekvtime Takaishvili applied to the Central Bank. He indicated that
‘The H.E. Society’ had the significant works of Akaki Tsereteli. Without finan-
cial support publication was impossible. He requested three million from the
bank; the collateral for the loan being a property on Tskneti Street, the land
near the University, 309 assets of the Bank of Transcaucasia, the former pho-
tography of Ermakov and several edition of books. Regrettably, this initiative
was abolished due to the political unrest of 1920.
Emigre Ekvtime Takaishvili often asked for Georgian books. In October
27, 1925, he wrote a letter to Iradion Songulashvili: “Send me all Georgian his-
torical books by Gorgadze, Karichashvili, Kakabadze and others. Aren’t they
going to publish Akaki’s writtings?”
Unfortunately, Georgia could not give a response to this question for a long
time.

Esma Mania

215
 Tari „moswrebuli sityva-pasuxis“ sakuTari xeliTve SekrebiTa da
gamoqveynebiT dros rom flangavda.
rogor Sexvdeboda am werils akaki, rogor daafiqrebda, rogor
SeeZlo epasuxa am kiTxvisTvis; „risgan aris, rom Sen, magaliTad,
Cemze mets ver axerxeb da Cvenze meti gavlena ara gaqvs qveyanaze?“
romelic, kacma rom Tqvas, Tavis TavSive inaxavda yvelaze swor
pasuxs. albaT mainc gaeRimeboda, mas ra Secvlida! Tumca, ramdenime
wliT adre akakis aseTi ram miuweria niko nikolaZisTvis: „niko!
wuxandelma Cvenma gakvra-gamokvriTma baasma samudamod Seuryeve-
lad gamimtkica is hazrebi, romelic me, rogorc bevris SemTxvevis
rezultanti, Senzeda mqonan da naTladac damanaxva, me da Sen Sua
Tu Cvens erTganSi rame gamocvla ar moxda, iseTi sazRvari Zevs
da kldec edeba, romelic erTmaneTzed axlos aRar migviSveben, Tu
SemTxveviT Cveni cxovrebis msvlelobis dros iseve erTi miznis
muSa viqnebiT da erTs gzaze mimavalni, darwmunebuli var, erT-
maneTs xels ar SevuSliT, magram arc ki sul axlos mivscemT tkbil
sasaubrod! ar gegonos, rom amas an wamiT sicofe mawerinebdes, an
kerZo rame piradoba... imdenaT gafaseb, rom ar minda, rame dagimalo
da rac kia Cem gulSi Sen Sesaxeb, geubnebi“...
is, rac am werilebSi yvelaze sagulisxmo da keTilad amaforiaqe-
belia, isaa, adresat-adresantebi, poetebi Tu publicistebi, „am“ Tu
„im“ dasis wevrebi, arsebuli uTanxmoebis miuxedavad, gaazrebulad
rom dganan „sapirado“ mizezebze maRla. sxva ra SeiZleba iTqvas
ilias am werilze: „Zmao akaki, me Sen ver gagikadnierdi da ver
mogarTvi is dabeWdili werili, romelic sxvebs gavugzavne. sxvebi
sxvebi arian da Sen erTaderTi akaki xar. amitomac, garda Cemis
sakuTaris wadilisa, movaleobam mamulisSvilobisam maiZula Cvenis
qveynis „rCeulisaTvis“ rCeuli, gansakuTrebuli werili mimerTmia da
meTxovna, gagemSvenierebina Cveni gazeTi Senis niWis naSuqiTa.
Tu aqamomde es werili davagviane, amas nurc Cems ganTqmuls zarma-
cobas miawer, nurc romelsame avgulians moZraobas Cemis gulisas,
romelsac Sen yovelTvis sasiqadulod eyolebi, rogorc ukeTesi meo-
mari, Cvenis qveynis bednierebisaTvis Tavganwiruli“.
arada, sazogadoebaSi uamravi miTi da legenda arsebobs am ur-
TierTobaze. eqvTime TayaiSvili ki ase wers: „ilia didi taktis
kaci iyo, pirferobiT mas ver moisyiddi, Tu vinme viTomda misda
sasiamovnod akakis Sesaxeb Zviris Tqmas iwyebda, maSinaTve xmas
gaawyvetinebda, akaki ki Tu vinme ilias Zvirs ityoda, Tavissac
daumatebda, magram es akakis siZulviliT ki ar mosdioda, es misi
Cveuleba, misi buneba iyo, is am mxriT arc Tavis uaxloes megob-
rebsa da moyvareebs zogavda, arc cols da arc sxvebs“.
arada, aristo quTaTelaZisTvis am rCevis mimcem kacze, ver vi-
tyviT, cxovreba ar esmodao: „sifrTxile, siCume, energia da Tavis
gamouCenloba, marjvniv muSaoba da marcxniv Tavis Cvenebao“.

niko nikolaZe
Niko Nikoladze

216
 saavtoro uflebebis sakiTxi
1915 wels „saqarTvelos saistorio-saeTnografio sazogadoe-
bam“, rogorc saavtoro uflebis mTavarma mflobelma, Seqmna spe-
cialuri komisia da SeimuSava akaki wereTlis TxzulebaTa gamocemis
dawvrilebiTi gegma. es unda yofiliyo, faqtobrivad, akademiuri
gamocema. ganisazRvra ara mxolod gamocemis koncefcia, aramed
bibliografiuli aparatis, formatisa da Sriftebis, xarjTaRricxvis,
proeqtis koordinirebisa da administrirebis sakiTxebic. akakis Tx-
zulebaTa gamocemis saqmeSi specialur warmomadgenelad dainiSna
nikoloz erisTavi. „sazogadoebis“ am saqmianobis Tadarigis miuxe-
davad, rogorc Cans, araerT sagamomcemlo organizacias gamouTqvams
survili da pretenzia akakis Txzulebebis gamocemaze, rasac zogjer
sajaro, zogjer aSkarad kanonsawinaaRmdego formebi hqonia. amas
araerTi sarqivo dokumenti adasturebs.
1915 wels gazeT „saxalxo furcelSi“ gamoqveynda am problemiT
sakmaod Sewuxebuli saqarTvelos saistorio-saeTnografio sazoga-
doebis sabWos Ria werili:
„rogorc pativcemuls qarTvels sazogadoebas moexseneba, gan-
svenebulis mgosnis akaki rostomis Zis wereTlis TxzulebaTa
gamocemis ufleba mgosnisgan naanderZevi aqvs „saqarTvelos
saistorio-saeTnografio sazogadoebas“. amave anderZis Tanaxmad,
mTeli mogeba am gamocemisa unda moxmardes akakis saxelobisve
Tanxas xalxuri sityvierebis Sesakrebad, gamosacemad da gamosakv-
levad. teqsti am anderZisa didi xania gamoqveynebuli iyo qarTulsa
da rusuls gazeTebSi. miuxedavad amisa, Cveneburi gamomcemlebi da
Jurnal-gazeTebi ganagrZoben akakis leqsebisa da nawerebis beWdvas
„sazogadoebis“ sabWos daukiTxavad. maTi gamomcemlebi saWirod
ara sTvlian amis nebarTva aiRon „sazogadoebis“ sabWosagan, raic
ewinaaRmdegeba rogorc TviT mgosnis anderZs, agreTve elementa-
ruls princips literaturulis sakuTrebis memkvidreobisas. acxadebs
ra amas, - „saistorio sazogadoebis“ sabWo, sTxovs gamomcemlebsa
da Jurnal-gazeTebis redaqciebs, nu inebeben sabWos nebadaurTvelad
gansvenebulis mgosnis TxzulebaTa beWdvas“.
saqmes isic arTulebda, rom saistorio-saeTnografio sazogadoe-
ba, Tavis mxriv, agvianebda akakis TxzulebaTa gamocemas, radgan
mis winaSe wamoWril sxva araerT sazogadoebriv da kulturul sak-
iTxTan erTad, mwvaved idga akakis memkvidreobasTan dakavSirebuli
materialuri problemebic. aseT viTarebaSi, bunebrivia, aqtualuri
rCeboda akakis literaturuli memkvidreobis gamocemis sakiTxi. es
survili poetis meore memkvidremac - qarTvelTa Soris wera-kiTxvis
gamavrcelebelma sazogadoebamac - gamoTqva. „q. S. w. k. g. saz. mTa-
varma gamgeobam daadgina, - vkiTxulobT „sazogadoebis“ sabWosadmi
mimarTvaSi, - SeiZinos akaki wereTlis nawerebis gamocemis ufleba.
amisTvis mogmarTavsT TxovniT, ra pirobebiT SeuZlian saqarTve-
los saistorio-saeTnografio sazogadoebas dauTmos gamgeobas

ilia WavWvaZe
Ilia Chavchavadze

217
xsenebulis mwerlis nawarmoebTa gamocemis ufleba“.
mimarTva daTariRebulia 1919 wlis 5 ivnisiT. saistorio-saeT-
nografio sazogadoebis sabWoSi miRebulia 1 ivliss. 10 dReSi,
sanam „sazogadoeba“ oficialur pasuxs gaugzavnida, wera-kiTxvis
gamavrcelebelma sazogadoebam Txzulebebze saavtoro uflebebis
mflobels axali mimarTviT SesTavaza akakis TxzulebaTa gamoce-
mis sakuTari pirobebi: „1. akakis Txzulebebi unda gamoices w. k.
g. saz. saxeliT, xolo zed warweriT „sakuTreba saistorio sazoga-
doebisa“; 2. gamocemuli iqneba araumetes 2 000 calisa. 3. saistorio
sazogadoebas miecema wignebis fasis 15% ori wlis ganmavlobaSi
Tanaswor nawilad weliwadSi, xolo Tu or weliwadze adre gaiyida,
miecema darCenili nawili gayidvisTanave“.
sagulisxmo faqtia, rom sosiko merkvilaZes, „sazogadoebis“ mud-
miv wevrs, akakis sicocxleSive (1913 wels) SeZenili Txzulebebi
(pirobiT: „В исключительный собственность“): „baSi-aCuki“, „kikolas
naambobi“, „naTela“, „bagrat didi“, „patara kaxis“ erTi gamocemac
„yovelgvari moTqma-moTqmisa da gaugebrobis Tavidan asacileblad“
1915 wels akademiuri gamocemisTvis Tavisi surviliTa da nebiT
dauTmia eqvTime TayaiSvilisTvis.
marTlac, yovelgvari moTqma-moTqmisa da gaugebrobis Tavidan
asacileblad saqarTvelos saistorio-saeTnografio sazogadoebas
1919 wels sakuTari pirobebi wauyenebia gamomcemlebisTvis: „1.
gamocema unda iqnes Cveni sazogadoebis saxeliT; 2. gamomcemeli
tvirTulobs yovelgvar xarjsa da Sromas (redaqtirebas, koreqturas
da sxv.); 3. gamocemulis TviTeulis nawarmoebis raodenoba ar unda
aRematebodes 5 000 cals; 4. sazogadoebas unda mieces yovel dabe-
Wdil calze nominaluri fasis 15%; 5. xvedri fuli sazogadoebis
sabWos unda Caabaros gamomcemelma erTis wlis ganmavlobaSi dRi-
dan wignis gamosvlisa gasayidad; 6. gamomcemels ufleba eZleva
gamosces akakis yoveli nawarmoebi cal-calke broSurebad; 7. sazoga-
doeba itovebs uflebas, gamosces akakis Txzulebani tomebad, roca
moisurvebs“.
sayuradReboa, rom „sazogadoebis“ mier gamomcemelTaTvis SeTa-
vazebuli pirobebi araerT punqtSi aRemateba maTive moTxovnebs,
Tumca „sazogadoebis“ principuli poziciaa, nebismieri gamocema
ganxorcieldes misi saxeliT.
1920 wlis 4 Tebervlis angariSiT, mTavriSvilis amxanago-
bis wignis gamomcemlobas gamoucia „Tornike erisTavi“ (3 000
cali), „patara kaxi“ (2 400 cali), „Tamar-cbieri“ (2 400 cali) da
„gamzrdeli“ (raodenoba sabuTSi miTiTebuli ar aris.).
miuxedavad imisa, rom saistorio-saeTnografio sazogadoebis
sabWos 1915 welsve mzad hqonda akakis TxzulebaTa gamocemis pro-
eqti, 1920 wels eqvTime TayaiSvili centrbankis mmarTvelobas am
winadadebiT mimarTavs: „sazogadoebam jer kidev ver moaxerxa us-
axsrobis gamo akakis nawarmoebebis tomebaT gamocema. amas garda

218
sazogadoebas aqvs dagrovili didZali masala saxalxo poeziidan da
agreTve sigel-gujrebi. yvela amis gamosacemad saWiroa exlandeli
pirobebis mixedviT TvalsaCino Tanxa da amitom sazogadoebis
saWirod gTxovT, gagvixsnaT Tqvens bankSi saxeldaxelo angariSi
sami milionisa“. avtoris ganmartebiT, „sazogadoeba“ am Tanxas
uzrunvelyofda misive sakuTrebaSi arsebuli uZravi qonebiT - aTas
eqvsasi kvadratuli saJenis miwa wyneTis quCaze, erTi desiatina
miwa universitetis maxloblad, 309 aqcia amierkavkasiis bankisa,
yofili ermakovis fotografia, aseve araerTi gamocema wignebisa,
rac karg fasad iyideboda. Tumca eqvTime TayaiSvilis TqmiT, „es ar
exeba muzeumebs, biblioTekebs, numizmatikur koleqciebs, rac fas-
daudebelia da angariSSi mosatani ar aris“. 1920 wlidan politikuri
viTarebis garTulebis gamo es iniciativebi uSedegod rCeboda.
emigraciis mZime wlebiT gadaRlilma eqvTime TayaiSvilma, romel-
ic „ucxoobaSi“ qarTuli wignebis arasakmarisobas Tu uqonlobas
yvelaze metad uCioda, erTaderTxel (eqvTime TayaiSvilis arqivSi
dacul mis epistolur memkvidreobaSi), 1925 wlis 27 oqtombers iro-
dion sonRulaSvilTan gagzavnil werilSi aseT konteqstSi axsena es
sakiTxi: „gamogzavne yvela qarTuli istoriis saxelmZRvanelo, rac
gamosula, gorgaZisa, kariWaSvilisa, kakabaZisa Tu sxvebis. akakis
TxzulebaTa gamocemas ar apireben?“ saqarTvelom, samwuxarod, karga
xans ver moicala emigraciidan dasmuli am kiTxvisTvis.

„P.S.“ - „saaSio“:
zogadad arqivs erTi saocari Tviseba aqvs, akakis arqivs, miT
umetes, - ra drosac unda mixvide da risTvisac unda mixvide, imed-
gacruebuls arasodes gtovebs, yovelTvis iseT axal ganwyobas ga-
tans, drois faqtori rom verafers aklebs, radgan „Sen“ piradad
geZleva „masTan“ piradad misasvleli gza. iq ki yovelTvis dagxvdeba
aSiebsSerCenili, publikacias „gadarCenili“ realoba.
esma mania

219
 akaki wereTlis
ukanasneli foto
1914 weli
The last photo of
Akaki Tsereteli
1914

220
 minaweri akakis
ukanasknel fotoze
xelovnebis sasaxle
A note on the last photo of
Akaki Tsereteli
Art Palace

221
222
 akaki wereTlis gardacvalebis gamo sosiko
merkvilaZis wignis maRazia
„codnis“ daketvis gancxadeba
Tbilisi, Tebervali, 1915 weli
literaturis muzeumi

Sosiko Merkviladze’s book store ‘Tsodna,’

the closing announcement due to Akaki’s death
Literature Museum of Georgia
Tbilisi. February, 1915
akaki wereTlis gardacvalebis gamo
SaviT mosili sosiko merkvilaZis
wignis maRazia „codna“
Tbilisi, Tebervali, 1915 weli
Sosiko Merkviladze’s book store ‘Tsodna’
mourning the death of Akaki Tsereteli
Tbilisi. February, 1915

223
 sarCevi:

akaki wereTlis biografia

11

sozar laSxi
akaki da imereTi
21

akaki baqraZe
sulis netareba
67

giorgi kalandia
akaki qarTul kinosa da TeatrSi
89

vasil amaSukeli
akakis mogzauroba raWa-leCxumSi
151

akakis Semoqmedeba qarTul kinoSi

171

mzia merkvilaZe
akaki da qarTuli musika
195

esma mania
saarqivo miniatiurebi akakis portretisaTvis
205

Contents:

BIOGRAPHY OF AKAKI TSERETELI

11

Sozar Lashkhi
AKAKI AND IMERETI
21

Akaki Bakradze
BLISS OF THE SOUL
67

George Kalandia
AKAKI IN GEORGIAN THEATRE AND CINEMATOGRAPHY
89

Vasil Amashukeli
THE JOURNEY OF AKAKI IN RACHA-LECHKHUMI
151

WORKS OF AKAKI IN GEORGIAN CINEMATOGRAPHY

171

Mzia Merkviladze
AKAKI IN GEORGIAN MUSIC
195

Esma Mania
ARCHIVE MINIATURES IN THE PORTRAIT OF AKAKI
224
205
 gamoyenebuli literatura:

References:

g. aleqsandria. „mogoneba varinka wereTelze“. gaz. „quTaisi“. #16. 1972

g. doliZe. „vasil amaSukeli - kavkasiuri kinos pioneri“. Tbilisi. 2012

n. vaCnaZe. „mogonebebi da Sexvedrebi“. soxumi. 1953

i. zardalaSvili. „akaki wereTeli TeatrSi“. xelovnebis sasaxlis xelnawerTa

da saarqivo dokumentTa fondi.
saqme 46. dokumenti 17246

e. maxaraSvili. „akaki wereTeli msaxiobi, reJisori, dramaturgi da qarTuli

Teatris xelmZRvaneli“. gazeTi „24 saaTi Weekend“. 27.03.2010

i. maxaraZe. „diadi munji, qarTuli munji kinos istoria“. Tbilisi 2014

r. SatakiSvili. „ilia, akaki, vaJa - scenaze“. gazeTi „qarTuli universiteti“.

6.12.2011

g. SaraZe. „akakis mogzauroba raWa-leCxumSi“. Tbilisi. 2006

g. SaraZe. „akaki wereTeli“. tomi I. Tbilisi. 2006

d. janeliZe. „akaki wereTeli da qarTuli Teatri“. wakiTxuli

Teatralur institutSi akaki wereTlis dabadebidan 100 wlisTavisadmi
miZRvnil saRamoze. xelovnebis sasaxle. fondi I, saqme 494, x 42128/21.528

225
ISBN 978-9941-0-8123-1
UDC (uak) 821.353.1.092 a-402

me-2 gverdze akaki wereTlis portreti. mxatvari gigo zaziaSvili. literaturis muzeumi

© saqarTvelos xelovnebis sasaxle

Georgian Art Palace

226