And it's not just about delicious food and wine, warm climate and beautiful nature. Georgia is first and foremost friendly people, original culture and ancient history. This is a country where West and East, Europe and Asia are harmoniously combined. Sunny Sakartvelo captivates its guests, makes them fall in love with itself, fills them with strength. You want to return there again and again. This is a place where everyone feels at home, surrounded by family and close friends.
Georgia also played its special role in Russian culture. It was a land where talented writers, poets, artists and musicians from all over Russia sought inspiration. We will talk about some of them in our material.
The life of Alexander Griboyedov was closely connected with Georgia. He lived and worked in Tiflis (now Tbilisi) for a long time. It was in this city that he completed his famous comedy Woe from Wit. And here the first productions of his play were successfully staged. Georgian nobles, who had just begun to get acquainted with Russian culture and Russian literature, staged it on the stages of amateur home theaters. In the summer of 1828, Griboyedov married Nina Chavchavadze, a Georgian princess, daughter of the outstanding Romantic poet Alexander Chavchavadze. But they were destined to live together for only a few weeks. The poet was sent on a diplomatic mission to Persia, and six months later an angry mob massacred the Russian embassy in Tehran.
Griboedov's body was taken to Tiflis and solemnly buried in the pantheon on Mount Mtatsminda. A heartbroken Nina erected a monument over his grave, the inscription on which reads: “Your mind and deeds are immortal in Russian memory, but why did my love survive you!”. Griboyedov's tombstone is still considered one of the main attractions of the city, and the Tbilisi Russian is named after him. drama theatre- the world's oldest Russian theater operating outside of Russia.
Pushkin also visited Georgia. Alexander Sergeevich drove past Tiflis when he was catching up with the regular army, which was going to war with Turkey in Western Armenia. Tired of the long journey along the Georgian Military Highway, he decided to stop for a few days in the city to gain strength, and at the same time meet with his comrades from the lyceum (many of whom were in Tiflis in those years).
During these days, the poet managed to visit the famous sulfur baths of Abanotubani, take part in several noisy feasts, walk around the winding city streets, and also observe the life and customs of local residents. He left his memories of Georgia in the story "Journey to Arzrum during the campaign of 1829".
Perhaps the most famous Russian "Caucasian" writer was Mikhail Yurievich Lermontov. Exiled from Russia for poems on the death of Pushkin, Lermontov ended up in the Nizhny Novgorod Dragoon Regiment, stationed in those years in the Caucasus. Impressions from what he experienced and saw during his service in the regular army greatly affected his personality, turning him from a metropolitan rake into a lonely melancholy romantic.
The beauty of nature, the life of the highlanders and folklore: all this left its mark on him, and subsequently formed the basis of most of his works, in many of which the action takes place precisely in Georgia (“Demon”, “Mtsyri”, etc.) . To this day, at the entrance to Tbilisi, there is a monument to the great Russian romantic poet, for whom the Caucasus served as an inexhaustible source of inspiration, and Daryal, Mtskheta and Old Tiflis became his real creative homeland.
Shortly before entering the Caucasian army, twenty-three-year-old Leo Tolstoy lived in Tiflis. Having settled in the house of a German colonist, he began to write his first literary work - the story "Childhood". In parallel, he kept diaries, writing down his thoughts and memories of the Georgian capital. It was during this period of his life that he realized that he wanted to become a professional writer. Subsequently, the experience of participating in the Caucasian War and the impressions of being in Georgia formed the basis of the famous story "Hadji Murad", as well as other works of the great Russian classic.
Vladimir and Vasily Nemirovichi-Danchenko
The Nemirovichi-Danchenko brothers were born in the family of an officer in the city of Ozurgeti, Kutaisi province (now in Guria).
Vasily Ivanovich's childhood passed in a field environment - he traveled a lot in Georgia, Azerbaijan and Dagestan. As the eldest son, he was ordered to follow in his father's footsteps and become a military man, so he was sent to study at the Alexander Cadet Corps in Moscow. He returned to Georgia only in 1876, when an uprising against the Turks was brewing in Adzharia (a region adjacent to his native Guria). His impressions of what he saw were reflected in the second part of "Under the Hot Sun". The very next year, being a career officer in the imperial army, Vasily Nemirovich-Danchenko took part in the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878, which was reflected in his famous book Skobelev.
The fate of his younger brother, Vladimir Ivanovich, was different, whom his parents sent to study at the Tiflis gymnasium. As a high school student, he, along with his friend Alexander Sumbatov-Yuzhin ( real name Sumbatashvili) rented a small apartment on the outskirts of the city, where young people composed their first plays and gave small performances for friends and acquaintances. Few could then imagine that they would later become the greatest theatrical figures in Russia and the Soviet Union, one of whom would be the founder of the Moscow Art Theater, and the other the director of the Maly Theater.
In 1876, after graduating from high school with a silver medal, Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko left for Moscow to study law. His friend stayed in the Georgian capital, where in the same year he made his acting debut on the stage of one of the city theaters. Subsequently, the friends met already in Moscow.
and Zinaida Gippius
In the summer of 1888, twenty-two-year-old Dmitry Merezhkovsky traveled around Georgia. Arriving in the resort town of Borjomi, he met with one of his acquaintances, who during the conversation showed him a photograph of the aspiring poetess Zinaida Gippius. Looking at her, Merezhkovsky exclaimed: "What a mug!" But ironically, just a few days later, walking along one of the city streets, he accidentally ran into an eighteen-year-old girl. It turned out to be just ... Zinaida Gippius. Six months later they got married in Tiflis. And they lived together for 52 years, during which, according to Zinaida Nikolaevna, "we did not part for a single day." This strange meeting at one of the Georgian resorts marked the beginning of one of the strongest and most fruitful creative unions in Russian culture.
As part of his first "Walk in Russia" Maxim Gorky also visited Georgia. It was this country that became his original literary homeland. The first story of the young writer (“Makar Chudra”) was published in Tiflis. It happened in 1892, when Gorky worked in the workshops of the Transcaucasian railways. Soon after that, the novice writer went to build the Black Sea highway to Abkhazia. On one of the deserted roads between Sukhumi and Ochamchire, he met a pregnant woman who suddenly went into labor. The writer had to take her child, biting the umbilical cord with his teeth. This episode from life formed the basis of the story "The Birth of Man", and the obstetric feat of Peshkov (this is Gorky's real name) was subsequently cast in bronze near the Kodori River.
Returning to Russia after that, Gorky always remembered the sunny Sakartvelo. During his life, he repeatedly came to Georgia, where he met with his friends and acquaintances. Together with them, taking part in traditional feasts, he sang Gurian and Kartli-Kakhetian songs, which from his youth conquered him with their beauty and sensuality, and said about the country itself with a smile on his face: “Georgia from a vagabond made me a writer.”
Mayakovsky was born into the family of a forester in the village of Bagdati, Kutaisi province (now a city in Imereti). Up to the age of nine, he practically did not speak Russian - only at home with his parents. The rest of the time he spent in the company of his Georgian peers. The situation was changed by his enrollment in the Kutaisi gymnasium, where teaching was conducted in Russian. But just four years after admission, a misfortune occurred in his house - his father died from blood poisoning, accidentally pricking his finger with a needle.
After the death of the breadwinner, the mother decided to move permanently to Moscow with her children. Nevertheless, throughout his life, Mayakovsky repeatedly returned to his small homeland, where he had so many friends and acquaintances. The poet himself was proud that he was born in Georgia, and in some of his poems he even called himself a Georgian.
Boris Pasternak's first trip to Georgia took place in 1931, when he arrived in Tbilisi at the invitation of his friend, the poet Paolo Yashvili. There he also met prominent Georgian cultural figures - Titian Tabidze, Lado Gudiashvili, Nikoloz Mitsishvili, Simon Chikovani, Georgy Leonidze and others. Their acquaintance grew into a close long-term friendship, and Pasternak's three-month stay in Georgia left a deep mark on his soul.
Carried away by the culture and history of this country, he also became interested in its literature. Soon after returning to Russia, he enthusiastically set about translating the works of Georgian classics. Among his most famous works are "The Serpent" by Vazha Pshavela and the lyrics by Nikoloz Baratashvili. The poet's friendship with famous representatives of Georgian art lasted for almost 30 years, and Georgia itself became his second homeland, where he repeatedly returned throughout his life.
Many Georgian writers are well known not only in their own country, but also far beyond its borders, especially in Russia. In this article, we will present some of the most prominent writers who have left the most visible mark on the culture of their country.
Classic of Literature
One of the most famous writers XX century - the author of novels and epics Chabua Amirejibi. He was born in 1921 in Tiflis. In 1944, he was arrested for participation in the White George political group and sentenced to 25 years in prison.
He managed to escape three times, and the last time his forged documents were so good that Chabua became the director of a plant in Belarus. However, as a result, he was arrested again and sent to the camp.
In 1953, Chabua Amirejibi, one of the active participants in the uprising of prisoners in Norilsk, was released only in 1959. In the 1990s, he was a deputy; in 2010, he openly accused the regime of President Mikheil Saakashvili. In the same year he took the vows as a monk. Died in 2013. The writer was 92 years old.
Chabua Amirejibi's main novel is Data Tutashkhia, which he wrote from 1973 to 1975. This is an epic work in which the author drew a reliable panorama of pre-revolutionary Georgian society. Data Tutashkhia - the main character, whose name is the same as the character of Georgian mythology, sets himself the goal of eradicating all evil in the world, but this leads him into conflict with the state and the law. Date becomes an exile.
In 1977, based on this novel, the serial film "Shores" was shot.
Luka Razikashvili
Another famous Georgian writer and poet is Luka Razikashvili. He was born in 1861 and wrote poems, plays and poems. In literature, he is better known under his pseudonym - Vazha Pshavela.
Vazha began to write in 1881, he wanted to get a higher education in St. Petersburg, but he could only become a volunteer at the Faculty of Law.
The main theme of his work is social and ethnographic. Vazha Pshavela tells in detail about the life and traditions of the highlanders, their customs and way of life.
At the same time, he manages to outline the brewing conflict between the old and the new way of life, which, therefore, was one of the first to consider. In total, he wrote 36 poems and about 400 poems.
In Russia, his work is well known for the translations of Boris Pasternak, Osip Mandelstam, Marina Tsvetaeva.
leader of the national liberation movement
Georgian poet and writer Akaki Tsereteli is a prominent thinker, national and public figure. He was born in 1840, devoted his whole life to the struggle against tsarism and serfdom.
Most of it works of art became classic examples of nationality and ideology. The most famous of them are "Imereti Lullaby", "Song of the Workers", "Desire", "Chonguri", "Dawn", "Little Kahi", "Bagrat the Great", "Natela". They brought up many patriotic ideals in the Georgian people.
Akaki Tsereteli died in 1915 at the age of 74.
"I, grandmother, Iliko and Illarion"
The author of the novel "I, grandmother, Iliko and Illarion" Nodar Dumbadze enjoys great popularity in Georgia. He was born in Tiflis in 1928. He worked in the magazines "Dawn" and "Crocodile", was a screenwriter at the film studio "Georgia-Film".
Your very own famous novel he wrote in 1960. The novel is dedicated to a Georgian boy named Zuriko, who lives in a small village. The action takes place in pre-war Georgia. Main character- a schoolboy who encounters his first love, then accompanies adult fellow villagers to Velikaya Patriotic war, with those of them who remain alive, rejoices in the victory over fascism.
After school, Zuriko enters the university in Tbilisi, but, having received a higher education, he nevertheless returns to his native village to stay with his most faithful and loving friends for the rest of his life. In 1963, the novel was filmed, under the same name, it was released at the studio "Georgia-Film".
Nodar Dumbadze died in 1984 in Tbilisi, he was 56 years old.
"Canaglia"
In 1880, the future classic of Georgian literature, Mikhail Adamashvili, was born in the Tiflis province. He published his first story in 1903, and then he came up with a pseudonym for himself. Since then, everyone knows him under the name Mikheil Javakhishvili.
After October revolution was in opposition to the Soviet government, was a member of the National Democratic Party of Georgia. In 1923, the Bolsheviks arrested him and sentenced him to death. It was possible to justify Mikhail Savvich only with the guarantee of the Georgian Writers' Union. Outwardly, he reconciled with the Soviet regime, but in reality, relations remained difficult until his death.
In 1930, he was accused of Trotskyism, only with the coming to power of Beria, the new sentence was canceled. Javakhishvili even began to print, and his novel "Arsen from Marabda" was filmed.
His 1936 novel The Woman's Burden was condemned by Soviet ideologists, claiming that the Bolsheviks were presented as real terrorists. After that, the writer refused to describe the work of the Bolsheviks in pre-revolutionary Georgia to Beria. In 1936, he supported André Gide and was declared an enemy of the people.
In 1937, Mikhail was arrested for an anti-Soviet provocation and shot. Until the end of the 50s, his works remained banned, only after Stalin's personality cult was debunked, the Georgian writer was rehabilitated, and his novels began to be republished.
He wrote his most famous novel, Canalla, in 1924. It describes how a well-known rogue named Kvachi Kvachantiradze travels around St. Petersburg, Georgia, Stockholm and Paris. He manages to get into the chapel to Grigory Rasputin, into the royal palace, take part in the First World War and civil wars. He paves his way to success and glory through the bedrooms of the first beauties. Russian Empire and tricks.
The name of the assertive rogue has become a household name, in Georgia he is put on a par with Ostap Bender, Figaro and Casanova.
Georgian science fiction
Bright representative Georgian fiction - Guram Dochanashvili. He was born in Tbilisi in 1939. He wrote many novels, short stories, essays. In Russia, he is primarily known for such works as "Song Without Words", "There, Beyond the Mountain", "Give Me Three Times".
The main themes that he explores in his books are love, friendship, service to art.
Gamsakhurdia is a well-known Georgian philologist and literary historian, writer, born in 1891. After graduating from German universities, he became one of the most influential prose writers of the 20th century.
After studying in Europe, he returned to Georgia in 1921, when the power of the Bolsheviks had already been established here. At first, he was neutral towards the new rulers, but with the growth of Sovietization, the oppression of freedoms and the development of the repression machine, he began to make anti-Bolshevik speeches.
He created the "Academic Group", which called for art outside of politics. In 1925, the first novel was published under the title "The Smile of Dionysus", in which his aesthetic and philosophical views are presented in the most detailed way. The protagonist is an intellectual from Georgia, somewhat similar to the author himself, who goes to learn life in Paris. In an unfamiliar city, he remains a stranger, cut off from his roots. Soviet critics accused the author of decadence.
In 1924, the anti-Soviet uprising in Georgia was defeated, Konstantin was expelled from Tbilisi University, where he lectured on German literature. In 1926, Gamsakhurdia was arrested and sentenced to 10 years for participating in an anti-Soviet uprising. He served his term in the Solovetsky Special Purpose Camp, spent more than a year in prison and was released ahead of schedule.
Creativity Gamsakhurdia
During the years of Stalinist terror, he worked on his main work - a novel about the fate of the artist under the totalitarian system "The right hand of the great master." It was written in 1939.
Events unfold in the 11th century, when, by order of Tsar George I and Catholicos Melchizedek, the Georgian architect Arsakidze was building the Orthodox Church of Svetitskhoveli. The fates of the main characters of the novel are intertwined into a real tragic tangle, both claiming the love of Shorena, the beautiful daughter of feudal lord Talakva Kolonkelidze. They are torn between feeling and duty. The writer comes to the tragic conclusion that no person can be happy in a totalitarian society. Both heroes come to disappointment and death, they become victims of the totalitarian regime, even though by outward signs they are different sides authorities. In his work, Gamsakhurdia describes in allegorical form the tragedy of Stalin's rule.
Similar topics are devoted to his tetralogy "David the Builder", which he wrote from 1946 to 1958. Its events unfold in the 12th century during the heyday of the Georgian feudal state.
In 1956, in the novel The Flowering of the Vine, Gamsakhurdia describes the collective-farm peasantry turning once barren lands into vineyards. In 1963, he completed his memoirs "Communication with Ghosts", which were forbidden to be published, and were published only after 1991.
Lavrenty Ardaziani
Lavrenty Ardaziani is considered the founder of realism among Georgian authors. It was he who prepared the fertile bud for critical realism in this country.
He was born in Tiflis in 1815, studied at a parochial school, entered the theological seminary, since his father was a priest.
After receiving his education, he could not get a job for a long time, until he received a small clerical position in the Tiflis district administration. In the same years, he began to collaborate with literary magazines, published journalistic articles, translated Shakespeare's tragedy "Hamlet" into Georgian.
His most famous novel was written in 1861, it is called "Solomon Isakich Mejganuashvili". He describes a wealthy merchant and a real financial predator. In the novel "Journey along the sidewalks of Tbilisi" realistically tells about the life of the city, bullying officials over ordinary people.
In his polemical articles, he defended the ideas of the "new generation", advocating the development of realism in literature.
Karchkhadze is considered by literary scholars to be one of the most significant Georgian prose writers of the 20th century. He was born in the Van municipality in 1936.
Their the best works wrote in the 80s. In 1984, his novel "Caravan" was published, and in 1987 - "Antonio and David".
Another Georgian writer that needs to be mentioned in this article is screenwriter Rezo Cheishvili. Scripts for films brought him popularity, for which he received not only people's love and recognition, but also state awards.
In 1977, according to his script, Eldar Shengelaya directed the tragicomedy "Stepmother Samanishvili" about pre-revolutionary Georgia, the next year Devi Abashidze's film "Kvarkvare" was released, in which Cheishvili drew a vivid political satire on the petty-bourgeois pre-revolutionary world.
He received the State Prize for the screenplay for Eldar Shengelia's comedy "Blue Mountains, or an Improbable Story" about a young author who takes his story to a publishing house, but everyone does not print it. This happens due to the fact that everyone there is busy with anything, but not work. The director sits all day on the presidium and spends time at banquets, the editors themselves learn French for some reason, cook dinner or play chess. The manuscript of a young writer is read only by a painter who happened to be in the editorial office.
Rezo Cheishvili died in Kutaisi in 2015.
§ 3. Georgian literature
The second half of the 19th century is the most important period in the history of Georgian culture, in particular, in the history of the artistic word. By this time, a new generation of writers entered the literary arena, whose work reflected Georgian reality until the 10s of the 20th century. It is noteworthy that it was this galaxy of Georgian writers who approved the realistic method in Georgian literature.
Ilya Chavchavadze (1837–1907)- is certainly the central figure of Georgian literature and socio-political life of Georgia in the 19th century. He set the tone and determined the main directions for the development of not only Georgian literature, but also the development of the socio-political movement in Georgia, as well as the spiritual life of the Georgian people. Ilya Chavchavadze was the leader and active participant in all initiatives vital for the nation. As a writer, thinker and politician, he is a completely unique phenomenon in the history of Georgia. He was rightly dubbed the "uncrowned" king of Georgia.
I. Chavchavadze's contribution to the renewal and revival of the Georgian language and literature is invaluable. He is a reformer of the Georgian literary language.
The main thing in the writer's work is the national motive. Everything artistic creativity Ilya Chavchavadze is imbued with the ideas of the struggle to save the Georgian people from degeneration, to preserve the national identity and unity of the nation, to increase national self-awareness.
The treasury of Georgian literature was enriched by the unfading masterpieces created by Ilya Chavchavadze. These are: "Notes of a Traveler", "Mother of a Georgian", "Glorious Motherland", "Vision", "The Beggar's Tale", "Otarov's Widow", "Is he a man?" and others.
The works of Ilya Chavchavadze, imbued with ardent love for the motherland and a call to national struggle, served for a long time as spiritual food for the fighters for the freedom and independence of the Georgian people. He showed the Georgian people the only path that led to the achievement of the cherished goal - the restoration of the lost state independence.
Akaki Tsereteli (1840–1915). In the forefront of the fighters for national freedom, together with Ilya Chavchavadze, stood the outstanding Georgian writer Akaki Tsereteli. He, like I. Chavchavadze, was the initiator and active participant in all vital national affairs. Poet, prose writer, publicist, translator, satirist-humorist, Akaki Tsereteli was primarily a lyric poet.
The poetry of Akaki Tsereteli is imbued with boundless love for the motherland and the ideas of the national movement, as evidenced by his numerous works: “Gray hair”, “Chonguri”, “My bitter fate”, “Spring”, “Suliko”, “Dawn”, “Educator”, "Tornike Eristavi", "Bashi-Achuki" and others.
The optimistic works of Akaki Tsereteli, imbued with faith in the future of the Georgian people, played a big role in establishing and raising their national self-awareness.
Yakob Gogebashvili (1840–1912). A very special place in the history of Georgian literature and in general in the history of Georgian culture is occupied by the activities of the outstanding figure of the Georgian national movement, the great teacher and children's writer Yakob Gogebashvili.
His creation of the textbooks "Deda Ena" ("Native Speech", 1876), "Georgian alphabet - the first book for students to read" (1876), among the phenomena of the 19th century, should be considered a fact of special significance. Jacob Gogebashvili is the author of numerous patriotic stories for children, among which stand out: “What did Iavnana do?”, “King Heraclius and the Ingiloika”, “Self-sacrificing Georgians” and others. These stories served to awaken and strengthen the patriotic consciousness in children.
Lavrenty Ardaziani (1815–1870) in the novel "Solomon Isakich Mejganuashvili" depicted the process of formation of the Georgian bourgeoisie. It was completely new topic in Georgian literature.
Rafiel Eristavi (1824–1901). The creative activity of Rafiel Eristavi begins in the 50s of the XIX century. Patriotic themes occupy a significant place in his work. His well-known poem "Motherland of Khevsur" is dedicated to this topic and is recognized as a masterpiece of Georgian poetry.
Georgy Tsereteli (1842–1900). The work of Georgy Tsereteli is a remarkable phenomenon in the history of Georgian literature, journalism and journalism, as well as in the history of the development of political thinking in Georgia. The writer's worldview is determined by patriotic motives, the struggle for national freedom and social equality.
In his works: "The Flower of Our Life", "Aunt Asmat", "The Gray Wolf", "The First Step", Georgy Tsereteli painted interesting picture life of the post-reform and subsequent eras of Georgia. His work served to establish critical realism in Georgian literature.
Alexander Kazbegi (1848–1893). The literary talent and civil courage of Alexander Kazbegi were especially clearly manifested in his creative activity in the 80s of the XIX century. In his novels and stories, the inner world of the characters, their feelings and experiences are conveyed with great artistic power.
Alexander Kazbegi truthfully depicted the cruelty of the Russian enslavers and the plight of the Georgian people under the yoke of the colonial regime of the tsarist autocracy. The tragic pictures of the life of the oppressed people and their unbridled desire for freedom and independence are depicted with great artistic skill in the works: “Heavybury Gocha”, “Mentor”, “Elguja”, “Eliso” and others.
Vazha-Pshavela (1861–1915)- the pseudonym of the great Georgian poet Luka Razikashvili. In the poetry of Vazha-Pshavela, life is an endless confrontation between light and darkness, good and evil. In his lyrical works: “The Good Serf”, “Eagle”, “Night in the Mountains”, “An Old Song of Warriors”, etc., the motherland is embodied in the image of God.
The crown of the poet's poetry are his poems: "Snake Eater", "Bakhtrioni", "Gogoturi and Apshina", "Aluda Ketelauri", "Guest and Host". We can say that after Ilya Chavchavadze and Akaki Tsereteli, it was the patriotic poetry of Vazha-Pshavela that had a huge impact on the rise and development of Georgian national identity.
Egnate Ingorokva (1859–1894) in Georgian literature he is known under the pseudonym "Ninoshvili". The work of Egnate Ninoshvili reflects the life and native land(Guria). Against the background of the miserable existence of the peasants at the time of the establishment of capitalism in Georgia, the writer shows the social contradictions that exist between the various strata of Georgian society. The stories “Gogia Uishvili”, “Mose, the village clerk”, “Simone” are devoted to this topic.
The uprising of 1841 in Guria is dedicated to his work "Revolt in Guria".
Avksenti Tsagareli (1857–1902) is a well-known playwright, champion of the renewed Georgian theater.
The feature films "Keto and Kote", "Other Times Now" are based on the plots of his unfading comedies.
Populist ideas were reflected in Georgian literature of the second half of the 19th century. From this point of view, the works of Anton Purtseladze (1839–1913), Ekaterina Gabashvili (1851–1938), Sofrom Mgaloblishvili (1851–1925) and Niko Lomouri (1852–1915) are of interest. At that time, writers who were carried away by populist ideas were called "admirers of the common people." Populist writers from Peru own the most popular works: “Lurja Magdana”, “Kajana”, “Matsi Khvitia”.
IN late XIX and the beginning of the 20th century, a new generation of Georgian writers appeared in the literary field, among which, first of all, it should be noted Shio Dedabrishvili (Aragvispireli), David Kldiashvili, Vasily Barnaveli (Barnov), Kondrate Tatarashvili (Unarmed), Chola (Bikenti) Lomtatidze and Shalva Dadiani.
Shio Dedabrishvili (1867–1926) in Georgian literature he is known under the pseudonym "Aragvispireli". main theme his works are the relationship between man and society.
David Kldiashvili (1862–1931)- a brilliant chronicler of the life of the Georgian petty nobility, who lost their economic soil and privileges at the time of the establishment of bourgeois relations. The writer with unsurpassed skill and subtle humor shows the tragedy of the impoverished nobles, who were once proud of their privileged position and reached complete impoverishment.
In the works of David Kldiashvili: "Solomon Morbeladze", "Samanishvili's Stepmother", "Darispan's Adversity", the heroes who find themselves in a comic situation become victims of a tragic fate.
Vasily Barnov (1856–1934) in Georgian literature he revived the genre of the historical novel. His historical novels "Dawn of Isani", "Martyrdom", "Destruction of Armazi" captivate the reader with deep patriotism and sublime love.
Kondrate Tatarashvili (1872–1929) (“Unarmed”) in his work “Mamluk”, against the background of the tragic fate of two people, shows one of the most monstrous phenomena that took place in Georgia in the 18th century - the sale and purchase of prisoners.
Chola (Bikenti) Lomtatidze (1878–1915) introduced the theme of the horrors of prison life into Georgian literature. His most famous works devoted to this topic are "Before the gallows" and "In prison".
Shalva Dadiani (1874–1959) enriched Georgian literature with his dramatic work "Yesterday" and historical novel"George of Russia", dedicated to the era of Queen Tamar.
At the beginning of the 20th century, future masters of the artistic word began their creative activity: Mikhail Javakhishvili, Niko Lordkipanidze, Leo Shengelaia (Kancheli), Alexander Chochia (Abasheli), Galaktion Tabidze, Titian Tabidze, Iosif Mamulashvili (Grishashvili) and others.
Mikhail Javakhishvili (1880–1937) my literary activity started at early XIX century. He actively participated in the national movement. His first stories ("Chanchura", "The Shoemaker Gabo", etc.) are realistic and imbued with the ideas of humanism.
Niko Lordkipanidze (1880–1944) He wrote his first works under the influence of impressionism (“Heart”, “Unwritten Story”, “To the Moon”, etc.). His short stories are imbued with a sense of disappointment in life, caused by its dullness and cruelty.
From early works Leo Chiacheli (1884–1963) the most significant is the brilliant example of Georgian prose, the novel Tariel Golua, in which the social struggle found its realistic reflection.
Titian Tabidze (1895–1937) was one of the most typical representatives of Georgian symbolism. In his work, one can feel the connection of Georgian poetry with romantic and patriotic traditions.
Creation Galaktiona Tabidze (1891–1959) is an inexhaustible encyclopedia of the human soul, which equally reflects the real and the unreal, human weakness and strength, joys and sorrows.
Joseph Grishashvili (1889–1964) entered Georgian literature with his optimistic, patriotic poems. In his work, in addition to the theme of love for the Motherland, the leading place is occupied by exotic types of antiquities of Tbilisi.
Georgian literature of the second half of the 19th and early 20th centuries has taken a worthy place in the treasury of the achievements of world culture.
Of course I'll start with A. S. Pushkin
Monastery on Kazbek
High above the mountain family
Kazbeg, your royal tent
Shines with eternal rays.
Your monastery behind the clouds
Like an ark flying in the sky,
Soaring, barely visible over the mountains.
A distant, longed-for shore!
There b, saying sorry to the gorge,
Rise to the free height!
There b, in the sky-high cell,
In the neighborhood of God to hide - me! ...
On the hills of Georgia lies the darkness of the night;
Noisy Aragva before me.
I'm sad and easy; my sadness is light;
My sorrow is full of you.
You, you alone .... My despondency
No one hurts, no one worries,
And the heart burns again and loves - because
That it cannot love.
Vladimir Mayakovsky
To our youth (excerpt)
Three different origins in me speech
I'm not one of the razin katsapov.
I am a Cossack grandfather, another Sich,
And by birth - Georgian.
Vladikavkaz-Tiflis (excerpt)
I know: stupidity - edens and paradise!
But if it was sung about it,
It must be Georgia, a joyful land,
Poets meant.
Boris Pasternak
Waves (excerpt)
Already the castle's shadow grew from a cry
Those who have found the word, and in the mountains,
Like a mother frightened stutterer,
Mooed and melted Devdorakh.
We were in Georgia. Let's multiply
Need for tenderness, hell for heaven,
greenhouse let's take the ice foot,
And we will get this edge.
And we will understand how thin doses
With earth and sky come into the mix
Success and work, and duty, and air
For a man to come out like here.
So that, having formed among the fodder,
And defeats, and captivity,
He became a model, taking shape,
Something solid like salt.
Nikolai Tikhonov
I know Georgia
And in my heart I strictly cherish -
Loud avalanches rejoice,
And tours jump in the snow.
The diamond channels rumble
And all over the green world
Steps of ice hang like strings
Poems frozen in the air.
Overnight in the towers, a modest dinner
On this royal land
I slept under a half-dark vault
And I have not seen more cheerful dreams.
A wonderful photo of the courtyard with Svan towers was taken from the site http://www.risk.ru/users/veronika/4755/ and made by Veronika Sorokina.
Yakov Polonsky
Walk around Tiflis (letter to Lev Sergeevich Pushkin - excerpt)
.... A wonderful view opened up. - From here, from the baths,
I can see the castle behind Kura,
And it seems to me that the stone cornice
Steep coast, with overhanging houses,
With balconies, bars, pillars, -
Like a decoration for a magical benefit,
Luxuriously illuminated by sparklers.
From here I see - beyond the blue mountains
The dawn, like an altar, burns - and Tiflis
Greeting with farewell rays -
Oh, how glorious this hour is passing by!
Magnificent for unusual eyes
Painting! Remember the whole mass of these buildings,
All this mixture of ruins without legends -
Houses built, perhaps, from ruins -
Gardens entangled in vine branches,
And these domes, of which there is only one kind
Reminds you of the suburbs of Tsaregrad.
And agree what to draw
Tiflis is not my pen ....
Sergey Yesenin
In the Caucasus
Since ancient times our Russian Parnassus
Drawn to unfamiliar countries,
And most of all, only you, the Caucasus,
It rang with a mysterious mist.
Here Pushkin is in sensual fire
He wrote with his disgraced soul:
"Do not sing beauty with me
You are the sad songs of Georgia.
And Lermontov, curing melancholy,
He told us about Azamat,
How is he for Kazbich's horse
He gave his sister instead of gold.
For sadness and bile in your face
The boiling of yellow rivers is worthy,
He, like a poet and an officer,
Was calmed down by a friend's bullet.
And Griboyedov is buried here,
As our tribute to the Persian gloom,
At the foot of a big mountain
He sleeps to the cry of zurna and tari.
And now I'm your smooth
Came without knowing the reason:
Is it to mourn native ashes here
Or spy on your hour of death!
Yakov Helemsky
***
"Borjomi" is better to drink in Borjomi
And "Akhasheni" - in Akhasheni.
Captivates us in an open house
The source of deliciousness.
This is an unrepeatable miracle
Everything is familiar and unfamiliar .... So in the homeland of the poet
You listen to the verses - in a different way.
Magical current, born in the vines,
In the soul, in the silence of the underground vaults,
Does not tolerate complex transportation,
Does not tolerate false translations.
Vsevolod Rozhdestvensky
Batumi (excerpt)
So sometimes, light sadness wounded,
Looking at the surf lane
Here, in Batumi, an old northerner,
I carry the sun in my chest.
It's like I was born here
Or lived for years
And meets me like a brother
Lighthouse green star.
Andrei Voznesensky
Tbilisi Bazaars
Down with Rafael!
Long live Rubens!
trout fountains,
Colorful rudeness!
Holidays here on weekdays
Arbs and watermelons.
Traders are like tambourines,
In bracelets and beads.
Indigo turkeys.
Wine and persimmon.
Are you out of money today?
Drink for free!
Long live the women
lettuce vendors,
To match the baobabs
In four girths!
Bazaars are fires.
It's fiery here, young
Burning tan
Not hands, but gold.
They have reflections of oils
And golden wines.
Long live the master
What will write them out!
Alexander Kushner
***
I am in Georgia. I don't know anyone.
Alien speech. The habits of others.
As if my life was bent from the edge,
As if I'm sleeping - and I see blue
Hills. Forty walks around the yard.
If only I knew why, forgetting nesting,
Go crazy and drive so far
As the singer used to say Sophia.
Oh, you see, I like the balcony
Such a balcony, long, wooden.
Forgive me for being so evasive
Like this ledge of a guttural street.
Cheer up. because what happened to us
No more fun than what will happen to us.
Oh, you see, I like railings
And everyone wants buildings and people.
Of course, buildings and people!
But I will die - for the balcony
I'll grab - and jump out of the horror,
And wipe the dust, and crumple the handkerchief.
Love held me - collapsed.
Everyone is pulled down, so don't give up at least
Ah, Georgia, you are mercy in this life,
An annex to it, a refuge and a whim!
Alexander Griboyedov
***
Where Alazan winds,
It blows bliss and coolness,
Where in the gardens they collect tribute
purple grapes,
Daylight shines brightly,
Look early, love a friend...
Are you familiar with that country
Where the earth does not know the plow,
Forever young glitters
Magnificently bright colors
And gives the gardener
Golden fruit?
Wanderer, do you know love
Not a friend to the dreams of the dead,
Terrible under the sultry sky?
How does her blood burn?
They live and breathe it
Suffer and fall in battle
With her in the soul and on the lips.
So simums from the south blaze,
They are breaking up the steppe….
What fate, separation, death! ..
Sergei Gorodetsky
Evening
Mountains cast shadows
To my purple city.
invisible steps
Silent hours pass.
And the ringing of important cathedrals
Streams up,
Like the rustle of wet lilies,
Falling asleep.
And the smoke quietly melts
warm dwellings,
And the pilgrim month
It comes out naked and prostrate.
Birds call chicks
And mothers and children.
Here the eyelashes of the stars will flash
Streams of rays.
Here shudder near the night
cozy wing,
So that everyone who is lonely
Relieved from the heart.
Bella Akhmadulina
Dreams about Georgia
Dreams about Georgia - that's joy!
And in the morning so clean
grape sweetness,
Fallen lips.
I don't regret anything
I want nothing -
In golden Svetitskhoveli
I put on a poor candle.
Small stones in Mtskheta
I give praise and honor.
Lord let it be
Forever the way it is now.
Let me always be in the news
And conjure over me
Sweet homeland severity,
The tenderness of a foreign homeland.
Osip Mandelstam
***
I dream of hunchbacked Tiflis,
Sazandarey groan rings,
People are crowding on the bridge
The whole carpet capital,
And downstairs Kura makes noise.
Above Kura there are dukhans,
Where is the wine and cute pilaf,
And the dukhanchik is ruddy there
Serve glasses to guests
And ready to serve the guests.
Kakhetian thick
It's good to drink in the basement -
There in the cool, there in peace
Drink plenty, drink two,
One does not need to drink!
In the smallest spirit
You will find a cheater.
If you ask Teliani,
Tiflis will float in the fog,
You will float in a bottle.
A person gets old
And the young lamb, -
And under the fried moon
With pink wine vapor
Barbecue smoke will fly.
Evgeny Yevtushenko
My Tbilisi (excerpt)
The old plane tree, barely shaking its leaves,
You are wise, as if you were karachokheli.
Galaktion beckoning with a sign,
In Tbilisi, Pushkin wanders with Pasternak.
Oh my city, smoking with khinkali,
A little crazy and homey
Give me such happiness after death
Become forever your shadow, part of ...
Tbilisi has a special charm.
The stars are staring at this city.
For some reason always close to Tbilisi
To Rome, to Athens and San Francisco.
In Tbilisi with the feeling of an old Tbilisi
I know all the pavement stones by sight.
Who left, he knows immutably
It is impossible to leave Tbilisi.
Tbilisi does not leave you,
When he accompanies you on the road.
And you will begin to forget - somewhere in the atrium
The mountain lens of Kashuety pierces.
Like that, which Milky Way immortally milky
I believe that the city is eternal.
Alexander Tsybulevsky
Of course, there is no corner spirit,
Like the very corner - everything around is new,
The grinder is dead. And yet the shadow of the Maidan
I imprinted deafly into someone else's asphalt ...
Nothing from the old spirit.
How simple everything is. Here is a nimble old woman -
She hastily needs to cross the road:
Buy a bottle of lemonade in the heat.
Rinse in a glass drum
The remnants of the sky are pale blue.
The basis of life is close to the sulfur bath,
The phenomena are artless and clear.
Without a choice, sort through any,
Like a poor plastic rosary.
Bulat Okudzhava
Georgian song
I will bury the grape seed in the warm earth,
And kiss the vine, and pick the sweet bunches,
And I will call my friends, I will set my heart on love ...
Gather, my guests, for my treat,
Speak to my face, who do I call you?
The King of Heaven will forgive all my torments and doubts...
Otherwise, why do I live on this eternal earth?
In her dark red, my Dali will sing for me,
In my black and white I will bow my head before her,
And I will listen, and die from love and sadness ...
Otherwise, why do I live on this eternal earth?
And when the fog swirls, flying in the corners,
Let more and more float before me in reality
Blue buffalo and white eagle and golden trout
Otherwise, why do I live on this eternal earth?
Anton Chekhov
From a letter to S. Barantsevich
... I survived the Georgian Military Highway. This is not a road, but poetry, a wonderful fantastic story written by the Demon and dedicated to Tamara ... Imagine yourself at an altitude of 8000 feet ... Imagine? Now, if you please, mentally approach the edge of the abyss and look down: far, far away you see a narrow bottom along which a white ribbon winds - this is gray-haired, grumbling Aragva; on the way to it, your gaze meets clouds, woods, ravines, rocks. Now raise your eyes a little and look ahead of you: mountains, mountains, mountains, and insects on them - these are cows and people ... Look up - there is a terribly deep sky, a fresh mountain breeze is blowing ... To live somewhere in Gudaur or near Darial and not write Fairy tales are bullshit!
Alexey Tolstoy
In the Caucasus
.... Early in the morning from the balcony I saw the brown, reddish, tiled Tiflis, its eastern side. Above the houses in the clear and still air rose a multitude of smokes; on the muddy, fast Kura, floating mills slowly turned with large wheels; behind them from the Kura itself stood the old walls of houses, so high that the river seemed to flow along the bottom of a deep gorge; from the doors here and there hung ladders to the water; farther on, on the Asian side, gray minarets, domes and smokes are visible; still farther the city was surrounded by a ring of stony and brown hills, and behind them mountains, even further - snow ...
Konstantin Paustovsky
Throw to the South (excerpt)
I already knew many places and cities in Russia. Some of these cities have already captured their originality. But I have not yet seen such a confused, motley, light and magnificent city as Tiflis.
And I finish my poetic report again by A.S. Pushkin J
Alexander Pushkin
Journey to Arzrum during the campaign of 1829
I have never met in Russia or Turkey anything more luxurious than the Tiflis baths. I will describe them in detail.
The owner left me in the care of a Tatar bath attendant. I must confess that he was without a nose; this did not prevent him from being a master of his craft. Hassan (as the noseless Tatar was called) began by spreading me out on the warm stone floor; after which he began to break my limbs, stretch my joints, beat me hard with his fist; I did not feel the slightest pain, but an amazing relief. (Asian attendants are sometimes delighted, they jump up on your splash, slide their feet on your thighs and dance squatting down your back, and excellent. After this, he rubbed me for a long time with a woolen mitten and, splashing warm water heavily, began to wash with a soapy linen bubble. The feeling is inexpressible: hot soap pours over you like air!NB: a woolen mitten and a linen bladder should certainly be adopted in a Russian bath: connoisseurs will be grateful for such an innovation.
After the bubble, Gassan let me go to the bath; and thus ended the ceremony.
M.Yu. Lermontov went to the Caucasus on his military service. The poet was assigned as an ensign to the Nizhny Novgorod Dragoon Regiment, stationed in Kakheti. He went to the service in April 1837 and arrived and arrived at the place 6 months later - in October. In the meantime, the poet's grandmother secured the transfer of her grandson to the Grodno Hussars, stationed in the Novgorod province.
Despite the short period of stay in Georgia, the impressions received left an indelible mark on the personality of the poet. You can learn about his life in the Caucasus in a letter that he addressed to his friend Raevsky. In it, he described his difficult journey, the illness that happened to him on the road, and how he traveled on horseback in the Caucasus Mountains, enjoying the clean mountain air and stunning landscapes.
Lermontov brought back many graphic works from his travels in the Caucasus. He "hastily filmed" the picturesque places he managed to visit and scenes from the life of the local population. The history of the Caucasus, its folklore, life and splendor wildlife subsequently reflected in literary works, in many the action takes place in Georgia.
"Mtsyri", "Demon", "Hero of Our Time", "Dispute", "Gifts of the Terek", "Tamara", "Date", "Hurrying to the North" and others. Where the action of the poem "Mtsyri" unfolded, today there is a monument to Mikhail Lermontov at the entrance to Tbilisi.
"View of Tiflis". M.Yu. Lermontov. Butter. 1837
Some Lermontov places in Tbilisi
On the northern outskirts of Tbilisi, where the Georgian Military Highway adjoins today, there is a monument to Mikhail Lermontov.
In one of the central districts of Tbilisi there is Lermontov Street. The Lermontov House, where the officers were quartered, has been preserved.
Monument to M.Yu. Lermontov at the entrance to Tbilisi. Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin
Pushkin went to the Caucasus at the end of May 1829 to catch up with the troops of General Paskevich. It was the period of the Russian-Turkish war. The arrival in Georgia coincided with the 30th anniversary of the writer. Residents of the city greeted the birthday man with delight. In honor of the eminent poet, a luxurious festive banquet was arranged outside the city in the garden of Krtsanisi, where dancers, singers and artists from different parts of Georgia were invited.
Pushkin was delighted with the mixture of eastern and western European cultures, from the hospitality of the local public and rich Georgian cuisine. In Tbilisi, A.S. Pushkin was delayed for 2 weeks. We find a few lines about Tbilisi in his work "Journey to Arzrum", written in 1829.
Pushkin places in Tbilisi
Sulfur baths, Pushkin street, a bust of the poet in the square in front of the National Museum.
Pushkin was impressed by the beauty of the city, the atmosphere and revelry, as well as the incredible heat in the city at that time. As you know, Tbilisi means "warm city", Pushkin called it "hot city". Well, who does not remember his famous lines about the Sulfur Baths:
I have never met in Russia or Turkey anything more luxurious than the Tiflis baths. I will describe them in detail...
Later, the street along which the poet entered Tbilisi was named after him. In 1892, a monument to Pushkin, cast in bronze, was erected on this street. The monument to Pushkin was erected on donations from fans of his work.
Monument to the great poet in the park near Freedom Square Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy
“I firmly decided to stay and serve in the Caucasus. I don't know yet military service or civil under Prince Vorontsov.
In the historical center of Tbilisi there is a house where Leo Tolstoy began work on his famous story "Childhood" during his residence in Georgia in 1851-1852.
It has a bas-relief depicting the writer and a short accompanying text. Today, the house has been restored and a children's theater operates in its basement, but it still retains an amazing atmosphere. mid-nineteenth centuries - a wooden staircase on which Tolstoy walked, peace and quiet of a cozy Tbilisi courtyard.
Leo Tolstoy and his brother arrived in the Caucasus for military service. They traveled along the Georgian Military Highway, stopped in Kazbegi, climbed to the medieval temple of the Holy Trinity Sameba on the top of the mountain. When he reached Tbilisi, Tolstoy was so impressed with the city that he seriously intended to stay here to live, serve and write, but fate turned out differently.
Tolstoy places
A monument to the poet was erected 30 km from the capital of Georgia in the settlement of Mukhrovani, where Leo Tolstoy previously served.
On the street "David IV the Builder" Agmashenebeli, a house with a memorial plaque, where Leo Tolstoy stayed with his brother, has been preserved.
Maksim Gorky
“I never forget that it was in this city (Tiflis) that I took the first uncertain step along the path that I have been following for four decades now. One might think that it was the majestic nature of the country and the romantic softness of its people - it was these two forces - that gave me the impetus that made me a writer from a vagabond.
According to Gorky's personal confession, the nature of Georgia and the gentleness of its inhabitants gave him an impetus that shaped his personality, making "a writer out of a vagabond." The Tiflis newspaper "Kavkaz" in 1892 for the first time published the prose "Makar Chudra" by the then unknown young writer Alexei Peshkov under the name Maxim Gorky.
This work was written on the banks of the Kura River, where the writer worked as a worker in the Transcaucasian railway workshops. In Tbilisi, Gorky even went to jail for anti-tsarist speeches in 1905.
His life in Georgia, the local way of life, left a huge imprint on Gorky's subsequent work. Many literary works are based on real life episodes - the story "Mistake", "The Birth of Man" and others.
Gorky was very fond of Georgian chants, literature, was actively interested in the culture of the country and its ancient monuments of architecture. He liked to visit Narikala fortress, Mtskheta and traveled a lot around the country.
In place of Maxim Gorky
Streets in Georgian cities were named after Gorky, and in Tbilisi a monument to the writer was erected in the park, which was previously named after him.
Monument to the writer in Tbilisi Vladimir Vladimirovich Mayakovsky
Georgia is the birthplace of the famous Russian poet. He was born in the Imeretian village of Bagdati, Kutaisi province, and spent the first 13 years of his life there, studying at the Kutaisi gymnasium. However, he failed to finish it. Mayakovsky's father, who worked as a forester, pricked himself with a needle, got blood poisoning, and soon died suddenly. Mayakovsky and his mother went to live in Moscow.
Mayakovsky got to Georgia 12 years later, being already a famous poet. There he triumphantly performed on the local stage, met with friends of his youth. In 1924, Mayakovsky returned to his beloved Tiflis with the dream of organizing a performance based on the play Mystery Buff. Due to circumstances, the project failed. Mayakovsky visited Georgia 2 more times in 1924 and 1927, performed from the stage of the Shota Rustaveli Theater, met with his bohemian friends.
According to his frequent confessions, he loved Georgia very much and, to the question of Georgians, he or Russian answered that he was Georgian by birth, and Russian by nationality. And that he loves Georgia as his homeland - its sky, sun and nature.
In the places of Mayakovsky
Today in Kutaisi, near the building of the gymnasium, where he once studied, a monument to Vladimir Mayakovsky has been erected. The house in which he once lived with his parents has become a museum, more than 5.5 thousand exhibits are stored there. A bust of the poet was installed at the entrance to Baghdati, and the city itself was called Mayakovsky until 1990.
House Museum of Vladimir Mayakovsky in Baghdati Vladimir and Vasily Nemirovichi-Danchenko
The life path of the brothers is closely connected with Georgia, they were both born in the Gurian town of Ozurgeti, in childhood they traveled a lot around the country and in the Caucasus Mountains with their father, an officer. In his youth, the younger brother Vladimir studied at the Tiflis gymnasium, during his studies he began work on his first works and organized amateur productions of his own plays. In Tiflis, he first visited the theater, which determined his future fate.
The older brother studied at the Moscow Cadet School, and later came to Adzharia to participate in the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878. Subsequently, many episodes of living in Georgia became the basis of his works, in particular, the book "Skobelev".
Boris Leonidovich Pasternak
During his life, Boris Pasternak visited Tbilisi many times, starting in the summer of 1931. He had a close friendship with a whole constellation of brilliant Georgian cultural figures and Georgian writers - Titian Tabidze, Georgy Leonidze, Nikoloz Mitsishvili, Simon Chikovani, Paolo Yashvili, Lado Gudiashvili, Valerian Gaprindashvili and others.
Pasternak himself was actively involved in translations literary works Georgian writers, in particular Titian Tabidze, Nikoloz Baratashvili, Vazha Pshavela, and also wrote a lot about Georgia and his impressions about it.
He was madly in love with Georgia, its culture, traditions, hospitality, its free spirit and atmosphere, its people. This was especially acute against the background of censorship, harassment and repression of poets in Russia by the ideological state machine.
It was in Georgia that Pasternak found like-minded people and friends with whom they visited each other until the morning, read poetry, and had philosophical conversations. A favorite meeting place was the legendary Himerioni Cafe in the basement of the Rustaveli Theatre, as well as the home of Titian Tabidze's family on Griboyedov Street.
According to Pasternak himself, Georgia literally penetrated him, became his organic. His daughter had 13 godparents, all friends of her father. Now the Literary Museum of Georgia stores an archive of Boris Pasternak's manuscripts, and in April 1988, the museum-apartment of Titian Tabidze was opened on Griboyedovskaya Street, where the figure of Pasternak occupied one of the central places.
Sergey Yesenin
Sergei Yesenin, already at the zenith of his fame, first arrived in Tbilisi in 1924, a year before his death. He quickly fit into a hectic life in the company of his like-minded people - journalists from the Zarya Vostoka newspaper. The newspaper gladly published the poems of the poet.
In total, the poet spent about six months in Tbilisi and Batumi, writing a series of romantic poems from the cycle "Persian Motifs", "Stans", "Letter to a Woman", "In the Caucasus" and two poems "Flowers" and "Anna Snegina".
Memorial plaque on the house where Sergei Yesenin stayed Other names of Russian writers who visited Tbilisi
It is possible to list cult Russian writers, whose fate was closely intertwined with Georgia, for a long time. Such classics of literature as Anton Chekhov, Sergei Yesenin, Dmitry Merezhkovsky, Anna Akhmatova, Joseph Brodsky, Bella Akhmadullina, and many others have visited beautiful warm Georgia.
Georgia inevitably left its mark on their lives and work, and they, in turn, became part of cultural heritage this country.
You can listen to fascinating and full of interesting details stories about Russian writers in Georgia, see their places of residence, as well as wander along the routes associated with their memory, on the author's excursion, which we organize with special love and inspiration. Join us and make amazing personal discoveries!
By the way, excursions to the front houses of a hundred years ago have become quite popular. Marble stairs, forged railings, wall paintings give an idea of the wealth of the owners of Tbilisi at the turn of the 19th-20th centuries. .