Giorgi Leonidze State Museum of Literature
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Giorgi Leonidze
State Museum of Literature, Georgia
სახელობის ლიტერატურის სახელმწიფო მუზეუმი)(Georgian: საქართველოს გიორგი ლეონიძის სახელობის მუზეუმი ) was founded in 1930 upon the initiative of David Arsenishvili, a legendary museum-founder, who also was the creator of Tbilisi
Theater Museum, and later the famous Andrej Rublow museum in Moscow
.
The greatest supporter for this initiative was Georgian poet Titsian Tabidze
, who, together with the group of symbolist writers – the Blue Horns
(Georgian: Tsisferyantselebi / ცისფერყანწელები ) – advocated the creation of a literature museum since 1919. Tabidze
, together with Ivan Enikolofow, was also the first chair of the museum.
, home to the pantheon of Georgia’s most prominent writers and poets, Mtatsminda Pantheon
; initially, the museum was created to guard the documents and manuscripts of those famous personalities. Hence the first name of the institution was Museum of Mtatsminda Writers. Later on however, in 1938, when the collection was complemented by different types of documents from XIX and XX centuries of Georgian literature, the museum moved to the new place - at Giorgi Tchanturia Street 8 - the historic building it occupies until present, (built in the late 19th century, previously a residence of the deputy Viceroy in the Caucasus) and became the State Literature Museum. Since 1967, it bears the name of Giorgi Leonidze, co-founder of the museum, who, for 22 years (1931–1953) was also its director.
, Vaja Pshavela
, Ivane Machebeli, Alexandre Kazbegi, Galaktion Tabidze
, Titsian Tabidze
and many others, are kept here. There are also works of the Nobel price winner in literature, the Russian writer Boris Pasternak
and the German writer Arthur Leist
, who lived in Georgia.
During 1940-1952, 1982–2005 years Literature Museum was publishing series of research books of the Georgian Literature "Chronicle of Literature" (In Georgian: 'Literaturis Matiane" / "ლიტერატურის მატიანე" ).
Publishing is one of the most important activities of the Museum even today.
Giorgi Leonidze
Giorgi Leonidze was a Georgian poet, prose writer, and literary scholar.Leonidze was born in the village of Patardzeuli in the eastern Georgian province of Kakheti. He graduated from the Tbilisi Theological Seminary in 1918 and continued his studies at the Tbilisi State University...
State Museum of Literature, Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
სახელობის ლიტერატურის სახელმწიფო მუზეუმი)(Georgian: საქართველოს გიორგი ლეონიძის სახელობის მუზეუმი ) was founded in 1930 upon the initiative of David Arsenishvili, a legendary museum-founder, who also was the creator of Tbilisi
Tbilisi
Tbilisi is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Mt'k'vari River. The name is derived from an early Georgian form T'pilisi and it was officially known as Tiflis until 1936...
Theater Museum, and later the famous Andrej Rublow museum in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
.
The greatest supporter for this initiative was Georgian poet Titsian Tabidze
Titsian Tabidze
Titsian Tabidze was a Georgian poet and one of the leaders of Georgian symbolist movement. He fell victim to Stalin’s Great Purge, being arrested and executed on trumped-up charges of treason. Tabidze was a close friend of the well-known Russian writer Boris Pasternak who translated his poetry...
, who, together with the group of symbolist writers – the Blue Horns
Blue Horns
Tsisperqantselebi was a group of Georgian Symbolist poets and prose-writers which dominated the Georgian literature in the 1920s. It was founded as a coterie of young talented writers in the Kutaisi city in 1915 and was suppressed under the Soviet rule early in the 1930s.The group originated in...
(Georgian: Tsisferyantselebi / ცისფერყანწელები ) – advocated the creation of a literature museum since 1919. Tabidze
Titsian Tabidze
Titsian Tabidze was a Georgian poet and one of the leaders of Georgian symbolist movement. He fell victim to Stalin’s Great Purge, being arrested and executed on trumped-up charges of treason. Tabidze was a close friend of the well-known Russian writer Boris Pasternak who translated his poetry...
, together with Ivan Enikolofow, was also the first chair of the museum.
History of the Museum
The first building of the museum was located on Mtatsminda hills in TbilisiTbilisi
Tbilisi is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Mt'k'vari River. The name is derived from an early Georgian form T'pilisi and it was officially known as Tiflis until 1936...
, home to the pantheon of Georgia’s most prominent writers and poets, Mtatsminda Pantheon
Mtatsminda Pantheon
The Mtatsminda Pantheon of Writers and Public Figures is a necropolis in Tbilisi, Georgia, where some of the most prominent writers, artists, scholars, and national heroes of Georgia are buried. It is located in the churchyard around St. David’s Church "Mamadaviti" on the slope of Mount Mtatsminda...
; initially, the museum was created to guard the documents and manuscripts of those famous personalities. Hence the first name of the institution was Museum of Mtatsminda Writers. Later on however, in 1938, when the collection was complemented by different types of documents from XIX and XX centuries of Georgian literature, the museum moved to the new place - at Giorgi Tchanturia Street 8 - the historic building it occupies until present, (built in the late 19th century, previously a residence of the deputy Viceroy in the Caucasus) and became the State Literature Museum. Since 1967, it bears the name of Giorgi Leonidze, co-founder of the museum, who, for 22 years (1931–1953) was also its director.
Archives of the Museum
Functioning as a literature archive Literature Museum comprises the richest collection of the Georgian literature, mainly of last two centuries (almost 130 000 manuscripts, about 27 000 photos, more than 2 000 paintings und graphics, etc.). Belongings of most prominent Georgian writers, such as Ilia Chavchavadze, Akaki TsereteliAkaki Tsereteli
Prince Ak'ak'i Tsereteli was a prominent Georgian poet and national liberation movement figure.He was born in the village of Skhvitori on June 9, 1840 to the prominent Georgian aristocratic family. His father was Prince Rostom Tsereteli...
, Vaja Pshavela
Vaja
Vaja is a town in Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg county, in the Northern Great Plain region of eastern Hungary.-Geography:It covers an area of and has a population of 3798 people ....
, Ivane Machebeli, Alexandre Kazbegi, Galaktion Tabidze
Galaktion Tabidze
Galaktion Tabidze was a leading Georgian poet of the twentieth century whose writings profoundly influenced all subsequent generations of Georgian poets. He survived Stalin's Great Purge of the 1930s, which claimed lives of many of his fellow writers, friends and relatives, but came under heavy...
, Titsian Tabidze
Titsian Tabidze
Titsian Tabidze was a Georgian poet and one of the leaders of Georgian symbolist movement. He fell victim to Stalin’s Great Purge, being arrested and executed on trumped-up charges of treason. Tabidze was a close friend of the well-known Russian writer Boris Pasternak who translated his poetry...
and many others, are kept here. There are also works of the Nobel price winner in literature, the Russian writer Boris Pasternak
Boris Pasternak
Boris Leonidovich Pasternak was a Russian language poet, novelist, and literary translator. In his native Russia, Pasternak's anthology My Sister Life, is one of the most influential collections ever published in the Russian language...
and the German writer Arthur Leist
Arthur Leist
Arthur Leist was a German writer, journalist and translator of Georgian and Armenian literature.He was born and educated at Breslau. During the Russo-Turkish War , he got interested in the Caucasus. After his three visits to Georgia between 1884 and 1892, Leist decided to permanently settle in...
, who lived in Georgia.
During 1940-1952, 1982–2005 years Literature Museum was publishing series of research books of the Georgian Literature "Chronicle of Literature" (In Georgian: 'Literaturis Matiane" / "ლიტერატურის მატიანე" ).
Today's activities
The museum has no permanent exhibition, but it hosts different short and long-term exhibitions, performances and movie screenings. In 2011 Years he hosted more than 120 events. One can find ongoing and future events on its Facebook page.Publishing is one of the most important activities of the Museum even today.
Directors of the museum
- Giorgi LeonidzeGiorgi LeonidzeGiorgi Leonidze was a Georgian poet, prose writer, and literary scholar.Leonidze was born in the village of Patardzeuli in the eastern Georgian province of Kakheti. He graduated from the Tbilisi Theological Seminary in 1918 and continued his studies at the Tbilisi State University...
1931–1953 - Vaso Egnatashvili 1953–1956
- Vano Kakabadze 1956–1976
- Iza Ordgonikidze 1976–1982
- Giorgi Natroshvili 1982–1988
- Revaz Tvaradze - 1988
- Iza Orjonikidze 1989–1990
- Guram Sharadze 1991, 5–27 January
- Iza Orjonikidze 1991–2010, February
- Lasha Bakradze from march, 2010