- Sort by
- Date
Feel free to add tags, names, dates or anything you are looking for
Feel free to add tags, names, dates or anything you are looking for
“Georgia has always been and must continue to be a country of bread and wine...” - Ilia II, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, 2006 These words were spoken in a significant and historical context in December 2025, when UNESCO added “Georgian Wheat Culture: Traditions and Rituals” to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The decision to do so was made during the 20th Session of the Intergovernmental Committee held in New Delhi.
A single -nave church near the village of Nabakhtevi used to be the main church of a big monastery built in the 14th c. in Kartli, the central region of east Georgia. It was a family church of the Amirejibi feudal house built and decorated upon their commission.
In 1970s Soviet Georgia, the pressure of socialist realism propaganda and censorship had lessened significantly, but nonconformist artists were still unable to take advantage of state benefits. Without large orders, they were unable to buy cars, apartments, or country homes with party lists, nor could they hope for a personal exhibition or widespread recognition. Yet, locked in their studios, they retained their creative freedom, refused to praise their leaders, and in doing so, learned to expect, no accolades from them. Half-starved, they continued to produce true art.
Tamara Toumanova always longed to visit Georgia, the homeland of her mother, whose family name she carried with pride throughout her life. She came into the world in unusual circumstances: her mother, Evgenia Tumanishvili, was traveling to Vladivostok in distant Siberia to join her husband, Konstantin Zakharov, a doctor of the Caucasian Military District. Tamara was born in a train carriage on the way on March 2, 1919.
Tsaishi, located about 10 km southwest of Zugdidi in the Samegrelo province, is the site of one of the oldest episcopal sees in western Georgia. In the register of bishoprics compiled under the name of the early Christian theologian Epiphanius of Salamis—but actually written in the seventh century—the bishop of the Saisins is listed among the hierarchs of Lazica, a reference corresponding to what later became Tsaishi.
Giorgi (Gigo) Gabashvili (1862-1936) was one of the founders of the Georgian academic school and easel painting. Deeply influenced by the traditions of Russian Realism, his artistic vision closely aligned with the ideals of the Peredvizhniki (the Wanderers), a connection clearly reflected in his realistic works. Gabashvili was also the first artist in the history of Georgian art to create symbolist compositions.
In the late 1950s, few knew who young Alexander (Shura) Bandzeladze (1927-1992) was. Indeed, they failed to realize that the painting that headed the renowned Galaktioni’s burial procession to the Mtatsminda Pantheon in 1959 was his: he had painted it a few years prior, in 1952.
In his farewell letter to David (Duda) Gabashvili (1914-1995)- painter, graphic artist, sculptor, teacher, Honored Artist of Georgia, and People’s Artist of Georgia - the art historian and Academician Vakhtang Beridze noted that Gabashvili was an artist of impeccable taste and refinement, possessing the highest artistic culture and professionalism. Art historian Gogi Khoshtaria, meanwhile, argues that David Gabashvili’s art has not received the recognition it deserves. Rather than appealing through superficial effects, it demands a thoughtful and discerning viewer capable of engaging with its deeper artistic and intellectual dimensions.
Opposite the ridge which boasts the oldest monastery in the Gareji Desert - the Lavra of St. David of Gareji, founded in the 6th century, is a rock-hewn monastery commonly known as Udabno (said to have been called Tsamebuli until the 19th century). Emerging at the turn of the 10th- 11th centuries, and active until the 14th century, Udabno comprises several dozen caves that house large and small churches, chapels, hermit cells, and utility chambers.
Artist in focus • Nino Ananiashvili (ნინო ანანიაშვილი) is celebrated for the rare combination of technical precision, emotional depth, and individuality she brings to the stage. Throughout her international career, she has performed with leading ballet companies and on some of the world’s most prestigious stages, leaving a distinctive mark on audiences and the art form itself. As Artistic Director of the State Ballet of Georgia, Ananiashvili brings that experience back to her home country. Her work reflects both a deep respect for Georgia’s rich ballet heritage and a vision for its continued artistic development, connecting tradition with new creative perspectives.
Artist in Focus – Koki Makharadze (1929-1992) was a Georgian painter and graphic artist. Emerging in the 1950s, he developed a distinctive visual language within the era of Socialist Realism, combining national themes with symbolic and metaphorical imagery.
#Glimpseingallery - The Dimitri Shevardnadze National Gallery hosted Buba Arabuli’s (b. 1971) solo exhibition, At the Boundary of Time and Space. The exhibition opened on April 30, 2026, and ran for one month.
