PETRE OTSKHELI

Petre Otskheli (პეტრე ოცხელი), one of the most important representatives of Georgian Modernism, was born in 1907 into the catholic family of entrepreneur Grigol Otskheli. 1913 the Otskheli family moved to Moscow. In the aftermath of the October Revolution, the Otskheli family property was confiscated. 

In 1920 the Otskheli family returned to Georgia. 1926-27 – Studies at the Tbilisi State Academy of Arts, taught by Joseph Charlemagne and Eugene Lanceray. In 1927 Petre Otskheli decorated his first performance “Fire Starters” at the Workers’ Theater in Tbilisi. The young artist produced the stage designs and costumes for Kote Marjanishvili’s “Uriel Acosta.” In 1930 become painter of the Kote Marjanishvili State Drama Theater, Tbilisi.  In 1931 Invited to the Korsh Theater in Moscow, together with Kote Marjanishvili. In 1934-1935 Petre Otskheli decorated performances at different theaters in Moscow. 1936 – Becomes a painter of the movie “Flying Painter,” Sakhkinmretsvi, Tbilisi. In 1936. Konstantin Stanislavski organizes a competition of theater decorators for Giuseppe Verdi’s opera “Rigoletto.” The work submitted by Petre Otskheli is awarded first prize, and K. Stanislavski invites him for cooperation on the design of the opera performance.1937. Otskheli is arrested in Moscow and accused of being a member of a Trotskyist counter-revolutionary organization. He is sentenced to death, and the sentence is summarily carried out. In 1939 International Exhibition of Stage Design, London: Petre Otskheli was posthumously awarded a Gold Medal.