Abstracts - International Initiative for Georgian Cultural Studies

In 1974, in Bergamo, Italy, an international symposium dedicated to Georgian art was held. The event
was initiated by our foreign colleagues: Paolo Verzone, a prominent expert in the history of medieval European
and Byzantine architecture and professor at Bergamo University; Nino Kaukhchishvili, our compatriot
from Italy; and architects Adriano Alpago Novello and Enzo Hibsch. The above individuals received
backing from Vakhtang Beridze, the prominent Georgian scholar and public person, who succeeded, not
only in promoting the scientific-research program thought out Giorgi Chubinashvili, but also in significantly
contributing to the promotion of Georgian art and art studies on an international scale.
Five international symposiums were held after the Bergamo meeting: two of them in Italy and three
in Georgia. Initiator and leader of all three symposiums (both in management and scientific issues) was
Vakhtang Beridze. Significant support was granted by the Chubinashvili Institute of Georgian Art History.
Actively involved were the Georgian Academy of Sciences, different institutes of the humanities, as well as
museums and art galleries. Of note is the support granted by Georgian governmental officials.
From the viewpoint of representation, the number of visiting and local speakers, the thematic diversity
of the presented papers and the chronological range within which fell the discussed monuments, all three
Georgian symposiums can be considered the large-scale events. Prominent art historians from different
countries had a unique opportunity to familiarize themselves with Georgian culture and samples of ancient
and modern Georgian art. These scholarly meetings resulted in a very interesting events: Centers for Georgian
art studies were open in several European countries, including Italy, France, Germany and Belgium;
Georgian scholars were invited to deliver lectures in different European universities; foreign scholars have
visited Georgia with the same mission; our foreign colleagues have published articles, essays, catalogs,
books, and albums dedicated to the Georgian art; exhibitions of the Georgian cultural heritage were held
in Europe, USA, Russia, etc. Symposiums held in Italy and Georgia gained international recognition of
Georgian art and the Georgian school of art studies.
“Step-by-step, Georgian art gains a foothold in the timeline of the general evolution of art; the foothold,
which she deserves, thanks to high artistic and historical values of its own monuments. Still more is to be
done both at home and abroad. Georgian art is inexhaustible. Still more monuments will be revealed and
many problems will be awaiting for us; light will be shed on unknown pages of history; some of the already
conceived pages probably will be elucidated differently in correspondence with newly acquired knowledge.
Popularization of Georgian art both in Georgia and abroad must not be slowed down. Good undertakings
must be continued and strengthened”. The recent symposium is a hopeful response to the above words by
Vakhtang Beridze.
Teimuraz Sakvarelidze
G. Chubinashvili National Center of Georgian Art History and Monuments Protection
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