Tag: Tbilisi

The Georgian National Museum had this photograph of Sir John Oliver Wardrop (1864-1948), who it notes was the first British Chief Commissioner of Transcaucasus in Tbilisi. Having read a little about him, he seems to be a fascinating character and very much a natural diplomat.

Wardrop’s deep connection to the country began in the late nineteenth century when he travelled extensively through the region, eventually publishing his influential work, The Kingdom of Georgia – Notes of Travel in a Land of Women, Wine, and Song, in 1888. This book introduced many English-speaking readers to Georgian history and culture for the first time. Wardrop’s scholarly contributions were substantial as he mastered the Georgian language, which I hope he did with more talent than my Polish efforts, and translated several important literary works.

On a book collection theme, which I like, alongside his sister, Marjory Wardrop, he dedicated much of his life to promoting Georgian heritage in Europe, an effort that culminated in his founding of the Marjory Wardrop Fund and the donation of their extensive collection of manuscripts and books to the Bodleian Library at Oxford University.

Beyond his academic pursuits, Wardrop played a critical role in Georgia’s political history as a diplomat during a time of immense transition. In 1919, he was appointed as the first British Chief Commissioner of Transcaucasia, stationed in Tbilisi during the brief period of the Democratic Republic of Georgia’s independence. During his tenure, he was a staunch advocate for Georgian sovereignty and worked tirelessly to support the young republic amidst the regional instability following the First World War and the Russian Revolution. He’s been rewarded today with a square in the city named after him and what more could he want….

The next day we passed this building, with this plaque noting that it was the offices of Wardrop when he was the British Chief Commissioner in the city.

The building could perhaps do with a little care and attention, but I imagine that it was a bit more decadent when Wardrop was here…..

This was something of a highlight, the Anchiskhati Basilica of St Mary, which is the oldest surviving church in Tbilisi. It dates from the sixth century when it was constructed under the orders of King Dachi of Iberia, although it had been rebuilt on numerous occasions.

The numerous rebuilds are rather evident from the exterior of the building, some of the repairs are rather more impressive than others. A dome was added in the 1870s, but its religious usage was ended during the Soviet occupation and it became used as a museum of handicrafts.

Following the country’s independence in 1991, the basilica once again returned to religious usage and it once again it belongs to the Georgian Orthodox Church.

I honoured this request, but it was a shame as the interior was beautiful and there were elements of history that I wanted to look into further. There are some photos online for those who want to see inside and this was nearly the one church in the city that made this request.

There appear to be problems though, this review is a little heart-breaking and it’s not the only one along these lines.

“I was asked by the priest to write a note for health and peace, immediately after I entered the church, in a rather intrusive manner. I asked him how much it cost, and he said it was for a donation. I agreed, wrote down the names, put 5 lari on top (that was all the cash I had, I even opened my wallet in front of him, besides, it was my first experience with notes), to which I heard from the priest: “no need for anything, is that money?” This broke my heart and my faith in some of the church employees. I was very upset and left the church in tears. It is very offensive that in such a holy and special place people allow themselves such an attitude”

Sub-optimal, although we didn’t experience any negativity when we were there.

This was an interesting little arrangement in the centre of Tbilisi, but it’s not something ancient that’s being propped up, it’s the clock tower of the Rezo Gabriadze Marionette Theatre. It was completed in 2010 by the renowned Georgian artist and puppeteer Rezo Gabriadze, who designed the tower to look intentionally precarious. To add to the whole set-up, he utilised a large rusted iron beam as a prop to enhance the sense that the building is barely standing up.

We didn’t see it, as we weren’t aware to look out for it, but twice a day a screen at the bottom opens up to reveal a puppet performance representing the journey of a human life from birth to death. Also, every hour, a small mechanical angel emerges from a door at the top to strike a bell with a hammer, which explains why we saw people hanging about waiting when we walked by. I like a bit of quirkiness.