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…..