Nino Chikhladze
PhD in Art History
The University of Georgia
Tamaz Beradze Institute of Georgian Studies
Chief Research Fellow
Tbilisi, Georgia
Nino Chikhladze
PhD in Art History
The University of Georgia
Tamaz Beradze Institute of Georgian Studies
Chief Research Fellow
Tbilisi, Georgia
Artistic and Historical Context of the Visualization of
The Martyrdom of St. Shushanik in the 1970s-80s
The ancient Georgian hagiographic work "The Martyrdom of the Holy Queen Shushanik," written by the Queen’s father confessor, Jacob the Priest (Jacob of Tsurtavi), is an outstanding piece of literature. However, special interest in it manifested among modern Georgian artists with intensity in the 1970s, which was no coincidence.
The 1970s of the 20th century saw a period marked by a growing spirit of national movement in Georgia, culminating in an unprecedented public demonstration on April 14, 1978, aimed at defending the Georgian language. The society was able to resist the leadership of the Soviet Union and managed to repeal Article 75 of the constitution, which, if enacted, would have revoked the national status of the Georgian language. We believe that the widespread celebration of the 1500th anniversary of the oldest living monument of the Georgian language – “The Martyrdom of St. Shushanik” – and associated events were partially a response to these circumstances. These included scientific conferences, publications, and even theatrical and opera productions, in the interpretation and artistic execution of which creative processes of free interpretation of the text and representation of characters from different perspectives have gained wide scope. This has resulted in captivating polemical texts within literary and artistic periodicals, featuring profound analysis and incisive criticism. At the same time, exhibitions were held and several illustrated editions of "The Martyrdom of St. Shushanik" were released, where various approaches to artistic images emerged, among which we can highlight two primary ones. In one instance, artists explore interpretations free from traditional cultural-historical contexts and motifs derived from texts of martyrdom (Zurab Nizharadze, Loretta Shengelia-Abashidze, Levan Tsutskiridze). In another approach, artists faithfully follow the text, emphasizing its semantic significance while also considering the era in which the work was written (Mamia Malazonia, Carlo Pachulia).
The celebration of the 1500th anniversary of “The Martyrdom of St. Shushanik,” initiated in 1978, culminated in a special edition in 1983. This edition not only featured the original Georgian text of "The Martyrdom of St. Shushanik" written in Nuskhuri and Mkhedruli scripts but also included translations into Russian, Latin, English, French, Spanish, and German. Thus, despite lacking scholarly apparatus and existing within the confines of the closed Soviet space, the book aims to be recognized as a monument of global significance. We view it more as a visual artifact (compiled and edited by Otar Egadze), primarily created by artists. Of particular significance are the 62 illustrations by eight artists with completely different styles and approaches (Mamia Malazonia, Bela Berdzenishvili, Sameuli, Levan Tsutskiridze, Zurab Nizharadze, Tengiz Mirzashvili, Zurab Jabadze, Loretta Shengelia). These artworks encompass both mentioned types of artistic approaches. They reflect the pursuit for personal and national freedom of the generation of reformist artists of the 1960s, thus creating valuable artifacts, which even today are regarded as a vivid manifestation of the awakening of national artistic forces in the 1970s and 1980s.
Keywords: The Martyrdom of St. Shushanik, 1970s and 1980s, theatrical and opera productions, Illustrations