Manana Khizanishvili


Simon Janashia Georgian National Museum
Curator
Tbilisi, Georgia
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-6566-3305
etnomanana@yahoo.com

Raphiel Eristavi – the Inaugural Curator of the Caucasian Museum

Raphiel Eristavi, the inaugural curator of the Caucasian Museum, was a pivotal figure in the cultural and social landscape of Georgia during the latter part of the 19th century. Across six decades of literary, scientific, and public engagement, he played integral roles in the formation of various significant institutions such as the Russian Literacy Society, the Caucasus Department of the Russian Geographical Society, the Georgian Theater, and numerous publications of the era. Eristavi's influence on the establishment and advancement of the Georgian ethnographic school was immeasurable.

This study delves into Raphael Eristavi's tenure within the Caucasus Department of the Russian Geographical Society and the subsequent founding of the Caucasian Museum from 1851 to 1861. Extensive research conducted in archives of the Simon Janashia Museum of Georgian, the Ethnography Department, and The National Center of Manuscripts confirms Eristavi's vital contributions to the development of the Caucasian Museum and the curation of its ethnographic and historical exhibits.

Having membership in the Caucasus section of the Russian Geographical Society founded in Tbilisi in 1851, Eristavi seized the opportunity to publish ethnographic works and fieldwork reports in the society's publications. This association led to the establishment of the Museum of the Caucasus in 1852, where Eristavi was later invited by the museum director V. A. Sologub to oversee the registration and categorization of collections, as well as the enhancement of ethnographic and historical displays. Eristavi's meticulous cataloging system and dedication significantly enriched the museum's ethnographic collection, surpassing later cataloging efforts by Gustav Rade.

Noteworthy was Eristavi's hands-on approach to acquiring museum items, opting for personal exploration and community engagement over conventional rarity-based collection methods. His commitment to ethnographic research extended to archaeological excavations in Anaklia, adding excavated artifacts to the museum's holdings. Through his active involvement in the museum and department activities in the 1860s, Eristavi earned recognition from museum and geographical society leaders for elevating the Ethnography Cabinet of the Caucasian Museum to prominence as a premier regional ethnographic center within the Russian Empire.

 

Keywords: Raphiel Eristavi, museum, ethnology, museum item