Research Fellow
Tamaz Beradze Institute of Georgian Studies, the University of Georgia
Tbilisi, Georgia
ORCID: 0009-0002-7831-3202
Oragvelidzeeka97@gmail.com

The Concepts of Freedom in Merab Kostava’s Poetry

Throughout Georgia’s centuries-old history, there have been only a few individuals whom the nation has honored as “moral heroes” during their lifetimes, rendering them due respect even before their passing. One such exceptional figure is Merab Kostava—the dissident, musicologist, publicist, and leader of Georgia’s national-liberation movement in the late 1980s. The era and character of his activity became a transformative turning point in the formation of independent Georgia. It is noteworthy that Merab Kostava was also a distinguished poet and thinker. Nevertheless, his literary legacy has not yet been studied in sufficient depth.

The defining theme of Merab Kostava’s poetry is freedom. In analyzing this theme, several aspects emerge: freedom as a path toward personal development and the discovery of the divine principle within the human being. In this respect, the biblical, literary, and historical paradigms present in his work are especially significant—such as the mystery of the Crucifixion, Saint George as the knight who conquers evil, Saint David Garejeli as a symbol of willpower and the “armor of faith,” and the legend of the Holy Grail. For the author, true freedom signifies the pursuit and knowledge of ultimate truth.

Kostava’s literary heritage also reveals motifs of moral obligation and universal humanistic ideals. In this context, the themes of Avtandil—the hero of The Knight in the Panther’s Skin—as Kostava’s own poetic prototype, and of Galaktion Tabidze’s poetic ideal, are particularly meaningful. To possess oneself does not imply arbitrariness; rather, it means an awareness of personal responsibility and an uncompromising struggle for truth.

Finally, the poet considers freedom from a patriotic perspective as well, presenting it as the principal foundation of national independence and the selfhood of the Georgian people. In this regard, the symbolic poetic figures of King David the Builder, Ilia Chavchavadze, and Kostava’s childhood friend and comrade-in-arms, Zviad Gamsakhurdia, emerge vividly in his work. Merab Kostava elevates the concept of national freedom to a universal, humanistic dimension, thereby articulating the ideal of the individual as a citizen of the world.

 

Keywords: Freedom, Personal development, Divine origin, National independence.