"Kartvelian Heritage" is the electronic copy of the annual scientific publication "Kartvelian Heritage" (ISSN 1512-09-53) of Tariel Putkaradze Kartvelology Scientific-Research Center at the Faculty of Humanities at Akaki Tsereteli State University (Kutaisi, Georgia). The proceedings of the international symposia "Kutaisi Discussions" organised by the Scientific-Research Center of Kartvelology, reviewed research papers in Kartvelology (linguistics, literary studies, folklore, historiography, culture studies, ethnology, etc.) and the texts of Kartvelian dialects obtained by the staff of the Centre are published in this journal. Journal DOI: https://doi.org/10.52340/PUTK E-ISSN: 2960-9186 P-ISSN: 1512-0953
Turkish Realities in Iona Gedevanishvili's Travel Narrative Mimosula (A Journey)
Iona Gedevanishvili began his journey to the Eastern countries from Tbilisi. The traveler recorded his impressions and subsequently compiled them into his book entitled Mimosula (A Journey). Once he crossed Georgia’s borders, the traveler immediately entered Ottoman lands, as the Pashalik of Akhaltsikhe had long been a direct neighbor of our country. Although many Georgians had previously traveled to Ottoman territories, whether by choice or circumstance, the detailed descriptions and representations of Turkish realities found in Iona Gedevanishvili’s Mimosula have a distinct purpose and significance. The book offers a unique perspective on Georgia’s neighbor, which had firmly established its presence on the lands of ancient Greece. Departing from Tbilisi, the traveler reached Surami. From there, he joined a caravan and entered the Atabag’s land, arriving in the city of Akhaltsikhe. Remarkably, the Georgian traveler was received kindly wherever he arrived. He was accommodated in a cell of the Church of Saint Marina, which served as lodging for visiting Greek high priests. After that, at the Atabag’s command, Iona was honorably accompanied with a caravan of merchants to Constantinople. Iona carefully recounts the details of the journey and, once in Constantinople, presents a detailed depiction of the city’s life and atmosphere. Along the road to Constantinople, Jonah's geographical reflections are of considerable interest. He saw the source of the Chorokhi River and compared its size to that of the Mtkvari. Numerous forests and rivers encountered on the journey were described through comparison with the rivers of Kartli. He considers the Chorokhi as being as large as the Mtkvari and a river in the Goli Valley as comparable to Ksani. He further depicts the surrounding villages and woodlands, and turns to a descriprion of the Bosphorus and, especially, the city of Constantinople, where he had an audience with the Sultan. Scholars have suggested that Iona's triumphant reception at the Sultan's court was the result of the protection afforded to him through a credential issued in his name by the Russian Emperor.
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Identity in Georgian and Turkish Postmodernist Novels: Aka Morchiladze’s Your Adventure and Elif Shafak’s The Bastard of Istanbul
The pursuit of identity is one of the defining concerns of postmodern novels. Identity is constructed through the internalization and acceptance of social consciousness, aesthetic preferences, habitual practices, norms, and value systems. Identification with a specific cultural sphere provides coherence and intelligibility to individual existence. Globalization, encompassing countries with diverse cultural systems and different levels of development, stimulates intercultural interaction while simultaneously producing identity-related challenges. Within the cultural domain, globalization exhibits a strong tendency toward the unification of local formations, through the dissemination of common values, norms, and ideals. This process may generate plural identities, wherein local cultural forms are partially incorporated into a global framework. In postmodern literature, unlike modernist texts — where protagonists search for and ultimately discover their roots, thereby resolving their journey of self-discovery — identity remains indeterminate, ambiguous, and non-homogeneous, as space and environment continuously reshape and reconstruct it; thus, the search becomes an ongoing process, and who we truly are depends on the perspective from which we view the world and unfolding events. The present study aims to demonstrate how the issue of identity is articulated in Georgian and Turkish postmodern novels, which problems are highlighted, and how authors from different cultural settings propose to address them. The analysis is based on Aka Morchiladze’s Your Adventure and Elif Shafak’s The Bastard of Istanbul. These postmodern literary works may be regarded as powerful reflections of identity-related complexities, proposing distinct ways toward their resolution.
Georgia’s Historical Hardships as Reflected in Toponyms
This paper examines Giorgi Zedginidze’s important historical narrative, The Mother’s Cathedral, through a historical-onomastic method. Giorgi Zedginidze, a native of Samtskhe–Javakheti, depicts in his work the turbulent and tragic period in the history of that region. The narrative extends beyond Samtskhe–Javakheti to encompass historical southern Georgia, specifically territories corresponding to modern-day Turkey. The work depicts the seventeenth-century Ottoman annexation of Georgian lands, with particular emphasis on the conquest and devastation of Shavsheti. The narrative reflects a historical phase during which south-western Georgia endured severe subjugation under Ottoman rule, initiated in the sixteenth century, gradually encompassing the entirety of western Georgia. These efforts proved successful — Georgia was deprived of a territory that, in the ninth and tenth centuries, had served as the political, cultural, and ecclesiastical center of the country. As Professor Revaz Siradze characterizes it, this region constituted a “Second Kartli.” In the seventeenth century, historical south-western Georgia continued to preserve its Georgian place names, or toponyms, which I have characterized metaphorically as a symbolic form of “identity.” A pertinent analogy may be drawn with the removal, during the 1990s, of the explicit identification of nationality from identity documents – while it remained evident to us that the surname recorded therein was Georgian – so too the explicit marking of Georgian origin gradually faded from certain “conquered toponyms”. Yet, despite formal transformation, the Georgian lexical base could still be discerned. Scholarly investigation, however, overlooks neither the linguistic nor the historical dimensions of this phenomenon. As late as the seventeenth century, Georgian toponyms still clearly preserved the national identity of Georgian land, standing as silent guardians over it. Several of the Georgian villages identified by the toponyms attested in the narrative have long since become abandoned settlements, yet the toponyms themselves remain as enduring linguistic testimonies to their historical existence. This study will first examine the toponyms of Samtskhe-Javakheti attested in the narrative and then proceed to those of historical south-western Georgia in the seventeenth century, thereby reconstructing the toponymic configuration of three centuries prior. The analysis draws on the emotionally charged, thematically poignant, and toponym-rich passages of Zedginidze’s prose, revealing the intertwining of geography, memory, and identity. Amid the harsh realities of conquest and warfare, one passage in the narrative stands out: although the conqueror is portrayed as ruthless, G. Zedginidze’s work includes a scene depicting the humane interaction between a wounded Turkish soldier and a Georgian man. Such episodes suggest that, over time, human compassion helped transform relations between Georgians and Turks, fostering goodwill and friendship.
Magical Objects, Birds, and Animals in Georgian-Turkish Folktales
Within the oral creative traditions of various peoples, the fairy tale — particularly the magic tale — occupies a significant position, functioning as a mechanism of “psychological release” for collective creative energy and as an authentic articulation of a people’s foundational worldview. The magic tale has its own structural features and conventionally incorporates diverse magical agents, including enchanted objects, birds, and animals. Over the course of centuries, Georgian-Turkish relations were conditioned by wars of conquest and cultural coexistence, circumstances that shaped similar narrative motifs in the folklore of both peoples. Turkish folklore, much like broader Eastern cultural traditions, drew substantively upon Arabic oral storytelling. Over time, it developed into distinct narrative forms, including the so-called "old woman’s tales" and the performative narratives of the wandering storyteller (meddah). The former circulated primarily among the lower social strata, yet meddahs often borrowed their storyline from "old woman’s tales". The spread and influence of these storylines extended to Georgia as well, where the fairy-tale epic corpus is primarily attested in the published compilations of folklore collectors from the second half of the nineteenth century onward. This article aims to explore the similarities, differences, and narrative functions of magical objects, birds, and animals featured in Georgian and Turkish fairy tales. This analysis contributes to the broader investigation of an important issue in folklore studies.
The Functioning of the Abkhazian Language among the Descendants of Abkhaz Muhajirs in Turkey and Georgia
The Abkhazians currently residing primarily in Turkey and in Georgia (particularly in Adjara), are descendants of Abkhaz muhajirs who were forcibly displaced by the Russian Empire in the nineteenth century. The impact of forced deportation of peoples on language functioning is one of the most challenging and complex issues in sociolinguistics. During deportation, communities are compelled to undergo radical transformations of their social, cultural, and linguistic environments. Under such conditions, children and subsequent generations frequently fail to acquire the ancestral language. Communication within the family shifts toward the host language, thereby interrupting the natural transmission of language across generations. This process is further intensified by the decline in the prestige of the Abkhaz language, which ceases to be perceived as an instrument of social or economic advancement, leading to its replacement by dominant and more prestigious languages. As a result, not only does the functional scope of the language narrow, but the preservation of ethnic identity is also threatened, since language is one of its central components. Today, the Abkhazian language faces significant challenges both in Abkhazia and among muhajir descendant communities, particularly in the Republic of Turkey. The issues of language functioning are related to political, social, and demographic factors, which determine its prospects for linguistic preservation or assimilation. The functioning of the Abkhazian language is confronted with considerable threats in Georgia (especially in Adjara) and Turkey arising from various socio-political and linguistic factors. Processes of language assimilation under the influence of Georgian, Turkish and Russian hinder the natural development of the Abkhazian language. Within the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia, ongoing Russification; in Georgian-controlled territories (notably Batumi and its surrounding region), the predominance of Georgian; and in the Republic of Turkey, systematic Turkification processes collectively weaken the functional vitality of the Abkhazian language. The Abkhazian language is included on UNESCO’s list of endangered languages.
On Dialectal Vocabulary in the Speech of the Descendants of Muhajir Georgians – I
The descendants of Georgian muhajirs in Turkey represent a bilingual ethnic group, compactly settled across three major regions of the country - the Central Black Sea coast (from Giresun to Sinop), the South-Western Black Sea region (Düzce and Sakarya provinces), and the Marmara coastal zone (predominantly within Bursa Province). Their present-day Kartvelian speech reflects a continuation of the Adjarian dialect and the Chkhalian variety of the Khopa dialect. Since the late nineteenth century, these speech forms have developed in relative isolation from the literary Georgian language and other Kartvelian dialects, while continuing to reflect the influence of Turkish. Naturally, within the lexical inventory of the Adjarian dialect preserved in the speech of the muhajir descendants, archaic lexical units are retained, either in unchanged or modified forms. The present article focuses on this lexical layer, specifically, on terms denoting value, or more precisely, money: marčili – (“metal currency”) and naari – (“paper currency”). The Laz forms Geareli//Genareri (in the sense of “money”) provide compelling evidence that Naar derives from a Megrelian-Laz lexical base, containing the root ar- (“to write”), which is identifiable and semantically congruent with the referent (Na- ar-a „written“, Ge arili/Ge areli „ inscribed, engraved“). Notably, the inscriptions impressed upon coinage — the “legend” — were referred to in Georgian literary tradition as zeda erili (“that which is written above”). The lexical unit našali, linked to the root šal-, dašla (“to divide, to separate”), is also analyzed. In the speech of the muhajir descendants, sesxi/sesxoba is used only to denote a month. Nevertheless, we still discussed it, because the broader Kartvelian semantic field of the root also encompasses the meaning of money temporarily lent. The main lexical corpus of the speech of Georgian muhajir descendants has been largely preserved. Naturally, part of the vocabulary is composed of loanwords; nevertheless, an enduring connection with the broader Common Kartvelian linguistic continuum has not been disrupted to this day.
Chronological List of the Bishops of Atskuri
The Atskuri Diocese is one of the oldest episcopal cathedrae within the jurisdiction of the Georgian Orthodox Church (specifically within the Kartli (Mtskheta) Catholicosate). In medieval times, the honor associated with the Atskuri Cathedra was reflected in both the rank and title of its ruling bishop within the hierarchy of the Georgian (Kartlian) Church. The Matskvereli hierarch initially functioned in the capacity of bishop and was subsequently elevated to archiepiscopal rank. The honor and position of the Matskvereli hierarch among Georgian hierarchs are attested across multiple sources. According to K’urtkheva Mironisa (“The Blessing of the Chrism”), specific bishops, together with the Catholicos, were assigned honorary roles in the ritual of Chrism preparation: first the Metropolitan of Greater Armenia is mentioned, followed by the Archbishop of Kartli, and thereafter the Matskvereli. According to the Gangeba Darbazobisa (“Rules of “Session of the Royal Council”), Maksvereli is ranked third among the hierarchs under the Kartli Catholicosate, after the Metropolitan of Greater Armenia and the Archbishop of Kartli. The political aspirations of the Atabags of Samtskhe toward autonomy was mirrored in the church governance as well. Following the fragmentation of Georgia into separate royal and princely polities, the Matskvereli hierarch became an especially influential figure. Atskuri episcopal see became the principal ecclesiastical pillar of Atabag's policy of church autonomy. A document from the first half of the sixteenth century, listing the bishops of Samtskhe-Saatabago, attests that the Matskvereli diocese covered a notably extensive territory. Moreover, among the thirteen Meskhetian hierarchs, the Matsqvereli occupied primacy and uniquely held the privilege of wearing the mitre (crown) and the bisoni (sakkos). From this period onward, the hierarch bore the distinguished title “Chief Hierarch-Archbishop”. Following the Ottoman conquest of Samtskhe-Saatabago, the Matsqvereli bishops were confirmed in office by the Ottoman Sultan. By the eighteenth century, the Atskuri episcopal see appears to have been effectively dismantled. Regrettably, no reliable and definitive source has been preserved that would allow the precise dating of the foundation of the Atskuri Episcopal cathedra. It may be assumed that the diocese emerged around the turn of the fifth and sixth centuries. Due to the scarcity of sources, the chronological succession of the hierarchs of the Atskuri Diocese remains incomplete. The present study is an attempt, within the limits imposed by extant sources, to reconstruct the list of the ruling bishops of the Atskuri diocese from its foundation until its abolition. Based on the available sources, the chronological sequence of the Matskvereli hierarchs compiled by Valery Silogava and Nikoloz Gurgenidze has been critically reassessed and supplemented. The dates of service and chronology of several Matskvereli hierarchs have been refined and specified, and the bishop previously misidentified as Gabriel has been corrected to Gedeon. Three additional bishops have been incorporated into the list, raising the total number of presently known Matskvereli hierarchs to twenty-eight.
Morphological and Syntactic Phenomena in Inner and South-Western Dialects of the Georgian Language
This article examines a number of common morphological and morphosyntactic phenomena attested in the inner dialects of Georgian as well as in the south-western dialectal forms spoken beyond the borders of Georgia: a) The modal particle unda (უნდა) [unda - expressing necessity, obligation, or intention] and its associated verbal morphology display notable variation across both eastern Georgian dialects (Khevsurian, Pshavian, and Khevian (i.e. Mokhevian or Mokheuri: (უნდ-ან-ან-თ [und-an-an-t], უნდ-ან-ან [und-an-an]) and western dialects (Lower Imeretian, Gurian, and Adjarian (უნდ-ენ [und-en], უნდ-ებ-ლარიენ [und-eb-larien]). Similar developments are found in the south-western ones — specifically Klarjian, Shavshian, and Tao dialects, where forms such as უნდ-ან-ან [und-an-an] and უნდ-ა-რ-ან [und-a-r-an] occur. Among the sub-dialects or idioms spoken by communities that migrated into a linguistically diverse dialectal environment of Lower Imereti, the Adigeni Meskhetians preserve the form უნდ-ან-ან [und-an-an]. In Lower Imeretian, innovative forms such as უნდ-ავ-ენ [und-av-en] and უნდ-ავ-ი-ენ [und-av-i-en] have emerged, in which -ავ [-av] appears to alternate with the Old Georgian thematic marker -ან [-an], later combined with the plural marker -ენ [-en] — უნდ-ან [und-an]/უნდ-ავ-ენ [und-av-en]. Alternative views concerning the origin of these forms have been proposed. b) The verb ი-სვრ-ი-ს (i-svr-i-s, “throwing/shooting”) occurs in various forms across Georgian dialects. In the Pshavian dialect, it appears with the vowel prefix ა [a-]: ასვრის (asvris), ლეკები ასვრიან თოფებსა (cf. A. Shanidze: lekebi asvrian topebsa, “the Leks fire their rifles”). In the Lower Imeretian dialectal area, the form სროულობს [sroulobs], brought by migrated Lechkhumians, denotes a repeated 8 action, whereas სროლავს [srolavs] in Lower Imeretian sub-dialect expresses a single-occurrence action. These semantic distinctions are reflected in morphosyntax as well: ისვრის ის [isvris is – meaning: he/she is throwing/shooting], ისვრის ის მას [isvris is mas – meaning: he/she is throwing/shooting it], სროლავს ის [srolavs is – meaning: he/she is throwing/shooting], სროლავს ის მას [srolavs is mas – meaning: he/she is throwing/shooting it], ასვრის ის მას [asvris is mas – meaning: he/she is throwing/shooting it]. A theoretically expected construction would be ასვრის ის მას მას [asvris is mas mas, meaning “he/she is throwing/shooting it at him/her”], where the prefix ა- [a-] would serve as a functional equivalent of the vowel prefix ე- [e-]: ესვრის ის მას მას [esvris is mas mas]/ ასვრის ის მას მას [asvris is mas mas, both meaning “he/she is throwing/shooting it at him/her”]. In our view, the structural template seems closest to არტყამს [artqams], “he/she hits/strikes”, a verb related to throwing, shooting, hitting, and striking]; e.g., არტყამს ის მას ტყვიას [artqams is mas tkvias, meaning “he/she strikes him/her with a bullet”]), though we have not encountered the verb ა-სვრის [a-svris] in the form of a three-argument verb (or a ditransitive verb). In the Imeretian dialect (specifically in the Vani variety), a form with the უ- [u-] prefix is attested: უსროდა ქვეფს და ებძოდა უბედურათ (usroda kveps da ebzoda ubedurat, “He threw stones and fought relentlessly”) (N. Sharashidze). The dialect also preserves an unprefixed variant, სვრის (svris, “he/she is shooting”) (B. Jorbenadze), with the plural form სვრი-ან [svri-an, “they are shooting”). The addition or loss of vowel prefixes correlates with the syntactic valency — or positional structure — of verbs. In the Klarjian dialect, the form მსვრელი [msvreli, “one who shoots, shooter”) is attested. Examples include კარქა ვსვრი მაუზერ [Kark’a vsvri mauzer, “I shoot Mausers well”] (the Klaskuri idiom) and ვსრი (vsri), which is likewise encountered in the Machakhlian: e.g., ბაბამ ლივერი მიყიდა, ვსრი და ვსრი [Babam liveri miq’ida, vsri da vsri, “My father bought me a gun, I shoot and shoot”] (the Kedkedi idiom) (Paghava et al.), cf. Imeretian სვრის [svris], where — unlike the Machakhlian dialect — the Old Georgian verbal root სრ-ევ-ა [sr-ev-a] has not been preserved. However, both Klarjian and Imeretian dialects share the form მ-სვრ-ელ-ი [m-svr-el-i, “the one who is throwing/shooting”]. The insertion of the consonant ვ [v] into the root appears unexpected, as the anticipated root would be -სრ- [-sr-]. Across different linguistic environments, factors inherited from Old Georgian or Common Kartvelian continue to function in various areas, representing the outcomes of diachronic processes that have unfolded over extended periods of time. c) In the speech of Muhajir communities, an alternation between nominative and quasi-ergative constructions is attested, where the ergative case assumes the function in expressing definiteness/indefiniteness. This feature does not appear elsewhere across the Georgian dialectal continuum. For instance, კაცი გეიარა [k’atsi geiara] indicates that an unfamiliar man passed by, whereas კაცმა გეიარა [k’atsma geiara] refers to a definite referent previously mentioned in discourse (Putkaradze et al., 2022). This development cannot be explained by the influence of Turkish, a non-ergative language; rather, it may have closer parallels with the function of an Old Georgian particle that marked the noun as definite. It is generally recognized that the linguistic consciousness of populations subjected to forced displacement into foreign environments differs from that of voluntary migrants. In this context, speakers appear to have drawn upon the morphological inventory of their native language to convey familiarity, definiteness, and specificity, thereby forming a corresponding morphosyntactic construction serving this function.
Valuable information concerning the history of the Laz of Anaklia can be found in the manuscript collection of the Historical-Architectural Museum of the Dadiani Palaces, preserved as handwritten documents. These sources allow researchers to discuss chronological framework and living conditions under which Laz communities lived in Anaklia. Anaklia, located in the Zugdidi region of western Georgia, is a historically significant site. Traces of habitation dating to the second millennium BCE are confirmed by artifacts preserved in the Dadiani Palace, widely known as "Dikha Gudzuba". Across western Georgia, Anaklia emerged as one of the most significant strategic locations during the period of Greek expansion along the Black Sea coast in the seventh–eighth centuries. From the eighteenth century onward, foreign travelers and explorers described Anaklia as a powerful episcopal center and trading port. After the construction of a large fortress bearing the same name — the remains of which are still extant along the coastal zone — Anaklia came to be referred to as a trading city. In Anaklia, as trade intensified — particularly during the spring and autumn seasons — sailing ships regularly arrived from Constantinople, Iran, Trebizond, and Gonio. For merchant ships entering Samegrelo, Anaklia became the most accessible and important harbor in the entire region. From here, goods such as flax thread, linen cloth, flaxseed, oxhide, reeds, boxwood, precious furs, honey, and wax were shipped across the Black Sea to Ottoman territories in the autumn,whereas in the spring merchants brought into Samegrelo luxury tableware, iron goods, weaponry, and salt. The trading port of Anaklia preserved its commercial significance well into the early twentieth century. In the early twentieth century, trade and fishing remained the primary occupations of the Laz population in Anaklia. When the Bolsheviks closed the borders with Turkey, the Anaklian Laz were given the choice either to remain or to relocate to Turkey; those who chose to stay were prohibited from crossing the border and contact with relatives was severed. Only a few Laz families remained in Anaklia, and today they no longer speak the Laz language. After 1921, approximately fifteen Laz surnames were documented in Anaklia: Abdul-oghli, Odabash-oghli, Ai-oghli, Reiz-oghli, Sokt-oghli, Oksus-oghli, Kvakul-oghli, Kelek-oghli, Sufal-oghli, Fat-oghli, Tikan-oghli, Abdul-oghli, Mola-oghli, Machakhel-oghli, Aghazade. Under the prevailing regime, some Laz were compelled to change their surnames. Those who remained in Georgia continued their lives alongside other Georgian communities.
Healing Incantations in the Folklore of Tao-Klarjeti
One of the archaic genres of Georgian folk oral tradition — the incantation (shelotsva) — remained in active folkloric use until relatively recently within the collective memory of Georgian communities residing in historical Tao-Klarjeti. This remarkable layer of Georgian magical poetry remains well preserved in their cultural consciousness. The incantations widespread in historical Tao-Klarjeti constitute valuable variants of those known throughout other regions of Georgia and display notable affinity with Adjara corpus. Rooted in the belief in the magical power of the spoken word, this popular genre is frequently referred to by locals as dua, a Turkish term meaning “prayer.” In Georgian folkloric usage as well, the term shelotsva (“incantation”) often alternates with the word lotsva (“prayer”). Our ancestors believed that supernatural connections existed between objects and phenomena. According to their worldview, any entity or occurrence could function as a potential source of beneficent or malevolent force. To influence such forces, ritual intervention was required. Verbal formulas were accompanied by specific ceremonial actions aimed at subduing the invisible forces of nature, culminating in the formation of the incantation — a form that reflects humanity’s ancient aspiration to overcome obstacles and attain desired goals. For every illness, our ancestors created a distinct incantation, believing that magical words possessed healing power. Among the population of Tao-Klarjeti, various healing charms were widely practiced against the evil eye (gatvalva), fright, abdominal pain, tia i.e. hernia, worms, headaches, ringworm, warts, sprains, ocular pain, and “evil winds,” among others. These incantations were intended not only for humans but also for domestic animals and poultry. The study of incantations preserved in the oral tradition of the descendants of Georgians living in the villages of historical Tao-Klarjeti demonstrates that this folkloric phenomenon constitutes an organic part of common Kartvelian oral tradition.
ALEKSANDRE (SHO PLAY SHIA) CHKHAIDZE’S DESCENDANTS
Aleksandre (Shoshia) Chkhaidze made a significant contribution to the development of the history of Georgian drama with his play Descendants. Through dramaturgy, he introduced fundamental changes in the process of formation and development of Georgian thought and worldview. The author’s work, which is rather real-life and based on justice, has never faded and, we believe, it will never fade. His heart was full of love for people, doing good and performing good deeds. Regardless of the political or economic background in the Soviet Union, the playwright was still not afraid of the demands on the part of high officials and continued his work tirelessly. Aleksandre Chkhaidze never betrayed his life calling or high civic or moral positions; especially when every word had to be measured, acceptable and desirable for the interests of others. He broke every stereotype prevailing in society and continued his creative activity beyond the accepted rules and frameworks. Through the characters in Descendants, Aleksandre Chkhaidze thoroughly presented the era, clearly depicting his own subjective or objective life position and every critical opinion.
ON THE ISSUE OF COMMON ROOTS AND STEMS IN SVAN AND MEGRELIAN-LAZ. IV.
Etymological works offer analysis of a considerable number of interesting lexical materials. At the same time, some of the correspondences are either inaccurate or, quite frequently, incomplete. Those who consider Svan, Megrelian, and Laz idioms as independent language systems, indicate the possibility of borrowings of lexical units between them. However, the above-mentioned idioms do not transcend beyond the scope of one system, they are rather different idioms of one language system. Therefore, the theory of borrowing lexemes (roots and stems) within the same system is unacceptable. It is possible to discuss the common material, but when certain roots do not occur in any of the idioms, it does not mean that the very root did not exist in a given idiom. That being said, a common root in any of the idioms may undergo semantic changes and move away from the original meaning. For instance, the Megrelian birguli („მუხლი” a knee) is employed to indicate wrestling in Svan: ḥebergyel ([he] is wrestling [with someone]: ebirguleba). There are also other lexical units that incorporate common roots and stems in Megrelian, Laz and Svan. From this perspective, the idioms that have preserved many interesting word forms are of particular interest.
PHONETIC PECULIARITIES FOUND IN THE ACHARAN SPEECH OF THE KARTVELIAN-SPEAKING MUHAJIRS’ DESCENDANTS LIVING IN DÜZCE İLI (THE REPUBLIC OF TURKEY)
სტატიაში მიმოხილულია თურქეთის რესპუბლიკის დუზჯეს ილში მოსახლე ქართველურენოვან მუჰაჯირთა შთამომავლების მეტყველება – ქართული ენის აჭარული დიალექტის ერთ-ერთი ნაირსახეობა. სამხრეთ-დასავლეთი საქართველოს კუთხეებიდან: აჭარა-მაჭახლიდან და ნიგალიდან წასული მუჰაჯირები დუზჯეს ილის ტერიტორიაზე XIX საუკუნის 80-იანი წლების დასაწყისიდან დასახლდნენ. დღემდე, მათი შთამომავლები ცხოვრობენ ძირითადად სოფლად. უფროსი თაობა მეტნაკლებად ინარჩუნებს მშობლიურ ენასა და ზნე-ჩვეულებებს, უმცროს თაობაში კი უკვე შესამჩნევია ასიმილაციის შედეგები. შესაბამისად, ქართული ენის აჭარული დიალექტი დუზჯეში გაქრობის პირასაა – მასზე დიდ გავლენას ახდენს როგორც თურქული (რომელიც ქართველურენოვან მუჰაჯირთათვის ოფიციალური და სხვებთან საურთიერთო ენაა), ისე – თანამედროვე სამწიგნობრო ქართული ენაც (რომელსაც გასული საუკუნის 90-იანი წლების ბოლოდან იქაური ქართველები აქტიურად შეისწავლიან). სწორედ ამიტომაც ძალიან მნიშვნელოვანია დუზჯეს ილისთვის დამახასიათებელი აჭარული დიალექტის შესწავლა. მასობრივი ორენოვნების შედეგად, დუზჯეში დასტურდება ქართულ-თურქულ სამეტყველო კოდთა აღრევაც (Code-switching). აქვე უნდა აღინიშნოს ისიც, რომ დიალექტური მეტყველება უმეტესად დამახასიათებელია 40 წელზე უფროსი თაობისთვის. იმავდროულად, ქართულის კარგად მცოდნენი 40 წელზე უმცროს თაობაშიც საკმაოდ გვხვდებიან, თუმცა ისინი მეტყველებენ სამწიგნობრო ენაზე (ქართული სამწიგნობრო ენის კურსები დუზჯეში გასული საუკუნის 90-იანი წლებიდან არსებობს).დუზჯეს აჭარული მეტყველება უნდა დაიყოს ორ – საკუთრივ აჭარულ და ზეგნურ კილოკავებად. დაყოფა ეფუძნება ერთ ღირსსაცნობ ფაქტს – მუჰაჯირთა შთამომავლები ორ ჯგუფად იყოფიან: ერთნი – ამჟამინდელი ქედის მუნიციპალიტეტიდან წამოსულები – თავს თვლიან უშუალოდ აჭარლებად, მეორენი – შუახევისა და ხულოს სოფლებიდან წამოსულები – ზეგნელებად. ამგვარი დაყოფის საფუძველი ქედის აჭარლების დამოკიდებულებაა: დღესაც კი, ამჟამინდელ აჭარის ავტონომიურ რესპუბლიკაში მცხოვრები ქედელები შუახევისა და ხულოს მკვიდრთ ზეგნის აჭარლებს (= მთის აჭარლებს) უწოდებენ. როგორც ჩანს, 140-წლიანი იზოლაციის პირობებში, ოსმალეთში მცხოვრებ მუჰაჯირებში მკვეთრად გაიმიჯნა მთის აჭარლებისა და ტაფობის აჭარლების თვითაღქმა. სტატია დამუშავებულია 2021 წლის გაზაფხულსა და ზაფხულში უშუალოდ დუზჯეს ილში ჩაწერილი მასალების საფუძველზე.
GIORGI ZHURULI AND HIS DESCENDANTS IN FRANCE
Durmishkhan Zhuruli and his wife Ketevan Namoradze had four children. Two of their sons, Luka and Andria, died at a young age. Nino Zhuruli was the wife of the famous military figure - Lieutenant General Ilia Makarashvili, and Giorgi Zhuruli (Durmishkhan’s son) was the Minister of Trade, Industry and Finance of the Independent Republic of Georgia. Durmishkhan Zhuruli had a great desire for his son to have a military career, but Giorgi’s heart was not inclined to military work. After graduating from the Cadet Corps in 1886, he refused to enter the school for military officers. With the support of his parents, Giorgi Zhuruli left for Europe, namely, to Paris, to study agronomy at the Mining Institute. After that, he continued his studies at the Petrovsko Razumovsky Academy in Moscow. During 1897-1903, Giorgi Zhuruli was a censor in the Caucasus Censorship Committee. Then, he worked in the ministry of Agriculture for three years. Giorgi Zhuruli had a close relationship with Ilia Chavchavadze. Giorgi Zhuruli worked in the self-governments of Batumi and, later, Tbilisi. He was the acting head of the city of Batumi during 1910-1913. Member of the Tbilisi City Council, member of the board, as well as chairman of the Finance Commission. As a real member, he was actively involved in the activities of the Society for the Spreading Literacy Among Georgians. In 1908-1910, he headed the Batumi branch of the board of the mentioned society. In 1917, he was part of the Council of Nationalities established with Ozakom. He was a member of the founding society of the Georgian University, as well as a member of the Georgian National Interparty Council. In May 1918, as an adviser to the Transcaucasian delegation, he participated in the Batumi Armistice Conference. He was invited as an expert who discussed the importance of maintaining Georgian control over Batumi. On May 26, 1918, during the period of the restoration of Georgia’s state independence and the establishment of the Democratic Republic of Georgia, Giorgi Zhuruli was appointed to the position of Minister of Finance and Trade-Industry. He was holding this position until March 1919 when the founding assembly of Georgia recruited the government with the representative of the Social Democrats, who had won the elections. Its facsimile is recorded on the denominations of one-year treasury (5%) bonds of the Democratic Republic of Georgia, which were issued in January 1919 to collect cash from the population. Since 1919, he headed the Tchiatura Black Stone Industrialists’ Council, which funded a number of cultural projects in the country. In 1919-1920, Zhuruli headed the representative office of the Democratic Republic of Georgia, which negotiated with the command of the allied army stationed in Batumi. After the occupation of independent Georgia by Soviet Russia, on March 18, 1921, Giorgi Zhuruli went abroad from Batumi together with the Georgian government and finally settled in Europe. Giorgi Zhuruli and Elene Muskhelishvili had only two sons - Konstantine and Durmishkhan Zhuruli, who have never cut ties with Georgia. This is confirmed by Konstantine’s letter to his aunt Nino Zhuruli and cousin Irina Makarashvili which was sent from The Hague in 1925. He expressed great emotion because of missing Arbo, his native village, and asked his family members living in Georgia to send photos. Konstantine died in 1947, without leaving any heir. Giorgi Zhuruli’s second son Durmishkhan was in poor health and underwent several operations. He died in 1987 after a long illness. Durmishkhan Zhuruli was married to Hugete (1916-2003), with whom he had a daughter Catherine (1948). Named after her grandmother (Ketevan Namoradze-Zhuruli), Catherine married Patrick Desbo (born in 1947). Catherine and Patrick have two sons – Cedric (born in 1974) and Louis (born in 1977). Cedric was in his first marriage with Laura (born in 1974), with whom he had two children: Valentin and Timothy. And his second wife is Helen (born in 1981), with whom Cedric has one son, Clement, born in 2019. Cedric’s brother Louis (born in 1977) is married to Audrey (born in 1982). They have four children: Logan, Manon, Nathan, and Thea. Cedric chose history as a profession. He graduated from Sorbonne University. At the end of the 1990s, Cedric Desbo traveled to Georgia with his parents, he also visited Zhuruli’s native village of Arbo. The historical house on the verge of demolition, where the families of Zhuruli and Makarashvili lived, was captured in his photo.
LINGUISTIC PECULIARITIES OF THE FOLKLORE OF THE KARTVELIAN-SPEAKING MUHAJIRS LIVING IN THE DÜZCE-SAKARYA REGION OF TURKEY
თურქეთის დუზჯესა და საქარიის ილებში მცხოვრები ქართველები ისტორიული სამხრეთ-დასავლეთი საქართველოდან რუსეთ-ოსმალეთის 1877-1878 წლების ომის შედეგად ოსმალეთში გადასახლებული მუჰაჯირების შთამომავლები არიან. მათ დიდ ნაწილს დღემდე ქართული თვითშეგნება აქვს, თუმცა ქართულად საუბარი უჭირს. მშობლიურ – ქართულ ენას ინარჩუნებს მხოლოდ საშუალო და უფროსი თაობა. ქართველ მუჰაჯირთა შთამომავლები გასული საუკუნის 60-იანი წლებიდან ფართოდ ინტეგრირდებიან თურქეთის რესპუბლიკის საზოგადოებრიობაში, რის შედეგადაც ყოველი მომდევნო თაობა წინაზე უფრო უკეთ ფლობს სახელმწიფო – თურქულ ენას და თანდათან ივიწყებს ქართულს (დიალექტურ მეტყველებას), რომელიც, მართალია, მათთვის წინაპრების მემკვიდრეობაა, მაგრამ ნაკლებად პრესტიჟულია. გასული საუკუნის 90-იანი წლებიდან მოყოლებული, როცა თურქეთსაქართველოს საზღვარი გაიხსნა, თურქეთის ქართველები დიდად დაინტერესდნენ ქართული ენითა და კულტურით. ქართველებით დასახლებულ ადგილებში ჩამოყალიბდა ენის შემსწავლელი წრეები, კულტურის ცენტრები და ა.შ. ენასთან ერთად თურქეთის ქართველებმა დაიწყეს ქართული ფოლკლორის შესწავლა, დაინტერესდნენ ქართული ცეკვებითაც. ეს, რასაკვირველია, მისასალმებელ მოვლენას წარმოადგენდა, თუმცაღა საქმე ის იყო, რომ ისინი, ძირითადად, ინტერესდებოდნენ სამწიგნობრო ქართული ენით და ზოგადქართული კულტურით, ხოლო უშუალო წინაპრების მემკვიდრეობა – ქართული დიალექტური მეტყველება და ფოლკლორი – თითქმის შეუსწავლელი რჩებოდა. 1992 წელს საქართველოში გამოიცა პროფ. შუშანა ფუტკარაძის ფუნდამენტური ნაშრომი „ჩვენებურების ქართული“ (წიგნი პირველი), რომელიც შეიცავდა როგორც ქართველ მუჰაჯირთა შთამომავლების, ისე – თურქეთის ავტოქთონ ქართველთა მეტყველების ნიმუშებს. ამ ნიმუშთა მნიშვნელოვან ნაწილს სწორედ ფოლკლორული ტექსტები შეადგენდა. თურქეთის ქართველობის ფოლკლორის ნიმუშები შემდგომში ზოგმა სხვა მკვლევარმაც გამოაქვეყნა, თუმცაღა თითქმის არავის უკვლევია მათი ენობრივი თავისებურებანი. არადა, რამდენადაც თურქეთში დღემდე შემორჩენილი ქართველური მემკვიდრეობა ნელ-ნელა გაქრობის გზას ადგას, საშურია ამგვარი კვლევის ჩატარება. აქვე დავძენთ იმასაც, რომ სახელდობრ ქართველ მუჰაჯირთა შთამომავლების ფოლკლორი საინტერესოა ქართველურ-თურქულ სამეტყველო კოდთა შერევის თვალსაზრისითაც. სტატია დამუშავებულია 2021 წლის გაზაფხულსა და ზაფხულში უშუალოდ დუზჯესა და საქარიის ილებში ჩვენ მიერ ჩაწერილი მასალების საფუძველზე.
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MODELS OF NOUN-VERB HOMONYMS IN GEORGIAN
ომონიმიასთან დაკავშირებით არსებობს ორი მცდარი შეხედულება. ლინგვისტთა ნაწილი ომონიმიას ენის ხარვეზად მიიჩნევს, ნაწილი კი მას შემთხვევით მოვლენად აღიქვამს. აღნიშნულ მოსაზრებებს ეწინააღმდეგება წინამდებარე ნაშრომში განხილული ენობრივი მოვლენა, კერძოდ, სახელებსა და ზმნებს შორის არსებული ომონიმების მოდელები. ომონიმური მოდელი გულისხმობს არა ცალკეულ სიტყვებს, არამედ მორფოლოგიურ/დერივაციულ კონსტრუქციებს შორის ომონიმიას, რაც განაპირობებს ასეთი ომონიმების სისტემატურობას, რეგულარულობას. მაგალითად, STEM-PL(eb)-DAT(s) კონსტრუქციის სახელები და STEMTHEM(eb)-3.SG(s) კონსტრუქციის ზმნები. ორივე იწარმოება ბურდღუნი ტიპის მოქმედების სახელებისგან და ერთმანეთის ომონიმურები არიან. ჩვენ ქართულში გამოვავლინეთ ამ ტიპის 115 ომონიმური მოდელი. ომონიმები რომ ენის ფუნქციონირებას ხელს უშლიდეს, ისინი არ იქნებოდნენ ენის სისტემაში ასეთი სახით წარმოდგენილი და იქნებოდნენ არარეგულარული და არასისტემური.
POETIC REFLECTION OF WORLD FATE BY GRIGOL BAGRATIONI
The poetic work of Grigol Bagrationi (1789-1830) (one of the representatives of Georgian emigrant literature at the turn of the 18th-19th c.) is interesting primarily in terms of understanding the national problem. He was the son of Ioane (the son of the last king of Kartli-Kakheti - George XII), a famous writer and encyclopedist. Due to his active participation in the 1812 uprising against the Russian colonial regime, G. Bagrationi was deported to Russia to serve his sentence. From that time on, he spent his entire life in exile. His poetic creativity is accompanied by a nostalgia for forced separation from his homeland. Grigol Bagrationi mainly focused on the national problem. Apart from his lyrical poems, he also wrote epic works in regard to the above-mentioned theme. In this respect, his “Kartlis Tskhovreba” (written in a poetic form) is especially interesting. Those phraseological syntagmas and elements of tropes are of interest that are widely used in the poetic texts by Grigol Bagrationi, which actually provide a certain basis for emphasizing the affinity between the poetic legacy of Gr. Bagrationi and that of the Georgian Romanticists. His poetry is also diverse in terms of versification. The author employs the metric patterns that are widely established in the works of his predecessors as well as his contemporary Georgian poets.
POETIC WORLD OF DAVID MACHABELI (WITNESS OF 1832 EVENTS AND PARTICIPANT OF CONSPIRACY FROM TAMARASHENI)
It is impossible to start a conversation about the literary and cultural traditions of Tskhinvali’s region, without mentioning the names of local residents, the Machabelis. Many of them brought fame to their region and promoted already rich and varied traditions of literature. When exploring the creative traditions of an occupied Tskhinvali region, surely, the first who comes to mind is Ivane Machabeli, a journalist, editor, and unique translator of Shakespeare’s plays and poems. furthermore, in different periods of time, interesting and efficient works were accomplished by David (the son of Bardzimi Machabeli), Luarsab Machabeli, Svimon Machabeli, Vasil Machabeli, and so on. Along with others, from the second half of the 19th century, Alexandre, the son of David Machabeli had done interesting works. This time, while discussing literary and cultural areas of the Tskhinvali Region, our attention is focused on David, the son of Bardzim Machabeli, and on his greatest accomplishments and his poetic world. He was born in Tamarasheni village in 1814. After being homeschooled at an elementary level, his parents enrolled him in the Tbilisi Gymnasium. Then, the Georgian press indicated his success as a student and the fact, that he was chosen as the best student at the school for nobles. (Tiflisi’s Vedomosti 1829: 1) While studying in the gymnasium, David Machabeli became friends with Nikoloz Baratashvili and Mikheil Tumanishvili. During his studies in the gymnasium, he as a student of Solomon Dodashvili (a famous public figure of the first half of the 19th century), lived in an apartment owned by Efrem Aleksi-Meskhishvili. In 1834, after finishing his studies at the gymnasium, David Machabeli started a job as a simple servant of the Tbilisi government. He also tried his luck in the military service, however, in 1839, due to his father’s death, he returned to his native village Tamarasheni. He had a troubled marriage with Svimon Tsereteli’s daughter, Elisabed. From this marriage, David Machabeli had a son, Abesalom, who later studied and worked in Kutaisi. Sadly, soon after his marriage, the poet forever separated himself from his wife and son, and lived alone in his native village. David Machabeli’s works are extremely interesting and unique. Without any hesitation, one could say that he played a crucial role in the development of the regional cultural and literary life.
CORPUS LINGUISTIC ANALYSISOF CHRISTIAN TERMINOLOGYIN RUSSIAN TRANSLATIONSOF THE KNIGHT IN THE PANTHER’S SKIN
The Knight in the Panther’s Skin, the poem by Shota Rustaveli is one of the exceptional masterpieces of Georgian national literature. The poem has not lost its actuality and has been an object of permanent research and popularization since the period of its creation. Accordingly, the importance of our research topic is cultivated by the significance of the poem itself. With the use of modern methods, the Rustvelological research takes a much wider scope and expands the possibilities of the poem’s promotion and accessibility to the researchers interested in the subject. The popularization of The Knight in the Panther’s Skin has been significantly assisted by Russian translations, which served as a source text for the translations into other languages. Our goal is to apply the method of corpus linguistic analysis to the study of the Christian terminology identified in The Knight in the Panther’s Skin in Russian translations, namely, in complete poetic translations by Konstantin Balmont, Shalva Nutsubidze, and Archil Khalvashi. Based on empirical material, we will try to evaluate the degree of equivalence in translations, analyze the relationship between the source and the translation, as well as the translations themselves, and identify the translation principles and strategies of every translator. The conclusions formulated as a result of the research are made on the basis of the electronically processed empirical material, which significantly increases the degree of empiricality of the work. Also, the corpus linguistic analysis of the translations will contribute to the development of digital Kartvelology and, specifically, to the development of Rustvelology. Thus, we believe, the article will be beneficial to the reader interested in the topic both theoretically and practically.
Russian translations of The Knight in the Panther’s Skin
Adjara in Ivane Gomarteli’s Publicistic Letters(Based on Materials from the Monastery of Istanbul)
The article aims to highlight the travels of Ivane Gomarteli in Ajara. He visited thThe article examines the travels of Ivane Gomarteli in Adjara during the first half of the nineteenth century. He explored both Upper and Lower Adjara, documenting his impressions and reflections, which were later published in the newspaper Alioni under the title Adjara and the Adjarans (Letter I – 1917, №64; Letter II – 1917, №65; Letter III – 1917, №67; Letter IV – 1917, №68). The materials in question are currently preserved at the Georgian Catholic Monastery in Istanbul, Republic of Turkey. Through the efforts of the research team at the Niko Berdzenishvili Institute of Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University—Roin Malaqmadze, Shushana Putkaradze, and Elza Putkaradze—these letters have been included in the volume Letters from the Georgian Monastery of Istanbul, Vol. III (2024). The article addresses the historical context of the period when Adjara was already part of the Georgian homeland. Georgian writers and public figures began to visit the region, contributing significantly to its revival. In this respect, the journey of one such public figure – Ivane Gomarteli – in Adjara is particularly noteworthy. Ivane Gomarteli visited Adjara in the early twentieth century. He engaged in a detailed discussion of the problems faced by the locals and the ways to address them. At the beginning of his letter, he reflects on the historical past of this region, emphasizing Adjara’s strategic location and its role and significance. The author points out the most crucial issue: “the true mother tongue of the Adjarans, preserved both at home and in public, is Georgian.” In addition, the publicist emphasizes and addresses the matter: “the revival of Muslim Georgia and the awakening of national consciousness within it are crucially linked to the future of the Georgian nation.” In his letters, Ivane Gomarteli also discusses the socioeconomic state of this region, indicating its urgent problems and suggesting the ways to strengthen this southwestern part of Georgia. He highlights its strategic significance and reflects on its future. Considering the above, Gomarteli’s writings depict Adjara as a ‘paradise’. It was his first visit to the breathtaking Adjara, and his emotions reflect this experience. The author generously employs tropes such as metaphors, comparisons, epithets, and so on. Thus, the material presented in Gomarteli’s letters remains valuable due to both its content and details it provides.
DECONSTRUCTION OF THE SOVIET ERA IN FICTION (DATO TURASHVILI, GURAM KARTVELISHVILI)
In the last decade of the 20th century, fiction having become free from ideological pressure as a result of well-known historical events was given the opportunity to interpret the public situation undisguisedly, free of subtexts. In the post-Soviet era, it was relevant and important to represent the deconstruction of the Soviet reality and the post-colonial trauma, so that the society could go through a painful stage of self-identification necessary for its further development. Literature was supposed to influence the consciousness of a man of the Soviet era and contribute to an already painful and difficult process of re-evaluation of values. It is quite normal that the reflection on the tragic events of the Soviet period is one of the prominent trends of modern Georgian literature, as well as the personal drama caused by the failure of the Soviet ideology, which is directly related to the peculiarities of the perception and acceptance/non-acceptance of the new reality created in the post-colonial era. Many remarkable works have been created on this topic by authors of different generations and styles of writing which reflect on many aspects of the recent past. This paper analyzes two short stories: Where Do Pigeons Build Their Nests by Dato Turashvili and Caucasian Pitomnik (Nursery) by Guram Kartvelishvili. The reviewed texts clearly show that both writers participate in the process of deconstruction of the Soviet era. They use different artistic methods to create the thinking space for the reader to deeply imagine the peripeties of Soviet life, the fate of individuals in a totalitarian, violent society, and to be able to correctly perceive and reflect on the even more difficult reality resulting from the inevitable collapse of this society, which should logically lead to the understanding of the necessity of action.
PAIRED MEMBER-CONJUNCTIONS IN INNER KARTLIAN SUB-DIALECT
The analysis of the syntactic function of paired member-conjunctions presented in the article is based on the dialectal texts recorded and published in Shida Kartli at different times and on chronological comparison of the latest materials obtained by us during our village-to-village visits. In Shida Kartlian sub-dialect the complex subordinate clauses employ both subordinating conjunctions, and relative pronouns (“vints” (who, anyone who; whoever), “rats” (what, that which), “romelits” (which,, who), “rogorits” (like) and relative adverbs (“sadats” (where, in/at which), “rotsa”, “rodesats” (when, as), “rogorts” (as) that perform the function of member-conjunctions. The paired member-conjunctions are observed in Shida Kartlian sub-dialect: “vints rom”//”vints roma”//”vints ro” (who that); “rats rom”// “rats roma”// “rats ro” (what that); “romelits rom” // “romelits roma”// “romelits ro” (which that), “rogorits rom”// “rogorits roma”//“rogorits ro” (like that); “sadats rom”// “sadats roma”// “sadats ro” (where that); “rotsa rom”// “rotsa roma”//, “rotsa ro” (when that); “rodesats rom” // “rodesats roma” //“rodesats ro” (when that); “ rogorts rom” // rogorts roma” // rogorts ro” (as that). In these complex conjunctions, “that” (rom) has the function of the particle “even”. “That” (rom) strengthens the meaning of the word to which it refers. Today, the coupling of the conjunction “rom”//“roma”//“ro” (that) with relative pronouns and relative adverbs reflects a far-advanced process, compared to the published materials. Migration and analogy serve as contributing factors. This phenomenon can be explained by the fact that the conjunction “rom” (that) is characterized by a polysemantic function. It occurs in almost all types of subordinate clauses. By using paired member-conjunctions, the actualization occurs, the emphasis is put on a speaker, and the emotional attitude is expressed towards the very member of the main sentence to which the paired member-conjunction refers. Shida Kartlian sub-dialect manifests those common linguistic trends that are characteristic of the Georgian literary language and dialects.
TAO-KLARJETI IN ZURAB GORGILADZE’S WORKS
Tao-Klarjeti is Georgia’s biggest concern. The author, as a creative chronicler of the epoch, clearly conveys the spirit and aspirations of the nation. In his poetry, Zurab Gorgiladze as a passionate son of his country placed a special emphasis on his heartbreak. When reading the poet’s poems, we become convinced that he as a lyrical hero never abandons his country. The intensity of Zurab Gorgiladze’s passion is nurtured by the historical past of his native land. The son of Adjara feels this pain more intensely because the sadness caused by being torn from his roots is very familiar to him. The author is conscious of the hardships of his homeland, but he is worried that all he can offer is his poetic word. That is why he, as a mediator between God and man, and as a leader of the nation, uses the word as the only tool, urging the people to embrace vigilance, sensibility, and unity. The poet assures the reader that in spite of many hardships, the land of Tao-Klarjeti - “conversing with God like a vine” - will surely recover and regenerate. The paper thematically examines the lyrical heritage of the poet, which is dedicated to the theme of Tao-Klarjeti.
ROLE OF MOUNT ATHOS IN MEDIEVAL CHRISTENDOM
In the Middle Ages, a monastery was the most important political and religiouscultural center in Christendom. These spiritual sanctuaries were the flag bearers of the national culture, devoting themselves to the political and cultural life of their country. Every self-respecting state aspired to have monastic centers beyond their borders. They were a kind of iconic landmark, a representative body, the reputation of the country at an international ecclesiastical level, so the authorities tried to expand their positions in those centers. Since Egypt and Syria were no longer the centers of monastic life in the East, Constantinople (and later, Athens) acquired such a role. (K. Pavliashvili). The Sixth World Council of Constantinople in 680 established the Athos Peninsula to be inhabited by monks scattered throughout the Greek archipelago, pursuant to Articles 18 and 42. The Emperor Constantine IV Pogonatus (668-680) approved a decree of the ecumenical council, relieved the monks of their duties imposed by the patriarch and subjected them to royal authority. Since then, Mount Athos has been known as the Republic of Monks. In the 10th-11th centuries, the monastic life on Mount Athos was well organized. Monks of different nationalities worked here, namely, Greeks, Georgians, Bulgarians, Russians and Serbs. Through the work of these monks, Mount Athos has become a pillar of Christianity.
ISSUES OF PATRIOTIC AND INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION IN GIORGI TAVZISHVILI’S PEDAGOGICAL THOUGHT
During the study of the scholarly legacy of Giorgi Tavzishvili (1902–1963), the famous representative of Georgian pedagogical thought, special attention should be paid to his works, which essentially determine his contribution to the history of Georgian pedagogical science after a long time since they have been written. From this perspective, particularly important are those works of the researcher in which he thoroughly examined the history of Georgian education, on the one hand, and the pedagogical views of Georgian public figures, on the other. As for G. Tavzishvili’s works, which he devoted to the analysis of the principles of upbringing and teaching, they are less valuable today due to the ideological spirit of that time. The very circumstance was essentially determined by the political situation at the time. However, many acceptable opinions regarding patriotism and internationalism are expressed in the above-mentioned works. From this point of view, special attention should be paid to the fact that G. Tavzishvili assumed a role of an active defender of the national and linguistic interests of the non-Russian nations that were part of the Soviet Union during the period of total Russification policy pursued by the Soviet government.
MATERIALS ON STRUCTURE OF QUAESTIONES AD THALASSIUM BY ST. MAXIMUS THE CONFESSOR AND ITS GELATI TRANSLATION (K-14) 1 2
Quaestiones ad Thalassium ( Question to Thalassi ) is one of the most important works within the patristic legacy of St. Maximus the Confessor. The essay is of exegetical nature. In the essay, the Reverend clarifies some of the difficult passages of the Scripture. The paper is written in the form of questions and answers. Reverend Thales, who sends questions to St. Maximus, is the one who initiates the selection of texts for interpretation. There are 65 questions in total. Quaestiones ad Thalassium was first translated by St. Euthymius the Athonite. The translation by Euthymius is incomplete. It reflects only twenty-six out of sixtyf ive questions and answers. A 12th-century codex containing the works of St. Maximus the Confessor is preserved at the Kutaisi State Historical Museum. It includes twenty-four works of the Holy Father, specifically, two exegetical works, the one titled with Pyrrhus, Disputation ten dogmatic and polemical treatises, and eleven epistles. One of the two above-mentioned exegetical works is the text of the Georgian translation Quaestiones ad Thalassium. of The Gelati translation is complete. It contains sixtyf ive detailed questions and answers. The manuscript text is still unexamined and unpublished. The paper discusses the structure of the Quaestiones ad Thalassium , taking into account both the original text and its Gelati translation. The correlation between the questions has been determined, in particular, in terms of semantics or bibliology, irre spective of whether their sequence has any underlying regularity. The study has found that the first thirty-five questions are not arranged by any legitimate principles, while questions 36-65 are based on the principle of bibliological sequence, in particular, the corresponding questions and answers are always from the same book of the Bible.
Mehmed Hussein Shahriyar within the Context of Georgian Literatur
Mehmed Hussein Shahriyar (1906-1988) was an prominent figure in 20th-century Turkish and Persian literature. His works demonstrate the highest level of poetic artistry and embody the beauty of Persian poetry that spans centuries.Shahriyar's name first appeared in the Georgian literary scene in 1967, when Davit Kobidze included his poems in a Persian Chrestomathy, which included a brief note about the poet: “Shahriyar is a very popular poet in Iran. The influence of motifs from Saadi, Shiraz, and Hafez is noticeable in his poems, evoking the essence of ancient verse. Still, he possesses a unique poetic voice and vision“. Tengiz Keshelava dedicated an extensive essay to Shahriyar, where he referred to him as a unique master of ghazals. The researcher examined Shahriyar's poems in detail and classified them into three groups: 1. Classical style poems, in which the influence of classical poets is clearly discernible; 2. Romantic poems that encompass personal feelings; 3. Poems that address social themes in a realistic manner.In 1973, Magali Todua, a renowned literary figure and translator of Persian poetry, traveled to Iran on a scientific mission. When Shahryar learned of his presence, he invited the Georgian researcher to his home, leaving Magali Todua with fond memories of their meeting.Shahryar is celebrated across the Turkic world for his poem Greetings to HaydarBaba, which has been translated into 80 languages. Oktay Kazumov rendered the text from Azerbaijani into Georgian as a direct translation, which was then artistically adapted by the Georgian Iranist and poet Nomadi Bartaia. He carefully aligned the 3+2 verse structure of the original with Georgian in order to adequately convey the spirit of the poem. In 2017, the Georgian translation was published through the efforts of the Council of Azerbaijani Elders of Georgia, with support from the Ministry of Culture of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
On the Georgian Translation of Eşref Yılmaz's Poetry
Eşref Yılmaz, also known as Goderdzi Makharadze, is the president of the Association of the Georgian Culture Center in Istanbul and the author of numerous books. Among his published works are poetry collections including The Color of the Heart and The Pain of Poetic Eyes, in addition to the finest examples of Georgian poetry translated into Turkish. The article addresses the collection of poems titled Tearful Poetry by Eşref Yılmaz, translated into Georgian. Renowned poet and literary scholar Omar Gvetadze completed the translation of these works. This publication was made possible through the support and financial aid of Akaki Tsereteli State University. Unquestionably, we approached the poetic works of our compatriot with great curiosity. The translator has clearly committed himself to the task and has masterfully rendered Eşref Yılmaz’s truly remarkable artistic world into our language. Entitled Poetry with Tears, this collection effectively captures the prevalent themes of sorrow and suffering. The poetic atmosphere, musicality, and thematic complexity of the original texts are excellently preserved in the translation, allowing readers to observe, envision, and appreciate the poet's creative potential. Eşref Yılmaz's poetic works offer a wonderful blend of imagination and thought. The poet's worldview and determination gradually captivate our minds with vivid metaphors and musicality. His message and themes are more than a mere collection of dry statements. The poet's perspective, together with its artistic transformation, is distinctly unique within the context of Georgian poetic traditions. However, it is important to acknowledge that the translator has succeeded in preserving the poet’s original vision while accurately rendering the structural and aesthetic characteristics of Turkish poetry. In this article, our aim has been to explore Eşref Yılmaz’s poetic world and, through selected passages, to highlight the importance of this volume and the translator’s accomplished technique.
Nodar Dumbadze’s Short Story The Return of Odysseus: A Reflection on Georgia’s Geopolitical Situation
Nodar Dumbadze’s short story The Return of Odysseus represents a distinctly unique narrative within his literary oeuvre, yet it has been largely overlooked by literary critics. Although the story provides highly engaging and rich material related to both literature and literary history, as well as contemporary issues in Georgia's recent history, it stands as a testament to artistic-documentary collaboration. Considering its contemporary context, the writer is compelled to represent reality using ambiguous statements and passages while also leaving an "escape route" open. Consequently, this approach inevitably creates significant opportunities for misinterpretation and even conflicting interpretations of the text, which can be resolved through a thorough understanding of the work's overall context and a detailed analysis. Earlier, we examined this story in another article, emphasizing that superficial interpretations have led to opinions suggesting that the writer disparages America’s development in favor of glorifying the Soviet Union. However, simply by analyzing the text in greater depth and considering the nature of the frequently encoded segments it contains, we find that the overall picture presents a completely opposite perspective. In our opinion, The Return of Odysseus is a work written with deep sorrow, frequently evoking in the reader an ineffable sensation of regret, melancholy, or grief, especially in Georgian readers. This sorrow may stem from concerns regarding national identity in some instances, from the diminishing significance of the Georgian language and literature in others, and elsewhere it reflects a sense of regret about limitations on democratization, lost opportunities, and a sense of being left behind in time. This work can be seen as a continuation of our previously mentioned article, since the focus of our ongoing inquiry also relies on the accurate reading of ambiguous segments and phrases. Consequently, it clearly highlights the writer's understanding of Georgia's geopolitical situation under Soviet conditions and constraints.
Identity of the Descendants of Kobuletian Muhajirs (Age and Gender Aspects)
In Turkey, the descendants of Kobuletian muhajirs are the most densely settled. Their ethnic identity is dynamic and multifactorial, shaped by both cultural memory and the sociocultural environment. The research reveals the significant roles of age and gender in the preservation and transformation of culture. The materials reflect intercultural dialogues and conflicts. Instead of assimilation, the study highlights the influence of Georgian agricultural expertise on Turks, including the introduction of crops such as hazelnuts, persimmons, and potatoes. However, Turks are currently economically stronger. Gender differences are distinctly expressed in marriage customs, mourning practices, and culinary traditions. Women are the main carriers of cultural memory, particularly evident in rituals of mourning and culinary practices. Alongside Georgian dishes such as ghomi, chadi, and pkhali, as well as traditional food-related terms like malakhto, pkhal-lobio, and khachapuri, the Turkish gastronomic vocabulary—chorba, surunji, tatli, and börek—is also widely used. There are distinct differences between Georgian and Turkish cuisine, particularly in the use of ingredients such as herbs, hazelnuts, and walnuts. Typically, Georgian dishes are served at wedding feasts. The customs surrounding funerals and mourning are rooted in Islam, where the deceased are typically buried on the same day, and the bereaved refrain from wearing black. Nonetheless, Christian elements persist in certain expressions (e.g., mama gitshkhonda, mamatskhonebuli: (lit.) may your father be blessed, the blessed one// May your father rest in peace// God rest your father's soul). Saint George is also mentioned in blessings. Cultural memory is reflected in the following idiom: rusi khum ar mogdevs? Is the Russian chasing you? The older generation has a strong command of Georgian, while younger people understand the language but are unable to communicate in it. They receive their education in Turkish, which considerably weakens their role in maintaining linguistic identity relative to the older generation. The traditions of hospitality are largely preserved. Marriage traditions have transformed; intermarriage is now accepted, however, there is still a tendency for Georgian women to avoid marrying Turks. Young people are making their own choices; parental influence has weakened, the role of matchmakers is disregarded, and some older practices (such as night weddings, excessive joking, and setting the table) are almost forgotten. Identity is best preserved in culinary traditions, although the impact of religious identity is significant: wine is not served at funerals or weddings. Unlike young people, the elderly maintain both their ethnic and cultural identities, as well as traditional agricultural practices.