House Museum of Galaktion and Titsian Tabidze: Poetry and History

Museum of Georgian poets Galaktion and Titian Tabidze is located in the village of Chkvishi.

"The King of Poetry" Galaktion Tabidze (1891-1959) was educated at the Kutaisi primary school and theological schools Kutaisi and Tbilisi. In 1918 he graduated from the Moscow Directing Courses for Stage Lovers. In 1922-23 he founded his own literary organ "Galaktion Tabidze's Magazine".

In 1935 Galaktion became a member of the Presidium of the World Congress for the Defense of Culture in Paris. In 1944 he was elected a full member of the Academy of Sciences of Georgia. He published his first poems in 1908, and his first collection in 1914 in Kutaisi.

Because of the poem "Memories of the Days That Flew Away" published in 1924 in the magazine "Mnatobi", the poet was arrested and the entire print run of the magazine was destroyed. In 1936 Galaktion's wife, Olga Okudzhava, was exiled; she was shot in 1941. Since 1933 Galaktion Tabidze has been a People's Poet of Georgia. He is the author of such masterpieces of modern Georgian poetry as "The Moon of Mtatsminda", "Blue Horses", "Me and the Night", "Without Love", "Azure, or a Rose in the Sand" and others.

Titian Tabidze (1895-1937) – symbolist poet. Writer, one of the founders, leader and theorist of the symbolist order "Blue Horns". Studied at the Kutaisi Theological School, classical gymnasium, and at the philological faculty of Moscow University. From 1917 he worked in Tbilisi in the newspaper "Sakartvelo", in the magazine "Blue Horns". Edited the newspaper "Barrikada". In 1937, Titian Tabidze was arrested and executed on charges of anti-Soviet activity.

Titian Tabidze wrote magnificent miniatures, essays, letters, literary sketches, translations, remarkable poems and verses: “…and the red cap of Garibaldi”, “At Ananuri”, “Jewish melody”, “Tbilisi night”, “Landslide poem”, “Blue Eden”, “The robbers killed me on Aragvi” and others.

The Museum of Georgian Poets Galaktion and Titian Tabidze is a collection of personal belongings and manuscripts of two prominent Georgian poets. The museum has become a center for the study of the lives and works of Galaktion and Titian Tabidze.

The house museums of Galaktion and Titsian Tabidze stand in the village of Chkvishi in Vani Municipality, where both poets were born. In 2008 a legal entity of public law under the Ministry of Culture of Georgia was set up on the basis of the two house museums (Decree of the President of Georgia No. 48 of 31.01.2008).

Every year on 2 April the museum hosts Titsianoba, a celebration dedicated to Titsian Tabidze (Imereti regional administration).

Galaktion Tabidze died on 17 March 1959 in Tbilisi and is buried in the Mtatsminda Pantheon (Georgian Encyclopedia). Please check opening hours and admission with the museum by phone.

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