Mosaic of Tsereteli at the Palace of Culture - work, symbols and folklore

The mosaic at the Palace of Culture of Trade Unions in the Saburtalo district is the first large-scale work of Zurab Tsereteli in his native Tbilisi. Created in 1970–1971, it occupies 550 m² of the façade of a building on Vazha-Pshavela Avenue and is considered one of the most striking mosaics in the city.

The central idea of ​​the panel - "Man, work - the meaning and beauty of existence" - is embodied through symbolism, ornament and mood, without straightforward illustrativeness. Among the folklore images one can discern suns, moons, fantastic beasts and human figuresinscribed in the natural cycle. The work is made in the spirit of monumental abstraction, conveying the dynamics and rhythm of life through color and shape.

This panel is not just a decoration, but a visual manifesto about the harmony of man and nature, which comes to life against the background of the concrete architecture of late modernism.

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