The Mtatsminda Pantheon of Writers and Public Figures ( ka, მთაწმინდის მწერალთა და საზოგადო მოღვაწეთა პანთეონი, ''mtats'mindis mts'eralta da sazogado moghvats'eta p'anteoni'') is a

necropolis A necropolis (: necropolises, necropoles, necropoleis, necropoli) is a large, designed cemetery with elaborate tomb monuments. The name stems from the Ancient Greek ''nekropolis'' (). The term usually implies a separate burial site at a distan ...

Tbilisi Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი, ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), ( ka, ტფილისი, tr ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Georgia (country), largest city of Georgia ( ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

, where some of the most prominent writers, artists, scholars, and national heroes of Georgia are buried. It is located in the

churchyard In Christian countries, a churchyard is a patch of land adjoining or surrounding a church (building), church, which is usually owned by the relevant church or local parish itself. In the Scots language and in both Scottish English and Ulster S ...

around St David's Church " Mamadaviti" on the slope of Mount Mtatsminda (Geo. მთაწმინდა, meaning the Holy Mountain) and was officially established in 1929. Atop the mountain is

Mtatsminda Park Mtatsminda Park is a landscaped park located at the top of Mount Mtatsminda overlooking the Georgian capital Tbilisi. The park has carousels, water slides, a Roller coaster, roller-coaster, dark ride, funicular, and a big Ferris wheel at the edge ...

, an amusement park owned by the municipality of Tbilisi. The first celebrities to be buried at this place were the

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

n writer

Alexander Griboyedov Alexander Sergeyevich Griboyedov (; 15 January 179511 February 1829) was a Russian diplomat, playwright, poet, and composer. His one notable work is the 1823 verse comedy '' Woe from Wit''. He was Russia's ambassador to Qajar Persia, where he and ...

(1795–1829) and his Georgian wife

Nino Chavchavadze Princess Nino Chavchavadze (; also known as Nina Alexandrovna Griboyedova in a Russian manner) (November 4, 1812June 28, 1857) was a daughter of the famous Georgian ''knyaz'' (prince) and poet Alexander Chavchavadze and wife of Russian diplomat ...

(1812–1857). The Pantheon was officially opened in 1929 to mark the centenary of Griboyedov's death during his time as the Russian ambassador. The Pantheon was conceived of as a symbol of collective identity of Georgia. Since then, several illustrious Georgians have been buried or reburied there. The Pantheon is administered by the Government of Tbilisi and is frequented by locals as well as the city's visitors.

History

The Pantheon has a history that reflects some of Georgia's political turns.

Origins and Soviet Period

The earliest attempt to create a Pantheon in Tbilisi was the Pantheon of Kukia, which the Dramaturgical Society of Georgia began work on to honor its artists by 1900, but which had disappeared by the 1950s. Later, the

Society for Spreading Literacy Among Georgians A society () is a group of individuals involved in persistent social interaction or a large social group sharing the same spatial or social territory, typically subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations. Soc ...

managed to established the

Didube Pantheon The Didube Pantheon ( ka, დიდუბის მწერალთა და საზოგადო მოღვაწეთა პანთეონი) is a cemetery in Tbilisi, Georgia, where some of the most prominent writers, artists, sc ...

in 1915. In 1929, the

Government of the Soviet Union The Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) was the executive and administrative organ of the highest organ of state power, highest body of state authority, the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union, All-Union Supreme Soviet. It ...

, which controlled Georgia at the time, established another pantheon on a former cemetery near the

Mtatsminda Church The Mtatsminda Pantheon of Writers and Public Figures ( ka, მთაწმინდის მწერალთა და საზოგადო მოღვაწეთა პანთეონი, ''mtats'mindis mts'eralta da sazogado mo ...

; its opening was dedicated to the 100-year anniversary of

, who was buried there in 1829 with his wife (and whose grave had a sculpture of a mourning woman on it). Under Soviet rule, the Didube Pantheon was nearly abolished in the 1930s. There was an order issued in 1934 to remove unknown or unimportant tombs from Mtatsminda and to transfer some distinguished people, including

Nikoloz Baratashvili Prince Nikoloz "Tato" Baratashvili ( ka, ნიკოლოზ "ტატო" ბარათაშვილი; 4 December 1817 – 21 October 1845) was a Georgian poet. He was one of the first Georgians to marry modern nationalism with European ...

and

Vazha-Pshavela Vazha-Pshavela ( ka, ვაჟა-ფშაველა), simply referred to as Vazha ( ka, ვაჟა) (14 July 1861 – 10 July 1915), is the pen name of the Georgian poet and writer Luka Razikashvili ( ka, ლუკა რაზიკა� ...

from Didube to Mtatsminda; this order marked the fall of Didube's status and the rise of Mtatsminda's. In 1937, the pantheon's administration adopted regulations indicating that the decision-making council should consist mainly of government official, party members, and Georgian scholars. Because of the

totalitarian Totalitarianism is a political system and a form of government that prohibits opposition from political parties, disregards and outlaws the political claims of individual and group opposition to the state, and completely controls the public sph ...

system, it was easy to create the impression that the Mtatsminda Pantheon was the most desirable place of rest for Georgians, an impression which still persisted in 2014. Because of the presence of Bolshevik activists,

Konstantine Gamsakhurdia Konstantine Gamsakhurdia ( ka, კონსტანტინე გამსახურდია, tr) (May 3, 1893 – July 17, 1975) was a Georgians, Georgian writer and public figure. Educated and first published in Germany, he married West ...

apparently refused to be buried in the Pantheon. In 1987, explosives were placed on the grave of a Bolshevik widely believed to be involved in the assassination of

Ilia Chavchavadze Tavadi, Tavadi (Prince) Ilia Chavchavadze ( ka, ილია ჭავჭავაძე; 27 October 1837 – 12 September 1907) was a Georgians, Georgian journalist, publisher, writer and poet who spearheaded the revival of Georgian nationalism ...

, who is also buried in the Pantheon. Illustrating the contested character of the Mtatsminda Pantheon, Gamsakhurdia had earlier written that "Judas and Christ are mentioned together in every epoch, but nowhere before has it happened that Judas was buried next to Christ. This could only happen in our Georgian Mtatsminda cemetery."

Pantheon After Georgia's Independence in 1991

During the Saakashvili period (2004-2012), several changes were made, including the transfer of

Zviad Gamsakhurdia Zviad Konstantines dze Gamsakhurdia ( ka, ზვიად კონსტანტინეს ძე გამსახურდია; ; 31 March 1939 – 31 December 1993) was a Georgian politician, human rights activist, dissident, profes ...

's remains from the North Caucasus to the Mtatsminda Pantheon, as well as erecting a gravestone to some of the writers who were killed during the 1937 purges. In 2009,

Tbilisi City Hall Tbilisi City Hall ( ka, თბილისის მერია) is a body that provides executive-regulatory activities of the city of Tbilisi. The government consists of: the mayor, deputy mayors and heads of Tbilisi city services. Tbilisi ...

announced that the old Mtatsminda Pantheon had no more space and that there were ongoing consultations about a new one with the Patriarch of Georgia. In October 2009, the

vice-mayor The deputy mayor (also known as vice mayor and assistant mayor) is an elective or appointive office of the second-ranking official that is present in many local governments. Duties and functions Many elected deputy mayors are members of the loca ...

of Tbilisi declared, "a new place has to be selected, where a church can be erected and public funerals can be held. It is important to build the new pantheon at an especially good location, accessible for society and approved by society". However, since the official closure of the old site, there have been exceptions: Mukhran Machavariani was buried there in 2010 and

Chabua Amirejibi Mzechabuk "Chabua" Amirejibi, (often written as "Amiredjibi", ka, მზეჭაბუკ "ჭაბუა" ამირეჯიბი; 18 November 1921 – 12 December 2013) was a Georgian novelist and Soviet-era dissident notable for his ma ...

was buried there in 2013 (the latter of which caused controversy). In 2021, the remains of

Giorgi Kvinitadze Giorgi Kvinitadze ( ka, გიორგი კვინიტაძე; , ''Georgy Ivanovich Kvinitadze''; his real surname was House of Chikovani, Chikovani, ჩიქოვანი) (21 August 1874 – 7 August 1970) was a Georgia (country), G ...

, a commanding general of Georgia's First Republic, were reinterred on the Mtatsminda Pantheon, after being returned from France. As of 2014, there are three Pantheons in Tbilisi under city hall supervision, which are Mtatsminda Pantheon, Didube Pantheon, and Khojivank Pantheon (the last of which is

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian diaspora, Armenian communities around the ...

List of burials

* Vaso Abashidze (1854–1926), Georgian theater actor and director (1926) *

Veriko Anjaparidze Veriko Ivlianes asuli Anjaparidze, : , (30 January 1987) was a Soviet and Georgian stage and film actress. Life and career Andjaparidze was born in Kutaisi and studied at the Aidarov Drama Studio in Moscow in 1916–1917 and at the Aleksand ...

(1897–1987), Georgian theater and movie actress (1987) *

(1817–1845), Georgian

romanticist Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) was an artistic and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century. The purpose of the movement was to advocate for the importance of subjec ...

poet (1938, reburied from

) *

Vasil Barnovi Vasil Barnovi ( ka, ვასილ ბარნოვი) (real surname: Barnaveli, ბარნაველი) (May 22, 1856 – November 4, 1934) was a Georgian writer popular for his historical novels. He was born into the family of a prie ...

(1856–1934), Georgian novelist (1934) *

Nikoloz Berdzenishvili Nikoloz (Niko) Aleksandres dze Berdzenishvili ( ka, ნიკოლოზ (ნიკო) ალექსანდრეს ძე ბერძენიშვილი; January 9, 1895 – July 16, 1965) was a Soviet and Georgian historian who ser ...

(1894–1965), Georgian historian (1965) *

Vakhtang Chabukiani Vakhtang Mikheilis dze Chabukiani (March 12, 1910April 6, 1992) was a Soviet and Georgian ballet dancer, choreographer and teacher. He is considered to be one of the most influential male ballet dancers of the 20th century, and is noted for crea ...

(1910–1992), Georgian ballet dancer (1992) *

(Saint Ilia the Righteous) (1837–1907), Georgian writer and public figure (1907); and his wife Olgha Guramishvili (1842–1927) (1927) *

Zakaria Chichinadze Zakaria Chichinadze ( ka, ზაქარია ჭიჭინაძე; 1854 – 27 December 1931) was a self-educated Georgian literary critic, bibliophile, historian, and a book publisher. Early years Zakaria Chichinadze was born in Tiflis ( ...

(1853–1931), Georgian amateur historian and publisher (1931) * Simon Chikovani (1902–1966), Georgian poet and public figure (1966) *

Otar Chiladze Otar Chiladze ( ka, ოთარ ჭილაძე; March 20, 1933 — October 1, 2009) was a Georgian writer who played a prominent role in the resurrection of Georgian prose in the post-Joseph Stalin era. His novels characteristically fuse Su ...

(1933–2009), Georgian writer (2009) *

Kakutsa Cholokashvili Kaikhosro "Kakutsa" Cholokashvili ( ka, ქაიხოსრო ��აქუცაჩოლოყაშვილი; ; , ''Kaikhosro Chelokayev''; born 14 July 1888 – 27 June 1930) was a Georgian military officer and a commander of an anti-So ...

(1888–1930), Georgian national hero and fighter against the

Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

regime (2005, reburied from

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

) *

Shalva Dadiani Shalva Dadiani ( ka, შალვა დადიანი; May 21, 1874 – March 15, 1959) was a Georgian novelist, playwright, and actor. Born in Zestaponi, western Georgia (then Kutais Governorate of Russian Empire), into the family of a writ ...

(1874–1959), Georgian playwright and actor (1959) *

Nodar Dumbadze Nodar Dumbadze ( ka, ნოდარ დუმბაძე, July 14, 1928 – September 4, 1984) was a Georgian writer. Biography Born in Guria, he graduated from the Faculty of Economics at Tbilisi State University in 1950. His first poems an ...

(1928–1984), Georgian writer (2009, reburied from Mziuri Park * (1847–1890), Georgian journalist, translator and playwright (1930, reburied from Kaloubani Church) *

(1939–1993), Soviet-era

dissident A dissident is a person who actively challenges an established political or religious system, doctrine, belief, policy, or institution. In a religious context, the word has been used since the 18th century, and in the political sense since the 2 ...

and the first democratically elected

President of Georgia The president of Georgia ( ka, საქართველოს პრეზიდენტი, tr) is the ceremonial head of state of Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U ...

(2007, reburied from

Grozny Grozny (, ; ) is the capital city of Chechnya, Russia. The city lies on the Sunzha River. According to the 2021 Russian census, 2021 census, it had a population of 328,533 — up from 210,720 recorded in the 2002 Russian Census, 2002 ce ...

) *

Keke Geladze Ekaterine Giorgis asuli GeladzeIn Russian, her name was Екатерина Георгиевна Геладзе, ''Ekaterina Georgievna Geladze'' (1856/1858 – 4 June 1937) was the mother of Joseph Stalin. She was commonly known as Keke. Born ...

(1858–1937), mother of

Joseph Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Dzhugashvili; 5 March 1953) was a Soviet politician and revolutionary who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until Death and state funeral of Joseph Stalin, his death in 1953. He held power as General Secret ...

(1937) *

Iakob Gogebashvili Iakob Gogebashvili ( ka, იაკობ გოგებაშვილი) (October 27, 1840 – June 1, 1912) was a Georgian educator, children’s writer and journalist, considered to be the founder of the scientific pedagogy in Georgia. Throu ...

(1840–1912), Georgian writer and educator (1940, reburied from

(1795–1829), Russian writer (1829); and his wife

(1812–1857) (1857) *

Ioseb Grishashvili Ioseb Grishashvili ( ka, იოსებ გრიშაშვილი) was a pen name of Ioseb Mamulishvili (Georgian: ; born 12 April/24 April 1889 – died 3 August 1965) was a noted poet and historian from Georgia. A history museum in Tbilisi ...

(1889–1965), Georgian writer, poet and scholar (1965) *

Lado Gudiashvili Lado Gudiashvili ( ka, ლადო გუდიაშვილი; 30 March 1896 – 20 July 1980) was a Georgian painter. Life Gudiashvili was born into a family of a railroad employee. He studied in the Tbilisi school of sculpture and fin ...

(1896–1980), Georgian painter (1980) *

Olga Guramishvili-Nikoladze Olga Guramishvili-Nikoladze ( ka, ოლღა გურამიშვილი-ნიკოლაძე, 29 July 1855 – 24 May 1940) was a Georgian biologist and educator. One of the first women to study abroad, she earned a degree in pedag ...

(1855–1940), Georgian educator (1940) *

Simon Janashia Simon Janashia ( ka, სიმონ ჯანაშია; July 13, 1900 – November 5, 1947) was a Georgia (country), Georgian historian and public figure. He was a professor of history and one of the founding members of the Georgian Academy of ...

(1900–1947), Georgian historian (1947) *

Mose Janashvili Mose Janashvili ( ka, მოსე ჯანაშვილი) (19 March 1855 – 19 April 1934) was a Georgian historian, ethnographer, and linguist. He was born into a Georgian Ingilo community at Qakh (now Azerbaijan). Educated at Tbilisi an ...

(1855–1934), Georgian historian (1934) * Ana Kalandadze (1924–2008), Georgian poet (2008) *

Akaki Khorava Akaki Aleksis dze Khorava (23 June 1972) was a Georgian and Soviet actor, theater director and pedagogue. He appeared in more than fifteen films from 1924 to 1965. He is best known for his performances in '' The Great Warrior Skanderbeg'' and ' ...

(1895–1972), Georgian actor (1972) * Leo Kiacheli (1884–1963), Georgian writer (1963) *

Dimitri Kipiani Prince Dimitri Ivanes dze Kipiani ( ka, დიმიტრი ყიფიანი alternatively spelled as Qipiani) (April 14, 1814 – October 24, 1887) was a Georgian statesman, publicist, writer and translator. A leader of Georgia's liberal ...

(1814–1887), Georgian journalist and public figure (1887) *

Davit Kldiashvili David Kldiashvili ( ka, დავით კლდიაშვილი, ''Davit' Kldiašvili'') (August 29, 1862 – April 24, 1931) was a Georgian prose-writer whose novels and plays are concentrated on the degeneration of the country’s gentry ...

(1862–1931), Georgian writer (1931) * Merab Kostava (1939–1989), Soviet-era

and national hero of Georgia (1989) *

Giorgi Leonidze Giorgi Leonidze ( ka, გიორგი ლეონიძე) (27 December 1899 – 9 August 1966) was a Georgian poet, prose writer, and literary scholar. Biography Leonidze was born in the village of Patardzeuli in the eastern Georgian ...

(1899–1966), Georgian poet (1966) *

Kote Marjanishvili Konstantine "Kote" Marjanishvili ( ka, კონსტანტინე (კოტე) მარჯანიშვილი), also known by the Russified name Konstantin Aleksandrovich Mardzhanov () (May 28, 1872 – April 17, 1933), was a Geor ...

(1872–1933), Georgian theatre director (1964, reburied from Pantheon of

Georgian National Opera Theater The Georgian National Opera and Ballet Theater of Tbilisi ( ka, თბილისის ოპერისა და ბალეტის სახელმწიფო აკადემიური თეატრი, tr), formerly known as ...

) *

Nikoloz Muskhelishvili Nikoloz (Niko) Muskhelishvili ( ka, ნიკოლოზ (ნიკო) მუსხელიშვილი ; – 15 July 1976) was a Soviet Georgian mathematician, physicist and engineer who was one of the founders and first President (1941– ...

(1891–1976), Georgian mathematician (1976) *

Niko Nikoladze Niko Nikoladze ( ka, ნიკო ნიკოლაძე, 27 September 1843 – 5 June 1928) was a Georgian writer and public figure primarily known for his contributions to the development of Georgian liberal journalism and his involvement in v ...

(1843–1928), Georgian journalist and public benefactor (1928) *

Iakob Nikoladze Iakob Nikoladze ( ka, იაკობ ნიკოლაძე; , 1876, Kutaisi – March 10, 1951, Tbilisi) was a Georgian nobleman, sculptor and artist. Member of the USSR Academy of Arts from 1947. Biography By birth, he was a member of a ...

(1876–1951), Georgian sculptor (1951) * (1868–1934), Georgian conductor (1934) * Galaktion Tabidze (1891–1959), Georgian poet (1959) *

Ekvtime Takaishvili Ekvtime Takaishvili (sometimes anglicised as Euthymius Takaishvili, also spelled Taqaishvili, ; 3 January, 1862 – 21 February, 1953) was a Georgian historian, archaeologist, public benefactor and Eastern Orthodox saint. Born in the village of ...

(1862–1953), Georgian historian and archaeologist * (1844–1929), Georgian linguist (1929) *

Akaki Tsereteli Count Akaki Tsereteli ( ka, აკაკი წერეთელი) (1840–1915), often mononymously known as Akaki, was a prominent Georgian poet and national liberation movement figure. Early life and education Tsereteli was born in the vi ...

(1840–1915), Georgian poet (1915) *

Grigol Tsereteli Grigol Tsereteli ( ka, გრიგოლ წერეთელი; March 12, 1870 – 1938) was a distinguished Georgian scientist, one of the founders of Papyrology, founder of the Georgian scientific school of Classical Philology, Doctor o ...

(1870–1938), Georgian papyrologist (1938) *

Mikhail Tskhakaya Mikhail Grigoryevich Tskhakaya ( ka, მიხეილ გრიგოლის ძე ცხაკაია, ; 4 May 1865 – 19 March 1950), also known as Barsov, was a Georgian revolutionary and Soviet politician. Barsov was a senior leader i ...

(1865–1950), Georgian communist (1950, reburied to Khudadov Forest Cemetery in 1989) * Anastasia Tumanishvili-Tsereteli (1849–1932), Georgian woman writer (1932) *

(1861–1915), Georgian poet (1935, reburied from

) * Ilia Vekua (1907–1977), Georgian mathematician (1977) *

Sergo Zakariadze Sergo Zakariadze ( ka, სერგო ზაქარიაძე ; – 12 April 1971) was a Soviet and Georgian stage and film actor and pedagogue. He was awarded the honorary title of People's Artist of the USSR in 1958. Zakariadze was b ...

(1909–1971), Georgian actor (1971) * Solomon Dodashvili (1805–1836), Georgian philosopher, journalist, historian, grammarian, belletrist and enlightener (1994, reburied from Kirov) *

(1921–2013), Georgian novelist and Soviet-era dissident (2013) *

Niko Pirosmani Nikoláy Aslánovich Pirosmanashvíli ( ka, ნიკოლოზ ფიროსმანაშვილი, Nik’oloz Phirosmanashvili) or Niko Pirosmani ( ka, ნიკო ფიროსმანი, Nik’o Pirosmani), Mononymous person, s ...

(1862–1918), Georgian artist * Jansug Charkviani (1931–2017), Georgian poet (2017) *

(1874–1970), Georgian general (2021, reburied from

)

References

External links