Very cool Hans. These spots are great. Next time you are near Chiatura, Poalo Iashvili's house museum is well worth a visit.
Thought you might be interested in what Lasha Bughadze writes about Kipiani's death in Georgia Against Stalin:
"At the seminary, speaking Georgian was strictly forbidden. A harsh, militaristic discipline reigned. Yet by the late 1880s, the seminary had become a hotbed of defiance and revolutionary fervor, driven in part by reactionary policies of Alexander III. These counter-reforms marked an era of terror following the assassination of Tsar Alexander II by Narodnaya Volya — “The People’s Will.” This radical group was a precursor to the Bolsheviks and seemed to step straight out of the pages of Dostoevsky’s Demons into the streets of Petersburg.
"One such act of defiance was the murder of the seminary rector, Pavel Chudetsk, by a student named Ioseb Laghiashvili — what followed is a well-known chapter in Georgian history. At Chudetsk's funeral, Exarch Pavle Lebedev publically cursed the Georgian people, sparking popular outrage. In response, the prominent Georgian statesman Dmitri Kipiani demanded an apology. His insolence cost him dearly: he was exiled and, a few months later, murdered in Stavropol. How dare he suggest that the Exarch should leave Georgia!
"His funeral, led by Ilia Chavchavadze and Akaki Tsereteli, turned into a demonstration against the Russian government. Akaki Tsereteli dedicated his famous conceptual poem “Dawn” to Kipiani’s memory, marking the era’s first great poetic proclamation of national pride. This poem became a powerful symbol of Georgian national awakening, capturing the struggle for independence and dignity in the face of imperial oppression…
"And it was through this very poem that Jordania came to understand that Georgia was a conquered nation — “I had not heard this concept anywhere before,” he later said…"
Oliver Reisner kindly pointed me to his excellent publication on this -- alas only in German at this point, but that tells the story of Kipiani in more detail, see here, open access. Cannot recommend that enough.
John Graham kindly pointed out that Kipiani also played a role in promoting Georgian liturgical chant -- and you can indeed find several references to Kipiani (spelled "Qipiani") in John's excellent dissertation, see here: https://johnagraham.com/dissertation/
Very cool Hans. These spots are great. Next time you are near Chiatura, Poalo Iashvili's house museum is well worth a visit.
Thought you might be interested in what Lasha Bughadze writes about Kipiani's death in Georgia Against Stalin:
"At the seminary, speaking Georgian was strictly forbidden. A harsh, militaristic discipline reigned. Yet by the late 1880s, the seminary had become a hotbed of defiance and revolutionary fervor, driven in part by reactionary policies of Alexander III. These counter-reforms marked an era of terror following the assassination of Tsar Alexander II by Narodnaya Volya — “The People’s Will.” This radical group was a precursor to the Bolsheviks and seemed to step straight out of the pages of Dostoevsky’s Demons into the streets of Petersburg.
"One such act of defiance was the murder of the seminary rector, Pavel Chudetsk, by a student named Ioseb Laghiashvili — what followed is a well-known chapter in Georgian history. At Chudetsk's funeral, Exarch Pavle Lebedev publically cursed the Georgian people, sparking popular outrage. In response, the prominent Georgian statesman Dmitri Kipiani demanded an apology. His insolence cost him dearly: he was exiled and, a few months later, murdered in Stavropol. How dare he suggest that the Exarch should leave Georgia!
"His funeral, led by Ilia Chavchavadze and Akaki Tsereteli, turned into a demonstration against the Russian government. Akaki Tsereteli dedicated his famous conceptual poem “Dawn” to Kipiani’s memory, marking the era’s first great poetic proclamation of national pride. This poem became a powerful symbol of Georgian national awakening, capturing the struggle for independence and dignity in the face of imperial oppression…
"And it was through this very poem that Jordania came to understand that Georgia was a conquered nation — “I had not heard this concept anywhere before,” he later said…"
oh, that is excellent. I had not been aware of that passage!
A wonderful read!
Oliver Reisner kindly pointed me to his excellent publication on this -- alas only in German at this point, but that tells the story of Kipiani in more detail, see here, open access. Cannot recommend that enough.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/235694319_Zwischen_Zarentreue_und_ethnischer_Selbstvergewisserung_der_'Fall'_Dimit'ri_Qipiani_und_die_Georgier_1885_-_1887_Between_Loyalty_to_the_Tsar_and_Ethnic_Self-Assertion_Dimitri_Qipianis'_Case_and_the_Ge
John Graham kindly pointed out that Kipiani also played a role in promoting Georgian liturgical chant -- and you can indeed find several references to Kipiani (spelled "Qipiani") in John's excellent dissertation, see here: https://johnagraham.com/dissertation/