My Georgian Journey

My relationship with Georgia goes all the way back to the late 1970’s. I was a member of a group of American students studying Russian in Leningrad and, as luck would have it, our program included a memorable three-day trip to Tbilisi. I felt even then that we were in a completely different culture, though it was part of the USSR. I remember walking down Rustaveli, throngs of people strolling about, talking loudly, laughing, looking at us curiously. We had to climb up a steep cobblestone street to reach our hotel that was actually a wonderful, old wooden house, probably from the 19^th century. To this day I am amazed at how this tiny nation has been able to preserve its unique culture and language despite centuries of foreign invasion. The people there seem to have a strong sense of their heritage, and I understand why! Their music, contemporary or traditional, is fantastic. And I believe that Georgian has the world’s prettiest alphabet! The letters are gorgeous. Maybe it’s the hanging grapevines that led to the Georgians creating those curly, curving, hanging letters of the beautiful Georgian alphabet. The beauty of the language eventually compelled me to start studying it, but it is so difficult!

I returned to Georgia in 2007 with my wife, Liya, who was born and raised in Tbilisi and wanted to reconnect with her homeland after emigrating in 1992. Since then, we have visited Georgia numerous times. Over the years I have come to know her friends and relatives closely. They call me Dato, the Georgian name closest to Dwight, or “sidze,” which means brother-in-law. We have traveled extensively throughout the country, often just hanging out with friends, sharing amazing meals and wine, and enjoying the rich natural scenery. I guess that, yes, I fell in love with this country and the people that we know there. I believe that fate, through Liya, brought me back to Georgia after all those years

Being situated at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, Georgia offers a truly unique blend of diverse artistic traditions. These include Greek and Byzantine influences, echoes of the Renaissance, European art, and Persian/Ottoman traditions. I truly admire the works of renowned artists such as Elene Akhvlediani, Lado Gudiashvili, David Kakabadze, and many more. And there are many outstanding contemporary painters, like Irakli Parjiani, Tamaz Khutsishvili and others, as we learned by visiting the museums and galleries of Tbilisi. What I love about Georgian artists is that they have their own way of interpreting realism and impressionism. This seems to have struck a chord in me. I was so inspired by what I saw that I decided to take painting classes from a Georgian artist in Tbilisi. I am extremely grateful to my excellent teacher for the knowledge that she shared with me.

From the balcony of the apartment we often stay in we can see the rooftops of the city, the walls of the ancient Narikala fortress and the mythical Caucasus Mountain range in the distance. I could not refrain from taking out my sketchbook. I also took to drawing some of the street scenes that I came across while wandering through the old town.

And finally, I literally everyday follow the events unfolding in Georgia and worry about the country and the people that we are close to. Liya’s nephew who was at the protests on Rustaveli was beaten up by police and thrown in jail for seven days. Georgia is once again fighting for its future! I hope that common sense prevails, and that Georgia will carve its path to freedom.