A photo exhibition and presentation of a documentary “Svimon Kldiashvili – the First Georgian Certified Architect” by Nino Kakulia, editor of a newspaper Tbilisis Universiteti (co-authors: Salome Chanturidze and Mariam Gurgenidze), was held at the Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University (TSU) on October 15 on the sideline of the events dedicated to the 150th birth anniversary of Svimon Kldiashvili. Svimon Kldiashvili’s projects and photos of his buildings kept at the National Archives of Georgia, National Museum of Georgia and Korneli Kekelidze National Center of Manuscripts, as well as new photo materials were exhibited.
Rector of the Tbilisi State University, Academician Vladimer Papava, academic staff, government officials and students attended the event.
Rector Papava said: “In Georgia, the university is associated with that very building where we have gathered today. However, this building was not built for the university; it had an absolutely different history. Many people do not know about it; neither do they know about those persons, who were in the forefront of the entire process. One of them is architect Svimon Kldiashvili. We want to inform the society about it to let them know the names of our honorary compatriots – particularly the history of construction of Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University and the person, who created it. Taking into consideration the proposal received from students, 2015 was announced as the Year of Svimon Kldiashvili. Several months ago the bust of Svimon Kldiashvili was unveiled in the courtyard of TSU.”
“An exhibition of a famous Georgian architect Svimon Kldiashvili is being held inside the walls of our university. He was the first professional architect and separation of old and new Tbilisi, on the one hand, and merger of national and European traditions, on the other, is linked with his name,” Head of TSU Library, Zurab Gaiparashvili said.
“The exhibition is dedicated to Svimon Kldiashvili’s 150th anniversary, where his projects, new and old photos of buildings are exhibited. Kldiashvili has created the projects of about 65 buildings, 25 of which were implemented. A documentary by Nino Kakulia will also be shown in the conference hall. It will help popularize Svimon Kldiashvili’s name,” Salome Chanturidze, art critic, said.
By order of TSU Rector Vladimer Papava, 2015 was announced as the Year of Svimon Kldiashvili.
The Tbilisi State University marks Svimon Kldiashvili’s anniversary with a number of cultural and educational events (unveiling of a bust; holding of an exhibition and a conference; a documentary about Svimon Kldiashvili’s life and activity, etc.).
