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Georgian National Museum: cultural networking


The Georgian National Museum (GNM), located near Freedom Square (Tavisuplebis Moedani) on Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi, was established on December 30, 2004, by a Presidential decree. Its origins, however, date back to the founding of the Museum of the Caucasian Department of the Russian Royal Geographic Society in 1852. The GNM is actually a network of museums and art galleries from around the country, such as the Museum of Fine Art; the Open Air Museum of Ethnography, regional history museums, the National Gallery, and the Museum of the Soviet Occupation 1921-1991.

The establishment of the Georgian National Museum is considered to be the beginning of structural, institutional, and legal reforms in the field of cultural heritage. The reform envisages introducing modern management schemes and establishing a homogeneous administration system. This initiative aims at elaborating a coherent museum policy, improving the safety conditions for preserved collections, strengthening the education policy in the museum field, and coordinating academic and museum activities.

After recent renovations, the main exhibition building of the GNM is an expansive cultural space with light, airy halls of high ceilings and effective lighting. The hazy grey façade with its stately black doors open to egg-shell walls and a sweeping double-sided stairway. In the basement is the Simon Janashia Museum Archaeological Treasury displaying gold and silver artifacts of the Kingdom of Kartli from the 3rd millennium BC to the 4th century AD. Gold, silver, ruby and carnelian jewelry, and ornaments of bulls, ducks and eagles are exhibited in grand inset cabinets. The Medieval Museum, located on the third floor, will open soon. On the fourth floor is the permanent Museum of the Soviet Occupation 1921-1991 with videos, photographs, military uniforms, documents, and artifacts.

The Art Museum of Georgia, officially known as Shalva Amiranashvili Museum of Fine Arts is located near the Georgian National Museum. It opened as the National Art Gallery in 1920 and became known as the Art Museum in 1950 when it was relocated to the building it now occupies. The building was constructed in 1838 in neoclassic style. In December 2004 it was placed under the joint administration, with several other museums, forming the Georgian National Museum, and possesses around 140,000 items of Georgian, Oriental, Russian, and European art.

The GNM works in partnership with the Smithsonian Institution, the University of Barcelona, the Alexander Dumas Centre for the French Culture and Language, the Goethe Institute, the Tbilisi Ilia Chavchavadze State University, the Tbilisi City Hall, the Department of Tourism and Resorts of Georgia, the Tbilisi Botanic Garden, the Institute of Botany, the Institute of Zoology, and the Studio Milou Architecture.


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