Centenary of World War I: female photographer captures history at the Caucasus Front

The Dimitri Shevardnadze National Gallery (usually just referred to as The National Gallery) on Rustaveli Street in Tbilisi is currently displaying the exhibition: ‘The Caucasus Front through Nino Jorjadze’s Camera Lens’ to mark the centenary of World War I. Nino Jorjadze was a female war photographer.

Jorjadze was the first Georgian woman photographer to capture a series of World War I scenes in the region at the Caucasus Front from 1914-1918. During WWI Georgians served in the military of the Russian Empire. For the first time, The National Gallery is exhibiting her photographs, letters, diaries, documents and personal items. There are also photographs of Nino Jorjadze and her family on display, most had to be restored by the Georgian National Museum’s photo-paper conservation laboratory. The Ministry of Culture and Monument Protection of Georgia has also released a book-album of her work, entitled ‘World War I through the Eyes of a Georgian Woman.’ The photographs are from battles at Sarikamish, Kars, Begli-Akhet, Bitlis, Karakamis, Nazik, Anis, and Selim.

The exhibition is on display from June 17 to July 17, 2015, as part of the global events for the 100th anniversary of World War I.

Nino Jorjadze (1884-1968), was born in Tbilisi to mother, Tamar Bagration-Mukhraneli (1855-1940), and father, Zakhari Jorjadze (1847-1895). She had two brothers, Alexander (1880-1939) and Giorgi (1882-1918). She studied French in Paris before returning to attend a nursing course with the Sister of Charity at the Mikhail Hospital in Tbilisi. In 1914 she volunteered with the International Red Cross as WWI commenced, joining the second advanced detachment. She saw military action with from the very beginning of the conflict. She was awarded the St. George Medal for Bravery in 1915.

The photographs are from archival materials from the private collection of Alexander Bagrationi. Much of the diaries were written in Russian (most were destroyed), but some entries were in French. She took the photographs with her brother Giorgi’s Kodak camera. The collection on display is extensive and exceptionally interesting.

www.museum.ge

Comments

Pir-E-Kamil - The Perfect Mentor by Umera Ahmed: book review

The Perfect Mentor pbuh (2011) is set in Lahore and Islamabad in Pakistan. The novel commences with Imama Mubeen in medical university. She wants to be an eye specialist. Her parents have arranged for her to marry her first cousin Asjad. Salar Sikander, her neighbour, is 18 years old with an IQ of 150+ and a photographic memory. He has long hair tied in a ponytail. He imbibes alcohol, treats women disrespectfully and is generally a “weird chap” and a rude, belligerent teenager. In the past three years he has tried to commit suicide three times. He tries again. Imama and her brother, Waseem, answer the servant’s call to help Salar. They stop the bleeding from his wrist and save his life. Imama and Asjad have been engaged for three years, because she wants to finish her studies first. Imama is really delaying her marriage to Asjad because she loves Jalal Ansar. She proposes to him and he says yes. But he knows his parents won’t agree, nor will Imama’s parents. ...

The acacia thorn trees of Kenya

There are nearly 800 species of acacia trees in the world, and most don’t have thorns. The famous "whistling thorn tree" and the Umbrella Thorn tree of Kenya are species of acacia that do have thorns, or spines. Giraffes and other herbivores normally eat thorny acacia foliage, but leave the whistling thorn alone. Usually spines are no deterrent to giraffes. Their long tongues are adapted to strip the leaves from the branches despite the thorns. The thorny acacia like dry and hot conditions. The thorns typically occur in pairs and are 5-8 centimetres (2-3 inches) long. Spines can be straight or curved depending on the species. MARTINA NICOLLS is an international aid and development consultant, and the author of:- Similar But Different in the Animal Kingdom (2017), The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Suda...

Shindi: the Georgian Cornelian cherry

The Cornelian cherry – shindi in Georgian – is a fruit with medicinal and decorative properties. It was grown from ancient times, according to the International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS). It is also commonly called the European cornel. It is native to southern Europe from France to Ukraine as well as Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, Turkey, Israel, Lebanon, and Syria. The Cornelian cherry tree ( Cornus mas ) can be grown in orchards, but it is often seen in the forests of Georgia where it grows up to 1,350 metres above sea level. It is a medium to large deciduous tree, growing from 5-12 metres tall. The flowers are small with four yellow petals in clusters, which flower in February and March. The Cornus mas has three botanical varieties: (1) var. typica Sanadze with cylindrical red fruits, (2) var. pyriformis Sanadze with pear-shaped red fruits, and (3) var. flava vest with yellow fruits. The fruits are oblong red drupes about 2 centimetres ...

FEAST OR FAMINE

Search This Blog