Shota Rustaveli 850 exhibition: a vast collection of book editions of The Knight in the Panther's Skin

From 26 May to 12 June 2017 the Georgian National Museum (Simon Janashia Museum of Georgia) is holding an exhibition dedicated to the 850 years anniversary of Shota Rustaveli, Georgia’s famous 12^th century poet.

The exhibition showcases unique editions of Shota Rustaveli’s famous epic poem ‘The Knight in the Panther’s Skin.’ It is a long poem of 1,656 verses, separated by chapters. It was first printed in 1712, and has undergone many translations.

The exhibition is Guram Akhalaia's private collection – an almost complete collection in Georgian and foreign languages of various editions. The collector started to amass the editions of "The Knight in the Panther's Skin" 50 years ago initially in Georgian and Russian, but later in other languages.

Today Guram Akhalaia’s personal library contains more than 450 different editions, including Georgian editions since 1712 to the present times, as well as the poem’s translations in 51 different languages. The most valuable component of the collection is the 1712 King Vakhtang VI edition.

The collection has more than 70 editions with the autographs and interesting inscriptions by presidents and honoured people such as UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova, as well as Alain Delon, Maya Plisetskaya, Evgeny Kissin, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Monseratt Caballe, Placido Domingo, Yevgeny Yevtushenko and many more.

Georgian editions also feature autographs of Cathalicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II, and Rustvelologists - writers, poets, and actors from Rustaveli Theatre.

The private library of Guram Akhalaia, in addition to the 450 editions of "The Knight in the Panther's Skin" also consists of more than 100 books about Shota Rustaveli. There are also more than 5,000 miniature books, the smallest of which is 1.8 x 2.2 mm. Among these miniature editions is one with the autograph of astronaut Alexey Leonov. "The Knight in the Panther's Skin" was among the rare artifacts that were dispatched from earth to space.

At the exhibition is the handwritten "The Knight in the Panther's Skin of the 21^st Century’’, which was created from 2003-2016, under the guidance of Guram Akhalaia. Each page was handwritten by momentous people of the 21^st century - members of Holy Synod, scientists, writers, poem translators, artists, athletes, actors and Rustavelologists. The whole manuscript is decorated by artist-restorer Lia Sikharulidze, with examples from her own collection. The exhibition also showcases original illustrations by famous artists created especially for the manuscript.

1846 edition

1875 edition

1899 edition

1934 edition

1966 Belarusan edition, translated by M. Khvedarovich & A. Zvonak, with the autograph of President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko

1966 Azerbaijan edition, translated by S. Vurgun et al.

1966 edition

1967 edition

1977 English edition, translated by K. Vivian

1988 Georgian edition with the autograph of the Patriarch, his Holiness and Beatitude Ilia II

1999 Basque, Madrid edition, translated by X. Kintana

2001 Russian edition, translated by N. Zabolotsky

2002 Chinese edition

2009 edition

2012 miniature edition

2012 English edition, translated by M. Bakradze

The Knight in the Panther's Skin 21st Century 2003-2016

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 Sudan Curse (2009).

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