History

The Institute of the History of Georgian Art of the Academy of Sciences of the Georgian SSR (now the Giorgi Chubinashvili National Research Centre for Georgian Art History and Heritage Preservation) was founded on April 1, 1941.

The institution bears the name of its founder and first director, Giorgi Chubinashvili (1941–1973).

Vakhtang Beridze – served as the head of the institution from 1973 to 1988 and again from 1996 to 2000.

Through the devoted scholarship of Academician Giorgi Chubinashvili, Academician Vakhtang Beridze, and successive generations of their collaborators, the historical trajectory of Georgian art was systematically defined, and its place within the broader context of world culture was elucidated. Beyond their extensive body of academic publications, the numerous international symposia organized by the Institute—both in Georgia and abroad—played a pivotal role in advancing this recognition. These efforts brought to light the distinctive value and cultural significance of Georgian art, which today stands as a source of national pride.

Over the years, the institution has been headed by:

From its founding until 1988, the Institute was housed in the building of the Simon Janashia State Museum (10 Ketskhveli Street). In 1988, it relocated to 2 Erekle II Street, and in 1990 to 3 Lesia Ukrainka Street.
In December 1991, during the military conflict in Tbilisi, the Institute suffered irreparable losses: its building on Lesia Ukrainka Street was completely destroyed by fire, resulting in the loss of the majority of the library, unique drawings and photographic archives, personal archives and research materials of scholars, and complete documentation, among other things.
Following this, the Institute was temporarily accommodated in several rooms of the Presidium of the Georgian Academy of Sciences (52 Rustaveli Avenue), and later on 5 Tabukashvili Street, again occupying several rooms.
In 2005, based on the merger of the Giorgi Chubinashvili Institute of the History of Georgian Art and the Sego Kobuladze Laboratory for the Photographic Documentation of Art Monuments, the Giorgi Chubinashvili National Research Centre for Georgian Art History and Heritage Preservation was established.
In 2011, by decree of the President of Georgia, the Centre was provided with a two-storey building at 9 Atoneli Street.

From its inception, the Institute of the History of Georgian Art became the leading center for art-historical research in Georgia. Its mission was to study Georgian art and, more broadly, the artistic heritage of Georgia—including works created on its soil as well as those brought by representatives of other peoples and cultures—from an art-historical perspective, and to situate it within the context of neighboring countries and the wider world of art.

Medieval Architecture

From the very first years of its research activity, one of the Institute’s main areas of focus was medieval architecture, particularly church construction. From its founding, the Institute’s founders studied architectural monuments from the 5th–7th, 8th–9th, and 10th–12th centuries, examining their typologies and regional groups (G. Chubinashvili, V. Beridze, R. Mepisashvili, L. Rcheulishvili, R. Shmerling, N. Severov, N. Chubinashvili, V. Tsinadze), a line of inquiry continued by subsequent generations of researchers (I. Gomelauri, M. Dvali, V. Dolidze, T. Sanikidze, T. Sakvarelidze). From the late 1940s, the architecture of 13th–14th century churches became a significant topic of study (V. Beridze, N. Andghuladze, I. Gomelauri, T. Sanikidze), while in the 1960s, attention expanded to include late medieval ecclesiastical buildings (V. Beridze). Alongside examples of Georgian architecture, fine arts, and minor arts from different periods (pre-Christian, medieval, 19th–20th centuries), the Institute also conducted research on the history of antique, Sasanian, Byzantine, Armenian, Islamic, Western European, and Russian art.

Architecture

Substantial research has been conducted on secular architecture (V. Beridze, L. Rcheulishvili, V. Tsinadze) and traditional vernacular housing (V. Beridze, L. Rcheulishvili, V. Tsinadze), as well as on so-called minor architectural forms, such as khankeli and stelae (R. Shmerling, N. Chubinashvili, K. Machabeli). From the late 1970s, a new generation of architectural historians began working at the Institute. In addition to continuing studies in the aforementioned areas (K. Abashidze, G. Marsagishvili, B. Matsaberidze, D. Tchakhadze, G. Chilashvili), they focused specifically on the characteristics of the “transitional period” and regional schools (I. Elizbarashvili, N. Vacheshvili, D. Tumanishvili, D. Khoshtaria). Key research problems were addressed, including the relationship between liturgy and architecture, as well as the notions of “architectural replica” and symbolism in medieval Georgian architecture (N. Chubinashvili, K. Abashidze, I. Elizbarashvili, N. Vacheshvili, D. Tumanishvili, D. Khoshtaria). The Institute also studied 19th-century architecture (V. Beridze, V. Tsinadze, L. Rcheulishvili, T. Gersamia) as well as architecture of the Soviet period (V. Beridze, R. Mepisashvili, N. Janberidze, N. Asatiani, I. Gomelauri, S. Kintsurashvili, G. Beridze).

Wall Painting

Alongside medieval architecture, wall painting has held a significant place in the Institute’s research agenda. In its first decades, greater attention was devoted to murals of the 10th–13th centuries (T. Virsaladze, N. Aladashvili, G. Alibegashvili, A. Volskaia, E. Privalova, R. Shmerling). From the 1970s–1980s, researchers such as M. Didebulidze, A. Kldiashvili, K. Mikeladze, A. Okropiridze, Z. Skhirtladze, and M. Qenia contributed significantly to the field. Later, interest emerged in works from the Palaeologan period and the late Middle Ages (N. Alexidze, F. Devdariani, M. Vachnadze, J. Iosebidze, I. Lortkipanidze, L. Shervashidze, I. Mamaishvili, A. Kldiashvili, K. Mikeladze, I. Khuskivadze, M. Janjalia). At the same time, the study of “classical” murals increasingly emphasized iconographic and thematic issues (T. Virsaladze, E. Privalova, M. Didebulidze, A. Kldiashvili, A. Okropiridze, Z. Skhirtladze, M. Qenia).

Ornamentation of the Georgian Manuscript

The Institute also conducted research on the ornamentation of medieval Georgian manuscripts (R. Shmerling), including both ecclesiastical miniatures (G. Alibegashvili, F. Devdariani, G. Zhghenti, L. Shervashidze) and secular miniatures (G. Alibegashvili, I. Khuskivadze, L. Shervashidze), as well as on icon painting (G. Alibegashvili, L. Khuskivadze, N. Chichinadze).

Medieval Sculpture

The main historical stages of medieval Georgian sculpture were established by G. Chubinashvili, primarily based on the reliefs of 5th–7th century churches and metalwork from the 9th–18th centuries. Subsequent research has expanded and enriched this framework, focusing on early Christian and 8th–11th century stelae and architectural carved reliefs (N. Aladashvili, G. Alibegashvili, A. Volskaia, K. Machabeli, L. Rcheulishvili, L. Shanidze, N. Chubinashvili; from the 1980s – T. Khundadze). Several studies also address Late Antique sculpture (M. Mizandari), Early Christian works (L. Shervashidze), and 12th-century mosaics (G. Alibegashvili, T. Virsaladze, L. Khuskivadze).

Metalwork

Georgian metalwork was studied as a distinct field, analyzed both chronologically (13th century – T. Sakvarelidze, R. Qenia; 16th–17th centuries – T. Sakvarelidze, L. Khuskivadze) and regionally (the Svan school – R. Qenia). Other branches of medieval “minor arts” were also subjects of research: enamel (L. Khuskivadze), glyptics and flags (S. Barnaveli), wood carving (N. Chubinashvili), ceramics (Z. Maisuradze), and artistic textiles and embroidery (V. Beridze, M. Ketskhveli).

19th– and 20th-Century Painting, Graphic Arts, Scenography, Sculpture, and Decorative-Applied Arts

Many researchers specializing in early and medieval art also conducted studies on 19th- and 20th-century painting, graphic arts, scenography, sculpture, and decorative-applied arts (V. Beridze, N. Aladashvili, G. Alibegashvili, M. Vachnadze, A. Volskaia, A. Kldiashvili, Z. Maisuradze, I. Lortkipanidze, K. Machabeli, E. Privalova, L. Rcheulishvili, R. Qenia, G. Chubinashvili, N. Chubinashvili, L. Shervashidze, R. Shmerling). For others, however, these fields became the primary focus of their research. Among the first were M. Karbelashvili (book and easel graphics; easel and monumental painting) and L. Shanidze (sculpture, graphics). Subsequent generations of art historians studied the works and contemporary phenomena of prominent masters of 20th-century painting, graphic arts, and sculpture (S. Ioseliani, L. Antelava, M. Gachechiladze, K. Kintsurashvili, D. Lebanidze, S. Lezhava, M. Medzmariashvili, N. Mirtskhulava, N. Ghaghanidze, M. Tsitsishvili, G. Khoshtaria), theater design (E. Tumanishvili, K. Kintsurashvili, M. Oklei), and decorative-applied arts (M. Maisuradze, N. Qifiani). Research also emerged focusing on specific topics, such as 19th-century painting (G. Maskharashvili, M. Tsitsishvili, G. Khoshtaria) and the oeuvre of Niko Pirosmani (G. Khoshtaria).

Georgian art historians consistently engaged with the art of other countries in their research, producing studies that highlighted similarities and differences between Georgian medieval architecture (G. Chubinashvili, V. Beridze, R. Mepisashvili), painting (G. Alibegashvili, M. Didebulidze, E. Privalova, I. Khuskivadze), and sculpture (N. Aladashvili, L. Khuskivadze) and the artistic achievements of neighboring and distant cultures. Institute researchers examined Armenian architecture (G. Chubinashvili), antique glyptics preserved in Georgia and elsewhere (S. Barnaveli), as well as Byzantine, Iranian, Syrian, medieval and Renaissance, and Western European art (K. Machabeli, E. Privalova, L. Khuskivadze, I. Khuskivadze). They also studied works by Russian (G. Maskharashvili) and European (N. Choghushvili) artists active in Georgia.

Since its founding, the Institute of the History of Georgian Art has maintained close collaboration with various research institutions across the former USSR, Europe, and the United States.
International cooperation expanded particularly from the 1970s onward. Between 1974 and 1989, six international symposia dedicated to Georgian art were held with the active participation of the Institute: 1974 – Bergamo; 1977, 1983, 1989 – Bari and Lecce; 1986 – Pavia and the Torba Monastery.

The Chubinashvili Centre is the leading institution in Georgia for the scholarly study, promotion, and development of conservation programs for the country’s cultural heritage. It boasts a long-standing tradition of expertise and is staffed by the foremost specialists in the field.

FOUNDERS

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