Abstract:
Georgia is a country of great traditions. Throughout the history,
the Georgian people have developed a peculiar style of life and relationship.
The epistolary genre is very close to everyday life, so it naturally
reflects the customs that are spread among the people.
Nikoloz Baratashvili’s letters give us very interesting information
about the old Georgian traditional wedding, hospitality and rituals
of consecration of holy places.
On April 15 and May 10, 1844, Nicholas wrote to his uncle, Zakaria
Orbeliani: “David Eristavi, the brother-in-law, asked for a hawk in
Samachanklo. Zakaria, you know, these people believe in you a lot.
”(Epistolary Heritage of Georgian Writers of XIX-XX Centuries. Vol. I;
2011; 151). According to the old Georgian tradition, matchmaking was
a kind of money and was not a small amount for the society of that
time. It seems that this tradition is still remembered in 19th century
Georgia, although it has a relatively symbolic character in the case of
Kato and the bride’s uncle is only asked to choir.
In the card sent after the wedding in August 1844, Nikoloz Baratashvili
describes the news of Kato’s wedding in detail to Zakaria
Orbeliani. Baratashvili admired the shooting of so many guns, the
crowd of people and their shouts. Such large-scale weddings were a
natural event for Georgia at the time and emphasized the good material
condition and hospitality of the family ‒ (XIX-XX saukuneebis
qartvel mweralta epistoluri memkvidreoba [Epistolary Heritage of
Georgian Writers of XIX-XX Centuries] Vol. I; 2011; 158]).
At the time when Nikoloz Baratashvili had to work, Georgia was
in a difficult political situation. The deportation of Georgian thinkers
has ruined the intellectual life of Tbilisi. There was no real public life
in Tbilisi during Baratashvili’s time. Such a “useless” life is described
by the poet in his letters to Grigol Orbeliani dated May 28, 1841 and
October 18, 1841: “If you want the story of the city, tell me the truth,
there is a lot of gossip and plague”; “Tbilisi is still a city useless for
the mind and heart”. Earlier, in a letter to Mikheil Tumanishvili on
August 6, 1838, we read: “Do not be angry for the silence, and from the dust - there is nothing in Tbilisi that is soul-stirring.” (Epistolary
heritage of Georgian Writers of XIX-XX Centuries. Vol. I; 2011; 159).
In his letters, Baratashvili gives a very detailed overview of the
internal political life of Tbilisi at that time. He mentions the Georgian
heroes involved in the battles: Mose Argutinsky-Dolgorukov, Officer
Giorgi Saginashvili and emphasizes Grigol Orbeliani’s special diplomatic
opportunity in suppressing the Guria uprising. While corresponding
with his uncle, Baratashvili hopes for Pozin’s work in Georgia
and is kind to this Russian official.
Such was, in general, the socio-cultural atmosphere of Baratashvili’s
time and the obstacles to the activities of the advanced Georgian
intelligentsia that followed the defeat of the 1832 conspiracy. It
can be boldly said that Nikoloz Baratashvili’s personal cards are an
important fact of the political and public life of Georgia in the first
quarter of the 19th century, an important document of the epoch.
