Abstract:
According to the protocol of the Council of Professors of the
Georgian University in Tiflis (March 15, 1918) signed by P. Melikishvili
and Iv. Javakhishvili, the authors relaying on the scientific achievements
of the famous Russian art historian Nikodim Kondakov
in the study of art history and history of Georgian art in particular,
proposed to elect Kondakov as an honorary member of the
Georgian University. N. Kondakov was elected unanimously and a
decision was made to send the diploma as soon as possible with
the indication of this fact to the Russian scholar.
However, despite N. Kondakov’s noted merits regarding Georgian
art deserves special attention his election as the first honorary
member of the newly founded Georgian University. It is
interesting not only in the political context of the first Democratic
Republic of Georgia (1918-1921), but also in the light of the
reference letter of Iv. Javakhishvili issued in support of an invitation
of a young Georgian scholar Giorgi Chubinashvili to the
position of professor of art history at the university. In his letter
(December. 1918) Javakhishvili especially emphasized Chubinashvili’s
European education and therefore, his qualification for
study Georgian art.
It is well known that within the framework of the preparatory
process to the establishment of the first national university,
Iv. Javakhishvili paid special attention to attracting young Georgians who studied in different European universities to this process.
Due to this fact, it is of special interest to analyze what led
to the election of Russian scholar Kondakov to the first honorary
member of the university.
The paper will analyze the reasons and international context
that led the Council of Professors to such a decision.
