PDF Version - Georgia Today

facebook.com/
georgiatoday
Issue no: 875
• SEPTEMBER 2 - 5, 2016
• PUBLISHED TWICE WEEKLY
PRICE: GEL 2.50
In this week’s issue...
Crowd-Sourced
Website Ranks
Georgia World’s
3rd Safest Country
NEWS PAGE 2
The Complex Mosaic of the
Multiple EU Crises - Where
Does Georgia Fit in?
FOCUS
POLITICS PAGE 4
Advice to
Georgia &
Dealing with
Russia
ON POLITICAL GAFFES
Paata Burchuladze, the former opera
singer-turned leader of the State for
People party, corrects a misinterpreted
comment while the
political vultures circle PAGE 2&5
Georgia’s Kvirikashvili on Official
Visit to Azerbaijan
BY THEA MORRISON
G
eorgianPrimeMinisterGiorgi
Kvirikashvili led a delegation
that included Energy Minister Kakha Kaladze and
Deputy Foreign Minister
Gigi Gigiadze to the Azeri capital Baku
on August 31 to hold meetings with Azerbaijan’s President, Ilham Aliyev, and Prime
Minister Artur Rasizade.
The officials discussed the strategic
partnership between Georgia and Azerbaijan and recent developments in the
region.
Continued on page 2
POLITICS PAGE 8
PASHA Bank Sponsors Oikos
Summer School
SOCIETY PAGE 10
Georgian Musicians to
Perform at Carnegie Hall
CULTURE PAGE 11
Georgia Wins 4 Golds at
Junior World Championships
SPORTS PAGE 15
2
NEWS
GEORGIA TODAY
SEPTEMBER 2 - 5, 2016
Georgia’s Burchuladze
Clarifies Controversial
Campaign Promise
BY THEA MORRISON
P
aata Burchuladze, the former opera
singer-turned leader of the State for
People party, said Wednesday that he
was misinterpreted by the media and
his opponents when he made a controversial campaign promise to double the number
of people in the country who receive welfare assistance.
“Only 500,000 people currently receive welfare
aid from the government. We plan to increase this
number to one million,” Burchuladze told voters
on August 28.
Burchuladze was immediately criticized for the
comment, with political experts slamming the
statement as reckless and uninformed.
The country’s main opposition party, the United
National Movement (UNM), mocked Burchuladze's
comments, saying he “essentially wants to increase
the number of poor people in the country.”
According to Burchuladze, his promise does not
mean that the number of poor people will be doubled, but it means that more people should receive
state assistance.
“When the government tells us that there are
500,000 vulnerable people in this country, this is
a misleading statement. In reality, this figure is at
least one million,” Burchuladze explained while
presenting candidates in Batumi.
Burchuladze clairified his statement by saying
that if his party wins the elections in October, the
real number of poor people in the country will get
the assistance they need from the State.
“From October 9, we will sign a social assistance
bill for at-risk citizens. We will help them get back
on their feet,” Burchuladze claimed.
Zurab Japaridze, the founder of political party
Girchi, which merged with Burchuladze’s party in
August, says the coalition intends to increase social
assistance by abolishing any assistance to wealthy
people.
At present, just over 1,600,000 citizens are registered for the government’s social service program,
with 477,840 receiving welfare assistance from the
State.
According to the Head of Social Assistance Department, Tea Gvaramia, not all registered individuals
seek monetary assistance.
Georgia’s Kvirikashvili on
Official Visit to Azerbaijan
Continued from page 1
The sides also took the time to discuss several of
the large-scale transportation and energy projects
that are currently being implemented, including
the Southern Gas Corridor and Baku-Tbilisi-Kars
railway projects.
Bilateral and multilateral cooperation within the
frames of the East-West transit corridor and the
geopolitical importance of the Silk Road project,
which connects Europe and Asia, were also covered during the meeting.
"We have developed regional economic projects
of great importance, including the South Caucasus
Gas Corridor. We also discussed the implementation process of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars project and
the possibility of introducing a unified tariff system
within our logistics corridor and adding new cargo
from China and India," Kvirikashvili stated while
summing up his visit.
According to the Georgian PM’s Press Office, the
politicians noted the positive dynamics in tourism
by the growing number of Azerbaijani tourists vis-
iting Georgia.
Kvirikashvili was later personally hosted by Azerbaijan’s President, Ilham Aliyev, who said the Georgian delegation’s visit would help promote closer
bilateral relations.
“We are bound by ties of history, geography, common interests and by our transnational energy and
transport projects. The well-being of our countries
and people, as well as stability in our region, depends
on the success of these projects,” Aliyev stated.
According to Kvirikashvili, Georgia fully supports
the further development of bilateral relations.
“As already noted, we are linked by our friendly,
strategic and regional projects – all of which are
key points for improving the well-being of our
nations and strengthening the friendship between
our peoples,” said Kvirikashvili.
Kvirikashvili also commented on a possible threat
posed by the Trans-Anatolian Gas Pipeline project
by ongoing Russia-Turkey negotiations regarding
new pipeline projects, saying none of the pipeline
projects is under threat since relevant contracts
covering the construction of infrastructure and the
volumes of delivered gas have already been signed.
NEWS
GEORGIA TODAY
SEPTEMBER 2 - 5, 2016
Georgia’s Defense
Ministry Calls off Search
for Missing Soldiers
BY TAMAR SVANIDZE
G
eorgia’s Defense Ministry
has called off its search and
rescue operation for two
soldiers who went missing
almost two weeks ago during military exercises on the country’s
Black Sea coast, near the border with
Turkey.
A defense ministry spokesman said
that after 11 days of extensive search,
they were unable to find the bodies of
Special Forces Corporal Iago Sharadze
and Private First Class Giorgi Nanetashvili.
The two soldiers are believed to have
drowned during scheduled amphibious
combat drills on the coast of the Black
Sea on August 16.
Turkish Navy officials, who also took
part in the search, said they were suspending their operations following a
request from the Georgian Armed Forces.
“According to the Turks, it is pointless
to continue with the search and rescue
operation as all available resources have
been exhausted,” the statement said.
Sharadze’s father told local media
shortly after his son’s disappearance that
his son was a good swimmer and only
the negligence of the trainers could have
been responsible for his disappearance.
“If the instructors had thoroughly
explained everything in advance and
given him instructions, he would be
alive,” Sharadze’s father said.
Military Police officials claim that an
investigation into the cause of death is
on-going under Article 116 of the Georgian Criminal Code which specifically
covers deaths related to negligence.
3
Crowd-Sourced Website
Ranks Georgia World’s 3rd
Safest Country
Numbeo.com, which collects unsourced and
unconfirmed information from users, ranked
Georgia behind South Korea and Singapore in its
poll of the world’s safest countries.
Photo: Dmitriy Chistoprudov
BY TAMAR SVANIDZE AND
NICHOLAS WALLER
A
n unofficial crowd-sourced
global database known as
Numbeo has ranked Georgia the third safest country in the world.
Nu m b e o. co m , wh i c h co l l e c t s
unsourced and unconfirmed information from users, ranked Georgia behind
South Korea and Singapore in its poll
of the world’s safest countries.
According to the site’s findings, Georgia has a low crime index based on the
number of reported crimes in the country over the last three years.
The data used to measure Georgia’s
crime index was culled from the results
of a standard online poll on the Numbeo website. Visitors were asked how
safe they feel when walking in the
capital Tbilisi’s streets at various times
of the day.
The Serbia-based website was reportedly founded by former Google
employee Mladen Adamovic in 2009
and claims to be the world’s largest
database of user-contributed information about cities and countries worldwide.
The site is primarily known as an
online source for users to share and
compare information about the cost of
living in various countries and cities
around the world.
Numbeo has come under sharp criticism for it claims due to the lack of a
third party check or audit of the accuracy of data.
4
POLITICS
GEORGIA TODAY
SEPTEMBER 2 - 5, 2016
The Complex Mosaic of the
Multiple EU Crises - Where
Does Georgia Fit in?
BY TEONA LAVRELASHVILI
L
ately, the European Union has
experienced a number of
severe crises, starting with
the financial one of 2008-2009,
from which it has yet to fully
recover. This was followed by sad developments in Greece, war in Syria and the
migration crisis, deteriorating relations
with Russia over the hybrid war in eastern Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea,
a wave of terrorist attacks, the Brexit
referendum in Great Britain, and the
resurgence of right and left wing populism all over Europe, along with some
other lesser issues. While Georgia is not
an EU member, and not immediately
involved in any of these crises, due to
its close relations with the EU, and
because of the changing economic and
security environment in its neighborhood, it is directly and indirectly influenced by what is taking place in Europe.
Europe’s current hurdles are existential, putting at risk not just European
unity and future; due to the sheer size
of its economy and its soft power, the
repercussions will go far beyond the
continent, hitting neighboring countries
striving to join the European club, like
Georgia. The present situation looks
really quite worrisome, as many essential
internal weaknesses have overlapped
through negative synergy, triggered by
the above-mentioned external factors
– the lack of political consolidation and
a complicated decision-making system,
rather ineffective form of economic integration, and last by no mean's least the
scarcity of strong, popular, and visionary
European leaders. Several waves of EU
expansion also have caused this gradual
erosion of unity and efficacy of governance and decision-making, as more than
two dozen member states pursue too
frequently radically different positions,
representing a broad ideological spectrum of ruling elites.
Generally speaking, the more internal
problems Europe experiences, the fewer
resources, commitment, and unity are
available to assist neighbors such as
Georgia. And it is not just slowing economies of EU member states, or multiplying needs to spend more in order to deal
with existing problems such as accommodating migrants, that make available
resources scarce; what is more important
is the increasingly diverging visions
among European leaders about policy
priorities and directions that hurt the
EU and its neighbors most.
One of the key issues for the EU is
paradoxically enough related to its soft
power, quality of life, and attractiveness,
making it the favorite destination for
global migration. While immigration
may be highly beneficial for the receiving states, populations throughout Europe
see this differently, especially against a
background of sluggish economy, unemployment, and the wave of terrorist
attacks. This has pushed many European
states toward restricting immigration,
putting the 'Willkommenskultur' at the
mercy of a few altruistic policymakers
and charities. Obviously, such an increasingly negative attitude towards migration
does not facilitate the smooth way of
Georgia's visa liberalization process, or
the country's prospects for further European integration.
However, there are issues that are more
important for Georgia than visa liberalization. Located in a rather complex
geopolitical environment dominated by
Georgia’s northern neighbor - Russia, it
is national security that should be seen
by the Georgian government as absolute
priority. In that light, EU-Russia relations
should be followed closely as having a
strong impact on assertiveness and the
nature of Russia’s policies in its neighborhood, and on the willingness of Brussels to support Georgia’s pro-western
aspirations. Georgia should conduct
careful, balanced policies consistent with
Euro-Atlantic integration as the main
strategic target for its actions, while
minimizing
risks emanating from its
northern neighbor through
smart diplomacy mixed
with strengthening defense
cooperation with the West.
Georgian politicians should also
well realize that any serious mistakes that they may commit, such as
human rights breaches, selective justice,
discrimination of minorities, electoral
violations, and political violence, will
provide strong arguments to the opponents of EU’s commitment toward supporting Georgia and its government,
whether with regard to visa liberalization, economic assistance or political
support. The government and political
parties should avoid cheap populist
rhetoric, especially based on false promises, and mobilized aggression towards
any political group or social community.
Georgia, which has successfully started
the difficult transition from the 'grey
zone' of regime hybridity to a liberal,
democratic state, needs to be very careful not to fall into the trap of populist
demagoguery and instead should ensure
that its democratic and Europeanization
projects are solidly rooted in the minds
and attitudes of Georgian citizens. But
this is not enough, as a long term communication strategy is necessary to
Europe’s current hurdles
are existential, putting at
risk not just European
unity and future; due to
the sheer size of its
economy and its soft
power, the repercussions
will hit neighbouring
countries striving to join
the European club, like
Georgia.
Source: iktisadi.org
popularize Georgia and its democratic
credentials throughout Europe, employing such instruments as media, exhibitions, various public events, cultural and
people exchanges, along with smart
diplomacy and pro-active initiatives.
Georgia should show that is not solely
on the receiving side of international
assistance, but is also ready to provide
help in situations of need or emergency,
as already happening through strong
military participation in hotspots such
as Afghanistan. Finally, everything should
be done to encourage Georgian society
to maximize benefits from the DCFTA
and the Association Agreement by
attracting export-oriented, productive
European investment instead of focusing on short-term gains through foreign
investment into non-productive real
estate.
Only by becoming a reliable, consistent, democratic, and dedicated partner
of the EU, can Georgia turn risks caused
by European crises into benefits of closer
relation and mutual trust.
Welcome to Indian Restaurant
Sanjha Chulha
Indian Restaurant
Website www.sanjhachulha.ge
Mail [email protected]
Agmashenebeli Avenue, 130
Tbilisi 0112 Georgia
Mobile + 995-596-03-1313
+ 995-596-56-1313
Phone +995-322-95-96-14
Skype: SANJHA.CHULHA
Facebook: sanjha chulha
Indian Cusine
POLITICS
GEORGIA TODAY
SEPTEMBER 2 - 5, 2016
5
Policy & Mud-Slinging: Ogden
on the 3rd Option
OP-ED BY TIM OGDEN
T
his week, opera singer
turned-political savior,
Paata Burchuladze, made a
gaffe when saying that the
number of people receiving
welfare benefits from the government
would double should he be elected Prime
Minister in the upcoming October elections.
It is quite clear what Mr. Burchuladze
really meant, but it seems strange that
the fact that the meaning of his words
might be misinterpreted did not occur
to him or his speech writers. Attempts
by Girchi’s Zurab Japaridze to explain
away Mr. Burchuladze’s remarks sounded
like a hollow attempt to justify and galvanize support for his party’s cooperation with Burchuladze. Had Girchi and
Burchuladze’s State for People (or State
for the People; I’m not sure of the direct
English translation, and I doubt Burchuladze’s people are either) still been rivals
rather than allies, I highly doubt Mr.
Japaridze would have enjoyed savaging
Burchuladze for his gaffe rather than
clumsily trying to explain it away.
Burchuladze’s new election bloc, made
up of a number of smaller parties banding together, has presented itself as a
viable alternative to the powerhouse
parties of the United National Movement
and Georgian Dream, but its status as a
‘third way’ has come under question.
The decision to join with other parties
caused a small exodus of members and
staff from both Burchuladze’s own party
Policy ceases to
matter and Georgia’s
democratic
progression grinds to
a halt as elections
are determined by
personal insults,
grudges and
perceptions.
Source: irishmirror.ie
and Girchi, as they believed that this
pragmatic step was incompatible with
the parties’ ideologies.
Exactly what Burchuladze’s ideology
is, however, remains unclear. Girchi,
despite being a small party, has solid
economic policies and plans (though it
seems unaware that its defense proposals have already been enacted by the
current government), but Burchuladze’s
rhetoric centers around vague notions
of ‘the West’. In addition, his background
as an opera singer has further highlighted
his unsuitability as a candidate for Prime
Minister, although his most vocal critic
has been Kakha Kaladze, a man completely unqualified for his own job as
Minister of Energy being a former football player. Kaladze may be clumsily
trying to deflect attention away from his
own incompetence, or he may be entirely
unaware that a comparison between
himself and Burchuladze might be made.
I’m inclined to believe the latter is more
likely.
Georgians vote for the character rather
than the party, and this is unlikely to
change with each faction (and its leader)
offering the same promises of NATO
and EU membership, punishment for
corruption and the creation of jobs. With
so many similar statements being made,
people seem to revert to judging by the
familiar, and policies become irrelevant
as the UNM is accused of being controlled by former President Saakashvili,
Georgian Dream is described as being
Bidzina Ivanishvili’s plaything, and Irakli
Alasania is seen to have always made
sure he ends up on the winning side
while leaving his integrity in the gutter.
All have (at least) grains of truth to them,
but policy ceases to matter and Georgia’s
democratic progression grinds to a halt
as elections are determined by personal
insults, grudges and perceptions.
Burchuladze and his new bloc are offering no true alternative, and he may even
have damaged his own cause by aligning
himself with parties made up of former
UNM officials; a number of his own party
members abandoning his cause is hardly
an indicator of strong party unity, or
even that their overall strategy was particularly well thought out. Burchuladze’s
entry into politics was not particularly
surprising, but he might have considered
and discussed the idea of coalition with
his team before causing a few of them
to leave. His campaign seems hasty, illplanned and destined to fail. There is
little about the man or his party which
has captured the public imagination, and
his sole selling point as being a third (or
fourth) option is hardly going to garner
enough votes to win.
These elections will leave nobody satisfied, whatever the outcome. As a Georgian citizen, what I want to see for the
next elections is a true alternative. I know
many young, experienced and very welleducated Georgians in a variety of fields
who would do this county good service
in elected office. It would be refreshing
to have qualified people stand for election, especially those with no prior party
affiliation. You may be sure that I have
completely written off October’s elections as being able to bring any tangible
results, but I live in hope for next time.
6
POLITICS
44 Parties to
Run in October’s
Parliamentary Elections
GEORGIA TODAY
SEPTEMBER 2 - 5, 2016
OSCE Launches
Monitoring Mission
Ahead of Georgia’s
Parliamentary Elections
BY TAMAR SVANIDZE
T
BY THEA MORRISON
A
ccording to Georgia's Central Election Commission
CEC), 44 political parties
have registered to run in
the upcoming October 8
parliamentary elections.
The majority of the parties plan to form
larger coalitions that will run the elections together.
According to the CEC, the United
National Movement (UNM), Paata Burchuladze-State for People Movement
and Nino Burjanadze’s pro-Russian
Democratic Movement, Alliance of Patriots of Georgia-United Opposition and
Industrialists-Our Homeland have all
registered as party blocs.
Among the registered parties, 26 will
run independently, including the ruling
Georgian Dream party.
The CEC previously barred the blatantly pro-Russian Centrist party for not
having a registered leadership. Two other
parties - Neutral Georgia and the Communist Party – were also rejected by the
CEC on procedural grounds.
In total, the CEC refused to register 19
parties because they failed to acquire
enough public signatures to qualify.
On Wednesday, the CEC issued a statement calling on all the registered parties
to adhere strictly to the election campaign rules.
The CEC also announced that it has
registered 43 local non-governmental
organizations (NGOs) and 24 international monitoring missions to oversee
the polls on October 8.
he OSCE’s Office for
Democratic Institutions
and Human Rights
(ODIHR) on Tuesday
formally launched its
observation mission ahead of Georgia’s Parliamentary elections on October 8.
Led by Ambassador Alexander Keltchewsky, the observers will monitor a
candidate’s registration process and
campaign activities, as well as observe
the work of the election administration regarding polling disputes.
“The mission consists of a core team
of 12 experts, based in Tbilisi, and 26
long-term observers to be deployed in
teams of two across the country. The
ODIHR will also request 350 short-term
observers to monitor the proceedings
on election-day. The experts and observers will be drawn from 18 OSCE countries,” the OSCE website says.
Members of the mission will monitor and be in constant contact with
the media, authorities, political parties, civil society and the international
community in the lead-up to and dur-
ing the elections.
Under the Constitution, the Georgian
Parliament’s 150 members serve fouryear terms, with 77 seats set by proportional representation and 73 in
single-seat constituencies.
The ruling Georgian Dream coalition
dominates the current parliament with
85 seats.
The coalition - founded by Georgia’s
eccentric billionaire oligarch Bidzina
Ivanishvili - swept to power following
a major prison scandal in 2012 that
unseated pro-Western President
Mikheil Saakashvili’s United National
Movement (UNM) in the process.
POLITICS
GEORGIA TODAY
SEPTEMBER 2 - 5, 2016
7
Middle-East Institute Scholar on
Biden’s Turkey Visit & Russia’s
Improved Position in the Middle East
that both the US and Turkey are trying
to be sensitive to Ankara’s concerns
about the US backing an ally that is
affiliated with what they believe to be
an enemy of Turkey. It also demonstrates that Erdogan has not necessarily moved fully into the Moscow-Tehran axis. I think the timing of that
initiative to cross the border during or
shortly after the Biden visit was no
accident and I think it’s probably an
indication that the trip was successful
and we are not at a point of an official
rupturing of relations between the two
countries.
BY ANNA KALANDADZE, VOICE
OF AMERICA GEORGIAN SERVICE
R
oss Harrison is a Scholar at
the Middle-East Institute
and a professor at the
Georgetown University in
Washington. We asked him
to analyze the US-Turkey relations and
the impact on Georgia of the latest moves
in Turkish foreign policy.
HOW WOULD YOU ASSESS
TURKEY-US RELATIONS AND
THE CONCRETE RESULTS OF
VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN’S
TRIP TO ANKARA?
I think we have to break down what
the objectives of the trip were. The
first was to smooth over some of the
rough patches that occurred in the
wake of the coup that took place on
July 15 in Turkey – the Turkish Government’s claiming that Gulen loyalists
were behind the coup and their suggesting it was orchestrated by Fattulah
Gulen from his home in Pennsylvania.
As such, the first objective was to try
to reduce the temperature of that relationship. We are cooperating with the
Turkish Government to accelerate the
extradition request process. But don’t
forget that this is something that plays
very well in the streets right now in
WHAT’S WILL BE THE IMPACT
ON GEORGIA OF THE TURKEYRUSSIA AND TURKEY-TEHRAN
RAPPROCHEMENT?
Ankara, so I think President Erdogan
is using that to his advantage. So, while
I believe the temperature at the official
level will be reduced through the Biden
visit, I doubt that of the public and
media will, because this is politically
important for [Erdogan].
HOW WOULD YOU ASSESS
THE ONGOING ACTIVITIES ON
THE SYRIAN BORDER AND
TURKEY’S FIGHT AGAINST ISIS?
The United States and Turkey have
had troubles squaring the circle in
terms of their respective Syria policies
over the last year with the US supporting the Kurdish YPG group, the group
that Erdogan believes is tied to the PKK
in Turkey. But with the launching of
an attack by Turkey’s armed forces to
liberate El Jerabulus with Free Syrian
Army units, under US air cover, it shows
I don’t believe there’ll be a direct effect
on Georgia. I think the biggest concern
for Georgia, which is amplified by a rapprochement between Turkey and Russia
and Turkey and Iran, is that it puts Russia in a better position in the Middle
East. What that means for Georgia is
that the Ukraine crisis and the borderization, the creeping border process that
is taking place near South Ossetia, is
something that is now going to be on
the backburner both in the [international]
news and for the US. And that’s not a
good position for Georgia to be in. So, I
think it is more of an indirect effect but
still a profound one.
8
POLITICS
GEORGIA TODAY
SEPTEMBER 2 - 5, 2016
Advice to Georgia &
Dealing with Russia
BY IA MEURMISHVILI, VOICE OF
AMERICA GEORGIAN SERVICE
G
eorgia should pursue what
it can and take advantage
of the opportunities available, not let itself be undermined as it waits for better
days, says US State Department Sanctions Coordinator Daniel Fried. In an
exclusive interview, Fried also spoke
about consequences of the August 2008
war and US-Russia relations.
YOU WERE AN ASSISTANT
SECRETARY OF STATE AT
THE TIME OF THE AUGUST
2008 WAR. HOW DO YOU
RECALL EVENTS LEADING
UP TO THE WAR?
We could see the tension mounting; we
could see a series of provocations,
designed to increase tensions and set
the stage for war. We tried to prevent it
using diplomacy, both working with the
Russians and directly with the Georgians.
I was with Condoleezza Rice that July
when she flew out to Tbilisi and cautioned then-President Saakashvili not to
fall victim to the Russian provocations.
She said to him, “You don’t have a military option, so don’t pretend you do.” I
understand why he made the decision
[to launch a military operation], but I
still think it was a mistake.
THERE IS AN OPINION AMONG
EXPERTS IN THE US, IN EUROPE
AND IN GEORGIA THAT THE
US SUPPORT, WHICH WAS
PERCEIVED AS UNCONDITIONAL
AT THE TIME, EMBOLDENED
PRESIDENT SAAKASHVILI
TO BE BELLIGERENT
I disagree on two grounds – one, our
support was not unconditional and second, he was not actually belligerent. I
think Saakashvili made a mistake ordering his military into action, but he was
not belligerent. It was the Russians who
consistently provoked the Georgians.
The argument of Saakashvili’s belligerence is false. That said, I think he was
wrong to go in. I think the OSCE report
that blames them in falling victim to
Russian provocations is essentially accurate. But to say that he was belligerent
absolves Russia of responsibility for
starting the war, which I think they did.
It’s also a misreading of the Bush administration. I remember the charge that
somehow there was a secret green light
to Saakashvili yet Rice clearly gave them
a red light for military action. They felt
they had to ignore that and they paid the
price.
THE SIX POINT CEASEFIRE
AGREEMENT WAS NEGOTIATED
BY THEN-PRESIDENT OF
FRANCE, NICOLAS SARKOZY.
WHAT DO YOU THINK
ABOUT THAT AGREEMENT?
It was flawed. It had a number of loop-
Daniel Fried, US State
Department Sanctions
Coordinator
holes that the Russians could exploit and
we - the United States - helped fix it. I
should also say that France was in a difficult position of trying to negotiate this
cease-fire very quickly, on-the-fly and
under difficult conditions. Yes, it was
not a great deal, but on the other hand,
the French did stop the shooting. As a
result of the ceasefire, flawed as it was,
we managed to save the rest of Georgia.
That was an achievement.
SOME OF THE POINTS OF
THE CEASEFIRE AGREEMENT,
INCLUDING WITHDRAWAL OF
MILITARY FORCES TO PRE-WAR
POSITIONS, HAVE STILL NOT
BEEN IMPLEMENTED BY RUSSIA
That’s right. There are some similarities
with the Minsk agreement, which are
far better than the ones negotiated in
Georgia. The French and the Germans
learned from their experiences in Georgia, and Minsk is far more workable.
However, you will notice that the Russians have not yet lived up to their obligations.
DO YOU THINK THE WESTERN
REACTION TO THE AUGUST
2008 WAR WAS ADEQUATE
- ESPECIALLY AFTER RUSSIA
RECOGNIZED ABKHAZIA
AND SOUTH OSSETIA AS
INDEPENDENCE STATES?
Let me put it this way – the western reaction to the Russian aggression in Ukraine
was stronger. The reason it was stronger
is because we were united in respect to
Ukraine and we were divided in respect
to Georgia, because we had just had a
bruising battle within the Western alliance about Georgia. Chancellor Merkel
always had some degree of skepticism
about President Saakashvili. Historians
will write assessments of Saakashvili. He
had his good side and did a lot for Georgia. But he also made a lot of mistakes.
There were divisions within the West
over Georgia and we were not as smart
about sanctions. That was, of course, the
fight at the NATO [Bucharest] Summit.
We did not, for example, respond to Russia’s recognition of South Ossetia and
Abkhazia with sanctions. In retrospect,
we might have imposed sanctions, but
we did not have the Western unity to do
it. So, we went another route. Instead, we
supported the Georgian economy and
helped stabilize it. Georgia was a campaign issue in 2008. The McCain campaign
was taking a very pro-Georgian position.
The Obama campaign had different voices.
But then Senator Joe Biden, running for
vice president, took a strong public position and said we were to give Georgia
USD 1 billion to help the economy. I can
tell you that in the White House the reaction was instant and strong. Everybody
embraced it.
DO YOU THINK THAT IMPUNITY
SOMEHOW ENCOURAGED
RUSSIA TO DEVELOP A
MORE AGGRESSIVE POLICY
TOWARDS ITS NEIGHBORS?
DO YOU THINK GEORGIA
2008 SOMEHOW LED US
TO UKRAINE 2014?
I wish I didn’t have to say it, but I’m
afraid you have a point.The Russians
may have thought that they’d got away
with it. And they may have felt that they
could attack Ukraine and the western
reactions would be similarly divided.
They were wrong. I think they failed to
anticipate the sanctions and I think they
were caught off guard. The experience
of Georgia took a while to penetrate the
western consciousness. Now, the Georgians might say what good did that do
to us? I actually think it does do good
for Georgia as it shows that the West is
capable of stronger response to the Russian aggression. And I think that is helpful to Georgia.
YOU WERE INSTRUMENTAL
IN NATO ENLARGEMENT IN
THE LATE 1990S AND EARLY
2000S. YOU WERE ALSO ONE
OF THE BIGGEST SUPPORTERS
OF GEORGIA’S WESTERN
ASPIRATIONS AND ACTIVELY
PARTICIPATED IN DEVELOPING
THE BUCHAREST SUMMIT
DECLARATION LANGUAGE.
WHERE DO YOU THINK
GEORGIA’S PROSPECT OF
JOINING NATO IS TODAY?
The US under the Obama administration has defended the Bucharest Summit
decisions. This is not a heroic period
on either side of the Atlantic. Nativist
and isolationist forces are strong in the
US and EU. I don’t like it, but it is important to be realistic about the challenges
we face. This is not a time, in the shortrun, for major advances.
It’s certainly true that there was no move
in Warsaw for the membership action
plan (MAP). If the United States had
pushed for it, we would have failed. What
good would that do Georgia? If Georgia
thinks that it is best served by pushing
NATO for short-term gains, I think it’s a
mistake. I think Georgia needs to look
at the longer-term picture, strengthen its
institutions, and do all it can given the
circumstances in the West. I remember
telling the Pols in 1992-1993, “Don’t push,
your time will come, work on things at
home, generate political capital for yourselves and wait for the cycle to turn.” It
did!
My advice to Georgia is work on its
democracy, its economy, to make strong
democratic institutions. To do what it
can in the time it has now, given the circumstances it now faces. And don’t think
that the current difficulties in the West
are permanent.
Another message for Georgia is that
the NATO membership is a means to an
end. What is the end Georgia wants?
Georgians tell me that they want to be
a free, sovereign country and a part of
wider Europe. Alright! Pursue it in the
avenues that are the most productive.
Don’t pursue it in ways that create the
most friction and sparks.
WHAT IS THAT WAY?
Pushing for immediate decisions by
NATO is probably not going to work
right now. So, why go down that route?
Georgia should pursue what it can and
take advantage of the opportunities available, not let itself be undermined as it
waits for better days. They will come!
GEORGIA TODAY
POLITICS
SEPTEMBER 2 - 5, 2016
The Games
OP-ED BY NUGZAR B. RUHADZE
T
he first thing I did when I got home
from my long and exhausting Rio2016
trip was to flick through the local TV
channels to get back into the swing
of political matters in Georgia. I immediately understood how unpalatable the current
news was for me after more than a fortnight of
amazingly exciting sports at the biggest athletics
show in the world.
At the Olympics, you get the impression that the
world has stopped, and the only thing that is happening is the Games you are watching and living
through. You somehow get addicted to those events,
desiring to be everywhere at the same time, which
is of course impossible. But in the meantime, the
world continues on its regular course, full of routine and triviality, as I discovered when I got home
and delved back into te latest Georgian news.
The up-coming parliamentary elections in Georgia have engulfed almost all existent means of mass
communication and have quickly dragged me back
into the political process that is taking all our TV time, all our energy,
wrecking all our nervous systems and
consuming all our potential to happily
sprawl in front of our television sets
and watch something that gives better meaning to our lives.
Both parts of our current existence
– athletic and political – are called
games, but the rules in the Olympics
are so strict and clear that hardly anybody can get away with errors or
misbehavior. Not in politics! In politics, you can be blatantly wrong and
still have a piece of the cake you are
fighting for. In sports, it works like
the subtle mechanism of a good Swiss
watch. Failures in judgment are certainly possible, but rare, and those
failures are punished forthwith via
due procedures.
Both athletics and politics are a
human creation. Why, then, are humans
capable of organizing and conducting
the former so well and with minimum
failures, and cannot help but be so awfully bad at
doing so in the latter? If we had some medals ready
– gold, silver and bronze – to note the merits in the
field, would we find enough necks among our
politicians to hang them on? Unlikely! There are
so many recognizable political faces in this country
on the TV screen. Maybe even more than on the
screens of the American TV sets – a huge political
and media market!
Looking at America, what can we see of the political fight for the leadership the great American
people are faced with? It looks like extreme radicalism vs. extreme liberalism, doesn’t it? Where is
that biblical golden median upon which America
was built? And why are the wisdom and subtlety
of Georgian political conduct so late to arrive here?
Isn’t it high time for us to let it happen? With these
words I seek to trigger a psycho-analytical process
in favor of elevating the political process in the
country to the level of the most progressive political theories and practice. I need the ears that might
understand where I’m coming from and the necks
on which to hang those medals of honor. There is
still time to change. Let’s use that time.
Mike Luckovich
BUSINESS
New Hotel & Restaurant Opens in House
of 19th Century Georgian Nobles
BY NINO GUGUNISHVILI
H
otel “Museum” is the first of its kind
in Georgia, jointly managed by
American company Key Hospitality,
represented by Joseph A. McInerney
(company president), and Georgian
partners.
Situated in the old part of the city, on Atoneli
Street, this newly renovated building has a unique
and fascinating history as it was once home to the
noble Georgian Orbeliani family which owned the
house in the 19th century. Representatives of Georgian cultural elite, writers, poets, artists and philosophers frequently met there- it was a place that
not only formed and gave a tone to the life of the
city, but also influenced the country’s cultural landscape as a whole.
The distinct architectural style of the building,
its beautiful facade and balconies, and the history
behind the place inspired designer Nino Arziani
and architect Nino Mshvelidze to use all natural
materials, marble and wood for the interior in order
to create an exquisite atmosphere of a balanced
mix of styles between old and new.
Offering three restaurants, each with a different
concept, including a wine bar and a lounge terrace
with magnificent views of the city, the 47-room
Hotel Museum is designed to host any visitor in
search of gourmet pleasures of both European and
traditional Georgian origin.
The Museum is undoubtedly the latest must see
place in Tbilisi for those who are willing to dive into
Georgia’s great history, great culture and great food.
Contact: www.edelbrand.ge
Phone: 599 461908
9
10
SOCIETY
GEORGIA TODAY
SEPTEMBER 2 - 5, 2016
Trek to Coffinside: Kakheti
rather through Mestia, and then on to Tbilisi... Plus
the new highway which is constantly being extended
westwards in our direction. So things are looking
good future road-wise.
We overnighted in our Tbilisi flat, not needing
even a sheet for cover as it was too warm; just earplugs for the unaccustomed multi-lingual late-night
noise of our very alive courtyard. Then on this
morning to Lagodekhi.
On the way, we saw field after field of corn nice
and high, but all burnt yellow and dry as a bone.
It's been a very arid summer after the spring hail
which put paid to my in-laws' fruit and grapes for
the season, but in its typical capricious way left
many other areas untouched. I remember the summer drought here of about 15 years ago, in which
after three rainless months the cows were dying
of thirst. But the grapes were to be a huge success
that year, not in spite of but indeed because of this
weather, which was entirely to their liking.
Arrival... tears and commiserations... understanding much more of what was wailed in Georgian
instead of the usual Svan in the women’s room with
the body in its necessarily refrigerated glass-topped
display coffin. The funeral is just a couple of days
away, and we're debating the pros and cons of my
wife staying on for it, then making a more arduous
trek back to Svaneti by 2 days of public transport
instead of 2 days of relative comfort with me. And
then there's the future of our niece, about to enter
grade 9 with the prospect of either staying with just
her elderly grandmother, or moving schools to go
to her mother and extended family in their town.
Tough choice, this one too needing unrushed wisdom to think it through. We hope this critical decision will be made right, but all we can do in the end
is pray, watch and advise (if asked) from our considerable distance. It might be all that's needed.
BY TONY HANMER
I
had just come in from a chore outside when
my wife turned to me tearfully in the kitchen.
It was a few seconds before she could let me
know that her oldest sister's husband, aged
just 54, had died a short while before, in
Lagodekhi, Kakheti, east Georgia. Apparently from
a heart attack. They were separated, and their
daughter, just 14, was at home when he died there.
Horrible shock, but at least this time we had the
means even to think about a lightning-fast trip to
pay our respects and give comfort, as is done here
if at all possible. I refer to the new car, a smoothrunning dream, and easily up to the 600 km trip
over two days. After a few minutes' praying for
wisdom and thinking about possibilities, she went
to ask the neighbors to look after the barn animals
(3 cows, 7 chickens) for the next few days. I confirmed with another neighbor that our German
guest, abandoned by his firm request for 2 weeks
out of communication in a ghost town, would be
picked up on schedule. We packed and left, reveling
in the freedom if not the task and road ahead.
The 4Runner made it possible to travel on our
own schedule, leaving when we had to (which was
the middle of the day), stopping and resting likewise. It gave us my record speed for the 450 km
from Svaneti house to Tbilisi flat, needing 7.5 hours
with stops included. SO much easier than public
transport!
Hot, hot everywhere but where we had started
from, the rest of Georgia which we traversed still
in its full summer temperatures. We passed a minivan signposted Mestia/Ushguli, which must be
the new weekly one going all the way on Georgia's
longest trip from the capital. News is, this will soon
drastically be shortened. They're planning a new
road linking Kutaisi northwards with the new Tetnuldi ski resort's second phase, hoping to have this
distance covered in two hours! (It must bypass
Ushguli for that time frame.) At that rate, we could
reach Kutaisi in three hours from our mountain
home, without going through Zugdidi at all but
Tony Hanmer has lived in Georgia since 1999, in Svaneti
since 2007, and been a weekly writer for GT since early
2011. He runs the “Svaneti Renaissance” Facebook
group, now with over 1300 members, at www.facebook.
com/groups/SvanetiRenaissance/
He and his wife also run their own guest house in Etseri:
www.facebook.com/hanmer.house.svaneti
PASHA Bank Sponsors
Oikos Summer School
P
ASHA Bank is co-funding the Oikos
Summer School which will take place
at Tbilisi State University through 1-5
September. Oikos is an international
student-driven organization for sustainability in economics and management founded in
Switzerland in 1987.
The major topic of discussion will be “Education
for a Better World.” Among the attendees will be
30 local and international participants as well as
specially invited professors and facilitators.
The five-day project aims at bringing students
and professors together to learn new methods and
approaches to management. Over the course of the
Summer School, participants will have the opportunity to explore their own leadership skills, look
at how to develop them and contribute to the common good of society. The teachings will focus on
the following: planet care, collaboration between
the nations, creating customer-oriented organizations, employee welfare, etc.
This year Tbilisi State University is hosting Oikos
Summer School for the third year in a row.
“PASHA Bank regularly supports projects aimed
at educational and professional development in
the country. Oikos Summer School is focused on
trending topics and we believe these meetings will
affect the participants’ knowledge and experience
in the most positive way,” said Anano Korkia, Head
of PR and Marketing at PASHA Bank.
“Education is one of our core topics. Oikos organizes more than 500 projects in more than 30 countries annually. The topic of the Summer School is
currently very popular worldwide and particularly
important for our region. Today's students are our
future leaders, so it is essential to prepare them for
the challenges of tomorrow. We couldn’t do what
we do without our donors and partners. We would
like to say a special thanks to PASHA Bank for its
tremendous support in terms of funding, ideas and
outreach,” said Ani Lomouri, Director of Summer
School 2016.
GEORGIA TODAY
CULTURE
SEPTEMBER 2 - 5, 2016
11
Georgian Musicians to Perform at Carnegie Hall
to the 9/11 tragedy. In 2005, he graduated from DePaul University in Eteri Andjaparidze's studio. Oakley is also a featured alumnus of the Steinhardt
School at NYU, where he studied film scoring with
eorgia, as in the case of wine, can be Ira Newborn and classical composition with Justin
without any exaggeration considered Dello Joio. More recently he has studied with the
one of the most musical nations in prominent composers Richard Danielpour and
the world. This is proven by both Robert Aldridge. He has since seen his music perlocal and international projects as formed around the globe and within a number of
well as by the myriad of successful singers, instru- film projects, such as “A Ballerina's Tale,” a documentalists and opera singers who regularly appear mentary film about the career of African-American
on the most powerful stages around the globe. The ballerina Misty Copeland
“Mr. Oakley is a composer of extraordinary tallatest addition to this? Georgians at Carnegie Hall,
featuring the world premiere of George Oakley's ent whose music speaks to the heart as well as the
Stabat Mater, Georgian cellist, Lizi Ramishvili's mind,” said composer Richard Danielpour.
“It is a great honor for me to be participating in
United States debut, and prominent Georgian pia[the Carnegie Hall] concert,” Oakley told GEORnist, Inga Kashakashvili.
The chamber concert, to take place on October GIA TODAY. “Of course, I feel a great responsibil1 at 20:00, will take the audience through three ity. I get a lot of joy and strength hearing such virdistinct musical periods: the Classical period, rep- tuoso players and real artists performing my music
resented by the Beethoven's ‘Sonata for Cello and [as Ramishvili and Kashakashvili].”
19-year-old Lizi Ramishvili
Piano in D major, op. 102;’
started out taking music lesthe Romantic period, with
sons at the Paliashvili Central
Schumann's ‘Fantasiestücke,
Music School under Tamara
op. 73;’ through to ContemGabarashvili. Since 2014, she
porary Classical with the
has been studying at the
work of New York-based
Kronberg Academy in GerGeorgian composer, George
many with Frans Helmerson,
Oakley.
where she is a recipient of
Oakley is a Georgian comthe Boris Pergamenshchikov
poser with Irish roots who,
scholarship.
after finishing the Z. PaliashShe has taken part in numervili Gymnasium for Gifted
ous competitions and festiChildren, continued his
vals, including ‘Musica
studies to earn a Bachelor
Mundi’ (Belgium), ‘Appointof Music degree from the V.
ment with Slava’ at the InterSarajishvili Tbilisi State
national Mstislav RostropoConservatoire. In 2001, he
vich Festival in Kronberg,
received a full scholarship
Germany, ‘Eurovision Young
to participate in the Piano
Musicians’ (Austria), and
Summer Festival at New
‘The Seventh Mstislav RosPaltz and the same year won
tropovich Festival in Baku,’
the Flier International Piano
among many others.
Competition. In 2003, he
Although Ramishvili’s priwas invited as a guest artist
mary interest is in classical
to the United Sounds of
and contemporary music,
America festival dedicated Georgian cellist, Lizi Ramishvili
BY MAKA LOMADZE
G
Georgian Jewelry-Makers
Set for International Success
BY NINO GUGUNISHVILI
S
ome nine months ago, three Georgian girls, childhood friends Teko Urushadze, Natia Lagidze
and Tamta Lazishvili came up with an ambitious plan to create a new handmade jewelry
brand “Silhouette.”
As it turned out, their timing was excellent, since in recent years, young Georgian fashion
designers have found themselves ever more frequently in the spotlight of the international
fashion industry and media, strengthening Georgia’s chances to become a future Eastern European
fashion hotspot.
Gaining unexpected exposure and fast popularity, with the new Georgian jewelry brand’s story covered in American and Ukrainian Vogue and their products featured in famous online fashion store
Moda Operandi, Silhouette is clearly
already something of a success, with
countries like Azerbaijan, Russia,
United Arab Emirates and Ukraine
all on the hunt to have the brand on
their own fashion markets.
As one of the founders of Silhouette,
Tamta Lazishvili, (PR Specialist),
states, while creating each piece of
their product line, they usually envision a modern, confident, independent, and successful young girl or a
woman that has an unmistakable eye
for fashion.
“We imagine what the lifestyles and
tastes of those girls and women are,”
she says, adding that their jewelry can
fit every occasion you choose, from
everyday casual to an evening out.
Every piece of Silhouette jewelry is
handmade using materials such as
enamel, horn, silver, and brass, all of
which are traditionally used in Georgian crafts. Silhouette mixes these
materials and produces modern,
original and unique collections, some
of which can already claim to be bestsellers.
These young, talented and ambitious women, Teko Urushadze, Natia
Lagidze and Tamta Lazishvili are
clearly a dream team set to conquer
a wider international audience.
Georgian composer, George Oakley
she has also explored the jazz tradition with pianist
Papuna Sharikadze.
“For me, this concert is connected with a big
responsibility before the American audience,”
Ramishvili said of her up-coming debut. “I’m proud
to be able to represent the Georgian performing
arts. It’s a chance to increase awareness in American audiences of Georgian artists, which can bring
greater success to Georgia.”
Inga Kashakashvili is a New York-based pianist
from Tbilisi who has performed at major venues
around the world, among them Carnegie Hall, Jazz
at Lincoln Center, Le Poisson Rouge, Steinway Hall,
and Merkin Hall at the Kaufman Center.
In addition to frequent performances of the classical repertoire, Kashakashvili actively promotes contemporary music. Her recent performances include
music of Grammy-winner composers Robert Aldridge
and Richard Danielpour, and she frequently performs
the music of composer George Oakley.
Kashakashvili is a prizewinner of numerous international competitions, including the ‘Artists International Auditions’ and the ‘Jacob Flier International
Piano Competition’ in New York, and has participated in such prestigious music festivals as the
‘Fête de La Musique’ and ‘Leipzig Music Festival
in Germany.’
“The idea of this concert belongs to our producer,
James Carlson,” Kakhakashvili told GEORGIA
TODAY. “It’s the debut of our trio in New York,
though I have a lot of experience playing George’s
pieces with Lizi. In the first section of this concert,
me and Lizi will perform Beethoven and Schuman’s
music and the second section will be dedicated to
George’s music- a sonata for cello and piano. I’m
very proud that we, three Georgians, are to be on
this marvelous and unrivaled stage called Carnegie
Hall, together.”
12
CULTURE
GEORGIA TODAY
SEPTEMBER 2 - 5, 2016
Lordkipanidze Awarded
Prestigious Goethe Medal for
Contribution to Cultural Exchange
& Understanding
The awardees of the Goethe Medal 2016: Akinbode Akinbiyi, Juri Andruchowytsch
and David Lordkipanidze. Photo: Maik Schuck
W
hat can culture contribute to international understanding?
How can we promote
intercultural dialogue? Yurii Andrukhovych, Akinbode
Akinbiyi and David Lordkipanidze offered
impressive answers to these questions
when, on 28 August, the three cultural
professionals were honored with the
62nd Goethe Medal in Weimar.
The Goethe Medal was established by
the executive committee of the GoetheInstitut in 1954 and was acknowledged
as an official decoration by the Federal
Republic of Germany in 1975. The Goethe Medal is traditionally awarded on
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s birthday,
28 August for those making a special
contribution as ambassadors of the German language or in international cultural
exchange.
Since it was first awarded in 1955, a total
of 341 figures from 63 countries have
been honored. The awardees have
included Adonis, Daniel Barenboim,
Pierre Bourdieu, David Cornwell AKA
John le Carré, Sir Ernst Gombrich, Lars
Gustafsson, Ágnes Heller, Petros Markaris, Sir Karl Raimund Popper, Jorge Semprún, Robert Wilson, Neil MacGregor
and Helen Wolff.
“Migration of Cultures – Cultures of
Migration” was the motto of the conferment of the 2016 Goethe Medal. KlausDieter Lehmann, the president of the
Goethe-Institut, awarded the official
decoration of the Federal Republic of
Germany to photographer Akinbode
Akinbiyi, writer Yurii Andrukhovych
and General Director of the Georgian
National Museum, David Lordkipanidze.
“Each year, the conferment of the
Goethe Medal in Schloss Weimar on
Goethe’s birthday is a highlight for the
appreciation of cultural dialogue, for
the equal and independent meeting of
cultures and their active mediation,”
Lehmann said. “Our human life is primarily cultural. It is therefore worthwhile tackling social conflicts on the
path of cultural convergence. It is not
without reason that the key theme of
this year’s Goethe Medal awards is the
migration of cultures and the culture
of migration. Awarded are three assiduous intercultural ambassadors, three
outstanding individuals who deal with
ROUTING
TBILISI - ISTANBUL ATATURK AIRPORT
ISTANBUL ATATURK AIRPORT - TBILISI
TBILISI - ISTANBUL SABIHA GOKCEN AIRPORT
ISTANBUL SABIHA GOKCEN AIRPORT - TBILISI
BATUMI - ISTANBUL
ISTANBUL - BATUMI
this contemporary issue in their work
in the fields of photography, science
and literature.”
One of the most prestigious paleoanthropologists and archaeologists worldwide, the General Director of the Georgian National Museum, David
Lordkipanidze, works to advance cultural
and educational policies in Georgia and
has made a decisive contribution to
German-Georgian cultural relations. He
lastingly spurred on the modernization
of Georgian museums and for over 20
years he has headed the excavations at
Dmanisi in Georgia. The 1.8 million-yearold skeleton remains found there have
made him a world-renowned paleoanthropologist and archeologist.
“[David] believes that science doesn’t
only belong to scientists. It belongs in
public spaces, museums, exhibitions and
archeological excavations. As General
Director of the Georgian National
Museum, he determinedly and successfully campaigned for scientific findings
to be made generally accessible,” Friederike Fless, President of the German
Archaeological Institute, said.
For years Lordkipanidze has worked
alongside the Goethe Institut and with
famous German partners from culture
and education. These include the Stiftung Preussischer Kulturbesitz and the
Senckenberg Museum in Frankfurt.
“The activities of the Goethe Institut
in Georgia are not restricted to spreading the German language. With justified
appreciation and the promotion of culture and education, it supports humanism and basic research,” said Lordkipanidze.
In his acceptance speech, Lordkipanidze discussed the constant evolution of
culture, stating: “Today, looking on the
development of the processes in the
modern world, Goethe’s words are still
relevant: In nature, we never see anything isolated, but everything in connection with something else which comes
before it, beside it, under it and over it.
My country, Georgia, is also part of these
processes, using science and culture in
the first place to be connected to the rest
of the world – to be a part of the whole
world.”
Each of the winners have, in their own
way, contributed to international cultural
exchange and cultural understanding.
FLIGHT NUMBER
TK 379
TK 387
TK 383
TK 386
TK 382
TK 378
TK 381
TK 381
TK 380
TK 391
TK 393
TK 390
TK 392
WEEK DAYS
EVERYDAY
EVERYDAY
1/2/4/5/6/7
3
EVERYDAY
1/2/4/6/7
1/3/4/5/7
1/2/4/6/7
1/3/4/5/7
DEPARTURE
ARRIVAL
02:35
06:35
22:55
01:40
18:10
21:15
04:25
05:05
19:40
10:35
20:15
06:25
16:20
04:05
08:05
00:30+1
04:55
21:30
00:30+1
05:50
06:30
22:55
11:40
21:20
09:20
19:20
Night Serenades and Liana
Isakadze’s 70th Anniversary
BY MAKA LOMADZE
N
ight Serenades, an international music festival
founded back in 1982,
was once held in the most
beautiful region of Georgia – Abkhazia. Following the collapse
of the Soviet Union, it was cancelled.
But after 18 years, in 2009, was it restored
and brought back to the Black Sea coast,
this time in Batumi. Its founder and
artistic director is Liana Isakadze, a
renowned violinist who this year celebrates her 70th anniversary together
with the 35th jubilee of the festival
itself.
Night Serenades kicked off on August
27 in Batumi and will close in Tbilisi on
September 4 with a gala concert.
Over the years, increasing interest
towards the festival has led to a broadening of its geography beyond the coast,
since 2014 also being held in Tbilisi, and
a change of name- since 2015 known as
the Batumi-Tbilisi International Music
Festival.
This year, Anaklia, a seaside village in
Zugdidi (north-west Georgia), was added
as a venue, which the organizers believe
is symbolic as it is located close to the
border with Abkhazia, the initial site of
the festival. “Our aim is to continue holding the festival in Batumi until the day
we can return to Bichvinta, Abkhazia,”
Lasha Jhvania, Head of the Festival, told
GEORGIA TODAY.
On August 27, the World Chamber
Ensemble ‘Virtuosi,’ formed by Liana
Isakadze, opened the grandiose musical
event. The soloist was Isakadze on violin, playing together with prima female
violinist from Kazakhstan, Aiman
Musakhajayeva, and Alexei Ludevig, a
viola player from Russia who played
Vivaldi’s ‘Concerto for Two Violins and
10 Galaktion Street
Orchestra,’ Mozart’s ‘Sinfonia Concertante’ and Vivaldi’s ‘Four Seasons.’ The
concert was conducted by Isakadze, using
another of her divine gifts, and Cesar
Alvarez from Spain. The next day saw
Isakadze playing with Elizabeth Wilson,
a celloist from England/Italy, and Victor
Tretiakov (Russia) on violin. The soiree
was conducted once more by Alvarez.
On August 30, the festival travelled to
Anaklia, where again Mozart and Vivaldi
were performed.
To celebrate Isakadze’s 70th anniversary, the gala at the Opera House on
September 4 will bear a particularly festive mood and offer a number of surprises. “It is a great honor to be received
with such love. I thank all those parties
who were involved in organizing the gala
concert for me. I left Georgia in the 1990s
and therefore I’m extremely happy that
among Georgians, there is still so much
affection and respect for me,” she told
GEORGIA TODAY.
When asked what she thinks about
modern Georgian musicians, she
answered: “The level of Georgian musicians has improved drastically in all
directions. I’m particularly delighted by
violinists and pianists. I like the new
generation very much, they are very
talented.”
Virtuosi, which has already acquired
world fame, has been the base orchestra
for Isakadze since 2011. In 2014, they had
a significant concert in London, and in
2015 held a charity concert in New York.
It is staffed with musicians from Georgia
and various other countries of the world
(USA, France, Italy, Spain, England and
Russia).
On September 2, our readers will have
a chance to attend the first concert within
the festival in Tbilisi, at the recently
opened Hotel Biltmore, on Rustaveli
Avenue, where Virtuosi, headed by Liana
Isakadze and accompanied by Alexei
Ludevig (viola, Russia), will present
Mozart’s ‘Sinfonia Concertante’ and
Vivaldi’s ‘Four Seasons.’
On September 3, in the Small Hall of
Rustaveli Theater, will be the presentation of the five part music documentary
TV film ‘Meditations,’ directed by Sandro Vakhtangov (a production of the
Georgian Public Broadcaster). Isakadze
and Virtuosi will also present Brahms’s
‘Concerto for Violin and Orchestra,’
conducted by Gintaras Rinkevicious
from Lithuania.
September 4, the finale, is a gala concert of Night Serenades, dedicated to
the 70th Anniversary of Liana Isakadze.
Together with Virtuosi and Isakadze,
Georgian pianist Tamar Licheli, pianist
Sergei Babayan (USA), violinists Victor
Tretiakov (Russia), Natalia Likhopoi
(Russia), and Aiman Musakhajayeva
(Kazakhstan), and drummer Vladimir
Tarasov (Lithuania) will perform Rachmaninov, Bach, Tchaikovsky-Tsintsadze,
Shostakovich, Piazzolla, Youmans, Gershwin and more.
All the concerts in Tbilisi start at 20:00.
Tel: (995 32) 2 45 08 08
E-mail: [email protected]
GEORGIA TODAY
CULTURE
SEPTEMBER 2 - 5, 2016
13
WHAT’S ON IN TBILISI
THEATER
MOVEMENT THEATER
Address: 182, Aghmashenebeli Ave.,
Mushthaid park
Telephone: 599 555 260
September 2
RECITATIVE IN THE CITY
Directed by Kakha Bakuradze
Start time: 21:00
Free Entry
CINEMA
AMIRANI CINEMA
Address: 36 Kostava St.
Telephone: 2 99 99 55
www.kinoafisha.ge
Every Wednesday ticket price: 5 Lari
September 2-8
THE 9TH LIFE OF LOUIS DRAX
Directed by Alexandre Aja
Cast: Jamie Dornan, Aiden
Longworth, Sarah Gadon
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Language: English
Start time: 19:30
Language: Russian
Start time: 16:45, 22:00
Ticket: 10-14 GEL
JULIETA
Directed by Pedro Almodóvar
Cast: Adriana Ugarte, Rossy de
Palma, Emma Suárez
Genre: Drama
Language: Russian
Start time: 13:30
Ticket: 8-9 GEL
THE HANDMAIDEN
Directed by Chan-Wook Park
Cast: Min-hee Kim, Jung-woo Ha,
Kim Tae-ri
Genre: Drama, Romance
Language: Russian
Start time: 22:00
Ticket: 13-14 GEL
MECHANIC: RESURRECTION
Directed by Dennis Gansel
Cast: Jason Statham, Jessica Alba,
Tommy Lee Jones
Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller
Language: Russian
Start time: 14:15, 22:15
Ticket: 9-14 GEL
THE INFILTRATOR
Directed by Brad Furman
Genre: Biography, Crime, Drama
Cast: Paul M. Brennan
Language: Russian
Start time: 17:30
Ticket: 10-14 GEL
NINE LIVES
Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld
Genre: Comedy, Family, Fantasy
Cast: Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Garner,
Robbie Amell
Language: Russian
Start time: 12:00, 15:30, 20:00
Ticket: 8-14 GEL
RUSTAVELI CINEMA
Address: 5 Rustaveli Ave.
Telephone: 2 55 50 00
www.kinoafisha.ge
Every Wednesday ticket: 5 GEL
September 2-8
NINE LIVES
(Info Above)
Start time: 12:00, 14:00, 20:35, 22:35
Ticket: 8-14 GEL
SUICIDE SQUAD
Directed by David Ayer
Cast: Margot Robbie, Will Smith,
Cara Delevingne
Genre: Action, Crime, Fantasy
Language: Russian
Start time: 22:40
Ticket: 13-14 GEL
WAR DOGS
Directed by Todd Phillips
Genre: Drama, Comedy, War
Cast: Miles Teller, Bradley Cooper,
Ana de Armas
Language: Russian
Start time: 12:15, 14:45
Ticket: 8-10 GEL
BAD MOMS
Directed by Jon Lucas, Scott Moore
Cast: Mila Kunis, Kathryn Hahn,
Kristen Bell
Genre: Comedy
Language: Russian
Start time: 16:05, 18:20, 20:15, 22:35
Ticket: 10-14 GEL
DONT BREATHE
Directed by Fede Alvarez
Cast: Jane Levy, Stephen Lang,
Dylan Minnette
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Language: Russian
Start time: 17:15, 19:45
Ticket: 10-14 GEL
SHALVA AMIRANASHVILI
MUSEUM OF ART
Address: 1 Lado Gudiashvili St.
Telephone: 2 99 99 09
www.museum.ge
MECHANIC: RESURRECTION
(Info Above)
Start time: 14:30, 19:45, 22:15
Ticket: 9-14 GEL
May 18 – September 11
AVANT-GARDE 1900-1937
The exposition showcases the
collections of the Museum,
including around 100 paintings and
graphic works, archival material,
avant-garde posters and books by
Vasily Kandinsky, Niko Pirosmani,
Mikhail Gelonov, Natalya
Goncharova, Olga Rozanova, Kiril
Zdanevich, David Kakabadze, Lado
Gudiashvili, Ziga Valishevsky,
Kazimir Malevich, Alexei
Kruchenykh, Robert Falk, Osvaldo
Lichin, Alexander Shevchenko,
Shalva Kikodze, Mikhail
Bilanishvili, Voldemar Boberman,
Lev Brun and Kliment Redko.
MUSEUM
GEORGIAN NATIONAL
MUSEUM
SIMON JANASHIA MUSEUM
Address: 4 Rustaveli Ave.
Telephone: 2 99 80 22, 2 93 48 21
www.museum.ge
PERMANENT EXHIBITION:
GEORGIAN ARCHAEOLOGY
FROM 8TH MILLENNIUM B.C.
TO 4TH CENTURY A.D
THE CAUCASUS NATURAL
HISTORY MUSEUM
COLLECTION RENEWED
EXHIBITION
EXHIBITION OF GEORGIAN
WEAPONRY
NUMISMATIC TREASURY
The exhibition showcases a long
history of money circulation on the
territory of modern Georgia from
the 6th century BC. to 1834.
June 11 – March 11 (2017)
EXHIBITION "MEDIEVAL
TREASURY"
The exhibition showcases preChristian and Georgian medieval
art, which reflects the continuity of
the cultural traditions that were the
basis for the formation of Georgian
statehood and national identity.
June 16 – December 16
THE EXHIBITION “NEW
DISCOVERIES - GEORGIAN
ARCHAEOLOGY”
The exhibition will be held in
the frame of the international
conference On Salt, Copper, and
Gold: The Origins of Early Mining
and Metallurgy in the Caucasus"
MUSEUM OF SOVIET
OCCUPATION
Address: 3 Sh. Rustaveli Ave.
PERMANENT EXHIBITION
GIORGI CHALADZE PERSONAL
EXHIBITION
DEDICATED TO HIS 85TH
ANNIVERSARY
The exhibition showcases 40
paintings and sculptures created
from the 1960s to present day. Giorgi
Chaladze is a painter and sculptor,
and the founder of the Union of
Artists from Rustavi. He was awarded
the Medal of Honor of Georgia.
GALLERY
THE NATIONAL GALLERY
Address: 11 Rustaveli Ave.
www.museum.ge
PERMANENT EXHIBITION
Niko Pirosmanashvili, David
Kakabadze, Lado Gudiashvili and
sculptor Iakob Nikoladze.
June 24, 2016 – June 24, 2017
NIKO PIROSMANASHVILI’S
WORKS “YARD CLEANER” AND
“EAGLE SEIZING A HARE”
Both paintings were the ownership
of Ilya and Kirill Zdanevich until
1930 when Dimitri Shevardnadze
bought part of their collection
(39 paintings) including the "Yard
Cleaner" and "Eagle Seizing a Hare".
Today, both paintings are among the
collection of Shalva Amiranashvili
Museum of Fine Arts.
September 6-28
THE SOLO EXHIBITION "DEEP
CALLETH UNTO DEEP" BY GIA
BUGADZE.
The project "Deep Calleth unto
Deep" is based on the 7th article
of the 41st psalm and outlines
the drama which lies in the
confrontation between the internal
and external worlds. The exhibition
will showcase four different cycles:
"Bibliogram," "Counting," "Prints,"
and "Deep Calleth unto Deep"
itself. The exhibition also includes
an installation representing
contradictions - sympathy and
antipathy, attraction and repulsion,
question and answer.
MUSIC
MOVEMENT THEATER
Address: 182, Aghmashenebeli Ave.,
Mushthaid park
Telephone: 599 555 260
September 3, 6, 8
JAM SESSION AT MT
LEADERS:
RESO KIKNAZE QUINTET AND
PAPUNA SHARIKADZE
Free Entry
Start time: 21:00
September 7
TANGO EVENING
“MILONGA, LA CUMPARSITA”
ARGENTINE TANGO DANCE
NIGHT
Start time: 21:00
Ticket: 5 GEL
BILTMORE HOTEL TBILISI
Address: 29 Rustaveli Ave.
Telephone: 272 72 72
September 2
CHARITY CONCERT BY LIANA
ISAKADZE
Start time: 20:00
Ticket: 50-100 GEL
TBILISI OPERA AND
BALLET THEATER
Address: 25 Rustaveli Ave.
Telephone: 200 44 66
September 4
LIANA ISAKADZE GALA
CONCERT
Start time: 19:00
Ticket: 5-50 GEL
BATUMI
BLACK SEA ARENA
Address: Shekvetili
September 3
BLACK SEA INTERNATIONAL
FOLK FESTIVAL
Start time: 19:00
Ticket: 5-15 GEL
BATUMI TENNIS CLUB
Address: Batumi Boulevard
September 2
BALLETO DI MILANO & ROYAL
NATIONAL BALLET
Gala concert as a part of its
European premier. "Across the
Universe" presents a selection
of world folk dance heritage
performed with Georgian
temperament, new choreographic
interpretations and a fresh
approach.
Start time: 20:00
Ticket: 10-30 GEL
September 3
KANUDOSI
Concert of the Jazz-band
Start time: 21:00
Ticket: 10 GEL
CLUB TAKE FIVE
Address: Batumi Boulevard
September 4
GIO KHUTSISHVILI CONCERT
Start time: 22:00
Ticket: 20 GEL
14
SPORTS
GEORGIA TODAY
SEPTEMBER 2 - 5, 2016
Ceremony Held to See
off Georgian Athletes
to Rio Paralympics
Vano Tsiklauri - Archery
FOR SALE: BMW – 321 model
Date of issue 1936
PRICE 10.000 USD
CONTACT PERSON 557 12 38 90
T
he ceremony to see off
Georgian athletes to the
Rio Paralympics was held
at Tbilisi Para Sport Development Center at which
Sports Minister Tariel Khechikashvili,
Tbilisi Mayor Davit Narmania and BP
General Manager to Georgia Chris
Schlueter met with the athletes and
wished them success.
The first flow of Georgian Para-athletes
departed for Brazil on September 1, at 03:35
AM in order to take part in the Paralympics which will begin on September 7.
Five Georgian Para-sportsmen received
licenses for the Games this year: Zviad
Gogochuri - Judo, Vano Tsiklauri Archery, Akaki Jincharadze - powerlifting, Irma Khetsuriani - wheelchair fencing and Lia Chachibaia - swimming.
Mayor Narmania said conditions for
Para-athletes are improving, while Minister Khechikashvili said the team has a
very positive outlook.
The Para-athletes are participating in
the Rio Paralympics through the support of BP. The company has been an
official partner of Georgia’s National
Paralympics Committee since 2012 and
seeks to promote the Paralympic movement in Georgia.
“I would like to express deep respect
on behalf of BP towards each athlete and
trainer,” Schlueter said at the ceremony.
“They have done their best to take part
in the Games and have gained the licenses
they deserved. We are glad to see Geor-
gian sportsmen heading to Rio. It is very
important that Georgian Para-athletes
take part in such a large-scale competition and we will watch their performance
in the world arena with great interest.”
The first competition between those
with disabilities was held in 1960 following the close of the Rome Olympics.
FOR SALE
9,8 ha non-agricultural, privately owned parcel for
industrial use
(cadaster code # 01.19.26.004.088)
located next to Tbilisi Airport
(It is possible to divide it into several parts)
Address: Airport settlement, Samgori district, Tbilisi
Tel: +995 599 529 529
[email protected]
SPORTS
GEORGIA TODAY
SEPTEMBER 2 - 5, 2016
15
Georgia Wins
4 Golds at
Junior World
Championships
Photo: Justin Hoch, United World Wrestling
F
our Georgian athletes won
gold medals during the twoday Junior World Wrestling
Championships in French city
Macon.
Zviad Pataridze won his fourth cham-
pionship title in Greco-Roman style
wrestling and gave Georgia a 51-40 win
in the team race over Russia.
Pataridze beat his Turkish opponent
Kenan Osman Yldilirm by a score of 10:0
and secured the team title for Georgia
PUBLISHER & GM
George Sharashidze
COMMERCIAL
DEPARTMENT
Commercial Director:
Iva Merabishvili
Marketing Manager:
Mako Burduli
GEORGIA TODAY
EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT:
Editor-In-Chief:
Katie Ruth Davies
after earlier victories from Dato Chkhartishvili and defending world champion
Ramaz Zoidze.
20-year-old George Melia won his first
gold medal for Georgia in the 96 kilogram category.
Journalists:
Tony Hanmer, Tamar Svanidze,
Zviad Adzinbaia, Beqa
Kirtava, Meri Taliashvili, Eka
Karsaulidze, Zaza Jgarkava,
Maka Bibilashvili, Karen
Tovmasyan, Dimitri
Dolaberidze, Maka
Lomadze, Tim Ogden,
Ana Akhalaia, Robert Isaf,
Joseph Larsen, Will Cathcart,
Vazha Tavberidze, Nugzar B.
Ruhadze
Photographer:
Giorgi Pridonishvili
Layout:
Misha Mchedlishvili
Webmaster:
Sergey Gevenov
Circulation Managers:
David Kerdikashvili,
David Djandjgava
ADDRESS
1 Melikishvili Str.
Tbilisi, 0179, Georgia
Tel.: +995 32 229 59 19
E: [email protected]
F: GeorgiaToday
ADVERTISING &
SUBSCRIPTION
+995 595 279997
E-mail: marketing@
georgiatoday.ge
Reproducing material, photos
and advertisements without
prior editorial permission is
strictly forbidden.
The author is responsible for
all material. Rights of authors
are preserved. The newspaper
is registered in Mtatsminda
district court.
Reg. # 06/4-309