Today our objective is not to provide detailed research on the Georgian theatre or the description of its centuries-long history and traditions…

Today we wish to recall one chapter of this history, to relate to you the story of a forgotten Tbilisi theatre - the theatre whose name was once widely popular and which would command equal admiration and esteem today.

The "Tbilisi Theatre" opened in 1851 and soon became a major phenomenon in Georgia’s life… But prior to that…

In the middle of the nineteenth century the "Manège Theatre" clearly could not meet the growing requirements of Tbilisi theatre-lovers. This placed construction of a new theatre high on the agenda of the day. The decision was made that the new building would be built in the new part of Tbilisi, in Erevan Square where the suburbs began. (Erevan Square was the name given to today’s Freedom Square in 1828, to commemorate the seizure of Erevan by General Paskevich).

Since the government was unable to raise sufficient funds for the construction of the building, it was decided to build the theatre "at the expense of the trading dukan rentals". The dukan owners refused to leave the old Tbilisi location: "We have our own clients here who are used to us and we will go broke if we leave this place", they objected. Vorontsov was obliged to approach the merchants. There turned out to be only one merchant, Gabriel Tamashev, willing to combine trade with "art". He committed to building a large, three-storey building in Erevan Square.

Eight hundred and fifty-five sazhens of land were donated to the honored citizen of Tbilisi, Gabriel Tamashev and his heirs and descendants "for a century-long ownership, tax-free". On this plot of land he was to build, at his own expenses, a building for the theatre and the Caravanserai. At the end of the construction, Tamashev would own the Caravanserai and the premises located inside it. The theatre building was to function under the control of the City Hall. According to Zakaria Chichinadze, "The place where Tamashev has built the Caravanserai previously belonged to Estate Tsitsishvili, who sold it for two smoked fish and two rolls of fabric." (Newspaper "Sakartvelo", # 81, 1915).

The construction of the theatre began in 1847 and continued for four years.

Giovanni Skudieri, an architect invited from Odessa by Vorontsov, designed the building. Vorontsov entrusted Skudieri with the construction management and appointed him the Tbilisi Chief Architect. Skudieri enjoyed profound esteem at the Governor-General’s court. He died at an early age on July 5, 1851 when the roof of the "military cathedral" under construction collapsed. (V.Beridze, "Tbilisi Architecture").

In the spring of 1851 the theatre building was ready.

The theatre and the Caravanserai building together formed a big rectangle which was made up of four floors. Northwards, the building was below street-level and was illuminated from a special trench which wound around the building. The pavement was linked to the third floor by 15 dome-shaped small bridges made of brick laid over the trench and by two entries intended for coaches. The lower floors were reserved for warehouses and shops. A spectacular pool with beautiful fountains was constructed in front of the building. In the heart of the Caravanserai there was a hall and a stage. The hall could accommodate 700 spectators with 180 seats in the stalls, 22 boxes in the first circle, 25 seats in the second circle and 250 seats in the gallery.

The painter Grigol Gagarin created the interior design of the theatre. (Grigol Gagarin – a painter, an architect, a scholar. In 1841-1864, served in the military. Took part in the Caucasian wars. In 1848-1854, lived in Tbilisi. His sketches were used for painting the Sioni Church, the Caravanserai Opera Theatre and the theatre curtain. Worked on staging G. Eristavi’s plays: "Divorce" and "Dispute". The landscapes. Two albums: "Picturesque Caucasus" and "Caucasian costumes" were published).

The theatre design resembled "an enormous bracelet made of various enamels based on oriental scenes. A lifeless pen is unable to convey the beauty and the attractiveness of the new hall", wrote V. Sologub, the theatre-director and writer. In 1851, on the order of Nikolai the First, Count Sologub was seconded to Tbilisi at the disposal of the Governor-General. The latter appointed him the director of the new theatre.

According to the Academician Vakhtang Beridze, the Caravanserai Theatre was the first special theatre building in Georgia. "The feudal architecture of Georgia had not produced the building of a theatre".

We learn from the accounts of the witnesses that the Caravanserai Theatre had no match among the famous European theatres. To quote Alexander Dumas’ words: "This hall, with its wealth and tastefulness resembles a fairy palace … I can say without any hesitation that the Tbilisi hall is one of the most fascinating theatre halls that I have seen in my life".

On October 25, 1851, the famous Parisian magazine "Illustration" published Edmond de Barurie’s article with two photographs depicting the opening of the theatre. The author wrote: "There is no doubt that the theatre represents one of the most elegant, beautiful and fascinating theatre buildings that man is capable of imagining. It merits admiration and imitation of the West."

Another impression: "You know that I have seen all the theatre stages in the major cities of Europe…but nowhere have I seen such a pleasant, bright, architecturally subtle and elegant theatre which would carry the local flavour more densely, generously and brilliantly than the Tbilisi theatre. It is a wonderful, artistic creation. It is a theatre building unequalled in Asia, with the Moorish style and all the beauty of oriental architecture and the richness of the multicolored jewels embedded in it. What a delightful combination - the theatre in the interior of a four-storey Caravanserai building surrounding it. Here is a hotel as well, a gushing fountain falling down to the lower floor and filling a huge bowl with cold water. When the groundwork was being laid for the opera activity, malicious voices were heard around doubting that operas would not attract more than 10-15 persons in the audience (nowadays the tickets are sold out in advance)…" (Newspaper "Kavkazi", #12, 1852).

On April 10, 1851, the gala opening of the theatre was held with a grand fancy-dress ball. A raffle for the benefit of the "St. Nino Ladies’ College" was arranged. "A masquerade, and not a drama performance opened the theatre because we still failed to select the performances that would match the "beauty and moral objective" of the theatre," Count Sologub wrote.

November 9, 1851, was the date when "the curtain of the theatre was lifted for the first time". An Italian theatre troupe presented Donizetti’s opera "Lucia of Lammermour."

Opera performances began with a season-ticket system: two tickets of this type were issued for the operas – each valid for 12 performances. One was intended for Friday performances and the other – for Tuesdays.

The rows of the upper boxes cost 50 manats, those of the lower ones - 40, the first three rows of the stalls - 15, and starting from the 4th row - 10. The price of  a seat in the gallery was 30 kopecks. Prices were distributed in such a manner that the poor also had a chance to attend the performances together with the wealthy. The gallery was always packed with ordinary people.

In the season of 1851-1852, Bellini’s opera "Norma" was staged and enjoyed enormous success. High-ranking officials "spoilt" by the Petersburg theatres spared no praise informing their friends in the capital city: "I have listened to the operas in Petersburg, Paris, Munich, Dresden, Berlin, Italy theatres, Odessa and, finally, in Tbilisi… The performance level of all these theatres in no way surpasses that of this local one…"

The tickets were snatched-up in advance. Maiko Orbeliani was so much impressed by "Norma" that she even fainted during the performance. The Tbilisian ladies vowed Bellini’s sun.

The Caravanserai theatre was always full. By that time, Tbilisi had become an administrative and cultural center of the Caucasus. Numerous guests came to visit Georgian capital. One could come across Alexander Dumas (the father), Lev Tolstoy, Haji-Murat and Mekmen Mirza, the Iranian prince.

Haji-Murat and the Opera Theatre?

Haji-Murat – a person famous for his courage, a hero of Dagestan and Chechnya’s struggle for independence,  was one of the rulers of the Avar khanate, Shamil’s beloved naib, who fought with Shamil against the Russian conquerors and achieved numerous victories in the battles… To separate these two like-minded warriors, enmity was provoked between them and Shamil condemned Haji-Murat to death. After that, Haji-Murat could no longer step foot in the Caucasus, and in 1851 he deserted to the Russians. To "entertain" the sad and sorrowful Haji-Murat, the Governor-General would take him to the Opera accompanied by the aide-de-camp, Loris-Melikov. It was not difficult to guess why Haji-Murat was in low spirits.  A fight to the death was going on in the Dagestan mountains. Haji-Murat could not accept his fate and the "conciliated" warrior fled to the mountains. The Russians captured and beheaded him. At first, his head was taken around various parts of the army to demonstrate how the "recalcitrants" were punished. On April 30, 1852, his head was brought to Tbilisi and, upon Vorontsov’s order placed in the "hospital" as a museum exhibit.

In short, Erevan Square with its Opera Theatre became the center of the new Tbilisi life. Everybody hurried to the Opera. Both adults and kids became obsessed with the opera. From its opening day, the topic of conversation changed. When people met, after greeting they no longer enquired about each other’s health, but asked if they had a ticket to the opera.

In the "Tsiskari" magazine "Chat Page" M. Tumanishvili (the "chatter") humorously wrote: "Everywhere one could hear only the names as Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti, Verdi, Wagner… I didn’t know what to do, it seemed to me that I was not in Gorgasali’s city, but either in Milan or Venice. I met a young lady who was walking and saying: "I pray to Bellini’s sun, please do not step on my veil". An Imeretian worker came running down the street singing, "Figaro here, Figaro there, Figaro up and Figaro down". Everyone was obsessed with the opera. And you got tired of the little boys’ yelling in La Dona Mobile’s voice.
Tbilisi of that time not only changed its life-style, but also its exterior image.

"…In good weather, one can see the most educated ladies strolling along the street. If you look at them, you will wonder who has brought all these Parisian beauties here.   From head to toe, starting from hats and finishing with footwear, they are all dressed up in Parisian style. To say nothing about their gait which is also Parisian. Some speak French. Since speaking one’s native tongue is considered to be a sign of illiteracy, believe me, you won’t hear a single word in Georgian." ("Droeba", #12, 1870).

After the closing of the opera season, spirits in Tbilisi dwellers would  droop. The press of that time noted, "The theatre closed down, the winter season is over. We are only left with the memories of Russian, Italian and Georgian performances… For the Tbilisians, opera has not been an elapsing, incidental bliss once experienced and forgotten. Absolutely not, Tbilisi wants to have a permanent opera - an opera forever and it is likely that it is going to have it." ("Kavkazi" 363, 1852)

Before the beginning of Lent, the end of February or mid-March was the closing-time of the theatre season in Tbilisi. Performances were not held in hot weather. The theatre management of that time "refrained from dismissing the leading actors." Until the opening of the season in September, the running costs for the upkeep of an inactive theatre company amounted to 27,000 manats.

In the sixties of the last century, an annual subsidy of 31,080 manats was provided to the theatre by the government and 6,000 manats were raised by the city municipality… Due to the fact that the theatre incurred losses each season, the management of the theatre decided to hold evening concerts to make up for the losses. In 1870, a summer-theatre was built on the right bank of the Mtkvari river.

Later, after the Tbilisi Theatre burnt down, the summer theatre was transformed for the winter season as well.

The theatre that had found a temporary shelter here, remained in this building for 22 years until the construction of a "permanent opera". In 1896, Tbilisi Treasury Opera was opened – today’s Tbilisi Opera and Ballet State Academic Theatre named after Zakaria Paliashvili.

A Tbilisi marvel, the beauty and pride of our capital – the Tbilisi Theatre burnt down on October 11, 1874, under "extremely suspicious circumstances".

The Fire.

On October 11, 1874, a noise was heard coming from Erevan Square. That day "Norma", the favourite work of Tbilisians, was performed. An hour before the beginning of the performance, fire broke out in the theatre under very strange circumstances. According to the reports of the press of that time, "the actors were getting ready to appear before the audience, when fire broke out in the Caravanserai building, the first flames bursting out from the Qazarov’s shop. Everyone was taken by surprise because the shops closed early, and pursuant to the government order, they were not allowed to trade using candlelight. ("Tiflisski Vestnik", #100, 1874)

The investigation revealed that "the Caravanserai traders did not seem to be very happy with the theatre located in the middle of the trading center". Apparently, a certain Qazarov (the same Lazarev) had deliberately left a light in his store in order to go bankrupt…

"The investigation also revealed that it was not by chance that Tamashev’s Caravanserai caught fire, circumstantial evidence provided by the witnesses convinced the investigator that the merchant, I. Lazarev, was guilty in the matter". ("Droeba", # 450, 1874)

The Court passed its sentence condemning Lazarev to 9 years of penal servitude to be followed by a lifelong exile to Siberia.

It is true that the firemen appeared immediately, but they had no adequate equipment. Not a single drop of water was found in the pool of Erevan Square, which was previously always full, "because the water flowed from Tamashev’s pockets". Police drove water carriers from all parts of Tbilisi. The water carriers kept bringing water from the Mtkvari river for 16 hours, but all in vain. Within several hours, the fire consumed a beautiful creation of "Gagarin and Skudieri". The theatre was destroyed completely: the furniture, the invaluable scenery and clothes, and the rich library was turned to ashes. The archives with a large amount of interesting information about the Tbilisi Theatre also perished.

People watched in horror how "the flames went up into the sky", while their favourite theatre was burning to ashes, the theatre which for 23 years delighted the hearts and souls of Tbilisi residents… Tamashev, himself illuminated by fire, "was standing with his hands crossed like Mephistopheles, smiling with venomous irony".
The government wanted to reconstruct the theatre. A commission was set up, but Tamashev flatly refused to build a theatre inside the Caravanserai. Then, he was required to pay for the plot of land that was allocated to him in Erevan Square free-of-charge. With great pleasure Tamashev paid 150,000 manats and received a much greater sum from the insurance of the building. He got rid of the theatre, became the owner of a big plot of land in the heart of the city, and reopened his Caravanserai. The Caravanserai existed till the thirties of the twentieth century and was brought down during the reconstruction of the square which was then named after Lavrentiy Beria .

Time passed by, generations followed one another, and the pride of Tbilisi - the Tbilisi Theatre - sunk into oblivion.

MZIA KUTSNIASHVILI
MARINA VASHAKMADZE