The Winners of David Agmashenebeli Contest have been nominated

February 9, 2011

On the day of Saint David Agmashenebeli (the Builder) – February 8 – in Tbilisi, at the Hotel “Sherato-Metekhi-Palace” there was held a ceremony of handing Historical-Literary Prizes of this great Georgian king to the winners. The ceremony was preceded by a press-conference with the participation of the members of the Contest Commission, reviewers, as well as some of the laureates. Journalists attending the press-conference were informed about the names of the Contest winners and how it was arranged. 

This year All-Georgia Historical-Literary Prize of David Agmashenebeli was handed to the winners for the second time. It has been established by Mr. Alexander Ebralidze, President of the World Congress of the Nations of Georgia, a Georgian businessman and patron of art who lives and works in St. Petersburg. The main objective of the prize is the support of the development of Georgian culture, in particular historical science and literature. Despite the strong counteraction which the organizers of the Contest of David Agmashenebeli faced last year, the Prize became firmly established among the Georgian society and gained the prestige and popularity. As Mrs. Nana Djaparidze-Chkoidze, Director of the Georgian Branch of the World Congress of the Nations of Georgia and an Executive Secretary of the Contest Commission informed the attendants at the press-conference this time there were submitted about twice as much works as there were last year – about one hundred. Out of them the Commission selected about seventy works satisfying the conditions of the Contest and then later, as a result of a very strict selection the laureates were revealed. The Contest Commission faced a very serious and not very simple choice starting from very high levels of the submitted works among which were the works of art and science. 

Mrs. Nana Djaparidze-Chkoidze announced the winners of the Contest. The First Degree Prize of Historical-Literary Contest of David Agmashenebeli were awarded Manana Chitishvili, a well-known Georgian poet for the poetic collection “Still it was called Georgia” and “One Hundred Poems”, Alexander Kurdadze for scientific popular work “Hymn to Wine and Vine”, Nugzar Antelava for the monograph “Abkhazian Myths, Rituals, Symbols”, Anzor Totadze for scientific works “Population of Georgia at the point of the second and the third millenniums” and “History and Future of Joint life of Georgian and Ossetian Nations”. The First Degree Prize was also awarded to a painter Rezo (Emelyan) Adamia for the book “Bloody Tears” dedicated to the classic of Georgian literature Terenti Graneli and for the work of the author on the search and restoration of graphic works of this outstanding poet. At the press-conference it was marked that in the work of Mr. Alexander Kurdadze who is a professional wine-maker is revealed the role of viticulture and wine-making in the formation of a historical consciousness and national identity of the Georgian nation. Particularly were marked the importance of the works of Nugzar Antelava and Anzor Totadze referring to Georgia-Abkhazian and Georgia-Ossetian relations. It was said that similar fundamental, unbiased, honest from scientific point of view studies are called to assist in the identification of the conflicts nature and in finding mutually acceptable way of their settlement. 

The winners of the nominations of David Agmashenebeli Contest became Vazha Shubitidze for the collection “100 Greatest Georgians of all Times” (nomination “Handbook”), Shota Zoidze for publicistic work “Calvary of Georgians” (nomination “People take care of the Nation”), Soso Sigua for publicistic trilogy “Martvili and Alamdari” (nomination “The Writer and the History”), Eugene Bliadze for a historic research “Erekle the Second” (nomination “Life and Deeds of Georgian Kings”), Boris Darchia for bibliographical research “Jacob Shemokmedeli” (nomination “The History of Literature). Aleko Aslanishvili is widely known as a wonderful journalist and editor. He submitted to the Contest documentary- bibliographical work “The Lost Graves” which was awarded in the nomination “Liven up Faces”. In the nomination “The History of Military Glory” as the best was acknowledged a book of Levan Dolidze “Generals of Georgia”. Prizes in the nomination “Popularization of the History of Georgia Abroad” was awarded to our com-patriot, who lives and works in St. Petersburg – Grigol Liparteliani for the works “The World of Grigol Liparteliani” and “Georgians in St. Petersburg”. Two authors were handed a prize of David Agmashenebeli in the nomination “For Reading by Teenagers” which is an evidence of the attention which is paid by the founder of the Prize and organizers of the Contest to the issue of bringing up the young generation. This is Liana Baratashvili, awarded for the book “They were born in Georgia” and Nunu Dzamukashvili who was awarded for the series of lectures “David the Fourth Agmashenebeli (the Builder)”, published as a book. 

The prize for journalists “Companion-in-writing” was not handed to anybody last year. And it is very pleasant that this time the winner of this prize became rather worthy candidate, well-known Georgian journalist Temur Koridze, having submitted to the Contest a very interesting and necessary book “Talks about Journalism”. 

And finally, special Prize of the Contest Commission was awarded to the youngest participant – poet Mikhail Tkebuchava who is writing under his pen-name Mebage (Gardener) for the collection “Millennium of a Second” 

During the press-conference there was arranged a telephone insertion from St. Petersburg. During this insertion Alexander Ebralidze the founder of All-Georgia Historical-Literary Prize of David Agmashenebeli, President of the World Congress of the Nations of Georgia and the Chairman of the Contest Commission answered the questions put by the journalists. He congratulated the winners and informed that David Agmashenebeli Contest not only will be arranged and held in the future but also it will be expanded. When speaking about his plans Mr. Alexander Ebralidze stated: “I am used to do the business first and only after that discuss it. Unfortunately, in Georgia, which is my motherland, because of the created situation, I have to do the other way round. My main task and my main desire are to get a citizenship of Georgia in order to have a possibility to arrive there, to be together with you and use all my physical, intellectual and material resources for the benefit of the Motherland”. President of the World Congress of the Nations of Georgia underlined that whatever his plans might be, he will act only in the frames defined by the Constitution. 

Tata Metreveli
Press-secretary of the Georgian Branch of
The World Congress of the Nations of Georgia