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Kakheti Ethnographical Museum Closed

July 21, 2008

Gela Mtivlishvili, Kakheti

Based on the President’s decree issued on April 30 2008, the Gurjaani based Kakheti Ethnographical Museum has been closed down; more than 50 thousand items were held at the museum. It is reported that in light of illegal construction that is on-going on the territory of the museum, the Ministry of Economical Development now intends to sell the territory and building on it.

The Gurjaani Ethnographical Museum was founded in 1962. Tamar Markozashvili, specialist for the District Culture and Monument Protection Department, reported that the artifacts of the Stone, Antique and Bronze Ages are preserved in the museum and they are now in danger.

“We learned about the abolishment of the museum several days ago when we visited it together with guests and there we found the artifacts packed up in boxes. Having inquired about the situation Giorgi Bezhitashvili, former director, stated the museum was closed down based on president’s decree, the property was assigned to the Georgian National Museum. He added that a special preserver for the collection was to move into the museum and that means that nobody will be allowed to enter the museum without special permit of the director of the National Museum. Visitors and interested people will not have the opportunity to see unique archeological materials unless they are conducting scientific research; only in this case when they have obtained a special permit,” said Tamaz Markozashvili.

Davit Macharashvili, the head of the Culture Department of the Gurjaani Municipality Board, stated that museum was closed down as a result of joint effort of Nika Nizharadze, his predecessor on the position, and Giorgi Bezhitashvili. “When Gurjaani Municipality Board established the union of district-based museums Bezhitashvili categorically denied joining the union as the director of the Ethnographical Museum. Nobody protested his refusal. Bezhitashvili claimed that they intended to establish Archeological Museum on the basis of the Ethnographical one where exponents from various regions of Georgia would be preserved. However, finally, the museum was abolished. We do not know what will happen with the exponents preserved in the museum,” said Macharashvili.

Giorgi Bezhitashvili denies the information about the poor conditions of the artifacts; he also denied the information about the intended sale of the building.

“When we were subordinated to the District Culture Department the museum received funding of 9 thousand GEL a year from the district budget. The sum was not enough, not even for the salaries of the personnel and that is why we decided to change the profile.”

-Anyway, why did you initiate to close down the museum on the ground of low salaries?

-The president abolished the museum based on his decree and assigned its property to the Georgian National Museum. Currently, nothing is functioning; however, we intend to place preservers from historical-ethnographical fund in the building. After that we will be again employed.

-Nobody will be allowed to enter without special permission of the director of the National Museum. What will be sense of having ten thousands of historical artifacts in the museum collection if interested people are not able to see them?

-The visitors were not that active before we were closed. Many teachers of history did not know where our museum was even located.

-The museum is located in perfect place but recently illegal construction has started in its territory. You have never protested it.

-The Architect Department of the Municipality Board is authorized to check the legality of the construction and that is not my responsibility. 

Kakha Labuchidze, Gurjaani district governor, confirmed that construction is really going-on in the territory of the former museum. He said that the District Architect Department has not issued permission for that construction. Nevertheless, according to the official information the department has not made any announcements about the illegal construction.

Officials from Georgian Ministry of Culture, Monument Protection and Sport are not commenting about the abolishment of the Gurjaani Ethnographical Museum. Officials from the Kakheti Property Registration and Privatization Department of the Georgian Ministry of Economic Development also have not commented on the issue.

 

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