Politics in Culture

What is the aim of the attempt to discredit cultural workers?

Ana Sheshaberidze

Politics influences every field in Georgia particularly culture though culture workers are not politicians and politicians should interfere in their activities least of all. However, the recent events prove the opposite.

Russian-Georgian war of the last year changed many things. It has impacted even the map of Georgia. The more is spoken that Russian and Georgian culture workers should not part, the more Georgian high-ranking officials get irritated because of their close relationship. The officials do their best in order to blame Georgian culture workers to be traitors.

Recently, similar attitude to the culture workers has become very common.

After Paata Burchuladze, famous Georgian opera singer, took part in the charity concert for disabled children in Moscow, part of Georgian media declared him a traitor.

It was reported that president of Russia Medvedev made statement before Burchuladze sang. The president made statement at the military concert dedicated to the anniversary of Moscow City. Although Burchuladze took part in different concert, national TV-company “Rustavi 2” reported quite different information in their news program.

Georgian opera singer is a Good Will Ambassador of the UN and he thinks it is his prior responsibility to participate in charity concerts. He held concert on the square of Moscow Church on September 6 though Georgian audience understood this fact completely differently. With the support of film-editing, Rustavi 2 showed the fact in completely different way. According to their information, Paata Burchuladze sang in the military concert in the yard of the Kremlin together with other 14 Russian singers; the concert was dedicated to the 862 anniversary of Moscow City. In fact, the military concert was organized on September 5.

Representatives of the Fund “Iavnana” which belongs to Burchuladze stated that the opera singer was invited to Moscow by Natalia Penskaia, head of Charity Fund of Social Programs and the concert was organized on September 6 and not on September 5 as it was reported by the Rustavi 2.

Paata Burchuladze’s case is not the only incident.

Former art director of the Mikheil Tumanishvili Theatre Keti Dolidze was not declared a traitor, but she was punished for having criticized the Tbilisi International Festival. Keti Dolidze said it was reason for her dismissal from the position of the art director.

“Tbilisi International Festival was initiated by the Tbilisi City Hall and Municipality Board. Until now, Tbilisi City Hall was one of the financial supporters of the Tbilisi Theater Festival “Sachukari” (gift) that was initiated by Keti Dolidze. The International Festival was scheduled in the same days as the festival “Sachukari” which was running for 11 years already.

Keti Dolidze stated the new festival is more expensive for the city budget than Sachukari. Besides that, she protested the fact that the jury members of the festival were governmental officials. She said it was impossible to have City Mayor Gigi Ugulava in the jury. Former art director said the new festival was established in order to replace the 12-year-old Sachukari.

Dolidze said Gigi Ugulava did not like her comment and on September 1 Ministry of Culture decided to resign her from the position of the art director of the Tumanishvili Theatre.

The ministry said the director was fired because the season did not work properly. The reason was that the art director could not stage new performances and consequently, the theatre did not work for some time.

The reason of the government is not grounded enough because Dolidze was fired when new festival was scheduled.