Georgia: The final events of the festival dedicated to Georgian art and culture were held in Leville. The folklore ensemble “Yaloni” and Mikheil Tumanishvili Film Actors Theater presented the guests with director Ivane Khutsishvili’s performance “Everything was Real”.
The festival was closed with the concert of the State Academic Ensemble “Erisioni”; before that, the singers of “Erisioni” performed the hymns and Revaz Lagidze’s “My Good Country” at the Georgian Cemetery of Levili, where representatives of the First Republic of Georgia and other members of emigration are buried.
The festival’s closing was attended by Eliso Bolkvadze, Chairman of the Culture Committee of the Parliament of Georgia, representatives of the Embassy of Georgia in the French Republic, employees of the Ministry of Culture of Georgia, Georgian emigrants and foreign guests.
Georgian Festival of Levili, for the first time this year, from July 29 to August 20, was held every weekend on the initiative of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth of Georgia and with the support of the Georgian Government. Everyone attended the events for free.
The festival dedicated to Georgian art and culture was the first large-scale event that took place in Leville since the 20th century, but due to the tragedy in the resort Show in Oni municipality on August 3, the festival program was changed, and the concerts scheduled for 5-6 and 12-13 August were cancelled.
About 300 artists participated in the festival program. On the initiative of Minister of Culture Tea Tsulukiani, the festival was attended by both municipal and different regional state theatres, folklore and choreographic ensembles, including: the Georgian Chamber Team led by Simon Jangulashvili, Tbilisi State Puppet Theater (“What did Iavnana do?!” ” and “Georgia”, directed by Nikoloz Sabashvili), folklore ensemble “Margaliti”, Royal National Ballet of Georgia, ensemble “Basiani”, Kutaisi Chamber Team, Dmanisi State Theater named after Zinaida Kverenchkhiladze (“Khalde” and “My Pen”, directed by Giorgi Sikharulidze), Tskhinvali’s Ivane Machable’s Professional State Dramatic Professional state drama named after Valerian Gunia Theater (“Firosmani”, directed by Elene Matshonashvili).
It means that the measures were held, first of all, for Georgian emigrants living in Europe. The increasing interest of Georgian emigrants and foreigners and the number of visitors to festival events is evident that the festival has earned a lot of public interest.
The festival is a clear example that the Ministry of Culture successfully implemented the plan according to which our country will have a multi-profile cultural-educational centre in Europe and will continue the tradition, which was founded by the ambassadors of the First Republic of Georgia.
For information: Levili’s homeland, purchased by the Government of the first democratic republic of Georgia in France in 2016, after 25 years of negotiations, returned to Georgia as a result of the efforts of Minister of State for Diaspora Affairs Gela Dumbadze and Minister of Justice Tea Tsulukiani. In the summer of 2021, the project, entitled “Creation of the Georgian-French Memorial Center of the First Republic, Leville Georgian Academy”, was handed over to the newly created agency – Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth of Georgia. Rehabilitation works of Levili’s homeland are still actively ongoing and different parts of the homeland are gradually being present.
Until September 2026, on the territory of the homeland, there will be: Levili Georgian Academy, Museum and Archive Space, Library, Conference Hall, Media Room and Georgian Corner (necessary components for the popularization of Georgian Ode, Vineyard, Kevri and Georgian Wine).
