Georgia: Culture Ministry donates costumes to ensemble “Sukhishvili”

Georgian Ministry of Culture and Sports 184 units of stage costumes to ensemble “Sukhishvili”. It includes 24 sets of Chokha, 50 units of trousers, 50 units of Akhalukhi, 40 units of Kabbalakhi, and 20 units of Khorumi pants.

Two years ago, in 2022 the Ministry of Culture gave 212 units of stage clothes and accessories to the ensemble “Sukhishvili. These new stage clothes were sewn by the tender company “Pafanak”. The Ministry of Culture signed a contract worth 133360 GEL in 2022 with company Pafanak.

As per the contract, the company sewed stage clothes for eight folk ensembles: “Shavnabada”, “Adilei”, “Yalon”, “Margalit”, “Gurjaan”, “Mtiebi”, Inegoli (Turkey Republic), and “Santana”. The Ministry of Culture and Sports selected all of these ensembles in cooperation with the Anzor Erkomaishvili State Folklore Center.

Similarly in the year 2023 the Ministry of Culture also provided the stage clothes for ten ensembles which include the “Abkhazia State Song and Dance Ensemble”, “Folk Song and Dance Ensemble Nartebi”, “City of Kutaisi Folklore Center – State Academic Ensemble of Song and Dance”, “Tutarchela-2004”, “Ensemble Me Rustveli”, State of Folk Song and Dance of Georgia Academic ensemble “Erisioni”, State Academic Class of Georgian National Ballet named after Iliko Sukhishvili and Nino Ramishvili, Quintet “Urmuli” (physical person Nugzar Kavtaradze), State University of Theater and Cinema of Georgia (Georgian and World Folk Dance Choreographic Ensemble “Rokva”), Royal National Ballet Class.

It is t be specifically mentioned that the lack of traditional stage clothing created challenges for state and private folk ensembles. The new clothes have not been purchased for state ensembles for the last fifteen years, so in December 2021, the Ministry of Culture allocated 197 999 GEL for this purpose.

Similarly in the first half of 2022, stage clothes (70 dresses and 277 choke sets) were sewn for 12 ensembles. Then in 2023, 146068 GEL was allocated for the production of stage costumes and stage clothes for ten ensembles (117 sets of Chokha-Akhalukhi, 6 Khevsuri dresses and 52 sets of dresses).

Notbly the ensemble founded by Iliko Sukhishvili and Nino Ramishvili was granted state status in 1945. Due to that particular recognition the Georgian national dance became popular worldwide. The Sukhishvili family has been leading the Georgian National Ballet for three generations. At present Nino Sukhishvili is the director of the State Academic Dance of the Georgian National Ballet, named after Iliko Sukhishvilis and Nino Ramishvili, and the artistic director and main choreographer – Iliko Sukishvili (Junior).

The ensemble has toured more than 500 times on five continents and performed over 10,000 concerts in more than 90 countries, which have been attended by over 50 million people so far.