Georgia: With the initiative of the Ministry of Culture and the support of the Government of Georgia, the historical homeland of Levili hosts the festival dedicated to Georgian art and culture for the second time.
The opening of the festival was attended by Georgian Minister of Culture and Sports Thea Tsulukiani, Chairman of the Cultural Committee of the Parliament of Georgia Eliso Bolkvadze, Mayor of Leville Eric Brevi and other invited guests. The festival will continue from May 24 to July 14 in the homeland acquired by the government emigrated from Georgia in the 20th century, which was transferred to Georgia in 2016. Festival events will be held every weekend.
For your information: Attendance at the events planned at the festival is free for everyone who wishes.
On the first day of Georgian Festival – Art Academy students , future sculptors, presentation of works was organized in Levil’s Motherland Park; Wood masters – Nino Kopelashvili (Tbilisi) and Resan Zhozhadze (Adjara) – held master classes; Georgian State Chamber Choir and famous soprano Iano Alibegashvili presented to the guests of the festival; World’s Grand Master, Nona Gafrindashvili, was held Master Class in Chess – On four boards; Tskhinvali Theater presented the play “Maro Makashvili’s Diary” (director. Gocha Kapanadze). The first festival day ended with the concert of ensemble “Erisioni“.
Company “Papanak” presented traditional Georgian clothes for the guests of the festival – women’s and men’s clothes characteristic of different parts of Georgia with diverse decorations and attributes.
European champion Kesaria Mgeladze’s masterclass in chess will also be held in the first week of the festival. Guests of the festival will also meet Georgian rugby players – Giorgi Nemsadze, Giorgi Melikidze, Sergi Abramishvili, Vasil Kakovin, Giorgi Tsutskiridze, Guram Gogichashvili and Giorgi Kharaishvili.
It is noteworthy that Georgia’s Independence Day – 26 May is celebrated for the first time in the last decade in Levili’s homeland.
This year, compared to the last year, the scale, length and number of participants of the Leville Festival has increased. Creative groups, representatives of culture and sport from Georgia are participating in the festival. On the initiative of the Minister of Culture, Tea Tsulukiani, municipal state theaters, folklore and choreographic ensembles from different regions are also participating in the festival. Over two months, at different times, more than 700 artists and sportsmen will travel to Levil and will hold performances for Georgian and foreign viewers there.
Sculpture students at the Academy of Arts are the first guests of Leville’s creative residency founded by the Ministry of Culture. Levili Creative Residence is the first creative residence established outside Georgia by the Georgian Ministry of Culture and Sports. Seven students of master’s and bachelor’s degree are already in Levili Georgian homeland. They’re working on the ground to create their own artwork that will be placed in the Motherland Park forever. Tbilisi State Academy of Art named after Apollo Kutateladze, within the project – “Student Symposium of Sculptures”, identified young sculptors participating in Leville’s creative residence project by competition.
The news of this year’s program is sports activities and a lot of cultural representatives. Guests will be welcomed by sports activities: rugby, football, hairdressing, chess, Georgian martial arts (Khridol). It is noteworthy that for the first time wood craftsmen, writers and art academy students participate in the program.
Georgian diaspora and local population in France have the opportunity to attend modern Georgian theater performances, concerts of Georgian show, folk music and dance, literary evenings, exhibitions, scientific discussions; meetings with writers and artists will be held. There will also be sporting events and masterclasses featuring legendary representatives of various sports.
For information: Levili’s homeland, bought 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 efforts of Minister of State for Diaspora Affairs Gela Dumbadze and former Minister of Justice Tea Tsulukiani.
Rehabilitation works of Levili’s homeland began actively after returning to Georgia. Recently completed rehabilitation of Gushagi house and chateau roof, refurbishment of artificial dwellings, facade restoration is actively underway.
Asbestos cleaning works were carried out, geological survey of the territory where Georgian Odi was placed in the homeland; restoration of the authentic face of the 4 ha territory is underway; cleaned e. წ. The last part of the Orangerie building and the rehabilitation will begin soon. Until September 2026 will be organized in the homeland territory: Leville Georgian Academy, Museum and Archive Space, Library, Conference Hall, Media Room, Georgian Corner – Georgian Ode, Vineyard, Kevvri and necessary components for the promotion of Georgian wine.
The Georgian Festival of Leville in 2023 received positive feedback in several French-language media outlets. Among them, in particular, noteworthy, one of the most prestigious and highly circulated daily publications in France, “Le Parisien“, which has dedicated an extensive article to the festival.
Representatives of the French art field were also actively attending the Georgian Festival of Leville, who could not hide their excitement towards the Georgian cultural program presented in Leville. One of the main goals of this festival is to promote the unique Georgian culture, especially in the regions of Georgia outside the country.
