Thea Tsulukiani gets familiar with next stage of work in Levili’s homeland

Georgia: The next stage of rehabilitation-reconstruction works is successfully carried out according to the plan in the Georgian homeland of Levili. Georgian Minister of Culture and Sports Thea Tsulukiani met with the contractor and construction company representatives. 

Giorgi Botsvadze, Head of the Department of Infrastructure Development of the Ministry of Culture; Nino Chipashvili, Manager of the Ethnographic Museum of Levili Teona Melitauri, Deputy Manager Thieri Berishvili, Head of French Company “Dubock” Michael Dubock and Director of “Sir Construction” Company Patrick Pastor.

It was noted that the homeland is ready to successfully host the festival dedicated to Georgian art and culture this year and, for the first time in history – the residency of Georgian artists. 

With the initiative and support of the Ministry, from May 2, 2024, Levili will host the artists – sculptor students of the Tbilisi Art Academy, who will live for a few weeks in the studios rehabilitated by the Ministry in the year 2023 – 2024. 

It should be noted that this fact is also of historical importance because, for the first time in many years, artists from Georgia are visiting Levili with a residency program.

The rehabilitation of the homeland, supported by the Ministry of Culture, will be completed by the end of the year. The chateau is being restored, the bodywork and facade work are in the final stages, and the roof refurbishment is complete, which means the chateau will no longer leak, and the construction will hopefully be secured.

Also, it is worth noting that every weekend from May 24 to July 14, the historical homeland of Levili will host a festival dedicated to Georgian art and culture for the second time, with the initiative of the Ministry of Culture and Sports and the support of the Georgian government. The festival will be attended by everyone for free. 

The festival’s scale, duration, and number of participants have increased compared to last year. For eight weeks, more than 700 representatives of culture and sport will participate in the festival.

The Georgian diaspora and local people living in France will have the opportunity to attend modern Georgian theatre performances, concerts of the Georgian populace, folklore music and dance, and literary evenings. Meetings with writers and artists will be arranged. There will also be sporting events and masterclasses featuring legendary representatives of various sports. 

It is important that Georgia’s Independence Day, May 26, is celebrated on a large scale in Levili for the first time in the last decade.

The festival, first of all, is intended for Georgian emigrants living in Europe. 

The event is a clear example of how the Ministry of Culture successfully implements the plan according to which our country will have a multifaceted cultural and educational centre in Europe as a Leville and will continue the tradition founded by the ambassadors of the First Republic of Georgia.

Leville’s homeland

Leville’s homeland, which was acquired by the Government of the First Democratic Republic of Georgia in France in 2016 after 25 years of negotiations, has returned to Georgia as a result of the efforts of Minister of State for Diaspora Affairs Gela Dumbadze and former Minister of Justice Thea Tsulukiani.