Monument to King Vakhtang I Gorgassali
The monument to King Vakhtang I Gorgassali is a monument to the legendary founder of the city of Tbilisi and Georgian King Vakhtang I (440–502, called Gorgassali ).
location
The monument, completed in 1967, is located in today's city center, on the steep bank of the Kura near the Metekhi church .
description
The monumental statue erected on a brick base shows the king on his warhorse in a classic pose: the right hand is raised in greeting, the left hand holds the reins of the noble horse, the sword is on the flank of the horse as a sign of peace Scabbard.
The artistic design comes from the Georgian sculptor Elgudscha Amaschukeli , who also designed the monumental statue of King Dawit IV the builder in Kutaisi and Kartlis Deda in Tbilisi, the architectural design of the square was taken over by the architects Teimuras Kandelaki and David Morbedadze .
- Majestically, Gorgassali sits on a black steed. His powerfully raised right hand solemnly points to the city he founded. The narrowed eyes, the hawk nose above the firm lips, the whole face corresponds to the name »Gorgassali«, which means "wolf's head" in Georgian.
history
According to a Georgian legend, King Vakhtang I discovered a place with hot springs during a hunting trip near the Kura. He liked this place very much and initiated the founding of today's city of Tbilisi (in the Georgian language Tbilisi means "place of warm springs"). Another legend reports that Wachtang won a victory over his enemies on the steep bank near the church, at this point he then exclaimed: Ak me mteri wteche (Eng. Here I killed the enemy) .
Vakhtang Gorgassali became a Georgian national hero through his actions. His adventurous life has been shrouded in legends over the centuries. The Georgian Orthodox Apostle Church has named him a saint.
Already in the Soviet era, in the 1960s, approval was given for the construction of the monument, the required terrain was created by demolishing the old building. The monument placed directly above the Metekhi Bridge blends in harmoniously with the cityscape with the Metekhi Church.
Today the monument and the church form a much-noticed tourist attraction at the Metekhi Bridge, at the entrance to the old town. In the evenings the church and the memorial are illuminated by a group of colored spotlights.
Others
On the back of the Georgian 20-Lari banknote, the equestrian statue is also shown in drawings as a national symbol.
literature
- Thea Kvastiani, Vadim Spolanski, Andreas Sternfeld: Discovering Georgia. On the way between the Caucasus and the Black Sea . Trescher, Berlin 2000, ISBN 3-928409-85-9
- Ulrich Bock: Georgia and Armenia . DuMont, Cologne 1988, ISBN 3-7701-1464-7
Individual evidence
- ↑ ტურისტული მარშრუტები (Trails / Tourist routes). Tourist office of the city of Tivlis, 2012, accessed on July 20, 2012 (English, the site describes the sights of tourism route 5 in the Georgian capital.): “In front of the temple and over the preci-pice one can see a bronze monument to Vakhtang Gorgasali (V c.) Who is proudly sitting on his horse - a Georgian king, the founder of Tbilisi (sculptor E. Amakusheli, architects Kandelaki, Mordebadze, bronzegranite, 1967). The hand of the rider on a powerful horse is raised in a determined significant gesture. This gesture may be interpreted as the words: "The capital of Georgia will be here". One can get another interpretation: "We welcome you, newcomer". "
- ↑ a b c Zizischwili, Irakli: Tbilisi - Architectural Monuments and Art Museums . Aurora, Leningrad 1985, p. 44-47 .
- ↑ Georgian National Biography: Elgudscha Amaschukeli ( Memento of the original from March 21, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (English)
Coordinates: 41 ° 41 ′ 25.2 " N , 44 ° 48 ′ 37.9" E