An exhibition “Founders of the Tbilisi State University at Ukrainian Universities” was opened at the Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University (TSU) on December 23. TSU Rector, Academician Vladimer Papava, students, professors and invited guests attended the event.
The exposition presents photo and documentary materials kept in the archives and libraries of the Kharkov and Odessa universities, depicting the activities of TSU founders – Petre Melikishvili, Giorgi Akhvlediani and Dimitri Uznadze. Moreover, photos and documents of a famous Georgian chemist, Acting Rector of the University of Odessa, Vasil Petriashvili will be exhibited as well.
Head of the TSU Museum, Maia Gurabanidze said that “intensive work is underway at the museum in terms of scientific study of the founders’ biographies. It was revealed during the study that most of the TSU founders acquired education at the Universities of Odessa and Kharkov. Our employee brought a very interesting material belonging to the period, when Petre Melikishvili studied, worked and lived in Odessa; we have also brought a lot of important documents about Giorgi Akhvlediani”.
“Our work at the University of Odessa was especially fruitful; we have brought about 1700 documents from private collections of Rector of TSU, Petre Melikishvili and one of the founders, Vasil Petriashvili. The work in Kharkov was also very important and interesting. Since the archive of the Kharkov University was completely destroyed in 1943, it was impossible to bring such amount of documents, but what we brought is very important for restoration of the period of Giorgi Akhvlediani’s and Dimitri Uznadze’s activities in Kharkov. Later we will visit Kiev, where Korneli Kekelidze’s private collections are kept; we plan to bring these collections next year,” Roman Apakidze, organizer of the exhibition, said.
The exhibited materials are very important for all persons interested in the study of TSU founders’ biographies and generally, for the university history. The exhibition will last till December 29.
