Information
Kote Tsereteli (1921–2004) was a renowned Georgian Orientalist and the founder of the Hebrew and Aramaic language study school in Georgia.
From the very establishment of the Institute of Oriental Studies at the Georgian Academy of Sciences in 1960, Kote Tsereteli led the Department of Semitic Studies. Thanks to his initiative, in 1991, the Department of Hebrew and Aramaic Philology was created at Tbilisi State University, which he headed continuously.
In 1994, he was appointed as the head of the Center for Coordination of Eastern Language Teaching, established under the Ministry of Education. His groundbreaking research in Aramaic dialectology laid the foundation for the extensive exploration of this field and gave a strong impetus to its further development within global Oriental studies. He is widely recognized as the father of Aramaic dialectology. An important part of his scholarly work was dedicated to exploring the linguistic and cultural-historical connections between Georgia and the East.
Soso Tsereteli (1958–1983) is known to the public as one of the members of the so-called “airplane hijackers,” but few are aware that throughout his short life — lived under the pressure of the Soviet regime and in an environment hostile to individual creativity — he expressed his yearning for freedom through his art, particularly in painting and graphic works.
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The government issued first decree on Establishment of the Museum (N 06.40.133) in 2003. In 2011, Soso Tsereteli’s mother Leila Tsereteli granted her real estate to the city (The law on “The Capital of Georgia – Tbilisi”, in accordance with Article 36 and Tbilisi government decree N 07.24.251, 2011/03/28). According to the agreement apartment was presented to Tbilisi non-government, non-commercial legal entity – Artist Soso Tsereteli and Academician Kote Tsereteli Memorial House-Museum to maintain its operation.
History
The first government resolution regarding the establishment of the museum (N06.40.133) dates back to 2003. In 2011, Soso Tsereteli’s mother, Leila Tsereteli, donated her real estate property to the Tbilisi Municipality free of charge. This transfer was made in accordance with Article 36 of the Law of Georgia "On the Capital of Georgia – Tbilisi" and based on the Resolution No. 07.24.251 of the Tbilisi Government dated March 28, 2011. The agreement stated that the apartment would be handed over to the Tbilisi Municipality under the condition that it would continue functioning as the memorial museum of artist Soso Tsereteli and academician Kote Tsereteli.
In 1959, through the mediation of the Georgian Academy of Sciences, Konstantine (Kote) Tsereteli was granted an apartment at 2 Uznadze Street in Tbilisi, where the Tsereteli family lived from that time onward. All exhibits in the museum are personal belongings of the family.
The museum preserves materials related to the life and work of two prominent individuals: Soso Tsereteli, a freedom-fighting artist, and Kote Tsereteli, a distinguished Georgian Orientalist and the founder of Hebrew and Aramaic studies in Georgia. These materials include memorial items, personal archives, manuscripts, photographs, various documents, Soso Tsereteli’s artistic legacy (paintings, graphics, writings), and Kote Tsereteli’s personal library — which includes his scholarly works and rare publications in the field of Oriental studies.
Rehabilitation works in the museum began in 2018. The renewed museum was officially opened on May 18, 2019, as part of the International Museum Day week of events.
The exhibition concept aims to recreate the atmosphere of the 1980s and reflect the complex socio-moral landscape that preceded the collapse of the Soviet empire in Georgia. The renovated museum space is divided into two sections:
One dedicated to the scientific and public life of Academician Kote Tsereteli, a renowned linguist and pioneer of Aramaic dialectology.
The other focused on the work of his son, Soso Tsereteli, a talented artist and one of the participants in one of the most controversial events of the 1980s — the “Airplane Hijacking Case.”
Gallery
Visit
Admission to the museum is free by submission of the relevant document:
- For the children under the age of 6
- For Pensioners
- For ICOM member, for the staff of Georgian and foreign state museums
- For people with disabilities
- For the socially vulnerable and internally displaced people.
The museum is open:
Daily
10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Address: 2 Dimitri Uznadze Street