A Guide to Museums in Kakheti
Where should one start when trying to discover a country? Perhaps the best way is to travel around, meet local people, and learn about their culture and traditions directly. If you decide to follow this path, you cannot pass up a visit to the museums as it is in such places that one can learn about a country’s past and present, history, and cultural heritage.
Sighnaghi Museum
8 Rustaveli Alley
TEL (+995) 223 24 48
OPEN: Tuesday-Sunday, 10:00-17:30
Tickets: Adult –3 Gel, Student –1 Gel, School children –0.5 Gel, Children under 6 – free.
The Sighnaghi Museum was founded in 1947 as the Museum of Local Lore of Kiziki and in 2007 it was merged with the Georgian National Museum. The building was fully repaired and new security systems were installed. The renewed collections of the museum currently number 60,000 exhibits.
In 2009, the Sighnaghi Museum hosted works by Pablo Picasso followed by an exhibition of paintings by western European artists in 2010. The Sighnaghi Museum is currently hosting several permanent exhibitions.
The museum’s key attraction and pride is a rich collection of Niko Pirosmani’s works, the self-educated artist of the 19th-20th century. The museum also features works by another famous Georgian artist, Lado Gudiashvili, and ethnographic materials and archeological works from the Middle Ages (city life in the 4th- 18th cc. Eastern Iberia).
ETHNOGRAPHY
Numerous ethnographic materials including musical instruments, tools, garments, and everyday items are presented as part of the permanent exhibition at the Sighnaghi Museum.
MEDIEVAL ARCHEOLOGY
Details of daily life as experienced in a medieval (4th-18th century) Eastern Iberian settlement can be found at the Sighnaghi museum's medieval archaeology exhibition.
NIKO PIROSMANASHVILI
The rich collections of the 19th-20th century self-educated artist Niko Pirosmanashvili's are one of the main features at the Sighnaghi musuem.
Pirosmani was born in the village of Mirzaani, in Kakheti. His early works represent the culture of this region, known for its beautiful landscapes and winemaking. His distinctive works are of paramount importance not only for Georgian culture, but for global art.
LADO GUDIASHVILI’S ARTWORK
THE EXHIBITION PRESENTS THE SECOND PHASE OF THE ARTIST'S CREATIONS, IDENTIFIED BY AN EMPHASIS ON PICTORIAL AND PLASTIC VALUES.
Aleksandre Chavchavadze House-Museum at Tsinandali
Tsinandali, Telavi
TEL (+995) 570 70 34 89, 570 70 12 12
OPEN: Every day from 10:00 to 19:00. During the winter months the museum closes one hour earlier.
The price of the ticket includes fees for visiting the garden, museum, vineyard and a guide for museum exhibits. Price for schoolchildren - 3 GEL; University/college students - 4 GEL; Standard adult - 5 GEL; Standard + tasting of one sort of Georgian wine 7 GEL; Standard + tasting of various of Georgian wines 20 GEL; Visiting only park 2 GEL.
The museum is located in the palace of the well-known Georgian poet, where one can see objects representing both the poet's life and creative work, and his époque. Alexsander Chavchavadze in 1830 laid out a decorative park which at the moment occupies 18 hectares of land. One of the first wine cellars in Georgia wine cellar was built there in 1835, where unique collection of wine from many countries (16,500 bottles) are kept. Since renovation works in 2008, the museum has hosted exhibitions of works by various prominent Georgian and foreign artists: Salvador Dali, Elene Akhvlediani, Levan Mekhuzla, Dimitri and Sandro Eristavi, Sergo Kobuladze and Karlo Kacharava. New exhibits each season make the museum even more attractive and have turned it into an important cultural site.
Qvevri & Qvevri Wine Museum
Napareuli, Telavi
TEL (+995) 242 40 42, 599 33 38 84
The Qvevri and Qvevri Wine Museum showcases all phases of Qvevri winemaking. Here you can discover the full process, clay preparation and Qvevri creating. You can also observe the washing of different size Qvevris. Illustrated boards show how the process of fermentation happens inside a Qvevri and other vessels, the regions where Qvevri was produced and is currently being prepared, in which regions of Georgia which grapes were and are now growing. Enjoy a wine tasting and, during the harvest season, you can press wine in a Satsnakheli - traditional Georgian winepress.
OPEN: Every day 24/7
Ticket: Adult - 15 GEL, students – 5 GEL.
Free of charge: Children under 6 and orphans, employees of Museums, ICOM members, people with disabilities, soldiers, and refugees.
Museum of Gremi
Eniseli, Kvareli
TEL 577 27 80 28
The reserve includes the XVI c. Archangel church, XVI c. wine cellar with winepress and, districts of merchants and nobility which include baths. Inside Gremi Museum (XV c. monument – King's Hall and a three-floor tower with a bell-tower) you’ll find objects unearthed in the reserve area. There are Bronze Age daggers, adornments, items with animal images; IV c. tile with an image of St. George's hand on it, XII-XIII c.c. iron axes, sling, XV c. glazed tile and brick, water pipes, XVI c. cannon, bows and arrows, a church bell from the commercial district, ceramic wine jugs, and medieval cooper crockery. Also is also a series of paintings of Levan Chogoshvili "Portraits of the Kings" (1985).
OPEN: Every day, 10.00 – 19.00
Ticket: Adult - 5 GEL, students and schoolchildren – 1 GEL, Guided Tour - 15 GEL.
Free of charge: Children under 6 and orphans, employees of Museums, people with disabilities, soldiers, and refugees.
Ilia Chavchavadze Kvareli State Museum
2 Sh. Rustaveli Str., Kvareli
TEL (+995) 599 94 49 16
This complex includes family castle and house of outstanding Georgian poet and public figure Ilia Chavchavadze (1837-1907) and exposition hall as well. The museum houses memorial objects of the poet and his family, poet's manuscripts, sets of established by him periodicals, family coat of arms, seal, household objects, XVIII-XIX c.c. weapons, furniture, manuscripts of Georgian and foreign public figures, paintings inspired by the poet's works (by H. Hrinewski, L. Gudiashvili, K. Guruli, S. Meskhi, T. Mirzashvili), rich collection of photographs and archive documents, collection of poet's works editions on various languages.
OPEN: Every day, 10.00 – 17.00
Ticket: Adults - 2 GEL. Students and Schoolchildren - 1 GEL. Guided Tour - 5 GEL.
Free of charge: Children under 6 and orphans, employees of Museums, ICOM members, people with disabilities, soldiers, and refugees.
Niko Pirosmanashvili State Museum
Village Mirzaani, Dedoplistskaro
TEL (+995) 295 53 90, 577 27 80 13
The Museum offers a chance to visit the house of 20th century legendary Georgian artist Niko Pirosmanishvili, where several of his original works are presented in the exhibition halls. Several pictures of the most celebrated Georgian artists are presented here, coupled with the world-famous lithograph of Pablo Picasso “Pirosmanishvili’s Portrait.” The museum also houses a unique collection of old handmade kilims and carpets, one of which was woven by the artist’s mother. The museum has a large collection of ethnographic material that clearly reflects the traditional lifestyle of the historical province of Kizikhi.
Working hours: Everyday, except Monday, 10.00-18.00
Ticket price: Adult - 5 GEL, school children’s and students - 1 GEL. Guided tour - 15 GEL.
Free of charge: Children under 6 and orphans, Groups: Employees of Georgian and Foreign Museums, ICOM members, ICOMOS members (with valid identification), people with disabilities, soldiers, and refugees.
House-Museum of Kote Marjanishvili
24 K. Marjanishvili Str., Kvareli
TEL (+995) 252 22 10 23
The house museum of well-known Georgian theater producer Kote Marjanishvili (1872-1933) was established in 1959. In the museum funds and on display are memorial objects (various accessories, clothes, etc.) of the producer, early 20th century antiquarian furniture, carpets, crockery (Russian and French, Chinese), paintings (L. Gudiashvili, Petre Otskheli, Elene Akhvlediani etc.), graphics, sculptures, photographs, documents, books on the subject of the producer's performances, audio-video copies of his film (“Amoki”) and performances. The museum houses characteristic items of the everyday Kakheti life, ethnography objects and archaeological items accidentally discovered by local people.
OPEN: Every day, 10.00 – 17.00
Ticket: Adult and students - 3 GEL, schoolchildren - 1 GEL.
Free of charge: Children under 6 and orphans, employees of Museums, ICOM members, people with disabilities, soldiers, and refugees.
Main photo: Katherine Belarmino