Akakij Tsereteli Outstanding modern Georgian poet Date of Birth: 09.05.1840 Country: Georgia

Biography of Akaki Tsereteli

Akaki Tsereteli, also known as Akaki Rostomovich, was an outstanding contemporary Georgian poet. He was born on June 9, 1840, in Sachkheri, in the Sharopansky District of the Kutaisi Province. Tsereteli received his initial education at home under the guidance of his mother, who was the granddaughter of the Immeretian king Solomon II.




He completed his studies at the Eastern Faculty of St. Petersburg University. Even in his childhood, Tsereteli wrote a tragicomedy in which he depicted the intrigues and abuses of the manager of his father's estate. The play was successful when performed at home, but the author burned it upon his return to his homeland from St. Petersburg.




His first published work, "Folk Songs," appeared in 1858 in the Georgian journal "Tsiskari." He also published articles in the newspaper "Droeba" under the title "Hot News," which were dedicated to the reforms of Alexander II.




Tsereteli's literary style is characterized by his lyrical nature. In the realm of lyricism, he composed a series of elegies and satires. He made his debut as a lyricist with the poem "Secret Letter" ("The Bearer of Joy and Sorrow"), which, along with many of his elegies, became a popular drinking song.




The original qualities of his writing style include venomous sarcasm and good-natured humor, gentle lyricism, and a subtle analysis of the inner world, as well as a note of sorrow over the collapse of ideals and hopes. Tsereteli's popularity among Georgians borders on reverence for his name. His elegies, such as "I Have No Happiness," "Oh Zurna," "I Climbed the Mountain Slowly," and "Dear Soul," are particularly well-received.




Tsereteli is also known as a playwright ("Kudur-Khanum," "Treacherous Tamara," "Little Kahi-Irakli II," and others) and as the author of domestic plays and stories such as "Three Kinds of Love." He is also active as a journalist and lecturer, giving lectures on Rustaveli's poem "Barskova's Skin." Additionally, he is credited with a vast collection of aphorisms and anecdotes characterized by their wit and resourcefulness.




He greatly contributed to the popularization of folk poetry and used many of its themes for artistic purposes. He also gave prominence to folk works in his journal "Krebuli" (1898-1900). Some of his poems have been translated into Russian by Ivan Thorzhievsky ("Georgian Poets in Samples," Tiflis, 1897), V. Velichko ("Eastern Motifs," St. Petersburg, Part I and II, 1890, 1894; he also translated Tsereteli's play "Treacherous Tamara" in "Vestnik Evropy" for 1892) and V. Lebedev ("Foreign Literature Herald"). Samples of Tsereteli's poetry have been translated into German by Art. Leist ("Georgian Poets," Dresden-Lipetsk, 1900), and into French by Bar. de Bay ("En Imerethie," Paris, 1902).




A complete collection of Tsereteli's works is yet to be published. Volumes I and II were published in Tiflis in 1893 by A. Khakhanov.