ALEKSANDRE MACHABELI ABOUT THE LIAKHVI GORGE

Abstract

In the study of Georgian oral tradition, the initial stage of collecting this material, which includes the 19th century, its cultural and historical significance, and the role of those individuals who laid the foundation for the scholarly documentation of folklore texts, is of utmost importance. The first collectors not only wrote down the texts, but also created the basis for national self-awareness, language standardization, and the preservation of cultural memory.

Georgian oral tradition existed for centuries through oral transmission. Its written documentation began actively in the 19th century, when, against the background of the national enlightenment movement, interest in folk culture also emerged.

The activities of the first collectors were not only literary; they were part of the process of preserving national culture and self-identification.

Georgia in the 19th century was part of the Russian Empire. Accordingly, during this period, the tendency to study national history and language, the desire to collect ethnographic and folklore material, and to systematize the Georgian cultural heritage became especially active. Recording oral tradition was regarded as a means of preserving the national spiritual treasure.

The first collectors mainly used field notes, direct recording of oral narration, and edited publication of texts. Despite the fact that the methodology was not fully developed at the early stage, their work became the basis for subsequent structural and functional studies.

Among these figures, Aleksandre Machabeli occupies a prominent place. It is with his name that the first attempts to collect and publish folklore materials in the Liakhvi Gorge are associated. As a result of his active work, a number of important oral traditions of the 19th century were documented in the Liakhvi Gorge, published in the periodical press of the time, and made available to future generations.

In addition, Aleksandre Machabeli published highly valuable information about the villages of the Liakhvi Gorge, their location, their condition at that time, and other important details. These lines have acquired even greater significance in today’s historical context.

Key words: Liakhvi Gorge, Aleksandre Machabeli, Kurta, Kekhvi, Achabeti, Tamarasheni Dgvrisi, Tskhinvali, Samachablo, First Democratic Republic.