A very interesting event took place in Kutaisi recently. Kutaisi Newport International Association organized an exhibition of a famous Georgian architect and painter Konstantine Memanishvili on the initiative of Madonna Megrelishvili and the support of the City Hall. The exhibition took place at Kutaisi David Kakabadze Fine Art Gallery. The distinguished guest, lives in Tbilisi, but his roots are in Kutaisi where he was born, grew up and went to school N 1. Konstantine Memanishvili, a man of keen intellect blessed with great talent, made a great contribution to the development of modern art in Georgia. The afternoon spent with him at the Kutaisi David Kakabadze Fine Art Gallery was really beneficial as we had a great opportunity to see his wonderful paintings which let us have a deeper understanding and appreciation of his work and be proud of his accomplishments too.

The event was attended by the Mayor of Kutaisi, Kutaisians from all walks of life, members of KNIA and the University and school students. The exhibition was a great success!

It is said “We only live once, but if we live with dignity, then once is quite enough”. It is exactly such a dignified person I am going to tell you about. He is the person distinguished with his good faith, versatile talent and professionalism. Our fellow citizen Konstantine Memanishvili is a prominent Georgian Architect. His achievements are measured by the long list of his works as well as his human decency with which genuine patriots serve their country, doing their deeds without standing out and without making much noise.

Konstantine Memanishvili celebrates his jubilee this year - on April 24, a prominent architect and artist turned 80. It is more than logical that his native town congratulated him on his jubilee and, by the decision of the Commission of Honor of Kutaisi City Hall bestowed Honorary Citizenship upon him. We often look for exemplary people far from us while they live and work quite near, they modestly try to remain in shade, but if we look closer, we will see that one of them is the architect Konstantine Memanishvili.

The Honorary Citizen Konstantine Memanishvili followed a long and interesting career path. In 1957, after leaving Kutaisi Public School N1 with a Gold Medal he continued his studies at Polytechnic Institute of Georgia which he also completed with distinction. At different times he worked in Kutaisi, Tbilisi and Moscow, was the chief architect of several grand projects.

The period when Konstantine Memanishvili worked in Kutaisi (1980-1985) as a chief architect was especially productive for our city. In 1981 an organization “Townproject” was founded under the patronage of Kutaisi architectural service planning the urban development of the city. In the shortest possible time it managed to design residential houses and other facilities at the highest level. Urban planning team was formed. Soon, a group of successful architects began to cooperate with the chief architect in order to determine the boundaries of the historical area protection zone of Kutaisi and prepare relevant documents. At the same time, they were developing the projects to reconstruct and rehabilitate “Sapichkhia” square and several small districts on the left bank of the river Rioni, as well as designing a sketch plan of the surrounding area of Kutaisi Drama Theater. In 1983, the government of Georgia made a decision about the boundaries of the historical area protection zone of Kutaisi, which was followed by the establishment of the inspectorate of the protection zone. A competition was held for the sketch project of the General Plan of Kutaisi Center. The same year, the Commission which was led by the First Secretary of the City Committee Mamuka Aslanikashvili, started active work on restoration of the Bagrati Cathedral. The renovation and rehabilitation works of the cathedral, which had been launched by Vakhtang Tsintsadze in the 1940s, were renewed. The archaeological work began and the area was cleaned from dull buildings. The Bagrati cathedral emerged with its greatness and beauty.

The architect Konstantine Memanishvili’s contribution is outstanding not only to the architectural development of his native town but, generally, for the projects implemented within the whole country and abroad. Among them we can name: Mestia cinema, Mtskheta cinema, Telavi theatre, Poti Regional Court, reconstruction of the City Court in Kutaisi, reconstruction of the Court of Appeal in Kutaisi, a multifunctional dwelling house in Telavi, reconstruction of the hotel “Dnepr” in Kiev, Balashikha Center Planning Project, a multifunctional building in Moscow, St. Nikoloz Church in Borjomi, St. George Church in Tbilisi. Konstantine Memanishvili is also the author of numerous 3 interesting projects which have never been implemented due to different reasons.

Konstantine Memanishvili is the winner of several important competitions. In 1984, he was awarded the title of Laureate of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union for designing and constructing Telavi Theatre.

Konstantine Memanishvili has a versatile creative world vision. He has created easel paintings and works of applied art, trademarks, labels, tapestries, chandeliers, statues. In his creative work, he is greatly supported by his daughter, a talented artist Nana Memanishvili, and they together create artistic masterpieces.

Our city got a wonderful chance to get acquainted with the works of a wonderful artist Konstantine Memanishvili at his solo exhibition which was hosted by Kutaisi David Kakabadze Fine Art Gallery. Konstantine Memanishvili’s creative works were equally interesting for visitors of different ages and different tastes due to the artist’s versatile and unique style.

Kutaisi Newport International Association is particularly thankful to the head of Kutaisi Department of Cultural, Art and Educational Institutions Vazha Jugheli for such warm welcome of Georgia’s brilliant artist and architect Konstantine Memanishvili in his native town.

Robert Frost once said: “In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learnt about life: it goes on”. And so does Konstantine Memanishvili’s interesting creative journey which will surprise us with even more masterpieces and will leave a very important trace in the history of our country.

Natia Zviadadze
Zinaida Chachanidze
KNIA members

I would like to express my sincere thanks to the Mayor of Kutaisi and to everyone who supported, highly appreciated my work and bestowed the greatest award of an Honorary Citizen of Kutaisi upon me. On this memorable day, I want to remember Kutaisi Public School N 1 and the years spent there, my outstanding teachers and my classmates, Pioneers’ Palace and art teachers, everyone who stood beside me when I was the chief architect of the city. Thank you.

The time machine takes me 63 years back. I am a student of the secondary school N1. My closest friend Lali Zambakhidze (later a well-known painter, professor at the Academy of Art) is leading me to the mansard. Here is an art workshop. The genuine Maestro Vano Cheishvili is holding master classes for future artists. There are distinguished works on the walls. A model - this time Shota Mindeli (because they cannot afford fees for professional models, the painters are taking this place alternately) is standing on the wooden pedestal covered with the red satin.

Lali is the only girl here and they treat her with great respect. Today Lali is my guide, she is showing me the works of future artists 2-3 years our senior - Otar Kandaria, Bernard Nebieridze (they call him "Frantsia" with love), Shota Mindeli, Robert Mnatsakaniani (forgive me, I cannot remember all of them) and a future architect Kote Memanishvili. This was my first contact with the art of the future.

In the 1960s, all of them are back to their home town. Their love towards Kutaisi is undiminished. That is why their names are unforgettable, their contribution is invaluable. Their faces are preserved in the center of the city, on the red brick wall on Paliashvili Street. Frantsia and Otiko built a monument for the real residents of Kutaisi. This is the memorial of those who we will never forget; we honor the dead and respect the living.

It was the love and respect I felt at Kote Memanishvili’s exhibition. In Kutaisi, the fire of interest to genuine art has not faded away. The hall cannot hold the visitors. Kote is as distinguished as he was years ago – his face shines with noble spirit and is full of divine love. His masterpieces are similar to him - with the abstract association of colors, distinctness of people in the portraits (mostly the residents of Kutaisi), as if the artist had depicted each of them with a halo of human dignity.

The feeling of happiness does not leave me, because Kutaisi can rejoice and be proud of its people.

Dear Kote, Kutaisi loves you very much!

You are the foundation of our positive essence!

Sincerely,
One of the many people of Kutaisi,
Mzia Kanchaveli
Member of KNIA

On May 7, 2019 Kutaisi David Kakabadze Fine Art Gallery hosted the opening of an exhibition of works by a distinguished architect of Georgia, an artist and an honorary citizen of Kutaisi Konstantine Memanishvili.

The event was initiated by Kutaisi Newport International Association and was supported by Kutaisi City Hall. The opening of the exhibition was attended by the Mayor of Kutaisi Giorgi Chighvaria, the Vice-Mayor of Kutaisi David Eremeishvili, the Chair of the Kutaisi Newport International Association Professor Madonna Megrelishvili, active members of the Association and the representatives of the city. So many people gathered together showed how much the audience respected the personality of Konstantine Memanishvili and expressed their interest in to the exhibition.

It is particularly notable that the exhibition was attended by an Ad hoc Judge of the European Court of Human Rights, a member of the Venice Commission, a respected Kutaisian born and raised, Professor Mindia Ugrekhelidze who made a heartwarming speech about Kote. An initiator and inspirer of the event professor Madonna Megrelishvili also made a speech remembering some interesting facts about Kote. They received warm applauses from the audience.

The exhibition presented both architectural designs as well as paintings by Konstantine Memanishvili. The audience was greatly fascinated by what they saw.

The biography of an honored architect of Georgia clearly reflects the quality of his successful career.

After leaving Kutaisi Public School N1 with a Gold Medal, Konstantine Memanishvili continued his studies in Tbilisi Polytechnic University and came back to his hometown as an architect where he worked at different positions. For several years he was the chief architect of Kutaisi and then he continued his career in the capital of Georgia.

It should be emphasized that Kutaisi Public School N 1, represented by its principal Salome Saralidze were particularly happy and proud to attend the event. All teachers, pupils, and graduates of Kutaisi Public School N 1 who came to the exhibition were filled with a feeling of pride and paid a tribute to the triumph of this exceptional artistic talent. After all, this talent was first nurtured within the wall of their school.

The list of successful projects by Konstantine Memanishvili is the following: Telavi Theatre, Mestia Theatre, Regional Court building of Poti, reconstruction of Court of Appeal in Kutaisi, holiday village in Nogovo, St. George’s church in Tbilisi and many others. For the design and construction of the Telavi Theater Konstantine was awarded a prize by the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union.

Konstantine Memanishvili has a great talent to keep up with modern tendencies which is clearly expessed in his diverse creative work. He met the audience with his daughter, a successful artist Nana Memanishvili. Their working field is painting and applied art, and they also make tapestries, trademarks, labels and etc.

Once again, we express our respect to a prominent architect Konstantine Memanishvili. We wish him health and long life so that our city and country can long enjoy his unlimited talent.

Irina Kobakhidze
Maia Vatsadze
Members of KNIA

Any exhibition is a festive occasion demonstrating a fusion of talent, labour and beauty. The same feeling has been left to us by a presentation of the works of a prominent representative of the sixties, a famous architect and artist Konstantine Memanishvili in his home town.

Much has already been said about the generation which managed to revitalize Georgian spirit once again. Today many talented artists’ names are heard in Georgia who have tried themselves in many artistic genres and expressed themselves beautifully. Kutaisi public school No1, unofficially offered a studio for this generation to allow them to make the best of their talent, hard work, and healthy ambitions. They have made an epoch with their peers and colleagues. Among them is a famous Georgian architect Konstantine Memanishvili who successfully managed to combine an artist’s palette with a “strict” work of an architect and with a routine of a public worker. It is a happy fact that a personal exhibition of his works has been held in his home town in David Kakabadze Fine Art Gallery, the support of Kutaisi Newport International Association. Life-affirming tone of his art, a skillful merging of the real and the abstract gave us an opportunity to look back to the past once again, which, because of various pressures, did not give a full freedom to the artist to express colours and thoughts. However, on the other hand, the pressure did him good. Allegory has diversified and deepened his works even more.

Konstantine Memanishvili’s idea to exhibit together the works of the classmates - Otar Kandaria, Bernard Nebieridze and himself was welcomed by the public. This time will come soon...

And for now, congratulations to uncle Kote on becoming an Honorary Citizen of Kutaisi!

Lizi Kandaria

We were hosted by a handsome intellectual with a kind smile and greying hair. The minute you see him, you feel he deserves deep respect and the feeling becomes even more intense when you look at his paintings. A series of canvases encourages you to travel in different dimensions, allowing at times to enter the private space of their author and to appreciate that his creative thinking is even more gentle, appealing and diverse. You imagine him holding a brush in a skillful manner and talking to you through colours. Surprisingly, he believes art is just a hobby to him, whareas those who see his paintings are of different mind and become even more convinced that the creator of this beauty would easily be capable of building cinemas and cathedrals of unique architecture. We, the citizens of Kutaisi, are especially proud of the fact that it was our city that gave birth to this artist.

A number of eyes full of curiosity admire the exhibited beauty, wholeheartedly conveying kind regards and wishes for the longevity and success of its creator and expressing gratitude to him.

We would also like to express gratitude to those who are able to evaluate and appreciate such a person and introduce him and his work to the public. Lots of thanks to them for holding the jubilee exhibition of Kote Memanishvili and providing an opportunity for us to experience the spiritual harmony.

Students and Teachers of
St. Nino Public School №3