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from St Petersburg were specially invited woman dancers – national costumes, swords and the rule of delightful life that
N. Pavlova and N. Chesnova and men dancers – S. Panov they almost became Georgians. Of course, the Russian
and T. Manokhin, a choreographer and a teacher. Empire authorities could not like this. However, tunes of the
Starting from this and further on communion of the European music rushed into the Georgian polyphony, among
Georgian audience with the European opera and ballet them into such unexpected social circle as street vendors –
culture begins, and not only this, the period of close merging kintos – were. One of the authors of the present book keeps
with it comes. Curious cases were also frequent. As it is in mind memory from her early childhood: an old kinto and
said, one “self-confident” nobleman, but in reality a stupid a tray on his head with beautifully arranged fish on it, enters
young man, decided to charm one ballerina and rode on a Tbilisi yard. He is followed by a young kinto, who has an
white horseback into the front rows of the new-built theater organ hanging on his side. The old kinto shouts – fish, fish!
hall. Generally, you could have seen anyone in this theater And the young kinto rotates the organ handle and the victory
– representatives of the Georgian nobility, European ladies march from Verdi’s opera “Aida” is heard, which is followed
and bonvivants, Tbilisi or Eastern merchants, high- and by a dance without taking the tray off the head. Neighbors
low-rank officials, travellers, by the information of Alexander come out to the balconies, some buy fish, some to watch
Dumas among them was Russia’s implacable enemy Hadji the event. After bargain, for the bonus, the old kinto sings
Murat. Germont’s aria from “La Traviata” (it appears he specially
One could see different people in this theater – loves Verdi), but his text is so indecent that the children up to
representatives of the Georgian nobility, European ladies 16 are not permitted. Then Homeric laughter and women’s
and bon vivant, Tbilisi or oriental merchants, high and low screams are heard long from the yard, especially after
rank officials, travelers, among them Alexander Dumas and hearing some lavish phrases. In short, Tbilisi gradually got
Haji Murat – a deadly enemy of Russia. To see the latter at accustomed and accepted opera and ballet. Interest was
opera or ballet performances was quite unimaginable and great, but as if out of spite first Caravanserai Theater burnt
the audience watched him more than the performance… down, and it took almost 25 years to build a new theater.
And, generally, the then Tbilisi was on such crossroad of East The opera and ballet performances were held in different
and West, where one could come across Parisian fashion buildings and guest performers were often invited. No one
shops, goods brought in by Iranians on camels, kintos was taking care to prepare the Georgian professionals and
walking with trays on their heads full of fruit, vegetables no one saw the need for this – the Georgian society was not
and freshly-caught fish, which they offered to the Tbilisi ready yet to see Georgian woman on the ballet stage. It was
citizens; shouts were heard of sellers of yoghurt, greens, still quite hard for the society then to be accustomed to see
and fresh eggs; water-sellers offered water.. In summer a Georgian woman on the dramatic stage. That was why
from the windows opened wide the sounds of guitar or piano F. Manokhin, T. Chesnova-Mukhina and V. Mukhin failed to
were heard; on the roofs the Georgians were having feast achieve success in training of the professional dancers. L.
accompanied by the Georgian instruments. By the way, Orlovskaya’s request to found a theatrical school was not
there were not only Georgians, but also officials and officers shared either, because authorities of the Empire did not
specially sent from Russia with the purpose to assimilate need strengthening of the Georgian national theater.
42 Georgians with Russians. But the opposite happened: the It was in the 70-80s of XIX century when that generation
Empire emissaries were so charmed with the Georgian of the Georgian youth appeared on the public activity arena,