Ivane Machabeli
(1854-1898)
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| In Short | |
| Ivane Machabeli (1854-1898), a famous Georgian
writer, translator, writer of political and social issues was one of founders
of new Georgian literary language, public figure and financier. He also was a representative of so-called Georgian “Samotsianelebi” (Sixtieths – Georgian Enlighteners) and active participant of national liberation movement. Ivane Machabeli was born into an old Georgian aristocratic and feudal lord family. |
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| Ivane's Parents |
Young Ivane's Familiy |
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| Studies in Georgia (1863 - 1870) and abroad (1871 - 1878) | |
| Ivane
Machabeli was primary educated in his family. He studied in Tbilisi gymnasium in 1863-1870, where he got acquainted with Georgian folk and classical works. Machabeli thoroughly learned foreign languages, especially English. We can get acquainted with Antic literature translation done by him during his studies. This work is distinguished with its artistic value and with wide knowledge of Georgian language. In 1871 Ivane Machabeli left for Saint-Petersburg to his brother Vassil, who studied in the university, on the faculty of law. This time Ivane Machabeli had been interested in natural sciences and he entered the Petersburg University just on that faculty (1871-1874). After a short time he under the influence of his brother began interested in Juridical Science and finished also this faculty. Studying on two faculties hadn’t interfered Machabeli to become the man of great erudition in the field of literature and art. At that time he had been one of founders of Petersburg the Dramatic society. |
 Vassil and Ivane
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In 1873 Ilia Chavchavadze, a famous Georgian writer and enlightener, public figure and the chair of the Bank of Nobility left for Petersburg by the reason of bank business. He had been in close contact with Vaissil Machabeli, the brother of Ivane Machabeli. Ivane Machabeli shared with Ilia his intention of Shakespeare’s translation. In 1874 was published first act translation of “King Lear” in the magazine “Krebuli”. This translation was completed by Ivane Macahabeli together with Ilia Chavchavadze. Ilia had been admired by Machabeli’s perfect knowledge of English and he began caring of publish that translation as playbook and staging it in Georgian theatre. Ilia’s attempt and his dream had realized soon. “King Lear” and other tragedies by Shakespeare became an excellent source for regeneration the Georgian Theatric art in Tbilisi in the 19th century. In 1874 Ivane Machabeli returned to motherland and that time he left for Germany to study agricultural sciences in the University of Hohenheim (hereabout Stuttgart), where he had been for two years (1874-1877). Spiritual-intellectual interests of the young man progressively grew and in 1877 Machabeli, who had a concern in social problems, went to so called “Old University of Philosophy”-Paris where he attended lectures on social sciences (1877-1878). At the same time he attended lectures on agricultural courses in Montpellier in 1878. In 1878 Ivane Machabeli left for Saint-Petersburg, where he had been delivering lecturers on literary themes in the circle of the students. |
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| Activities in Georgia (1879 - 1898) | |
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In 1879 he finally went
back to Georgia and began his activity in the field of literature and worked as
a publicist. When Machabeli arrived in
Georgia he had been invited by Ilia Chavchavadze to the magazine “Iveria” as an
employer. He served an editor in chief of the leading Georgian National
magazine “Iveria” together with Ilia. In 1883 Machabeli became an editor of
newspaper “Droeba”, but in spring this newspaper was closed by government in
account of systematic publishing opposite articles about King Authority. Since 1879 had been published Shakespeare’s translations and critical essays by Ivane Machabeli through the press of Georgia. He was actively participating in all initiatives leading by Ilia Chavchavadze. These initiatives were aimed at reviving Georgian culture and opposition to the Imperial Russian rule. There were Society for the Spreading of Literacy among Georgians, The Dramatic Society, School committee, The Bank of the Nobility, work commission for researching Shota Rustaveli poem “The Knight in the Panther’s skin” etc. In 1888 the poem was edited by Ivane Machabeli. He supported Mihály Zichy, poem’s Hungarian painter, also Marjory Wardrop (UK) and other foreign translators to translate the poem into Georgian language. By asking M. Ipolitov-Ivanov, Russian composer he had written libretto opera for that poem. He produced, from 1886 to 1898, the brilliant translations of Hamlet (1892), Othello (1888), Macbeth (1892), Richard III (1896), Julius Caesar (1896), Anthony and Cleopatra (1898), and Coriolanus (1898). They are distinguished with the closest approach to original and these translations put Machabeli in respected position. Shakespeare’s translations by Machabeli had special significance in 1980s, when completely grew the national importance of the Georgian Theatre and these translations to this day serve as the standard versions for the repertoire of the Rustaveli Theatre. Machabeli’s translations had been repeatedly published as academic collections. On June 26, 1898 Ivane Machabeli left his apartment in Tbilisi and was never seen again. Since disappearance his tragic end is clandestine left.  The appartment in Machabeli Palace in Tbilisi where Ivane lived |
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