Paata Natsvlishvili, 73, is a Georgian literary master of truly international caliber who has given his beloved Sakartvelo thousands, literally thousands, of pages of fascinating prose, poetry, essays, literary criticism, scholarly research, sports writing, and newspaper features. This highly respected and widely loved writer, scholar, journalist, and university professor has had a profound impact on Georgian society. His multifaceted literary pursuits also include playwriting, art criticism, translation, editing, compiling, collecting, book design, and publishing, not to mention his artistic talent, inherited from his famous father, Temo Natsvlishvili, the renowned Georgian sculptor. Too much for one man, isn’t it?
Why so much talk about this nonstop generator of literary ideas and intellectual invention in the absence of any jubilees or celebratory festivities dedicated to him?
Last Friday afternoon at the Georgian National Academy of Sciences was nothing short of a celebration of true Europeanism. If Western culture means anything to this nation, and it certainly does, then that day’s book presentation was one of its finest expressions. The spacious auditorium was packed with guests, with the Academy’s leadership at the center of the event and attendees standing in the doorways and hallways.
Two remarkable books were on display, ready to be presented to an intellectually engaged audience. The first was The Genesis of Georgian Journalism and Italy by Paata Natsvlishvili. Just listen to the title! The author confidently asserts Sakartvelo’s distinct place within the Western cultural sphere while simultaneously demonstrating the profound influence of the West on the development of Georgian culture. I only wonder whether this single literary fact is enough for our European friends and well-wishers to understand where this nation stands and what it strives for.
The second volume, Georgian-Italian Historic-Cultural Relations, with Paata Natsvlishvili serving both on the editorial board and among its authors, further illustrates just how deeply connected we are to the Western tradition of the humanities.
Roin Metreveli, President of the Academy, opened the presentation. Academician Valery Asatiani delivered the introductory address, and Paata Natsvlishvili himself explained the scholarly significance of these two outstanding publications.
I wish I had seen the Italian Ambassador at this immensely meaningful event, but never mind. His Excellency will surely hear about it through the news.
Back to Paata’s phenomenal personality and extraordinary creative output, both in this country and beyond. The whole story sounds like a genuine legend, the Journey of Odysseus, if I may indulge in a slight comparison. Europe should know about this, not only Georgia.
In his salad days, Paata Natsvlishvili spent four years as an ordinary seafarer, testing both himself and the unfamiliar world around him, a world filled with perilous vicissitudes and unexpected turns. The experience proved invaluable. It tempered him, preparing him for the unknown twists and turns that lay ahead.
Upon returning home, he became editor-in-chief of several major publications. Paata was also the first publisher in Georgia to produce full-color, computer-designed newspapers.
One of the defining moments of his life was his active participation in Tim Severin’s legendary expedition, In the Footsteps of Jason, during which he covered the extraordinary international venture for both the press and television.
Here comes an analogy that deserves repeating. Natsvlishvili retraced the historic three-year Eurasian journey of Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani, the celebrated Georgian writer, diplomat, and fabulist of the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, Sakartvelo’s own Aesop.
Publications of the Natsvlishvili Publishing House have appeared at numerous international book fairs. Among its most notable achievements was the publication of a previously unknown short story by Grigol Robakidze, one of the great Georgian literary figures of the twentieth century.
Natsvlishvili is also one of the founders of the Georgian National Olympic Committee. A devoted bibliophile and passionate philatelist, he has designed around fifty Georgian postage stamps.
He is equally renowned for his tireless efforts to locate, study, and help return Georgian cultural treasures preserved in foreign museums and private collections.
And finally comes his genuine opus magnum: Five Links for Georgia, a monumental five-volume encyclopedic work dedicated to the history of Olympic Sakartvelo, documenting the participation of Georgian athletes and their phenomenal achievements at the Olympic Games.
Even had he accomplished nothing else, this work alone would have been sufficient to secure his name forever in the annals of the nation.
So, if anyone in this country has earned the title of a true Renaissance man, it is undoubtedly Paata Natsvlishvili.
Simply “Paata,” without a surname, just like those mononymous historical figures and celebrated personalities whose names alone evoke remarkable deeds and enduring achievements.
Why not our own Paata?
Blog by Nugzar B. Ruhadze
