Kolau Nadiradze
Encyclopedia
Kolau Nadiradze (1895-1991) was a Georgian
poet and the last representative of Georgian Symbolist
school.
Born and initially educated at Kutaisi
, Georgia (then part of the Russian Empire
), he studied law at the University of Moscow from 1912 to 1916. Returning to Georgia, his first verses appeared in 1916 in Georgian symbolist journal tsisperi kantsebi ("Blue Horns"). The poem Dreaming of Georgia (ოცნება საქართველოზე, 1916) marked him as one of the promising poets of his generation. He quickly came under the influence of modernism, particularly Emile Verhaeren
, and emerged as one of the leading figures within the Georgian symbolist Blue Horns
group. His early poetry was marked by a Calvarian
vision of Georgia: just before its short-lived independence
(1918-1921) as well as after the 1921 Bolshevik invasion
. Despite his roots in the past, Nadiradze’s ability to avoid overt political themes enabled them to adapt to Communist ideological requirements less traumatically than did other Blue Horns. Nevertheless, in the purge
of 1937, Nadiradze was arrested along with the fellow symbolist writer Sergo Kldiashvili
, but both of them were saved only by chance: their NKVD
interrogator was himself arrested and the files mislaid.
Under the Soviet Union, Nadiradze chiefly wrote patriotic poetry and prose, and translated Pushkin, Bunin, Bal'mont, Blok
, Verlaine
and Isaakian. In the perestroika
years, already in his nineties, the poet regained the freedom of his early years and published what he had suppressed seventy years before, notably 25 February (25 თებერვალი) a short reaction to the Bolshevik takeover in 1921, which he compared to Golgotha set up by a group of Judases
.
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
poet and the last representative of Georgian Symbolist
Symbolism (arts)
Symbolism was a late nineteenth-century art movement of French, Russian and Belgian origin in poetry and other arts. In literature, the style had its beginnings with the publication Les Fleurs du mal by Charles Baudelaire...
school.
Born and initially educated at Kutaisi
Kutaisi
Kutaisi is Georgia's second largest city and the capital of the western region of Imereti. It is 221 km to the west of Tbilisi.-Geography:...
, Georgia (then part of the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
), he studied law at the University of Moscow from 1912 to 1916. Returning to Georgia, his first verses appeared in 1916 in Georgian symbolist journal tsisperi kantsebi ("Blue Horns"). The poem Dreaming of Georgia (ოცნება საქართველოზე, 1916) marked him as one of the promising poets of his generation. He quickly came under the influence of modernism, particularly Emile Verhaeren
Emile Verhaeren
Emile Verhaeren was a Belgian poet who wrote in the French language, and one of the chief founders of the school of Symbolism....
, and emerged as one of the leading figures within the Georgian symbolist Blue Horns
Blue Horns
Tsisperqantselebi was a group of Georgian Symbolist poets and prose-writers which dominated the Georgian literature in the 1920s. It was founded as a coterie of young talented writers in the Kutaisi city in 1915 and was suppressed under the Soviet rule early in the 1930s.The group originated in...
group. His early poetry was marked by a Calvarian
Calvary
Calvary or Golgotha was the site, outside of ancient Jerusalem’s early first century walls, at which the crucifixion of Jesus is said to have occurred. Calvary and Golgotha are the English names for the site used in Western Christianity...
vision of Georgia: just before its short-lived independence
Democratic Republic of Georgia
The Democratic Republic of Georgia , 1918–1921, was the first modern establishment of a Republic of Georgia.The DRG was created after the collapse of the Russian Empire that began with the Russian Revolution of 1917...
(1918-1921) as well as after the 1921 Bolshevik invasion
Red Army invasion of Georgia
The Red Army invasion of Georgia also known as the Soviet–Georgian War or the Soviet invasion of Georgia was a military campaign by the Soviet Russian Red Army against the Democratic Republic of Georgia aimed at overthrowing the Social-Democratic government and installing the Bolshevik regime...
. Despite his roots in the past, Nadiradze’s ability to avoid overt political themes enabled them to adapt to Communist ideological requirements less traumatically than did other Blue Horns. Nevertheless, in the purge
Great Purge
The Great Purge was a series of campaigns of political repression and persecution in the Soviet Union orchestrated by Joseph Stalin from 1936 to 1938...
of 1937, Nadiradze was arrested along with the fellow symbolist writer Sergo Kldiashvili
Sergo Kldiashvili
Sergo Kldiashvili was a Georgian prose-writer who set out to be Symbolist but then was drawn to conformist Realist prose under Soviet rule....
, but both of them were saved only by chance: their NKVD
NKVD
The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs was the public and secret police organization of the Soviet Union that directly executed the rule of power of the Soviets, including political repression, during the era of Joseph Stalin....
interrogator was himself arrested and the files mislaid.
Under the Soviet Union, Nadiradze chiefly wrote patriotic poetry and prose, and translated Pushkin, Bunin, Bal'mont, Blok
Alexander Blok
Alexander Alexandrovich Blok was a Russian lyrical poet.-Life and career:Blok was born in Saint Petersburg, into a sophisticated and intellectual family. Some of his relatives were literary men, his father being a law professor in Warsaw, and his maternal grandfather the rector of Saint Petersburg...
, Verlaine
Paul Verlaine
Paul-Marie Verlaine was a French poet associated with the Symbolist movement. He is considered one of the greatest representatives of the fin de siècle in international and French poetry.-Early life:...
and Isaakian. In the perestroika
Perestroika
Perestroika was a political movement within the Communist Party of the Soviet Union during 1980s, widely associated with the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev...
years, already in his nineties, the poet regained the freedom of his early years and published what he had suppressed seventy years before, notably 25 February (25 თებერვალი) a short reaction to the Bolshevik takeover in 1921, which he compared to Golgotha set up by a group of Judases
Judas Iscariot
Judas Iscariot was, according to the New Testament, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. He is best known for his betrayal of Jesus to the hands of the chief priests for 30 pieces of silver.-Etymology:...
.