Exhibition of Irakli Parjiani at the Museum of Fine Arts

Exhibition of Irakli Parjiani at the Museum of Fine Arts

This exhibition (and yes, admission is free!) offers a rare opportunity to discover the works of Irakli Parjiani — a remarkable artist who created religious paintings during the Soviet era and passed away at the age of 41.

Gospel and Old Testament scenes, Adam and Eve, various interpretations of the Annunciation, the Crucifixion — all these works gain a completely different meaning when viewed through the context of the Soviet period in which they were created.

The exhibition also features two copies of the Gospel, handwritten and illustrated by Parjiani himself in the 1970s, continuing the tradition of medieval illuminated manuscripts. Visitors are allowed to turn the pages — just be sure to wear the special gloves provided.

As an artist who grew up in the Soviet Union, Parjiani knew censorship firsthand. For example, his graduation work “Pastor’s Family” was rejected by the commission because its title was considered to promote religious ideology.

However, he was fortunate to witness a time of change: in the second half of the 1980s, Parjiani traveled to East Germany, where he personally witnessed the fall of the Fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the world in which he had grown up.

Born in the mountainous region of Svaneti, the artist died in Tbilisi in December 1991 after a serious illness, while civil war and fires were raging in the city. In one of those fires, part of his artistic legacy was destroyed.