Fresh historical notes about Georgia, from letters by Georgian nobility to travellers’ sketches of national costumes, are being uncovered in archives of the British Library in London before their planned publication back in homeland.

The varied material, mostly concerning personalities and culture in the 19th century Georgia, is being studied by Giorgi Kalandia, Director of Tbilisi’s Art Palace museum.

The historian has been using his social media account to share discoveries with his online followers, reporting new findings and publishing photographs of original archival material.

People dressed in Georgian national costumes, in sketches created by an early 19th century British visitor to Georgia and published as a traveller’s book in London. Photo: Giorgi Kalandia on Facebook.

These include notes produced by British sailors and travellers and published in the United Kingdom, with most of the archival findings either unknown to Georgian historians or not accessible for studying until now.

Kalandia reported sketches, photographs and gravures of panoramic views of Tbilisi and western Georgian locations among his discoveries.

Drawings of Georgian residents dressed in national costumes and letters by nobility – including Queen Consort Ana Orbeliani of the Imereti Kingdom – were also in vaults studied by the researcher in London.

A painting of the Leghvtakhevi ravine, as the location in Tbilisi’s historical Abanotubani district appeared to a British traveller in 1800. Photo: Giorgi Kalandia on Facebook.

Kalandia, whose work at the British Library was made possible through a research grant from Tbilisi’s Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation, said his museum would work to publish the discovered material back in Georgia.

Over the past few years Art Palace has worked on projects involving historical material on Georgia in British archives and 18th century press.

These have included introduction of British readers to King Erekle II (also known as Heraclius II), one of the last monarchs of Georgia, by the English and Irish press.

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