TO RESEARCH THE ROLE OF THEATRE FOR KEEPING THE NATIONAL CONSCIOUSNESS OF SAMTSKHE – JAVAKHETI POPULATION

(XIX-XX საუკუნის მიჯნა

Abstract

In the XIX c. under the dramatic conditions of the policy of the Russian Empire the real danger of degeneration of national consciousness of Georgian population was created in Georgia, and mostly in Samtskhe-Javakheti. Main-taining of national self - consciousness of Georgian people has become the main solicitude, that’s why Georgian theatre together with some other cultural – edu-cational institutions, took on itself a big mission.
The first amateur theatre has started in Akhaltsikhe since 1870. Later, in 1874 the theatre was officially founded, when a permanent theatrical troupe was formed. The first performance was “I want to become a princess” by Zurab An-tonov. In the 80 s of the XIX c, the theatre was also established in Akhalkalaki.
The representatives of local intelligentsia as well as celebrities, who arrived from Tbilisi, were actively involved in the work of theatrical troupes that acted in Samtskhe-Javakheti.
Theatres, founded in Akhaltsikhe and Akhalkalaki in the 70 – 80 s, of the XIX c, turned into the strongest hotbeds and made a great contribution into the cultural promotion and presentation of national self – consciousness of the local Georgian population. Thus, they undertook not only cultural promotion of pop-ulation, but also political burden.