Ivane Javakhishvili Institute of History and Ethnology ( Ivane Javaxishvilis saxelobis istoriis da etnologiis instituti) is a Scientific-research institute in Georgia. It originated from the Caucasus Historical-Archaeological Institute, founded in Tbilisi on July 1, 1917, with Nikolai Marr as its initiator and Ekvtime Takaishvili and Giorgi Chubinashvili as its real members. In 1931 the Department of Natural Sciences was added to the Institute and it was renamed the "Institute of Caucasian Studies".
In 1936, after another reorganization, the institute was renamed the "Academician Nikolai Marr Institute of Language, History and Material Culture", to which Ivane Javakhishvili was invited as a permanent consultant.
It was split on May 8, 1941, and two institutes were established on its basis: the Institute of History and the Academician. N. Marr Language Institute. Due to the expansion of archeological and ethnographic works, in 1964 the Institute of History was renamed the "Ivane Javakhishvili Institute of History, Archeology and Ethnography". In 1977, the Institute of History, Archeology and Ethnography was separated from the Archaeological Department, which was then established as an independent research center. Since 2006 the institute has been named "Ivane Javakhishvili Institute of History and Ethnology".
They worked at the institute at different times: Ekvtime Takaishvili, Giorgi Chubinashvili, Simon Janashia, Giorgi Akhvlediani, Nikoloz Berdzenishvili, Vukol Beridze, Giorgi Nioradze, Akaki Shanidze, Varlam Topuria, Giorgi Tsereteli, Arnold Chikobava, Giorgi Melikishvili, Simon Kaukhchishvili, Vera Bardaveli, Giorgi Chitaia and others. Since its establishment, the institute has been a major center for the study of Georgian history and the life and culture of the Georgian people.
Caucasus Historical-Archaeological Institute
Nikolai Marr drafted the project for the establishment of the Academy of Sciences in Tbilisi in 1906, but the project could not be implemented at that time. After the February Revolution in 1917, the idea of founding the institute became a reality. On June 6 of the same year, the Russian Ministry of Education approved the charter and temporary states of the Caucasus Historical-Archaeological Institute. The official founding date of the institute is July 1, 1917.
The main purpose of the Caucasus Historical-Archaeological Institute was to study the language, history, and way of life of the Caucasus and related peoples (population of the Middle East), to develop disciplines related to Caucasian studies.Janashia, S. (1944). Short Report of the work of the Academician N. Marie Institute of Language, History and Material Culture and its Scientific Council, 1936-1941. the bulletin of academician N. Marr institute of history and ethnography XIV. Tbilisi: Publishing House of the Academy of Sciences of the Georgian SSR. pp. 375-397.
On September 6, 1917, according to the charter, Ekvtime Takaishvili and Giorgi Chubinashvili were elected as full members of the institute, and Dimitri Gordeev and Sirakan Tigraniani were elected as adjuncts (junior researchers). Alexander Shchepotiev was the acting secretary for a year, and then Dmitry Gordeev.
By a decree of the Scientific Council in December 1917, 45 scientists were notified about the establishment of the institute and asked to be involved in their activities as a member-employee. Among the addressees were: Ivane Javakhishvili, Korneli Kekelidze, Pavle Ingorokva, Iustine Abuladze, Ivane Orbeli, Vukol Beridze, Leon Melikset-Begi and others. However, only 9 scientists responded to the appeal.
In 1919, Giorgi Chubinashvili made plans for Tsnori and Ateni Sioni Church. Ekvtime Takaishvili visited churches and monasteries in Kutaisi and Racha in western Georgia and described church items. Dimitri Gordeev worked in Samegrelo for a month. In the same year, the Russian Academy of Sciences sent Professor Robert Pierpont Blake to work on Georgian manuscripts at the institute.
In 1922–1931, the number of researchers at the Institute did not exceed 7. In 1921, Ekvtime Takaishvili guarded the treasure taken from Georgia to France and he also resigned from the position of deputy director of the institute.Gogilashvili, V. Kvachadze, C. (2010). Eqvtime Takaishvili: Bibliography. Tbilisi: National Science Library. ISBN 978-9941-0-1791-9. pp. 43. Giorgi Chubinashvili also left the institute in 1924. Sargis Kakabadze (1922), Mikheil Polievktov and Leon Melikset-Beg (1924), Vladimer Futuridze and Vera Bardavelidze (1930) started working at the institute at different times. In 1924, Vasil Bartold was elected as an honorary member of the institute.
In 1928, under the leadership of Sargis Kakabadze, a commission was set up at the institute to study Tbilisi, Mtskheta, and their districts. The commission explored Sioni, Anchisckhati, Vank, and other churches.
Expeditions Scientific expeditions to study historical monuments played an important role in the activities of the Caucasus Historical-Archaeological Institute. In the summer of 1917, at the initiative of Nikolai Marr, expeditions were organized in Lazistan and Meskheti. Ioseb Kipshidze traveled to Lazistan for a month and a half and collected Chanuri texts,Danelia, K. (1985). Ioseb Kipshidze: life and scientific Inheritance. Tbilisi: Tbilisi University Publishing House. pp. 41-44. which were published in Enimki Moambe after his death in 1937.Kipshidze, I. (1937). Report on linguistic business trips to Chaneti in the summer of 1917. Tbilisi: Publishing House of the Academy of Sciences of the Georgian SSR. pp. 145-177. Davit Kipshidze, S. Lomia and Dimitri Gordeev traveled to Meskheti. Davit Kipshidze studied the frescoes of the great temple of Vardzia, and Dimitri Gordeev studied the painting of the walls of Sapara, Chulevi and Zarzma temples. Organized by the institute, scientific expeditions were organized in Lori province, Gori, Tsilkani and Saguramo, as well as in the regions of western Georgia. An ethnographic expedition was organized in Abkhazia.
Institute of Caucasian studies
In 1931, the Department of Natural Sciences was added to the Caucasus Historical-Archaeological Institute and was renamed the "Institute of Caucasian Studies of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR". Departments of natural sciences and social sciences were established at the institute. The latter was divided into two sectors: speech culture (language, literature, folklore, toponymy) and history, economics and material culture. In the 1930s, along with the renaming of the institute, structural changes were also made. The positions of senior specialist, scientific specialist and scientific staff of different ranks have been established at the institute. Graduates of Tbilisi State University joined the institute at the same time. From 1930 the following people worked in the institute: Giorgi Nioradze, Vladimeri Puturidze, Vera Bardavelidze, Mikheil Polievktov; Since 1934: Giorgi Khachapuridze, Karpez Dondua, Grigol Natadze, Shalva Amiranashvili, Nikoloz Berdzenishvili, Sergi Zhgenti, Giorgi Tsereteli, Makar Khubua; Since 1935: Simon Janashia, Rusudan Kharadze, Akaki Shanidze, Giorgi Chitaia, Giorgi Akhvlediani.
In the 1930s, a postgraduate department was established at the institute. On December 20 of the same year, Nicolai Marr died. Following year the institute was renamed after him. In 1934 the departments of history and material culture and literature and language were opened in the institute, the following year - the sectors of the Middle East and ethnography, and in 1936 - the sector of history of Georgia, which initially employed only three scholars: Ivane Javakhishvili, Simon Janashia and Nikoloz Berdzenishvili.
On March 25, 1936, the Institute established 8 sectors: the Transcaucasian Peoples' History, the Transcaucasian Peoples' Languages, Ethnography and Archeology, the History of Georgia, Georgian Literature, the Middle East, the Geography Sectors, and the Nikolai Marr Cabinet.
Institute of Language, History and Material Culture Structure
The Nikolai Marr Institute of Language, History and Material Culture was located at N3 Mikheil Lermontov Street. According to Vladimer Machavariani, Ivane Javakhishvili was the "spiritual commander" of the institute, and Simon Janashia was the direct manager.Machavariani, V. (1976). Close to a big man. Mnatobi. N10. Tbilisi: Publishing House of the Central Committee of Georgia. pp. 134-137.
In 1936, by the decree of the Government of Georgia, the Archaeological and Anthropological Institutes under the People's Commissariat of Education of the Georgian SSR were abolished and joined the Ethnography and Archaeology Sector of the institute. The Terminology Committee was established at the Institute as a Department of Scientific Terminology, headed by Vukol Beridze. Giorgi Nioradze was appointed head of the Archaeology, Anthropology and Ethnography Sector, and Alexander Natishvili was Head of the Anthropology Sector. The Georgian Literature Sector of the institute was transferred to the Shota Rustaveli Institute of Literature at Tbilisi State University.
In 1937 the division of the institute into sectors was abolished and departments were formed. The Sectors of the History of the Transcaucasian Peoples and the History of Georgia were united in the History Department, headed by Simon Janashia, and since 1939, Nikoloz Berdzenishvili. In 1938 the Anthropology section was closed, and the Ethnography section was formed as a separate section. The following year, the Department of Philology was established, the Departments of Lexicology and Scientific Terminology were merged, and the Department of General Linguistics was established on the basis of two cabinets.
By 1940, the Institute of Language, History and Material Culture had nine departments: Department of Kartvelian Languages (Head Akaki Shanidze) Department of Caucasian Languages (Head Arnold Chikobava) Department of Lexicology and Terminology (Head Vukol Beridze) Department of History (Head Simon Janashia, From 1939 - Nikoloz Berdzenishvili) Department of Ethnography (Head Giorgi Chitaia) Department of Archaeology (Head Giorgi Nioradze) Department of Middle East Languages (Head George Tsereteli) Department of General Linguistics (Head Giorgi Akhvlediani) Department of Philology (Head Akaki Shanidze, From 1940 - Simon Kaukhchishvili)
On November 7, 1939, the Scientific Council of the institute was granted the right to receive PhD and doctoral dissertations. On December 29 of the following year, the dissertation was defended by Alexi Robakidze, a junior researcher at the Ethnography Department. This was the first dissertation defended at the institute.
Scientific-Research activities
History In the field of history, the key issues were the old period of Georgia and the feudalism era, the origin and settlement of the Kartvelian tribes, the socio-economic and political history of Georgia, the relations between Georgia and the Caucasus, Georgia and the Middle East, etc. Scientific research was aimed at finding, processing and publishing Georgian and foreign sources.
In 1939, Ivane Javakhishvili and Nikoloz Berdzenishvili published a monographic study on the history of Georgia in the XIII-XVIII centuries, and the following year, a textbook on the history of Georgia was published by them and Simon Janashia.
Archaeology In the field of archaeology, the leading place in the activities of the institute was held by conducting systematic archaeological excavations in different regions of Georgia, processing and publishing the extracted materials. Ivane Javakhishvili demanded to carry out the archaeological works according to the plan.Lortkipanidze, O. (1976). Archaeology at the Ivane Javakhishvili Institute. Ciskari. N8. Tbilisi; ISSBN 0132-6023. pp. 127-134.