Actuality of the project

Since the 90s of the last century, following Georgia's recovery of independence, there has been a significant rise in the emigration of Georgian population. This surge in migration has also led to an increase of multiethnic families, resulting in the upbringing of a new generation in bilingual environments. It is noteworthy that the limited use of the Georgian language is not confined to multiethnic families in the diaspora. This trend is also evident in the families of mono-ethnic compatriots residing and working abroad, directly impacting the language proficiency of the younger generation. For Georgians residing overseas, the preservation of the Georgian language has utmost importance fortheir ethnic identity. We perceive the transmission of cultural heritage and the enhancement of language proficiency as pivotal steps toward this goal.

The Project's Objective

The objective of this project is to uphold the national and cultural heritage of Georgians residing overseas, a cause of paramount significance for the unity of Georgia, both domestically and internationally. Young people and adolescents residing abroad, who are raised in a foreign-speaking milieu and receive education in a non-native language, often find themselves detached from the Georgian socio-cultural sphere. The preservation of their linguistic and ethnic identity hinges on the initiatives provided by their family and diaspora organizations. The project "My Rustaveli", funded by the Department of Diaspora Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, has set out to promote national self-awareness, generate interest in Georgian literature, and facilitate the comprehensive acquisition of the Georgian language in the diaspora. To achieve this, a digital portal showcasing the monument of Georgian intangible cultural heritage, Shota Rustaveli's "The Knight in the Panther's Skin," has been created. This platform allows Georgians residing abroad to explore the masterpiece of Georgian literature - Shota Rustaveli's "The Knight in the Panther's Skin" - in its original Georgian form or through translations in various languages.

Project resources

On the digital portal - "My Rustaveli" - the epic is accessible in seven languages: Georgian, English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, and Greek. The text of "The Knight in the Panther's Skin" is provided in parallel form, with translations available in Georgian-English, Georgian-German, Georgian-French, Georgian-Italian, Georgian-Spanish, and Georgian-Greek.

Digital versions of the translation are created according to the following editions:

• Rusthweli, Schotha. Der Recke im Tigerfell: Ein altgeorgisches Poem / Deutsche Nachdichtung von Hugo Huppert; Herausgegeben von Jost Gippert und Manana Tandaschwili; Wiesbaden: Reichert Verlag, 2014. ISBN 978-3-95490-045-9
• Roustaveli, Chota. Le Chevalier à la peau de pantere / Trad. du géorg., préface et commenté par Gaston Bouatchidze; Traduction revu par M. M. Philippe Dumaine et Bernard Outtier; Ill. de Roussoudans Petviachvili; Presentation de A. Youlikov . Glossaire a la fin du texte. Moscou: Radouga, 1989.
• Rustaveli, Sciota. L’uomo dalla pelle di leopardo / Prima riduzione italiana in versi a cura di Antonio Bonelli. Ragusa: Libroitaliano, 1998.
• Rustaveli, Shota. EI Caballero de la Piel de Tigre / Edicion critica y estudio preliminar de Maria Elvira Roca Barea. _ [Malaga]: Universidad de Malaga, 2003. ISBN 84-7496-994-8.
• Rustaveli, Shota. The Knight in the Panther’s Skin / Transl. from the Georgian by Venera Urushadze / Editors: Kevin Crossley-Holland and Nico Kiasashvili / Illustrations: by Zurab Kapanadze._ Tbilisi: Sabchota Sakartvelo, 1979.
• Σότα Ρουσταβέλι, “Ο ιππότης με δέρμα Τίγρη“, Εμμανουήλ Μηταφίδη, 2016, Αθήνα.  

The digital text resources were created by Manana Tandashvili, Mariam Gobronidze, Mariam Kamarauli, Maia Kukchishvili, Lika Shonia, Julian Hashe and Luisa Narzisi.

The project's authors recognized the challenge posed by the 12th-century vocabulary in the epic. As an added resource, they included a concise explanatory dictionary of "The Knight in the Panther's Skin" on the portal. This feature enables users to consult the dictionary for the meanings of unfamiliar words, enhancing their comprehension of the text.  

Author of the project: Prof. Manana Tandashvili

Co-author of the project: Mariam Gobianidze

Web design and calligraphic fonts: David Maisuradze

Technological management of the portal: Dr. Mariam Kamarauli & Dr. Tobias Weis