Kernbach Victor

Kernbach Victor (b. October 14, 1923, Chișinău – d. February 16, 1995, Bucharest), a Romanian writer, critic, and translator. From the beginning of the 1950s, he developed a profound interest in Georgian culture and subsequently mastered the Georgian language. In 1956, he completed a full poetic translation of Vepkhistkaosani [The Knight in the Panther's Skin], which was published twice (1957, 1963).

Kernbach translated and published collections of poetry by N. Baratashvili (Bucharest, 1959; Tbilisi, 1968) and G. Leonidze (1959). He also translated Georgian Folk Tales, K. Gamsakhurdia's novel Didostatis Konstantines Marjvena [The Hand of the Grand Master], as well as selected poems by D. Guramishvili, G. Tabidze, S. Chikhovani, I. Abashidze, and G. Abashidze.

As an active promoter and popularizer of Georgian culture, Kernbach frequently published articles concerning Georgia in the Romanian press. He traveled to Georgia several times and dedicated his book Mkinvarebisa da narinjebis kveqana [The Land of Glaciers and Citruses] (1958; Georgian translation, 1968) to the country. In 2018, the President of Georgia awarded Kernbach the Order of Honor for his significant contribution to the popularization of Georgian culture.

Archival Media: Victor Kernbach about Georgia – recorded in 1974

F. Jinjikhashvili