Tumanishvili Mikheil
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Mikheil Tumanishvili (b. May 31, 1818, Kheltubani, Gori Municipality – d. February 14, 1875, Tbilisi), poet, publicist, translator, theatre critic, ethnographer, founding member and one of the directors of the “Tbilisi Private Library” (1842–1848). He studied at the Tbilisi First Gymnasium (1831–1836). From 1837, he held various civil service positions. Tumanishvili was an important figure in the history of Georgian literature and journalism of the 19th century. His lyric poetry corresponds to the progressive ideas of that time. While still in the gymnasium, together with N. Baratashvili, he participated in the compilation of the “Anthology” of poetry (1833, transcribed by him), supervised the publication of the manuscript journal “Flower of the Tbilisi Gymnasium” (1835, in Russian). He translated A. Pushkin's The Fountain of Bakhchisaray, The Prisoner of the Caucasus, and others.
Tumanishvili is rightly considered the first critic of the Georgian theatre of the 19th century. His letters, which were published in the newspaper “Kavkaz”, the magazine “Tsiskari” and the newspaper “Droeba”, describe the history of the founding of G. Eristavi Theatre, characterize the actors, and discuss the plays. Tumanishvili's letters and works on Georgian ethnography are noteworthy. Tumanishvili actively participated in the work of the ethnographic cabinet of the Caucasian Museum and the Caucasian Department of the Russian Geographical Society. The Khevsurian costumes and part of the weapon collection gathered by Tumanishvili in 1854 are preserved in the Georgian National Museum.
Literary works: რჩეული თხზულებანი, თბ., 1981; ქართული მწერლობა 30 ტომად, ტ. 9, თბ., 1992.
Literature: ზანდუკელი მ., ახალი ქართული ლიტერატურა, ტ. 2, თბ., 1962; კალანდაძე ა., ქართული ჟურნალისტიკის ისტორია, II, თბ., 1984; რამიშვილი დ., მიხეილ თუმანიშვილი, თბ., 1957; ურუშაძე ნ., მიხეილ თუმანიშვილი (თეატრალური კრიტიკოსი), თბ., 1978; ქართული ლიტერატურის ისტორია, ტ. 3, თბ., 1969; ჭუმბურიძე ჯ., ქართული კრიტიკის ისტორია, I, თბ., 1974; ხელთუბნელი მ., სალიტერატურო-საზოგადოებრივი წარსულიდან, თბ., 1938.
