Barbare Jorjadze Explained

Honorific Prefix:Princess
Barbare Eristavi-Jorjadze
Birth Date:1833
Birth Place:Kistauri
Death Date:1895
Nationality:Georgian
Notable Works:Georgian Cuisine and Tried Housekeeping Notes, "A Few Words to the Attention of Young Men"
Spouse:Zakaria Jorjadze
Father:Prince Davit Eristavi

Barbare Jorjadze (1833-1895), also known as Barbare Eristavi-Jorjadze, was a Georgian princess, author, and women's rights advocate.

Background

Jorjadze was born in Kistauri, Georgia in 1833[1] and the daughter of Prince Davit Eristavi. She was married to Zakaria Jorjadze when she was 12. Her brother was the poet and historian Rapiel Eristavi.[2] [3]

Writing

Considered Georgia's first feminist, Jorjadze was a poet, playwright and essayist. She began writing in 1858, publishing poetry in Tsiskari magazine.[4] Despite public criticism, she continued publishing, including in newspapers and magazines such as Droeba, Iveria, Kvali, and Jejili.

In 1861 she was vocal in debates around the modernization of the Georgian language, specifically challenging the ideas of Ilia Chavchavadze.

Jorjadze's play, What I was looking for and what I found, was first staged in 1867 at the Kutaisi Theatre. It was performed for several years and various other theatres.

In 1874 she published the cookbook, Georgian Cuisine and Tried Housekeeping Notes. Published by Ekvtime Kheladze's printing house, it collected recipes for both Georgian and European dishes. Many of her recipes are considered to be standard practice for preparation of traditional Georgian dishes and the book continues to be popular.

Jorjadze penned the letter "A Few of Words to the Attention of Young Men" which was published in 1893 in Kvali magazine. Addressing women's rights, it is considered to be a manifesto of Georgian feminism.

In 2017 the National Parliamentary Library of Georgia named a reading room after Jorjadze. The room also contains murals by Anuk Beluga, depicting Jorjadze and other Georgian female writers and activists.[5]

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: Barbare Eristavi-Jorjadze. Feminism and Gender Democracy. 22 November 2017. en.
  2. News: 19th Century Princess And Cookbook Author Was Also Georgia's First Feminist. Giorgi. Lomsadze. NPR. 22 November 2017. en.
  3. Book: Gender in Georgia: Feminist Perspectives on Culture, Nation, and History in the South Caucasus. Barkaia. Maia. Waterston. Alisse. Berghahn Books. 2017. 9781785336768. 24.
  4. Web site: Barbare Eristavi-Jorjadze. Gender Mediator. 22 November 2017. 18 June 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180618080132/http://gendermediator.ge/-Barbare-Eristavi-Jorjadze---Writer/n40?lang=eng. dead.
  5. Web site: Barbare Jorjadze's Room Opens in National Library of the Parliament of Georgia. UNDP in Georgia. en. 22 November 2017. 1 December 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171201044758/http://www.ge.undp.org/content/georgia/en/home/presscenter/pressreleases/2017/03/08/barbare-jorjadze-s-room-opens-in-national-library-of-the-parliament-of-georgia.html. dead.