Rustaveli Drama Theater in Tbilisi

History of Rustaveli Drama Theater

On Rustaveli Avenue was the main artery of the 15-century-old capital of Georgia. Its history begins from the day when the great Georgians - Ilia Chavchavadze and Akaki Tsereteli decided to restore the Georgian Theater closed by the Russian Empire in 1856.  

Together with other Georgian patriots, they formed the "Drama Committee" and opened the first season of the Georgian Drama Theater on September 5, 1879. Since 1901, the Drama Theater has settled on Rustaveli Avenue, in a newly built baroque and rococo building of the Tbilisi Art Society. Since 1921, the Georgian Drama Theater bears the name of Shota Rustaveli.

The Rustaveli Theater was directed at different times by Kote Marjanishvili, Sandro Akhmeteli, Mikhail Tumanishvili, Temur Chkheidze, and Robert Sturua. The theater museum, which houses many unique costumes, manuscripts, and audio, photo, and video exhibits, displays the achievements of the theater and the characters brought to life on its stage.