Vano Sarajishvili House-Museum

The History of Vano Sarajishvili and his House-museum

Sarajishvili’s repertoire was extensive, as he was equally adept at singing operatic arias, folk tunes, Christian hymns, and romantic pieces. He was a success on the La Scala stages in Milan and St. Petersburg, and even went to the Milan Conservatory to study, and collaborated with Tita Ruffo and Eugene Giraldoni, two well-known Italian singers.

Following his breakthrough at La Scala, he received invitations to Parma, Trieste, and Nice. Sarajishvili's career ought to have continued onto the biggest stages in Europe, but in 1917 he returned to his beloved Georgia and never left his position at the Tbilisi Opera Theater.

Sarajishvili is an artist whose life was cut tragically short, but his legacy lives on. He died at the age 44 of and was buried in the grounds of the Tbilisi Opera House.

The Vano Sarajishvili House-museum in Sighnaghi is a tribute to this legendary Georgian opera singer and composer, who was one of the best-known figures in both his native land and the rest of the world. The museum features numerous exhibits of his life and work, and you can listen to a variety of unreleased records featuring Sarajishvili's distinctive voice. You will also see images of his work from La Scala and Georgia, as well as the costumes in which he performed and the artist's possessions, while of course hearing his wonderful voice play in the background.