Celebrate Old New Year tonight at Tbilisi gallery special event

If you are in Tbilisi tonight, check out a local celebration of Old New Year at the National Gallery museum and view the venue’s exhibits, costume displays from popular classical paintings and enjoy some live music.

Georgia is among a number of countries celebrating the second New Year’s Eve date tonight at midnight on January 13-14.

The celebration is a custom remaining from the historical era when New Year was marked according to the Julian calendar, which was substituted internationally in 1582 with the current Gregorian calendar.

Participants of the occasion will be offered to dress in costumes from century-old paintings and take photos. Photo: GNM.

To mark the Old New Year date in Tbilisi, the Georgian National Museum (GNM) is inviting residents and visitors of Georgia’s capital to the Dimitri Shevardnadze National Gallery from 9pm on Friday.

Participants of the special celebration will be offered the chance to view a restored 20th century painting by Georgia’s celebrated late painter Niko Pirosmani, which went on public display for the first time in 39 years earlier today.

Visitors will also be able to see newly restored painting, ‘Sviri’, by late painter Niko Pirosmani. Photo: GNM.

Art enthusiasts will also be able to bring century-old paintings to life by dressing in costumes portrayed in the artwork and by taking pictures in specially set-up photo booths.

In addition, the gallery will also open the doors to its permanent exhibition of artistic creations, while local artists will entertain the audience with live music.

A museum visitor dressed in costume from a portrait by Pirosmani's portrait of a Tbilisi janitor. Photo: GNM.

To round off the occasion, those spending the Old New Year’s Eve at the venue will be offered to taste glintwine, with celebrations concluding shortly after midnight.

Founded in 1920, the National Gallery represents one of the major exhibition venues of the Georgian National Museum – a countrywide network of museum spaces and galleries.

A major part of its exhibition space is dedicated to paintings of celebrated 20th century Georgian artists, while themed displays are also regularly held at the gallery.