Tbilisi protest alleges "Bolshevik purges" in Fine Arts Museum layoffs, calls for resignation of culture minister
Tbilisi historian Tsira Elisashvili addressed the protesters outside the ministry offices in Tbilisi on Friday. Photo: Luka Pertaia/Netgazeti.
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A group of citizens and culture field professionals gathered outside the Ministry of Culture, Sport and Youth of Georgia on Friday to demand resignation of minister Thea Tsulukiani and end to "Bolshevik purges" at culture institutions, following layoffs from the Shalva Amiranashvili Museum of Fine Arts and a recent spat between the ministry and the Literature Museum over a newly published poetry collection.
In the protest event attended by activists, members of some political opposition parties, former employees of the Fine Arts Museum and lawyers representing their interests, the participants alleged "retribution" from the ministry in laoyffs, as part of a reorganisation of the structure that reduced the number of employees by nearly 30.
The layoffs included high-level professionals like Nana Burtchuladze, Principal Curator of the Medieval Section; Nino Khundadze, Guardian of the Georgian Art Fonds, and curator Nino Chikhladze.
The three individuals have alleged bias from the culture ministry, stemming from the professionals' critical opinions on the ongoing plans regarding the safeguarding of Fine Arts Museum collections, as part of the ministry's plans for rehabilitation and renovation of the venue.
Burtchuladze told Netgazeti the ministry had scrapped previous plans for rehabilitation of the long-neglected building, located near Freedom Square in downtown Tbilisi, and replaced it with an own project while laying off or demoting employees who had expressed disagreement with new policies.
The culture ministry revealed the reduction of staff numbers as part of a reorganisation at the Fine Arts Museum on January 14, announcing the process - started on December 6 - had resulted in reduction of employee number from 175 to 146, with a resulting raise in salaries for a "large part" of remaining professionals.
On Friday, Blue Shield Georgia, a cultural heritage committee organisation, released an open letter addressed to prime minister Irakli Garibashvili, Public Defender Nino Lomjaria and culture minister Thea Tsulukiani and lamenting the layoffs of "highly qualified specialists", alleging the process "endangers both national collections [in the museum] and labour rights of professionals".
The layoffs were also criticised in a separate latter - signed by the Georgian National Committee of the International Council of Museums, Blue Shield Georgia and the Georgian National Committee of the International Council on Monuments and Sites - also released on Friday.
Along with disagreements over the reorganisation process, the Friday protest outside the culture ministry concerned a recent spat between the ministry and the Literature Museum over a recent release of a book dedicated to the life and poetry of poet Elene Dariani.
Published with technical errors attributing two works by 20th century poet Ana Kalandadze to Dariani, the publishing led to the ministry posting a statement on social media on January 17, citing "strong reaction of the public" to the mistakes and pledging a "serious review" of the issue with Lasha Bakradze, director of the museum who worked to compile the book with editor Tea Tvalavadze, his deputy.
The ministry's reaction, in turn, saw responses from a part of the culture field professionals and commentators who alleged an overreaction from the ministry, aimed at "misrepresenting" the publishing error as a "vendetta" against Bakradze.
Lawyer Sulkhan Saladze, attending the protest outside the ministry on Friday, alleged "repressions" started at culture institutions following the appointment of Tsulukiani as culture minister in early 2021, while Eka Kiknadze, the former manager of the Fine Arts Museum, said the ministry aimed to "dissolve" the museum as an institution.
In comments with Netgazeti, Kiknadze said staff selections under the management of Tsulukiani had been switched from being based on "professionalism" to "ideological loyalty" to the culture authorities, calling the staff laid off since Summer 2021 the "best specialists" of their field. Two of the professionals, Kiknadze and Dinara Vachnadze, are involved in a process of suing the authorities for their layoffs.