Festival dedicated to Georgian art, culture opens in historical Leuville estate

The Georgian festival, dedicated to the country’s art and culture, opened on Friday in the historical Leuville estate near Paris, with performances by Georgian artists, choreographic ensembles, theatre and various masterclasses organised for Georgian emigrants and foreign guests.

The first day of the festival, organised by the initiative of the Culture Ministry for the second time in the estate, with the support of the Georgian Government, included a chess masterclass by Georgia’s five-time World Chess Champion Nona Gaprindashvili and an exhibition of Georgian traditional clothes.

The opening event was attended by Georgian Culture Minister Tea Tsulukiani, Eliso Bolkvadze, Georgia’s internationally acclaimed pianist and the chairperson of the country's Parliamentary Culture Committee and Eric Brevi, the Mayor of Leuville, as well as representatives of the French art field, the Culture Ministry said.

More than 700 artists and athletes, including famous representatives of culture and sports - Georgian rugby players, municipal state theatres, folklore and choreographic ensembles from different regions will perform for the guests of the festival over the course of two months.

The events, which will be held every weekend from May 24 to July 14, will also include sports activities, theatrical performances, concerts, literary evenings, exhibitions and scientific discussions, where attendance is free for everyone.

The Leuville estate, which housed the Government in exile of Georgia's first democratic republic following the Soviet invasion of the country in 1921, is set to mark Georgia’s Independence Day on May 26 with a large-scale event.

Georgia’s connection with the estate began in 1921 when the then-chairman of the Government Noe Zhordania, Government members and a handful of representatives and their families boarded the French ship Ernest Renan to escape the Soviet invasion of Georgia in February of that year. Settling in Leuville, about 30 Georgians lived in 15 flats inside the chateau of the estate, facing material hardship over the years.

France officially transferred the ownership of the Leuville estate to Georgia in 2016, after it was officially recognised as a symbolic place for Georgia and a place of historical importance. Georgian authorities announced that the estate would be transformed into a Georgian cultural and educational centre.

The Culture Ministry said the rehabilitation works of the Leuville estate were actively continuing and noted until September 2026, the Leuville Georgian Academy, museum and archive space, as well as library, conference hall and Georgian corner, promoting the country's wine culture, would be organised on the territory.