On the territory of a seaside hotel in Batumi, Georgia, an original moving statue of love, referred to as "Ali and Nino", was installed. The sculptural work dedicated to love has no analogues in the world.
The seven-meter sculptural work consists of two sculptures of a man and a woman. That is how “Man and Woman” was originally called this sculpture, designed by the Georgian artist and sculptor Tamara Kvesitadze.
Tamara worked on the fundamental sculptural work for almost two years, and in 2007 the sculpture was completely finished and presented to the general public at the Italian Biennale in Venice. Then the statue was shown in London. The sculptural work was liked by everyone who saw it in motion. Yes, yes, in motion. After all, two statues slowly move towards each other for 10 minutes, and they seem to “merge” into one whole, and then they slowly disperse and move away from each other. Before the eyes of the audience, an incredible ten-minute love story of two people - a man and a woman - takes place. First we see their meeting, then an irresistible attraction to each other, a passionate kiss in a fit of flashed love, and then their inevitable separation and estrangement from each other.
Tamara Kvesitadze received inspiration for the creation of this sculptural work after reading the novel "Ali and Nino", written in 1937, by unknown author referred to as Kurban Said. The novel describes difficult story between the Azeri Muslim boy Ali and the Georgian Christian girl Nino, who began their love story in hard years first world war, revolution, civil war and formation of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic. The novel describes the love of two hearts, their endless search for truth and reconciliation of conflicting beliefs - Islam and Christianity.
After the sculptures were installed in Batumi, it was decided to change the original author's name sculpture"Man and Woman" to "Ali and Nino". So since 2011, Ali and Nino tirelessly demonstrate to everyone their romantic love worthy of Shakespeare's pen.
The sculptures look especially incredibly touching and charming at night thanks to multi-colored illumination. As the two sculptures approach each other, the backlight changes and becomes brighter, and as a result, a single scarlet-blue color of love flashes. Then, as the statues move away from each other color palette shades changes again and, and as a result, the cold blue and red color of separation remains.
This is so incredible Touching story the same love of Ali and Nino, is presented in the form of two ever-moving sculptures, either towards each other, or vice versa, moving away from each other.
The most incredible thing in this story is the origin of the novel itself. After all, until now, no one knows for sure who is the author of this now bestseller, published in 33 languages of the world more than 100 times.
It is believed that the author is a certain Kurban Said, whom no one has ever seen. In a publishing house in Vienna, in 1935, a manuscript was found left on the table by an unidentified person. On title page The manuscript had the name "Ali and Nino" and below the signature Kurban Said. In 1937, the manuscript was published in Vienna, and was sold out in a matter of days. Then it was translated into many languages of the world: Polish, Dutch, Czech, Swedish, Italian. With the outbreak of World War II, the book was forgotten for some time, and the original manuscript disappeared without a trace. Since the 70s, the publication of this bestseller has resumed, which is now on different languages traveled all over Earth. On the basis of this imperishable novel, a script was written and a performance was staged, which was played by the troupe of Baku Municipal Theater, which later had resounding success at festivals in 2012 Golden Mask"(Russia), "Melpomene Tavria" (Kherson, Ukraine).
Each city of Georgia has its own zest. The highlight is unique, beautiful and unusual. Batumi was no exception. Here, at the very entrance to the city, there is a very original statue, which was installed in 2011. From the very first day of its existence, the statue received a simple name - "Man and Woman". But soon the inhabitants of the city renamed and gave it another name - Ali and Nino. But few who come to Georgia know who Ali and Nino are and for what reason these huge seven-meter figures are called by these names.
And few people realize that Ali and Nino are two people who, by the will of fate, were first united into one whole, and then, again, separated by fate forever ...
And this tragic and bright love story is described in the book of the same name, the authorship of which is attributed to Kurban Said. However, there are two other authors who could also write this wonderful book. One of them is Lev Nussimbaum, a German who converted to Islam. He, like the hero of the novel, studied at the Baku gymnasium. Some even argue that Kurban Said is just a pseudonym for Lev Nussimbautu. The second possible author of the text is Yusif Chemenzeminli, an Azerbaijani writer. His daughters, like Nino, studied at female gymnasium Baku.
The names of Ali and Nino are well known in Georgia. It is for this reason that after the installation of the sculpture locals renamed those shapes and gave them real names. And those buildings in Baku that are described in the book have survived in the city to this day. But they are not included in any guidebook, and none of the tourists simply knows about their existence, unless, of course, the locals tell about it. And there really is something to talk about.
The protagonist of the work is Ali Khan Shirvanshir. He is a descendant of an ancient and noble aristocratic family Shirvanshirov. Once upon a time - long ago, the ancestor of Ali Khan named Ibrahim Khan with his with my own hands handed over to the ruler of Baku the sword with which the Russian general Tsitsianishvili was stabbed. Ali Khan's parents throughout the novel remain adherents Asian culture and everything European in their soul does not find shelter. But Ali Khan himself is brought up in the most regular school and even there he experiences the power of the West.
At the same time, the daughter of the Prince of Georgia, Nino Kipiani, was studying at the girls' gymnasium. And one day Ali met a girl not far from the place where the gymnasium itself is located. Friendship is first established between young people, and then a real first love flares up.
Ali constantly helps his young friend with her lessons, they often meet in the Governor's Garden, where they walk along its alleys and kiss for the first time. But the whole trouble was that Ali Khan was a Muslim, and Nino was a Christian. And the clash of these two religions is very vividly described in the novel itself.
But through love for Nino Ali, Khan is becoming more and more accustomed to Christian faith, getting closer and closer to the European world and its traditions. After the young people graduate, Ali proposes to Nino. But at first the girl refuses, and only when Ali promises her that he will not require her to wear a veil and will not marry anyone else, Nino agrees. Ali Khan's father is not at all against this state of affairs and approves of the wedding, but Nino's father strongly opposes the fact that his daughter becomes the wife of a Muslim.
In the summer, the young with their parents leave for Shusha, where Ali runs into an aristocrat from Armenia, Melik Nakhararyan. The guys start a friendship, but at first sight Melik is fond of the beautiful Nino and does his best to take the girl with him to Sweden.
But then the First World War breaks out. All Muslims were exempted from military service and participation in hostilities, but they still went to war. But Ali Khan did not go. And this greatly angered his father. She did not understand her lover and Nino. However, Ali Khan did not want to go to war for the Russian Empire in any way.
And then Melik suddenly arrives in Baku, who organizes the kidnapping of the girl. Nino does not strongly resist this kidnapping. Her ardent love for Ali is already beginning to cool down and the girl really lacks adventure. But Ali Khan, in anger, overtakes the fugitives on his horse, and during the fight that ensues between the young people, he kills Nakhararyan. After this murder, Ali turns out to be a blood enemy of the Nakhararian family, and in order to save his life he is forced to hide in a Dagestan village. After a while, Nino finds him. Ali Khan forgives his beloved, and they arrange a wedding according to all the traditions of Islam. During this marriage, the girl Tamara is born.
At the end of the book, Russian soldiers capture Baku. Ali Khan sends his beloved to Tbilisi, while he himself remains to defend his homeland. He never accepted the Russian Empire and during the battle with Russian soldiers, Ali dies.
The names of these two people - the courageous and proud Ali Khan and the windy, but faithful Nino - are the names of an unusually beautiful statue in Batumi. As in life, the seven-meter statues of a girl and a young man first approach each other, then merge into a single whole, well, and at the very end they part once and for all. But despite this parting in their hearts will always live eternal love, will always live respect and admiration for each other.
Well, it remains for us only in the late evenings in Batumi to observe this sacred merging and sad parting, which will exist as long as the world exists.
The statues themselves are made of steel. Every 10 minutes they begin to move towards each other, and then merge into a single sculpture, and then diverge again. But it is best to contemplate the monument in dark time days. Then this movement looks like a magical dance of love and at the same time so much charm emanates from it that it is simply impossible not to succumb to it.
The sculpture "Ali and Nino", installed on the embankment of the resort city of Batumi, has become a symbol of love that can overcome boundaries and prejudices. The mobile installation embodies the idea of the magnetic attraction of a man and a woman and their unity despite life's difficulties.
The artist and architect Tamara Kvesitadze was inspired to create a futuristic masterpiece by a novel attributed to the Azerbaijani writer Kurban Said (literary scholars still debate this issue). The book is dedicated tragic fate Muslim Azerbaijani Ali Khan of Shirvanshir and Christian, Georgian princess Nino Kipiani. touching and beautiful story talks about a collision different cultures and the immortality of love. The lovers went through many trials to be together, but in the final they had to leave due to the will of circumstances.
The avant-garde moving monument symbolizes the eternal cycle of relationships: the desire for each other, a short moment of meeting and forced separation. Two figures 7 m high are made of metal plates with gaps, which allows them to merge into one, and then separate and continue on their way alone. The mesmerizing action begins daily at 7 pm. With the onset of dusk, multi-colored neon lighting is turned on, creating spectacular variations of highlights and shadows on the installation and the sea surface. The driving cycle lasts 10 minutes. In the daytime, the frozen statues of a man and a woman become translucent against the sky.
Previously, the pedestal was located at the very edge of the water, but because of the waves and splashes it began to collapse, so they decided to move the structure 50 m deep into the boulevard. During the dismantling process, the cable broke and the steel structure fell into the sea. The reconstruction took several weeks, and now one of the sights of the city has taken its place again. The base was fenced with a transparent barrier.
The sculptural composition earned recognition from art critics at the Venice Biennale and was included in the list of such top tourist destinations as "15 stunning sculptures that are hard to believe in existence" and "10 most famous romantic monuments in the world." The model of the dynamic monument has been exhibited more than once in galleries in Europe and the USA and has gained worldwide fame.
The author of the project is a native of Tbilisi. For some time Tamara Kvesitadze lived in Italy, and then moved to America, where she now works and creates new artistic creations. Initially, the art object was called "Man and Woman", but then received the names of the characters love story. The novel, which became a bestseller in 1937, has been reprinted over 100 times in translations in 33 languages, and was filmed in 2015. The film was released under the title "Ali and Nino" and had its world premiere at the Sundance International Film Festival. In 2016, a performance based on the book was staged on the stage of the Russian Drama Theater in Baku, the work of the director and actors caused rave reviews from viewers and critics.
Ali and Nino love story
The young man and the girl fell in love at first sight when they were high school students, but Nino's relatives were against marriage to a Muslim. Despite the protests of the family, the daughter of the Georgian prince reciprocated the descendant of the aristocratic khan's family. The young beauty received a brilliant secular education, spoke several foreign languages, loved the opera and balls, did not wear a headscarf and did not cover her face. Life in the harem was not a match for the wayward princess, and for Ali she became the only wife. It seemed that a cloudless future awaited the couple, despite the difference in the perception of the world, due to faith and upbringing, but history intervened in their fate.
The action of the novel takes place in the Caucasus and Iran against the backdrop of epochal events: The First World War, revolution, riots, downfall Russian Empire, the struggle for the independence of Azerbaijan, the coming to power of the Bolsheviks and the suppression of centers of national resistance.
The dramatic relationship of lovers is full of religious and ethnic contradictions, as well as Time of Troubles where the characters live. But their love knows no barriers and proves that a union is possible between people who profess different traditions Islam and Christianity, East and West. The story is told from the perspective of the protagonist, who writes down his thoughts and current events in his diary. At the end of the novel, Ali dies, and Nino disappears without a trace with her daughter.
How to get to the sculpture "Ali and Nino"
You can get to the sculpture "Ali and Nino" on foot from any part of the coastal zone of Batumi. City buses No. 1, 1a, 2, 4, 10, 13 go to the Seaside Park, Gogebashvili stop. If there is no desire to use public transport, online taxi services will come to the rescue. Work in Batumi mobile applications Yandex.Taxi and Maxim.
On the embankment, where every evening the steel silhouettes of a man and a woman meet and part, others are concentrated. Business Cards» resort: Batumi Lighthouse, Monument to the Georgian alphabet And chacha tower.
Video sculpture "Ali and Nino"
Video of the monument of love from a different angle
The romantic statue of Nino and Ali in the pearl of Georgia, a resort town, has been attracting the attention of tourists for many years. Everyone who walks along the embankment will undoubtedly fall under her spell.
And if earlier the sculpture stood at the very edge, on a concrete platform, then after the severe bad weather of 2015, it was moved closer to other facilities and entertainment of the Miracle Park, almost right next to.
Now the moving statue of lovers is available for public viewing at any time of the day. Undoubtedly especially beautiful and it looks unique after sunset, when the multi-colored backlight turns on and the figures are either approaching or moving away from each other to the sound of the waves and the twinkling of stars.
Statue of love in Batumi
At the Batumi statue of love, as well as at the novel, thanks to which the sculpture arose, has its own history. Although less short, it did not have time to become tragic.
The movement of the sculpture does not stop day or night. But in evening time the backlight turns on, which adds romance to it.
Her amazing work, the result of two years of work, was shown in 2007, first on the famous Venetian exhibition world art, and then in London, causing a sensation among those present.
Later, they decided to install the statue in Batumi, next to the seaport on the embankment. From 2011 to August 2015, she successfully withstood all the cataclysms of the elements. And only at the end of August 2015, the statue was moved to a safer place.
However, there were no "victims". Transporting the sculpture one of the figures was damaged(according to another version, it was broken during a hurricane and rain). Fortunately, everything was quickly corrected, and the composition, as before, continues to give joy to connoisseurs of beauty.
Sculpture of Ali and Nino made under the impression of reading novel of the same name, presumably Kurban Said. It has not been possible to establish authorship for certain, despite world fame book published 80 years ago (in 1937). The novel tells about uneasy love Muslim guy and Christian girl, about finding compromises between two cultures and future fate lovers.
Initially, the composition was planned to be called "Man and Woman", but after editing in Batumi, it was decided to change it to "Ali and Nino".
In about 10 minutes, two figures manage to show the whole love story: from meeting to parting. They gradually approach each other, pass through each other and part. The thing is that the images of a man and a woman are made of a metal lattice, essentially similar to blinds.
The height of the sculpture is only slightly taller than a human, but due to the rather high platform on which they are mounted, the impression of the scale of the composition is created.
Around the platform there are benches where passers-by like to sit in the evenings, admiring the yachts, ships and the setting sun. Dates are arranged nearby, tourists walk and take pictures against the background of the statue, passers-by ride bicycles and roller skates. And the unusual symbol of love, the sculpture of Nino and Ali, continues its graceful movement for eternity…
Sculpture of Nino and Ali in Batumi on the map
The Miracle Park, in which the statue of love of Nino and Ali in Batumi is just installed, is a popular vacation spot for tourists and residents of the city. It is not difficult to find it, and yet, for convenience, we attach a map with the exact location of the sculpture and other attractions located nearby.
All icons are signed and briefly characterize this place (if you click on them). If necessary, the map is enlarged: by clicking on the rectangle in the upper right corner.
How to get to the Ali and Nino monument in Batumi?
by the most in a simple way to see the moving monument of Ali and Nino on the Batumi embankment is a walking tour to it. The convenient location of the sculpture allows you to drive to the park both by car and by bus. In the first case, you can get close enough to the monument and leave the car in any suitable place (for example, near). From the buses, the numbers are suitable: 1, 1a, 2, 4, 10, 13. In order to avoid curious cases, we advise you to ask the driver or passengers of the minibus whether you will get to the right place.
