Gunia Valerian
Gunia, Valerian [January 9 (21), 1862, village of Eki, Senaki Uyezd – July 31, 1938, Tbilisi], was an actor, director, playwright, critic and People's Artist of Georgia (1933).
In 1876, he started studies at the Tbilisi Real School. In 1881, he was expelled from the school for participating in political demonstrations. He continued his studies in Moscow at the Petrovsko-Razumovskoye Agricultural Academy.
After returning to his homeland, he actively engaged in public life. From 1883 onward, he worked in the Georgian professional theater. His roles included: King Lear and Othello (in Shakespeare's King Lear and Othello), Oedipus (in Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex), Osip (in N. Gogol’s The Government Inspector), Otar Beg (in A. Sumbatashvili’s Betrayal), among others. Gunia was distinguished by his stage charm, impressive appearance, excellent voice, and strong temperament.
He played an important role in training professional Georgian actors. For many years, he led various Georgian dramatic troupes.
Gunia authored numerous original and adapted plays, among which the following stand out: Brother and Sister, The Parade, Father-in-law and Son-in-law, and others. He also wrote librettos for operas, including Z. Paliashvili’s Daisi among others.
He served as editor for several periodicals (namely, the Theatre magazine) and in 1886 founded the newspaper Tsnobis Purtseli (Information Sheet). In 1888, he published The Georgian Calendar, and in 1907, the satirical magazine Nishaduri.
Gunia was a prominent historian and theorist of theater. He systematically published literary essays and theoretical articles about theatrical art. Particularly noteworthy is his historical essay "Georgian Theater 1879–1889."
From 1921 onward, he headed Georgian theaters and was the first chairman of the Georgian Union of Art Workers. From 1913, he was also active in the film industry.
Literary Works: [სერიაში] ქართული თეატრის მოღვაწენი სასცენო ხელოვნების შესახებ, წგ. 2, დ. ჯანელიძის რედ., თბ., 1953.
Literature: ბ უ რ თ ი კ ა შ ვ ი ლ ი ა., რაინდი უშიშარი და გულმართალი, თბ., 1965; მადლობის დღე. საიუბილეო დასურათებული ალმანახი ვალერიან გუნიას პატივსაცემად და 35 წლის მოღვაწეობის აღსანიშნავად, [თბ.], 1917; უ რ უ შ ა ძ ე ნ., ვალერიან გუნია, თბ., 1987; ქ ა რ თ ვ ე ლ ი შ ვ ი ლ ი ე., ვალერიან გუნია, თბ., 1968; ხ ე თ ე რ ე ლ ი ც., ვალერიან გუნიას ლიტერატურულსაგამომცემლო მოღვაწეობა, თბ., 1989; ჯ ა ნ ე ლ ი ძ ე დ., ვალერიან გუნია, თბ., 1963.
L. Tsagareishvili
