Kote and Sofiko: Georgian Charm in Kyiv

It is not so often that you can see such a large gathering of Georgians in Kyiv, especially at the P С tr Tchaikovsky National Musical Academy (conservatory), one of the city’s oldest and most patronized concert halls. The occasion was also extraordinary: the gala night of People’s Artistes of Georgia Sofiko Chiaureli and Kote Makharadze.

For theater, film, and sports aficionados, these names call up endless associations and pleasant memories. Suffice it only to note that Serhiy Paradzhanov called Sofiko Chiaureli his muse, while Kote Makharadze was pronounced the twentieth century’s best sports commentator in what is now the CIS. A gala night means not only working according to script. It is, above all, improvisation, a dialogue between the audience and the heroes. This show cannot adequately be described using such terms as warm or successful: it was permeated with unbelievably subtle, good-natured, and simultaneously powerful energy which makes one take pleasure and think. Ms. Chiaureli started with a charming story about Tbilisi, but she specified at once that they had come primarily to confess their love for Kyiv. Many things bind the actress with our capital: she won her first prize (Mr. Kote called it a Soviet Oscar) here of all places. Forty years ago she was taken on a tour of Kyiv by Serhiy Paradzhanov (Sarkis Paradzhian in the late director’s native Armenian — Ed.) who showed her the city and taught her to love it. The gala went on to show fragments of films starring the actress followed by poems and a video short about this wonderful couple’s home theater. Mr. Kote cracked a joke, “I am the only man in the world who has named a theater for his mother-in-law...” The most striking video episode featured Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma singing in Georgian. Mr. Makharadze told many interesting stories about sports. Confessing again his love for Dynamo Kyiv (they are both 75 years old), he thanked the club for an extremely cordial welcome given the best commentator. In addition, there was a multitudinous floral tribute, sincere words of gratitude, and an audience that gave a standing ovation to these great patriots of their country and arts.