On June 17, 2025, an event dedicated to the Public Reading Day of The Knight in the Panther’s Skin was held at the Tkibuli Municipal Theatre, in which East European University also took part.
The Public Reading Day of The Knight in the Panther’s Skin was celebrated together with two remarkable local residents distinguished for their unique talent – Ms. Anro Tsirekidze and Ms. Natela Dogonadze, both known for their ability to recite the poem from memory.
Anro Tsirekidze, a German philologist, honored teacher, and honorary citizen of Tkibuli, is a six-time winner of competitions dedicated to memorizing and reciting The Knight in the Panther’s Skin. Natela Dogonadze, who learned the poem at the age of 60 with the support of her husband, is the third-place winner of a The Knight in the Panther’s Skin recitation competition held in Samtskhe-Javakheti.
At the beginning of the event, they recited their favorite episodes from the poem, followed by randomly selected chapters, all performed entirely from memory.
In recognition of their contribution to preserving the tradition of memorizing The Knight in the Panther’s Skin and safeguarding cultural heritage, Anro Tsirekidze and Natela Dogonadze were each awarded a monetary prize of 1,000 GEL by East European University. The awards were presented by the university’s representative, Mariam Liklikadze.
They were also awarded monetary prizes of 1,000 GEL each by the Mayor of Tkibuli Municipality, David Cherkezishvili.
The event was attended by Levan Kiknavelidze, Deputy State Representative in the Imereti region; Bejan Tsakadze, Majoritarian Member of Parliament representing Tkibuli; Ioseb Robaqidze, Chairperson of the Municipal Council; Professor Sergo Vardosanidze, Doctor of Historical Sciences; Merab Kvitsaridze, Chair of the Kutaisi Organization of the Rustaveli Society of Georgia; representatives of the local government; and other invited guests.
