Many tourist cities have their own highlights, captured in the form of historical monuments, architecture, and painting. Places like the Little Mermaid in Copenhagen or Manneken Pis in Brussels become a magnet, attracting crowds of tourists and meeting places for couples. The sculpture of Ali and Nino in Batumi (Batumi, Georgia), which has no analogues in the world, attracts a full house every evening on the embankment of the seaside resort town. Men and women confess their love to each other, take pictures against the backdrop of a mesmerizing picture, and shoot on video.
Heroes love story
When creating the sculpture of Ali and Nino, the famous Georgian sculptor Tamara Kvesitadze drew inspiration from an ancient romantic legend. The love story of the Georgian princess Nino Kipiani and the Azerbaijani Muslim Ali Khan Shirvanshir took place at the beginning of the 20th century, against the backdrop of the tragic events of the First World War, the Bolshevik Revolution, and civil strife. The novel “Nino and Ali” was first published in 1937 in Germany. It was written by a mysterious author hiding under the pseudonym Kurban Said. The manuscript was anonymously left to a book publisher, and after publication it became a bestseller. The work has been translated into 30 languages, films have been made based on it, and performances have been staged. The main events take place in Baku, on the territory of modern Armenia.
Young people meet while studying in Baku gymnasiums located not far from each other. The Governor's Garden becomes the place for romantic meetings, where the first kiss and declaration of love take place. The marriage proposal of an ardent young man does not meet with approval from the family of a girl who professes Christian religion. They are frightened by Muslim traditions and the attitude towards women in Islam, so the wedding is postponed under various pretexts.
At this time close friend family, secretly in love with Nino, kidnaps her with the aim of marrying her and taking her to Sweden. Ali finds the offender, kills him in a fierce battle and frees his beloved. They get married and begin to live together, but the revolution and the events that followed it force them to leave their homeland and find temporary refuge in Persia. After the proclamation of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, Ali and Nino return to Baku and their daughter Tamara is born. The novel ends tragically, war comes again, Ali dies in a battle with Russian troops on the Ganja Bridge, and Nino leaves with her daughter for her homeland in Georgia.
History of the creation of the monument
A native of Georgia and now a US citizen, Tamara Kvesitadze worked on creating the sculpture of Ali and Nino for two years, trying to convey her emotions from reading the novel in the most original way. Her creation was first demonstrated at the Venice Festival in 2007 and was included in the list of audience favorites, receiving high marks from the public and professional critics. The demonstration in London also made a lasting impression on connoisseurs contemporary art. The audience was simply fascinated by the realized idea of figures moving towards them, gradually merging into one whole.
The monument, made of metal plates, is striking in photographs and videos with its size, towering against the backdrop of the city landscape. In fact, the height of the statue of love in Batumi does not exceed 10 meters. Every day after 7 pm, lovers will have to move towards each other for 10 minutes in order to merge together. The moving figures are designed to merge into one silhouette as they approach. The unusual futuristic design captivates the eye when the figures of a girl and a guy converge at one point, as if merging in a loving embrace.
Beloved by many, it was installed in 2010 and since then has delighted citizens and tourists every day. Original name“Man and Woman” did not accurately characterize the composition, so it was replaced by “Ali and Nino” in 2011. During daylight hours it is impossible to fully enjoy the view of the monument, since most of the day it is static. But when the sun sets below the horizon, the colorful lighting of the sculptural ensemble turns on, giving the figures a mysterious and enchanting shade.
How to get there
The sculpture delights city residents and tourists on the embankment running along Rustaveli Avenue. It is located on the territory of the Wonderland Park, next to the Kempinski Hotel. Nearby is the Ferris Wheel, Batumi Lighthouse, Georgian Alphabet Tower, Chachi Tower. You can visit the attraction on your own by getting to the embankment by public transport or as part of an excursion group. It is better to plan a visit in the evening, since you can fully enjoy the view of figures moving against the night sky after sunset.
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 moving 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, the authorship of which is attributed to the Azerbaijani writer Kurban Said (disputes among literary scholars on this issue still do not subside). The book is dedicated tragic fate Azerbaijani Muslim Ali Khan Shirvanshir and Christian Georgian princess Nino Kipiani. Touching and beautiful story narrates the collision different cultures and the immortality of love. The lovers went through many trials to end up together, but in the end they had to separate due to 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. The two 7m tall figures are made of metal plates with gaps, allowing them to merge into one whole 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 turns on, creating spectacular variations of highlights and shadows on the installation and the surface of the sea. The movement cycle lasts 10 minutes. During 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 due to 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 city's landmarks has returned to its place. 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 tourist tops as “15 stunning sculptures whose existence is hard to believe” and “10 most famous romantic monuments in the world.” The model of the dynamic monument was exhibited more than once in galleries in Europe and the USA and received worldwide fame.
The author of the project is a native of Tbilisi. Tamara Kvesitadze lived in Italy for some time, 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 heroes of the love story. The novel, which became a bestseller in 1937, has been reprinted more than 100 times in translations in 33 languages, and was made into a film in 2015. The film was released under the title “Ali and Nino”; the world premiere of the British film took place at the Sundance International Film Festival. In 2016, a play based on the book was staged on the stage of the Russian Drama Theater in Baku; the work of the director and actors aroused rave reviews from viewers and critics.
Love story of Ali and Nino
The young man and the girl fell in love at first sight when they were high school students, but Nino’s relatives were against marrying a Muslim. Despite the family's protests, the daughter of a Georgian prince reciprocated with the descendant of the aristocratic khan's family. The young beauty received an excellent secular education, spoke several foreign languages, loved opera and balls, did not wear a headscarf or cover her face. Life in a harem was not suitable for the wayward princess, and for Ali she became the only wife. It seemed that a bright future awaited the couple, despite the difference in 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 epoch-making events: the First world war, revolution, riots, collapse Russian Empire, the struggle for the independence of Azerbaijan, the rise to power of the Bolsheviks and the suppression of pockets of national resistance.
The dramatic relationship between lovers is full of religious and ethnic contradictions, just like time of troubles, in which the heroes 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 main character, who writes down his thoughts and current events in a diary. At the end of the novel, Ali dies, and Nino disappears without a trace along with his 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 area of Batumi. City buses No. 1, 1a, 2, 4, 10, 13 go to Primorsky Park, stop “Gogebashvili”. If you don’t want to use public transport, online taxi call services will come to the rescue. They work in Batumi mobile applications Yandex.Taxi and Maxim.
On the embankment, where steel silhouettes of a man and a woman meet and part every evening, other “ business cards» resort: Batumi Lighthouse, Monument to the Georgian Alphabet and Chacha Tower.
Video of the sculpture “Ali and Nino”
Video of the monument to love from a different angle
In the seaside city of Batumi there is a huge statue that testifies to true love. Every resident of Georgia and all guests of the city know the history of the sculpture “Ali and Nino”. For the sake of the spectacle of personified history, thousands of tourists come to Batumi to at least once look at the incredible and amazing sculpture.
Love story
In 1937, a novel was published that won the hearts of millions. A tragic story can cause admiration or joy, tears and disappointment. This is a novel about hearts in love who went through everything in order to be together. In it main characters Ali and Nino. For religious reasons, the couple could not be together, because the guy was a Muslim and the girl was a Christian. The life of young people is described in vivid colors: they had to survive both the revolution and civil war, witness the formation of the Azerbaijan Republic.
The novel describes in detail the beauty, nature and life of Dagestan, Azerbaijan, Persia and Tiflis. Despite the fact that most events took place in Baku, famous sculpture“Ali and Nino” was erected in Batumi (Georgia).
Features of the statue
This is a very unusual sculpture, because it is in constant motion. For this reason, many call such a miracle an installation. The creator and author of the symbol of the southern republic is Tamara Kvesitadze. Main task architect - to recreate all the experiences and difficulties that young people experienced in famous history.
The sculpture of love “Ali and Nino” reaches eight meters in height and consists of two separate figures. You will immediately understand what each statue represents. If you look closely, you can see how the integrity of the figures is broken and there are gaps. But this is not without reason, because this innovative solution is the essence of the installation.
If you manage to visit Batumi, be sure to visit the famous sculpture “Ali and Nino”. Please note that for a beautiful spectacle, the city authorities set the installation in motion at 19:00 every evening. As you pass by, stop and just remember the tragic story of a man and woman who fought for their happiness to the last.
Why is this installation so amazing?
The sculpture “Ali and Nino” in Batumi is a continuous movement of huge buildings. To understand the whole essence of the installation, you need to spend 10 minutes of your life and enjoy the wonderful spectacle. You will see how two statues slowly approach each other, gradually uniting into a single whole, and then diverge in different directions.
Tamara Kvesitadze was able to convey all the tragedy, because Ali and Nino always met on the sly for the sake of love, but eternal difficulties threw them in different directions. Surprisingly, the difficult but inspiring story ended well, and the young people were able to get married.
View from the outside
In the video, the installation seems so large that it almost reaches the roof multi-storey building. In fact, the height of the Ali and Nino sculpture does not exceed ten meters (including the stand). Based on reviews from tourists, we can say that even the small size of the installation evokes delight and surprise. The moral here is simple: lovers need to travel a long way to sneak into the arms of their other half. It’s about halves and we're talking about, because two figures pass through each other, literally merging into a single whole.
Tourists' opinions:
- This installation is so magnificent that it makes you want to take a closer look at the famous novel.
- The figures move very slowly and pass through each other for 10-15 minutes, while they make a circle.
- The sculpture is mesmerizing; it is impossible to take your eyes off it. All the time that you spend near the pedestal, you begin to remember your love story. At such moments, you can feel a shiver throughout your body.
- It is recommended to watch man’s creation in the evening or at night, as the beautiful lighting turns on.
Look at the photo and see for yourself: Tamara Kvesitadze has recreated a wonderful installation that will amaze for many years to come.
How to get there
You need to get to the embankment of the square along Rustaveli Avenue and turn onto Gogebashvili Street. After the roundabout you will see a huge square from which you can see the Batumi lighthouse, the majestic KEMPINSKI hotel and the Ferris wheel. When you get to the embankment, use our landmarks. You will find the famous installation just 100 meters from the Ferris wheel.
Tip: Until 2010, the famous statue was called "Lovers", and on the map it is indicated as a metal sculpture "LOVE". However, more recently it has been dubbed the famous sculpture “Ali and Nino”. The description above will help you easily find your way to an unforgettable installation.
We are confident that the work of art will inspire you. But don’t be disappointed if the figures seem small to you. Just wait until dark and enjoy the pleasant spectacle in seaside Batumi.
Several years ago, while still living in Kyiv, I read two wonderful books by Kurban Said “Ali and Nino” and “The Girl from the Golden Horn”. Both novels struck me to the very heart: two beautiful and completely different stories love, against the backdrop of tragic events, complicated relationships between the West and the East. The text is spicy, exciting, as if saturated with the exquisite aromas of the East, not allowing you to tear yourself away from the first to the last page.This summer, when I found myself in the port of Batumi, I saw the monument “Ali and Nino” - two metal structures moving towards each other. These “lovers” looked especially beautiful at the moment of their “kiss” at night, against the backdrop of the endless sea surface, illuminated by multi-colored lights...
I wanted to share with you what I learned about the monument and its author.
Having already started working on this post, I discovered about a dozen posts by different LiveJournal users on the same topic, but that didn’t stop me. A very pleasant topic!
On November 16, 2010, the moving sculpture “Love” was opened in Batumi. The seven-meter sculptures cost the city 5 thousand dollars, and are notable not only for their history and size. Ali and Nino slowly move towards each other, changing position every 10 minutes, until they meet and merge into one. After this, the reverse process begins, and then everything starts again. The author of the work is the famous Georgian sculptor Tamar Kvesitadze, who works and lives in the USA.
Author of the monument
At the very beginning, the sculpture was called "Man and Woman". But after the decision was made to install it in Batumi, the figures received the names of the heroes of Kurban Said’s book “Ali and Nino,” which tells about the love of an Azerbaijani and a Georgian princess - Ali and Nino.
The model of the monument was previously presented several times at various exhibitions in Europe and the USA and received high marks.
According to sculptor Tamar Kvesitadze, she is happy that her work has received such recognition. “I am very happy and want to thank everyone who participated in these works. I think that the new sculpture is very suitable for the city of Batumi,” said Kvesitadze. The mayor of Batumi, Robert Chkhaidze, noted in turn that “a sculpture symbolizing love has been installed in Batumi and it will always be one of the city’s attractions.”
A few words about “Ali and Nino”.
This novel was shrouded in secrecy, like probably no other novel of the 20th century. "Ali and Nino" was first published in German in 1937 in Vienna. The manuscript of the novel disappeared without a trace, and scientists different countries They are still scratching their heads over the question of who is hiding under the mysterious pseudonym “Kurban Said.” However, no matter who the author of the novel is, one thing is clear: before us is a brilliant and inspiredly told romantic story, the action of which takes place in the Caucasus and Iran against the background dramatic events first quarter of the last century. Released in pre-war Germany, the novel "Ali and Nino" has already become a world bestseller today and received enthusiastic responses from readers.
This is a purebred romantic novel- not from the word “romance”, but from the word “romanticism”. If it had been written a century earlier, the reading public would simply go crazy. Exotic adventures in intricate oriental settings with true love to the grave, blood feud, heroic deeds in the name of the motherland and the woman he loves - candy, not a novel. Why it became popular half a century after it was written (and it was written in the 20s, and the identity of the author is dark and incomprehensible) is quite understandable: to the modern reader Sometimes you want to take a break from complex texts with hints and tricks, to open a book whose plot would be crystal clear, like spring water, and whose characters would be simple, like road dust. What is important is that these heroes really have values, they have honor and faith, their feelings are sincere, and they always say exactly what they mean. And you gradually gain respect for this simplicity and naivety - “heroes, not us...”
In Azerbaijan, it is believed that the famous Azerbaijani writer Yusif Vezir Chemenzeminli was the author of “Ali and Nino”. However, it should be noted that in the literary works of Yusif Vezir the idea of ethnic and cultural mixing was considered unacceptable and even a betrayal of the homeland. This contradicts the fundamental line of the novel "Ali and Nino". According to another version, "Ali and Nino" was written by Baroness Elfried Ehrenfels von Bodmershof, wife of Baron Omar-Rolf von Ehrenfels. In the German book catalog Deutser Gesamkatalog of the times of the Third Reich, under the name Kurban Said, it is written “pseudonym Ehrenfels, f. Bodmershoff, Elfried, Baronesses.” According to the third version, the author of the novel was the writer Lev Naussimbaum, also known as Essad Bey, the son of the Baku oil magnate, Avram Naussimbaum.
So who is this Kurban Said?
It is known that, among other pseudonyms, the name "Kurban Said" was used German writer, journalist and hoaxer of Azerbaijani origin Lev Nusenbaum.
Lev Abramovich Nusenbaum was born in 1905 in Kyiv in the family of a merchant of the second guild and soon an oil magnate from Tiflis, Abram Lvovich Nusenbaum, of the Jewish religion. At the age of one he was transported to Baku. From 1914 to 1920, Lev Nusenbaum studied at the Russian-language Baku Men's Gymnasium. German language studied from childhood under the guidance of a Baltic German governess (Frau Alice Melanie Schulte). In 1920, without finishing high school, he moved to Georgia, then to Turkey and France, and from there in 1921 to Berlin.
In Berlin he graduated from the Seminary of Oriental Languages at the Friedrich-Wilhelms-University, specializing in Turkish and Arabic. In 1926 he converted to Islam at the Turkish embassy in Berlin, and later took the name of Muhammad Assad Bey. If we compare Nusenbaum’s biography with the biographies of his characters, it turns out that he described his life.
Excerpt from the novel “Ali and Nino”:
“... Lyceum students in blue uniform dresses, the color of dreams, and white aprons, walked sedately through the garden. Among them was my cousin Aishe. She walked arm in arm with the most beautiful girl in the world, Nino Kipiani. Seeing me, Aishe waved her hand. I approached them and began to talk about the battle that took place in the geography lesson.
“Ali Khan, you are a fool,” said the most beautiful girl in the world, wrinkling her nose. - Thank God we are in Europe. If we were in Asia, I should have put on a veil long ago, and you would never have seen my face.
I was completely defeated. The controversial geographical location of Baku truly gave me the favor of the most beautiful eyes in the world.
Upset, I decided not to go to the rest of my lessons and went to wander the streets, looking at camels, and then stood for a long time by the sea, sadly thinking about Europe, Asia and the beautiful eyes of Nino Kipiani.
Suddenly a creepy-looking beggar appeared in front of me. I tossed him a coin. He immediately grabbed my hand, intending to kiss it. I pulled my hand back in fear. And then, full of remorse for the callousness shown, I spent almost two hours looking for the disappeared beggar to allow him to kiss my hand. It seemed to me that I had offended him by refusing him, and remorse did not give me peace. However, I was never able to find a beggar.
Five years have passed since then...”
Did I manage to intrigue you?
If alone romantic story If you think it’s not enough, feel free to read another novel by the writer that I no less love – “The Girl from the Golden Horn”. In "The Girl from the Golden Horn", the author, following his style of writing and taking readers into different corners light - Berlin, Istanbul, Bosnia, New York, pays close attention inner experiences and the thoughts of the heroes. Kurban Said's favorite theme is the confrontation between East and West, their sincere desire and attempts at rapprochement remain futile and lead nowhere, the hearts of each of the heroes remain devoted to their blood traditions, their homeland, their concepts of duty, honor and love. Main character- Asiada (Asia) - amazes with its purity, integrity of views, femininity and wisdom.
"The Girl from the Golden Horn" is one of those rare books, which I would like to recommend to friends. No vulgarity or far-fetchedness. All about life...
Enjoy your reading!
My project "Summer in Georgia"
