Tamaz Vashakidze: 21 years of persecution by the authorities of Georgia Shevardnadze-Saakashvili

Former Director of the Tbilisi Ballet Art School files a suit against Georgian Ministry of Culture and Sports

Former Director of the Tbilisi Ballet Art School Tamaz Vashakidze filed a suit against the Ministry of Culture and Sports, by whose decision he was released from his duties.

“In my claim at Mtatsminda-Krtsanisi district court of Tbilisi I demand to cancel the decision made by the Ministry of Culture, that speaks of my “lack of qualification”, - said Tamaz Vashakidze to the journalists. “People who manage the Ministry of Culture are not educated enough to judge, whether I have the necessary qualification or not”, - he emphasized. According to Vashakidze, the position of the School director should be occupied by a person having higher ballet education, which is not the case with the new director Zviad Bakradze, who is a lawyer.

“There is a prepared project of the School reconstruction after the earthquake in April 2002. Now the building is unsafe, and classes cannot be given there. On the 1st of September the World Bank should transfer 500 thousand Laris for School reconstruction, and in November the reconstruction work should start”, - said Tamaz Vashakidze. According to him, he was fired by the Ministry of Culture and Sports in order to give credit for school reconstruction to the new director.

From 1992 to 2001 Tamaz Vashakidze was artistic director of the Tbilisi Ballet Art School, and from 2001 he occupied the post of its Director.

On August 25 Zviad Bakradze was appointed new director of the Georgian Ballet Art School. By ministerial decision he will manage technical and organizational activity of the School. The artistic activity will be managed by famous Georgian prima ballerina Nino Ananiashvili.