Chkhartishvili, Archil Evstafevich

Born Jan. 6 (19), 1905, in Tiflis. Soviet stage director. People’s Artist of the USSR (1968). Member of the CPSU since 1945.

Chkhartishvili began his theatrical career in 1921. He staged plays at the Kutaisi Theater and served as artistic director of the Chechen-Ingush and Batumi theaters. During the years 1949–52 and 1963–64 he headed the Mardzhanishvili Theater in Tbilisi. He was a director at the Rustaveli Theater in Tbilisi from 1957 to 1962 and principal director from 1965 to 1968.

Chkhartishvili’s most outstanding works have included The Good Soldier Švejk (after the novel by Hašek, 1931), Shanshiash-vili’s Anzor (1935), Tsagareli’s Times Are Different Now (1939), Sophocles’ Oedipus Tyrannus (1946), Mosashvili’s His Star (1951), Vazha Pshavela’s The Exile (1956), Vishnevskii’s An Optimistic Tragedy (1958), Gamzatov’s Mountain Girl (1960), Ebralidze’s A Modern Tragedy (1961), Euripides’ Medea (1962), and Eliozishvili’s Old Zurnachi (1966).

Chkhartishvili’s productions are noted for their brilliant theatricality, skillful and dynamic staging of mass scenes, and rhythmic integration of action and music.

Chkhartishvili received the State Prize of the USSR in 1952. He has been awarded four orders and several medals.