Vladimir (Lado) Alexi-Meskhishvili, Lado Meskhishivili, or Alekseev-Meskhiev ( ka, ვლადიმერ ��ადოალექსი-მესხიშვილი) (February 16, 1857 — November 24, 1920), was a

Georgian Georgian may refer to: Common meanings * Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country) ** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group ** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians **Georgian scripts, three scrip ...

theater actor and director. He is buried at the

Didube Pantheon The Didube Pantheon ( ka, დიდუბის მწერალთა და საზოგადო მოღვაწეთა პანთეონი) is a cemetery in Tbilisi, Georgia, where some of the most prominent writers, artists, s ...

in Tbilisi. His son was

Shalva Aleksi-Meskhishvili Shalva Alexi-Meskhishvili ( ka, შალვა ალექსი-მესხიშვილი, also known as Shalva Meskhiev and Shalva Aleksi-Meskhishvili) (April 26, 1884 — June 18, 1960) was a Georgian jurist and politician who served as M ...

, a Georgian jurist and politician.

Life and career

Born in

Tbilisi Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), is the Capital city, capital and the List of cities and towns in Georgia (country), largest city of Georgia (country), Georgia, lying on the ...

, Lado Aleksi-Meskhishvili studied medicine at the

University of Moscow M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University (MSU; russian: Московский государственный университет имени М. В. Ломоносова) is a public research university in Moscow, Russia and the most prestigious ...

. Illness forced him to abandon studies and return to Georgia, where he worked as a teacher in

Telavi Telavi ( ka, თელავი ) is the main city and administrative center of Georgia's eastern province of Kakheti. Its population consists of some 19,629 inhabitants (as of the year 2014). The city is located on the foothills of the Tsiv-Gombo ...

. After medical studies and amateur acting, he joined the Tbilisi Georgian-language troupe in 1881, running it from 1890 to 1896 and from 1910 to 1914, and the

Kutaisi Kutaisi (, ka, ქუთაისი ) is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world and the third-most populous city in Georgia, traditionally, second in importance, after the capital city of Tbilisi. Situated west of Tbilis ...

Theater from 1897 to 1906 and again from 1914 to 1915. He also played in Russian troupes from 1887 to 1990 and from 1906 to 1910, including the

Moscow Art Theatre The Moscow Art Theatre (or MAT; russian: Московский Художественный академический театр (МХАТ), ''Moskovskiy Hudojestvenny Akademicheskiy Teatr'' (МHАТ)) was a theatre company in Moscow. It was f ...

(1906–1907).Senelick, Laurence (2007), ''Historical Dictionary of Russian Theater,'' p. 11. Scarecrow Press, In 1916-1918, during a stay in Russia, he played in the films: ''Fathers and Children'', ''Lost Necklace'', ''The Shame of the Orlovs'', and ''Three Thieves'', amongst others.

Works

A flamboyantly heroic actor, Aleksi-Meskhishvili used his performances to promote revolutionary ideas, and even engaged in barricade fighting during the

Russian Revolution of 1905 The Russian Revolution of 1905,. also known as the First Russian Revolution,. occurred on 22 January 1905, and was a wave of mass political and social unrest that spread through vast areas of the Russian Empire. The mass unrest was directed again ...

. He staged more than one hundred plays and translated many dramatic writings. His success, particularly in the musical comedies of his youth, is thought to be thanks to his ear for music and an exceptional voice. An example of how much he was loved and respected is the case of his 1903 illness when public awareness of the fact resulted in Georgian society gathering together the funds to send him to Vienna for medical treatment. In 1930, Aleksi-Meskhishvili was posthumously granted the title of

People's Artist People's Artist is an honorary title in the Soviet Union, Union republics, in some other Eastern bloc states (and communist states in general), as well as in a number of post-Soviet states, modeled after the title of the People's Artist of the USS ...

Soviet Georgia The Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic (Georgian SSR; ka, საქართველოს საბჭოთა სოციალისტური რესპუბლიკა, tr; russian: Грузинская Советская Соц� ...

. Aleksi-Meskhishvili's name was given to the

Kutaisi Drama Theatre Kutaisi (, ka, ქუთაისი ) is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world and the third-most populous city in Georgia, traditionally, second in importance, after the capital city of Tbilisi. Situated west of Tbilis ...

in 1940.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aleksi-Meskhishvili, Lado 1857 births 1920 deaths Burials at Didube Pantheon Male stage actors from Georgia (country) Theatre directors from Georgia (country) Theatre people from Tbilisi Male actors from the Russian Empire

Life and career

Works

See also

References