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. IN 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 has been exhibited more than once in galleries in Europe and the USA and has 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" world premiere 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, the collapse of the Russian Empire, the struggle for the independence of Azerbaijan, the rise of the Bolsheviks to power 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
The romantic statue of Nino and Ali in the pearl of Georgia, the resort city, has been attracting the attention of tourists for many years now. Everyone who walks along the embankment undoubtedly finds themselves under the influence of her spell.
And if formerly sculpture stood at the very edge, on a concrete platform, then after severe bad weather in 2015, it was moved closer to other structures and entertainment of the Wonder Park, almost right next to.
Now the moving statue of lovers is available for public viewing at any time of the day. Undoubtedly especially beautiful and it looks unique after sunset, when the multi-colored lights turn on and the figures are either approaching or moving away from each other to the sound of the waves and the twinkling of stars.
Statue of love in Batumi
At the Batumi statue of love, like in the novel, thanks to which the sculpture arose, has its own history. Although less short, it did not have time to become tragic.
The movement of the sculpture does not stop either day or night. But in the evening the lights turn on, which adds romance to it.
Her amazing work, the result of two years of work, was shown in 2007, first on the famous Venice exhibition world art, and then in London, causing a sensation among those present.
Subsequently, they decided to install the statue in Batumi, next to the sea terminal on the embankment. From 2011 to August 2015, it successfully withstood all natural disasters. It was only at the end of August 2015 that the statue was moved to a safer place.
At the same time, there were some “victims”. Transporting the sculpture one of the figures was damaged(according to another version, it was broken during a hurricane and rain). Fortunately, everything was quickly corrected, and the composition, as before, continues to bring joy to connoisseurs of beauty.
The sculpture of Ali and Nino was made under the impression of reading novel of the same name, presumably Kurban Said. The authorship could not be established for certain, despite the world fame of the book, published 80 years ago (in 1937). The novel tells about the uneasy love of a Muslim guy and a Christian girl, about the search for compromise between two cultures and future fate lovers.
Initially, the composition was planned to be called “Man and Woman,” but after editing in Batumi it was decided to change it to “Ali and Nino.”
In about 10 minutes, two figures manage to show the entire love story: from meeting to separation. They gradually get closer, pass through each other and part. The thing is that the images of a man and a woman are made of metal lattice, essentially similar to blinds.
The height of the sculpture is only slightly taller than a human, but due to the rather high platform on which they are mounted, the impression of the scale of the composition is created.
There are benches around the platform where passers-by like to sit in the evenings, admiring the yachts, ships and the setting sun. Nearby, tourists are making dates, tourists are walking and taking pictures in front of the statue, and passers-by are riding bicycles and rollerblading. And the unusual symbol of love, the sculpture of Nino and Ali, continues its graceful movement for eternity...
Sculpture of Nino and Ali in Batumi on the map
The Wonderland Park, where the statue of love between Nino and Ali is installed in Batumi, is a popular vacation spot among tourists and city residents. Finding it is not difficult, and yet, for convenience, we attach a map with the exact location of the sculpture and other attractions located nearby.
All icons are signed and briefly characterize this place (if you click on them). If necessary, the map can be enlarged by clicking on the rectangle in the upper right corner.
How to get to the monument to Ali and Nino in Batumi?
The most in a simple way To see the moving monument to Ali and Nino on the Batumi embankment is to walk to it. The convenient location of the sculpture allows you to approach the park both by car and by bus. In the first case, you can get quite close to the monument and leave the car in any suitable place (for example, near). Suitable bus numbers are: 1, 1a, 2, 4, 10, 13. To avoid funny situations, we advise you to ask the driver or passengers of the minibus whether you will get to the desired place.
Every city in Georgia has its own flavor. A unique, beautiful and unusual highlight. Batumi was no exception. Here, at the very entrance to the city, there is a very original statue, which was installed in 2011. From the very first day of its existence, the statue received a simple name - “Man and Woman”. But soon the city residents renamed it and gave it another name - Ali and Nino. But few who come to Georgia know who Ali and Nino are and why these huge seven-meter figures are named by these names.
And few people realize that Ali and Nino are two people who, by the will of fate, were first united into one whole, and then again, by fate, separated forever...
And this tragic and bright love story is described in the book of the same name, the authorship of which is attributed to Kurban Said. However, there are two other authors who could also write this wonderful book. One of them is Lev Nussimbaum, a German who converted to Islam. He, like the hero of the novel, studied at the Baku gymnasium. Some even claim that Kurban Said is just a pseudonym for Lev Nussimbautu. The second possible author of the text is Yusif Chemenzeminli, an Azerbaijani writer. His daughters, like Nino, studied at the Baku girls’ gymnasium.
The names Ali and Nino are well known in Georgia. It is for this reason that after installing the sculpture local residents renamed these figures and gave them real names. And those buildings in Baku that are described in the book have survived in the city to this day. But they are not included in any guidebook, and none of the tourists simply know about their existence, unless, of course, local residents tell about it. And there really is something to talk about.
The main character of the work is Ali Khan Shirvanshir. He is a descendant of the ancient and noble aristocratic family of Shirvanshirov. Once upon a time, long ago, the ancestor of Ali Khan named Ibrahim Khan, with his own hands, handed over to the ruler of Baku the sword with which the Russian general Tsitsianishvili was stabbed to death. Throughout the entire novel, Ali Khan's parents remain adherents of Asian culture and everything European in their souls does not find shelter. But Ali Khan himself is brought up in a very ordinary school and there he also experiences the power of the West.
At the same time, the daughter of the Prince of Georgia, Nino Kipiani, is studying at the girls' gymnasium. And one day Ali met a girl not far from the place where the gymnasium itself is located. Friendship first strikes up between young people, and then real first love breaks out.
Ali constantly helps his young friend with her homework; they often meet in the Governor’s Garden, where they walk along its alleys and kiss for the first time. But the trouble was that Ali Khan was a Muslim, and Nino was a Christian. And the clash of these two religions is very vividly described in the novel itself.
But through his love for Nino, Ali Khan begins to get used to the Christian faith more and more, to come closer and closer to the European world and its traditions. After the young people finish their studies, Ali proposes to Nino. But at first the girl refuses, and only when Ali promises her that he will not require her to wear a veil and will not marry anyone else, Nino agrees. Ali Khan's father is not at all against this state of affairs and approves of the wedding, but Nino's father is strongly opposed to his daughter becoming the wife of a Muslim.
In the summer, the young couple and their parents leave for Shusha, where Ali encounters an aristocrat from Armenia Melik Nahararyan. The guys strike up a friendship, but Melik is attracted to the beautiful Nino at first sight and makes every effort to take the girl with him to Sweden.
But then the First flares up World War. All Muslims were exempted from military service and participation in hostilities, but they still went to war. But Ali Khan did not go. And this greatly angered his father. I didn’t understand my lover and Nino. However, Ali Khan did not want to go to war for any reason. Russian Empire.
And then Melik suddenly arrives in Baku and organizes the kidnapping of the girl. Nino is not very opposed to this kidnapping. Her ardent love for Ali is already beginning to cool down and the girl really misses adventures. But Ali Khan, in anger, overtakes the fugitives on his horse and, during a fight that breaks out between the young people, kills Nahararyan. After this murder, Ali turns out to be a blood enemy of the Nahararyan family, and in order to save his life he is forced to hide in a Dagestan village. After some time, Nino finds him. Ali Khan forgives his beloved, and they arrange a wedding according to all Muslim traditions. During this marriage, the girl Tamara is born.
At the end of the book, Russian soldiers capture Baku. Ali Khan sends his beloved to Tbilisi, while he remains to defend his homeland. He never accepted the Russian Empire and Ali dies during a battle with Russian soldiers.
The names of these two people - the courageous and proud Ali Khan and the flighty but faithful Nino - are the names of an unusually beautiful statue in Batumi. As in life, the seven-meter statues of a girl and a boy first approach each other, then merge into a single whole, and at the very end they part once and for all. But, despite this separation, they will always live in their hearts. eternal love, respect and admiration for each other will always live on.
Well, all we can do is watch this sacred merger and sad parting in the late evenings in Batumi, which will exist as long as the world exists.
The statues themselves are made of steel. Every 10 minutes they begin to move towards each other, and then merge into a single sculpture, and then disperse again. But it is best to contemplate the monument in the dark. Then this movement looks like a magical dance of love and at the same time so much charm emanates from it that it is simply impossible not to succumb to it.
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 him 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 of the 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 located in constant movement. For this reason, many call such a miracle an installation. The creator and author of the symbol southern republic is Tamara Kvesitadze. the 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 is the halves that we are 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.