Discussion Around One Word in the Georgian Journal "Tsiskari" (1850s-1860s)

For centuries, there has existed what might be called an unwritten law: the objective analysis of a written or printed artistic text, by which its value was judged. This practice came to be known as “criticism” in the literary sense, and the one carrying it out was called a “critic.” From the time of ancient Greece, criticism was applied even to the hagiographic works of early Georgian literature. Yet a precise definition of the term was not developed until the 19th century. Prior to Ilia Chavchavadze’s interpretation, it was neither fully elaborated nor firmly established, although it was nonetheless employed in evaluating texts published in Georgian during that period (N. Berdzenishvili, David Rector, M. Tumanishvili, and others). In this article, we have attempted to examine the discussion that took place in the letters published in the pages of the journal "Tsiskari", which attempt to define "criticism" and clarify its purpose.