Boris Akunin Meets Georgian Readers

On October 18, one of Russia’s most widely read contemporary authors, Grigory Chkhartishvili, who is of Georgian origin and works under the pseudonym Boris Akunin, visited Georgia.

The Georgian National Book Center, together with Ilia State University, hosted his meeting with readers.

Chkartishvili discussed his work, his visit to Georgia and the Russian-Georgian political and cultural relationship.

The author, also an essayist and literary translator, is one of the best-selling suspense writers in Russia, famous for his detective stories set in the same country in the 19th century.

He was born in Georgia, but, aged two, moved with his family moved to Moscow where he has lived ever since.

“Boris Akunin” is not just one of Russia’s most popular novelists: he has recently emerged as a powerful voice in his country’s opposition movement and has been an avid critic of President Putin’s Domestic and Foreign Policy.

Growing up in Russia with a Georgian surname had its pros and cons for the writer. At school he would often find himself the victim of bullying and years later he became the victim of ‘the main bully of Russia’ (so he refers to Russia’s current president Vladimir Putin) who told citizens that Akunin was the enemy of the Russian people due to his ethnic origin.

In the spring of 2014, the writer, who owns an 18th-century chateau in Brittany, France, announced that he plans not to return to Russia until the [political] climate and atmosphere change.

“I do not see the point of carrying out political activities in Russia; nothing will change. The mobility of people is too low and not enough people actually want change.”

As such, he says, it is better to distribute ideas and mobilize people through his writings.

Georgian readers asked why he has never mentioned Georgia in his writings. To that, he answered that he needs to explore places that are used for his novel settings in detail, as those locations need to give him particular emotional vibes and sensory reactions. Right now he is working on a new novel and plans to visit several locations throughout his country of birth.

At the close of the meeting, the writer was awarded an honorary doctorate degree by Ilia State University.

Natia Liparteliani