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| Twenty Lari |
Georgia banknotes 20 Lari note 1995
Obverse: The obverse of the banknote features a portrait of Ilia Chavchavadze, a prominent public figure, with the legend "Ilia Chavchavadze 1837-1907", the magazines "Sakartvelos Moambe" and "Iveria", which he founded, and some of his personal belongings.
Reverse: The reverse of the banknote features the monument to King Vakhtang Gorgasali, the founder of Tbilisi; a map of Tbilisi in the 18th century (prepared by Vakhushti Bagrationi); and a panorama of old Tbilisi featuring the Narikala fortress.
Date of issue - 2002
Size - 131x65 mm
Georgian banknotes - Georgia paper money
Ilia Chavchavadze
Prince Ilia Chavchavadze (1837–1907) was a Georgian writer, poet, journalist and lawyer who spearheaded the revival of the Georgian national movement in the second half of the 19th century, during the Russian rule of Georgia. Today he is widely regarded as one of the founding fathers of modern Georgia.
Inspired by the contemporary liberal movements in Europe, as a writer and a public figure, Ilia Chavchavadze directed much of his efforts toward awakening national ideals in Georgians and to the creation of a stable society in his homeland.
His most important literary works were: The Hermit, The Ghost, Otaraant Widow, Kako The Robber, Happy Nation, Latters of a Traveller and Is a man a human?!. He was editor-in-chief of the Georgian periodicals Sakartvelos Moambe (1863–1877) and Iveria (1877–1905), and authored numerous articles for journals. Most of his work dealt with Georgia and Georgians. He was a devoted protector of the Georgian language and culture from Russification.
Chavchavadze was fatally wounded in Tsitsamuri, outside Mtskheta, by a gang of assassins. His legacy earned him the broad admiration of the Georgian people.
In 1987 he was canonized as Saint Ilia the Righteous by the Georgian Orthodox Church. Today, Georgians revere Chavchavadze as The Uncrowned King and the Pater Patriae (Father of the Fatherland) of Georgia.
Vakhtang I of Iberia
Vakhtang I Gorgasali or Vakhtang the Wolf Head (c. 439 or 443 – 502 or 522), of the Chosroid dynasty, was a king of Iberia, natively known as Kartli (eastern Georgia) in the second half of the 5th and first quarter of the 6th century.
He led his people, in an ill-fated alliance with the Byzantine Empire, into a lengthy struggle against Sassanid Iranian hegemony, which ended in Vakhtang's defeat and weakening of the kingdom of Iberia. Tradition also ascribes him reorganization of the Georgian Orthodox Church and foundation of Tbilisi, Georgia’s modern capital.
Dating Vakhtang's reign is problematic. Professor Ivane Javakhishvili assigns to Vakhtang’s rule the dates c. 449–502 and Professor Cyril Toumanoff the dates c. 447–522. Furthermore, Toumanoff identifies Vakhtang with the Iberian king Gurgenes known from Procopius' Wars of Justinian.
Vakhtang is a subject of the 8th or 11th century vita attributed to Juansher which intertwines history and legend into an epic narrative, hyperbolizing Vakhtang's personality and biography. This literary work has been a primary source of Vakhtang’s image as an example warrior-king and statesman, which has preserved in popular memory to this day.
He emerged as one of the most popular figures in Georgia's history already in the Middle Ages and has been canonized by the Georgian Orthodox Church as The Holy and Right-Believing King Vakhtang and is commemorated on November 30 (O.S.: December 13).
Prince Vakhushti of Kartli
Vakhushti (1696-1757) was a Georgian royal prince (batonishvili) of Kartli, geographer, historian and cartographer. His principal historical and geographic works, Description of the Kingdom of Georgia and the Geographical Atlas, were inscribed on UNESCO's Memory of the World Register in 2013.