The first edition of "Vityaz in a Tiger's Skin" was published in 1712 at the initiative of Tsar Vakhtang VI. The manuscript of the poem has not survived to this day, and little is known about its author, Shota Rustaveli. It is believed that he wrote this epic work in the 12th century, between 1189 and 1212. The original manuscript has been copied by hand over the centuries, but the oldest surviving version of this manuscript is dated 1646. The first edition of the poem was published by Tsar Vakhtang VI, who founded the Georgian printing house.
The digital version of the first edition of "Vityaz in a Tiger's Skin" has some damage to the paper and missing text in places. There are also signs of restoration on some pages, indicating careful preservation of the book. The experts say that owning this book was considered prestigious and it was part of the collection of Tsarevich Ioann Bagrationi, the son of the last Georgian king George XII. Ioann Bagrationi was a Georgian writer and enlightener who advocated for the strengthening and development of Russian-Georgian relations.
In 1880, Ioann Bagrationi's book collection, including the first edition of "Vityaz in a Tiger's Skin", was acquired by the Imperial Public Library, the predecessor of the RNL. The books in Ioann Bagrationi's collection have special labels on the spines, indicating their belonging to the collection and a specific number for each book.
Unfortunately, the first edition of "Vityaz in a Tiger's Skin" has some missing text, but it is a valuable piece of world literature and has been translated into many languages. The digital version presented by the RNL allows wider access to this rare and important work.
