Tado Cholokashvili - Country of Liquid Sun
Tuesday, April 28
Karabulakhi means "Black Spring"… According to the legend, the enemy had invaded Kakheti. The Prince, together with his retinue, was fortified in one of the castles. There was a spring near the castle. Infuriated, the Prince cursed the enemy - may this spring turn into the plague for you! A miracle happened! The curse came true and the spring spread plague. Finally, the overtaken enemy retreated and the village was saved from devastation. Later, the place was called Karabulakhi in memory of this incident. Now, it is called Khashmi.
"Karabulakhi - this wealthy estate was granted to one of the descendants of Saint Bidzina Cholokashvili in the seventeenth century by the King of Kakheti, David Imam Khuli-Khan. The Cholokashvili family comes from Kakheti and are referred to as not merely princes, but rulers, according to the ancient documents." writes Platon Ioseliani. Georgia remembers a great deal of enemies as well as a great deal of friends. The Cholokashvilis had accompanied the Georgian Kings in days of sorrow and during their feasts. They had defended Kakheti numerous times and the dignity of the whole Georgia has come at the expense of their own blood. Time passed, century after century came and went and then the era of great revolutions-the twentieth century-arrived. Once again, the enemy came to Kharabulakhi and this time they ravaged the village "for the good of the people." The Prince might have cursed the enemy again. A miracle might have happened once more and the Prince's curse might have come true. He was merciful to the enemy because they were neither Persians nor Mongols but his compatriots, born on his land and raised at his court. Tado Cholokashvili is said to have come out on the balcony and blessed the intruders instead of cursing them.
Tado Cholokashvili's large yard was shadowed by huge walnut and linden trees and the house was decorated with a large balcony. Peasants from Khashmi used to take their rest under the balcony as the shade it gave made it the coolest place in the village. There is a court church in the yard, St-Nicholas church. Only family members were baptised and wedded there. For the Cholokhashvilis, this also included their serfs.
Melita Cholokashvili had her wedding there. The beautiful Melita was the goddaughter of the great Ilia Chavchavadze and the muse of Titsian Tabidze. Giorgi Amilakhvari was the groomsman at this wedding. The river was flooded that very day but the guests were not fearful of the rising waters with everyone attending their wedding party. Melita was especially beautiful on that day.
A huge feast was held in the Cholokashvili's wine cellar which was quite famous throughout Kakheti and where wine was chilled naturally by underground springs. Tado Cholokashvill had a unique collection of wines. His father, Nikoloz, had even been awarded with a diploma from the Tsar for making the best wines.
The roads were blocked but Tado somehow managed to get to Tbilisi where he had already sent his wife and children. The Cholokashvilis returned to Kharabulakhi only in 1924. Their house and estate had been looted and devastated but they did not give up and began to reconstruct their residence. Soon after, collectivisation began. Every morning the village was awakened by flares. The vineyards were being unified, as well as cornfields, and everything was to be common, with nothing individual The Cholokashvili's cattle was seized and taken to the village but a rather strange had happened when the next day, the cattle came up to the yard, lowing as they announced their return.
The devastation of the church was horrific. The hand-copied evangel was burned and icons and crosses were broken. Tado's daughter Elene showed agility and managed to hide the broken cross under her dress which saved it from destruction.
The Cholokashvili's estate was confiscated and they were evicted from their own house. Their well-groomed estate was ravaged, the walnut and linden trees were cut, the wall was destroyed, the library was burned and even the roof of the house was destroyed.
Tado Cholokashvili's family, all eleven members, deprived of all rights, settled in Tbilisi in one room at the home of his aunt.
