Honored Artist of Georgia

The First Georgian woman architect

Ketevan Sokolova-Porakishvili was born in Tbilisi on January 15 1905. In 1922 she graduated from the 3rd Girls' Gymnasium of Tbilisi and entered the Architecture Division of Tbilisi State University Polytechnic Faculty.

In 1929 Ketevan Sokolova graduated from the Architectural Faculty of the Georgian Polytechnic Institute at the same time with Archil Kurdiani.

Ketevan's father Nikoloz Sokolov was a lawyer and mother - Mariam Porakishvili - artist, student of famous German painter Oskar Schmerling.

As the political views of Ketevan's father did not suit the tsarist Russia, he was banned from living in large cities of the Imperium including Tbilisi. For a long time young Ketevan stayed with the family of her close relative Giorgi Asatiani, the deacon of Tbilisi Sioni Church.

Following the graduation Ketevan and Archil got married, thus laying the foundation to a beatiful Georgian family, a manifestation of Georgian architectural traditions. Ketevan's and Archil's son Gia is the Emeritus Architect of Georgia holding titles of the Knight of Architecture and the Order of Honor.

Their grandson, Archil Kurdiani Junior has PHD in architecture and is a Professor of international Academy of Architecture. Ketevan's great grandson Giorgi is also an architect. Giorgi has received his BA at the Architectural Department of Tbilisi State Academy of Arts and MSc in Architecture and Design Theory at the University of Lichtenstein.

Ketevan started her professional carreer while a student. Her first project was a design of a villa for a Persian aristocrat commissioned by the German construction company "Altebauag". Further on she designed and realized Georgia's first tea-processing plant in Chakvi and planned villages in the revived lowlands of Kolkheti. Together with I. Zhitkovski, Ketevan was actively involved in construction of Georgian Pavilion designed by Archil Kurdiani for the National Economy Achievement Exhibition in Moscow.

The majority of Ketevan Kurdiani's projects - administrative buildings and houses, Hotel Intourist in Gori, designed jointly with Archil Kurdiani, etc. - were brought to fruition.

Speaking of architectural and artistic value, Ketevan Kurdiani's projects reveal her high artistic potential and purely Georgian, national architectural vision. Ketevan Kurdiani has made a tremendous contribution into the development of Georgian architecture.

Ketevan was intensively involved in public work being an active member of the Union of Architects of Georgia.

Ketevan Kurdiani died on August 26 1988.