Vasilii Barnovi

Born May 22 (June 3), 1856, in the village of Koda near Tbilisi; died Nov. 4, 1934, in Tbilisi. Georgian writer. Son of a clergyman.

Barnovi’s historical novels—The Dawn of Isani (1901), The Extinguished Fire (1913), Tormented Love (1918), The Khazar Bride (1922), Mouravi the Great (1925), and The Fall of Armazi (1925)—resurrect the major events of Georgian history. The author affirms the value of loyalty to one’s duty, homeland, and love, and he creates vivid images from out of the past. When he dealt with the contemporary themes, Barnovi continued the traditions of the 19th-century Georgian critical realists—for example, in his stories Thus I Strike (1901), Hit Back (1912), The Sin of Resurrection (1919), The Serpents’ Holiday (1919), The Bride’s Sash (1920), and The Knotted String (1920). His works are noteworthy for their well-ordered composition, absorbing plots, and special interest in his characters’ internal psychological life.