“We rejoice not merely in the unveiling of a facility, but in the prospect that these young individuals who opened the building today will have the chance tomorrow and in the days to come to stage performances here, produce films, let the Mravalzhamieri reverberate, nurture Georgian talent, and engage in Georgian pursuits,” the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Georgian Public Broadcaster, Vasil Maghlaperidze, stated during his speech at the opening ceremony of the new building of the GPB’s First Channel on Politkovskaya Street.

Maghlaperidze noted that while the building on Kostava Street met the demands of its era and faithfully served the homeland, this new facility responds to the requirements of the modern age.

“Greetings, esteemed guests. The First Channel laid the foundation for all radio and television stations in our country. For decades, this channel has been one of the primary promoters of Georgian culture. I would like to congratulate all generations of First Channel employees on this day and tell them that the First Channel is proud of its predecessors and their legacy. Here, they cherished the old and created new masterpieces! The First Channel was the foremost champion of Georgian song, folk art as a whole, Georgian film, theatre, sports, literature, culture, and science – in short, everything that constitutes the Georgian phenomenon. The golden fund of the Public Broadcaster is an integral part of our national memory, but at the same time, this fund needs constant renewal and replenishment. When it comes to culture, especially in a small country like ours, we cannot rely solely on commercial interests, and that’s why the Public Broadcaster exists.

The channel has faced significant difficulties in recent years, and the crisis has been intensifying. A part of society began to show nihilism towards it, which to some extent was reflected in the mood of the employees. The old building, which had faithfully served its purpose, was in disrepair; the technical base, cameras, lighting, studio equipment, and management were morally and physically very outdated. The channel began to lag behind. A fundamental and complete renewal was needed. A plan was developed to build a new building and re-equip, but its implementation seemed unlikely, as the relevant authorities considered the plan unrealistic. There seemed to be no way out, and when almost all hope was lost – I’m saying this publicly for the first time, and few know about it – four directors: Tinatin Berdzenishvili, Giorgi Gvimradze, Nodar Chichinadze, and myself, approached Bidzina Ivanishvili, the chairman of the ruling party, Georgian Dream. He took the time to listen to us, reviewed the plan, and provided valuable suggestions for improvements, and soon after, the project accelerated rapidly. My friends will attest – if not for Bidzina Ivanishvili, our plan would have remained on paper. This building was constructed with his direct support, and for this, we thank him.

I thank all the supporters who helped us in this process! We also had no shortage of obstructionists who were animated by the hope that we would fail and they would rejoice in that. I want to sincerely thank them too because, on the contrary, they gave us strength. I thank Tinatin Berdzenishvili, who, like her predecessor Tinatin, once again proved that the cub of a lion is also a lion, and together with her strong team, lifted a great burden and carried it to the end. This beautiful building, designed by Georgian architects and built by Georgian constructors – thank you to them for this – will be an important centre of Georgian culture for the coming decades. Today, we are not only happy about the opening of the building, but also because those young people who opened the building today will have the opportunity tomorrow and the day after to stage plays, shoot films, hold concerts, resound with Mravalzhamieri (traditional Georgian polyphonic song), give Georgian talent free rein, and do Georgian work.

The building on Kostava Street met the demands of its era and faithfully served the homeland; this new building meets the demands of modernity. Let’s bless its path and wish that it be a worthy heir and continuator of its glorious predecessor’s work. Finally, most of you have come to this building for the first time today, so allow me to single out one guest who, as a supporter, has visited here several times to view the building while it was still under construction. At that time, he was not the Prime Minister. I ask Mr. Irakli Kobakhidze to say a few words,” Vasil Maghlaperidze stated.