Rezo Gabriadze, legendary Georgian theatre director and screenwriter, buried today at Mtatsminda Pantheon. He was taken from Anchiskhati Church.

A rare example of intellectual and artistic freedom in the tightly-controlled Soviet empire, Gabriadze’s creative work spanned cinema, theatre, painting and literature.

Gabriadze wrote 35 screenplays over his decades-long career including iconic Soviet-era comic films like cult science fiction movie Kin-dza-dza and Mimino. He won worldwide recognition and international acclaim touring with numerous plays he staged in Tbilisi’s Puppet Theatre, which he founded in the Georgian capital in 1981 and headed until his death.

His theatrical productions included the Autumn of Our Springtime, based on his post-WW2 childhood memories in his native city of Kutaisi.

Rezo Gabriadze died on June 6 at the age of 84.