TEACHING COMPARATIVE LITERATURE IN SOVIET AND POST-SOVIET GEORGIAN UNIVERSITIES

Comparative Literature, a university discipline as understood in the West, was not popularized in the curriculum of Soviet universities, including the Georgian universities. As much as Comparative Literature was tended to expand boarders of literary research towards the literatures of non-soviet and non-socialist countries, it was a risky prospect for Soviet research. Contrary to this notion was activated the term – “Comparative-Historical Literary Studies”, which was later strengthened by the new term - “Literary relations”. This term was widely used towards the study of literary relations within Soviet and Socialist countries. The main difference between the “Comparative Literature” and “Literary Relations” was the lack of methodologies, which could bond Soviet literary studies with international one. In Post-soviet period enthusiastic efforts to fill this gap showed up: in Post-soviet period the process of expanding the boundaries was followed by the process of deepening literary studies and leading Georgian universities were ready to implement Comparative Literature programme. However, the problem of a different kind was raised: the shortage of specialists and text-books. Therefore, universities faced a complex need, like – translating textbooks, creating syllabuses, training specialists, producing original research. But the result was nevertheless successful: today Comparative Literature is part of the teaching and research process in major Georgian universities: Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, Ilia State University, Georgian University.