It is with great sadness that we have learned about the passing of Dr. Inga Karaia on August 25th. ICOM wishes to convey to Dr. Karaia’s family, friends and colleagues its deepest condolences.
Prof. Dr. Inga Karaia was a founder and chair of ICOM Georgia, head of the Museum of Tbilisi State Academy of Arts, Founder and leader of MA programme at the academy, Professor of Caucasus University and many more regalia have been on her account. She was an internationally renowned museum professional and scholar who worked in the fields of museology and cultural heritage, art history and theory.
Her merit and contribution in the museum sphere development is immeasurable. Since the establishment of ICOM Georgia, she has been the initiator and implementer of many of its small and large-scale projects at the national, regional, and international levels. She was an active ICOM Member and, besides the National Committee, she has been actively working for and with ICOM’s Advisory Council and several ICOM International Committees as well.
Inga also initiated and implemented museum field reforms in Georgia, which she actively led until the last minute; she started the first capacity building programs for museum specialists in the South Caucasus region (Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan), created the regional platform for professional development and continued its progress up to today.
For the first time in Georgia, she founded and was leading Museology Master Programme, the graduates of which work in many museums today and are actively involved in current processes of the museum field.
Inga Karaia was executive director of Georgian Museum Association. She has worked as head of the Museum Department and advisor to the Minister at Ministry of Culture and Monument Protection of Georgia (2001-2014), head of the Department of Exhibitions at National Picture Gallery of Georgia, (1984-2001), senior scientific worker at State Institute of History, Archaeology & Ethnography (1978-1984) etc.
She was an author of more than 80 scientific works, methodological and other publications in the field of museums and heritage and arts and culture. She created a historic evolution line in Georgian museology and her merit is outstanding in the development of museums in the South Caucasus Region.
Based on the important and scale projects implemented by her, the process of popularisation of Georgian museums and their integration into the world museum space went into great direction. She was the most kind and human being loved by everyone who, at least once, met her. Based on her merit and personality she will never be forgotten.
In Memoriam – By Lana Karaia and our colleagues of ICOM Georgia