Who is Sofia Melnikova?

By Stan Gaivoronsky

 

Who is Sofia Melnikova?

Firstly, she was an actress and a muse. Secondly, she is the inspiration behind Sofia Melnikova’s Fantastic Douqan.

Everyone knows the story of Niko Pirosmani and actress Margarita—but that’s a different tale.

On November 12th, 1917, the Poets Club—originally what would become Sofia Melnikova’s Fantastic Douqan—opened in Tbilisi. It quickly became a favorite hangout for Tiflis’ bohemian crowd.

Ilia Zdanevich, aka Iliazd—a Georgian-French writer and avant-garde theorist—frequented the club and fell in love with the young actress Sofia Melnikova. To honor her, he and his avant-garde friends—artists and poets alike—created a book featuring illustrations by Goncharova, Larionov, Bazhbeuk-Melikov, and poems by Tizian Tabidze, Kruchenikh, and many others. The book was titled Sofia Melnikova’s Fantastic Douqan. (A “douqan” refers to a Georgian national café serving khinkali and dry wine.)

Iliazd printed only 180 copies, and almost overnight, the book became a masterpiece of the Russian avant-garde. Soon after, he emigrated to France, collaborating with Coco Chanel and Picasso, and later married an African princess.

A few years ago, a couple of enthusiasts revived the restaurant in honor of Sofia and Ilia. The original café was on the opposite side of Rustaveli Avenue, but today it’s tucked away behind the Museum of Georgian Literature, with a garden featuring sculptures of Georgian and Russian writers and poets.

I often take my family to Sofia Melnikova’s Fantastic Douqan. The kids love the French fries the most. The two things they can never get tired of are French fries and traditional Georgian tarragon lemonade.

I even considered creating a “French fries rating”—and Sofia’s get a solid 5 out of 5.

I may be biased, but I feel the most child-friendly waiters in town work here. On the veranda under the grapevine, they bring blankets for children, pack meals for takeout, and do everything with genuine pleasure.

The garden features around ten sculptures of writers—perfect for testing your knowledge or teaching children about Georgian and Russian literary figures.

Sofia Melnikova’s Fantastic Douqan has a reputation for being hard to find. Not only is it tricky to locate on a map, but the entrance is well-hidden. The name is written on the door, which opens in the opposite direction.

It’s the kind of place where friends usually take you—but if you’re new in town, here’s the address: 22 Tabukashvili Street. Good luck finding it!