Mihai Iștvanovici

Book printed in Tbilisi in 1711. In part, the text reads, "By the hand of printer Mihai Stepaneshvili, the Wallachian".

Mihai Iștvanovici, also known as "the Wallachian" or Stepaneshvili, was a 17-18th century Wallachian letter cutter, typeface designer, typographer and printer who worked in the first typography in Georgia under King Vakhtang VI of Kartli. Mihai was a native of Transylvania, born into a peasant family that served Hungarian landlords. Mihai was sent to Georgia by Anthim the Iberian upon the request of King Vakhtang VI of Kartli, in order to establish a printing press and typography. He likely arrived in Georgia in 1707. Vakhtang VI wrote in his will, "I brought the printer from Wallachia and made a typography".

Bibliography

• Paichadze, G. Vakhtang the Sixth, Tbilisi, 1981
• Gvinchidze, O. Anthim the Iberian, Tbilisi, 1973