These Statues Move On Their Own, And Their Story Is Tragic

Statues that move on their own might sound a bit creepy, but these two moving statues in Batumi, Georgia, will break your heart.

The large-scale piece features a man and a woman made of metal slats. At first, the statues face each other. After a while, they begin moving closer and closer to one another. They continue moving forward until they have a brief moment of contact, but this concept of closeness is short lived, because they don’t stop when they meet. Instead, they continue on their paths until they move right through each other.

The statues, designed and built by Tamara Studio in 2007, represent the main characters in one of the region’s most celebrated love stories.

The tale, Ali and Nino, tells the story of Ali, a Muslim boy, and Nino, a Georgian princess. When they meet, the two immediately fall in love, but they’re eventually torn apart by Soviet forces.

The sad procession of these two immense figures represents the trajectory of Ali and Nino’s impossible love. Although their cultures clash, they come together for a brief union…but it all ends when outside forces get in the way.

The novel was written by an author who used the pen name Kurban Said. To this day, no one knows the author’s true identity.

The novel also explores the cultural differences of East and West.

These statues begin moving every evening, and the whole process takes about three minutes.

Watch the full procession in the video below:

The tale of Ali and Nino is a powerful story not only of love, but of the clash between radically different cultures. If you’re interested in learning more about the story, you can check out the book, which has been translated into more than 30 languages.