,,pirvel rigSi did madlobas gadavuxdi gaweuli samuSaosTvis `saarqivo moambis~

avtorebsa da yvela im adamians, romelmac Jurnalis SeqmnaSi miiRo monawileoba.

moxaruli var, rom Jurnals didi gamoxmaureba mohyva da warmatebuli

aRmoCnda. `saarqivo moambis~ gamosvliT mniSvnelovan saqmes daedo safuZveli,

Tundac imitom, rom saqarTveloSi aseTi Jurnali pirvelad gamoica. CvenTan,

rogorc wesi, ZiriTadad ideologizirebul istorias ufro aswavlian xolme, vidre

realurs. arada, istoria sworedac Seulamazebel faqtebs unda eyrdnobodes.

amitomac mivesalmebi, aseTi Tamami nabiji rom gadadgiT, simarTlis Tqmas ar

eridebiT da ar alamazebT istorias. mkiTxvelamde informaciac ise migaqvT,
rogorc realuradaa. imedi maqvs, Jurnalis es stili ar Seicvleba da ase

gagrZeldeba. `saarqivo moambis~ mTavari Rirseba is gaxlavT, rom faqtobriv masalas eyrdnoba da aqedan
gamomdinare, rac ufro meti faqtobrivi masala iqneba JurnalSi Tavmoyrili, miT ukeTesia.

mouTmenlad veli axali nomris gamosvlas da vimedovneb, isic iseTive saintereso iqneba, rogoric pirveli

nomeri iyo.

visurveb, rom Jurnalis gamocema rac SeiZleba didxans gagrZeldes da `saarqivo moambem~ didxans iarsebos.~

SoTa utiaSvili (sainformacio-analitikuri departamentis ufrosi)

First of all, I would like to thank the editors of the Archival Bulletin and all of the people involved who made their contribution to the creation of the journal.
I am very pleased that the journal scored a big success and has received wide public approval. To publish the journal
is indeed significant. Above all, such a journal is being published for the first time. More usually, ideological history rather
than real history is taught while, to the contrary, history should rest on unbiased facts. That is why I welcome your undertaking as you do not hesitate to describe the truth and do not try to dress up history. You offer the true story to the public.
Hopefully, this style will be maintained and will continue in the chosen way. The main merit of the journal is that it concentrates on the factual materials. In this connection, the more factual material gathered in the journal the better.
I am looking forward to the new issue, and retain the hope that the new edition will be as interesting as was the first one.
I hope that the journal would be published for as long as possible, and wish long life to the Archival Bulletin!
Shota Utiashvili (Director of the Informational-analytical Department)

saredaqcio kolegia:
Jurnalis damfuZnebeli _ omar TuSuraSvili
(Sss saarqivo sammarTvelos ufrosi)
mTavari redaqtori _ nino yifSiZe
stili da koreqtura _ qeTevan sarsevaniZe
(filologiis mecnierebaTa kandidati)

inglisuri teqstebis stili da koreqtura _

timoTi blauvelTi (mecnierebaTa doqtori)
dakabadoneba da dizaini _ irma li parteliani,
meri barbaqaZe

teqnikuri uzrunvelyofa _ lela gugulaSvili,

giorgi babucaSvili
mTargmnelebi _ eka Zigoeva, lela gogoliZe,

grigol giorgaZe

Jurnalis konsultantebi:
Tornike jebaSvili (Sss sainformacio-analitikuri
departamentis direqtoris moadgile)

daviT alaverdaSvili (Sss saarqivo sammarTvelos

ufrosis moadgile)

oliver raisneri (evrokomisiis warmomadgeneli

saqarTveloSi, istorikosi)

ronald suni (miCiganis da Cikagos universitetebis

profesori)

timoTi blauvelTi (mecnierebaTa doqtori)

vaxtang guruli (Tbilisis saxelmwifo universitetis
profesori)

giorgi mamulia (istorikosi)

giorgi kldiaSvili (istorikosi)
levan avaliSvili (istorikosi)

Sss arqivi

Edition Board:
Journal founder Omar Tushurashvili (Head of the
Archive Administration of the MoIA)

Editor-in-chief Nino Kipshidze

Editing and proof reading Ketevan Sarsevanidze
(Candidate of the Philology sciences)

Editing and proof reading Timothy Blauvelt (PhD,

American Councils for International Education, political
scientist/historian)

Imprint and design Irma Liparteliani,

Mary Barbakadze
Technical support Lela Gugulashvili,
Giorgi Babucashvili
Translators Eka Dzigoeva, Lela Gogolidze,

Grigol Giorgadze
Journal Consultants:
Tornike Jebashvili (Deputy Director of Informational-

analytical Department of the MoIA)

(Deputy Head of the Archive
Administration of the MoIA)
Oliver Reisner (PhD, European Commission Delegation to
Georgia, historian)
Ronald Grigor Suny (Charles Tilly Collegiate Professor
of Social and Political History, University of Michigan;
Emeritus Professor, University of Chicago)
Timothy Blauvelt (PhD, American Councils for International
Education, political scientist/historian)
Vakhtang Guruli (Professor)
Giorgi Mamulia (Historian)
Giorgi Kldiashvili (Historian)
Levan Avalishvili (Historian)

Davit Alaverdashvili

sarCevi/Contents
4-9

Cveni tkivili

rogor Rvivdeboda qarTul-afxazuri dapirispirebis marcvali

our sorrow

Stories of how the Georgian-Abkhaz controversy was sparked

10-15

gmirebi/Heroes

braldeba _ romelic general giorgi mazniaSvilis diskreditaciisTvis SeiTiTxna

16-21

rusuli Ceqma da qarTuli eklesia

22-28

mecnieris gverdi

29

The Accusation Fabricated to Discredit General Giorgi Mazniashvili

Russian Boots and the Georgian Church

Scientists page

brZola eklesiis winaaRmdeg

The Struggle Against the Church

saeklesio sakuTrebis uflebis xelyofa

(qaSveTis wm. giorgis eklesiis qonebis 1923 wlis aRwera)
The Impingement of Church Property Rights (Inventory of property of the Kashveti Church of St. George Conducted in 1923)

gaxunebuli baraTebi
Worn out Cards

30-34

tabu/Taboo

35-49

sabWoTa kuluarebi

40-48

didi ilia

49

sabWoTa paradoqsebi/Soviet Paradoxes

50-54

specgadasaxleba

55-61

ukomentarod

62-65

meore msoflio omi

66-69

ucxo TvaliT

71-76

suli amboxebuli

77-79

daxvretilebi

80-83

medlis ori mxare

84-89

Tulni

90-94

STamomavloba

Soviet Lobby

Great Ilia

Special Exile

no comments

World War II

Strange Eye

unbending spirit

daSnakebis Sovinist-nacionaluri politika

The Dashnaks Chauvinist Nationalist Police

ras werda lavrenti beria ioseb stalins...

What Lavrenty Beria wrote to Stalin ...

mogonebani ilia WavWavaZeze

Recollections about Ilia Chavchavadze

cnobebi erovnuli niSniT germanelTa gadasaxlebis Sesaxeb

Material About German Exiler

siyvarulze gacvlili samSoblo

Homeland Betrayed for Love

. 1942-1943 .

Battle for the Caucasus. 1942 1943 The Caucasian Special Purposes battalion Bergmann

1956 wlis martis movlenebi saqarTveloSi: ras inaxavs arqivi?

Research Note: The March 1956 Events in Georgia: What do the Archives Hold?

sasworze Segdebuli sicocxle

A Life Thrown into the Balance

executed

two sides of the coin

tulni

Posterity

nemsis wveriT gamozrdili vaJkaci (stalinis dedis, kekes mogonebani)

A Child Brought Up Thanks To Needle-Point (Memoirs of Keke, Stalins mother)

Tarasxan eSbas dajgufeba

Taraskhan Eshba`s Band

rogor uswordebodnen qaquca ColoyaSvilis Seficulebs...

How Kakutsa Cholokashvilis allies were wiped out ...

Cveni tkivili /

our sorrow

rogor Rvivdeboda qarTul-afxazuri

dapirispirebis marcvali
Stories of how the Georgian-Abkhaz
controversy was sparked

Tamar belqania
tamar belkania

kulturis saxlSi anSlagi

...f oqveSis
iyo. zugdidis vokalur-instrumentul
ansambl liras saxeli saqarTvelos
masStabiT hqonda ganTqmuli da megruli
simRerebis mosasmenad lamis mTeli
afxazeTidan Sekrebiliyo xalxi. soflis
patara klubSi koncerti dagvianebiT
CelaTi gaixsna.
moulodnelad darbazi wyvdiadma
moicva da sibnelec uecarma xmam gaarRvia _
`waeTrieT megrelebi afxazeTidan, qarTvelebo,
gvezizRebiT!...  _ yviroda axalgazrda kaci.
stvenis Semdeg scenis mimarTulebiT wvrili
qvebis srolac daiwyes. koncertis CaSlis
mizniT kulturis saxlTan mdgom boZze
denis xazi viRacam CaWra. darbazSi myofebma
lanZRvaSi 24 wlis zaur gindias xma amoicnes.
1944 wels sofel foqveSSi dabadebul
gindias umaRlesi ganaTleba ruseTSi hqonda
miRebuli. 1970-1976 wlebSi man yubanis
saxelmwifo universitetis iuridiuli
fakulteti dauswreblad daamTavra.
gindia saxelmwifo samarTlis sakiTxebiT
gaxldaT dainteresebuli. misi sadi plomo
namuSevari iyo _ urTierToba sabWoTa da
avtonomiur respublikebs Soris. zaur
gindia sofel foqveSis kolmeurneobaSi
iuriskonsulad muSaobda. susti aRnagobis
miuxedavad, man samxedro savaldebulo
samsaxuri poloneTSi moixada.
foqveSis kulturis saxlis incidentis


saqarTvelos Sss-s arqivi, (II), f. #6, saq. #29270-80, t. 1, gv. 199.

The Pokveshi House of Culture was full. People throughout

Abkhazia gathered to listen to the Mengrelian songs of Lira, a
famous Zugdidi vocal-instrumental group renowned throughout
Georgia. The performance, in the village club, began belatedly
with the song Chela.
All of a sudden the hall was plunged into darkness. The
obscurity was broken by a dismal voice: Mengrelians, get out
of Abkhazia! Georgians you disgust us, screamed a young
man. The performance was hissed down, and then pebbles
were thrown toward the stage. Somebody cut off the electricity to
thwart the performance. The audience realized that 24-year-old
Zaur Gindia was screaming in the hall.
Gindia was born in the Pokveshi village and obtained
higher education in Russia. In 1970-1976 he obtained a law
degree by correspondence course from Kuban University
in Russia. Gindia was interested in matters of state law. He
defended his thesis entitled The relationship between the Soviet
Union and its autonomous republics, and worked as a legal
advisor in the village collective farm. Despite his ill-health, he
completed his military service in Poland.
A criminal case, based on Article 71, Part I of the Criminal
Code of the Georgian SSR (agitation or propaganda aimed
Archive of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, (II), Fond #6, File #29270-80, Volume 1, p.199.

Semdeg gindias winaaRmdeg aRiZra saqme

saqarTvelos ssr sisxlis samarTlis
kodeqsis 71-e muxlis I nawiliT (agitacia
an propaganda sabWoTa xelisuflebis Ziris
gamoTxris, an Sesustebis, an calkeuli
gansakuTrebiT saSiSi saxelmwifo
danaSaulis Cadenis mizniT, gavrceleba
imave mizniT cilismwamebluri monaWorisa,
romelic saxels utexs sabWoTa saxelmwifo
da sazogadoebriv weswyobilebas, agreTve
imave mizniT aseTive Sinaarsis literaturis
gavrceleba, damzadeba an Senaxva). aqve
unda aRiniSnos, rom am muxliT sisxlis
samarTlis saqmis aRZvra mas Semdeg
xdeba, rodesac eWvmitanili piri manamdec
SemCneulia erTaSorisi SuRlis gaRvivebaSi.
gindias cxovrebaSi ki msgavs faqtebs
namdvilad hqonda adgili.
zaur gindia 1978 wlis 5 Tebervals
daweril werils soflis mosaxleobaSi
kardakar avrcelebda. werili qarTveli
erisadmi daufaravi zizRiT iyo gaJRenTili.
is qarTvelebs imaSi sdebda brals, ,,rom:
...saqarTvelom, afxazeTis dammonebelma,
arnaxuli ngrevebi da ubedureba moitana,
afxaz glexebsa da muSebs, afxazi eris
warmomadgenlebi rom iyvnen, imisic
ki eSinodaT, qarTveli Sovinistebi
afxazebis rasobriv diskreditacias
eweodnen da rom qarTvel sisxlismsmelTa
qmedebebidan gamomdinare isini erovnuli
kulturisa da momavlis ganviTarebis
perspeqtivas ver xedavdnen~.
werilebis gavrcelebis garda, gindia
sxvadasxva sofelSi dadioda, qarTvel da
afxaz mosaxleobas xvdeboda da ambobda,
rom ,,saqarTvelos ssr-is mTavroba afxazTa
konstituciur uflebebs laxavs da
asimilaciis gziT cdilobs mis, rogorc
erovnebis, ganadgurebas. unda aRiniSnos,
rom, sanam gindia 5 Tebervlis werils
dawerda, sofel foqveSSi xma gavrcelda,
soxumis afxazma inteligenciam sabWoTa
kavSiris kompartiis liders, amxanag
breJnevs, werili gaugzavna. werils xels
130 afxazi awerda da aqedan gamomdinare
`werili 130 ewoda. igi prezidiumisadmi
mimarTviT iwyeboda, toponimikis sakiTxebiT
grZeldeboda, aseve iqve iyo mimoxiluli
`berievSCina~ da ruseTTan SeerTebis
moTxovniT sruldeboda. swored am werilis
mosaZieblad gaemzavra gindia soxumSi.
afxazeTis saxelmwifo muzeumSi is igor
marxonias, deniz CaCxalias da ajinjal
ermalais Sexvda. ocdaerTgverdiani werili
Semdegi moTxovniT sruldeboda: afxazeTi
gamoeyos saqarTvelos teritorias da

at undermining or weakening Soviet rule, disseminating

false information or slander in order to commit a grave crime
against the State that tarnishes the state or social order, and
spreading, manufacturing and storing similar literature with
the same purposes) was launched against him after the
incident in the club. It should be noted that the criminal case
was brought because the suspect had a previous record of
instigating inter-ethic hatred. In the case of Mr. Gindia such
precedents were plentiful indeed.
Zaur Gindia distributed a letter around the village that
was written on February 5th, 1978. This letter was permeated
with overt hatred for Georgians. He accused the Georgians
of being the enslavers of Abkhazia, who brought immense
damage and troubles, and claimed that the Abkhaz
peasants and workmen are afraid even to say that they are
Abkhaz and that the Georgian chauvinists are discrediting
the Abkhaz, and given the actions of the Georgian bloodsuckers, the Abkhaz see no future for developing their
national culture and thriving in the future.
While disseminating the letters, Gindia walked around
to different villages and held meetings with Abkhaz and
Georgians, saying that The Soviet Republic of Georgia violates
the constitutional rights of the Abkhaz and makes efforts to
exterminate them as a nation through assimilation.
It should be noted that rumors were circulating in the
village of Pokveshi that the Abkhaz intelligentsia in Sukhumi
submitted a letter to Leonid Brezhnev, the leader of the
Communist Party of the Soviet Union, before Gindia would have
written his February 5th letter. The letter was signed by 130
people and was therefore referred to as the Letter of the 130.
This letter was addressed to the Politburo and brought up the
issue of place names. The letter also brought up the so-called
Berievshina, the events of the Beria era, and it ended with the
demand that Abkhazia be joined with Russia. Mr. Gindias main
reason for departing to Sukhumi was to find this letter.
In the State Museum of Abkhazia he met Igor Markhonia,
Deniz Chachkhalia, and Ajinjal Ermalia. The 30-page Letter
of the 130 ended with the following appeal: Abkhazia
must secede from Georgia and become a part of Russia, in
particular the Krasnodar region. Having become acquainted
with the essence of the letter, Gindia was willing to sign.
However, he was told that the letter had already been sent
Archive of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, (II), Fond #6, File #29270-80, Volume 4,
pp.178-80.
Ibid. vol. 3, pp. 192-4.

saqarTvelos Sss-s arqivi, (II), f. #6, saq. #29270-80, t. 1, gv. 178-180.

iqve, 178-194.

ruseTs, kerZod ki, krasnodaris mxares

SeuerTdes. am werilis wakiTxvis Semdeg
gindias gauCnda survili, Tavadac moewera
xeli. Tumca iqve auxsnes, rom werili ukve did
ruseTSi iyo gagzavnili da isic iZulebuli
gaxda, mxolod asls dasjereboda. werilis
asli foqveSSi Caitana da misi gavrceleba
daiwyo. paralelurad
ki cnobili gaxda, rom
arguni, jenia, axiba da am
werilis sxva xelmomwerebi
partiis rigebidan
garicxes. aRSfoTebulma
gindiam gadawyvita,
Tavad daewera werili da
politbiurosTvis gaegzavna.
gindia avrcelebda iseT
litereturasac, romelic,
saqarTvelos mecnierebaTa
akademiis ganxilvis gareSe,
didi tiraJiT daibeWda. Ees
ki im periodSi praqtikulad
SeuZlebeli iyo. erT-erTi
aseTi gamonaklisi gaxldaT
afxazuri samecnierokvleviTi institutis
ganyofilebis gamgis, skkp-is
wevris profesor Salva inal-ifas ,,
- . wigni 1976
wels soxumSi gamomcemloba `alaSaraSi
daibeWda. `naSromis~ winasityvaoba moskovel
profesors m. a. korostovcevs ekuTvnoda.
,,naSromSi uamravi istoriuli da faqtobrivi
masalis gayalbebiTaa daskvnebi gamotanili da
esaa mizezi, rom wigni qarTveli mecnierebis
gverdis avliT daibeWda. gindiasTvis ki igi
samagido wigni iyo.
gindia gamoZiebisTvis micemul CvenebaSi
werda, rom im periodSi waikiTxa p. ingoroyvas,
s. janaSias da i. adamias naSromebi da
Zalian gaaRiziana im faqtma, rom, qarTveli
mecnierebis azriT, afxazebi me_17 saukuneSi
gamoCenilan am teritoriaze da rom isini
qarTveli tomebi arian da maTi ena ki qarTulis dialeqtia. arada, gindiam inalifas wignidan icoda, rom `afxazi uZvelesi
eri iyo, romelic odiTgan am teritoriaze
cxovrobda. 
gaRizianeba kidev ufro gauZlierda,
rodesac romeliRac Tanasoflelma uTxra,
TbilisSi viyavi da afxazi poetebi Sinkuba da
Tarba qarTvelebad moixsenies iseve, rogorc
afxazi moqandake erSbao. viRacam isic uTxra,
TbilisSi afxazebs cudad eqcevian, mxatvari
xurxumali gamoaZeves, jarSi ki 3 afxazi
scemeso. gindias, rogorc iurists, ar dauwyia
am faqtebis gadamowmeba. bolo akordi misTvis

to Russia, so he settled for signing a copy. He returned to

his village with the copy of the letter and disseminated it.
Simultaneously, it was known that Arghun, Henia and Akhiba
and other people who had signed the letter were expelled
from the Party. The decision infuriated Gindia, and he decided
to write a letter to the Politburo himself.
Gindia also disseminated
literature which had not passed
previous discussion in the Science
Academy of Georgia. This was all
but impossible in that period. One of
the few exceptions was the book of
Professor Shalva Inal-ipa, head of
the Abkhaz section of the scienceresearch institute, entitled Issues
of the Ethnic-cultural History of the
Abkhaz. The book was published in
Sukhumi in the Alashara publishing
house in 1976. The introduction to
this research was written by one
Professor M. Korostovtsev from
Moscow. The conclusions in the
research were drawn by falsifying
material, which in effect was why the
book was published without receiving
approval from Georgian scientists.
This book was a particular favorite of Mr. Gindia.
In testimony given to the investigation, Gindia wrote that
in this period he had been reading the works of Ingorokva, S.
Dzanashia, and I. Adamia and the opinion of Georgian scientists
who claimed that the Abkhaz appeared on the territory of
Abkhazia only in the 17th century, while the indigenous people
Georgian tribes with a language that was a vernacular of
Georgian. These works irritated Gindia deeply, while he knew
from Inal-ipas book that the Abkhaz were the ancient ethnic
group living on that territory from time immemorial.
His fury was further reinforced when one of his co-villagers
told him that in Tbilisi the Abkhaz poets Shinkuba and Tarb were
referred to as Georgians, as was the Abkhaz sculptor Ershba.
Someone also told him that the Abkhaz were being illtreated in Tbilisi; the painter Kherkhumali was evicted, while
three other Abkhaz were beaten in the army. Gindia, a lawyer,
did not make any effort to verify the facts. An article in the
newspaper Zarya Vostoka only added the fuel in the fire. He
read there that in the foreseeable future thousands of workmen
from Tbilisi and Kutaisi would renovate the Gagra-Avidsara
resort area. Unfortunately Gindia, notwithstanding his numerous
appeals to the prosecutors office and police of the Ochamchira
district, could not get a job in his profession. At last he heard that
a Georgian had been hired. Gindia was so outraged that he did
not even verify this information.
In his testimony Gindia says: I was sure that the local
authorities showed more respect and paid more heed to
Georgians than to the Abkhaz. But I think we are no less
important than Georgians.
Archive of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, (II), Fond #6, File #29270-80, Volume 1,
pp..68-9.
Ibid., vol. 2, p.11.

saqarTvelos Sss-s arqivi, (II), f. #6, saq. #29270-80, t.1, gv. 68-69.

iqve, gv. 57.

,, ~- Si dabeWdili abramovis werili

gaxda. sagazeTo statiaSi amoikiTxa, rom
uaxloes periodSi gagra-avidsaras sakurorto
zonis ganaxlebisTvis Tbilisidan da
quTaisidan Camosuli aTasobiT profesionali
Seudgeboda muSaobas. arada, im periodSi
gindiam Tavisi specialobiT samuSao ver
i pova, miuxedavad imisa, rom samjer mimarTa
oCamCiris prokuraturasa da milicias. bolos
ki sxvisgan gaigo, rom samsaxurSi qarTveli
miuRiaT. gindia imdenad iyo gaborotebuli,
rom arc es informacia gadaumowmebia. `me
gavborotdi adgilobriv xelmZRvanelobaze
da Camomiyalibda azri, rom qarTveli ufro
maRla dgas, vidre afxazi, Tumca vTvli, rom
afxazebi qarTvelebze naklebni ara varT, _
wers CvenebaSi gindia.
xalxSi gindia afxazeTis saqarTvelos
Semadgenlobidan gamosvlas da did ruseTTan
SeerTebas qadagebda. igi erT-erT CvenebaSi
wers, rom ,,afxazeTis assr saqarTvelos
monobis uRelqveS imyofeba, romlis mTavrobac
afxazi xalxis mimarT nacional-Sovinistur da
asimilaciur politikas atarebs... saqarTvelos
ssr mTavroba laxavs afxazTa konstituciur
uflebebs da asimilaciis gziT cdilobs misi,
rogorc eris, ganadgurebas~.
CvenebaSive gindia aRniSnavs, rom jaris
Semdgom yabardo-balyareTSi, samxreT oseTsa
da daRestanSi imogzaura da sxvadasxva
avtonomiuri olqi moinaxula. yuradReba
miaqcia imas, rom iq avtonomiebs meti
Tavisufleba aqvT, magaliTad, soCas da
adlers, romlebic ruseTis SemadgenlobaSi
Sedian. marTalia, iq afxazebi aRar cxovroben,
magram rusebs soflebisTvis Zveli saxelebi
ar SeucvliaT. am regionis soflebs isev
axuni, macesta, xosta, kudepsta hqviaT. xolo
saqarTvelos SemadgenlobaSi myof mis sofels
adre kapuaSi erqva, axla ki foqveSi hqvia.
am yovelivem ki gindias afiqrebina,
rom qarTvelebi afxazebs ebrZvian, maTi
asimilacia surT da sabolood ki afxazeTi
sul qarTvelebiT iqneba dasaxlebuli.
gindia CvenebaSi wers, rom, rogorc iuristma,
gadawyvita iuridiulad midgomoda am
sakiTxs da sofeli referendumisaTvis
moemzadebina. misi azriT, xalxs unda
gadaewyvita momavlis bedi. amisTvis ki
winaswari samuSaoebi iyo Casatarebeli.
5 Tebervlis werilis mizani, saqarTvelos
Semadgenlobidan gamosvla da ruseTTan
SeerTeba iyo. ,,es survili mqonda
yovelTvis, axlac maqvs da SemdgomSic
meqneba, radgan Cemi rwmeniT, rusofili
var. amas maSin mivxvdi, rodesac afxazebi
Turqebis Semosevis gamo gadagvarebis

In his meetings with people Gindia demanded secession

from Georgia and preached integration with Russia. In one piece
of evidence his says: The Abkhazian ASSR is under the yoke
of Georgia, whose government conducts national-chauvinist
and assimilationist policies... The government of the Georgian
SSR infringes the constitutional rights of the Abkhaz and makes
efforts to destroy it as a nation through assimilation.
In his testimony, Gindia also remarks that while serving in
the Army he traveled through Kabardo-Balkaria, South Ossetia,
Dagestan and other autonomous regions as well. He paid
attention to the fact that the autonomous regions there enjoyed
more rights, such as in Sochi and Adler which were part of
Russia. Although Abkhaz no longer lived there, he continued,
the Russians had not changed the old names of villages into
Russian names. The villages of the region were still called
Akhuni, Matsesta, Khosta, Kudepsta, while his village that is
part of current day Georgia, was previously called Kapuashi,
and has now been changed to Pokveshi.
This led Gindia to think that the Georgians were fighting
against the Abkhaz and aspiring to assimilate them, which
eventually would allow them to populate the territory entirely with
ethnic Georgians. As a lawyer, Gindia claimed in the testimony,
he decided to approach the issue in legal terms and put the
matter to a referendum, and he tried to prepare the inhabitants
of the village for this. In his opinion, people should take their fate
into their own hands. That, to his mind, required preparatory
work: the February 5th letter was aimed at secession from
Georgia and integration with Russia. I have always had this
desire; I have it now and will have in the future, since I am a
Russophile in my convictions. I realized this because during
the invasion of the Ottomans the Abkhaz were at the edge of
extinction and Russia was the one to extend the helping hand.
He also remarks in the letter that Georgia is worse than
the Tsarist regime.
The next stage in the Gindia referendum was the
collection of signatures in the village, and Gindia gathered 120
of them. In the end, though, Gindia did not send the letter to its
final destination, but rather widely distributed it among the local
population. Soon afterwards Gindia was called to the Abkhazian
Republic KGB, where he was given a warning and told that if he
Archive of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, (II), Fond #6, File #29270-80, Volume 4, p.192.
Ibid., vol. 2, pp. 23-5.




saqarTvelos Sss-s arqivi, (II), f. #6, saq. #29270-80, t. 2, gv. 11.

iqve, t. 4, gv. 192.

commited such acts in the future he would be held accountable.

gzaze viyaviT da daxmarebis xeli mxolod
Zaur Gindia promised that he would not continue such activity
ruseTma gamogviwoda.  _ wers gindia.
werilSi igi aseve dasZens: `carizmze uaresi
and that he would not impose his ideas upon others. Gindia
saqarTveloao.
wrote a statement and made a vow that he would abide by law,
Semdegi etapi `gindiaseuli referendumisTvis~
but shortly afterwards he, along with his co-villagers, started
mosaxleobaSi xelmowerebis Segroveba iyo.
planning to thwart the performance of the group Lira.
gindiam sofel foqveSSi 120 xelmoweris
Khashba later wrote in his testimony that he often
Segroveba SeZlo. bolos, rodesac Tavad
attended meetings arranged by Gindia, leader of the Abkhazian
waikiTxa, Tu ra dawera, marTalia, werili
Movement. The agitation-propaganda conducted by Gindia had
daniSnulebis adgilze aRar gaagzavna, magram
a strong impact on Kharshba, inciting him to take up nationalistic
mosaxleobaSi aqtiurad gaavrcela. swored
ideas to feel contempt towards Georgians. In agreement with
am werilis gavrcelebisTvis daibares
Gindia and in the hope of further spoiling the relationship
igi afxazeTis assr suk-Si, sadac gindias
between Georgians and Abkhaz, he repeatedly cut off electricity
oficialuri gafrTxileba gamoecxada
to the municipality of the village on the day that Lira was due
da ganemarta, rom momavalSi Tu msgavs
to hold its performance. Khashba cut off the power while Gindia
qmedebas gaimeorebda, pasuxismgeblobas
was in the hall among the audience to accomplish his major
veRar ascdeboda. zaur gindias xelwerilic
goal: insulting the visitors and foiling the performance. Thwarting
CamoarTves, rom msgavs qmedebebs aRar
of the performance made huge a splash in the village.
gaagrZelebda, an saerTod Seicvlida Tavis
A criminal case was opened, and an investigation was
azrebs, an ukidures SemTxvevaSi sxvas
begun. It was established in the course of the investigation that
mainc ar moaxvevda Tavs. marTalia, gindiam
the whole village was aware of the plan. The materials of the
xelwerili dawera, pirobac dado, rom
investigation demonstrate this. A number of individuals were
kanonmorCili iqneboda, magram swored maSin
investigated. Many of them declared that the leaders of the
dagegma Tanasoflel J.m. xaSbasTan erTad
ansambl liras koncertis CaSla.
Abkhazian Movement of the village, Zaur Gindia, Otar Archba,
mogvianebiT xaSba CvenebaSi wers, rom
Japar Jinjolia, Mushny Gindia, and Babuchi Chachkhalia, had
xSirad dadioda Sekrebebze, romlebsac
taken up the task of foiling the performance.
`afxazuri moZraobis lideri z. gindia
Khashba recalled a covert meeting arranged by Gindia
awyobda. gindias agitacia-propagandam masze
during which Gindia told Khashba: Resettlement of Georgians
didi gavlena iqonia, nacionalur poziciebze
dadga da qarTvelebis mimarTac usazRvro
siZulvili gauCnda. qarTvel da afxaz
xalxs Soris urTierTdamokidebulebis
gamwvavebis mizniT, gindiasTan SeTanxmebiT,
soflis sabWos klubSi araerTxel gamorTo
eleqtroenergia, maT Soris im dResac,
rodesac ,,liras~ koncerti iyo dagegmili.
xaSbam eleqtro energia gaTiSa, gindia ki im
dros darbazSi mayureblebs Soris
sofel foqveSis administraciuli
imyofeboda da misi mTavari mizanic
Camosuli stumrebisTvis Seuracxyofis punqtebis sqematuri gegema
miyeneba da koncertis CaSla iyo.
Schematic Plan of Administrative Points in
the village of Pokveshi
koncertis CaSlas sofelSi didi
xmauri mohyva.
saqme aRiZra... gamoZiebisTvis faqti
gaxda, rom koncertis CaSlis Sesaxeb
mTelma sofelma winaswar icoda. amas
mowmobs dakiTxvis masalebic. Uuamravi
adamiani dakiTxes. isini yvebodnen, rom
soflis afxazuri moZraobis liderebi
zaur gindia, oTar arCba, jafar jinjolia,
muSni gindia da babuCi CaCxalia koncertis
CaSlas Tavis Tavze iRebdnen.
xaSba ixsenebs erT-erT saidumlo
Sexvedras, romelic gindiam moawyo. am
Sexvedraze gindias piradad uTqvams
xaSbasTvis _ `qarTvelebis Camosaxlebaa


saqarTvelos Sss-s arqivi, (II), f. #6, saq. #29270-80, t. 2,

gv. 23-25.

dagegmili, maT CvenSi

gareven da Cven aRar
viarsebebT, amitom jobia
rusebs SevuerTdeTo.
Cven mSvidad gavyidiT
ruseTSi citruss, axla
ki qarTvelebs gaaqvT
respublikis gareTo.
bolos xaSba detalurad
aRwers, rogor mivida eleqtrogamanawileblis
jixurTan, rogor aZvra boZze da rogor CaWra
e.w. `rubilnikiT denis xazi. xaSba iseve,
rogorc gindia, nasvami iyo.
saqmis aRZvrasTan erTad gamoZiebac
daiwyo da isic faqti gaxda, rom gindias
sabWoTa xelisuflebis moSla an dasusteba
ki ar hqonda ganzraxuli, aramed erTaSorisi
SuRlis gaRviveba. amis gamo ssk 71-e muxlis I
nawili mouxsnes da 75-e Seufardes... gindias
saxlidan nivTmtkicebis saxiT amoRebul iqna
sabeWdi manqana, werilebi da proklamaciebi.
cnobili gaxda isic, rom gindia moskovSi
cilismwameblur werilebs gzavnida qarTvel
Tanamdebobis pirebze maTi komprometaciis
mizniT, radgan Tvlida, rom statistikurad
mis sofelSi qarTveli ufro meti iyo
dasaqmebuli, vidre afxazi. realurad ki
im periodSi soxumSi, gudauTaSi, gagraSi,
axalsofelSi, durifSi, oTxaraSi, sadac
bevri qarTveli cxovrobda, garda ori
saSualo skolis direqtorisa da erTi
kolmeurneobis Tavmjdomarisa, xelmZRvanel
Tanamdebobebze qarTvelebi aRar iniSnebodnen.
MmaRal Tanamdebobebs afxazuri mxarisTvis
misaRebi pirovnebebi ikavebdnen. swored am
principiT iqnen SerCeuli da daniSnulni
ministrTa sabWos qarTveli wevrebic.
afxazeTis ministrTa sabWos Tavmjdomared
i. zarandia dainiSna, romelic, marTalia,
afxazi ar iyo, Tumca meuRle hyavda afxazi
da afxazTa gavlenian wreebSic didi
naTesauri kavSirebi hqonda. afxazeTis
uzenaesi sabWos gadawyvetilebiT qalaq
soxumis administraciis ufrosad erovnebiT
afxazi n. xaSba dainiSna. sagulisxmoa, rom am
periodSi qarTvelTa mimarT Cadenili mZime
sisxlis samarTlis danaSaulebebis umetesi
nawili administraciuli organoebis mier
registraciaSi ar tardeboda, an tardeboda
da saqme gauxsneli rCeboda. ufro metic,
xorcieldeboda devna im qarTvelebze,
romlebsac afxazebi `saeWvod miiCnevdnen.

gindiaseuli ,,statistika~

Gindia`s Statistics

is being planned, they will be mixed within us, and as a result

we will cease to exist. Thats why wed better join Russia. Like
the Georgians who now sell fruit outside the Republic, we
ourselves will be able to do this without obstacles and take
over the Russian market. In the end, Khashba described in
detail how he sneaked into the power plant, climbed onto the
electricity pole and cut off the power line. Both Khasba and
Gindia were drunk at the time.
The investigation was launched as soon as the case was
opened. It was easily established that Gindia did not intend to
undermine or weaken Soviet rule; instead, it was clear that he
intended to incite inter-ethnic conflict.
Consequently, charges according to Part I of Article 71 of
the Criminal Code of the Georgian SSR were dropped, and in its
place charges were brought under Article 75. A printing machine,
leaflets and letters were seized in Gindias his house. It was also
established that he had sent to Moscow letters slandering and
defaming officials with Georgian backgrounds, since he deemed
that more Georgians than Abkhaz were employed in his village.
In reality, during that period Georgians were no longer
appointed to top positions in Sukhumi, Gudauta, Gagra,
Akhalsopeli, Duripshi, or Otkhara, where the ethnic Georgians
outnumbered the Abkhaz, aside from in two secondary schools
and the chairman of one kolkhoz. Only the Abkhaz or persons
favored by them actually held top positions. That principle also
applied to nominating and appointing the Georgian members of
the Supreme Council. I. Zarandia was appointed as Chairman
of the Supreme Council of Abkhazia, and although he was not
Abkhaz, his spouse wa s and had strong family ties within the
influential Abkhaz circles. The Supreme Council of Abkhazia
passed a decision appointing N. Khashba, an Abkhaz, as
head of the Sukhumi city administration. It is noteworthy that
most of the grave crimes committed against Georgians were
not registered in files by administrative bodies and were only
occasionally registered, and these criminal cases were not duly
investigated. Moreover, those Georgians deemed by the Abkhaz
as `suspicious` were mistreated.

gagrZeleba Semdeg nomerSi

to be continued

Archive of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, (II), Fond #6, File #29270-80, Volume 4,
pp.213-30.

saqarTvelos Sss-s arqivi, (II), f. #6, saq. #29270-80, t. 4, gv. 212-230.

gmirebi/HEROES

Si a
b
e
mir sa d
g
is
v
a
sul da
T
s
i
i
sa
,, er s Tav
t
a
ob vis x
l
u
Ta
o
,
p
sa
s.~
l
T
Ze
u
i
a
g
v
l
Wa
v
a
a
g
W
ma
ia
il

giorgi mazniaSvili
Giorgi Mazniashvili

braldeba

- romelic general giorgi

mazniaSvilis diskreditaciisTvis SeiTiTxna

The Accusation Fabricated to Discredit

General Giorgi Mazniashvili
nino yifSiZe
nino kipshidze
iorgi mazniaSvilma mTeli sicocxle
saqarTvelos teritoriuli
mTlianobis aRdgenasa da dakarguli
TavisuflebisTvis brZolas Sealia.
sabWoTa xelisuflebam mas samjer miusaja
sasjelis umaRlesi zoma daxvreta.
marTalia, mazniaSvili daxvretas
orjer gadaurCa, magram mesamed ganaCeni
sisruleSi iqna moyvanili da 1937
wlis seqtembers `troikis~ saboloo
gadawyvetilebiT igi daxvrites.
wlebis Semdeg general giorgi
mazniaSvilis vaJi, samamulo omis
invalidi boris mazniaSvili leonid

Giorgi Mazniashvili sacrificed his life for the restoration

of the lost independence and territorial integrity of Georgia.
The Soviet authorities sentenced him to death by firing
squad three times. Mazniashvili evaded his fate twice, but
at finally in September 1937 for the third time a so-called
`troika` produced its final decision and this time the judgment
was enforced: Mzaniashvili was executed.
Several decades later, General Giorgi Mazniashvilis
son Boris, a disabled World War II veteran, appealed to Secretary General Brezhnev asking for a review of his fathers
criminal case and the rehabilitation of his name: For me, as
for the participant of World War II and his son, the rehabilitation of by fathers name has crucial importance. Boris
Archive of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia, (II) F. #6, SAK#36049, p.4.

10

breJnevis saxelze agzavnis mimarTvas

da iTxovs mamis, giorgi mazniaSvilis
saqmis gadaxedvasa da reabilitacias:
`viTxov, gadaixedos giorgi mazniaSvilis
saqme da reabilitirebul iqnas igi. amas
sasicocxlo mniSvneloba aqvs CemTvis,
rogorc samamulo omis monawilisTvis da
aseve misi SviliSvilisTvis~...
boris mazniaSvili mamis sikvdiliT
dasjas lavrenti berias abralebs
da aRniSnavs, rom lavrenti beriam
generali mazniaSvili sergo orjonikis
makomprometireblad daapatimra da
daxvrita.
`mamaCemi samxedro mosamsaxuris
Svili iyo. man iunkerTa saswavleblis
damTavrebis Semdeg oficris wodeba
miiRo, 1905 wels ki ruseT-iaponiis omSi
moxalised wavida. 1914 wels imperialistur
omSi monawileobda, romlis damTavrebis
Semdeg mama oqros iaraRiT daajildoes da
generlis wodebac uboZes.
1917 wels gamocemuli dekretis
mixedviT, yvela meomari samSobloSi unda
dabrunebuliyo da, Sesabamisad, mamaCemic
saqarTveloSi Camovida. menSevikurma
mTavrobam giorgi mazniaSvili Tavisi
armiis rigebSi miiwvia. am periodSi mas
orjer mouwia brZola axalcixesa da
ozurgeTSi Turqebis winaaRmdeg. giorgi
mazniaSvili menSevikuri mTavrobis rigebSi
didi ndobiT ar sargeblobda, radgan
menSevikuri partiis wevri arasdros
yofila.
sabWoTa xelisuflebis gamarjvebis
Semdeg generali mazniaSvili Tavis erTgul
pirebTan erTad bolSevikebis mxares
gadavida da meTerTmete armiis kvaldakval
saqarTvelos Turqi dampyroblebisagan
ganmaTavisuflebel brZolebSi aqtiur
monawileobas iRebda. baTumisa da mTeli
aWaris Turqebisagan gaTavisuflebas swored
mazniaSvili xelmZRvanelobda.
amis Semdeg amxanagma orjonikiZem
general mazniaSvils daavala, TbilisSi
saswrafod dabrunebuliyo da sabWoTa
saqarTvelos pirveli diviziis formirebas
Sesdgomoda.
orjonikiZis davalebiT mas
saqarTvelodan gaqceuli yofili
menSevikuri mTavrobis warmomadgenlebis
winaaRmdeg brZolebisTvisac unda
exelmZRvanela, romlebic sabWoTa
xelisuflebis damxobas cdilobdnen.
menSevikebis rigebidan erT-erT


saqarTvelos Sss-s arqivi, (II), f. #6, saq. #36049, gv. 4.

Mazniashvili blamed Lavrenty Beria for the execution of his

father, and maintained that Beria arrested and executed his
father in order to tarnish Sergo Orjonikidze.
My father was a son of a serviceman. He obtained
officers rank after graduating from the military academy.
He was a volunteer in the Russian-Japanese war of 1905.
He took part in the imperialist war in 1914. My father was
awarded with engraved rifles and was granted the rank of
General after the war.
The decree of 1917 obliged all warriors to return to
their homelands, and my father too came back to Georgia.
The Mensheviks invited him to their army. In that period he
led combat operations against the Ottomans in the Aklaltsikhe and Ozurgeti districts. Giorgi Mazniashvili did not
enjoy the confidence of the Mensheviks, since he was never
a member of the Menshevik party.
After the victory of Soviet power, Giorgi Mazniashvili,
along with his loyal friends, went over to the Bolsheviks and
together with 11th army took active part in the liberation of
Georgia from Turkish invaders. He was in charge of the
liberation of Batumi and the entire Adjara region from the
Ottomans. Afterwards, Comrade Orjonikidze ordered him to
return immediately to Tbilisi and embark on the formation of
the first military units in Georgia.
Orjonikidze also assigned him to supervise the fight
against the migr representatives of the Menshevik government who, at that time, were making efforts to subvert
Soviet rule.
A letter with the list of individuals whom the former
Menshevik government relied on was seized from a detained
Menshevik activist. My father was listed among others in the
letter. He was detained, but since he was innocent he was
released shortly after his detention.
In 1926, father went abroad officially and stayed there
for two years. He had a particular errand, presumably from
Sergo Orjonikidze. However, representatives of the Georgian
emigration did not accept him. In 1929, having returned from
abroad, he retired. In 1937 my father and my brother were
arrested. We heard nothing about them for a long time. In
1957 my brother was rehabilitated. I supposed that father
was arrested on the command of Beria, since the latter
was collecting materials to discredit Orjonikidze. As I have
already noted, Orjonikidze trusted my father. 
Boris Mazniashvilis letter and his request for rehabilitation helped started a review of his fathers criminal case.
Giorgi Mazniashvili, born in 1872 in Tbilisi, was arrested on the evidence given by B. Lezhnev on May 5th
1937 and was sentenced to the death penalty on September
7th 1937.
We find from the evidence of the witness that Giorgi
Mazniashvili, General in the Army of the Democratic Republic of Georgia, was actively involved in the fight against
Ibid., pp .2-4.

11

dakavebuls werili aRmouCines,

romelSic CamoTvlili iyo im
adamianebis gvarebi, viszec yofili
menSevikuri mTavroba imeds amyarebda. am
siaSi mamaCemic gaxldaT. igi daapatimres,
magram rogorc udanaSaulo, maleve
gaaTavisufles.
1926 wels mama sazRvargareT
oficialurad gaemgazvra, sadac
ori weli dahyo. savaraudod, sergo
orjonikiZisgan, mas sagangebo davaleba
hqonda. Tumca qarTulma emigraciam
giorgi mazniaSvili ar miiRo.
samSobloSi dabrunebis Semdeg, 1929
wels igi pensiaze gavida. 1937 wels
mama da Zma dami patimres. maTi bedis
Sesaxeb karga xans cnobili araferi
iyo. 1957 wels Cemi Zma reabilitirebul
iqna. mimaCnia, giorgi mazniaSvili
lavrenti berias mowodebiT daapatimres,
romelic sergo orjonikiZis Sesaxeb
makomprometirebel masalebs agrovebda.
giorgi mazniaSvils ki, rogorc ukve
aRvniSne, orjonikiZe endoboda.~ _
boris mazniaSvilis es werili da mamis
reabilitaciis moTxovna gaxda general
giorgi mazniaSvilis saqmis gadaxedvis
mizezi.
giorgi mazniaSvili 1872 wels qalaq
TbilisSi iyo dabadebuli, 1937 wlis 5
maiss, b. leJnevis Cvenebis safuZvelze,
daapatimres da 7 seqtembers ki daxvreta
miusajes.
mowmis Cvenebidan irkveva, rom
saqarTvelos demokratiuli respublikis
armiis generali giorgi mazniaSvili
aqtiur monawileobas iRebda sabWoTa
ruseTis wiTeli armiis winaaRmdeg
brZolebSi. igi polkovnik TuxarelTan
erTad wiTeli armielebisa da komunistebis
daxvretas xelmZRvanelobda. giorgi
mazniaSvilis mTavar saqmeSi inaxeba
agenturuli cnoba, romelSic moyvanilia
generlis antisabWouri mosazrebebi.
saqmis msvlelobis procesSi dadginda,
rom giorgi mazniaSvili ruseTis imperiis
armiis generali iyo. igi saqarTveloSi
sabWoTa xelisuflebis damyarebis Semdeg,
sabWoTa xelisuflebis winadadebiT,
saqarTvelos msrolelTa diviziis
formirebas Seudga, paralelurad ki
kontrrevoluciur saqmianobas eweoda, ris
gamoc generali mazniaSvili 1921 wlis
6 oqtombers daapatimres da sasjelis
umaRlesi zoma daxvreta miusajes.


saqarTvelos Sss-s arqivi, (II), f. #6, saq. #36049, gv. 2-4.

12

the Red Army of the Soviet Russia. He, along with colonel
Tukhareli, was in charge of shooting communists and Red
Army soldiers. Agent reports are kept in the files of Giorgi
Mazniashvili in which anti-Soviet views are set forth.
It was established during the judicial proceeding that
Giorgi Mazniahvili was a General of the Russian Empire.
After the establishment of the Soviet rule, he, on the orders
of the Soviet authority, embarked on building up the Georgias rifle company while simultaneously being involved in
counter-revolutionary activity. The General was arrested on
October 6, 1921 and was sentenced to death by firing squad.
However, the judgment was reduced to 5-year imprisonment.
Eventually, Mazniashvili was released after being granted
amnesty in 1923.
Giorgi Mazniashvili led counter-revolutionary activities
both in prison and after his release. For this reason was arrested again and again sentenced to death.
However, Mazniashvili once more escaped the firing
squad. After several months of imprisonment the General
left for Tehran via Baku in May of that year. He failed to start
work in Tehran, and appealed to Spiridon Kedia who had
immigrated to Paris. Shortly afterwards, Giorgi Mazniashvili was rendered assistance by the French embassy and
obtained a passport and 2,000 French francs to depart for
France. The Georgian political migr community welcomed
the General there. He was given 1,000 francs and a monthly
salary of 500 francs.

Tumca daxvreta xuTi wliT Tavisuflebis

aRkveTiT Seucvales, sabolood ki,
aministiis Sedegad, igi 1923 wels
gaaTavisufles.
giorgi mazniaSvili cixeSi
da gaTavisuflebis Semdegac
kontrrevoluciur saqmianobas eweoda.
amitomac generali kvlav daapatimres da
kvlav daxvreta miusajes.
Tumca daxvretas mazniaSvili
amjeradac gadaurCa. ramdenimeTviani
patimrobis Semdeg, imave wlis maisSi,
generali baqos gavliT TeiranSi
gaemgzavra. mazniaSvilma ver moaxerxa
TeiranSi samsaxuris dawyeba da
amitomac weriliT parizSi emigraciaSi
myof spiridon kedias daukavSirda.
maleve giorgi mazniaSvilma parizSi
gasamgzavreblad safrangeTis saelCos
daxmarebiT viza, pasporti da 2000 franki
miiRo. qarTulma politikurma emigraciam
safrangeTSi Casuli generali didi pativiT
miiRo. mas 1000 franki gadasces da aseve
xelfasis saxiT yovelTviurad 500 franki
dauniSnes.
parizSi yofnis dros, saqarTvelos
emigraciuli mTavrobis davalebiT,
giorgi mazniaSvili safrangeTis
generalur StabTan da general
furnesTan eweoda molaparakebebs
samxedro daxmarebisTvis, raTa
saqarTveloSi kvlav aRedginaT
legitimuri xelisufleba.
mazniaSvilis paralelurad irakli
wereTeli inglisis mTavrobasTan
cdilobda molaparakebas, magram
es mcdelobebi uSedego aRmoCnda.
safrangeTsa da inglisidan
qarTvelebma samxedro daxmarebis
Sesaxeb uari miiRes.
1924 wels sabWoTa
xelisuflebam ajanyeba CaaxSo.
saqarTvelodan gaqceuli
amboxebulebis dasaxvedrad da
dasaxmareblad giorgi mazniaSvili
TurqeTSi gaemgzavra.
Tumca manamde igi parizSi
did mTavar nikoloz romanovs
Sexvda, romelmac amboxebulebis
dasaxmareblad 10 000 franki
gadasca.
`didebulma Tavadma gaigo ra
saqarTveloSi momxdari ambebi,
CemTan ndobiT aRWurvili piri
gamogzavna da mTxova, TurqeTSi
gamgzavrebamde masTan Semevlo.
amilaxvarTan erTad nikoloz

When in Paris, Giorgi Mazniashvili was commissioned

by the government in exile to hold talks with General Fourne
and the French General Staff in order to gain military assistance for the restoration of the legitimate government in
Georgia. Simultaneously, Irakli Tsereteli made attempts to
initiate negotiations with British authorities that yielded no
results. The Georgians were denied military assistance from
both England and France.
The Soviet government quashed a rebellion in Georgia
in 1924. Giorgi Mazaniashvili set off to Turkey to meet and
assist the rebels who had fled from Georgia. Before that he
met with Grand Duke Nikolai Romanov in Paris, who donated 10,000 francs to assist the rebels in their cause.
The Grand Duke, upon learning of the events that
took place in Georgia, sent me a trusted person and asked
me to come to him before my departure for Turkey. I visited
Nikoloz Romanov along with Mr. Amilkhvari. He was fully
aware of events in Georgia. The next day, Nikolai Romanov
sent me 10,000 francs by means of Mr. Amilkhvari to assist
the escaped rebels from Georgia. The representatives of
the Menshevik government delivered to me 2,000 francs
and a Turkish visa for my departure, and counseled me that
visas for rebels would be sent in the name of ambassador,
Kotsia Gvarjaladze, Giorgi Mazniashvili stated in testimony
given during the investigation. It was also established from

Archive of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia, (II) Fond #6, File #36049, p.94.

13

romanovTan mivedi. igi saqarTveloSi

arsebuli viTarebis Sesaxeb kargad iyo
informirebuli... meore dResve nikoloz
romanovma amilaxvris xeliT 10 000 franki
gamomigzavna saqarTvelodan gamoqceuli
meomrebis dasaxmareblad. TurqeTSi
gasamgzavreblad menSevikuri mTavrobis
warmomadgenlebma TurqeTis viza, 2000
franki gadmomces da gamafrTxiles,
amboxebulTaTvis vizebs elC kowia
gvarjalaZis saxelze gamogzavnidnen~... _
dasZens giorgi mazniaSvili gamoZiebisTvis
micemul CvenebaSi. Mmisi Cvenebidan aseve
irkveva, rom ramdenime dReSi miiRes qaquca
ColoyaSvilis depeSa, romelic Tavis
razmTan erTad daxmarebas iTxovda.
parizidan elC konstantine gvarjalaZes
200 viza da 10 000 franki gaugzavnes, magram
es Tanxa giorgi mazniaSvilis TanxasTan
erTad sakmarisi ar aRmoCnda ajanyebulTa
Sesamosad da safrangeTSi gasamgzavreblad.
amitomac giorgi mazniaSvilis
organizatorobiT saqarTvelodan devnilTa
dasaxmareblad komiteti Seiqmna, romelic
msurvelTagan Semowirulobebs Seagrovebda.
komitetma 123 devnili miiRo, maT
Soris qaixosro (qaquca) ColoyaSvilis
razmelebic.
`saqarTvelodan pirvelad 40 adamiani
miviReT. amis Semdeg ki elmavliT
ColoyaSvilis razmi da aRmosavleT
saqarTvelodan devnilebi Camovidnen.
yoveli maTgani Semoglejili tansacmliTa
da usaxsrod iyo. saWiro gaxda am jgufis
evropul samosSi gamowyoba da marselSi
gamgzavreba.MTiTqmis erTi Tve momiwia
stambulSi darCena. patar-patara jgufebad,
rogorc iqna, CamoaRwies devnilebma,
amis Semdeg mec davbrundi parizSi.~  _
vkiTxulobT mazniaSvilis CvenebaSi.
1925 wels giorgi mazniaSvilma parizSi
sabWoTa kavSiris saelCodan Suamdgomloba
moiTxova saqarTveloSi dasabruneblad.
misi moTxovna daakmayofiles da generali
mazniaSvili samSobloSi dabrunda.
saqarTveloSi gamomgzavrebamde giorgi
mazniaSvili saqarTvelos emigraciuli
mTavrobis warmomadgenlebs _ ramiSvils,
gegeWkors, eraZes Sexvda. giorgi mazniaSvils
amjeradac sagangebo davaleba hqonda: sabWoTa
kavSirze evropis romelime qveynis Tavdasxmis
SemTxvevaSi generali Tavis samxedro
ZalasTan erTad baTumSi ganlagdeboda da
baTumidan ecdeboda Tbilisze Setevas. es
gegma SemdgomSi ver ganxorcielda.


saqarTvelos Sss-s arqivi, (II), f. #6, saq. #36049, gv. 94.

iqve, gv. 95.

14

his interrogation that he received a telegram from Kakutsa

Cholokashvili a few days later asking for assistance for his
squad.
The ambassador, Konstantine Gvarjaladze, received
200 visas and 10,000 francs from Paris, but that money
along with that of Giorgi Mazniashvilis was not sufficient to
buy clothes for the rebels and to transport them to France.
To this end, under the auspices of Giorgi Mazniashvili, a
committee for the assistance of the refugees from Georgia
was set up to collect donations. The Committee accommodated 123 refugees, among them the soldiers of Kaikhosro
(Kakutsa) Cholokashvilis squad.
In Mazniashvilis testimony one can read the following:
From Georgia for the first time we accepted forty persons.
After this Cholokashvilis detachment and refugees from
eastern Georgia arrived by electric train. Each of them
was dressed in shabby clothes and was without means of
livelihood. It became necessary to dress them in European
clothes and sent them to Marseilles. I had to stay in Istanbul
for almost a month. Finally the refugees managed to arrive in
Istanbul in small groups, and upon their arrival I managed to
return to Paris. 
In 1925 Giorgi Mazniashvili petitioned the Soviet Embassy in Paris to allow him to return to the Soviet Union. His
petition was granted, and General Mazniashvili returned to
his native land.
Before departing for Georgia, Mazniashvili met with the
representatives of the Georgian government in exile, namely
with Ramishvili, Gegechkori and Eradze. Once again Giorgi
Mazniashvioli was charged with an important mission: in the
case of attack on the Soviet Union by any European country,
the General was to take charge of military forces in Batumi.
But this plan was never implemented.
As we have already noted, Giorgi Mazniashvili was
arrested in 1937. Along with a whole range of other accusations, the Extraordinary Commission tried to discredit him
by accusing the national hero and the general-governor of
Abkhazia of marauding and rape, and ascribed to him the
problems of Abkhazia.
The following information exists in the case of
Mazniashvili: The activities of the National Guard did not last
long. It was substituted by the division of General Mazniashvili and exactly from this moment began the tragedy of
Abkhazia. Mazniashvilis division was known for its strictness
and intolerance. Members of the division set on the peaceful
villages, robbed and raped the population.
During the new review General Mazniashvilis case, the
following decision was drawn up: Giorgi Mazniashvili was
a General of the Menshevik government and the Russian
Empire; he was actively involved in the fight against the Bolsheviks; Mazniashvili was always in service of the Menshevik




Archive of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia, (II) Fond #6, File #36049, pp.95.
Ibid., pp.96.

rogorc ukve aRvniSneT, giorgi

mazniaSvili 1937 wels daapatimres.
sxva braldebebTan erTad `Cekam~, misi
pirovnebis diskreditaciisTvis, erovnul
gmirs brali, rogorc afxazeTis generalgubernators, maradiorobasa da qalebis
gaupatiurebaSic wauyena da afxazeTTan
dakavSirebuli problemebic miawera.
`erovnuli gvardiis moRvaweoba didxans
ar gagrZelebula. is general mazniaSvilis
diviziam Secvala da am wuTidan iwyeba
afxazeTis tragedia. mazniaSvilis
divizia gansakuTrebuli simkacriTa da
SeuwynareblobiT gamoirCeoda. diviziis
wevrebi afxazeTis mSvidobian soflebSi
iWrebodnen, Zarcvavdnen mosaxleobas
da aupatiurebdenen qalebs~... -Aamgvari
informacia devs mazniaSvilis saqmeSi.
general giorgi mazniaSvilis saqmis
xelaxali gadaxedvisas Semdegi saxis
daskvna daido: giorgi mazniaSvili iyo
samefo da menSevikuri xelisuflebis
generali; bolSevikebis winaaRmdeg aqtiur
brZolas eweoda; mazniaSvili safrangeTSi
gaqceuli yofili menSevikuri mTavrobis
samsaxurSi idga yovelTvis; sabWoTa
xelisuflebis damxobas cdilobda da am
mizniT safrangeTis generalur StabTan
TanamSromlobda;
molaparakebebs eweoda agreTve
ruseTis imperiis warmomadgenel
nikoloz romanovTan; sabWoTa
saqarTvelos mtrebi swored giorgi
mazniaSvilis mier iqna Sefarebuli
da safrangeTSi gamgzavrebuli;
giorgi mazniaSvilma piroba misca
saqarTvelos yofili menSevikuri
mTavrobis warmomadgenlebs, rom
samxedro interveciis SemTxvevaSi,
sabWoTa xelisuflebis winaaRmdeg
brZolebSi aqtiur monawileobas
miiRebda. -Aam braldebebidan
gamomdinare general giorgi
mazniaSvils `Cekam~ sasjelis
umaRlesi zoma - daxvreta miusaja
da ganaCenic sisruleSi moiyvana.
rac Seexeba giorgi mazniaSvilis
vaJis moTxovnas, mamis saqmis
gadaxedvis Sesaxeb, mas 1979
wlis 3 aprils ecnoba, rom
giorgi mazniaSvili 1937 wels
dasabuTebulad iqna sikvdiliT
dasjili da gaprotestebis
safuZveli ar arsebobda... _ am
daskvnas xels prokurori
a. barabaZe awers.

exile government in France; he attempted to subvert Soviet

authority and to do this he cooperated with the French
General Staff; in addition, he negotiated with representative of the Russian Empire, Nikoloz Romanov; enemies
of Soviet Georgia were sheltered and sent to France by
Giorgi Mazniashvili; Giorgi Mazniashvili gave a promise to
the representatives of the former Menshevik government
that in case of military intervention he would take active part
in fighting against Soviet authority. On the basis of these
accusations, the NKVD passed the death sentence on
Giorgi Mazniashvili. The sentence was later carried out, and
Mazniashvili was shot.
As for the request of Mazniashvilis son Boris for his
fathers case to be reviewed, on April 3, 1979 Boris was
informed that Giorgi Mazniashvili was documented to
have been punished by death in 1937, and there were no
grounds to appeal this decision. - This conclusion is signed
by the public prosecutor, Mr. A. Barabadze.

Archive of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia, (II), Fond #6, File #36049, pp.106.

saqarTvelos Sss-s arqivi, (II), f. #6, saq. #36049, gv. 96.

iqve, gv. 106.

15

rusuli Ceqma da qarTuli eklesia / Russian Boots and Georgian Church

brZola eklesiis winaaRmdeg

the Struggle against the Church

lia kereseliZe
lia kereselidze

arTvelisTvis qristianoba da
saqarTvelo ganuyreli mcnebebia.
saukuneebis ganmavlobaSi
samSoblosaTvis brZola qristianobisTvis
brZolas niSnavda da piriqiT. es
kargad icoda yvela dampyrobelma da
pirveli ieriSic swored saqarTvelos
marTlmadideblur eklesiaze mohqonda,
radgan Tu qarTvel kacs waarTmevdnen
sarwmunoebas, erovnul sulsac advilad
Cauklavdnen... modiodnen xmliT, xiStiT,
CeqmiT, macduri simdidriT...
sisastikiTa da veragobiT arc
erTmorwmune ruseTi CamorCenia islamur
samyaros...
XIX s. dasawyisSive gamoaCina Tavisi
namdvili saxe Cvenma ,,ufrosma Zmam~:
samefo taxti gagviuqma, rigiT guberniad
gvaqcia, avtokefalia wagvarTva, eklesiebSi
freskebi SegviTeTra, wirva-locva
rusul enaze aRgvivlina, qarTvelisTvis
gaugebari gaxada rudunebiT gadarCenili
dedareligia. XX s. 20-30-ian wlebSi
axla ukve bolSevikurma ruseTma
aSkarad da daundoblad, cinikurad da
siZulviliT daiwyo mizanmimarTuli
brZola marTlmadidebluri saqarTvelos
winaaRmdeg.
,,me mamas movklav,
davaxrCob dedas,
revoluciam Tuki mibrZana! ~
da ecemoda dedo-zarebi, ingreoda
eklesiebi, ewamebodnen da ixvritebodnen
Cveni sulebisa da qveynisTvis mlocveli

16

For the Georgian people Christianity and Georgia are interwoven concepts. For centuries, fighting
for the Motherland meant fighting for Christianity and
vice versa. That was well understood by all invaders
and occupiers, and the very first attacks were always
made specifically on Georgias Orthodox churches, as
this was the easiest way to destroy the national spirit
among Georgians.
And enemies in the past came with soldiers,
swords, boots, and tempting wealth Russia,
although also a Christian nation, was the equal of
the Islamic world in its cruelty and brutality. In the
beginning of the 19th century our Elder Brother
showed his real face: Russia abolished the royal
throne of Georgia and turned the country into an
ordinary Russian province; it violated the sovereignty of the Georgian Patriarchy, repainted frescos
in churches, converted church services and prayers
into the Russian language, and consequently
made the mother religion, which had survived for
centuries, unintelligible for most Georgians. In the
1920s and 30s Bolshevik Russia began its direct,
intentional struggle against Orthodox Georgia in an
extremely ruthless and cynical way. Here is one of
the masterpieces composed during that period:
I will kill my father,
I will strangle my mother
If that is ordered by Revolution!
Church bells were desecrated, churches were
destroyed, and monks and priests who prayed for
our spirits and our country were tortured and shot.

moZRvrebi da berebi... iqmneboda

ideologia, romelic akninebda yvelafer
eklesiurs, religiurs, tradiciuls...
da am yovelives, vai, rom gadagvarebuli
qarTvelis xeliT akeTebdnen! diax,
gadagvarebuli qarTveli komkavSirelebi,
komunistebi sagangebo komisiis (),
saxelmwifo politsammarTvelos (),
Sinsaxkomis () TanamSromlebi
erTmaneTs ejibrebodnen ,,antireligiuri
kampaniis gatarebaSi.
Sinagan saqmeTa saministros saarqivo
sammarTveloSi daculi masalebi
saSualebas gvaZlevs garkveuli
warmodgena SeviqmnaT im dros arsebul
mZime viTarebaze. Cven mier mokrZalebulad
SemoTavazebuli statia dRis Suqs
hfens im ,,saqmeebs,~ romlebic mSralad
gadmoscems ,,samSoblos moRalatisa~ da
,,xalxis mtris~ _ sasuliero pirebis
,,danaSaulebebsa~ da bed-iRbals.
1923 wlis 3 ivniss Tbilisis
qarTveli samRvdeloebis sainiciativo
jgufma gancxadebiT mimarTa umaRles
xelisuflebas. Aam gancxadebis pirvel
nawilSi yuradReba gamaxvilebulia im
Rvawlze, romelic qristianobas miuZRvis
qarTveli eris istoriaSi: ,,eklesia
SeduRebul-Sesisxorcebuli iyo Cveni
eris sulier Tu nivTier kulturaSi...
sasuliero Tu saero mwerloba,
mwignobroba, yovelive ese an sasuliero
pirTa Seqmnilia, an qristianobis Rrma
zegavleniT aris warmoebuli... Cveni
eklesia, Tvis samRvdeloebiT, dro da
Jamis SesaferaT erTgulad swevda eris da
samSoblo qveynis saerTo Wapans~...
mimarTvaSi miniSnebulia, rom
saqarTveloSi eklesia da samRvdeloeba
yovelTvis didi pativiT epyroboda sxva
sjulis aRmsarebels, ar devnida da
aviwroebda mas, rom CvenSi ,,adamianis
sindisis Tavisufleba mudam daculi
iyo...~ 
Tu vinme uRirsi gaereoda sasuliero
pirebSi da ,,eklesiaSic Semohqonda Tavisi
gamxrwneli zegavlena... saqarTvelos
eklesia ebrZoda am duxWir movlenas,
SeZlebisdagvarad scxrilavda is
samRvdeloebas aseTi elementebisagan...~
grZnoben ra TavianT ganwirul
mdgomareobas, avtorebi gancxadebis
daskvniT nawilSi cdiloben, daarwmunon

A new ideology was created: one that disparaged all

things religious, traditional, and national. The worst
thing was that all of this was carried out by Georgians.
In fact, Georgian Komsomol members, Communists
and employees of the Cheka, the GPU and the NKVD
successfully competed with each other in the Anti
Religious Campaign.
Materials preserved in the Archive Department
of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia create a
certain image of the brutality of life in that period. The
present article sheds light on some of these deeds,
providing some information concerning the criminalities and fates of religious persons, who were called
Public Enemies and parasites in those times.
On June 3, 1923 an Initiative Group of the Tbilisi
Georgian Priesthood appealed to the Supreme Authority. The first part of the appeal introduced by the Group
focused on the accomplishments of Christianity in
Georgian national history: The Church was deeply
enrooted in spiritual and substantial culture of our
nation Religious and public literature, bibliography
all of these were created by religious persons or
composed under the deep influence of Christianity
Our churches with their priesthood faithfully served the
nation and the country 
The appeal emphasized that churches and the
priesthood in Georgia had always treated with respect
any believer of another faith, never prosecuted or
oppressed them, and the liberty of conscience was
always defended in Georgia
The Georgian Church always opposed any
dishonest event that appeared to dishonor religious
groups, and also prevented their consequent bad influence upon the people. The Georgian Church tried its
best to purge the priesthood of such elements 
Feeling their desperate conditions, the authors
of the appeal tried in the concluding part of appeal
Archive of the MoIA of Georgia (III), p.#14, Geo. #830; p.57.
Ibitem, p.57.
Ibitem, p.59.





saqarTvelos Sss-s arqivi, (III) f. #14, saq. #830, gv. 57.

iqve, gv. 57.
iqve, gv. 57.




17

,,Zlierni ama qveynisani~, rom qristianoba

,,Semaferxebeli ar aris qveynis da
kacobriobis winmsvlelobisa, piriqiT,
is mogviwodebs, rogorc zneobriv, ise
gonebriv usazRvro ganviTarebaSi~ da
sTxoven, ,,sabWoTa xelisuflebam misces
qarTvel samRvdeloebas SesaZlebloba
Tavisuflad moawesrigos religiuri
moTxovnileba morwmune erisa... qveynis da
kulturis sakeTildReod Cven gTxovT
garkveul da Sesafer kanonmdeblobis qveSe
gamocxadebul iqnas Cveni eklesia da misi
samRvdeloeba.
...sarwmunoebrivi organizacia Cveni
sdgas da idgeba yovelive partiul
daPpolitikur mimdinareobis gareSe,
loialur moqalaqeobriv cxovrebis gzaze,
_ saerTo saxelmwifoebrivi kanonebis
winaSe pasuxis mgeblobiT~...
sagulisxmoa, rom sasuliero pirebi
uars ar amboben eklesiis marTva-gamgeobaSi
saTanado cvlilebebze, wminda werilis
mixedviT saekleso wesebis gamartivebaze,
magram es mimarTva iseve, rogorc mravali
sxva, darCa ,,qvad mRaRadeblisa udabnosa
Sina,~ isev iWerdnen, isev xvretdnen, isev
xuravdnen...
ase daixura 1923 wlis gazafxulze
Telavis mazris yvela eklesia. miuxedavad
imisa, rom morwmuneni ,,urwmunoTa
ricxvis SedarebiT Seadgenen Seudarebel
umravlesobas, da romlisTvisac
samlocvelo saxlebi saWiroa maT
sarwmunoebrivi moTxovnilebis
dasakmayofoleblad,~  ,,aramc Tu ar
gaxsnes, aramed erTi eklesia, uZvelesi da

to persuade the mighty of this world that Christianity

does not prevent the progress of the country and
population; to the contrary it calls for ethical and
mental development. The authors also asked the Soviet government to allow the Georgian priesthood to
regulate religious demands of the faithful freely For
the wellbeing of our country and culture we ask you to
legalize our churches and priesthood.
Our faithful organization exists and will always
exist without involvement in any party or political trend;
it will keep its loyal civil life style and responsibility
before the national legislation
It should be emphasized that the religious group
did not resisted relevant amendments to the management of church affairs, and it was also agreed to the
simplification of church rules in compliance with the
Holy Writ; though this appeal, like many others, remained as voices in the wilderness The appeal was
followed by another series of arrests, shootings, and
church closures
In the spring of 1923 all churches in Telavi Mazra were closed. The Soviet government ignored the
fact that the faithful were an incomparable majority
compared to the non-religious, and consequently
they needed premises for prayer and the satisfaction of their religious demands . They did not
open such premises, but completely emptied even
the oldest and most valuable churches, representing
great historical importance for the Georgian nation
Property of the church was transferred to another
church, and we do not even know what they want
to do with that church these phrases are stated
in the appeal to Mikha Tskhakaia, Chairman of the
Central Executive Committee of Georgia. Such disgraces to the human faith make our people anxious,
so we kindly ask you to order that all churches in
Telavi be opened, and the faithful enabled to conduct church services 
The petition was signed by 765 persons.
The Telavi churches were not opened Neither
were the Sighnagi Mazra churches. One event is
described by inhabitants of the Apheni village, Daria
Shubitidze and Elene Abesadze: At a meeting they directly asked us whether we wanted the Church, priests
and Christening or not. People raised their hands in
agreement, so they declared that they wanted; their
hands were pulled down in the mark of No. In spite of
this, the meetings organizers cried: They do not want
it! Thus our church built with our money and hands
are closed still
Archive of the MoIA of Georgia (III), p.#14, Geo. #830; p.53.
Ibitem, p.1.

saqarTvelos Sss-s arqivi, (III), f. #14, saq. #830, gv. 59.

iqve, gv. 53.

18

uZvirfasesi, romelsac qarTveli erisTvis

didi istoriuli mniSvneloba aqvs,
srulebiT dacales da misi qoneba sxva
eklesiaSi gadaitanes, ar viciT im eklesiis
Senoba risTvis undaT...~ _ vkiTxulobT
sruliad saqarTvelos centraluri
aRmasrulebeli komitetis Tavmjdomare
mixa cxakaiasadmi gagzavnil TxovnaSi,
,,aseTi upativcemloba adamianis rwmenisadmi
aRelvebs xalxs, amisTvis gTxovT gasceT
gankarguleba, raTa TelavSi gaxsnan yvela
eklesiebi, da amiT misceT saSualeba
morwmuneebma Seasrulon RvTis msaxureba~...
am mimarTvas xels awers 765 kaci. ra Tqma
unda, Telavis eklesiebi ar gaxsnila... ar
gaxsnila arc siRnaRis mazris daxuruli
eklesiebi. ai, rogor aRweren sofel
afenis mcxovrebni _ daria SubiTiZe da
elene abesaZe samrevlo eklesiis gauqmebis
ambavs: ,,mitingze dasves sakiTxi amgvarad
,,eklesia, mRvdeli, naTvla gindaT Tu
arao~?! xalxma sityva ,,gindaze~ aswia
xeli _ ese igi gvindao, _ ganacxada,
xolo ,,araze~ _ daswia. miuxedavad amisa
mitingis xelmZRvanelebma daiZaxes: ,,ar
undaT, ar undaTo~! da dRemde daketilia
Cveni eklesia, Cveni SromiTa da xarjiT
agebuli...
Cven ar SegviZlia ueklesiod an
umRvdlod cxovreba, _ Cven vasrulebT
mTavrobis yovelive kanonier
moTxovnilebas, oRondD nu Seexebian
Cvens rwmenas da sinidiss...~  aseve
uyuradRebodaa darCenili maTxojis
wm. ninos saxelobis dedaTa monastris
winamZRolis _ iRumenia qeTevanis
mimarTva saqarTvelos
respublikis komisarTa sabWos
Tavmjdomarisadmi, romelic
TariRdeba 1923 wlis 3 maisiT.
monasterSi cxovrobda
ocdaaTi monazoni, amaTgan
Teqvsmeti _ moxuci da
umweo. monazvnebi Tavs Tavad
irCendnen. Wra-kerva, qargva,
qsova maTi Semosavlis
mTavari wyaro iyo ormoci
wlis ganmavlobaSi. radgan
monasteri maRal da ,,karg
haerovan~ adgilze iyo, sabWoTa
xelisuflebam gadawyvita
saavadmyofos gaxsna. monazvnebs
quCa-quCa maTxovroba daemuqraT.
iRumeni qeTevani sTxovs

We can not live without the Church and priests;

we implement each legal request of the government,
but please do not affect our belief and conscience
At the same time, the appeal of Igumenia
Ketevani, the head of the Martkhoji St.Nino
Mothers`cloister, to the Chairman of the Soviet of
Commissioners of the Republic of Georgia dated by
May 3, 1923 was ignored.
Thirty monks lived in this cloister, including
sixteen who were elderly and helpless. The monks
earned their daily bread themselves. Over the period of forty years, sewing, embroidery and knitting
were the main source for keeping their bodies and
souls together. Because the cloister was on high
land and in a place with good air conditions, the
Soviet authorities decided to open a hospital in that
place. The monks were threatened with destitution.
Igumenia Ketevani addressed the authorities: If the
authorities decided in principle to close the cloister, then we can do nothing and the cloister will be
closed, but please let us stay here, or of a hospital is
built, then let us serve there... 
We entrust you with the fates of the poor
monks...
The tragedy that took place in Imereti in the village of Rodinauli was just one of a number of such
everyday occurrences in that time. The Bolsheviks
closed the church and established a theatre in its
place, but due to persistent demands of people of
faith, the church renewed its initial function. A new
consecration of the church became necessary, and
for this reason on July 30, 1924 a member of the
Archive of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia, (III), file #14, case #830, pp.217.
Ibid. pp.102.
Ibid. pp.102.





saqarTvelos Sss-s arqivi, (III), f. #14, saq. #830, gv. 1.

iqve, gv. 217.
iqve, gv. 102.




19

xelisufalT: ,,Tu monastris daxurva

mTavrobas ganuzraxavs princi pialuris
mosazrebiT _ maSin ra vqnaT SeveleviT
da daxureT eklesia, xolo Cven ki
dagvtoveT Cvens binaSi an yovel
SemTxvevaSi saavaTmyofo Tu gaixsna Cvenc
iq gvamsaxuron...~ 
ra bedi ewiaT monazvnebs, warmodgena
TqvenTvis mogvindvia...
imereTSi, sofel rodinaulSi momxdari
tragedia erT-erTi Cveulebrivi ambavi
iyo im droisaTvis. bolSevikebma soflis
eklesia gaauqmes da gadaakeTes Teatrad,
magram morwmuneebis daJinebuli moTxovniT
eklesias pirvandeli funqcia daubrunda.
saWiro gaxda misi xelmeored kurTxeva,
risTvisac 1924 wlis 30 ivliss soflis
saeklesio sabWos wevrma vladimer
maRlakeliZem TxovniT mimarTa quTaTel
mitropolit nazari leJavas. ierarqi sxva
saeklesio pirebTan erTad 2 agvistos ewvia
rodinauls. mwuxris da ciskris locvis
Semdeg, daaxloebiT saRamos 8-9 saaTze,
soflis mRvdel mama domenti giorgaZesTan
erTad mosasveneblad estumrnen
axlomosaxle glex maTe CubiniZes, sadac
dagvianebis gamo vaxSmadqceuli sadili
gaimarTa.
rasakvirvelia, es ambavi uyuradRebod
ar darCebodaT mavanT. sofel sviris
raiaRmaskomSi saswrafod mivida cnoba
,,rodinoulis TemSi~ Catarebuli
antisaxelmwifoebrivi, antikomunisturi
,,serobis~ Sesaxeb. reaqciamac ar daayovna.
raiaRmaskomis Tavmjdomaris moadgilem
amberki juRelma da rai partkomis
instruqtorma gigineiSvilma operatiulad
gagzavnes sviris raimiliciis ufrosis
moadgile barnaba gedevanis Ze maRlakeliZe
davalebiT: _ ,,wasuliyo, moenaxa
mRvdlebi, daepatimrebina da warmoedgina
sviris raiaRmaskomSi~. im saRamos maTe
CubiniZis saxls miadgnen xelisuflebis
warmomadgenlebi: rodinaulis Temis
sabWos Tavmjdomare xaWapuriZe, sviris
raimiliciis ufrosis moadgile
maRlakeliZe, milicielebi: ugrexeliZe da
burjanaZe. davaleba warmatebiT Sesrulda:
,,monaxul da dapatimrebul~ iqna quTaTelgaenaTeli mitropoliti nazare leJava,
dekanozi germane jajaniZe, dekanozi vasil
dolaberiZe, dekanozi erTaoz nikolaZe,
mRvdeli simon mWedliZe, mRvdeli
polievto vardosaniZe, mRvdeli domenti
giorgaZe, protodiakoni besarion kuxianiZe,

church union of the village, Vladimir Maglakelidze,

addressed Kutatel Metropolitan Nazari Lezhava.
On August 2, the Metropolitan together with other
church officials visited Rodinauli. After twilight
prayers at about 8-9 oclock, they visited the home
of the peasant Mate Chubinidze together with the
priest of the village Father Domenti Giorgadze,
where for the reason of delay the dinner turned into
a great supper.
Of course, this case did not escape the attention of the authoriteis. To the Regional Executive
Committee of the village Sviri was immediately
delivered a note concerning the anti-state and anticommunist event that had taken place in the Rodinauli community. The response came forthwith.
Deputy Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee Amberki Djugeli and instructor of the Regional Party Commission Gigineishvili sent Deputy Head
of Regional militia of Sviri Barnaba s/o Gedevan
Maglakelidze with a task: he was assigned to find
priests, arrest them and bring them to the Regional
Executive Committee of Sviri.
That evening, representatives of the authorities visited the home of Mate Chubinidze, including: Khachapuridze Chairman of the Council
of Rodinauli community, Maglakelidze Deputy
Head of the Regional Militia of Sviri, and policemen Ugrekhelidze and Burjanadze. The mission
was implemented successfully: Kutatel-Gaenateli
Metropolitan Nazari Lezhava, senior priest Germane Jajanidze, senior priest Vasil Dolaberidze,
senior priest Ertaoz Nikoladze, priest Simon
Mchedlidze, priest Polievto Vardosanidze, priest
Domenti Giorgadze, Archdeacon Besarion Kukhianidze, senior deacon Isidore Svanidze, and
pupil Archil Lejava (cousins of the Metropolitan)
were found and arrested 
The following is written in the interrogation record
of the 56 year- old-Metropolitan: they again raised
me from my bed and drove me out to the hall where
they beat me terribly. Later they showed me something
with a signature in red ink, according to that paper they
had to arrest the priests but not the Metropolitan and
senior priests, after these horrible seconds I was extremely tired and felt bad and could not go with them.
I thought they would hold me hostage at my place,
but they took me by force at about one oclock at night
laid me naked on a cart and tied my hands and feet
as if I was a criminal. With a terrible clatter of the cart
and excruciating pain they brought me to some house,
which as I later found out was the building of the Ex Archive of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia, (II), file #6, case #24424, pp.112.
Ibid. pp.112.

saqarTvelos Sss-s arqivi, (III), f. #14, saq. #830, gv. 102.

20

mTavardiakoni isidore svaniZe, mowafe

nikoloz leJava, mowafe arCil leJava
(mitropilitis ZmisSvilebi).
ai, ras wers dakiTxvis oqmSi 56 wlis
mitropoliti: ,,...Cemi sawolidan kvlav
amagdes da gamagdes zalaSid, saidanac
kvlav cema tyepiT da Semdeg miCvena
raRaca wiTeli melniT warwera romliTac
maT evalebodaT daepatimrebiaT mRvdlebi
da ara mitropoliti da mRvdel mTavari,
am saSineli wamebis Semdeg me daRlil
daqanculs SeuZleblaT mimaCnda maT
gavyolodi, da vfiqrobdi rom isini me
damatyvevebdnen saxlSid, magram maT
me sul mTlad gaSiSvlebuli perangis
amxanagis samara Ramis pirveli saaTi
iqneboda daaxloebiT ZaliT damawvines
uremzed, Semikres xel fexi viT borot
avazaks, da saSineli urmis raZguniT da
tkivilebis grZnobiT RamiTve mimiyvanes
erT saxlSid, romelic bolos aRmoCnda
aRmaskomis da iq Semagdes rogorc
patimari erT patara oTaxSid: Cveneba ese
Cems mier sisworiT naCvenebi da romelic
wamikiTxa da Semdeg Cems sakuTar xels
vawer quTaTeli mitropoliti nazari~ 
dapatimrebulebi, sul TerTmeti
kaci, TandarTuli oqmebiT 1924 wlis 4
agvistos gadaegzavnen quTaisis mazris
politbiuros.
maT, romlebic gansakuTrebiT
saSiSni iyvnen, romlebmac ar uaryves
mRvdelmsaxureba, kontrrevoluciuri
miznebisTvis aralegaluri Sekrebisa
da adgilobrivi xelisuflebisaTvis
winaaRmdegobis gawevis braldebiT,
quTaisis politbiuros sagangebo
sameulis sxdomis 1924 wlis 1 seqtembris
dadgenilebiT, miesajaT sasjelis
umaRlesi zoma _ daxvreta! daxvretil
iqnen : mitropoliti nazari leJava _
56 wlis, dekanozi germane jajaniZe _
56 wlis, dekanozi erTaoz nikolaZe _
59 wlis, mRvdeli simon mWedliZe _ 60
wlis, protodiakoni besarion kuxianiZe _
53 wlis. danarCenebi ,,ganTavisuflebul
iqnen daraj qveS yofnidan.~  saqme #
590 daixura da gadaegzavna saqarTvelos
sagangebo komisias arqivSi Casabareblad.
arqivSi Cabarda da dRemde Semoinaxa
aTasobiT sxva saqme, romlebsac
etapobrivad SemogTavazebT...

ecutive Committee, and they threw me into the small

room like a prisoner. This testimony is given by me,
has been read to me and I, Kutatel Metropolitan Nazari
Lezhava, sign its correctness.
On August 4, 1924 eleven arrested persons were
sent to the Kutaisi Mazra Political Bureau.
Those who where extremely dangerous, who
did not reject public worship according to the Regulation dated by September 1, 1924 of the extraordinary
meeting of Kutaisi Political Bureau, were accused of
the crime of illegal meetings with counter-revolutionary purposes and resistance to the local authority and
were sentenced to be shot: Metropolitan Nazari Lezhava 56 years old, Senior priest Gemane Jajanidze
- 56 years old, senior priest Ertaoz Nikoladze - 59
years old, priest Simon Mchedlidze - 60 years old, and
Archdeacon Besarion Kukhianidze - 53 years old.
Others were ordered to be released from detention. Case file #590 was closed and transferred to
the Extraordinary Commission of Georgia in order to
be kept in the archive.
Thousand of such cases were transferred to the
archive, which are kept to the present day, and we will
do our best to put them at your disposal step-by-step.
Archive of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia, (II), file #6, case #24424, pp.113.

saqarTvelos Sss-s arqivi, (II), f. #6, saq. #24424, gv. 112.

iqve, gv. 7.
iqve, gv. 113.




21

mecnieris gverdi /

Scientists page

saeklesio sakuTrebis
uflebis xelyofa
(qaSveTis wm. giorgis eklesiis qonebis 1923 wlis aRwera)

The Impingement of Church Property Rights

(Inventory of property of the Kashveti Church of St. George Conducted in 1923)

vaxtang guruli
vakhtang guruli

1921

wlis Teberval-martSi
saqarTvelos demokratiuli
respublika sabWoTa
ruseTma dai pyro. politikuri mosazrebiT,
saqarTvelos sabWoTa socialistur
respublikas moskovma damoukidebeli,
suverenuli qveynis statusi SeunarCuna.
saqarTvelos okupaciisa da aneqsiis faqti
rom SeniRbuliyo, moskovis nebis Tanaxmad,
1921 wlis 21 maiss sabWoTa saqarTvelosa
da sabWoTa ruseTs Soris xelmoweril
iqna `samokavSireo muSur-glexuri
xelSekruleba~ (merab vaCnaZe, vaxtang
guruli. ruseTTan erTad da uruseTod.
Tbilisi, 2007, gv. 59). xelSekrulebis
preambulaSi dadasturebuli iyo sabWoTa
saqarTvelosa da sabWoTa ruseTis
suvereniteti da xelSekrulebis damdebi
mxareebis sruli Tanasworoba (iqve, gv. 59).
faqtobrivad, sabWoTa ruseTma saqarTveloSi
samxedro-saokupacio reJimi daamyara.
am reJimis saTaveSi partiuli organo
ruseTis komunisturi partiis (bolSevikebis)
amierkavkasiis samxareo komiteti (mdivani
sergo orjonikiZe) idga, romelic
saqarTvelos xelisuflebis sateliti
organos _ saqarTvelos revoluciuri
komitetis (revkomis) _ meSveobiT ganagebda.
saqarTveloSi revkomis erTaderT dasayrden
Zalas sabWoTa ruseTis XI wiTeli armia
warmoadgenda, romelsac saxeli Seucvales
da `kavkasiis gansakuTrebuli armia~ uwodes.

22

In February-March 1921 the Democratic Republic of

Georgia was annexed by Soviet Russia. From the purely
institutional standpoint, Moscow gave the Soviet Socialistic Republic of Georgia the status of a democratic and
sovereign country. In order to conceal the fact of occupation and annexation of Georgia, according to the will of
Moscow between the Soviet Georgia and Soviet Russia a
Worker-Peasant Commonwealth Agreement was signed
on May 21, 1921. The preamble to this Agreement affirmed the sovereignty of Soviet Georgia and Soviet Russia, as well as the complete equality of rights among the
signatories. In fact, Soviet Russia established a military
and occupational regime in Georgia. At the head of this
regime was a Party agency, the Transcaucasian Regional
Committee of the Russian Communist Party (Bolsheviks)
(the chairman of which was Sergo Orjonikidze), which
was governed via a satellite agency of the Georgian
government, namely by the Revolutionary Committee
of Georgia (the so called Revkom). In Georgia the 11th
Red Army of Soviet Russia served as the strong arm of
the Revolutionary Committee, the name of which was
changed to the Special Army of the Caucasus.
After FebruaryMarch 1922 the satellite authority
of Moscow established in place of the Revolution Committee of Georgia was as follows: 1) the Assembly of
Soviets of the Georgia (the supreme legislative body);
and 2) the Soviet of Peoples commissars of the Soviet
Merab Vachnadze, Vakhtang Guruli. Together with Russia and without Russia. (Tbilisi:
2007), p. 59.
Ibid.

1922 wlis Teberval-martidan

saqarTvelos revkomis nacvlad Seqmnili
moskovis sateliti xelisufleba ase
gamoiyureboda: 1) sruliad saqarTvelos
sabWoebis yriloba (umaRlesi sakanonmdeblo
xelisufleba), 2) saqarTvelos sabWoTa
socialisturi respublikis saxalxo
komisarTa sabWo (aRmasrulebeli
xelisufleba). saqarTvelos sakanonmdeblo
da aRmasrulebel xelisuflebaze maRla
idga ori partiuli organo ruseTis
komunisturi partiis (bolSevikebis)
amierkavkasiis samxareo komiteti da
saqarTvelos komunisturi partiis
(bolSevikebis) centraluri komiteti.
praqtikulad yvela mniSvnelovan sakiTxs
rkp(b) amierkavkasiis samxareo komiteti
(mdivani sergo orjonikiZe) moskovTan
SeTanxmebiT wyvetda.
1921 wlis Tebervlidan saqarTveloSi
daiwyo 1917-1921 wlebSi sabWoTa ruseTSi
miRebuli dekretebis (kanonebis) saswrafo
wesiT gadmoReba. araviTari yuradReba ar
eqceoda imas, Tu ramdenad Seesabameboda
es kanonebi saqarTveloSi arsebul
sinamdviles. aseT dekretTa (kanonTa) ricxvs
ganekuTvneboda: dekreti #5 `konfiskaciasa
da rekviziciaze~ (1921 wlis 20 marti),
dekreti #11 `socialuri uzrunvelyofis
Sesaxeb~ (1921 wlis 2 aprili), dekreti
#17 `miwis Sesaxeb~ (1921 wlis 6 aprili),
dekreti #21 `saxelmwifosagan eklesiisa
da eklesiisagan skolis gamoyofis Sesaxeb~
(1921 wlis 15 aprili). gadmoRebul iqna
mTeli rigi brZanebebi, maT Soris: brZaneba
#2 `kontrrevoluciasTan, spekulaciasa
da sabotaJTan sabrZolvelad saqarTvelos
sagangebo-sagamomZieblo komisiis Seqmnis
Sesaxeb~ (1921 wlis 26 Tebervali).
1921 wlis 6 aprils saqarTvelos
revkomma miiRo dekreti #17 `miwis
Sesaxeb~. dekrets xels awerda revkomis
Tavmjdomare f. maxaraZe da revkomis mdivani
S. gabriCiZe (`moambe Sinagan saqmeTa saxalxo
komisariatisa~, 1921, #1, gv. 8-10). dekretis
meore muxlSi vkiTxulobT: `is miwebi
da sxvili mamulebi, romlebic yofili
mTavrobis (saqarTvelos demokratiuli
respublikis mTavrobis avt.) dros
CamourTmeveli SerCaT kerZo memamuleebs,
eklesiebs, monastrebs da sxva sxvil
mflobelT SenobebiT, yovelive inventariT,

Socialist Republic of Georgia (the executive authority).

Two Party agencies were above the legislative body and
the executive authority in Georgia: the Transcaucasian
Regional Committee of the Russian Communist Party
(Bolsheviks) and the Central Committee of the Georgian
Communist Party (Bolsheviks). Actually, all important
issues were decided by the Transcaucasian Regional
Committee of the Russian Communist Party (Bolsheviks) (again, chaired by Sergo Orjonikidze) but only in
complete agreement with Moscow.
After February 1921, the process of adopting
Decrees approved by the Soviet Russia in 1917 1921
began in Georgia. No attention was paid to whether or not
these laws corresponded to the facts existing in Georgia.
Among such Decrees were: Decree #5 On confiscation
and requisition (March 20, 1921), Decree #11 On social
maintenance (April 2, 1921), Decree #17 On land (April
6, 1921), Decree #21 On the secession of the church
from the state and the secession of schools from the
church (April 15, 1921). A series of Orders were adopted
including: Order #2 on the Establishment of the emergency-investigative commission of Georgia for combating
counter-revolution, speculation and sabotage (February
26, 1921).
On April 6, 1921 the Revolutionary Committee of
Georgia adopted Decree #17, On land. This Decree was
signed by Mr. P. Makharadze, the Chairman of the Revolutionary Committee, and Mr. S. Gabrichidze, Secretary of
the Revolutionary Committee. In Article 2 of the abovementioned Decree one can read: Those lands and farm
lands, which during the previous government were not
seized and left to the private owners, churches, cloisters
and other owners with all facilities, stock, household
equipment, should be seized from their present owners
without any compensation and together with lands withdrawn in the past should be put on the list of the Lands
State Fund and should be used for labor. 
On April 14, 1921 the Revolutionary Committee of
Georgia adopted Decree #21 On the secession of the
church from government and secession of school from
church. This Decree was signed by Mr. M. Orakhelashvili,
Deputy Chairman of the Revolutionary Committee and Mr.
S. Gabrichidze, Secretary of the Revolutionary Committee.
Actually, this Decree was a Georgian translation of a Decree
from Soviet Russia with the same title. In Article 14 of this





Bulletin of the Peoples Commissariat, 1921, #1, pp. 8-10.

Ibid., p. 8.
Ibid., pp. 11-12.

23

sameurneo iaraRebiT, erTmevaT dRevandel

mflobelT sruliad usasyidloT da wineT
CamorTmeul miwebTan erTad Cairicxebian
miwis saxelmwifo fondSi da gadadian
mSromelTa sasargeblod~ (iqve, gv. 8).
1921 wlis 14 aprils miRebul iqna
saqarTvelos revkomis dekreti #21
`saxelmwifosagan eklesiisa da eklesiisagan
skolis gamoyofis Sesaxeb~. dekrets
xels awerdnen saqarTvelos revkomis
Tavmjdomaris moadgile
m. oraxelaSvili da revkomis mdivani
S. gabriCiZe (`moambe Sinagan
saqmeTasaxalxo komisariatisa~, 1921, #1, gv.
11-12). dekreti, praqtikulad, warmoadgenda
sabWoTa ruseTis imave saxelwodebis
dekretis qarTul Targmans. dekretis
meToTxmete muxlSi vkiTxulobT: `arc erT
saeklesio da sarwmunoebriv sazogadoebas
ara aqvs ufleba iqonios sakuTreba. maT
iuridiuli piris ufleba ara aqvT~ (iqve, gv.
12). dekretis meTxuTmete muxli iuwyeboda:
`saqarTvelos respublikaSi arsebul
saeklesio da sarwmunoebriv sazogadoebaTa
mTeli qoneba gamocxadebulia saxalxo
kuTvnulebaT~ (iqve, gv. 12). imave meTxuTmete
muxlis ZaliT `is Senobebi da nivTebi,
romlebic mRvdelmsaxurebis kultis
SesrulebisaTvis aris saWiro, miecemaT
saTanado sarwmunoebriv sazogadoebaT
sargeblobisaTvis ufasod adgilobrivi
an centraluri mmarTvelobis sagangebo
dadgenilebiT~ (iqve, gv. 12).
amrigad, 1921 wlis 15 aprils
#21 dekretis ZaliT: 1) saqarTvelos
samociqulo marTlmadidebel eklesias
CamoerTva mTeli uZravi da moZravi qoneba,
2) eklesias CamoerTva qonebis flobis
ufleba, 3) winaT eklesiis mflobelobaSi
arsebul da amieridan CamorTmeul uZrav
da moZrav qonebas eklesia xelisuflebis
sagangebo nebarTviT ufasod gamoiyenebda.
saboloo jamSi, saqarTvelos
samociqulo marTlmadidebeli eklesia
uaRresad mZime mdgomareobaSi aRmoCnda.
saqarTvelos eklesiebsa da monastrebs
aranairi sakuTreba aRar gaaCndaT. eklesiis
Senoba da is miwa, romelzec eklesia
idga, xatebi da wminda wignebi, is barZimi,
saidanac ziareba xdeboda da samrekloze
arsebuli zari eklesias aRar ekuTvnoda.
iuridiulad saqarTvelos uZvelesi
samociqulo marTlmadidebeli eklesia
gauTanabrda yvelaze mcirericxovan seqtas.

24

Decree one can read: No religious society is allowed to

own property. They do not have the rights of a legal entity.
Article 15 of the same Decree informs that the entirety of
property held by churches and religious societies is declared
to be the property of the people. According to the same
Article, On the basis of regulation of the local or central
authorities, facilities and articles necessary for divine service
will be delivered to the relevant religious societies for free
and will be made available for their use.
Thereby, on April 15, 1921 by means of Decree #21:
1) all real estate and movable property of the Orthodox
Apostolic Church of Georgia was withdrawn; 2) the church
was deprived of the right to possess property; and 3) on
the basis of emergency permission of the authorities,
churches would have free use of real estate and movable
property which was seized but until recently had been in
their possession.
Eventually, the Georgian Apostolic Orthodox Church
found itself in an extremely difficult situation. Georgian
churches and cloisters had no property. The facilities of
the churches and the land on which they were built, icons,
sacred writings, chalices from which communion was
performed, and the bells in the belfries no longer belonged
to the churches. Legally, the ancient Georgian Apostolic
Orthodox Church became just one of a number of sects.
The civil war of 19171922 and foreign military
intervention desolated the economy of Soviet Russia.
Production ceased and domestic and foreign trade came
to a standstill. In reality the country had no budget. The
situation in agriculture, and particularly in wheat production, was critical. There was not enough bread to feed the
population. The authorities were able to feed the army and
the populations of large cities by various means, but the
countryside began to starve. In several regions, hundreds
of thousands of people died of starvation.
The Soviet authorities were looking for sources to
replenish their gold reserves. On February 23, 1922 the
Central Executive Committee of Russia adopted a Decree
on the Seizure of valuables belonging to the church. The
Soviet government said that valuables belonging to the
church should be put to use in regions where the starvation
was worst. In fact, not even one tenth of the seized church
valuables were used for saving the lives of starving people.
An inventory of the property kept in the churches
and cloisters of Georgia was conducted in February 1923





Bulletin of the Peoples Commissariat, 1921, #1, p. 12.

Ibid., p. 12.
ibid.,p. 12.

1917-1922 wlebis samoqalaqo omma da

ucxoeTis samxedro intervenciam sabWoTa
ruseTis (sabWoTa kavSiris) ekonomika
gaaCanaga. moiSala warmoeba, Cakvda saSinao
da sagareo vaWroba. qveynis biujeti
praqtikulad ar arsebobda. krizisuli
viTareba Seiqmna soflis meurneobaSi,
kerZod, xorblis damzadebaSi. ar kmaroda
puri. xelisufleba, ase Tu ise, axerxebda
armiisa da didi qalaqis mosaxleobis
gamokvebas. uzarmazari qveyana SimSilma
moicva. mTel rig regionebSi SimSiliT
daixoca asi aTasobiT adamiani.
sabWoTa xelisufleba oqros maragis
Sevsebis wyaros eZebda. 1922 wlis 23
Tebervals ruseTis centralurma
aRmasrulebelma komitetma miiRo dekreti
`saeklesio faseulobaTa amoRebis Sesaxeb~.
sabWoTa xelisufleba acxadebda, rom
saeklesio faseulobani im regionebs
moxmardeboda, sadac SimSili mZvinvarebda.
sinamdvileSi eklesiebidan gatanil
faseulobaTa erTi meaTedic ar yofila
gamoyenebuli SimSiliT sikvdilisaTvis
ganwirul adamianTa gadasarCenad.
saqarTvelos eklesiebsa da
monastrebSi daculi qonebis aRwera
(revizia), misi Semdgomi CamorTmevis
mizniT, 1923 Tebervlidan daiwyo.
dawvrilebiT aRiwera yvelaferi.
xelisuflebas surda daedgina, ra
simdidres (ZiriTadad oqrosa da vercxlis
nivTebs) flobda eklesia.
mkiTxvels vTavazobT Tbilisis
eklesiebSi Catarebuli reviziis
amsaxveli dokumentebidan or dokuments:
qaSveTis eklesiis sakuTrebis aRweris
(reviziis) Sedegad komisiis mier Sedgenil
`ganmartebiT baraTs~ da reviziis dros
Sedgenil `aqts~.
dokumentebi daculi iyo saqarTvelos
komunisturi partiis centralur
komitetTan arsebuli partiis istoriis
institutis arqivSi (saqarTvelos
partarqivSi), romelsac Semdgom ewoda
saqarTvelos politikuri partiebis
arqivi, xolo mogvianebiT saqarTvelos
prezidentis arqivi. dRes es arqivi
saqarTvelos Sinagan saqmeTa saministros
arqivis SemadgenlobaSia (fondebis,
aRwerilobebisa da saqmeebis numeracia ar
Secvlila).

in order to continue the process of seizing church valuables. This inventory was very thorough and detailed. The
authorities wanted to determine the riches (especially gold
and silver items) belonging to the church.
We can provide the reader with two documents from
among a number of documents presenting the inventory implemented in the churches of Tbilisi: namely, the
Explanatory Note created by the commission as a result
of the inventory of property belonging to Kashveti Church
and an Act drawn up during the inventory.
These documents were kept in the archive of Institute
of History in the Central Committee of the Communist
Party of Georgia (the Party Archive of Georgia), which
was later called Archive of Political Parties of Georgia, and
was then renamed the Archive of the President of Georgia. Presently this archive is a part of
the archive of the Ministry of Internal
Affairs of Georgia (the fonds, descriptions and numeration of these
cases have not been changed).

25

ti #1
dokumen

DOCUMENT

#1

21 26 1923 , . .
. ., , . . . , , ,
. 1 .
.
, ,
.
,
.
, .
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.

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,
.
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saqarTvelos Sinagan saqmeTa saministros arqivi

(III), fondi 14, aRwera 1, saqme 830, furceli 119.
manqanaze nabeWdi. dedani (pirveli piri). qaRaldis
zoma 23,5X36. qaRaldi gaxunebulia. teqsti
ikiTxeba kargad. Tavjdomarisa da komisiis
wevrebis xelmowerebi Sesrulebulia wiTeli
melniT.

qaSveTis wm. giorgis eklesiis winamZRvari, dekanozi kalistrate

cincaZe, SemdgomSi sruliad saqarTvelos kaTolikos-patriarqi.
2
dekanozi kalistrate cincaZe daapatimres 1922 wels kaTolikospatriarq ambrosisTan (xelaiasTan) da sxvebTan erTad.
3
komisiis wevri okujava da cnobili moRvawe mixeil okujava erTi
da igive pirovneba ar aris avt.

26

Archive of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia (III),

Fond 14, Opis 1, File 830, page 119. Original of the document
(first copy). Page size 23,5X36. The paper is discolored but the
text is readable. The signatures of the chairman and commission members were written in red ink.

Deacon and senior priest of Kashveti Church of St. George Kalistrate Tsintsadze. Later the Catholicos-Patriarch
of All Georgia.
Senior priest Kalistrate Tsintsadze was arrested in 1922 together with the Catholicos-Patriarch Ambrosi
(Khelaia) and others.
3 Commission Member Okujava and the well-known public figure Mikheil Okujava are not the same person
author.
1

ti #2
dokumen

DOCUMENT

#2

1
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21 1923 . :

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27

42) . ....................1 . ()
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5 . (), .

:

()
()
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()
. ()

saqarTvelos Sinagan saqmeTa saministros

arqivi (III), fondi 14, aRwera 1, saqme 830, furceli
120-121. manqanaze nabeWdi. dedani (pirveli piri).
qaRaldis zoma 23,5X36. qaRaldi gaxunebulia.
teqsti ikiTxeba kargad. Tavjdomarisa da komisiis
wevrebis da dekanoz d. xaxutovis (xaxutaSvilis)
xelmowerebi Sesrulebulia wiTeli melniT.

28

Archive of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia (III),

Fond 14, Opis 1, File 830, pages 120-121. Original of the document (first copy). Page size 23,5X36. The paper is discolored but
the text is readable. The Signatures of the chairman, commission members and senior priest D. Khakhutov (Khakhutashvili)
were written in red ink.

gaxunebuli baraTebi
worn out cards

s
Tli
were
i
l
vi
maniS araZes
a Tu
i
ax
s
lim
a
ishvi
i pe
anast
fil
uman haradze
T
i
a
i
l
s
k
e Ma
weri
nasta
rs. A
Philip
r of M
ed to
A lette li address
te
Tsere

Zv el o na c no bo
f i l i p e!
amas wineT mwer

Salva eliavam

alTa kavSiris kr

aRniSna, rom ,,

ebaze

balSevikebi~ did
d
a yvelgan SeaqvT
amis magaliTi us
kultura.
aTuoT iqneba er
ivani da baqo. ma
laTaiebiT ver
gram am gvari
daajerebT CemisT
ana moxucebuls.
amboben garSemo
bevri jaSuSebi t
rialeben da pi
CaigubeT, me ki vS
rSi wyali
iSob wyalma ar
damaxrCos da sj
sarCo sabadebel
obia damsajoT.
i aRara maqvs, ga
rda qarTuli wi
amisTana saerTo
gnebisa, romel
ic
SimSilobis dr
os aravisTvis sa
Wiro ar ari d
Tqveni xeliT Ce
a
mi sikvdili ki ma
tianeSi iqneba o
riod sityviT iy
aRniSnuli da me
os
amiTi suliT dak
mayofilebuli
viqnebi.
xalxis brbo, ro
melic ver moaw
yobs Tavis ojaxi
cecxliTa da ma
s saqmes da
xviliT devnis in
teligencias, r
a kulturis Semo
SeuZlia! kalia
Reba
saviT rom mousie
T Cven turfa sa
qarTvelos brbo
gasanadgurebl
ad, SegrCebaT
Tu ara!
amis mnaxveli, r
asakvirvelia, me
ver veswrebi da
qarTveloba ki
momavali
daafasebs.
,, kvalis~ yofil
i redaqtori an
astasia wereTl
isa
1921 weli
10 marti.
mniSvnelobas aZ

leven kulturas

To Philipe, my old acquaintance!

The other day, Mr. Shalva Eliava remarked at the
Writers Union session that the Bolsheviks attach great
importance to culture, and bring it in everywhere. Erevan
and Baku would set examples of this. But you cant
swindle an old lady like me with this kind of story.
There are rumors that spies are everywhere and
wed better hush, but I am afraid that if I do not voice my
concerns it will be worse, but Id rather be punished. I have
nothing left except for Georgian books, and in view of the
famine we are currently experiencing there is no need for
them. So I prefer to be murdered by you. In so doing, my
soul will be content, and I will probably be remembered in
historical chronicles.
saqarTvelos Sss-s arqivi, (III), f. # 2914, aRw. 1, s.#700.

Can the masses bring in culture while its members

persecute the intelligentsia and are unable to get over
problems in their own families? You will definitely be
thwarted in your attempts to overrun our wonderful
country.
However, I will not live to see that time when future
generations of Georgians will duly assess what has
happened.
Anastasia Tsereteli,
Former editor of the Kvali (Path) newspaper.
March 10th, 1921.
Archive of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia (III), F.#2914.F# 700.

29
29

tabu / Taboo

daSnakebis Sovinist-nacionaluri politika

The Dashnaks Chauvinist Nationalist Police

meri barbaqaZe
mery barbakadze

ote gvaramaZis (siZveleTa kulturis

dacvis komitetis rwmunebuli da
muzeumis gamge) moxseneba _ ,,Tu ranairs
politikas awarmoebs Sovinistnacionalur
niadagze adgilobrivi daSnakebi daiwera
1936 w. lavrenti beriasTvis gasagzavnad.
werilis avtors urCies moxseneba fili pe
maxaraZisTvis gadaegzavna, radgan is ufro
iyo dainteresebuli istoriul sabuTebze
agebuli nawerebiT, sul Tu araferi,
arqivisTvis mainc gamoadgebao.

aRniSnuli masala Sss saarqivo

sammarTvelos III ganyofilebaSi, f. maxaraZis
pirad fondSi inaxeba. imis gamo, rom moxseneba
sakmaod vrcelia (15 Tabaxis furceli),
gTavazobT mis Semcirebul variants.

moxseneba
,, ...Tqven kargad mogexsenebaT mesxeTjavaxeTi TviTmpyrobeli mefisa da minagvari
menSevikebis droidan erT-erT ubneles
kuTxes Seadgenda mTels saqarTveloSi,
romelic moklebuli iyo swavla-ganaTlebas
da yovelgvars kulturuls ganviTarebas,
xolo gamefebuli iyo mis mosaxleobaSi
mraval erovanTa da sarwmunoebis
maRiarebelTa Soris sruliad uvicoba da
veluri cxovreba, cxovreba araadamianuri,
rac gamowveuli iyo politikurad zereled
xsenebuli xelisuflebisagan. magaliTad:
somexi TaTars ausia, kaTolike qarTvelebi

30

Report of Kote Gvaramadze (Museum Director

and Commissioner for Ancient Cultural Heritage)
on the essence of the policy conducted by the
local Dashnaks on chauvinist-nationalist grounds.
This report was written in 1936 to be submitted to
Lavrenty Beria. The author was advised to send
the letter to Comrade Makharadze, since he was an
upstanding individual and interested in documents
based on historical chronicles.
(This documentation is registered in the personal
files of Philipe Makharadze, III section of MoIA
Archive division. Since the report is rather long
(15 pages), we offer an abridged version).

R E P O RT
As you are fully aware, the Samtskhe-Javakheti
region was one of the most obscure and backwater
regions in all of Georgia during the reign of the Tsars
and the Mensheviks, and was lacking of any kind of
cultural development and education, while ignorance and
savagery prevailed among its numerous ethnicities and
adherents of various religions. They indeed lived in harsh
conditions that were triggered by the cursory approach of
the above mentioned authorities. For instance: Armenians
were pitted against Tatars, Georgian Catholics were
subjugated to Armenians, which sparked century-old
disputes and revenge, leading to feuds...

somxis ers daumonava, ris gamo TiTqmis

mTeli erTi saukunis ganmavlobaSi
dava autexa da sastiki Suri da mtroba
Camoagdo...
Semdeg 1829-Si rusma rom aiRo Cveni
kuTxe da im dros azrumidan graf
paskeviCma 111 aTasi somexi gadmoasaxla
Cven kuTxeSi, maSin axlad gadmosaxlebuli
somex-kaTolikebi daepatronen qarTvel
kaTolikeTa eklesiebs da TviT qarTvel
kaTolikebsac somxad naTlavdnen; da amis
Tanaxmani rom ar iyvnen Cveni kaTolikeni
qarTuls enaze moindomes wirva-locva,
mara amis winaaRmdeg aleqsandre 11-em 1886 w.
,, ~ gamosca, riTac
aRukrZala kaTolike qarTvelebs locva
TavianT eklesiebSi... aseT velur cxovrebas
ganicdida gasabWoebamde Cveni mesxeTjavaxeTi. da dResac gasabWoebasac ki
bedaven aseTs nacionalurs da Sovinisturs
politikas, romelTa aseTs faqtebs qvemod
aRvniSnav, rac iwvevs erovnebobas urTerTSoris, arev-darevas, Sexla-Semoxlas da
daubolovebels usiamovnebas.
daviwyoT Zveli faqtebidan daSnakTa
sagmiro Cadeniloba:
1917 wlis Tebervlis revoluciis
gadatrialebisas usulxaCaos meTaobiT
daSnakebi Secvivdnen xazinaSi da
mosamsaxurenis erovnebani aRweres da ara
somexi gvaris TanamSromlebs gamoucxades,
iqidan wasuliyvnen, radganac somxebs
gvekuTvnis aqaurobao. imave wels, varcixis
adgilobriv gimnaziaSi, didi areuloba da
aurzauri astexes daSnakebma, anjelovis
TaosnobiT / didi yofili vaWari/. gimnaziis
direqtori sergo danelia, oTxi qarTveli
maswavlebliTurT gadaagdes da imaT
magivrad somxebi daniSnes. imave gimnaziaSi
misi daarsebidan 1890 w. somxebma TavianTi
ena Seatanies administracias saswavleblaT,
xolo qarTuli ena uaryofili iqmna.
Cveni daJinebuli moTxovnis Semdeg
kvlav aRadgines, magram qarTuli enis
maswavleblis xelfasi 5 maneTi daniSnes
TveSi, im mizniT rom am xelfasSi aravin
imsaxurebda, maSin princi pis gulobisa
me vikisre 5 maneTis xelfasze swavleba,
rodesac aravin ikisra.
1918-19 ww. somxebma usulxaCos
TaosnobiT gaamwvaves TaTrebis aRa-begebis
mier qarTvelebisadmi dava, romlebic
moiTxovdnen axalcixes dapatronebodnen.
somexma daSnakebma TaTar-qarTvelTa

Later in 1829, when our region was occupied by

Russian troops, Count Paskevich resettled 111,000
Armenians into our region from Erzurum (Ottoman
Empire). Consequently, the newly settled Armenians of
the Catholic faith grabbed the churches that belonged
to Georgians of the Catholic faith, and Georgians were
even forced to be baptized as Armenians. The Georgians
put up resistance to this and urged the conducting of
services in Georgian, but the emperor, Alexander II, in
1886 issued a Supreme Command that banned Catholic
Georgians from conducting services in Georgian in their
own churches
The region of Meskheti-Javakheti suffered much
from such savagery and experienced tribulations before
Sovietization. Even after the arrival of Soviet power they
still dare to pursue such a chauvinist-nationalist policy; the
appropriate facts will be presented below, which in turn
sparks disputes, bickering and incessant disarray among
the ethnicities that reside the region. Let us begin with the
heroic exploits committed by the Dashnaks:
In 1917, during the February revolution, the
Dashnaks spearheaded by Usulkhachao raided the
treasury and examined the national backgrounds of the
employees there. They then told all the non-Armenians
that they were fired, and that the surrounding lands and
property belonged to the Dashnaks.
In the same year, in the Vartsikhe School, the
Dashnaks under the leadership of Anjelov (a former grand
merchant) began to stir up trouble. The head-master
of the School, Sergo Danelia, and four other Georgian
teachers were sacked and replaced by Armenians.
In this school, since its foundation in 1890,
Armenians had been urging the administration to
introduce the Armenian language while dismissing
Georgian. However, due to our unrelenting demands,
the Georgian language was restored, although
the Georgian teacher was
paid only a miserable salary
of 5 rubles, in the hope that
no one would accept such
disparaging
conditions.

31

Soris daiwyes orWofuli agitaciebi da

gamoiwvies mesxeT-javaxeTs damRupveli da
gamanadgurebeli omi. SeuCndnen qarTvelebs:
ariqa qarTvelobo, Cvenc Tqvenken varT,
davkraT urjulo TaTrebs, osmalos
gabatonebas cdiloben qarTvelebis kuTvnil
samflobeloSio. da imave dros mahmadianebs
eCurCulebodnen: axalcixe Tqvenia dascxeT
qarTvelebso... aseTi politika daSnakebisa
gamowveuli iyo nacionalur niadagze, im
atexili omiT wyali aaRvries TavianT
sasargeblod, qarTvelebis daxmarebiT
cdilobdnen mahmadianebis gawyvetas, riTac
sisxls iZiebdnen TaTrebze, somex-TaTarTa
Soris arsebuli sisxlisRvris gamo, rac
swarmoebda kavkasiis yvela daba-qalaqsoflebSi.
nacionalur niadagze ro epatronebian
Cvens kuTxeebs iqidanac naTlad Cans, ro
Zvels istoriuls Zeglebze, qarTuls xucur
warwerebs fxekaven da nacvlad somxurad
aweren, mag.: sof. alastanSi /javaxeTi/ Zvel
eklesiaze ,xucuri warwera romelic 2030 wlis wined Cemis TvaliT minaxavs, is
xucuri warwera da mamaCems ivane gvaramaZes,
romelic istorikosi da arqeologi
gaxldaT, 1880-ian wlebSi javaxeTis da
mesxeTis Zveli istoriuli Zeglebidan
yvela warwerebi xucuri da mxedruli, Tavis
arqeologiur mgzavrobaSi gadmowerili aqvs,
romelic CemTan isev daculia da im drois
gazeTebSi ,,droebaSiac aRuniSnavs. es
alastanis warwera xucuri gauCinarebulia
da mis nacvlad somxurad dauweriaT,
romelic vnaxe 2-3 wlis wined Cemis TvaliT.
es cnoba siZveleTa komitets movaxsene da
gauCinarebuli xucuris warweris teqstic
gadaugzavne. aseve aqvT wafxekil xoreniaSi
ganmaSi da sxvagan /javaxeTi/ da mis nacvlad
somxuri warwerebi Cans iqac.
aspinZis raionSi, axalqalaqis
gzatkecilze xviliSis Zvel eklesiaSi
tamalis somxebs SeutaniaT somxurad naweri
oTx-kuTxi qva eklesiis dasapataraveblad.
is ki daviwyebiaT ro, eklesiis kedelze
zeviT xucuri warwera iyo, romelic
albaT maT somxuri gonebiaT, radgan
asomTavruli xucuri Zalian waagavs Zvel
somxur nawers. ase rom ar gonebodaT imasac
wafxekavdnen Tvara TavianT gasamtyunaris
qarTuls sabuTs ar datovebdnen... amiT
istoriuli sinamdvilis kanonebs arRveven
da amaxinjeben, amisTvis momyavs aseTi
sabuTebi, Tvara me araviTari siZulvili ar

32

Since it was a matter of principle, I assumed the task for

the 5 rubles, since nobody else would.
In 1918-1919 the Armenians, led by Usulkhacho,
instigated a dispute between the Tatar Aghabegs and
the Georgians over claims to the Akhaltsikhe district,
further sharpening the existing tension. The Dashnaks
spread misinformation among both the Georgians and
the Tatars, and provoked a dreadful war in SamtskheJavkheti. They pestered the Georgians by saying We
will take your side - lets stick together and strike at
those infidel Tatars as they try to take over Georgian
lands. Simultaneously, they told the Tatars: Akhlatsikhe
is yours, and its better to wage a war against them.
The political stance of the Dashnaks was based on
nationalistic grounds, as they were the ones who stood
to gain from hostilities. Besides, by extending help to
Georgians they hoped to kill Tatars and take revenge for
earlier bloodshed between Tatars and Armenians. The
conflicts between them were frequent in the villages,
districts and cities throughout the Caucasus.
That their nationalistic policy was aimed at seizing
our regions can be clearly seen in the example of
old historical monuments: they scratch out Georgian
inscriptions and then rewrite Armenian ones instead.
For instance, this happened in the village of Alastani
(Javakheti) to an old Georgian inscription that I myself
observed around 20-30 years ago, and it also happened
with scores of other inscriptions in Nuskhuri (the old
Georgian alphabet) and Mkhedruli (the new Georgian
alphabet) that my father, Ivane Gvaramadze, an
archeologist and historian, copied in his diaries during
his archeological expeditions throughout the MeskhetiJavakheti region in the 1880s. I still keep all of those
materials, and my father published them in Droeba and
other newspapers of that time. That Georgian inscription
in Alastani has vanished, and there is an Armenian one
is in place, which I saw couple of years ago. I appealed
to the Cultural Heritage Committee with a statement
and submitted the text of the vanished old Georgian
inscription. The inscriptions are as well scratched out in
the villages of Khorenia, Ganma and elsewhere across
Javakheti and are replaced with Armenian ones.
In the Aspinda district, on the Akhalkalaki highway,
the Tamalian Armenians placed some 4 or 5 stones
with Armenian scriptures on them into the old Georgian
Khvilishi church in order to diminish the significance of
that church. However, they disregarded the Georgian
inscriptions that were in the upper part of the church as
they thought they were Armenian, since there is some

mimiZRvis maTdami, rasac naTlad amtkicebs

Cems sicocxleSi somxebTan amxanaguri
ganwyobileba, Cemi mcire sazogado
literaturuli moRvaweobis nimuSebidan,
rodesac somxuri literaturidan
qarTulad naTargmni maqvs Sxiancis
,,nakaduli da sxvebi.
aRmaskomis mdivnis saSa arguTianis
daSnakTa warmomadgenlis TaosnobiT,
romelTa politika iyo nacionaluri da
epatronebodnen axalcixes, aseT niadagze
maT aRmoaCndaT axalcixis istoria
remengtonze dabeWdili, sadac sxvaTa Soris
ewera - rabaTSi /axalcixis Zvel nawilSi/
70-ian wlebSi 700 somexi cxovrobda
da ramodenime qarTvelio da aseTsave
cru cnobebs awvdidnen gareTgan mosul
eqskursantebs, turistebs... es istoria me
xelSi Camivarda 1924 wels...
es daSnakebi winaaRmdegi iyvnen aq
muzeumis da arqivisac, romlis gamged
me viyavi. ar maZlevdnen Sesaferis binas...
binidan binaze matarebinebdnen saarqivo
fondebs, mis gamo gzadagza ireoda da
ifxriweboda. 12 wlis ganmavlobaSi
15-16 jer ucvales adgili arqivs,
riTac ganadgurebis gzas miayenes... rac
centroarqivsac vacnobe da politbiurosac
da cakis Tavmjdomare amx. f. maxaraZesac.
mara yvelaferi uSedegod darCa, cakis
Tavjdomaris brZanebam tyvila gaiara, arc
aravis gamouZiebia da arc arqivisTvis
miuciaT Sesaferi bina. garedan mosuli
daSnakebi viTomda samecniero muSaobis
mizniT kidev mets mavneblobas ewevian,
awarmoeben agitaciebs nacionalurs
da Sovinisturs niadagze adgilobriv
mosaxleobaSi.
oriode wlis winad centroarqividan
movlinebuli giorgi boWoriZe, eklesiebSi,
rac samuzeumo istoriuli wignebi iyo
hkrebda saTanado mandatiT muzeumisaTvis,
somxebis eklesiebis garda, yvela
eklesiebma ulaparakoT gadasces
boWoriZes ist. wignebi. somxebis mRvdelma
aznaurovma episkopozis SeukiTxavad ar
gadasca wigni, risTvisac prokurors
gamoecxada aznaurovis aseTi saqcieli.
prokurorma odebaSinma aznaurovs dauWira
mxari da boWoriZes eubneba: Tqveni centris
kanoni aq ar ikanonebs, radgan sazRvaria aq,
Cveneburi kanonebi gvaqvs, rogorc sazRvars
Sehferiso...

semblance between the old Georgian alphabet and the

Armenian one. Otherwise they would have scraped off
that scripture as well, and they would not have left any
trace which could be used against them.
By doing so, they infringe on and debase the
established rules. That is the reason that I am making
this appeal. Otherwise I have no grudge against them.
To the contrary, I have had many Armenian friends
throughout my life and am positively inclined towards
them. During my modest public activity I have even
translated Armenian stories into Georgian. For instance,
Ive translated Shkhiants The Stream, and a host of
others.
The nationalist policy pursued by Dashnaks, and
guided by the secretary of the Executive Committee,
Sasha Arghutian, was aimed at taking hold of the
Akhaltsikhe district and forging a fabricated history of
their own making, in which, among others, we read that
Armenians lived in Rabat (the old part of Akhaltsikhe)
for some 700 years while there were only few Georgians
residing in that part of the town. Tourists and visitors
were provided with similar false information.
The Dashnaks were against opening the museum
and archival office, of which I am currently the director.
I was not provided with an appropriate building, and
was made to roam with the archival materials from
place to place. In the end some exhibits were mixed
up while others were shredded. The archive depository
was changed 15 or 16 times over 12 years, inflicting
considerable damage to the materials. I informed Central
Archival Bureau about this, as well as the Political
Bureau and the Chairman of the Central Committee,
Comrade Philipe Makharadze, but it was futile. The
decree of the Chairman of Central Committee yielded
no results; the archive was not provided with a suitable
building, and no investigation was launched.
The Dashnaks from out of the country do even
worse things than these locals. Would-be scientists,
under guise of scientific research, conduct nationalist
and jingoist propaganda among the local population.
A couple of years ago Giorgi Botchoridze was
assigned from the Central Archival Bureau to collect
historical books from the churches. All churches except
the Armenian ones delivered historical books to Mr.
Botchoridze without delay. The Armenian pastor,
Aznaurov, would not comply with this without receiving
prior consent from the bishop. The local prosecutor
was informed about this. The prosecutor, Odebashian,
supported Aznaurov and stated the following to Mr.

33

a.w. agvistoSi erevnidan mogvevlina

eTnografiuli eqspedicia, istorikos st.
lisicinis xelmZRvanelobiT. lisicini
mestumra saxlSi da gamiziara Tavisi
CvenSi mosvlis mizani... sxvaTa Soris
gaaba saubari, Tqven kaTolikebi somxurad
loculobdiT mefis dros, somxebi xarT
da ratom qarTvelobTo? mamaSenic ivane
gvaramaZe somxuri enis kargi mcodne iyo,
veneciaSi somxurad gaizardao da bolos
isic gaqarTveldao... javaxeTSi eklesiebze
qarTvelebs somxuri warwerebi wauxociaT
qarTuli warwerebiTo. me Camecina
uneblieT. lisicinis yvela nalaparakevi
sicrues Seadgenda, iZulebuli gavxdi
Sesaferi istoriuli sabuTebis moyvaniT
gavmaspinZlebodi, riTac xma gavakmedine.
gamoTxovebisas pergamentze naweri wignebi
mTxova sayidlad, romelic CemTan naxa. me
uari uTxari saqarTvelos muzeums unda
gadavce, rogorc misi teritoriis wigni
meTqi. lisicini Cemgan levan baiburTelis
saxlSi wavida, roca oTaxSi SoTa
rusTavelis suraTi naxa dakidebuli,
saxlis patrons usayvedura, Tqven xom
somxebi xarT, raT gindaT rusTaveli
dagikidiaT oTaxSio.
lisicinma inaxula adgilobrivi
prokurori odibaSiani da sax. mosamarTle,
romelTac daavala: am cota xanSi moxdeba
gamorkveva dawesebulebebSi, Tu ra enaze
unda swarmoebdes muSaoba, Tqven ecadeT
da somxuri ena moiTxoveT, eubneba
lisicini da Tu ar gatardes TaTrebis
mravalricxovnebis gamo, maSin ueWvelad
rusuli ena moiTxoveT, oRond ecadeT
qarTuli ena ar SeitanoTo.
lisicinis CvenSi mosvlis ori kviris
wined aralegalurad daZvreboda umandato
eqspedicia, romlis vinaoba ver gavigeT,
Tumca bevri zoma miviReT gagvego. isic
nacionalur niadagze eweoda agitacias,
rabaTlebs umtkicebdnen qarTvel
kaTolikeTa jvris eklesia somxebis
agebuliao...1

Botchoridze: The laws of your center do not hold here

since its a borderland and we have our own law that
befits to the borderland.
In August of this year an ethnographic expedition
from Yerevan led by the historian Mr. Lisitsin visited our
region. Mr. Lisitsin came to my place and shared with
me the true reason for their visit. Among other things,
he articulated that we adherents of the Catholic Church
prayed in Armenian during the reign of Queen Tamar,
and you are Armenians, so why do you claim to be
Georgians? Your father too, Ivane Gvaramadze, was
fluent in Armenian, he was brought up in Venice in the
Armenian style and in the end he turned Georgian In
Javakheti the Georgians wiped out Armenian inscriptions
from the churches and replaced them with Georgian
ones. I involuntarily laughed at this. Mr.Lisitsins
narration was an egregious lie and I was compelled to
set out the relevant historical documentation, and this
easily made him shut up. When taking leave he asked
me to sell him the books written on parchment that he
saw in my home. I refused, telling him that I intended to
donate them to the Georgian Museum. Soon after he left
my home Mr. Lisitsin visited Mr.Baiburteli. He scolded
him after he saw Shota Rustavelis portrait hung on the
wall, and told him that they had no need of Rustaveli as
they were Armenians.
Mr.Lisitsin visited the local prosecutor,
Mr.Odibashian, and a popular judge, whom he
ordered: Soon the rules on working languages will
be defined, so do your best to request Armenian. And
if you fail due to the fact that Tatars outnumber you,
then certainly demand Russian. Nut make sure not to
allow Georgian in.
Two weeks before the arrival of Mr. Lisitsins
group, an un-permitted expedition was wandering in the
vicinity. Notwithstanding our strenuous efforts, we failed
to identify them. The group conducted propaganda on
nationalistic groundsm, asserting to the Rabat dwellers
that the Georgian Cross church was built by Armenians.

With respect,
Kote Gvaramadze
Akhaktsikhe, 1936

didi pativiscemiT kote gvaramaZe

1936 w. q. axalcixe

34

saqarTvelos Sss-s arqivi, (III), f. # 2914, s. #37 gv. 5-20.

Archive of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia,(III), files. #2914 S. #37 pp.5-20.

sabWoTa kuluarebi/

Soviet Lobby

ras werda lavrenti

beria ioseb stalins...
What
Lavrenty
Beria
wrote to
Stalin ...

ioseb stalini / Joseph stalin

lavrenti beria / Lavrenty Beria

nino yifSiZe
nino kipShidze

XX

saukunis 20-30-iani wlebi

saqarTvelos istoriaSi
erT-erT yvelaze rTul
periodad iTvleba da daxvretebTan,
gadasaxlebebTan, represiebsa da masobriv
terorTan asocirdeba.
es faqtebi sazogadoebisTvis metnaklebad cnobilia, magram gacilebiT
ufro did interess xelisuflebis `Sida
samzareulo~ da ucnobi detalebi iwvevs...
qveyana ase Tu ise viTardeboda,
cxovrebac Tavisi gziT midioda da
`Zlierni ama qveynisani~ mxolod
daxvretebiTa da dapatimrebebiT
namdvilad ar iyvnen dakavebulni. saarqivo
sammarTveloSi inaxeba saqme, romelic
swored im periodis kuluarebze iZleva
garkveul warmodgenas. A

The 1920s and 30s are considered to be one of

the most difficult periods in the history of Georgia, and
very often this period is associated with shootings, exile,
repression and mass terror. The facts are less known
among the public, but there is nonetheless great interest
in the inner workings and the unknown details of the
Soviet leadership.
The country continued to develop and life carried
on in its usual way. The strongest people in the world
were often busy with other things besides executions and
arrests. One file is held in the Archive Division that sheds
some light on how things worked in that era.
This file contains official telegrams sent by Beria to
Stalin in 1937, which is a unique means of bringing the
Georgia of the 1930s to life. The file also includes letters
by Beria regarding repressions, the deaths of Georgian rebels, and issues concerning the resettlement of

35

aRniSnul saqmeSi Tavmoyrilia

1937 wels berias mier stalinisTvis
gagzavnili oficialuri depeSebi, rac
unikaluri saSualebaa ocdaaTiani
wlebis saqarTvelos gasacocxleblad.
saqmeSi Cadebulia berias is werilebic,
romelic exeba, rogorc represiebsa
da sabWoTa saqarTvelos meamboxe
pirTa TviTmkvlelobamde miyvanas,
aseve imasac, Tu rogor wydeboda
mosaxleobis gadasaxlebis sakiTxi;
rogor iyo gadatvirTuli cixeebi
patimrebiT; rogori politikuri situacia
gaxldaT qveyanaSi; amis paralelurad
ki rogor viTardeboda saqarTveloSi
msubuqi mrewveloba, soflis meurneoba
Tu kulturuli cxovreba... saarqivo
sammarTvelo gegmavs zemoaRniSnuli
saqmis mixedviT broSuris gamocemas,
romelic `saarqivo moambis~ damateba
iqneba.
manamde ki garkveuli warmodgenis
Sesaqmnelad lavrenti berias ramdenime
werils SemogTavazebT.
ucxo aravisTvis iqneba, Tu vityviT,
rom saqarTvelos daSla-danawevrebis
politika wlebis ganmavlobaSi ara
mxolod omebiTa da brZolebiT, aramed
ideuradac mimdinareobda. trialebda
manqana, romelic nergavda azrs, rom
megrelebi qarTvelebi ar arian, aWarlebi
saerTod calke naciaa, saqarTvelosgan
damoukidebel nawilad asaxelebdnen,
zogierT SemTxvevaSi, svaneTsac. yovelive
es ki erT mizans - `gaTiSe da ibatones~
politikas emsaxureboda.
Cven mier aRniSnul dokumentSi
daculi lavrenti berias werili imis
magaliTia, Tu rogor ibrZvis Tavad cekas
pirveli mdivani am politikis winaaRmdeg.
weriliT beria aRSfoTebiT mouTxrobs
stalins: 1937 wels sabWoTa mosaxleobis
aRweris Semdeg Sedgenil leqsikonSi,
romelsac `erovnebaTa leqsikoni~ hqvia,
aWarlebi calke naciad rogor arian
gamoyofilni.
`aWarlebis calke erad gamoyofa
da saqarTvelosgan mocileba,
ZirSive ewinaaRmdegeba stalinis
mier Camoyalibebul naciaTa gagebas.
aWarlebs saqarTvelosTan saerTo ena,
teritoria da kulturul-ekonomikuri
ganviTareba aerTianebs. aWarlebi

36

populations. The letters describe how prison cells were

overcrowded with prisoners, what the political situation
in the country was, how the situations in light industry,
agriculture and cultural life were developing in Georgia.
The Archive Department is planning to release a special
brochure as a supplement to the Archival Bulletin to give
particular attention to this valuable file. In the meantime,
we will discuss here several of the letters by Lavrenty
Beria.
It is know that the division of Georgia historically
has been implemented not only as a result of wars, but
also as a result of ideology. One such idea that successfully worked in the past is the concept that Mingrelians
are different from other Georgians, that Adjarians are a
totally separate nation, and even that Svanetia should be
independent from Georgia. All of these things served one
goal: Divide and Rule!
One letter by Beria that is preserved in the file demonstrates a struggle in which the First Secretary of the
Central Committee himself opposes such a policy. In his
letter, Beria anxiously notifies Stalin that in the vocabulary called the Nationalities Dictionary that was worked
out after the census of the Soviet population in 1937,
Adjarians are mentioned as a separate nation.
The classification of Adjarians as a separate nation
and consequently breaking them away from Georgia
totally contradicts the concept of nation that was established by Stalin. Adjarians have linguistic, territorial and
cultural-social development in common with Georgians.
Adjarians are just as Georgian as any other Georgian
from other regions of the republic, with just a few differences they were Islamized in the past. Beria calls
the authors of the census ignoramuses, and mentions
that Soviet scientific institutions are overcrowded with a
similar type of scientists.
In this letter to Stalin, Beria provides facts about the
results of research conducted in different periods by the
Soviet scientific organizations. It should be emphasized
that at the time that this division of the Georgian population into nationalities was taking place, these scientists
were contradicting one another in their conclusions.
The Academy of Science of Georgia divided the
republic in the following way in 1926:
1) Georgians (consisting of Kartlians, Kakhetians,
Tushes, Pshav-Khevsurians, Armenians, Javakhs,
Meskhetians, Klarjetians, Taos, Adjarians, Guruls, Imerelis, Rachvels, Lechkhumians);
Archive of the MoIA of Georgia (II), Fond .#14; File #152; p.82.

iseTive qarTvelebi arian, rogorc

saqarTvelos yvela kuTxis Svilebi, erTi
mciredi gansxvavebiT, isini warsulSi
gamahmadianebulan.~  _ aRniSnavs
lavrenti beria da am leqsikonis
avtorebs sul `Tavgzaabneulebsa~
da `gaucnobierebulebs~ uwodebs da
iqve dasZens, rom sabWoTa samecniero
dawesebulebebi am ti pis mecnierebiTaa
gadaWedili.
stalinisadmi gankuTvnil werilSive
lavrenti beria faqtebiT mogviTxrobs
sabWoTa samecniero organizaciebis
mier sxvadasxva dros Catarebuli
gamokvlevebis Sedegebs. sayuradReboa,
rom saqarTvelos mosaxleobis
erovnebebad dayofis dros es mecnierebi
TavianTi daskvnebiT erTmaneTs
ewinaaRmdegebian.
sabWoTa mecnierebaTa akademias 1926
wels saqarTvelo Semdegi saxiT dauyvia:
1) qarTvelebi (maT SemadgenlobaSi
Sedian: qarTlelebi, kaxelebi, TuSebi,
fSav-xevsurebi, somxebi, javaxebi, mesxebi,
klarjeTelebi, taoelebi, aWarlebi,
gurulebi, imerlebi, raWvelebi,
leCxumlebi);
2) megrelebi;
3) Wanebi;
4) svanebi;
5) bacbebi.
enaTmecnierebis instituts ki 1937
wels saqarTvelos mosaxleobasTan
dakavSirebiT gansxvavebuli saxis
klasifikacia Seudgenia, romlis
mixedviTac, calke naciad arian
moxseniebulni qarTvelebi, megrelebi,
lazebi, svanebi, bacbebi da aWarlebi.
1937 wels sabWoTa anTropologiis
mecnierebaTa akademiis instituts
kidev erTi varianti SeumuSavebia,
romelic `erovnebaTa leqsikons~ daedo
safuZvlad da romlis mixedviTac
saqarTvelo Turme qarTvelebis
(megrelebi, lazebi, svanebi, bacbebi) da
aWarlebisgan Sedgeba.
am mosazrebebidan gamomdinare
lavrenti beria askvnis, rom `pirvel
SemTxevaSi _ aWarlebi qarTvelebad
iTvlebian, magram calke erovnebad arian
gamoyofilni: megrelebi, svanebi da
lazebi.

2) Mengrelians;
3) Chans;
4) Svans;
5) Batsbs.
The Linguistic Academy submitted an entirely different classification of the Georgian population in 1937;
according to this classification, Georgians, Mengrelians,
Lazis, Svans, Batsbs and Adjarians are categorized as
separated nations.
One more variant was elaborated in 1937 by the
Institute of the Academy of Soviet Anthropological Sciences; this variant became the basis for the Nationalities Dictionary, according to which Georgia consisted
of Georgians (Mengrelians, Lazis, Svans, Batsbs) and
Adjarians.
Criticizing those opinions, Beria writes: In the first
case, Adjarians are considered to be Georgians, but
Mengrelians, Svans and Lazis are considered separate
nations. In the second case Adjarians, Mengrelians,
Svans, Lazis and Batsbs are mentioned as independent
nations. In the third variant, those same Mengrelians,
Svans, Lazis and Batsbs are considered to Georgians,
but Adjarians are separate.
In the end of the letter Beria asks Stalin for an immediate response and adds that the mistakes he discusses
should be corrected, since in the nearest future these
data will be sent to Moscow for further processing, and if
things are not changed then Adjaria will be discussed as
a separate unit there too.
Archive of the MoIA of Georgia (II), Fond .#14; File #152; p.84.

saqarTvelos Sss-s arqivi, (II), f. #14, saq. #152, gv. 82.

37

meore SemTxvevaSi _ aWarlebic,

megrelebic, svanebic, lazebica da
bacbebic damoukidebel erebad arian
moxseniebulni.
xolo mesame variantSi _ igive
megrelebi, svanebi, lazebi, bacbebi
qarTvelebad iTvlebian, magram samagierod
aWarlebi arian calke gamoyofilni.~ 
werilis bolosve lavrenti beria
stalins saswrafod saWiro reagirebas
sTxovs da dasZens, rom aRniSnuli
Secdoma leqsikonSi aucileblad
unda gaswordes, radgan, winaaRmdeg
SemTxvevaSi, uaxloes momavalSi es
monacemebi moskovSi gadaigzavneba
gadasamuSaveblad da aWarasac, rogorc
calke erTeuls, ise ganixilaveno.
`gTxovT Sesabamis gankargulebas,
raTa gaswordes uzustoba da aWarlebic
saqarTvelos Semadgenel nawilad da
qarTvelebad Caiweron!~  -Ees werili
lavrenti beriam stalins 1937 wlis 16
ivniss miswera.
mniSvnelovania kidev erTi detali:
saqmeSi aseve Cadebulia werilis
pirveli varianti, romelic lavrenti
berias Semdgom Seusworebia da ukve
SedarebiT Serbilebuli saxiT gaugzavnia
stalinisTvis. pirvel variantSi beria im
mecnierebs, romlebmac saqarTvelo ase
daanawevres, `velikoderJavuli~ suliT
gaJRenTilebad~ moixseniebs... 
saarqivo sammarTveloSi dacul
dokumentSi aseve Tavmoyrilia werilTa
nusxa, romlebsac didi asoebiT aweria:
`~. erT-erTi maTganiT lavrenti
beria stalins saqarTvelos cixeebis
mdgomareobas amcnobs, mouTxrobs, Tu
rogoraa saqarTvelos satusaRoebi
patimrebiT gadaWedili, rac SeuZlebels
xdis maT normalur kontrols.
`ukanaskneli wlebis ganmavlobaSi
saqarTvelos Sinsaxkomis mier 12 aTasze
meti adamiani iqna dapatimrebuli. am
dromde 7.374 patimaria gasamarTlebuli
da ixdis sasjels. patimarTa simravlis
gamo cixeebSi aranormaluri pirobebia.
SeuZlebelia maTi kontroli, ris
gamoc sxvadasxva saxis provokaciebi
ewyoba. dafiqsirebulia patimrebis mier
pirvandeli Cvenebebis Secvla. arsebuli

We ask for your immediate direction to correct this

misinterpretation and let Adjarians be considered as
Georgians who make up a key part of Georgia. This letter was sent to Stalin on June 16, 1937.
One detail is also important: the file also includes an
earlier variant of this letter that was corrected by Beria
and then sent to Josef Stalin in a comparatively mild form
in the second variant. In the first version, Beria emphasizes that the scientists who tried to divide up Georgia were
filled with great-power, or chauvinist, spirit.
The documents preserved in the Archive Department
include letters marked CONFIDENTIAL in capital letters.
One of those by Beria is addressed to Stalin and describes the situation in Georgian prisons, stating that cells
are overcrowded with prisoners, making it impossible to
conduct the necessary supervision over them.
During the last few years more than 12,000 persons
were arrested by the Peoples Commissariat of Internal
Affairs (NKVD) of Georgia. Currently 7,374 persons have
convicted and are currently serving terms of imprisonment. Due to the great number of prisoners, conditions
are extremely poor in the cells. Supervision is impossible
and as a result provocations of various kinds are taking
place. Substitution of the preliminary prejudicial evidence
by prisoners is often stated. Due to the existing situation,
arrestees repeatedly meet old acquaintances and give
them information and recruit them, Beria writes in his
letter. The letter proves that large-scale arrests created
problems even for the leaders themselves, and that Georgian prisons were very much like those depicted in the
Georgian film Kvarkvare, in which prisoners are stuffed
into any available space.
There is also one important letter marked CONFIDENTIAL that concerns the request that a large part of
the population residing along the Georgian-Turkish border
be exiled. According to the information of the Georgian
NKVD, 445 persons with their families lived at or near
the Turkish border in 1937. They had previously served
sentences for counter-revolutionary activity, espionage
and banditry; after returning from their places of exile
they settled in the border region. In his letter, Lavrenty
Beria states that some of these people are continuing
their anti-Soviet activities, and he requests that they be
exiled again: Most of those who were exiled ceased their
counter-revolutionary and anti-Soviet activity and now
are leading a normal life. The rest approximately 198

saqarTvelos Sss-s arqivi, (II), f. #14, saq. #152, gv. 84.

iqve, gv. 84.
iqve, gv. 189.

Archive of the MoIA of Georgia (II), Fond .#14; File #152; p.189.
ibidem, p.171-172.

38

pirobebis gamo, xelaxla dakavebulebi,

Zvel patimrebTan xvdebian da ewevian maT
informirebasa da damuSavebas...~  _ wers
lavrenti beria. am werilidan kargad
irkveva, masobrivi dapatimrebebi Tavad
gankargulebebis gamcemebsac Tu rogor
problemebs uqmnida da qarTuli cixeebi,
marTlac, `yvaryvares~ cixeebs rogor
hgavda.
aRsaniSnavia erTi werilic, romelsac
aseve wamZRvarebuli aqvs `C~ da
romelic saqarTvelo-TurqeTis sazRvarTan
mcxovrebi mosaxleobis ZiriTadi nawilis
gadasaxlebis moTxovnas exeba. saqarTvelos
Sinxsaxkomis cnobiT, 1937 wlisaTvis
TurqeTis sazRvarTan 445 adamiani
cxovrobda ojaxebTan erTad. manamde
isini kontrrevoluciuri saqmianobisTvis,
SpionaJisa da banditizmisTvis ixdidnen
sasjels. gadasaxlebidan dabrunebis Semdeg
ki sazRvrispira zolSi Caasaxles.
werilSiLlavrenti beria dasZens, rom am
adamianebis umravlesoba kvlav antisabWour
saqmianobas eweva da amitomac maT xelaxal
gadasaxlebas iTxovs: `gadasaxlebulTa
didma nawilma kontrrevoluciuri da
antisabWouri saqmianoba Sewyvita da
cxovrebis normalur wess Seudga. meore
nawili ki, daaxloebiT 198 adamiani, kvlav
antisabWouradaa ganwyobili da am regionSi
banditizmis ganviTarebis safrTxes
warmoadgens. arsebobs saSiSroebac, rom
moxdeba ucxoeTis specsamsaxurebis mier
maTi gadabireba da sabWoTa saqarTvelos
winaaRmdeg gamoyeneba, amitomac unda moxdes
am adamianebis xelaxali gadasaxleba,
mxolod ojaxebTan erTad, radgan ojaxebis
gareSe gadasaxleba situacias ver
ganmuxtavs da maTi ojaxis wevrebi mainc
antisabWourad iqnebian ganwyobilni~...
ai rogor wydeboda ocdaaTian wlebSi
asobiT adamianis bedi...
rogorc ukve aRvniSneT, saarqivo
sammarTveloSi daculi dokumentidan
magaliTis saxiT mxolod ramdenime werili
moviyvaneT. berias werilebs ki srulad
broSuris saxiT SemogTavazebT.

persons are filled with anti-Soviet spirit still and consequently represent a danger that banditry will develop
in the region. There is a danger that these people will
be recruited by foreign intelligence services and used
against the Soviet government. Therefore it is necessary
that such people be exiled again together with their families, since the family members would continue to live with
an anti-Soviet spirit, so exiling those people without their
families would not help the situation. 
This small letter clearly shows how the fates of hundreds of people were decided in the 1930s.
We have offered just a few letters from the documents preserved in the Archive Department. Once again,
Beria`s letters will be issued in their entirety in the form of
a brochure.
Archive of the MoIA of Georgia (II), f.#14; case #152; p3-4.

saqarTvelos Sss-s arqivi, (II), f. #14, saq. #152, gv. 171-172.

iqve, gv. 3-4.

39
39

didi ilia /

Great Ilia

mogonebani ilia WavWavaZeze

Recollections
about Ilia
Chavchavadze
qeTevan sarsevaniZe
keTevan sarsevanidze

ilia WavWavaZe

Ilia Chavchavadze

wlidan ilia WavWavaZes

ruseTis `oxranka~ da
social-demokratebi, noe
Jordaniasa da fili pe maxaraZis meTaurobiT,
ukve Riad daupirispirdnen. socialdemokratebma TavianT gazeT `kvalSi~ ilias
lanZRva-gineba daiwyes, aTasgvari cili
daswames da xalxis mtrad gamoacxades.
dapirispirebuli Zalebi cdilobdnen,
misTvis saxeli gaetexaT. isini saguramoSic
ki adiodnen da xalxs mouwodebdnen,
daexocaT mebatoneebi, maT Soris, Tavidan
moecilebinaT iliac.
Sedegmac ar daayovna. 1907 wlis 30
agvistos daaxloebiT 10 saaTze Tbilisidan
saguramoSi etliT mimavali ilia WavWavaZe
mokles.
magram did mamuliSvils esec ar
akmares: sisxlis samarTlis saqme
araobieqturi gamoZiebis Semdeg maleve
Sewyvites, TandaTanobiT aikrZala misi
yvela nawarmoebi, misi saqmianobisa da
didi mamuliSvilobis Sesaxeb informacias
tabu daedo.
am fonze metad sainteresoa ilias
TanamedroveTa mogonebani, romlebic
Semonaxulia Sss saarqivo sammarTvelos
II ganyofilebis sacavSi dacul saarqivo
saqmeSi #41890 (10 tomi) da romlebsac
periodulad gagacnobT. amjerad gTavazobT
misi erT-erTi Tanamedrovis, ucxotomeli
mefutkris, daniel gabrielis Ze maslovis
mogonebas (t. II)

1905

40

After 1905, the Okhranka and the Social-Democrats, led by Noe Zhordania and Philipe Makharadze,
openly confronted Ilia Chavcahavadze. The SocialDemocrats berated Ilia in the Kvali (The Path) newspaper that they published; he was defamed and denounced as an enemy of the people.
His rivals made attempts to tarnish him. They would
even go to Saguramo (the Chavhavadze estate) and
call on people to murder the landowners, including Ilia
Chavchavadze.
As a result, at approximately 10 a.m. on August 30,
1907, Ilia Chavchavadze was assassinated in a carriage on
his way to Saguramo from Tbilisi.
But the sad story did not end there: The criminal case
was closed shortly after the assassination due to a biased
investigation. Gradually, all his works were banned and
information on his accomplishments and heroic deeds
became taboo.
In this light, the recollections of Chavchavadzes
contemporaries that are recorded in the depository of
Section II of the Archival Division of the Georgian Ministry
of Internal Affairs (file #41890, volume 10) are particularly
interesting. These materials will be published periodically.
We offer to the reader here the recollections of a foreign
beekeeper, Daniel Gabriel Maslov.

The Memories of a beekeeper

mefutkris mogoneba
sof. saguramo, 2.07.1936 w.
_ me aq ukve Zveli mosaxle var. _ daiwyo
Txroba daniel maslovma, _ saguramoSi 1901
wlis Semodgomaze Camovedi da mas Semdeg am
saxlSi vcxovrob; mefutkre var da ojaxs
sameurneo saqmeebSic vexmarebi. davibade
tulis guberniis belevis mazris sof.
kondratovoSi. Cemi mSoblebi miwaTmoqmedi
glexebi iyvnen. soflis skolaSi
pirveldawyebiTi ganaTlebis Semdeg jer
q. belevis samazro-saqalaqo saswavlebeli
davamTavre, Semdeg ki 1 weli q. umanSi
sasoflo-sameurneo kursebze vswavlobdi.
1983 wels saeklesio-samrevlo skolaSi
maswavleblad daviwye muSaoba. am garemoebam
ganapiroba, rom Semecno religiis mTeli avkargi da samudamod Semeqcia zurgi misTvis.
1 wlis Semdeg samuSaod gadavedi
orlovis guberniis sof. buninis saerobo
skolaSi da mivemxre tolstovur
mimdinareobas, romelic im driosaTvis,
SeiZleba iTqvas, moduri iyo rus
inteligenciaSi.
swored aq, buninSi, SemTxveviT, romeliRaca
gazeTSi amovikiTxe, rom kavkasiaSi, Tbilisis
maxloblad, sof. kikeTSi sWirdebodaT
mefutkre. didxans ar mifiqria da saswrafod
gadavwyvite, gamovmgzavrebuliyavi kavkasiaSi,
romlis Sesaxebac Zalian bevri kargi msmenoda
rusi mwerlebis, gansakuTrebiT, lermontovis
nawarmoebebidan.
TbilisSi 1900 wlis 30 dekembers
Camovedi, aqedan ki sof. kikeTSi gavemgzavre,
sadac me samuSaoze amiyvanes da mitovebuli
skebis aRdgena-wesrigSi moyvanas energiulad
Sevudeqi.
kikeTSi Semodgomamde davyavi, Tumca
maincadamainc ar momewona, amitom gadavwyvite
iq aRar davrCeniliyavi. daxmarebis mizniT,
Cemma patron-maspinZelma warmadgina
Tbilisis mazris saerTaSoriso Suamaval
ivane gabrielis Ze tulaevTan, romelmac
saguramoSi ilia WavWavaZesTan wamomiyvana.
_ saCuqari SenTvis! _ axara tulaevma
WavWavaZes da Cemze aniSna, _ Sen giyvars


tolstovoba utopiuri sazogadoebrivi mimdinareoba me-19 s.

dasasrulsa da me-20 s. dasawyisSi. mimdinareobis safuZvlebi
gadmocemulia l. tolstois nawarmoebebSi: `aRsareba~, `ra aris
Cemi rwmena~, `narkvevi dogmatur RvTismetyvelebaSi~, `kreiceris
sonata~ da sxv.. tolstovistebi, qadagebdnen ra sayovelTao siyvaruls, Tvlidnen, rom sazogadoeba gardaeqmnaT religiur-moraluri TviTsrulyofilebis gziT. 1880-ian wlebSi tolstovisturi
koloniebi aRmocenda tveris, cimbiris, xarkovis guberniebsa da
amierkavkasiaSi. paralelurad warmoiSva politikuri mRelvareba
l. tolstois religiur-filosofiuri swavlebis winaaRmdeg. 1897 w.
igi gamocxadda mavne seqtad. 1901 wels l. tolstoi gankveTil iqna
eklesiidan, misi momxreebi ki daapatimres da gadaasaxles.

The village of Saguramo, 02.07.1936

I have been dweller in the village for a long time.

I came to Saguramo in the autumn of 1901, and have
been living in this house since then. I am a beekeeper
and support my family by farming. I was born in the village of Kondratovo in the Belev district of the province
of Tula. My parents were farmers. Having finished primary school in my village, I graduated from the Belev
district college and then took agricultural courses in
the city of Uman. In 1883 I was employed as a school
teacher at the parish school.
A year later I moved to the Bunin secular school in
Orlov province where I supported the Tolstovian movement.
When in Bunin, I came across an advertisement
saying that a beekeeper was needed in the village of
Kiketi near Tbilisi. I made a snap decision to leave
for the Caucasus, as I had heard good things about it
from the Russian writers, particularly from the works of
Lermontov.
I arrived in Tbilisi on 30 December, 1900, and left
for Kiekti where I was hired and set to work restoring
the abandoned beehives.
I stayed in Kiketi until the autumn, but I did not
like it very much and decided to seek a new job. My
host gave me a helping hand in my undertaking, and
recommended me to Ivan Gabriel Tulaev, an international broker in Tbilisi province who took me to Saguramo.
Here, I have a gift for you. Tulaev told Mr.
Chavchavazde, pointing at me. You like developing
various types of agriculture, so here is a beekeeper.
We were standing in front of a wonderful and tidy
house. The gardens and fields extended before our
eyes. Everything was pleasant: fresh mountain air, a
cultural environment and a cordial host . . .
This is how I came to be in Saguramo. Here I
liked both the landscape and the owner. I was in my
element, and everything became so natural for me that
only death could separate me from this place. I will be
buried here.
The Tolstovian Movement was a utopian public movement at the end of 19th century
and the beginning of 20th century. The ideas of the movement are given in some of Lev
Tolstoys works: Confession, What does my belief stand for?, Essays in Theology,
The Kreutzer Sonata, etc. Having preached all-encompassing, love they aspired to
rearrange society into one of religious-moral self-perfection. In 1880s Tolstovian colonies emerged in the Tver, Siberia and Kharkov province and in the Transcaucasus. This
religious-philosophical movement seemed to cause political unrest, and in 1897 it was
proclaimed a harmful sect. In 1901 Lev Tolstoy was excommunicated from the Orthodox
Church and his adherents were arrested and exiled.

41

meurneobis sxvadasxva dargis ganviTareba,

hoda, ai, mefutkre!
Cven videqiT umSvenieresi da movlili
saxlis win. Cven win farTod iyo gadaWimuli
baRebi da mindvrebi. yvelaferi Tvals
axarebda _ mTis sufTa haeric, kulturuli
garemoc da gulTbili maspinZelic...
ai, ase aRmovCndi saguramoSi. aq, rogorc
landSafti, aseve maspinZelic, Zalian
momewona. me Cems stiqiaSi aRmovCndi da
imdenad mSobliuri gaxda yvelaferi, rom
mxolod sikvdili Tu damacilebs aqaurobas.
me aq unda davimarxo.
saguramoSi me moveswari, marTalia,
moyvarulis, magram sakmaod did meurneobas.
miuxedavad imisa, is imden Semosavals
ar iZleoda, rom SesaZlebeli yofiliyo
kargad cxovreba, magram meurneoba Tavis
Tavs inaxavda; kerZod, ixdida momsaxure
personalis anazRaurebas, gadasaxadebs,
garda amisa, cotaodeni rCeboda
ganviTarebisaTvis.
mamulSi saqonelic gvyavda, magram bevri
ara, daaxloebiT 30 suli. miuxedavad amisa,
patronma separatori mainc SeiZina. maxsovs,
rogor davdgiT sardafSi didi da magari
kunZi da masze magrad rogor davalursmeT
igi.
mamulSi kolti gvyavda, romelic aseve
daaxloebiT 25-30 sulisgan Sedgeboda.
lors Cven TviTon vamzadebdiT. am saqmis
specialisti iyo ilia WavWavaZis siZe _
afxazi (kote afxazis mama. _ q.s.).
mindorSi xorbals, simindsa da qers
vTesavdiT, sadac glexebi muSaobdnen.
pirobisamebr, gasamrjelod mosavlis 1/4
iRebdnen. roca miwas qvrivebi da oblebi
amuSavebdnen, an aramosavliani weli iyo,
yofila SemTxveva, ilias araferi rgebia.
mamulSi kulturul frinvelTa
moSenebasac mivdevdiT. ZiriTadad gvyavda
ori jiSis qaTami: plimurtokebi da
Savi langSanebi. wiwilebi inkubatorSi
gamogvyavda da vzrdidiT xelovnuri kruxis
meSveobiT. xelovnuri kruxis Sesaxeb ilia
WavWavaZes sadRac wignSi amoekiTxa. es iyo
bude gaTbobiT, romelsac wiwilebi, rogorc
kruxs, ise eCveodnen.
ilia cdilobda, meurneobaSi yoveli
wamowyeba cnobili gamxdariyo gars myofi
plimurtoki _ qaTmis jiSi (. Plymouth Rock), saxorce da sakvercxe mimarTulebis. gamoyvanilia me-19 s.
II naxevarSi aSS-Si. arsebobs 8 Seferilobis, gamoirCeva
zolebiani da TeTri Seferilobis. mamlebi iwonian 3,8_4,0
kg-s, dedlebi _ 2,7_3,0 kg-s; deben 160-180 kvercxs kvercxs
woniT 56-60 g. farTod iyo gavrcelebuli ruseTsa da
amierkavkasiis teritoriaze.

langSani _ qaTmis jiSi (SanxaisTan axlos mdebare
adgilis saxelidan lanSani, ingl. Langshan), saxorce
mimarTulebis. gamoyvanilia CineTSi. eropaSi Semoyvanilia me-19 s.. arsebobs ori Seferilobis _ TeTri da Savi.
mamlebi iwonian 4,0_4,5 kg-s, dedlebi _ 3,5_3,8 kg-s; deben
100-120 kvercxs woniT 55-65 g. farTod iyo gavrcelebuli
ruseTsa da amierkavkasiis teritoriaze.


42

I found a large farm, but an amateur one, and it

was not bringing in much profit. Nevertheless, the farm
could be made profitable. In particular, the farm paid
out salaries of the staff, paid taxes and some money
was also being saved for development.
On the estate we also had some cattle, though
not many, around 30 head. Nevertheless, the landlord
purchased an enclosure fence. I remember when we
fixed a big and sturdy log in the basement.
We also kept a drove of pigs, around 25-30 head.
We used to make ham ourselves. Ilia Chavchavadzes
son-in-law was an expert at this.
We used to grow grain, Indian corn and barley,
and workers ploughed the fields. As agreed, they were
allowed to keep 1/4 of the crop. There were certain
cases when Ilia did not receive any share of the crop
when the land was cultivated by widows and orphans,
or if the harvest for that particular year was poor.
We also had some poultry on the estate, mainly
hens of two breeds: Plymouth Rock and Black Langshan.
Plymouth Rock: a type of hen bred in the United States in the second half of the 19th
century. It has 8 hues, including white ones and ones with white stripes. The roosters
weigh up to 3.8-4.0 kg.; hens up to 2.7-3.0kg. It lays 160-180 eggs, and was common in
Russia and the Transcaucasus.

Langshan: a breed of hen (the name stems from Langshan, near Shanghai in China)
bred in China. It was widespread in Europe in the 19th century. They are of two hues:
black and white. The roosters weigh 4.0-4.5 kg; hens 3.5-3.8 kg. They lay 100-120
eggs weighing 55-65 g.. They were widely raised in Russia and the Transcaucasus).


glexebisTvis da maT Sorisac daenerga

yoveli racionaluri siaxle. am mizniT
ilia WavWavaZe xSirad magzavnida mTels
raionSi xan erT, xan meore glexTan. me
maTTvis adgilze unda meCvenebina, rogor
ekeTebinaT esa Tu is saqme. da me maT
usasyidlod vexmarebodi. yofila SemTxveva,
roca sofelSi gavlisas xeli Cemken
gamouSveriaT da uTqvamT:
_ es is aris, `ukruxoT wiwilebi gaCeka~.
garda zemoCamoTvlili meurneobis
saxeobisa, didi yuradReba eqceoda
mevenaxeobasa da meRvineobas. aRar maxsovs,
ramden vedro Rvinos viRebdiT mamulSi.
yurZnis jiSebidan gavrcelebuli iyo:
rqawiTeli da saferavi.
calke gverga kaklis xeebi: wvrili
kakali, baRis kakali, Txili. mindorSi
aseve Zalian bevri xilis xe xarobda,
gansakuTreviT kurkovani da mosavali
rom ar gafuWebuliyo, gvqonda xilisa da
bostneulis saSrobebi da patara `fabrika~
konservebisTvis. am saqmis specialisti iyo
gigo ToiZe, romelic ugemrieles sirofebs
amzadebda, gansakuTrebiT TeTri blisagan.
baRSi Zalze bevri, bevri yvavili
xarobda, magram batons yvelaze metad
iasamani da xviara vardi uyvarda. isini
gansakuTrebiT bevri iyo safutkreSi.
Cven vcdilobdiT mefutkreoba
agveRorZinebina da farTod gagvevrcelebina,
magram batonis sikvdilma es wamowyeba
CafuSa. im sabediswero droisaTvis
daaxloebiT 200 ska futkari gvyavda.
batonis sikvdilis Semdeg uceb daiwyo
maTi gaCanageba-ganadgureba da menSevikuri
xelisuflebis dros Cvens baRSi skebis
raodenoba 50-mde Semcirda. xSirad iyo
SemTxveva, roca Cemi batoni saaTobiT
mjdara skebTan da Cafiqrebuls Tvalyuri
udevnebia futkrebis fusfusisaTvis.
ilia WavWavaZes ojaxuri saqmianoba
Zalian uyvarda. gatydeboda, magaliTad,
lursmani an xraxni, me wavidodi mWedelTan
(Cven patara samWedlo gvqonda) da
daviwyebdi rkinis naglejis gacxelebas,
raTa rogorme lursmani gamomeyvana. ilia
CemTan erTad wamovidoda da saberveliT
quras uberavda.
misi damokidebuleba mosamsaxureebTan
Zalze gansxvavebuli iyo.
_ Tedo, modi aqa!.. ai, genecvale, ori
Sauri. es Senia. ar gaxsovs, jamagiri rom
mogeci, xurda ar iyo. ai, aiRe, Svilo, Seni
Sromis fulia.
ilia mkacrad samarTliani da momWirne
iyo da es imitom, rom SesaZlebloba

The chickens were brooded in poultry incubators

and grown by means of a broody hen. Ilia Chavchavadze had read about an incubator broody in a
certain book. That was a heated wire net to which the
chickens would attach as to the broody hen.
Ilia made every effort so that that all the local
peasants understood all of the activities on the farm,
and he introduced every innovation to them. To this
end, Ilia Chavchavadze often sent me to visit various
peasants across the district. I was to instruct them on
the spot how to deal with different types of farming. I
helped them without receiving any payment.
There were cases when walking down in the village people pointed at me and said: Hes the one who
invented a way to brood chickens without a broody hen.
In any case, greater importance was attached to
winegrowing. I do not remember exactly how many
buckets of wine we produced. Ratsiteli and Saperavi were the most popular types of grape on the estate.
Nut trees were planted separately: small nut trees,
orchard nut trees, and hazel nut trees. There were
plenty of plants in the orchard. We had fruit and vegetable dryers to keep the fruit fresh and a tiny canning
factory. Gogi Toidze was an expert at this. He made
tasty syrup, especially from white cherry.
There were lots of flowers in our garden, but the
landlord liked lilac and roses the most. Plenty of lilac
and rose plants were in the beehive area.
We made efforts to revive beekeeping and spread
it more widely, but our undertaking was thwarted because of our landlords assassination. At that sorrowful
time we had about 200 beehives. After his death the
beehives were ravaged and plundered, and during
Menshevik rule they dwindled to 50.
One could frequently observe the landlord sitting
for hours and looking at the bees swarming while he
mused over various profound issues.
Ilia Chavchavadze liked farming very much. If, for
instance, a nail or a screw broke, I would to go to the
blacksmith (we had a small blacksmith shop), to heat
up a piece of iron, and Ilia himself would assist me at
the hearth.
His attitude approach to the servants was similar.
I remember the following incident:
Come here Tedo please take the coins, theyre
yours. Dont you remember when I gave you salary I
didnt give you coins; this is money for your labor.
Ilia was strictly fair and thrifty, because frugality
gave him the opportunity to spend money on more

43

hqonoda, daexarja meti sxva, ufro

seriozul saqmeze da ara wvrilmanebSi.
erTxel ilia WavWavaZe CemTan movida da
miTxra:
_ Tuki SegviZlia, SevReboT skebi,
gana ver SevZlebT, rom gadavReboT Cveni
faetonis Tvlebic.
saswrafod karetebis fardulSi wavediT,
sadac faetonebi gveyena da davaTvaliereT,
SesaZlebeli iyo, Tu ara faetonis Tvlebis
gadaRebva. saRebavebi da fxvnilebi,
Cveulebriv, mudmivad gvqonda, aseve yovelTvis
gvqonda olifa, carci da a.S.
maSinve dagavwyviteT saqmes SevdgomodiT.
dRevandel dResaviT maxsovs, Tvlebi
yviTlad gadavRebeT. marTalia, ilias
TviTon ar SeuRebavs, magram uSualod
monawileobda saRebavis SezavebaSi,
proporciebis gaTvlaSi da gulmodgined
adevnebda Tvalyurs muSaobis process.
_ rac SegiZlia, damoukideblad gaakeTo,
_ ambobda is, _ unda gaakeTo TviTon! es
aris cxovrebis swori gza.
aseTi wvrilmanebi metad
damaxasiaTebeli iyo saqmisadmi mis
midgomaSi.
sicocxlis bolo wlebSi ilia
gansakuTrebiT dainteresda juja xeebiT.
es iyo patara, tandabali xeebi, romlebic
mesame wels iZleodnen nayofs. maxsovs,
Cven, ai, am muxis qveS visxediT da vbWobdiT
baRis gaSenebaze. mouravma mosem daiJina,
rom es SeuZlebeli iqneboda. am saqmis
mogvareba me Cems Tavze aviRe da mizansac
mivaRwie, ramac batons didi sixaruli
moutana. im baRisagan, ra Tqma unda, araferi
darCenila. magram es xeebi, romlebsac
irgvliv xedavT, ai, Tundac es kakali da es
wabli TviT ilias dargulia:
_ daniel, netavi, Tu moveswrebiT imas,
rom am xis CrdilSi davsxdeT?! _ mkiTxa man
am wablis dargvis dros...
im mSvenieri meurnobidan axla
aRaraferia darCenili: aRarc baRi, aRarc
venaxi.
WavWavaZis sikvdilis Semdeg mamulSi
wera-kiTxvis gamavrcelebeli sazogadoebis
gamgeoba gadmovida. am sazogadoebam mamuli
ijariT gasca. moijareebi ki, mogexsenebaT,
mxolod Tibaven da focxaven. pirveli
moijare provizori iyo, vinme stauCaitisi.
TviTon TbilisSi cxovrobda, aq misi coli
diasaxlisobda.
Semdegi moijareebi winamZRvrianTkaris
skolis maswavleblebi _ maRalovi (igive
maRalaSvili q.s.) da nakaSiZe iyvnen. maT
Semdeg mamuls marTavda vaso rcxilaZe.
am periodSi erTi SemTxveva moxda: me

44

serious undertakings rather than on trifles. Once Ilia

came up to me and said: If we can dye the beehive,
can not we afford ourselves to paint the wheels of
our carriages? We headed for the garage to see if
we could paint the wheels of the carraiges. Usually
we had had paints and powder as well as chalk and
lubricants.
We decided to take up the job immediately. I
remember it clearly: we painted the wheels yellow. Although Ilia did not take part in the painting, he helped
dilute the paints, calculating the proportions and assiduously observing the process.
What one can do oneself one should do without
anybodys help. That is the correct and pleasant way
of life.
Such attention to small details was characteristic
of his approach to work.
In the last years of his life, the landlord took
particular interest in minature trees. These were
small, tiny trees yielding a crop only three years after
they were planted. I remember we were sitting under
that oak tree and discussing the further growth of the
garden. The bailiff, Moses, insisted that it would be
impossible. I assumed responsibility to settle the task,
and achieved it. The landlord was very pleased. Unfortunately, the garden has gone to tatters. But the trees
you see, I mean the nut trees and chestnut trees, were
planted by Ilia. Once when planting a tree he said to
me: Daniel, will we survive until the time when we can
have a sit under the shadow of this chestnut?
Neither the garden nor the vineyard is left from
that wonderful patch.
After Ilia Chavchavadzes death, the secretariat of
the Literacy Society was based on the estate, and they
leased it out. As you know, the tenants only raked and
mowed the grass. A chemist, a certain Stauchaitis, was
the first tenant. He himself lived in Tbilisi, and his wife
was a housekeeper here.
Then followed other tenants, such as the school
teachers from the Tsinamdzghvriantkari village,
Maghalashvili and Nakashidze. Later the estate was
managed by Vaso Rtskhiladze. One particular incident
occurred in that period: I was in the garden and all of
a sudden I saw 40 riders approaching us. Among them
was Colonel Intskirveli, who asked me: Dont you
know who is roaming in the forest? Or is he staying
over here?
Indeed, no one in the estate knew what was going on.

baRSi viyavi da uceb davinaxe Cvenken

daaxloebiT 40 mxedari gamoemarTa. male
isini mogviaxlovdnen. maT Soris myofma
polkovnikma inwkirvelma mkiTxa:
_ xom ar iciT, tyeSi vin daxetialobs,
an Rames QTqvens saxlSi vinme xom ar
aTenebs?
amis Sesaxeb CvenTan, marTlac, aravin
araferi icoda.
meore diliT isini kvlav gamoCndnen.
saxlidan moSorebiT, Tadeoz guramiSvilis
droindel maranTan gaCerdnen, cxenebidan
Camoxtnen da tyeSi miimalnen. male
tyidan zalpis xma gavige. inwkirvelis
razmma sirbiliT datova tye. zalpi
jariskacebis Tavze misces, ase rom, aravin
daWrila. tyviebi ki saxlis saxuravze
cvioda. Setakebisas bolSevikebma
moaswres inwkirvelis razmidan 5-6 kacis
xelSi Cagdeba, maT Soris iyo erTi
Zalian axalgazrda oficeri wereTeli.
jariskacebma, rogorc Cans, iaraRi dayares,
wereTelma ki uari uTxra da winaaRmdoba
gauwia. am dros, me rogorc Semdgom gavige,
masTan mivida erTi qali bolSevikebis
razmidan da fexebSi mijriT esrola..
meore diliT Tbilisidan mTeli polki
amovida da, radgan daWrilma jariskacma
ori Rame Cvens saxlSi gaaTia, maT javri
Cvens safutkreebze iyares.. jariskacebma
skebi dalewes. isini Tafls vedrebiT
sofel-sofel atarebdnen da ufasod
arigebdnen. jariskacebis wasvlis Semdeg
skebisgan mxolod namsxvrevebiRa darCa.
magram mainc movaxerxe, Tavi momeyara
10 skisTvis, romlebic amovitane qvemo
mamulidan (Zvelsoflidan) da ramdenime
xnis Semdeg, daaxloebiT 1924 wlisaTvis, me
ukve 40 ska futkari myavda.
1924 wels miwaTmoqmedebis saxalxo
komitetma am skebianad gadamiyvana
winamZRvrianTkaris skolaSi. iq maTi
raodenoba 80 skamde gavzarde.
1930 wels, roca aq, saguramoSi, gaxsnili
sasoflo-sameurneo teqnikumi SeuerTda
winamZRvrianTkaris skolas, me direqtor
furcelaZes Suaze gavuyavi 80 ska. 40 ska
futkari winamZRvrianTkaris skolaSi darCa,
xolo 40 _ gadmovitaneT saguramoSi. amiT
ilia WavWavaZis saxlSi mefutkreobis
dargis ganviTareba Tavidan daiwyo.
ilia WavWavaZes gansakuTrebiT uyvarda
mefutkreoba. skebi mTel baRSi ubnebad iyo
ganlagebuli. saxlis win Cven mxolod
13 ska gvedga, ase vTqvaT, saswavlosaCvenebeli xasiaTis, raTa yvela cda da

ilia WavWavaZe / Ilia Chavchavadze

olRa guramiSvili / olga Guramishvili

Next day they came again. They stopped in front

of the house, and at the wine cellar of Tadeoz Guramishvili they descended from their horses and ducked
into the forest. Shortly afterwards, I heard shots fired.
The squad scampered from the forest. The volley had
been discharged above the soldiers heads and no one
was wounded. The bullets pattered on the roof of the
house. The Bolsheviks took 5-6 captives from Intskirvelis squad, including a very young officer named
Tsereteli. The soldiers, as it turned out, laid down their
arms, but Tsereteli did not comply with them and resisted. As I learned later, a woman from the Bolshevik
squad approached him and shot him in the feet ...
The next day an entire squad of Mensheviks came
from Tbilisi. They were very aggressive and ruined our
beehives, despite the fact that one of their wounded

45

mani pulacia am ubanze dagvezustebina da

ar Segvewuxebina danarCeni skis futkari.
ilia stumrebTan erTad aivanze ijda
xolme da me, ai, aqedan vkiTxulobdi
mTel leqcias mefutkreobis Sesaxeb.
stumrebidan yvelaze metad damamxsovrda
artur laisti.
kiTxvaze _ mas xom ar axsovda
SemTxveva, roca ilia WavWavaZe aq Tavis
nawarmoebs werda, an maT Sesaxeb vinmesTan
saubrobda, maslovma mi pasuxa:
_ ar maxsovs, rom ilias aq rame
daeweros. me ramdenjerme vuTxari:
_ Tqven nawarmoebebs mTeli evropa
kiTxulobs, Tqven ki aRarafers werT!
_ aRar aris is SemarTeba, is garemo.
Tanac Cemze ukeTesi Taoba wamovida. ...adre
Zalian advilad vwerdi, TiTqos Signidan
vinme mkarnaxobda, axla ase aRar xdeba.
Tavs Zalas vatan, Sinaganad vwvalob, es ki
arabunebrivia da kargic araferi gamodis.
_ mi pasuxa iliam.
saguramoSi batoni mxolod zafxulobiT
amodioda, agarakebi ar uyvarda. zamTrobiT
ki aq iSviaTad iyo xolme, isic mxolod
aucilebeli sameurneo saqmeebis gamo.
maxsovs, erTxel, ianvarSi gvestumra.
winadawin gagvafrTxila, rom 17-Si
amovidoda. magram, saubedurod, 17 ianvars
saSineli dRe gaTenda, Zlieri qarbuqi
amovarda. saSinlad civi qari qroda.
vfiqrobdi, ras izavs, Seasrulebs Tavis
sityvas, Tu ara... da ras vxedav, modis Tavis
ganuyrel laqia iakob TaraSvilTan erTad,

soldiers had been allowed to say over for two nights

on the estate. The soldiers smashed the beehives.
They put honey in buckets and dispersed it to the
inhabitants of the village without charge. The beehives
were in pieces when the soldiers departed from the
estate. Nevertheless I coped with this and collected
10 beehives which I brought from the lower estate
(Kvemosopeli), and some time later, in 1924, I already
had 40 beehives.
In 1924 the Peoples Committee for Agriculture
moved me with my beehives to the Tsinamdzghvrinatkari
village, where I increased the number of beehives to 80.
In 1930 I split the beehives in half with Mr. Purtseladze, the school master of the village, when the agricultural college established in Saguramo was merged
with the Tsinamdzghvrinatkari School. In so doing,
beekeeping was returned to Saguramo.
Ilia Chavchavadze liked beekeeping very much.
The beehives were arranged across the garden in
lines. We only had 13 beehives in front of the house
for instructional purposes, and we conducted tests and
experiments on that line in order not to bother the bees
in the other beehives. Ilia used to sit on the balcony
with his guests while I lectured on beekeeping. Arthur
List was the most distinguished guest whom I remember. In answer to the question of whether I could remember a case when Ilia Chavchavadze wrote any of
his works or spoke about them, No, I dont remember if
he wrote anything here. I told him several times that all

ilias saxli saguramoSi

Ilias House in Saguramo

46

erTianad SefuTuls ulvaSebsa da wverze

loloebi hkidia.
_ rogor gariskeT aseT yinvaSi
wamosvla, _ vkiTxe me.
_ raxan SemogiTvaleT, rom viqnebodi,
e.i., unda vyofiliyavi miuxedavad
yvelafrisa. _ mi pasuxa iliam...
Tavis muSebsa da glexebTan
damokidebulebaSi ilia WavWavaZe iyo
Zalian fxizeli da mkacrad samarTliani:
aravisgan arafers ar moiTmenda da arc
aravis apatiebda usamarTlo an qedmaRal
damokidebulebas muSebis mimarT. meuRles
hkiTxavda xolme:
_ olRa, ra gvaqvs sadilad?
_ ra da, supi da katleti!
_ muSebisTvis?
_ lobio!
_ eg cotaa. isini fizikurad muSaoben
da maTTvis kargi kveba aucilebelia. Tedo!
_ miubrundeboda Tavis msaxurs _ Seabi
oTxTvala!
da Tavisi sadili muSebTan mihqonda,
TviTon ki lobios miirTmevda.
ilia cdilobda, glexebisTvis
eswavlebina meurneobis marTva-gaZRola.
_ uTxari imaT, es rogori sasargebloa,
_ metyoda me, _ isini Sen ufro
dagijereben, vidre me. isini fiqroben, rom
me amas mxolod CemTvis vakeTeb; fiqroben,
rom es batonis fandia.
ilia WavWavaZe smis nebas arasdros
gvaZlevda. TviTonac ar minaxavs nasvami.
erTxel, kalos lewvis dros, ilia
WavWavaZem dauZaxa solkas da hkiTxa:
_ solka, erT jerze ramdenis daleva
SegiZlia?
_ erTi kvarti ar myofnis, batono.
_ eh, es kargia ar aris. rodisme gsmenia,
an ginaxavs, rom me mTvrali vyofiliyavi.
_ ara, batono, ara. me ki yoveldRe
vsvam.
ilia sufrasTan mxolod 2 Wiqa Rvinos
Tu dalevda. me arasodes minaxavs igi
mTvrali an Tundac nasvami, garda erTi
SemTxvevisa.
20 ivliss, iliobaze, saguramoSi
bevri xalxi ikribeboda. viRa ar iyo aq.
maSin ukve uars araferze vambobdiT:
ixsneboda axali qvevrebi. specialurad am
dRisTvis mcxeTidan amodioda mzareuli
vano mRebriSvili. keTdeboda xaSi. ilia
WavWavaZes yvelaze metad xaSi uyvarda.


kvarti 1. fxvieri da Txevadi nivTierebis sawyao gansxvavebuli

sididis sxvadasxva qveyanaSi. Cveulebriv, litrze cota meti. 2.
aseTi moculobis WurWeli (boTli).

of Europe was reading his writings, and it was sad that

he no was longer creating new works.
His answer was: There current situation is not
appropriate, and conditions are not favorable. Besides,
the younger generation knows best in the past I
wrote easily, as if someone from inside was prompting
me, but it is no longer so. I force myself to write, something is torturing me in the inside which is unnatural
and in the end nothing valuable can be produced.
The landlord used to come here only during the
summer time; he was not fond of summer resorts.
Only rarely did he visit his estate in winter, when he
needed to settle necessary farming matters. I remember that he once visited us in January. He warned us
in advance that he would come on the 17th. Unfortunately the weather was foul, a snow storm broke out
and I was thinking whether he would make good on
his promise and soon I spotted him with his loyal
servant, Iakob Tarashvili, wrapped up tightly and with
icicles on his moustache and beard.
I told him that it was dangerous to come here
in such freezing weather; He answered that he had
promised to come, and here he was.
In relations with his laborers and peasants Ilia
was very vigilant and strictly fair. He would never abide
unfair and supercilious attitudes toward the laborers.
He used to ask his spouse:
Olga what do we have for dinner?
We have soup and chop.
And for the workmen?
French bean soup.
Thats not enough. They work hard and they
need to be fed well. He would ask his servant, Tedo,
to prepare a carriage and take his dinner to the workmen while he would eat the French bean soup.
Ilia made efforts to teach the peasants how to
deal with agricultural matters.
Tell them, he used to say to me, how profitable
it is. They will believe more to you rather than me.
They think that I only do it for my benefit, hence they
think that these are the tricks of the landlord.
Ilia Chavchavadze never allowed us to drink. Neither did I ever see him drinking.
Once, during the threshing, Ilia called Solka and
asked him how much he could drink. He said that he
could drink more than a quart.

47

sadac ar unda yofiliyo, ilias meuRle

mudam Tan axlda. olRas ilia sicocxlis
bolomde usazRvrod uyvarda. maxsovs erTi
SemTxveva: saRamo xans ilia WavWavaZesTan
erTad visxediT aivanze, iqve, wyarosTan
axlos. moaxle, poloneli qali, gamoCnda.
_ mania, _ uTxra iliam, _ Wiqa wyali,
geTayva!
is maSinve gabrunda da wyarodan
ilias WiqiT wyali moawoda. olRa meore
sarTulze ijda da yvelaferi dainaxa.
...da uceb fexis xma gaisma. olRam
mTeli siswrafiT Camoirbina kibeebi,
sirbiliTve gadakveTa is aivani, sadac Cven
visxediT. kibis baqanis gadarbenisTanave ki
Zirs davarda da daiwyo miwaze Tavis cema.
yvelani wamovcvivdiT mis dasaxmareblad,
fexze wamovayeneT, Tavze civi wyali
movusviT da grZnobaze moviyvaneT.

Thats not good. Have you ever seen or heard of

me being drunk?
No, master, but I am always drunk.
Ilia would drink about two glasses of wine at
a party. Never did I see him drunk or even slightly
drunk, except in a certain case. Usually on July 20th
at the Eliaoba Festival many people gathered in
Saguramo. One might observe people from all different walks of life. We were allowed to do many things
on that day. Especially for that day, a cook, Vano
Mghebrishvili, was invited. He cooked khashi, which
Ilia liked very much.
Ilias wife Olga accompanied him wherever he
went. Olga loved Ilia devoutly until her death. I remember one particular event. One evening we were sitting
on the balcony near the stream. A servant, a polish
lady, appeared on the balcony:
Mania, please be so kind as to
pass me a glass of water. She went
towards the stream immediately and
passed Ilia a glass of water. Olga
was sitting on the second floor and
saw everything.
Suddenly we heard someone
coming. We saw Olga running down
the stairs and across the balcony
to where we were sitting and she
fell down as soon as she passed
the platform of the ladder. All of us
sprang up and rushed to help her.
We helped her to get up, put some
cold water on her head, and she
soon regained consciousness:

olRa da ilia / Olga and Ilia

Olga stop it, youre still doing

this. Dont forget that were already
in our 70s, said Ilia to Olga.

_ olRa, gons modi! Sen isev Sensas

agrZeleb. nu gaviwydeba, rom 70 wlisani
varT. _ eubneba ilia meuRles.
oRRam usmina, usmina (mas smena aklda)
da Semdeg uTxra:
_ daamTavre, ilia?! axla me momismine.
nu gaviwydeba, CemTvis ramxela bednierebaa,
SenTvis Wiqa wylis motana, Sen ki am
bednierebas miklav!
ase uyvarda olRas ilia.
(gagrZeleba iqneba)

48

Olga listened a while (she was hard of hearing)

and then said to him:
Stop it Ilia. Now listen to me. Think about how
happy I am when I bring you a glass of water, and you
try to deprive me of such happiness!
(TO BE CONTINUED)

sabWoTa paradoqsebi

Soviet paradoxes

sabWoTa xelisuflebis mmarTveloba

savse gaxldaT paradoqsebiT, amitomac
Cven vagrZelebT rubrikas _ `sabWoTa
paradoqsebi~...
saarqivo sammarTveloSi daculia
saqme, romlis mixedviTac mefutkreebs vladimer ruds, andrei pedansa da aleqsi
naumovs futkrebis ganzrax gawyvetis
braldebiT sasjelis umaRlesi zoma daxvreta miusajes. rTuli warmosadgeni ar
unda iyos, rom es braldeba xelovnurad
SeTiTxnili gaxldaT: vladimer rudi
mxolod imitom daxvrites, rom man futkrebs
gamosazamTreblad 4,5 kg. Tafli dautova,
rac marTlac cotaa, magram am braldebiT
adamianis daxvreta yovelgvar sazRvars
scdildeba.
andrei pedans ki ormocidan ocdarva deda
futkris daRupvis gamo miesaja daxvreta.
arada, cnobilia, rom deda futkrebis
Secvla da ganayofierebis procesi sakmaod
rTuli da araprognozirebadia. es yovelive
garemo pirobebsa da amindzea damokidebuli.
amitomac ormoci futkridan ocdarva futkris
daRupvac kanonzomieri movlenaa. xolo,
rac Seexeba, aleqsi naumovs, manac danarCeni
mefutkreebis bedi mxolod imitom gaiziara,
rom futkrebs daavadeba nozematozi SeeyaraT
da gawydnen. `nozema~ futkris nawlavebSi
cxovrobs da am daavadebis sabolood
aRmofxvra, faqtobrivad, SeuZlebelia
dResac ki da, Tqven warmoidgineT, 1937
wels im saSualebebiT, riTac futkrebs
mkurnalobdnen, rogor SesZlebda mefutkre
naumovi daavadebis Tavidan acilebasa da
futkrebis gadarCenas?
Tumca ganaCeni gamoitanes da
mefutkreebic daxvrites...

The Soviet period was full of paradoxes; here we will

continue the rubric entitled Soviet Paradoxes
Archive Department preserves a concerning the
extreme penalty shooting of the beekeepers Vladimer
Rud, Andrei Pedan and Aleksi Naumov for willful desecration of bees. Certainly the fact of desecration must be
fabricated: Vladimer Rude was shot for insufficient amount
of honey (1/2 kg) that he had left for bee winter; certainly
the food was insufficient, but executing a person with such
of guilt goes beyond all boundaries
Andrey Pedan was executed for the death of 28
mother bees out of 40, though it is known that substitution and fecundation of mother bees is quite a difficult and
unpredictable process everything depends on weather
and environment so the death of 28 mother bees out of
40 may be considered to be a natural event. As for Aleksi
Naumov he shared the fate of his colleges for the simple
reason that the bees contracted a Nozematoze disease
and died as a result. Actually Nozema inhabits the bowels, and complete prevention of this disease is impossible
even today, so it is hard to imagine how one could prevent
this type of disease and rescue the bees in 1937 with the
medical resources that existed in that period. But the decision was made, and beekeepers were executed

49

specgadasaxleba/ Special Exile

cnobebi erovnuli niSniT

germanelTa gadasaxlebis Sesaxeb

material about German exiler

daviT alaverdaSvili
davit alaverdaSvili

aqarTvelos sabWoTa socialisturi

respublikidan ssrk-s arsebobis
periodSi sxvadasxva kategoriis pirTa
masobrivi deportacia oTxjer, 1941 (mcire
nawili 1942 wels), 1944, 1949/1950 da 1951
wlebSi ganxorcielda.
aRniSnuli procesebis amsaxveli sruli
monacemebi Sinagan saqmeTa da uSiSroebis
saministroTa arqivebis specialur fondebSi
iyo daculi, TumcaRa 1991-1992 wlebis q.
Tbilisis cnobili movlenebis dros maTi
didi nawili xanZris Sedegad ganadgurda.
mxolod ramodenime aTeuli piradi saqmis
gadarCena moxerxda, xolo mogvianebiT
ki germanel specgadasaxlebulTa 699
piradi saqme Sss arqivis mier yazaxeTis
respublikis pavlodaris mxaris Ss
sammarTvelodan iqna gamoTxovili.
saqarTvelos sabWoTa socialisturi
respublikidan specgadasaxlebulTa
danarCeni kontigentis piradi da saaRricxvo
saqmeebisa da saZiebo-sacnobaro aparatis
gadmocemis Sesaxeb analogiuri moTxovnebi
1992 wels gadaigzavna yazaxeTis, uzbekeTis,
yirgizeTis, tajikeTisa da TurqmeneTis
Sss-Tvis, Tumca im periodisaTvis mxolod
uzbekeTis Sss-m gamoTqva Tanxmoba aRniSnuli
dokumentaciis (30 754 saaRricxvo erTeuli)
gadmocemaze. danarCeni respublikebis
saTanado organoebma uari im motiviT
axsnes, rom specgadasaxlebulTa
saqmeebTan dakavSirebul sakiTxebze yvela
dainteresebul pirsa Tu organizacias
SeeZlo maTTvis miemarTa, rac xorcieldeba
kidec Sss saarqivo sammarTvelos mier
saqarTvelosa da sazRvargareTis qveynebis
moqalaqeTa, kerZo Tu sajaro samarTlis
iuridiul pirTa momarTvebisa da socialursamarTlebrivi xasiaTis gancxadebebis

50

During the Soviet period deportations of different

categories of persons from the Soviet Socialist Republic
of Georgia was carried out four times: in 1941 (including
a small number of people in 1942), 1944, 1949/1950 and
1951.
Complete data concerning these deportations are
preserved in the special collections of the archives of the
Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Security,
although large amount of the documents were destroyed
as a result of a fire during the 1991-1992 events in
Tbilisi. Only several dozen personal files were rescued.
Later, 699 personal files of German special exiles were
requested by the Archive Department of the Ministry of
Internal Affairs from the Division of Internal Affairs of
Pavlodar region in the Republic of Kazakhstan. Similar
requests for personal files and cases under registration
as well as the request for delivery of investigations
concerning the rest the special exiles from the Georgian
SSR were sent to the Ministries of Internal Affairs of
Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and
Turkmenistan in 1992, but only the Ministry of Internal
Affairs of Turkmenistan agreed to transfer the above
mentioned documentation (30,754 registered items) to
Georgia. Refusal from other agencies from the other
republics resulted from the facts that there were no
interested or responsible individuals responsible for exile
issues; the actual obtaining of the necessary information
was done by the Archive Department of the MoIA of
Georgia during the process of reviewing applications
by Georgians or foreign citizens, physical persons or
legal entities as well as during revising of social-legal

ganxilvis procesSi. uzbekeTis respublikidan

saqmeTa saqarTveloSi transportireba ver
moxerxda imxanad respublikaSi Seqmnili
rTuli politikuri mdgomareobidan
gamomdinare.
aqve unda aRiniSnos, rom gadasaxlebis
procesSi operaciis ganxorcielebisaTvis
gansazRvruli vadebis gamo, aranairi
dokumentacia ar Seqmnila, garda saaRricxvo
baraTebisa da saeSelono siebisa.
specgadasaxlebulTa saqmeebi mxolod
specCasaxlebis adgilebze Casvlis Semdeg
Sedga da isic ramodenime wlis dagvianebiT.
magaliTad, 1941 wels pavlodaris mxareSi
gadasaxlebul germanelTa saqmeebi mxolod
1949 wels Seiqmna.
garda amisa, specgadasaxlebulTa
garkveuli nawili mobilizebul iqna SromiT
armiaSi da demobilizaciis Semdeg maTi
piradi saqmeebi Sesabamisi teritoriuli
erTeulebis Ss organoebSi darCa.
zogierTi maTgani ki pirveladi gadagzavnis
adgilidanac xelmeored iqna deportirebuli,
amitom maTi saaRricxvo dokumentaciac
gaTavisuflebis adgilebis mixedviT Sesabamis
Ss organoebSi ganTavsda. amdenad, saerTo,
sruli, yovlismomcveli da erTi struqturis
farglebSi sistematizirebuli aRricxvianoba
ar arsebobda arc xanZramde da miT
umetes, arc xanZris Semdeg. ganadgurebuli
masalebis nawilobrivi aRdgena zemoT
aRniSnuli saeSelono siebis, agreTve
Sinagan saqmeTa da uSiSroebis saministroTa
saarqivo danayofebis Sesabamis organoebTan
miwerilobebis safuZvelze moxerxda.
represirebulTa specdasaxlebis
adgilebis geografiuli areali metad
farToa da moicavs tajikeTs, uzbekeTs,
yirgizeTs, yazaxeTs, CrdiloeT ruseTis
teritoriebs, altais mxares, tomskis,
Celiabinskis, kemerovos, sverdlovskis olqebs
da a.S.
1941-1951 wlebSi saqarTvelos sabWoTa
socialisturi respublikis teritoriidan,
Sss saarqivo sammarTveloSi arsebul
monacemebze dayrdnobiT, saerTo jamSi
ukanonod 182 079 piri iqna specgadasaxlebuli.
amrigad, Sss saarqivo sammarTvelos
mier SesaZleblobis farglebSi moZiebuli,
ganzogadebuli da sistematizirebuli
dokumentacia, statistikuri monacemebi
da aRniSnuli procesebis amsaxveli sxva
istoriuli formularebi da cnobebi
moyvanilia qvemoT.
erovnebiT germanelTa specgadasaxleba
ssrk Tavdacvis komitetis 1941 wlis
8 oqtombris #744ss dadgenilebis
safuZvelze da ssrk Sss 1941 wlis 11
oqtombris #001487 brZanebis Sesabamisad
xorcieldeboda, romelic adgenda
saqarTvelos, azerbaijanisa da somxeTis

applications. Transportation of the above mentioned

materials from the Republic of Uzbekistan could not be
organized due to complicated political circumstance in the
country during that period.
It should be mentioned that due to the conditions of
the resettlement operations no documentation was drawn
up except for registration cards and echelon lists. Special
resettlement files were drawn up only after the exiles
arrived at their places of exile places, which sometimes
happened only several years later, e.g.: the files of
Germans exiled in Pavlodar region in 1941 were drawn up
only in 1949.
In addition, a certain part of special exiles were
mobilized in labor armies; their personal files remained in
the security organs of the relevant territorial units. Some
of them were repeatedly deported after the prior transfer,
so their registration documentation was preserved in a
relevant security organ after their release. Thus, there

51

sabWoTa socialistur respublikebSi

mcxovrebi germaneli warmomavlobis pirTa
gadasaxlebis wesebs.
dasaxelebuli dokumentebis
mixedviT, yazaxeTis ssr-Si gadasaxlebas
eqvemdebareboda aRniSnul respublikebSi
mcxovrebi yvela germaneli, maT Soris
komunisturi partiisa da axalgazrduli
komkavSiruli organizaciebis wevrebi,
agreTve wiTel armiaSi momsaxure rigiT da
xelmZRvanel pirTa ojaxebic. am ukanasknelT
Casaxlebis adgilebSi sasoflo-sameurneo da
yofiTi sakiTxebis gadawyvetisas garkveuli
upiratesoba eniWebodaT.
gadasaxlebis procesSi gamonaklisi
daiSveboda mxolod im pirebTan dakavSirebiT,
romelTa mimarTac gamoicemoda ssrk Sss
specialuri miTiTebani.
operatiuli ubnebis xelmZRvanelebi
mosalodneli gadasaxlebis Sesaxeb operaciis
dawyebamde ori dRiT adre atyobinebdnen
mosaxleobas da acnobdnen maT gadasaxlebis
wessa da rigs. amasTan, arc erT SemTxvevaSi
ar daiSveboda maTi koleqtiuri Sekrebebi da
gadasaxlebasTan dakavSirebuli sakiTxebis
erToblivi ganxilvebi.
iseT SemTxvevebSi, rodesac gadasaxlebas
daqvemdebarebuli ojaxebis calkeuli wevri
gadasaxlebis momentisaTvis adgilze ar
imyofeboda (mkurnalobda saavadmyofoSi,
wasuli iyo samsaxurebriv mivlinebaSi da
a.S.), aiyvaneboda specialur aRricxvaze
ojaxis axal sacxovrebel adgilas Semdgomi
gamgzavrebis mizniT.
gadasaxlebulT neba eZleodaT Tan
waeRoT piradi da mcire gabaritebis mqone
sxva nivTebi (tanisamosi, WurWeli, sasoflosameurneo da saojaxo inventari,
fuli, Zvirfaseuloba, sakvebis
maragi), ojaxze

was no systematic or standardized registration within the

framework of one structure either before fire or afterwards.
Partial restoration of the destroyed materials was
managed on the basis of the above mentioned echelon
lists, as well as on correspondence between the Archive
Units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and security and
other relevant agencies.
The geographical habitat of the special places of
exile is quite wide, including the territories of Tajikistan,
Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, North Russia, Altai
region, Tomsk, Cheliabinsk, Kemerovo, and Sverdlovsk
regions, etc.
According to the data preserved in the Archive
Department of the MoIA, in 1941-1951, 182,079 persons
in total were illegally exiled.
Documentation and statistical data cateloged by the
Archive Department of the MoIA, as well as from historical
sources reflecting the above mentioned processes are
given below.
The special exile of persons with German nationality
was implemented on the basis of Resolution #744 ss
(October 8, 1941) of the USSR Committee of Defense and in
compliance with Order #001487 (October 11, 1941) of the
Ministry of Internal Affairs of the USSR. This Resolution
and Order established the rules of exile for Germans in
the Georgian, Armenian and Azerbaijani SSRs.
According to the documents, all Germans were exiled
to the Soviet Socialist republic of Kazakhstan, including
the members of the Komsomol and the Communist Party,
as well as family members of citizens and officials serving
in the Red Army. The latter were awarded with certain
privileges while their settlement and domestic issues were
being resolved. Exceptions during the exile procedure
were allowed only for people for whom the USSR Ministry
of Internal Affairs issued special directions.
Heads of operative districts notified the population
about the expected resettlement two days before,
and also informed them the rules and orders of
exile procedure. Hence, collective meetings or joint
discussions of exile related issues was not allowed
among the population. In the case of absence of any
family member while the resettlement was taking
place (e.g. if a person had a business trip or was in
hospital) he or she was immediately registered with
a special mark for future transfer to the new place
of residence.
The exiles were permitted to take personal
and other small belongings (clothes, dishes,
household equipment or farming tools, money,

52

araumetes 1 tonisa. moculobiTi sagnebis

waReba ikrZaleboda. mosamzadeblad maT
48 saaTi hqondaT. qalaqSi mcxovrebT
neba eZleodaT, maTive axloblebis
meSveobiT gaeyidaT is darCenili qoneba,
romelTa waRebasac ver axerxebdnen. am
ukanasknelT ki realizaciisagan miRebuli
Tanxa 10 dRis vadaSi unda gadaegzavnaT
gadasaxlebulTaTvis axal sacxovrebel
adgilze, romlis misamarTic im
momentisaTvis aravisaTvis iyo cnobili.
gadasaxlebulTa mTeli darCenili
qoneba, sayofacxovrebo inventari (garda
cxenebisa) da sameurneo savargulebi
aRiwereboda adgilobrivi komisiebis mier
da saxelisuflebo organoebs gadaecemoda.
amasTan maT ganemartebodaT, rom aRniSnuli
qoneba aRweris dros gacemuli qviTrebis
safuZvelze eqvemdebareboda aRdgenas
kolmeurneobebsa da individualur
meurneobebSi, 1941 wlisa da wina wlebis
savaldebulo SenatanebTan dakavSirebiT
arsebuli danaklisebisa da davalianebebis
gamoqviTviT. gadasaxlebulT afrTxilebdnen,
Tan waeRoT aranakleb 1 Tvis sakmarisi
sursaT-sanovage.
ssrk Tavdacvis komitetis aRniSnuli
dadgenilebis Sesabamisad, saqarTvelos ssr
teritoriidan mTlianobaSi gadasaxlebul
iqna 5 226 ojaxi _ daaxloebiT 19 186 piri.
teritoriuli erTeulebis mixedviT
gadasaxlebis suraTi ase gamoiyureboda:
q. Tbilisidan da misi raionebidan _
1 549 ojaxi; afxazeTis assr _ 261 ojaxi;
aWaris assr _ 6 ojaxi; samxreT oseTis ass
olqi _ 12 ojaxi;
saqarTvelos ssr raionebi _ 3 398 ojaxi;
raionebis mixedviT q. Tbilisidan: stalinis
(pirveli maisis, didubis) raioni _ 1 813
piri leninis (naZaladevis) raioni _ 1 395
piri; berias (kalininis, mTawmindis) raioni
_ 257 piri; orjonikiZis (vakis) raioni _ 545
piri; molotovis (oqtombris, CuRureTis)
raioni _ 176 piri; kirovis (krwanisis) raioni
_ 132 piri; 26 komisaris (isnis) raioni _ 460
piri;
raionebis mixedviT saqarTvelos ssr-dan:
abaSis raioni _ 2 ojaxi; adigenis raioni _
14 ojaxi; ambrolauris raioni _ 3 ojaxi;
axalcixis raioni _ 35 ojaxi; axalqalaqis
raioni _ 35 ojaxi; luqsemburgis (bolnisis)
raioni _ 1 215 ojaxi; bogdanovkis
(ninowmindis) raioni _ 3 ojaxi; borjomis
raioni _ 57 ojaxi; goris raioni _ 16 ojaxi;
gegeWkoris (martvilis) raioni _ 28 ojaxi;
gurjaanis raioni _ 19 ojaxi; baSkiCeTis
(dmanisis) raioni _ 102 ojaxi; zugdidis
raioni _ 48 ojaxi zestafonis raioni _ 16
ojaxi; karaiazis (gardabnis) raioni _ 272
ojaxi; quTaisis raioni _ 44 ojaxi; qarelis
raioni _ 4 ojaxi; yvarlis raioni _ 10

valuables, and food storage) with them not more than 1

ton for each family. Taking larger items was banned. The
preparation time was limited to 48 hours. City-dwellers were
permitted to sell the rest of their property with the assistance
of their relatives; consequently, these relatives were obliged
to transfer the relevant sums to the exiles at their new places
of residence (which at that point was unknown) within 10
days.
The remaining property, including household
equipment (except horses) as well as the arable farming
land of the exiles was registered and consequently
delivered to governmental agencies. Hence, they were
told that this property was subject to recovery in collective
farms (kolkhoz) and individual farms on the basis of
receipts issued during inventory with consideration for
the deduction of debts related to obligatory distributions
for 1941 and previous years.
The exiles were warned to take with them food
enough for at least one month.
In accordance with the above mentioned Resolution
of the USSR Committee of Defense, 5,226 families were
exiled from the Georgian SSR in total approximately
19,186 persons.
The situation of exiles Exile to territorial units was as
follows:
1,549 families from Tbilisi and its districts; 261
families from the Autonomic Soviet Socialist Republic of
Abkhazia; 6 families from the Autonomic Soviet Socialist
Republic of Adjaria; 12 families from the Autonomic
Soviet Socialist region of South Osetia. From districts
of the Georgian SSR: Stalin districts ( I May, Didube),
1 813 persons; Lenin (Nadzaladevi) district, 1,395
persons; Beria (Kalinin, Mtatsminda) district, 257 persons;
Orjonikidze (Vake) district, 545 persons; Molotov (October,
Chughureti) district, 176 persons; Kirov (Krtsanisi) district ,
132 persons; 26 Commissars (Isani) district , 460 persons.
From the Georgian by regions: 2 families from
Abasha region; 14 families from Adigeni region; 3 families
from Ambrolauri region; 35 families from Akhaltsikhe
region; 1,215 families from Luxembourg (Bolnisi) region;
3 families from Bogdanovka (Ninotsminda) region; 57
families from Borjomi region; 16 families from Gori region;
28 familis from Gegechkori (martvili) region; 19 families
from Gurjaani region; 102 families from Bashkicheti
(Dmanisi) region; 48 families from Zugdidi region; 16
families from Zestaphoni region; 272 families from
Karayazi (Gardabani) region; 44 families from Kutaisi
region; 4 families from Kareli region; 10 families from
Kvareli region; 4 families from Lower Svanetia; 3 families

53

ojaxi; qvemo svaneTi _ 4 ojaxi; kaspis raioni

_ 3 ojaxi; lagodexis raioni _ 10 ojaxi;
lanCxuTis raioni _ 1 ojaxi; maiakovskis
(baRdaTis) raioni _ 1 ojaxi; foTis raioni
_ 1 ojaxi; siRnaRis raioni _ 8 ojaxi;
samtrediis raioni _ 17 ojaxi; sagarejos
raioni _ 367 ojaxi; Telavis raioni _ 11
ojaxi; TeTriwyaros raioni _ 468 ojaxi;
tyibulis raioni _ 15 ojaxi; xaragaulis
raioni _ 9 ojaxi; xaSuris raioni _ 4 ojaxi;
xobis raioni _ 3 ojaxi; cxakaias (senakis)
raioni _ 2 ojaxi; walkis raioni _ 341 ojaxi;
wiTelwyaros (dedofliswyaros) raioni _
19 ojaxi; wyaltubos raioni _ 32 ojaxi;
cageris raioni _ 1 ojaxi; WiaTuris raioni
_ 6 ojaxi; Coxatauris raioni _ 3 ojaxi;
sxva konkretulad daudgeneli raionebi _ 53
ojaxi.
Tavdapirvelad specgadasaxlebis
operaciis gansaxorcieleblad gamoyofili
iyo 15 dRe _ 1941 wlis 15 oqtombridan 30
oqtombramde, Tumca, rogorc arsebuli
masalebidan irkveva, aRniSnuli vadebi
darRveul iqna da operacia 1942 wlis pirveli
meoTxedis ganmavlobaSic grZeldeboda.
mogvianebiT gadasaxlebul pirTa
binebi, saqarTvelos ssr ministrTa sabWos
1960 wlis 23 martis #77s dadgenilebis
safuZvelze, komunaluri sabinao fondis
aRricxvaze aiyvanes. mimarTvebis safuZvelze
28 gancxadeba iqna ganxiluli pirovnebebis
araswori gadasaxlebis Sesaxeb. romlebic
saqarTvelos ssr-s prokuraturisa da Ss
organoebis dadgenilebebiT gaTavisufldnen
specgadasaxlebis adgilebidan.
ssrk ministrTa sabWos 1955 wlis 24
noembris #1963-1052s dadgenilebis safuZvelze
rusi, ukraineli da belorusi qalbatonebi,
romlebic gadasaxlebis momentisaTvis
kanonier qorwinebaSi imyofebodnen germaneli
warmomavlobis pirebTan da SemdegSi gaeyarnen
maT, eqvemdebarebodnen specgadasaxlebis
adgilebis aRricxvianobidan moxsnas,
adrindel sacxovrebel adgilze dabrunebis
uflebis gareSe.
gadasaxlebulTa ZiriTadi kontigenti
aRricxvidan moixsna da konfiskirebuli
qonebisa da uwindel sacxovrebel
adgilebze dabrunebis uflebis gareSe
specgadasaxlebidan gaTavisuflda ssrk
umaRlesi sabWos prezidiumis 1955 wlis 13
dekembris #129/23 dadgenilebis safuZvelze.
calke aRniSvnis Rirsia is faqti, rom ssrk
Tavdacvis komitetis 1941 wlis 8 oqtombris
#744ss dadgenilebis teqsti saqarTvelos ssr
Sss-Si gadmogzavnili ar yofila.
safuZveli: fondi #31;
specgadasaxlebulTa piradi saqmeebi;
istoriuli cnobebi, formularebi da
mimoxilva fondi #31-is Sesaxeb.

54

from Kaspi region; 10 families from Lagodekhi region; 1

family from Lanchkhuti region; 1 family from Maiakovski
(Baghdati) region; 1 family from Poti region; 8 families
from Sighnagi region; 17 families from Samtredia region;
367 families from Sagarejo region; 11 families from Telavi
region; 468 families from Tetritskaro region; 15 families
from Tkibuli region; 9 families from Kharagauli region;
4 families from Khashuri region; 3 families from Khobi
region; 2 families from Tskhakaia (Senaki) region; 341
families from Tsalka region; 19 families from Tsiteltskaro
(Dedopliststkaro) region; 32 families from Tskaltubo
region; 1 family from Tsageri region; 6 families from
Chiatura region; 3 families from Chokhatauri region; and
53 families from other unspecified regions.
The period of implementation for special exile was
limited initially to 15 days ini, in particular from October
15, 1941 to October 30, 1941, although as the materials
show, this deadline failed and the operation continued into
the first quarter of 1942 as well.
Later, apartments of exiled persons were registered
in communal apartment funds on the basis of Resolution
#77s (March 23, 1960) by the Council of Ministers of the
Soviet Socialist Republic of Georgia.
28 applications alleging that persons were incorrectly
exiled and their release from their places of special exile
by a resolution from the Prosecutors Office and the
organs of Internal Affairs of the SSR of Georgia were
discussed on the basis of appeals.
Based on the Resolution #1963-1052 of November
23, 1955 by the Council of Ministers of the USSR,
Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian women, being legally
married to persons of German origin at the moment
of exile and later divorced were to withdrawal from
registration in places of special exile without the right to
return their earlier places of residence.
Most of the exiled persons were withdrawn from
registration and consequently released from special exile
on the basis of Resolution #129/23 of December 13, 1955
by the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the USSR
but without the right or return of seized property and
return earlier places of residence.
It should be separately emphasized that the text of
Resolution #744ss of October 8, 1941 by the USSR of
Committee of Defense was not transferred to the Ministry
of Internal Affairs of the SSR of Georgia.
Evidence: Fond #31; personal files of special exiles;
historical information; forms and review of Fond #31.

ukomentarod / no commnets

siyvarulze
gacvlili samSoblo
Homeland Betrayed for
Love
qeTevan sarsevaniZe
keTevan sarsevanidze

eCerdiT, is qarTvelia! gaisma

mkacri brZaneba avtomatmomarjvebuli
germaneli jariskacebis misamarTiT,
romelTac hospitlis obmokidebuli
sardafis kedelTan atuzuli ebraelebi, isis iyo, sicocxles unda gaemoesalmebinaT.
sikvdilmisjilTa Soris iyo qarTveli medda
Tina balanCivaZe, romelic wiTeli armiis
samxedro tyveTa hospitlis komendatma,
germanelma feldfebelma artur cickem ixsna
daxvretisagan.
germaneli oficris am nabijma qarTvel
qaliSvils mbJutavi siyvarulis naperwkali
kidev ufro gauRviva da zaparoJies olqis q.
pologis samxedro hospitalSi gausaZlisi
yofa da muSaoba bednierebad gadauqcia.
cickec yuradRebasa da mzrunvelobas ar
aklebda omis qarcecxlSi gamovlil da
ukarainaSi iZulebiT gadmoxvewil miusafar
qaliSvils...
Tina balanCivaZe 1920 wels quTaisis
raionis sofel qvitirSi iyo dabadebuli.
dediserTa, umamod gazrdilma gogonam
wiTeli jvris quTaisis medicinis daTa
orwliani skola 1937 wels daamTavra da
omis dawyebamde quTaisis vendispansersa da
poliklinikaSi meddad muSaobda.
Tina omis dawyebis pirvelive dReebSi, 1941
wlis 28 ivniss, gaiwvies samxedro samsaxurSi

Hold it! Shes Georgian! This strict order to German

soldiers with their submachine guns at the ready to shoot
Jews standing by a decrepit hospital wall saved the life
of Tina Balanchivadze, a Georgian nurse expecting to die
along the others who had been sentenced to death. She
was rescued by Arthur Tsitske, a German sergeant-major
and commandant of a hospital for Red Army prisoners of
war.
The Georgian officers action ignited a slight spark of
love in Georgian young womans spirit, and consequently
gave a flicker of happiness to her unbearable existence,
working in the military hospital in the city of Pologi in the
Zaporozhie region. Tsitske took great care of this solitary
maiden, who had passed through the fires and storms of war
and was involuntarily resettled in Ukraine.
Tina Balanchivadze was born in 1920 in Kvitiri village
in the Kutaisi region. An only child, she grew up without
a father and graduated from a two-year nursing school in
Kutaisi. From 1937 until the start of the war she worked as
a nurse at a Kutaisi venereal dispensary and polyclinic.
Tina was recruited for military service in the very first
days of the war, on June 28, 1941. She was assigned to
the 55th Medical Battalion of the 4th Rifle Division of the
18th Army. After an initial three-month military training, on
September 6 the entire 18-th Army was transferred to the
battle lines of the Southern front. Near the city of Tokmak in
Archive of the Georgian Interior Ministry (II); F.6, File #46, p.12.
Ibid, p .85.
Ibid, p. 52.

saqarTvelos Sss-s arqivi, (II), f. #6, saqme #46, gv. 12.

iqve, gv. 85.

55

da Caricxes me-18 armiis me-4 msroleli

diviziis 55-e sanbatalionSi. quTaisSi
samTviani pirveladi samxedro momzadebis
Semdeg, 6 seqtembers, me-18 armiis mTeli
Semadgenloba samxreTi frontis wina xazze
gadaisroles. zaporoJies olqSi, q. tokmakTan,
armia maleve moeqca germanelTa alyaSi.
Tina avtomatebis tyviebis zuzunisa da
yumbarebis afeTqebis fonze Tavis profesiul
da adamianur movaleobebs pirnaTlad
asrulebda. sabednierod, sikvdils gadaurCa,
magram 1941 wlis 8 oqtombers naRmis
namsxvrevebiT marcxena fexSi mZimed daiWra,
misi batalioni ki meore dResve tyved
Cavarda. germanelebma mZimed daWrili medda
q. pologis wiTeli armiis samxedro tyveTa
hospitalSi gadaiyvanes da operacia gaukeTes.
swored aq, hospitalSi gaicnes artur
cickem da Tina balanCivaZem erTmaneTi
1941 wlis dekemberSi. pirveli naxvisTanave
germanel oficers daWrili samxedro tyvis
mimarT gansxvavebuli grZnobebi gauCnda. arc
Tina yofila gulgrili cickes mimarT...
xangrZlivi mkurnalobis Semdeg fexze
damdgari Tina balanCivaZe samuSaod imave
hospitalSi gaamweses.
1942 wlis ivnisSi sxva tyveebTan erTad
Tinac q. zaporoJies germanelebis samxedro
komendaturaSi gadaiyvanes da kameraSi
gamoamwyvdies. `gestapos~ TanamSromlebTan
orkviriani Sexvedrebis Semdeg qarTveli
ferSali faSistur xelisuflebasTan
TanamSromlobaze daiTanxmes. mas daevala
partizanebisa da hospitalSi samkurnalod
myofi komunistebis gamoaSkaraveba, aseve
ebraelebis sacxovrebeli adgilebis dadgena.
winaaRmdegobis gawevis, an `gestafosTan~
misi TanamSromlobis Sesaxeb informaciis
gaxmaurebis SemTxvevaSi mas daxvreta eloda.
valdebulebebis dokumentze xelmoweris
Semdeg, 1942 wlis 2 ivliss, Tina
balanCivaZes tyveobidan gaTavisuflebis
Sesaxeb cnoba misces da, qarTvel meddis
daJinebuli TxovniT, imave hospitalSi
daabrunes, sadac mas siyvaruliT anTebuli
guli eloda.
ramdenime kviris Semdeg kvlav axalma
gansacdelma iCina Tavi: garegnobiT ebraels
mimsgavsebuli Tina balanCivaZe ganukiTxaobis
msxverpli unda gamxdariyo da erovnuli
niSniT sikvdilmisjil sxva ebraelebTan
erTad hospitlis sardafSi daemTavrebina
sicocxle, magram... isev artur cickem
gamostaca sikvdils.


saqarTvelos Sss-s arqivi, (II), f. #6, saqme #46, gv. 52.

iqve, gv. 23.

iqve, gv. 97-98.


56

the Zaporozhie region the Army was soon encircled by German soldiers. Amid flying bullets and bursting bombs, Tina
properly fulfilled her professional and human duties. She
survived, but on October 8, 1941 she was badly wounded in
the left leg by shrapnel; her battalion was taken captive on
the next day. The seriously injured nurse was transferred by
the Germans to a prisoner of war camp in Pologi, and operated on in the hospital where she and Arthur Tsitske became
acquainted in December 1941. The German officer immediately felt an attraction to the wounded military prisoner; Tina
was not indifferent to him either
Tina Balanchivadze recovered, and the Germans put
her to work in the same hospital.
After a long course of treatment, on June 1, 1942 Tina
was transferred together with other prisoners to the German
military commandants office in the city of Zaporozhie, where
she was put into a cell. After two-weeks of interrogation by
the Gestapo, the Germans forced the Georgian nurse to
agree to collaborate with them. She was obliged to reveal
partisans and communists being treated in the hospital, also
to identify the residences of Jews. Should she failed to obey
the Gestapo or withheld information, she was to be shot.
After signing the mandatory document, on July 2, 1942
Tina Balanchivadze was given a certificate of release. At
her insistent request, the Georgian nurse was returned to the
hospital where her German officer awaited her.
After a few weeks a new problem arose: in her appearance Tina looked very Jewish, and came close to ending her
life in a hospital cellar together with others who had been
sentenced to death until she was rescued again by Arthur
Tsitske.
The affections between the two young people developed into more serious relations, and in August 1942 Tina
Balanchivadze moved in with Arthur Tsitske.
It was a hard war, and a time of great stress. The Gestapo agent Tina Balanchivadze met Senior Lieutenant Tim
once or twice a week She was forced to provide information about soviet communists. Those who were revealed
to be communists were immediately transferred to the
camp in Zaporozhie where Tina was once recruited herself.
No information exists about what became of these people
afterwards.
Tina would be immediately shot if she did not do as she
was told, and death was the last thing that this young woman, who had fallen in love with a German officer, wanted.
The Fascist officer and the ordinary Soviet Georgian
nurse did not have any illusions about the possibilities for
boundless happiness; they awaited each new day with great
fear; they were doubtful about their future, and both of them
knew that no good thing could come to citizens of their two
warring countries
Archive of the Georgian Interior Ministry (II); F.6, File #46, p.23.
Ibid, p.97-98.




SeyvarebulTa
urTierToba TandaTanobiT
seriozul fazaSi
gadaizarda da 1942 wlis
agvistoSi Tina balanCivaZe
artur cickesTan gadavida
sacxovreblad...
irgvliv omi mZinvarebda.
`gestapos~ agenti Tina
balanCivaZe kviraSi 1-2-jer
xvdeboda oberleitenant
tims... da iZulebuli gaxda,
6 sabWoTa komunistis
Sesaxeb miewodebina cnobebi.
`gaSifrulebi~ saswrafod
gadaiyvanes q. zaporoJies
imave banakSi, sadac
gadabirebul iqna TviT Tina
balanCivaZe. maTi Semdgomi
bedis Sesaxeb informacia
cnobili ar aris.
da Tu ara aseTi
qmedeba, Tina balanCivaZes
gardauvali daRupva eloda,
rac germaneli oficris
siyvaruliT gulanTebul
qals yvelaze metad ar
undoda.
`faSist~ oficersa da
sabWoTa saqarTvelos rigiT
meddas TavianTi bednierebis
maradiulobaze iluzia ar
hqoniaT; SiSiT Sehyurebdnen
yoveli axali dRis gaTenebas;
maT gulebs eWvi RrRnida.
icodnen, dapirispirebuli
qveynebis politika am qveynis
SvilTa urTierTobas
sasikeTos arafers moutanda...
1943 wlis dasawyisSi
cickes hospitlis komendatis
Tanamdeboba daatovebines
da gadaiyvanes q. pologis
raionis xidebisa da
rkinigzis damcvelad,
1943 wlis agvistoSi ki
igi, asakis gamo, moqmedi
armiidan gaaTavisufles
da samSobloSi dabruneba
ubrZanes. mosiyvarule
wyvils kvlav gansacdelis
xana daudga. maTi daSoreba
gardauvali xdeboda...
mogvianebiT Tina
balanCivaZe ixsenebs:
`wasvlis win SemomTavaza

Tina balanCivaZeEda
artur cicke
Tina Balanchivadze and Arthur
Tsitske

57

TavisTan erTad gamgzavreba. me miviRe misi

winadadeba, radgan miyvarda da im periodSi
misi Tanadgoma mWirdeboda~.
artur cickem izruna da moaxerxa,
sayvareli qali im eSelonSi aRmoCeniliyo,
romliTac kavkasielebi germaniaSi
nebayoflobiT miemgzavrebodnen.
germaniaSi, isev cickes daxmarebiT, Tina
balanCivaZe `qarTul komitetSi~ gamocxadda
da daxmareba iTxova. marTlac, materialur
da fulad daxmarebasTan erTad Tinam miiRo
sabuTebi da samuSao adgili q. Spetinis
saavtomobili qarxnis medpunqtSi, radgan
cickemac swored q. SpetinSi daiwyo muSaoba...
Seyvarebulebi periodulad xvdebodnen
erTmaneTs.
..roca Seityo, rom fexmZimed iyo, Tina
balanCivaZem q. berlinSi isev `qarTul
komitets~ miakiTxa dasaxmareblad. samuSao
q. berlinis raion Spandaus samoqalaqo
hospitalSi mouZebnes.
1945 wlis 2 marts Tina balanCivaZes
bavSvi SeeZina. gogona imave wlis 2 ivniss
wminda marias kaTokilur eklesiaSi
monaTles da rozmari-Tamar balanCivaZe
uwodes. sacxovreblad cickec SpandauSi
gadavida, germaniaSi dislocirebul
inglisis erT-erT samxedro nawilSi
daiwyo muSaoba da deda-Svilis
uzrunvelyofa Tavis Tavze aiRo.
CvilbavSviani deda mTlianad cickeze
damokidebuli Seiqmna. Tina balanCivaZe
ganmartavs: `me myavda ZuZuTa bavSvi da
aman mTlianad mimajaWva artur cickes.
mxolod amiT SemiZlia avxsna Cemi
samSobloSi gamgzavrebaze uaris Tqma.~ 
qali beds, namdvilad, ar emduroda.
marTalia, ojaxi inglisis mier
okupirebul teritoriaze cxovrobda,
magram saboloo gadawyvetileba germaniis
teritoriaze mudmivi cxovrebis an
sazRvargareT gamgzavrebis Sesaxeb Tina
balanCivaZes ar hqonia.
sabWoTa jarebis mier germaniis
okupaciis dros sabWoTa emigrantma
inglisis komendaturas miakiTxa, saidanac
miiRo germaniaSi, inglisis okupirebul
teritoriaze cxovrebis oficialuri
nebarTva. imedi gaCnda, rom rusebi Tina
balanCivaZes ver Seexebodnen.
amasobaSi omic damTavrda. Tina
balanCivaZes samSobloSi dabrunebaze
fiqric ar undoda. germaniaSi mosiyvarule
qmarsa da sayvarel SvilTan Tavs


saqarTvelos Sss-s arqivi, (II), f. #6, saqme #46, gv. 123.

iqve, gv. 101-102.

iqve, gv. 124.


58

In the beginning of 1943, Tsitske left his position as

commandant at hospital and was transferred to the city of
Pologi as a security guard for bridges and railway in the
region. In August 1943 he was relieved of service because to
his age, and he was ordered to return to his homeland. Their
love was put on a trial once more
Later Tina Balanchivadze recalled: Before he left he
offered that I go with him. I agreed because I loved him and
needed his support in that period.
Arthur Tsitske arranged for his beloved to be in the
same troop train by which people from the Caucasus were
voluntarily traveling to Germany.
Once in Germany, with Tsitske`s support Tina Balanchivadze appealed to the Georgian Committee and
requested assistance. As it turned out, she obtained the
necessary documents as well as material and monetary aid,
and consequently she got a job in the first aid station of a car
factory in the city of Shpetin, where Tsitske had also started
working. The loving couple periodically met each other.
As soon as Tina learned that she was pregnant, she
went to the Georgian Committee in Berlin again for aid.
They found her work at a civil hospital in the Shpandau
district of Berlin.
Archive of the Georgian Interior Ministry (II); F.6, File #46, p.123.

Tina balanCivaZe meuRlesTan da SvilTan erTad

Tina Balanchivadze with husband and daughter

bednierad grZnobda. dabruneba misTvis

SesaZlebeli iyo mxolod erT SemTxvevaSi,
Tu artur cickesTan erTad gamgzavrebis
nebas darTavdnen, magram...
msoflio omSi gamarjvebas sabWoTa
xelisuflebis eiforia ar gamouwvevia.
sabWoTa mTavroba da komunisturi partia
Seupovrad Seudga socializmisaTvis
Seuferebeli, mtruli da mavne elementebis
gamoaSkaravebas rogorc qveynis SigniT, aseve
qveynis gareT.
1946 wlis 12 oqtombers saxelmwifo
uSiSroebis saministros berlinis
centraluri samxedro komendaturis
kontrdazvervis ganyofilebisa da berlinis
garnizonis samxedro prokuraturis
gadawyverilebiT aRiZra sisxlis samarTlis
saqme #136 TinaTin ivanes asuli balanCivaZis
Sesaxeb.
Tina balanCivaZe dapatimrebul iqna
1946 wlis 14 oqtombers sisxlis samarTlis
kodeqsis 58-1b muxliT.
dapatimrebis Sesaxeb dadgenilebaSi
vkiTxulobT: ` 1943 .
,
.

,
.~ 
qals yvela sabuTi wesrigSi hqonda.
Cxrekisas mas aRmoaCnda: germanuli
pasporti, berlinSi Caweris cnoba
policiidan, cnoba balanCivaZis saxelze
berlinSi cxovrebis stilze, eqimis cnoba,
germanelebis tyveobisagan gaTavisuflebis
cnoba, Svilis dabadebis mowmoba, nebarTva
cxovrebis uflebis Sesaxeb. magram
dapatimrebis sababi Seuvalia: `wiTeli
armiis nawilebis germaniaSi Casvlisas Tavi
aarida sabWoTa kavSirSi dabrunebas, riTic
gacvala sabWoTa samSoblo~.
1946 wlis 24 dekembers q. berlinis
garnizonis samxedro tribunalis
gadawyvetilebiT Tina balanCivaZes 10
wliT Tavisuflebis aRkveTa miesaja. 1948
wlis 10 ivniss, rogorc saxelmwifo
gansakuTrebiT saSiSi damnaSave, sasjelis
mosaxdelad gaigzavna ssrk Sss specialur
banakSi. igi taigaSi xeebs Wrida. mZime
da gausaZlisi samuSaoebis gamo qali
daavadmyofda. 1954 wlis 27 agvistos
balanCivaZe krasnoiarskis mxareSi








saqarTvelos Sss-s arqivi, (II), f. #6, saqme #46, gv. 1-2.

iqve, gv. 3.
iqve, gv. 8.
iqve, gv. 64.

On March 2, 1945 Tina gave birth to a baby girl, who

was christened Rosemary-Tamar Balanchivadze on the
same day at the Saint Mary Catholic Church. Tsitske moved
to Shpandau to live and take care of them, and he started
working for the British military, that was now stationed
in Germany. Tina and the new-born child became totally
dependant on Tsitske. Later Tina Balanchivadze explained:
I had the baby and this made me totally attached to Tsitske.
This was the only reason that I refused to return to my
country.
The woman was indeed not unhappy. Though the
family lived on the territory occupied by the British, Tina
Balanchivadze did not have permission for permanent residence in the territory of Germany or for traveling abroad.
The Soviet migr approached the English commandant. They provided her with official residence certification
in Germany within the territories occupied by the British.
She hoped that she would not be disturbed by the Russians. The war was now over, and Tina did not want even
to think about returning to her homeland. She felt happy
in Germany with her husband and daughter. Repatriation was possible only if she would be permitted to leave
together with Arthur Tsitske, but
Winning the Second World War did not result any euphoria on the part of the Soviet authorities. The Communist
Party and the Soviet Government began to seek out malicious elements, hostile to Socialism both within the country
and also beyond its borders.
On October 12, 1946 criminal case #136 was initiated
against Tinatin Balanchivadze on the basis of a resolution by
the Military Prosecutors Office of the Berlin Garrison of the
Archive of the Georgian Interior Ministry (II); F.6, File #46, p. 101-102.
Ibid, p.124.




59

Central Military Commandants Office of the Counterintelligence Section of the Ministry of State Security.
Tina Balanchivadze was arrested on October 14, 1946
and charged with a crime under article 58-1b of the Criminal
Code.
The arrest Order states: In 1943 Tina Balanchivadze
left voluntarily for Germany, where she continued cohabiting
with Tsitske a German national. After the arrival in Germany of the Red Army, Balanchivadze avoided returning to
the Soviet Union and in so doing committed high treason.
All of Tinas documents were in order. The following items were found when she was searched: a German
passport, a certificate of registration in Berlin issued by the
police, a Berlin residence permit, medical certificate, a
certificate of release, her daughters birth certificate, and the
childs residence permit. In spite of these documents the
decision to arrest her was irrevocable: After the arrival of
Tina balanCivaZis dedis foto, romelsac
qaliSvili Tan atarebda
Photo of Tina Balanchivadze`s mother, always kept
by Tina with her

SedarebiT msubuq samuSaoze gadaiyvanes.

erTi wlis Semdeg ki ssrk umaRlesi
sabWos prezidiumis 1955 wlis 17 seqtembris
brZanebulebis safuZvelze Tina balanCivaZe
gadasaxlebidan gaaTavisufles.
Tina saqarTveloSi dabrunda.
mcirewlovani Svili am xnis ganmavlobaSi
sad da visTan izrdeboda, ucnobia. dedam
cxovrebis Tavidan dawyeba scada... Tumca es
arc ise martivi aRmoCnda.
1958 wlis 8 maiss samxedro meddam
tyibulis saavadmyofoSi sanitrad daiwyo
muSaoba. Tumca janmrTelobaSeryeuli
da nervebgafuWebuli qali Tavis
mdgomareobas ver Seegua, ar akmayofilebda
dakavebuli Tanamdeboba, problemebi hqonda
TanamSromlebTan.
Tina balanCivaZem sabWoTa saqarTvelos
mTavrobis saxelze araerTxel (1955 w., 1965
w., 1985 w.) gagzavna saCivari-gancxadeba,
romelSic Tavis gausaZlis yofas aRwerda
da iTxovda daxmarebasa da reabilitacias.
magram pasuxi erTi da igive Sinaarsis iyo _
q. berlinis garnizonis samxedro tribunalis
mier rsfsr ssk 58-1b muxliT gasamarTlebul
Tina balanCivaZes reabilitacia ar exeboda.
cxovreba verc misma qaliSvilma, rozmariTamarma aawyo...
1974 wels 1 ivliss gawamebulma qalma
daxmarebisaTvis ssrk Tavdacvis ministrs
marSal a. greCkos mimarTa. Tina balanCivaZe
saCivris werilSi werda:
`

.

60

the Red Army Germany she avoided returning to the Soviet

Union, and in the way she betrayed her Soviet motherland.
On December 24, 1946 on the basis of decision by
the Berlin city Garrison Military Tribunal Tina Balanchivadze
was sentenced 10 years imprisonment. On June 10, 1948
she was transferred to a special camp of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the USSR as an especially serious prisoner
of the state. She cut down trees in the taiga. Due to hard
and unbearable working conditions she fell ill. On August
27, 1954 she was transferred to comparatively light work
in the Krasnoyarsk region. A year later, on the basis of a
decree dated September 17, 1955 by the Presidium of the
Supreme Council of the USSR, Tina Balanchivadze was
released from exile.
Tina returned to Georgia. The whereabouts of her little
daughter as well as who took care of the child in this period
is unknown. The mother tried to start her life from the beginning, but it was not at all easy . . .
On May 8, 1958 the former army nurse began working as a hospital attendant in the Tkibuli hospital. With her
damaged health and nervous exhaustion, it was hard for
her to adapt to the conditions; she was not satisfied with her
new position, and some problems arose in her relations with
colleagues
Tina Balanchivadze frequently appealed to the
Government of the Soviet Georgia (in 1955, 1965, 1986)
with complaints describing her unbearable existence and
requesting rehabilitation and assistance. The replies to her
complaints were always the same: Tina Balanchivadze,
charged under article 58-1b of the Criminal Code of the
Russian Soviet Federal Socialist Republic by the Berlin city
Garrison Military Tribunal, could not be rehabilitated.









Archive of the Georgian Interior Ministry (II); F.6, File #46, p.1-2.
Ibid, p.3.
Ibid, p.8.
Ibid, p.64.

 .
,
,
.
, ,
- .
.~ 
damatebiTi gamoZiebisaTvis saqme aRiZra,
magram gawamebuli qalis mimarT cudi
daxasiaTebebi iwereboda...
` ...
,
...
,
.~
- vkiTxulobT saavadmyofos mTavari eqimi
vinme eliaSvilis mier 1974 wlis 9 dekembers
gacemul daxasiaTebaSi.
mogvianebiT balanCivaZe moskovSi
dakiTxvaze daibares, magram usaxsrobis gamo
tyibulidan Casvla ver moaxerxa.
samxedro prokuraturam 1974 wlis 31
dekembers mosarClis dauswreblad saqme
ganixila da Txovna ar daakmayofila, radgan
ganaCeni dasabuTebulad miiCnia da sasjelis
zoma ki _ danaSaulis simZimis Sesabamisad.
ukuRma datrialebulma Tina balanCivaZis
bedis borbalma mimarTuleba veRar
icvala... gaRviZebuli vulkanis lavasaviT
aboboqrebulma bedisweram Tavis talRebqveS
moaqcia da umweod mofarTxale deda-Svili
ufskrulisaken Seubraleblad Tan gaiyola.


saqarTvelos Sss-s arqivi, (II), f. #6, saqme #46, gv. 126.

On July 1, 1974 the tormented woman appealed to

Marshall A.Grechko, Minister of Defense of the USSR;
in her complaint Tina Balanchivadze wrote the following:
In recent years certain colleagues frequently
reproach me for by previous conviction and for having
been in German captivity. I work as a hospital attendant;
this position does not satisfy me, since I can work as a
nurse according to my educational skills, but I am not
allowed to do this; I suppose the reason is my previous
conviction. My daughter could not be enrolled in the
Medical Institute, and it seems to me that the reason for
this is again my conviction. All of this compels me to appeal to you for rehabilitation.

The case was referred for additional investigation,

but character references written for T.Balanchivadze
were bad...
According to an assessment by Doctor Eliashvili
on December 9, 1974: She is unfair regarding to her
service duties; she is frequently absent without any good
reason In character Balanchivadze is considered a
quarrelsome type of person; she often enters into arguments with colleagues.
Later Balanchivadze was summoned to Moscow
for an interview, but she could not leave Tkibuli due to a
lack of funds.
On December 31, 1974 the Military Prosecutors Office heard her case in absentia and consequently did not
satisfy the request, as it determined that the sentence
was appropriate.
The wheel of fortune had turned in the wrong direction
and its course could not be altered Destiny, like lava
from an erupting volcano, swept away the helpless mother
and daughter and carried them ruthlessly into the abyss.

Archive of the Georgian Interior Ministry (II); F.6, File #46, p.194.
Ibid, p.81-82.
Ibid, p.126.





61

meore msoflio omi/ World War II

. 1942-1943 .
1
Battle for the Caucasus.
1942 1943 the Caucasian special purposes
battalion Bergmann1

giorgi mamulia

- ( 1942 . )
, . isp
,



.
1941 .,

.


-
,
- .
,
,
.

, ,


, .

,
, ,

,
,
700 ,
, .
1941 .,

- ,
(),
.
1

62

39-45 Magazine. . Mamoulia G. La bataille du

Caucase. Une unit spciale caucasienne: Le Sonderverband Bergmann. 39-45
Magazine, Bayeux: Editions Heimdal, 2006. n 235. p. 40-46.

1943 .,

Christmas greeting card from 1943, made by a Georgian

volunteer of the Bergmann Battalion
The Bergmann special purposes battalion was formed
on the initiative of Professor and Subaltern-Lieutenant (after July
1942, Captain) Theodor Oberlander of German military intelligence
(the Abwer), and in its structure and tasks it differed considerably
from the other German Army field battalions that were part of the
Georgian Legion. The idea of establishing this battalion came
to Oberlander in October 1941 in connection with Wehrmacht
operations that were planned for the Caucasus theater. The
special purposes battalion was primarily composed of natives of
the Caucasus, and was to be tasked with carrying out airborne
operations to seize the strategically important Cross Pass on the

Georgian Military Highway. If this operation would succeed, the

German armies could overcome the Main Caucasian Range
between Vladikavkaz and Tbilisi without any obstacles.
This initiative won the approval of the head of the Abwer,
1

The French translation of this article was published in the military-historical journal
39-45 Magazine. See Mamoulia G., La bataille du Caucase. Une unite speciale caucasienne: Le Sonderverband Bergmann, 39-45 Magazine, Bayeux: Editions Heimdal,
2006. n. 235. pp.40-46.

 ,
130 -, ,
,

-II. ,

300 ,
- ; - ,

-800, -
. ,
,
.
, -
,
(Bergm?tze) , ,

;
- .

: , ,

.
1942 .
, -
,
,
,
- . 7-8 ,
.
1942 .
. ,
1200 : - 900
300 .
,
, (1-,
4- 5- , 2- , 3 ). 5-
,
-
,
.
,
- .
28 1942 .
,
. 1- ,
.
,
,
,
,

Admiral Wilhelm Canaris, who ordered Oberlander to form the

battalion mainly from prisoners of war from the Caucasus.
Oberlander and his deputy, Sonderfurher Walter Von
Kutchenbach, a native of Tbilisi who spoke Russian and Georgian
perfectly, visited camps for Soviet prisoners of war in the Poltava
region, and after thorough selection they recruited 700 Georgians,
Azeris, North Caucasians and Armenians. By the end of October
1941 the Caucasians recruited in the prisoner of war camps were
transferred to the Stranz training camp near Noehammer in Silesia
where the battalion was formed. In addition to the former Soviet
prisoners of war, 130 Georgian emigrants were also recruiting,
including former soldiers and officers of the French and Polish
armies who had previously served in the Abwer special subunit Tamara-II. The German personnel, in contrast to the field
battalions of the eastern Legion, consisted of no fewer than 300
selected officers, NCOs and soldiers primarily experienced
fighters from the Abwer special tasks Brandenburg - 800
regiment or from Wehrmacht mountain units. In Stranz the battalion
personnel from the Caucasus were issued with the uniforms of the
German mountain infantry. The only difference was that instead of
the edelweiss flower emblem that mountain troops of the Wehrmacht
wore on the left side of their caps, the Bergmann battalion members
wore in that place a metal badge in the shape of a Caucasian kindjal
dagger the unofficial symbol of the battalion.
The battalion was generally lightly armed: submachine guns,
small mortars, anti-tank weapons and German-made carbines.
In March 1942 the battalion was deployed to the Luttensee
training camp near Mittenwald in the Bavarian Alps, where they
underwent a three-month training course in conditions that
Wacsh P-C. Der Fall Theodor Oberlander (1905-1998). Ein Lehrstuck deutscher Geschichte . Frankfurt/New York: Campus Verlag, 2000. S.101
Hoffmann J. Kaukasien 1942/43. Das deutsche Heer und die Ostvlker der Sovjetunion.
Freiburg: Rombach Verlag, 1991. pp. 102-104.

-II, 1942 .


. , . ,
1941 .
Soldiers of the Abwer sub-unit
Tamara - II, which was attached to
the Bergmann special purposes
battalion in the Spring of 1942. Autumn
1941, Brashov, Romania.

Wachs P-C. Der Fall Theodor Oberlnder (1905-1998). Ein Lehrstuck

deutscher Geschichte. Frankfurt/New York: Campus Verlag, 2000. S. 101.
Hoffmann J. Kaukasien 1942/43. Das deutsche Heer und die Ostvolker der
Sovjetunion. Freiburg: Rombach Verlag, 1991. SS. 102-104.

Ibid. - S. 109.

Wachs P-C. Der Fall Theodor Oberlnder (1905-1998). S. 102.


63

resembled as much as possible those of the Caucasus. On

July 7-8, Admiral Canaris personally inspected the battalion.

By the end of July 1942 the unit was ready for

military action. By that time the unit numbered around 1,200

troops: 900 Caucasians and 300 Germans. In structure
the battalion was made up of a central command with a
propaganda unit, a sapper platoon, and five rifle companies
(the 1st, 4th and 5th were Georgians, the 2nd North
Caucasian, and the 3rd Azeri).1 The 5th Georgian company,
which was intended for the airborne operation to take the
Cross Pass behind the Soviet lines, included one Armenian
platoon. The other companies were to be used for advance
action to seize the Georgian Military Highway.2
The Bergmann battalion was deployed to the
Caucasus theater on 28 July, 1942 and was put under the
command of the 1st Tank Army of ColonelGeneral Ewald von Kleist that was engaged

. , 1942 .
Columns of the Bergmann special
purposes battalion on their way to the
Caucasus front. Summer 1942, North Caucasus

in combat to the East and the West of Mt.

Elbrus. According to one of the battalions
officers, after arriving in the
Caucasus the troops were
issued tropical Wehrmacht
uniforms, including short
trousers, light-knit jerseys,
field jackets with folding
collars, summer forage caps
and anti-mosquito masks.3
The main goal of the
1st Tank Army was to break
through to the foothills of
the Main Caucasian Range
in the direction of Grozny
and Orjonikidze, with a
lead into to the Ossetian
and Georgian Military
Highways that run deep into
the Transcaucasus toward
Kutaisi and Tbilisi. The
attempt to break through to
Grozny and Orjonikidze that

the Germans undertook during

, 1942 .

in failure. As a result, the Abwer

New recruits of the

Bergmann special
purposes battalion.
Autumn 1942,
North Caucasus

the course of September ended

leadership had to give up on the
planned airborne operation to
seize the Cross Pass.
Together with the Chief
of Staff of the 1st Tank Army,
Captain Oberlander decided to
use the Bergmann companies
1
Hoffmann J. Kaukasien 1942/43. Das
deutsche Heer und die Ostvlker der Sovjetunion. Freiburg: Rombach Verlag, 1991.
p. 109.

, .
, 1942 .
Georgian volunteers of the Bergmann special purposes battalion
in battle positions in the Terek Gorge. Autumn 1942, North Caucasus

64

2
Wachs P-C. Der Fall Theodor Oberlnder (1905-1998). p.102.
3
Criminal Case against I.G. Alimbarashvili,
Archive of the Georgian Ministry of Internal
Affairs, Fond 6, File 5.500-58, pp. 131-2.

, ,
.
1- ,

,
- -
, ,
.
,
, . ,

-
.
1-
,
,
.

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.

S-Zug (
), 1942 .
3-
, ,

.
, . ,


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,
.
. .
,
. ,
.
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,
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-.

, 4-


, ,

, .

. .
(). . 6. 5.500-58. .
131-132.

Hoffmann J. Kaukasien 1942/43. S. 110.

Hoffmann J. Kaukasien 1942/43. S. 112-113; Sallaba H. S-Zug im Kaukasus.
: Jeloschek A., Richter Fr., Schtte E., Semler J. Freiwillige vom Kaukasus.
Georgier, Armenier, Aserbaidschaner, Tschetschenen u.a. auf deutscher Seite.
Der Sonderverband Bergmann und sein Grnder Theodor Oberlnder. GrazStuttgart: Leopold Stocker Verlag, 2003. SS. 11-13; . .
( ). : -
, 2001. . 117. ( . .).

. . . 110, 128.

Hoffmann J. Kaukasien 1942/43. S. 111.


separately from one another and in different directions. The

battalions mobile groups were used for intelligence, diversionary,
combat, guarding and propaganda operations.
The S-Zug sapper platoon that had formed in Luttensee
for purely diversionary purposes and put into action in the
region of operations of the 3rd Tank Division to the north of
Naurskaya distinguished itself in carrying out a successful
operation to destroy a Soviet armored train in the area
between Kizlyar and Gudermes. According to G. Sallaba, one
of the German officers in the platoon, for this the German
personnel were awarded with 1st and 2nd Class Iron Crosses,
and the Caucasians, including the Georgians, received
badges for braveness for Eastern peoples.  Fighters from
this platoon also successfully participated in battles to capture
the city of Mozdok. They conducted acts of sabotage, sowing
panic behind enemy lines. They blew up bridges, railway lines
and other means of communication. 
The 4th Georgian Company of the Bergmann Battalion,
deployed from September to December 1942 in the Baksan
Valley in Kabardino-Balkaria, was also involved in heavy fighting.
Having suffered heavy losses from enemy artillery fire during
the preparation for the attack on Gundelen, up until the German
withdrawal from the Caucasus the 4th Company was effectively
utilized for guard duty both in liberated Dundelen and in other

places in the Baksan Valley, well known for its molybdenum,

nickel and platinum production facilities.

Hoffmann, Kaukasien 1942/43. p. 110.

Ibid., pp. 112-13; Sallaba H. S-Zug im Kaukasus. In Jeloschek A., Richter Fr., Schtte
E., Semler J. and Freiwillige vom, Kaukasus. Georgier, Armenier, Aserbaidschaner,
Tschetschenen u.a. auf deutscher Seite. Der Sonderverband Bergmann und sein
Grnder Theodor Oberlnder. Graz-Stuttgart: Leopold Stocker Verlag, 2003. pp. 11-13;
Kavtaradze M. Ianichari [Recollections of an Emigre] (in Georgian). Tbilisi: Metsnieraba,
2001. p. 117.

Criminal Case against I.G. Alimbarashvili, pp. 110, 128.

Hoffmann, Kaukasien 1942/43. p. 111.



,
. ( ).
, - .
, ,

. ,
, -
, -
.
1100 ,
. ,

The emblem of the Caucasian special purposes battalion Bergmann

had the form of a dagger and was worn on the left side of the volunteer
mountain troops caps. (From the collection of the Author). The main
goal of Subaltern-Lieutenant Oberlender, the commander of the battalion,
was to form an elite formation that would distinguish itself through by
close cooperation between Caucasians and German personnel. This
was precisely why the Caucasian dagger a symbol of Caucasian male
dignity and freedom was chosen as the battalions unofficial emblem.
1,100 original copies were produced; each was enumerated on the
reverse side. The numbers were recorded in the soldiers registries

65

ucxo TvaliT/ Strange eye

i
b
e
n
e
l
v
o
m
s
i
t
r
a
m
s
i
1956 wl TveloSi:

r
saqaras
inaxavs arqivi?

Research note - The March 1956

Events in Georgia: W hat d o the
A r chi v es H o l d ?
timoTi blauvelTi
Timothy K. Blauvelt
1956 wlis martis dasawyisSi Tbilissa
da saqarTvelos socialistur respublikaSi
ganviTarebulma movlenebma zustad iseTi
mimarTuleba miiRo, rasac sistemis sruli
Secvla unda mohyoloda. 4 marts, stalinis
gardacvalebis mesame wlisTavze, sanapiroze,
stalinis ZeglTan daiwyo xalxis Sekreba;
mRelvareba ukve masobriv xasiaTs iRebda;
Tumca, stalinis kritikisa da saSineli
braldebebis Semcveli `daxuruli werili
respublikis xelmZRvanelobas moskovidan
hqonda miRebuli.
momdevno dReebSi xalxis raodenoba ufro
da ufro izrdeboda. demonstratTa erTi
nawili stalinis ZeglTan gaxldaT Sekrebili,
xolo meore nawili leninis (dRevandeli
Tavisuflebis) moedanze. stalinisadmi
miZRvnili gamosvlebis, simRerebisa da leqsebis
fonze demonstraciam TandaTan erovnuli
saxe miiRo. analogiuri demonstraciebis
mowyoba saqarTvelos sxva qalaqebSic daiwyo

66

In the early days of March 1956, events in Tbilisi in

the Soviet Republic of Georgia developed in precisely the
way that the entire system had been designed to prevent.
On March 4, the day before the third anniversary of Stalins
death, people began assembling at the Stalin Monument near
the embankment to participate in what they expected to be
the same sort of memorial activities that had taken place in
previous years. Rumors were already beginning to circulate,
however, about a closed letter that had been received by
the republic leadership from Moscow criticizing Stalin and
accusing him of horrendous crimes.
Over the next several days the crowds began to grow
larger, and they evolved into two full scale continuous demonstrations: one at the Stalin Monument, the other in Lenin
Square (todays Freedom Square) in the center of the city.
While the speeches, songs and poetry were at first devoted
to honoring Stalin, the demonstrations gradually began to
take on more nationalistic overtones. Similar demonstrations
began in other cities of Georgia, such as Gori, Kutaisi, Batumi

 gorSi, quTaisSi, baTumsa da soxumSi.

gamomsvlelTa moTxovnebi da Tavad xalxis
qmedebebi ufro da ufro radikaluri xdeboda.
xalxi quCebSi gamodioda avtomobilebis
sayvirebiTa da droSebis frialiT; studentTa
jgufebma Zalis gamoyenebiT scades satvirTo
manqanebiT moZraoba; studentTa demonstraciaSi
monawileobis gamo skolebsa da umaRles
saswavleblebSi saswavlo procesi Sewyda;
sawarmoo samuSaoebi SeCerda mTel rig fabrikaqarxnebsa Tu saxelmwifo dawesebulebebSi.
movlenebma 9 marts ganviTarebis apogeas
miaRwia. saqarTvelos komunisturi partiis
pirvelma mdivanma vasil mJavanaZem xalxs
mimarTa da garkveul daTmobebze wasvlis
Tanxmobac ganacxada magaliTad, beladis
xsovnisadmi miZRvnili statiebisa da gazeTebis
gamocema, stalinis xsovnisadmi miZRvnili
oficialuri ceremoniebis gamarTva saxelmwifo
dawesebulebebSi; Tumca, zemoaRniSnuli
sakmarisi ar aRmoCnda demonstrantTa
dasaSoSmineblad. mTavrobis Senobis dasacavad
qalaqSi gamoyvanil iqna Tavdacvis jarebi.
daaxloebiT Ramis 10:30 sT-ze xalxi rusTavelis
gamzirze mdebare kavSirgabmulobis Senobisaken
daiZra; jariskacebma demonstrantebs cecxli
gauxsnes. aTeulobiT adamiani daiRupa da
daiWra, xalxi panikam moicva. ramdenime saaTis
Semdeg, diliT adre sanapirosaken daiZrnen
tankebi da fexosanTa Zalebi, romelTac
Zalis gamoyenebiT daSales stalinis ZeglTan
Tavmoyrili demonstrantebis meore nawili.
1956 wlis martis movlena saqarTvelos
Tanamedrove istoriis erT-erT yvelaze
gadamwyvet momentad miiCneva, miuxedavad
imisa, rom im droisaTvis mravali kiTxva
darCa pasuxgaucemeli - ramdeni adamiani
iqna mokluli da daWrili? vin mouwoda
samxedroebs demonstraciis daSlisken da
iyo Tu ara gacemuli moqalaqeTa mimarT
cecxlis gaxsnis brZaneba? ra roli iTamaSa
ganviTarebul movlenebSi respublikis
xelmZRvanelobam? vin idga demonstrantTa ukan
da ras isaxavdnen miznad xalxis zurgs ukan
mdgomi organizatorebi? yvelaze mniSvnelovani
kiTxvebi ki, romlebic demonstraciaSi
monawile aTaseulobiT adamianis mTavar mizans
exeboda, amgvarad ismis: movlenebis motivacia
mosaxleobis stalinisadmi siyvaruli
gaxldaT Tu aRniSnuli qarTuli erovnuli
suliskveTebis gamoxatulebas warmoadgenda?
istorikosebs sakmao xani dasWirdaT, raTa
am sakiTxebze Suqis mofenis mizniT qarTul
arqivebSi arsebuli masalebis gadamowmebis
SesaZlebloba miscemodaT.
da mainc, ras inaxavs arqivi? rogorc aseT
SemTxvevebSi ityvian xolme, `denTis kvamliani
Tofi ver ipoves. uSiSroebis samsaxurebisa

and Sukhumi. Both the speakers demands and the actions

of the crowds grew more radical. People drove up and down
the streets in cars honking and waiving flags, and groups of
students began commandeering large trucks. Classes ceased
at schools and universities as the students joined the demonstrations, and work drew to a stop at many factories and
government offices.
On March 9 events reached their apogee. Georgian Communist Party First Secretary Vasily Mzhavanadze addressed
the crowd and agreed to some concessions, such as publishing memorial articles and newspapers and holding a official
remembrance ceremonies in public offices, but these were not
sufficient to appease the demonstrators. Central Ministry of
Defense troops were ordered into the city to protect government buildings. Around 10:30 PM the crowd surged towards
the House of Communications (Dom svyazi) on Rustaveli
Avenue, and the soldiers opened fire with automatic weapons.
Dozens of people were killed and wounded, and the crowd
was sent into a panic. Several hours later, on the early morning
of March 10, tanks and infantry moved to the embankment
and violently broke up the second demonstration at the Stalin
Monument.
The March 1956 incidents have come to be seen as one
of the most crucial events in modern Georgian history, although
to this day many questions remain unanswered. How many
people were killed and wounded? Who called in the military,
and was there an order given to open fire on civilians? What
was the role of the republican leadership? Who were the organizers behind the demonstrations, and what here their aims?
And the most important questions concern the real goals of the
thousands of people who took part in the demonstrations: were
they motivated simply by their love for Stalin, or was this an
expression of Georgian national aspirations? Historians have
long awaited the opportunity to examine the materials in the
Georgian archives in order to shed light on these issues.
So what do the archives hold? As usual in such cases,
there is no smoking gun to be found. Both the security services archive and the Central Committee archive hold a great
deal of materials about the March events that offer clues, but
they require careful examination and interpretation.
Perhaps the most exciting documents are held in File
No. 156 of the security services archive, entitled (in Georgian)
Collection of Materials Related to the Events of March 1956.
This file contains primarily copies of telegrams between Georgian KGB officials and the central KGB leadership in Moscow
(principally KGB Chairman Ivan Serov), and was sent to Tbilisi
from Russia by request from the Georgian Ministry of Internal
Affairs to the archival department of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) in October 2000. These telegrams contain
regular updates on the situation in Tbilisi in March 1956 and
the general mood, based on agent information. The file also
contains a report on the events by KGB Chairman Serov to

67

da centraluri komitetis arqivebSi martis

movlenebTan dakavSirebuli didZali masala
inaxeba. es masalebi yuradRebiT Seswavlasa da
interpretirebas saWiroebs.
albaT, yvelaze STambeWdavi dokumentebi
uSiSroebis samsaxurebis arqivSi, #156 saqmeSi
inaxeba, romelsac qarTulad ase ewodeba: `1956
wlis martis movlenebTan dakavSirebuli
masalebis krebuli. saqmeSi saqarTvelos sukis
xelmZRvanelobasa da moskovidan saxelmwifo
uSiSroebis centralur komitets (ZiriTadad,
sukis Tavmjdomares ivan serovs) Soris
depeSebis pirveladi aslebia Tavmoyrili.
masalebi ruseTidan TbilisSi 2000 wlis
oqtomberSi iqna gadmogzavnili, saqarTvelos
Sinagan saqmeTa saministros mier ruseTis
federaciis uSiSroebis samsaxuris (uSiSroebis
federaluri samsaxuri) saarqivo departamentisadmi
wargzavnili moTxovnis safuZvelze.
depeSebSi Tanmimdevruladaa mocemuli
1956 wlis martSi TbilisSi ganviTarebuli
movlenebis siaxleebi. Ggarda amisa, naCvenebia
saerTo ganwyoba, romelic `agenturul
informaciaze dayrdnobiT gaxldaT
mopovebuli. saqme aseve moicavs sukis
Tavmjdomaris, serovis mier centraluri
komitetisadmi wardgenil angariSs. dokumentTa
aslebis garda, saqmeSi SegviZlia vixiloT v.z.
kozlovis avtorobiT wignis saxiT gamocemuli
oficialuri dokumentebis asli (rusul enaze)
saxelwodebiT: `politikuri areulobani
saqarTveloSi me-20 partiuli konferenciis
Semdgom; wigni 1999 wels gamoica da umTavresad
swored am dokumentebs efuZneba.
uSiSroebis samsaxuris arqivi aseve moicavs
sisxlis samarTlis mTel rig saqmeebs 910 martsa da SemdgomSi dakavebul pirebze.
yvelaze sqeltaniani am saqmeTa Soris ruben
yifianis saqmea (fondi 6, saqme 406-57); swored
ruben yifianma waikiTxa 9 martis
saRamos stalinis ZeglTan Tavmoyrili
demonstrantebis winaSe moTxovnaTa
CamonaTvalis yvelaze mTavari punqtebi
(am saqmis nawili adre iqna gamocemuli).
iseve, rogorc yvela sisxlis samarTlis
saqme, aRniSnuli moicavs dakiTxvis oqmebs
(rogorc xelnaweris, ise beWduri saxiT)
1956 wlis gamoZiebaTa masalebidan. saqmeSi
inaxeba yifianis Semdgomi wlis dakiTxvis
oqmebic, rodesac igi sapatimrodan qarTveli
nacionalisturi iatakqveSa organizaciisadmi
werilobiTi mimarTvisaTvis iqna braldebuli;
saqmeSi Senaxulia yifianis saregistracio
baraTi da foto, aseve misi piradi sabuTebi
pasporti, samxedro bileTi da piradi
werilebi.
analogiuri saqmeebi inaxeba varlam
kuWavasTan dakavSirebiTac (saqme #405-56);
varlam kuWava maTematikis maswavlebeli
gaxldaT, partiis wevri iyo da xalxis
winaSe mitingze partiuli bileTi daxia. ris
Semdegac danarCen partiulebsac mouwodebda,
igive gaekeTebinaT.

68

the Central Committee. In addition to these document copies,

this file also contains a copy of a book chapter (in Russian) by
V.A. Kozlov entitled Political disturbances in Georgia after the
20th Party Conference that was published in 1999 and largely
based on these documents.
The security services archive also contains a number of
criminal case files on individuals who were arrested on March
9-10 or shortly afterward. The thickest of these is the case
file of Ruben Kipiani (fond 6, file 406-57 and 406-57), who
read out what was considered to be the key list of demands
at the height of the demonstration at the Stalin Monument on
the evening of March 9 (parts of this file have been published
previously). Like all the criminal case files, it contains interrogation protocols (both handwritten and typed copies) from the
investigation in 1956. It also contains interrogation protocols
of Kipiani from the following year, when he was accused of
writing letters from his prison camp relating to an underground
Georgian nationalist organization. The file also holds Kipianis
registration card and mug shots, as well as his personal documents, such as his passport, military card, and personal letters.
There are similar case files on people like Varlam Kuchava (file 405-56), a math teacher and Party member who held
up his Party card while addressing the crowd, causing many
other Party members in the audience to do the same. File 37556 relates to Konstantin Tsitsishvili, a student who was one of
ten people deputized to meet with Georgian Communist Party
First Secretary V. Mzhavanadze on March 8. He was accused
on stirring the crowd to board trucks and drive to Gori to ad-

saqme #375-56 konstantine ciciSvils exeba,

students, romelic saqarTvelos komunisturi
partiis pirvel mdivanTan v. mJavanaZesTan 8
marts dagegmil SexvedrisaTvis SerCeuli aTi
adamianidan erT-erTi gaxldaT. ciciSvils
bralad edeboda xalxis waqezeba satvirTo
manqanebis dauflebasa da goris mimarTulebiT
gamgzavrebaSi. (ciciSvili dakiTxvisas
daJinebiT amtkicebda, rom aRniSnul qmedebas
man mxolod brbos dasaSlelad mimarTa).
mayvala gvancelaZe axalgazrda qalbatoni
iyo, romelic gorSi gamarTuli demonstraciis
erT-erTi mTavari organizatoris braldebiT
daapatimres; pavle qerdikaSvili romelmac
9 martis RamiT gamarTuli srolebis Semdeg
axalgazrdebi manqaniT gorSi waiyvana, raTa
demonstrantebisaTvis momxdaris Sesaxeb
ecnobebina. spartak mWedliZe (saqme #365-55)
mas brali moskovisaken mimavali matareblis
fanjrebis CamtrevisaTvis waeyena.
piradi nivTebisa da werilebis
garda, ramdenime saqmeSi 1956 wlis martis
demonstraciis monawileTa fotoebic inaxeba,
romlebic mxolod erTeulis saxiT arsebobs
da, savaraudod, sapolicio operatiuli
muSakebis mieraa farulad gadaRebuli.
saqarTvelos komunisturi partiis
centraluri komitetis arqivi (`prezidentis
arqivi) sxvadasxva xasiaTis dokumentebs
moicavs. ar arsebobs uSualo masalebi martis
movlenebis Sesaxeb, radganac tomebi daSlilia,
Tumca, aSkarad ikveTeba partiuli kontrolis
mcdeloba. 1956 wlis politikur saqmeTa
umetesoba me-14 fondSi inaxeba (aRwera 31, 199
saqme); maTSi mocemulia pirveladi partiuli
organizaciebis daxuruli krebis angariSebi
1956 wlis martis pirvel ricxvebSi Catarebul
me-20 partiul yrilobaze xruSCovis mier
gakeTebul moxsenebasTan `pirovnebis kultisa
da misi Sedegebis Sesaxeb dakavSirebiT.
aRniSnuli masalebi gadmogvcems, Tu ra
dartyma ganicada qarTulma elitam moxsenebis
Sinaarsis gacnobisas. analogiurad, 251-e saqme
moicavs sakiTxebs, romlebic respublikaSi
1956 wlis 6 marts sxvadasxva partiul
organizaciebSi gamarTuli diskusiebisas
warmoiSva.
212-e saqme, romelic 1956 wlis martisa
da aprilis periods moicavs, warmogvidgens
informacias martis bolodroindeli
movlenebis ganxilvisadmi miZRvnil daxurul
partiul krebebTan dakavSirebiT. krebaze
damswre partiis wevrTagan umravlesoba mxars
uWerda partiul xazs da demonstracias
axalgazrdobis dabali ideologiuri
ganaTlebis Sedegad miiCnevda, rasac xulignuri
da oportunistuli gamoxtomebic axlda Tan.
208-e saqme saqarTvelos samxareo partiuli

dress the demonstrations there (Tsitsishvili in his interrogations

insisted that he did this only to break up the crowd). Makvala
Okroperidze was a young woman who was accused of being
the one of the main organizers of the demonstrations in Gori.
Pavle Kerdikashvili drove a car of young people to Gori after
the shootings late on March 9 to tell the demonstrators there
what had happened. Spartak Mchedlidze (file 365-55) was accused on smashing windows on trains bound for Moscow.
In addition to personal items and letters, several of these
files also contain some of the only existing photographs of
people at the demonstrations in March 1956, presumably taken
by undercover police operatives.
The archive of the Central Committee of the Communist
Party of Georgia (the Presidential Archive) contains documents of a very different nature. There is no direct reporting
about the March events as they unfolded, but there is visible a
clear attempt to consolidate Party control after the fact. Most
of the political files for the year 1956 are held in Fond 14, Opis
31. Files 38, 39 and 40 hold Protocols of meeting of the Bureau of the Georgian Communist Party for the Month of March
1956, which among other things contains the protocol of an
emergency meeting that the Georgian Party leaders convened
at 3.30 AM on the morning of March 10 to discuss urgent measures. File 199 contains reports on closed meetings of primary
party organizations devoted to announcing Krushchevs report
from the 20th Party Congress On the Cult of Personality and
its Consequences in early March 1956, and reflects much of
the shock felt by Georgian elites at the contents of that report.
Similarly, file 251 contains questions that arose in such discussions in various party organizations around the republic on
March 6, 1956.

69

komitetebis angariSebs moicavs, romlebic

Sedgenil iqna sabWoTa kavSiris komunisturi
partiis centraluri komitetis prezidiumis 1956
wlis 10 ivlisis brZanebulebis (`saqarTvelos
komunisturi partiis centraluri komitetis
saqmianobis Secdomebisa da uunarobis Sesaxeb)
safuZvelze. saqme #200 moicavs informacias
im xelmZRvaneli pirebis Sesaxeb, romlebic
monawileobas iRebdnen 1956 wlis agvistoSi
aRniSnul sakiTxTan dakavSirebiT qveynis
masStabiT gamarTul partiuli `aqtivis
krebebSi. 211-e saqme Seicavs samxareo komitetebis
informacias `antipartiuli saqcielisa da
gancxadebebis faqtebis Taobaze da aRniSnulTan
dakavSirebiT miRebuli zomebis Sesaxeb.
mraval aseT saqmeSi fraza `partiis xazs
erTsulovnad vuWerT mxars wiTladaa
gamoyofili. Tumca partiis wevrTa mier
gamoTqmuli argumentebi Tu sawinaaRmdego
mosazrebebic saTanadodaa dafiqsirebuli.
saSualo skolebSi partiuli organizaciebis
mier gamarTuli krebebis analogiuri Canawerebi
inaxeba 170-e fondSi aRwera 35, saqme 387, 388 da
389. yvelaze damaintrigebel dokumentebs 1956 wlis
martis movlenebTan dakavSirebiT mainc 297-e saqmeSi
arsebuli masalebi warmoadgens. mag.: am saqmeSi
mocemulia saxelmwifo uSiSroebis komitetis
saidumlo angariSi `amierkavkasiis samxedro
olqis danayofTa momsaxure personalis reaqcia
amxanagi stalinis gardacvalebis wlisTavTan
dakavSirebuli movlenebis gamo. dokumentebi
gvawvdis gadabirebuli agentebis angariSebs
qarTveli jariskacebisa Tu oficrebis mier
gakeTebuli nacionalisturi saxis gancxadebebTan
dakavSirebiT, aseve, demonstraciis darbevaSi
monawile eTnikuri rusi mosamsaxureebis
mier gakeTebul antiqarTul gancxadebebTan
dakavSirebiT. igive saqmeSi mocemulia sukidan
saqarTvelos pirveli mdivnis, vasil mJavanaZisadmi
1956 wlis oqtomberSi gadmogzavnili saidumlo
moxseneba, anu martis movlenebidan Svidi Tvis
Semdeg baTumSi universitetis studentTa
mier gakeTebuli nacionalisturi Sinaarsis
gancxadebebTan dakavSirebiT agenturis mier
Sedgenili angariSebiT.
saqarTvelos arqivSi arsebuli masalebis
winamdebare mimoxilviT ar amoiwureba
iq arsebuli da xelmisawvdomi masalebis
ganxilva. SesaZloa, Semdgomma Ziebebma ufro
mniSvnelovani saqmeebi wamoswios win. aq
mimoxiluli saqmeebis safuZvliani Seswavla da
kvleva umniSvnelovanesi istoriuli movlenebis
interpretirebis axal perspeqtivebs gvpirdeba.

70

File 212, from March and April 1956, contains information

on the conduct of closed Party meetings devoted to discussions of the recent March events. Many of the Party members
present at these meetings endorse the party line, condemning
the demonstrations as the result of poor ideological education
of the youth who were manipulated by hooligans and opportunists. But when opportunities for questions arose, the Party
members at these meetings often returned to the same issues
and themes that provoked the demonstrations in the first place.
File 208 contains reports from regional party committees in Georgia on the results of discussions of the decree
of the Presidium of the Central Committee of the Communist
Party of the Soviet Union of 10 July 1956 On the mistakes
and insufficiencies in the work of the Central Committee
of the Communist Party of Georgia. File 200a deals with
information about officials who took part in meetings of Party
aktivs that took place around the country in August 1956
related to this same issue. File 211 contains information
from regional committees on facts of anti-Party behavior
and statements, and on measures taken with regard to
them. In many of these files the mechanical phrase the
line of the Party is unanimously supported is underlined in
red, but instances of Party members expressing arguments
contrary to that line are also highlighted.
Similar records of a conference of Employees of Schools
and Educational Organs that took place in September 1956
and involved discussions of the March events are held in Fond
170, Opis 35, files 387, 388, and 389.
Perhaps the most intriguing documents related to March
1956 are found in file 297. This file contains, for example, a
secret KGB reports On the reaction of the staff of units of
the Transcaucasian Military District to the events connected
with the anniversary of the death of Comrade Stalin. This
document gives reports from recruited agents on nationalist
statements made by Georgian soldiers and officers, as well as
anti-Georgian statements made by ethnically Russian personnel who took part in crushing the demonstrations. This same
file contains a secret report from the KGB to Georgian First
Secretary Mzhavanadze on agent reports of nationalistic statements by university students in Batumi seven months after the
March events, in October 1956.
This discussion of materials in the Georgian archives does
not necessarily exhaust the available materials held there. A bit of
further digging might reveal more related files, and not a few false
starts. Close examination and evaluation of the files discussed
here promises to be rewarding in creating new opportunities for
interpreting these important historical events.

suli amboxebuli /Unbending Spirit

sasworze Segdebuli sicocxle

a Life Thrown into the balance
bondo arvelaZe
bondo arvelaZe

asuli saukunis 20-30-ian wlebSi

sabWoTa kavSiris masStabiT mixeil
javaxiSvili erT-erTi yvelaze ufro
reliefurad gamokveTili disidenti
mwerali iyo, romelmac ver miiRo axali,
sabWoTa wyoba rogorc pirovnulad, ise
SemoqmedebiTad. amisi mcdeloba ki hqonda,
magram ver SeZlo igoeTis komunaze narkvevis
dawerac ki. rac dawera, daxia da Tqva: ,,ra
vqna, SekveTiT wera ar SemiZliao~.
mixeil javaxiSvilisTvis cixe, patimroba
ucxo ar iyo. jer kidev mefis mTavrobis
dros iyo gamomwyvdeuli metexis cixeSi. es
pativi arc sabWoTa mTavrobam daaklo...
20-iani wlebis mwerlis mZime sulier
ganwyobas kargad gamoxatavs mis mier daviT
suliaSvilisadmi miwerili werili: ,,Zmao
daviT, me aq cxovreba ar SemiZlian. Cemi gasvla
saqarTvelodan Cemi meored dabadeba iqneba.
am saqmeSi damexmare, samagiero momTxove da
mimsaxure... garwmuneb, Zmao daviT, gareT ufro
mets da Tavisuflad davwer, e. i. mcired
sargeblobas movutan Cems samSoblos. aqauri
ambebi? araviTar gazeTs aRar vkiTxulob,
yvelgan sufevs Cveulebrivi simdable,
Worikanoba da gulgatexiloba. daviSriteT,
daviqanceniT da moviRuneT. es aris da es.~
gangebas Tu bedisweras ki ukve
gadawyvetili aqvs mixeil javaxiSvilis
bedi. is laba xariviT muxlCauxreli
Sromobs, Sromobs da Tan uCinar
politikur cxovrebas eweva, rogorc
erovnul-demokratiuli partiis erTerTi xelmZRvaneli. mogvianebiT mwerali
ityvis: ,, _ Cemi saidumlo muSaoba
erovnul-demokratiul partiaSi 19211923 wlebSi hgavda adamianis saqciels,
romelmac curaoba ar icis, magram sxvis
dasaxmareblad iskupa xididan da wyalSi
gadavarda. amis axsna SeuZlebelia. aq
muSaobs idumali Zala, alRo moZmis
miSveliebis da am alRos asjer meti Zala
aqvs, vidre Segnebas~.

mixeil javaxiSvili
Mikheil Javakhishvili

Mikheil Javakhishvili was one of the most expressive

dissident writers in the Soviet Union during the 1920s and
30s. He was a person who could simply not accommodate
the new Soviet authorities, either personally or in his creative
work. He made attempts to follow events, but a man like
him was unable to fulfill tasks such as writing an essay on
command about the Igoeti Commune. Javakhishvili tore up
what he had tried to write and declared: There is nothing for
it, I cannot write on demand!
Prison and arrests were not alien to Mikheil Javakhishvili
he had been in custody in Metekhi Prison under the tsarist
government and had the same honor during the Soviet
period as well.
The writers severe spiritual condition in the 1920s is
clearly expressed in a letter to Davit Suliashvili: Brother
Davit, I can not stand of live here any more; leaving Georgia
would be a second birth for me. Help me with this and I
will be in your debt I assure you, Davit, that I will be able
to write more and freely outside and bring more benefit to
my motherland in this way. As for local news: I do not read
newspapers any more, since ordinary nonentities, gossip and

71

ver uSvela konspiraciam mixeil

javaxiSvils. `Ceka~ fxizlad adevnebda
Tvals da mis yovel nabijs punqtualurad
aRnusxavda. 1923 wels daapatimres da
haiharad daxvretac miusajes. bolSevikebis
tyvias qarTvel mweralTa erTi jgufis
wyalobiT gadaurCa. pavle ingoroyva da
sxvani sergo orjonikiZes eaxlnen TxovniT,
mixeil javaxiSvili niWieri mweralia da
nu daxvretTo! etyoba, im dRes sergo karg
ganwyobaze iyo da mwerali Seiwyala, Torem
es is sergoa, vaJa-fSavelas Svilze rom
sTxoves, nu daxvretT, apatie, vaJas Sviliao!
vaJas Svils ki ara, TviTon vaJa-fSavela
rom cocxali iyos, imasac davxvretTo, iyo
pasuxi.
amasobaSi dadga sabediswero 30-iani
wlebi. mixeil javaxiSvils ukve gamocemuli
aqvs ,,jayos xiznebi~, ,,arsena marabdeli~
da mwerlobis sxva Sedevrebi. stalinis
iniciativiT mwerali Sromis wiTeli droSis
ordeniT daajildoves. es jildo mwerals
sicocxlis gadarCenis garanti egona, magram
beria ase ar fiqrobda.
...am periodSi lavrenti beriam metexis
eklesiis dangreva brZana, ramac qarTuli
sazogadoeba SeaSfoTa. qarTveli mwerlebis
erTi jgufi, romelSic mixeil javaxiSvilic
Sedioda, beriasTan TxovniT mivida.
,,dagvinaxa Tu ara, Savma almurma
gadahkra saxeze. man mkvaxed gviTxra:
ase, delegaciis saxiT, erTad ar unda
mosuliyaviT CemTan, cal-calke ratom ar
moxvediTo?~ _ igonebs mwerlis qaliSvili
qeTevan javaxiSvili mamis naTqvam sityvebs.
mwerlebma berias daumtkices, rom metexis
eklesiis dangreva ar SeiZleboda, radgan igi
Sua saukuneebis qarTuli xuroTmoZRvrebis
iSviaTi nimuSi iyo. mixeil javaxiSvils
bolos isic uTqvams: `aseT Zegls evropaSi
oqros CardaxSi Casvamdneno!..
beriam gankarguleba ki Secvala, magram
daiboRma, uvicobaSi rom amxiles, wyena ar
daiviwya da mogvianebiT delegaciis TiTqmis
yvela wevri daxvrita.
miRebis Semdeg Sin dabrunebul mixeil
javaxiSvils Turme saxeze feri aRar
hqonia. marTalia, qarTvel ers metexis
eklesia SeunarCuna, magram sicocxle
sasworze Seagdo. berias cudad Seaxsena
Tavi, romelsac daviwyebuli isedac
ar hyavda. amjerad ar axles xeli,
magram berias mstovrebi mis yovel
nabijs uTvalTvalebdnen. mwerali
xedavda, mis irgvliv sabediswero rkali
rogor viwrovdeboda da ikvreboda: mis
TanamebrZolebsa da megobrebs TandaTan
rogor apatimrebdnen. aRar icoda, ra eqna,
ra gzas dasdgomoda. janmrTeloba ukve

72

disappointments are faced everywhere We are exhausted,

tired and humiliated thats all there is
Fortune or faith had already decided Mikheil
Javakhishvili`s destiny. He worked tirelessly, and as one
of the leaders of the National-Democratic Party he had
simultaneously been involved in political life behind the
scenes. The writer mentioned later: My secret service for
the National-Democratic party in 1921-1923 was very much
like the habit of a man who does not know how to swim
but jumps from a bridge anyway in order to be recognized
by others, and consequently drowns. An explanation is
impossible. A furtive power is working here it is ones
intuition to rescue ones friend, and this intuition is a
hundred times stronger than a sense of consciousness.
Conspiracy could not help Mikheil Javakhishvili. The
Cheka watched him closely and fixed his every step with
precise punctuality. He was arrested in 1923 and harshly
sentenced to death. The writer was saved from Bolsheviks`
bullet thanks to a group of Georgian writers. Pavle Ingorokva
and other writers asked Sergo Orjonikidze not to shoot
Javakhishvili, basing their petition on the argument that
Javakhishvili was a very good writer. Fortunately, Sergo was in
a good mood that day and spared Javakhishvili. This was the
same person who was asked for mercy by the son of the poet
Vazha-Pshavela; Orjonikidzes response to this petition was
cruel: not only the son, but Vazha-Pshavela himself would be
shot if he was alive!
Eventually the deadly 1930s came along. By that time
Mikheil Javakhishvili had already published his Arsena
Marabdeli, Jako`s Tenants, and other masterpieces of
literature. The writer was awarded with the Order of the
Red Flag of Labor on the initiative of Stalin. Javakhishvili
supposed that this reward was his life guarantee, but Beria
did not think so
In that period Beria ordered the Metekhi Church to be
destroyed; this order confused Georgian society. One group of
Georgian writers, including Mikheil Javakhishvili, appealed to
Beria with a petition.
Javakhishvilis daughter Ketevan recalled what her father
said of Berias reaction: He turned dark as he saw us and
rudely said: You shouldnt come to me in this way like a
delegation; why did not come to me individually?
The writers implored Beria not to destroy Metekhi
Church, since it was a rare specimen of Georgian medieval
architecture. Such a monument would be placed in a golden
frame, said Mikheil Javakhishvili to Beria.
Beria cancelled his instruction, but was extremely
offended because his ignorance had been revealed. He did not
forget this resentment, and later had almost all the members of
the delegation shot.
Mikhail Javakhishvili was absolutely pale after the
reception: he had rescued the church for Georgian people

Ralatobda, muxlebi tkioda, siaruli

uWirda, dro ki tyviasaviT damZimda.
dadga 1937 wlis zafxuli. mwerali
ojaxiT dasasveneblad qviSxeTSi iyo. aq
yvela amCnevda, rom mwerali xasiaTze ar iyo.
ak. gawerelia igonebda:
_ Cven erTi saxlSi visvenebdiT. yvelani
vcdilobdiT, mixeil javaxiSvilisTvis
gulidan dardi gadagveyara. erT saRamos,
roca umravlesobam saZinebel oTaxs miaSura,
mixeilma moisurva Zveleburi Cveuleba,
kartis TamaSi, gagvexsenebina. dabneuli
TamaSobda. ucnaurad gamoiyureboda es dinji
kaci. misi Tvalebi avismauwyebel signals
gamoscemda. male SevwyviteT TamaSi. Canda,
mwerals cudi winaTgrZnoba hqonda.
es avbediTi winaTgrZnoba mwerals male
auxda. mixeil javaxiSvili imave zafxuls, 14
agvistos, daapatimres.
vidre mixeil javaxiSvilis dakiTxvis
oqmebs gavecnobiT, oriode sityviT Sevexebi
1937 wels politpatimrebis ,,gamotexvis~
xerxebs. `Cekas~ cixe dantes genialurad
aRweril jojoxeTs hgavda, magram masze
bevrad uaresi iyo imitom, rom dantes
aRweril jojoxeTSi adamianebi codvebis
gamo itanjebodnen, `CekaSi~ ki udanaSaulo
adamianebs wamebiT xdidnen suls da
Caudenel danaSaulze xels awerinebdnen.
`am jojoxeTidan gamosuli gmiri ver
vnaxeo~, _ werda al. iakovlevi, romelic
yofili sabWoTa imperiis represirebulTa
reabilitaciis komisiis Tavmjdomare iyo da
mis xelSi aTasobiT usamarTlod dasjilTa
saqmes gaevlo.
saqarTvelos `Ceka~ umetesad
dakompleqtebuli iyo araerovnuli
gadagvarebuli adamianebiT, romelTa
ganaTleba oTx klass ar aRemateboda. vidre
`CekaSi~ muSaobas daiwyebda, SesaZloa,
zogierTi normaluric ki iyo, magram
`CekaSi~ muSaobas rogorc ki Seudgeboda da
udanaSaulo adamianebis tanjvas daiwyebda,
misi sulieri mdgomareoba irRveoda da
sadistad iqceoda.
im droisaTvis saqarTvelos `CekaSi~
761 kaci muSaobda, aqedan 284 iyo qarTveli,
102 somexi, 143 rusi, 35 osi, 32 ukraineli,
22 ebraeli, 2 afxazi, 41 sxvadasxva
erovnebis warmomadgeneli. maT Soris
258 saqarTvelos sazRvrebs garedan
iyo mosuli. ,,elitarul~ III, IV, V
ganyofilebaSi, romlebic Ziebis saqmes
warmarTavdnen, ZiriTadad araqarTvelebi
muSaobdnen. maT ganaTlebas Tu gadavxedavT,
340 TanamSromeli udablesi ganaTlebiT
iyo, 360 saSualo ganaTleba Hhqonda,
mxolod 61 hqonda umaRlesi ganaTleba an
daumTavrebeli umaRlesis codna.

at the cost of his own life. What was more, he had reminded
Beria of his existence. He survived for the meantime,
but was closely followed everywhere by Beria1`s agents.
The writer felt that the ring of fate was tightening and
consequently turning deadly: his friends and colleges were
arrested one by one. The writer did not know what to do;
his health was getting worse and worse, and his spirit was
becoming harder and heavier like a bullet
It was summer of 1937. The writer was vacationing in
Kvishkheti with his family. Everybody could feel the writers a
bad mood. Akaki Gatserelia later recalled:
We were staying in one house. Everybody tried to
brighten up Mikheil Javakhishvili. One evening when the most
of the people had gone to their bedrooms, Mikheil said he
would like to recall an old habit playing cards. He played
absently. Always sedate, he actually looked very strange that
evening, with ominous sparkles in his eyes. It seemed he
was having a bad premonition. This premonition came true
very soon for Mikheil Javakhishvili: he was arrested the same
summer, on August 14.
Before discussing the interrogation protocols, let us
consider briefly the measures and means of breaking political
prisoner in 1937.
The prison of the Peoples Commissariat for Internal
Affairs, or NKVD as the Cheka was then known, was very
much like the Hell described by Dante. Actually they were
much worse, since in Dantes hell people were tortured for their
sins, but in NKVD prison innocent people were cruelly tortured
into confessing and made to sign admissions of crimes they
had not committed. I never saw any hero escape from this
hell wrote A. Iakovlev, who examined thousands of files of
illegally punished persons while in his position as the Chairman
of the Rehabilitation Commission of Subjects of Repression/
Victimization of the post Soviet Empire.
The Georgian NKVD was mainly staffed with corrupt
people with no sense of nationality and with a maximum of
four years of education. Perhaps some of them had been
ordinary people before they were recruited into the NKVD,
but the spiritual balance of anybody recruited into that
organization was immediately destroyed and consequently
turned into a sadist who successfully undertook brutal
torturing of innocent people.
By that period 761 people were employed in the
Georgian NKVD, including 284 Georgians, 143 Russians,
35 Ossetins, 32 Ukrainians, 22-Jews, 2 Abkhazians, and 41
persons of other nationalities. 258 of the employees were
brought in from outside of Georgia. The so-called Elite
Sections (units III, IV, V) that carried out investigations
were mainly stuffed with non-Georgians. Focusing on their
education level, 340 of them had minimal education, 360
had secondary education; and only 61 of the employees had
higher education or incomplete higher education.

73

30-ian wlebSi `Cekas~ cixis jalaTi

iyo astraxaneli TaTari zaxar ivanes
Ze SaSurkini. is an xelmZRvanelobda
daxvretis operaciebs, an TviTonve
xvretda patimrebs. amave dros iyo
berZeni erovnebis kaci feoxora, romelic
patimrebs specialuri maTraxebiT scemda da
sxvadasxva xerxiT awamebda. mogvianebiT, 40ian wlebSi, patimrebs awamebdnen msoflio
Cempioni WidaobaSi arsen mekokiSvili
da sabWoTa kavSiris Cempioni krivSi
navaxardovi.
am jojoxeTSi meored aRmoCnda mixeil
javaxiSvili. misi gamomZieblebi iyvnen levan
abaSiZe da mixeil nacvliSvili. mwerlis
pirvel dakiTxvas, misi gamomZieblebis garda,
eswrebodnen beria da qobulovi. pirvelad
levan abaSiZem daartya. mixeil javaxiSvili
iatakze gulaRma gaiSxlarTa. beria icinoda,
mivida, gulze fexi daaWira da uTxra:
_ axla gadgas `Cekisti~ Tavzeo!
roca beria cekas mdivnad daniSnes,
mixeil javaxiSvilma erT megobar
mwerals uTxra: `esRa gvaklda, Cekisti
dagvdgomoda Tavzeo.~. beriam mwerals
naTqvami zustad gaaxsena.
mixeil javaxiSvili, rogorc faSisturi
organizaciis xelmZRvaneli, dapatimrebamde
jer sxva patimrebs daasaxelebines. erT-erTi
,,mowme~ iyo yofili social-federalisti
levan qoqraSvili, romelmac didi tanjvawamebis Semdeg daasaxela faSisturi
centris Semadgenloba: ,,mixeil javaxiSvili
(centris xelmZRvaneli), giorgi (zozo)
naneiSvili, aleqsandre axmeteli (reJisori),
cincaZe (profesori), alioSa wereTeli
(profesori)~.
1937 wlis 19 agvistos nawamebi mixeil
javaxiSvili daupirispires qoqraSvils.
gamomZiebelma brali dasdo, TiTqos
mixeili eweoda aqtiur antisabWoTa
kontrrevoluciur saqmianobas da
moiTxova danaSaulis aRiareba. mixeil
javaxiSvilma am braldebaze upasuxa:
,,kontrorganizaciaSi ar vyofilvar.
magram zogierT pirTan saubris dros Cem
mier gamoTqmuli calkeuli mosazreba
kontrrevoluciuri xasiaTis iyoo!~.
es pasuxi simarTle iyo, radgan mixeil
javaxiSvils, miuxedavad didi sifrTxilisa,
mainc wamoscdeboda antisabWoTa azrebi,
magram `Cekas~ TanamSromlebs mwerlis
antisabWoTa azrebi ar ainteresebdaT.
es isedac kargad icodnen. maTi mizani
iyo, mixeil javaxiSvili antisabWoTa
teroristuli organizaciis, faSisturi
organizaciis xelmZRvanelobasa da
kapitalistur qveynebTan jaSuSur
saqmianobaSi ,,emxilebinaT~...

74

In the 1930s, Zakhar Shashurin, a Tatar, worked as

an executioner in the NKVD prison. Specifically, Shashurin
oversaw executions or shot the prisoners himself. There was
another person, a Greek named Pheokhora, who beat the
prisoners with a special whip and tortured them by various
means. Later, in the 1940s, prisoners were tortured by Arsen
Mekokishvili, a world wrestling champion, and Navakhardov,
a boxing champion of the Soviet Union.
Mikheil Javakhishvili fell into this hell for a second
time. His investigators were Levan Abashidze and Mikheil
Natsvlishvili. Besides these two investigators, Javakhishvilis
interrogatio was attended by Beria and Kobulov. Levan
Abashidze struck the writer first. Mikheil Javakhishvili fell on
the floor and onto his back. Beria laughed; he came up to the
writer, put his leg on his chest and said:
Now the Chekist is standing over you!
When Beria was appointed to the post of Secretary of
the Central Committee, Mikheil Javakhishvili had said to one
of his friends: Thats the last straw - a Chekist is leading
and overseeing us! By his gesture, Beria was reminding
Javakhishvili of this statement.
As a leader of a fascist organization, Mikheil
Kavakhishvili was forced to denounce other prisoners.
Levan Kokrashvili, a former Social-Federalist and one of the
witnesses, had named the members of a fascist center
after brutal torture, in particular: Mikheil Javakhishvili
(head of the center), Giorgi (Zozo) Naneishvili, Aleksandre
Akhmeteli (producer), Tsintsadze (professor), Aliosha
Tzereteli (professor).
On August 19, 1937 Mikheil Javakhishvili after being
tortured was confronted with Kokrashvili. The Investigator
insisted that Javakhishvili had led intensive anti-Soviet
counterrevolutionary activities and demanded a confession.
Javakhishvili responded thusly: I have not been in counterrevolutionary organization, though certain opinions stated
by me during conversation with some persons were
counterrevolutionary in nature! That was right, since despite
caution Mikheil Javakhishvili sometimes would express antiSoviet ideas. Employees of the NKVD were less interested in
the writers ideas they were already aware of that but their
major goal was to uncover Javakhishvilis espionage activity
on behalf of capitalist countries and his leadership of fascist
organizations and anti-Soviet terrorist organizations.
Kokrashvili, broken by torture, uncovered Javakhishvili
as a leader of such a fascist organization.
Davit Tsereteli, Deputy Director of the Literature Fund
of Georgia, named the other members of the fascist
organization. Certainly this was a result of sadistic behavior
towards Tsereteli. The following persons were named:
Mikheil Javakhishvili, Konstantine Gamsakhurdia, Geronti
Kikodze, Ilo Mosashvili, Konstantine Chichinadze, Koki
Abashidze, Nikolo Mitsishvili, Archil Jajanashvili, Pavle

wamebiT dauZlurebulma qoqraSvilma

dapirispirebisas mixeili ,,amxila~ rogorc
faSisturi organizaciis xelmZRvaneli.
faSisturi organizaciis kidev sxva
wevrebi ,,daasaxela~ `saqlitfondis~
direqtoris moadgilem daviT wereTelma.
ra Tqma unda, es ,,dasaxelebac~ moxda
masze sadisturi zemoqmedebis Sedegad. es
`faSistebi~ iyvnen: ,,mixeil javaxiSvili,
konstantine gamsaxurdia, geronti qiqoZe,
ilo mosaSvili, konstantine WiWinaZe,
koki abaSiZe, nikolo miwiSvili, arCil
jajanaSvili, pavle ingoroyva, tician
tabiZe, paolo iaSvili, gogla leoniZe,
daviT suliaSvili, aleqsandre abaSeli,
mixeil patariZe, levan asaTiani, raJden
gvetaZe, Salva demetraZe, akaki gawerelia,
Tedo saxokia, apolon wulaZe, aleqsandre
quTaTeli, arCil miqaZe, iakinTe lisaSvili
da TviTon, daviT wereTeli~.
sinamdvileSi araviTari mweralTa
faSisturi kontrrevoluciuri organizacia
ar arsebobda. `Cekistebma~ qviSxeTis
dasasvenebel saxlSi sufrasTan mweralTa
saubrebi faSisturi organizaciis
sxdomebad monaTles da es aTqmevines daviT
wereTelsac.
erTi sityviT, mweralTa faSisturi
organizacia bunebaSi ar arsebula. is
iyo mxolod Cekistebis duxWir gonebaSi.
aRaras vambob mixeil javaxiSvilis
teroristobaze, rac axla mware Rimilis
momgvrelia. kiTxulob am tomebs da vis
saqmeSi ar SexvdebiT mixeil javaxiSvilis
saxels, anda viRa ar daasaxelebines mixeil
javaxiSvils... maTi CamoTvla Sors wagviyvans,
Tumca erTs aRvniSnav, sandro axmeteli
fizikurad ise daamuSaves `Cekas~ jalaTebma,
rom isic ki aTqmevines, TiTqos mixeil
javaxiSvils ,,nacional-faSisturi romani
,,arsena marabdeli~ kontrrevolucionerma
yurulovma SekveTiT daawerinao~ da sxva
amgvari aTasi sisulele.
mokled, qviSxeTis sufruli saubrebi
`Cekam~ kontrrevoluciur SeiaraRebul,
teroristul, faSistur da sxva zarisdamcem
organizaciebis sxdomebad aqcia.
mixeil javaxiSvilis wameba `CekaSi~
meTodurad grZeldeboda. aq ar CamovTvli,
Tu ra araadamianuri xerxebiT awamebdnen
did mwerals. awamebdnen manam, sanam
,,gancxadeba _ aRiarebani~ ar daawerines.
am, axla ukve saarqivod qceul masalaSi
mwerali iZulebulia ,,aRiaros~ ,,danaSauli~
da Tavi sami kapitalisturi qveynis agentad
gamoacxados, Tanac viTom 5000 maneTamde
miiRo jaSuSobis gasamrjelod. Tu rogor
moxda amgvari ,,danaSaulis aRiareba~,
amas mowmobs mwerlis meore gamomZieblis,

Ingorokva, Titsian Tabidze, Paolo Iashvili, Gogla Leonidze,

Davit Suliashvili, Aleksandre Abasheli, Mikheil Pataridze,
Levan Asatiani, Razhden Gvetadze, Shalva Demetradze,
Akaki Gatserelia, Tedo Sakhokia, Apolon Tsuladze,
Aleksandre Kutateli, Archil Mikadze, Iakinte Lisashvili and
Davit Tsereteli himself .
In reality there was no fascist organization; it was only the
poor imagination of the NKVD men. Nothing can be said about
terrorist activity on the part of Javakhishvili this can now
only provoke a bitter smile. Looking through the files, Mikhail
Javakhishvilis name appears everywhere, along with those
peoples names that he uttered. These are numerous, though
one thing should be emphasized: Sandro Akhmeteli, brutally
treated by the NKVD executioners, murmured that Arsena
Marabdeli had been written by Javakhishvili on the order of the
counter-revolutionary Kurulov, which was as absurd as any of
the other confessions.
In brief, peaceful table talks in Kvishkheti was turned
to meetings of armed, terrorist, fascist and other horrific
organizations by the CHEKA.
Torture of Javakhishvili by the NKVD continued
methodically. We shall not go into details about the inhuman

mixeil javaxiSvili da
galaqtion tabiZe

Mikheil Javakhishvili and Galaktion Tabidze

qarTveli inteligencia
Georgian Intelligentsia

75

mixeil nacvliSvilis 1954 wels mixeil

javaxiSvilis reabilitaciis droindeli
Cveneba. mogvaqvs mcire amonaridi: ,,1937
wels daapatimres da daxvrites qarTveli
mwerali mixeil sabas Ze javaxiSvili. mas
bralad edeboda iatakqveSa antisabWoTa
muSaoba. pirveli dakiTxva javaxiSvils
mouwyo beriam, qobulovisa da ganyofilebis
ufrosis, levan konstantines Ze abaSiZis
monawileobiT. javaxiSvilma sakuTari
xeliT dawera Cveneba Tavisi antisabWoTa
saqmianobis Sesaxeb. abaSiZem javaxiSvilis
dawerili Cvenebebi gadmomca me, raTa
dakiTxvis oqmad gameformebina. me
gavecani javaxiSvilis daweril Cvenebebs
da eWvi gamiCnda Cvenebebis utyuarobis
Sesaxeb, vinaidan mis CvenebaSi moyvanili
iyo faqtebi, romlebic sinamdviles ar
Seesabamebodnen. maSin mivmarTe abaSiZes,
romelic javaxiSvilis dakiTxvaSi
monawileobda da vkiTxe, raSi iyo saqme.
abaSiZem mi pasuxa ramdenime TanamSromlis
TandaswrebiT, romelTagan axla marto
ganyofilebis ufrosi aivazovi maxsovs: ,,me
ro ase veceme, vaRiarebdi, rom siamis Spioni
varo,~ da daamata: ,,dawereT rogorc aris!~
mixeil javaxiSvilis saqmis ,,Zieba~
damTavrda 1937 wlis 19 seqtembers.
gansaxilvelad gadaegzavna, e. w., ,,troikas.~
mogvaqvs sabraldebo daskvnidan mcire
amonaridi: ,,braldebuli mix. javaxiSvili
gamoZiebis masalebiT mTlianad mxilebulia, rom
amzadebda SeiaraRebul ajanyebas da jaSuSobda
ucxoeTis saxelmwifoebis sasargeblod,
eweoda mavneblobas, awyobda diversiul aqtebs
da amzadebda teroristul Tavdasxmebs, anu
mxilebulia saqarTvelos sisxlis samarTlis
58-8 da 58-11 muxlebiT gaTvaliswinebul
danaSaulSi. mas agreTve wayenebuli aqvs
braldeba 58-10 da 58-11 muxlebiT.~
sisxlis samarTlis TiToeuli es
muxli sasjelis umaRles zomas, daxvretas
iTvaliswinebda.
mixeil javaxiSvili daxvrites 1937 wlis
30 seqtembers. zustad am dRes mweralTa
kavSirSi kreba moewyo. qarTvelma mwerlebma
kontrrevolucioneri mixeil javaxiSvili
dagmes da misi fizikuri ganadgureba
moiTxoves. moiTxoves imitom, rom ase surda
lavrenti berias!...

P.S. mixeil javaxiSvilis Sesaxeb sisxlis

samarTlis saqmis #9997 (saarq. #34) masalebi,
30-ian wlebSi respesirebul sxva sazogado
moRvaweTa saqmeebTan erTad, gasuli saukunis
90-ian wlebSi yofili uSiSroebis saministros
arqividan gaurkvevel viTarebaSi daikarga.
manqanaze gadabeWdili mxolod ramdenime
dokumentia Semonaxuli mwerlis STamomavalTa
arqivebSi. swored am dokumentur masalaze
aigo zemoaRniSnuli statia.
A

76

methods of ill-treatment done to the great writer; he was

tortured until the testimony/confession was obtained. In this
material, currently preserved and as an archival document,
the writer was enforced to admit his guilt and declare
himself as an agent for three capitalist countries for which he
supposedly received 5000 rubles as compensation. Testimony
by Mikheil Natsvlishvili, given to an investigator in 1954 during
Javakhishvilis rehabilitation hearing, clearly demonstrates
how the writer gave his confession; according to a small
extract, the Georgian writer Mikheil f/n Saba Javakhishvili
was arrested and shot in 1937. He was accused of anti-Soviet
clandestine activity. The first interrogation of Javakhishvili was
organized with participation by Beria, Kobulov and Levan f/n
Konstantine Abashidze, head of the unit. Javakhishvili wrote
the testimony himself about his anti-Soviet activity; Abashidze
gave these testimonies to me to draw up an evidence memo.
I became familiarized with Kavakhishvilis`s testimony and
became doubtful about their reliability, since the facts included
in the testimonies contradicted reality. I appealed to Abashidze
and asked him about this. Abashidze answered me in the
presence of several employees, of which I can remember only
Aivazov, who was now the head of the unit: I would confess
to being a Siamese spy if I was so beaten, and consequently
added: Write down what is written there.
The Investigation of Javakhishvili`s case was completed
by September 19, 1937; it was transferred to a so called Troika
for further examination. Here is a small extract from the chargesheet: According to the investigative materials, the accused
Mikheil Javakhishvili, has been fully revealed as being prepared
to organize an armed revolt and as engaging in espionage on
behalf of foreign states; he was involved in subversion, organized
sabotage and has prepared terrorist attacks; thus he is shown to
have committed crimes envisaged in Articles 58-8 and 58-11 of
the Criminal Code of Georgia, and consequently is accused of the
crimes in compliance with Articles 58-10 and 58-11.
Each of these articles carried the death penalty.
Mikheil Javakhishvili was executed on September 30,
1937. On precisely that day a meeting was called at the
building of the Writers` Union. Georgian writers accused
Mikheil Javakhishvili of being a counter revolutionary and
demanded his physical liquidation. They demanded whatever
Lavrenti Beria wanted ...
p.s. Materials concerning criminal case number 9997
on Mikhail Javakhishvili (archive material #34), as well as
materials from cases on other public figures repressed in the
1930s, were lost in uncertain circumstances from the Archive
of the Ministry of Security in the early 1990s. Only several
documents written on a typewriter were preserved in the
archive of the writers descendants. The present article is
created on the basis of such documentary materials

daxvretilebi
a list of those shot in 1924
presented without commentary

e x ecuted

77

78

79

medlis ori mxare

/ Two Sides of the Coin

nemsis wveriT gamozrdili vaJkaci

(stalinis dedis, kekes mogonebani)

A Child Brought Up Thanks To Needle-Point

(Memoirs of Keke, Stalins mother)
(dasawyisi ix. `saarqivo moambe~ #1)

idi amagi damdo ferSalma, romelmac

eqimi lubomudrovi moiyvana. oriveni
yovel dRe dadiodnen, manugeSebdnen.
Semdeg TavisiT movida eqimi saakovi,
isic keTili kaci iyo. gaego Tu ara, aseTi
da aseTi bavSvi ukvdebaTo, maSinve CvenTan
gaCnda. arcerT eqims ar auRia gasamrjelo.
yvelani gulwmindad mexmarebodnen da
bavSvis sicocxle maCuqes: soso mesame
kviraSi ukve skolaSi gavistumreT. saakovma
jibis fulad maneTiani aCuqa Cems biWs.

***
rogorc vTqvi, me da besos cxovreba
erTad SeuZlebeli iyo, beso TviTonve
mixvda da aki amitomac gadasaxlda
TbilisSi. Tumca iq bavSvis
siyvaruls Seuwuxebia da
ramdenjerme Cemi gulis
mosalbobad groSebic
ki gamomigzavna
bavSvis saxelze.
bolos Serigebasac
mexveweboda. fics
debda, smaze xels
aviReb, biWs Tavze
davadgebi da arc
saswavleblidan
gamoviyvano. es
rom Cemma Zmebma
gaiges, datrialdnen
da cdilobdnen,
SeverigebineT.

80

(Beginning - see the Archival Bulletin, #1)

The doctors assistant helped me immensely and

brought Dr. Lubomirov. Both of them visited us every day and
calmed me down.
Then Dr. Saakov came in person. He too was a kind
man. As soon as he heard that such a child was dying,
he immediately came to us. None of the doctors took any
money. All of them helped me willingly and saved my child.
After three weeks Soso was already going to school again.
Dr. Saakov gave my son a ruble.
As I mentioned earlier, Beso and I could no longer live
together. Beso himself acknowledged this and moved to
Tbilisi. But he missed his child and sent me some money for
him, trying to regain my sympathy. At last he implored me to
take him back. He swore that he would give up drinking, take
care of the child and help him to stay in school. When my
brothers found about this they tried to facilitate our reconciliation. I was blamed for everything they claimed that I had
to comply with the will of my husband if he
was against schooling for the child, and
that it would do me no good, but I insisted that education was necessary.
I burst into tears and flatly
denied their suggestion. I insisted
that I would not let my son drop
out of school. I argued that even
if we made up, Beso would not
give up drinking. Besides, the
child was doing his best at
studying; the whole school
was complimenting him. The
teachers were saying that I
should do my best to support
my son in obtaining a proper

yvelaferSi me madanaSaulebdnen, radgan

besos ar unda, nu aswavli bavSvs. vin vis
gamosdgomia, rom eg Tavisi swavliT Sen
gamogadgeso.
me tirili wamskda, gadaWriT vuTxari
uari. isev karis maval glaxad vivli
da Svils skolidan ar gamoviyvan.
vumtkicebdi, Tundac besos Sevurigde,
smaze xels ar aiRebs. mereda ra
Cinebulad swavlobs bavSvi, mTeli
saswavlebeli sul magis qebaSia.
dedas gverdiT aseTi Svili hyavdes
da saswavleblidan gamoiyvanos? ra
sisulelea. magan unda iswavlos, vidre
cocxali var, ver vuRalateb-meTqi.
an rogor vuRalatebdi, maswavleblebi
sul Cemi Svilis qebaSi iyvnen. svimon
gogliCiZem icoda Tqma, Seni Svili iseTi
xmis patronia, rom qveyanas gaakvirvebso.
rakiRa sosoSi niWier bavSvs vxedavdi da
yvelani mis qebaSi iyvnen, Cemi TavisTvis
bevri ram damiklia, magram misTvis
arasdros miRalatnia.

***
ramdenjer Cemi Svilis TavTan
miTenebia Rame. sul imas vnatrobdi, Svili
moswrebuli gamexadna, damevaJkacebina,
vidre ZalRone mimtyunebda da sibere
gamtexda welSi. amisrulda natvra, Svili
damivaJkacda, amxanagebis Tvali Seiqna.
sasuliero saswavleblis damTavrebis
Semdeg yvelani milocavdnen, pirvel
moswavled iTvleboda yovelTvis.
axla is mafiqrebda, seminariaSi
rogor Semeyvana Cemi Svili. wvadagvaSi
gamozrdili biWiko vaJkaciviT
wamomadga Tavze da ukve qalaqisken unda
gamestumrebina. Cemi soso ise moiCita da
damivaJkacda, erTxelac ar momSorebia. is
uCemod ver Zlebda, me ki uimisod, magram
mas uyvarda swavla da misdami wyurvilma
bolos Cemi Tavic daaTmobina.

education. I made a vow that I would not betray my son,

and would help him get an education. How could I betray
my son when the teachers always stressed his talents
and praised him? His teacher, Simon Goglichidze, used
to emphasize my sons musical gifts by saying that he
would distinguish himself one day. Since I observed that
my son was smart and his teachers were acclaiming him, I
endured privation but I never gave up on him.
I had many sleepless nights when rearing my son. It
was my dream to survive until the time when my son would
be grown up, but I feared that old age might thwart my
dreams. Fortunately my dreams came true; he stood out
among his friends. Everyone was congratulating me when
he finished school. He was always first in his class.
Now I was baffled and sought the means to enroll my
son in the seminary; my son was already mature, and I was
ready to send him to Tbilisi. He depended on me immensely.
He could not stand when I was absent and vice versa. But
his desire for education was so great that ain the end learning made him leave me.

***
It the first time that Soso left Gori. I liked the train very
much. It sped towards the city. Soso suddenly became
worried and began crying when we approached Avchala. It
disturbed me; I feared that he might be ill. But it turned out
that he was upset for another reason.
Mother, when we enter the city father will find and
capture me to turn me into a shoe-maker, while I thirst for
education. If he behaves like this, I will resist and will never
allow him to make a shoe-maker out of me. I calmed him
down, saying that no one could ever deter him from his firm
decision to study.
As soon as we arrived in the city I set to work trying to
find an apartment. Although I had many relatives there I was
shy to bother any of them. Finding an apartment wasnt as
easy as I had thought. At dusk, when I had already relinquished hope, an Armenian lady offered me a place.
After this I had to find the seminary. My relatives helped
me, and Soso was allowed to take the entrance exams.
When the examinations started I went back to Gori with

***

sosTvis es pirveli ambavi iyo, rom

goridan gared gavida. Zalian moewona
matarebeli. eCqareboda qalaqSi misvla.
avWalas rom mivuaxlovdiT, uecrad
moiwyina da atirda. guli gamiskda, avad
xom ar gamixda-meTqi. Turme mas sxva dardi
awuxebda.

a heavy heart and set about my job diligently. I was making strenuous efforts to save around 100 rubles to pay the
tuition fees. Less than two days later I received a telegram
congratulating me because son was so distinguished he was
enrolled at the expense of the state. A month later I gushed
into tears when I saw Soso in the seminary uniform.
But I missed him very much and worried about him.
I did not sleep many nights thinking of him and crying
for him. My son felt how much I suffered his absence.

81

_ dedilo, qalaqSi
rom mivalT, mama
momnaxavs, momitacebs da
meCeqmeobas momindomebs,
me ki swavla mwyuria.
Tu ase momeqceva, Tavs
moviklav da meCeqmeobas
ar vindomeb. davamSvide,
xels rom veravin
SeuSlida.
qalaqSi
CasvlisTanave binis
Sovnas Sevudeqi.
marTalia, naTesavebi
blomad megulebodnen,
magram aravis Sewuxeba
ar mindoda. saxli arc
ise advilad viSovne,
rogorc megona. dRe
Tavze maTendeboda, roca erTma somxis
qalma damiTmo bina.
axla seminaria unda momenaxa,
naTesavebi damexmarnen da soso
gamocdebze dauSves. daiwyo gamocdebi.
Zalian vRelavdi. gorSi wavedi, nemsis
wveri davatriale. vcdilobdi, saCqarod
momegrovebina erTi asiode maneTi da
gadamegzavna semianariaSi Sesatanad.
magram ori dRec ar iyo gasuli, depeSiT
macnobes, Tqvenma Svilma ise gasaxelaT,
saxelmwifo xarjze miiReso. erTi
Tvis Semdeg soso seminariis formaSi
gamowyobili vnaxe da sixaruliT bevri
vitire.
pirvel xanebSi didad vdardobdi
umisobas. mTel Rameebs vaTevdi fiqrebsa
da cremlSi. Cemi soso hgrZnobda,
ra Zneli iqneboda CemTvis martooba.
amitomac kviraSi or-orjer mwerda
werilebs. mamxnevebda, manugeSebda, male
amogiyvan gaWirvebidano. TiToeuli
werili asi wlis sicocxles mmatebda.
Cavikravdi gulSi da RamiTac erTad
viZinebdiT. yoveldRe unda gadamekiTxa
werilebi. saTiTaod davkocnidi xolme.

ioseb stalini seminariaSi

Joseph Stalin in Seminary

That is why he would send me letters several times a

week. He encouraged me by promising that he would
put an end to our privation. Each letter prolonged my
life for a hundred years. I used to embrace the letters
and slept with them. Every day I read each letter again
and kissed them.

***
Soso did well at the Seminary. Thinking about the hardships in which I raised him, I sometimes could not believe
myself that he was my son.
I remember when he first visited me on Christmas day;
he even brought me sugar cubes wrapped in a napkin that
he saved from his food portion. The sugar could barely be
more than a fist, but this tiny gift made me so happy that I
saved it for a whole year. I used to nip the lump of sugar bit
by bit to feel the scent of my son.
Over time my son matured, and I noticed that he was
growing more and more reserved.
Gradually people began whispering, and later I was told
directly that my son had become an upstart.

***

soso seminariaSic kargad swavlobda.

nemsis wveriT gamozrdili aseTi vaJkacis
danaxvaze, Tavs rodi vujerebdi, Cemi
Svili rom iyo.
maxsovs, pirvelad rom mewvia saSobaod,
Tavis ulufidan gadarCenili Saqaric ki
momitana xelsaxocSi gamokruli. sul muWa

82

Soon afterwards I rushed to the city and saw my son;

he rebuked me that I was to stand aside, as his intentions
were his affair alone. His reproach upset me. That was then
first case when my son offended me. At last Soso summoned up his courage, kissed me on the forehead and
assured me that he was neither an upstart or anything of the
sort. That was his first lie.
The mutterings of the neighbors came true. Soso
ditched the seminary and chose the opposite way of

naxevari iqneboda, magram ise gamaxara am

patara ZRvenma, mTeli weliwadi gamovizoge.
patar-patara kvnitebiT pirs vimtkbarebdi,
rom Cemi Svilis surneli megrZno.
droGgadioda... vatyobdi, soso rac
vaJkacdeboda, imdenad gulCaTxrobili
xdeboda.
nel-nela aqeT-iqidan CurCuli astexes
da bolos aSkarad gamagones, soso bunti
kaci gaxdao.
gavqandi qalaqSi, vinaxule Svili.
gamwyrali damxvda, ra mogarbeninebda, an
ra Seni saqmea, ras vizraxav da ras arao.
mewyina aseTi mkvaxe pasuxi. es pirveli
SemTxveva iyo, Svilma guli rom matkina.
bolos sosom Tavs dasZlia, Sublze
makoca da damamSvida, arc vbuntob da arc
araferi, es ki misi pirveli tyuili iyo.
magram gamarTlda mezoblebis
CurCuli. sosom sxva gza airCia. risTvisac
seminarias fexi hkra da qva miayara. Semdeg
muSebSi siaruliT gaerTo da saerTod
aRar mnaxulobda. bolos isic gavige,
buntisTvis cixeSi miabrZaneso. isev
qalaqSi gaviqeci.
qalaqSi SezarxoSebul besos
gadaveyare. gaavebuli meCxubeboda,
rad wamarTvi Cemi Svili, Sen rom
saswavlebelSi ar migeyvana, axla
`gaCestili~ ustabaSi meyoleboda, axla ki,
cixeSia gamomwyvdeuli. rad minda aseTi
Svili, me TviTon movklav.
Zlivs daviRwie misgan Tavi. cixeSi ar
SemiSves, magram erTi kacis piriT sosom
Sematyobina, ar SeSinde, kargad var da
sul male ginaxulebo.
roca ki ubedureba damtexia, an
dauWeriaT, an gaucimbirebiaT, yovelTvis
axerxebda da Tavis ambavs matyobinebda igi.
movrCeT ubedurebebs...
ra bednierebaa, gulis wadili rom
aisrula Cemma sosom da yvela Cagrulis
meTvalyure da mfarveli Seiqna. netavi,
besoc moswreboda am Cveni siamayis naxvas.
enacvalos deda, soso didad
datvirTulia, magram arc axla miviwyebs
da patara dros i povnis Tu ara,
gamamxnevebs xolme.
ai, axlac, naTelas suraTi miviRe... me ki
kaklis muraba gavugzavne. axla es patara
suraTi sul gulTan maqvs mixatuli. esaa
Cemi tkbili sizmrebis momgvreli, rom Cemi
damtirebeli naTela iqneba...
1935 weli

life. He then became a close associate of workmen and

stopped coming over to see me. In the end I was told
that he was jailed for taking part in a riot. I again scurried to the city.
When I arrived there I came upon a drunken
Beso. He fought with me and berated me for taking
away his son, and he said that if I had not helped
Soso to enroll in the Seminary Beso would have
made a good workman of Soso. Instead, he said,
Soso is now locked up in prison. You dont need such
a son, Ill kill him myself.
I barely managed to get away from Beso. I was not
permitted to enter the prison, but Soso let me know via a
certain person that I shouldnt fear, since he was well and
would see me soon.
Whenever he was arrested or was sent into exile, or
misfortune fell on me, he always would manage to communicate and let me know how he was doing. Well, lets
now stop telling hard luck stories . . .
How nice it is that my son achieved his objective to
become a supervisor and protector of every oppressed man.
I wish Beso had survived to see our pride . . .
My dear one, he is now so busy. But nevertheless he
always keeps me in mind, and as soon as he finds some
time he me gives me courage.
Even now, I have Natelas photo while I have sent
him nut jam. I have this little photo tucked into my chest,
and it helps me to have nice dreams and to cherish the
idea that Natela will be the one to mourn me...

1935

ioseb stalini / Joseph stalin

83

Tulni/ tulni

Tarasxan eSbas dajgufeba

Taraskhan Eshba`s Band
qeTevan sarsevaniZe
keTEvan sarsevanidze

aqarTvelos sagangebo komisiis

Sefaseba: `Tarasxan eSbas banda,
romelic afxazeTSi erTi
wlis ganmavlobaSi moqmedebda,
miiCneva kriminalur-politikur
dajgufebad. miuxedavad imisa,
rom saZmo dakompleqtebuli iyo
wminda kriminaluri elementebiT,
Tavdapirvelad is ar iyo gansakuTrebiT
saSiSi, radganac jgufs meTaurobda
polityaCaRi, romlis saqmianoba
ZiriTadad mimarTuli iyo sabWoTa
xelisuflebis winaaRmdeg. eSbas
gaTvlebma, jgufSi hyoloda
kriminaluri elementebi, romlebic
amave dros politikuri organizaciis
sabrZolo birTvi iqnebodnen, odnavadac
ar gaamarTla da bandis mTeli
saqmianoba mxolod kriminaluri iyo.
TviTon eSba warmoadgenda Zlier da
sakmaod saSiS figuras.

yofili Tavadi Tarasxan dimitris

Ze eSba daibada 1886 w. afxazeTSi,
samurzayanos mazris sof. bediaSi,
1917 wlidan msaxurobda samurzayanos
mazraSi komisrad, 1920 wlis aprilidan
gasabWoebamde ki soxumis gansakuTrebuli
razmis ufrosi iyo. mas evaleboda
afxazeTSi jer kidev aralegaluri
komunisturi organizaciebisa da
komunistebis winaaRmdeg brZola.
afxazeTis `Cekas~ braldebiT, eSbas
moRveweobam am sferoSi molodins
gadaaWarba: igi gulmodgined devnida da
apatimrebda komunistebs, aaSkaravebda

84

Assessment by the
Extraordinary
Commission
(Cheka) of
Georgia:
The band
of Taraskhan
Eshba that has
been active in
Abkhazia over
the course of
one year is
considered
to be a crimiTarasxan eSba / Taraskhan Eshba
nal-political
group. Although this fraternity included criminal
elements, at first it did not present any serious
danger, since it was headed by a political bandit
whose activity was firmly directed against the
government. Eshba`s intention to have criminal
elements in his group that would at the same time
serve as the military core for the political organization failed, and as a result all of the activities of the
gang turned out to be criminal in nature.
Eshba himself was a rather capable and dangerous figure.
Taraskhan f/n Dimitri Eshba, a former land-owner
(tavadi), was born in 1886 in the village of Bedia in the
Samurzakano Mazra district of Abkhazia. From 1917 he
held the position of commissar in Samurzakano Mazra;
from April 1920 until the time when the Soviet government finally came to the power he was the head of a

komunistur organizaciebs. man moaxerxa

srulad gamoeaSkaravebina qalaqis
iatakqveSa komitetis Semadgenloba, xolo
1918 w. monawileoba miiRo komunisturi
moZraobis CaxSobaSi.
eSba afxazeTis gasabWoebis Semdeg
konstantinopolSi gaiqca da iq 1 welze
meti dahyo.
T. eSba mogviTxrobs:
_ sazRvargareT 1921 w. martidan
1922 wlis dekembramde vimyofebodi.
konstantinopolSi Tavdapirvelad
qalaqidan 20 versis daSorebiT, amerikul
banakSi, vcxovrobdi, sadac saSinel
gaWirvebas ganvicdidiT, ar gvqonda
cxovrebis saSualeba. Semdeg frangul
skolaSi daviwye samsaxuri.
1922 wlis seqtemberSi partiuli
komitetis Tavmjdomare noe xomerikma
TavisTan damibara da miTxra, rom 1923
wlis martSi, evropis winadadebiT,
moskovi saqarTvelodan gaiyvanda rusul
jarebs. maT Tan komunistebi gahyvebodnen.
qveyana anarqias rom ar moecva,
xelisuflebis xelSi asaRebad yvelaferi
Cven unda mogvemzdebina.
maleve, seqtembris bolos, me da
xomeriki Turquli gemiT gamovemgzavreT
da afxazeTis midamoebSi vfiqrobdiT
gadmosvlas, magram, anatoliis
napirebze gamocxadebuli saomari
mdgomareobis gamo, Cven gemidan ar
gadagviSves da iZulebulebi gavxdiT ukan
davbrunebuliyaviT. noemberSi xomerikma
kvlav TavisTan damibara da miTxra, rom
saqarTveloSi Cveni dabruneba aucilebeli
iyo, amitom saswrafod motoriani naviT
unda gamovmgzavrebuliyaviT me, xomeriki
da CemTvis ucnobi, vinme qarcivaZe,
komersanti Tu politltolvili, ar vici.
qarcivaZe, xomerikis sityvebiT, gamocdili
megzuri iyo. igi bevr xalxs scnobda,
adgilebic kargad icoda da Stormis
dros ki daxmareba unda aRmoeCina...
mgzavroba warmatebiT ganxorcielda.
qarcivaZe xofSi dagvSorda, Cven ki
SekveTilSi, sadgur natanebis maxloblad,
Ramis 11 sT-ze gadmovediT navidan. Zalian
bneli Rame iyo. xomerikma gzis gagneba
ver SeZlo, me ki im adgilebSi namyofi
ar viyavi, amitom is Rame da meore
dRe, saRamomde, tyeSi gavatareT. Rame

Sukhumi special military unit. Eshba was in charge of

countering communist organizations and communists,
which at that time were still illegal in Abkhazia.
According to the accusation brought by the Ckeka,
Eshba`s actions in this sphere exceeded all expectations: he assiduously prosecuted and arrested communists and uncovered communist organizations. Eshba
managed to uncover the entire membership of the city
underground committee; in 1918 he participated in suppressing the communist movement.
After the Soviet government came to Abkhazia,
Eshba escaped to Constantinople and stayed there for
more than a year.
As Taraskhan Eshba recalled:
I was abroad from March 1921 to December
1922. At first I lived in an American camp 20 miles from
Constantinople; the living conditions were extremely
poor in the camp there were nothing to live on there.
Later I started to work at a French school.
In September 1922 Noe Khomeriki, Chairman of
the Party Committee, called me and said that Moscow would remove the Russian armies from Georgia
in March 1923 on the basis of a European proposal.
Consequently the Bolshviks would leave with them. We
should make the necessary preparations to take power
in order to prevent complete anarchy from breaking out
in the country.
Soon, in the end of September, Komeriki and I
left the country on a Turkish ship and intended to arrive
near Abkhazia. But because of the military situation in
the territory of the shores in Anatolia we were not let off
the ship, so we had to go back. In November Khomeriki
called me again and said that we had to get to Georgia;
thus Khomeriki, somebody named Kartsivadze who was
a merchant or political refugee with whom I was not
acquainted and I had to leave immediately for Georgia by
motor boat. According to Khomeriki, Kartsivadze was an
experienced guide, knew a lot of people, knew the area
well, and could help in case of a storm
The trip was successful. Kartsivadze left us in
Khofi, and we got off the boat at 11:00 p.m. in Shekvetili, near Natanebi station. It was a very dark night,
and Khomeriki lost the way. I had not been in that
area before, so we spent that night and the next day
wandering around in the forest. We continued on the
next night and finally found somebody named Isaki, a
relative of Khomeriki (I did not know Isaki`s last name)

85

gza gavagrZeleT da mivadeqiT sadgur

natanebidan sami versis dacilebiT
mcxovreb xomerikis erT-erT nacnobs,
saxelad isaks, romlis gvari ar vici,
sadac ori dRe davisveneT.
mesame dRes xomerikma miTxra,
rom evropaSi Cveni sakiTxi ukve
gadawyvetili iyo da is unda wasuliyo
TbilisSi menSevikebis ck-Si moxsenebis
gasakeTeblad, Tan gaecnoboda
saqarTveloSi arsebul viTarebas da
amis Semdeg misgan Sesabamis direqtivebs
miviRebdiT.
me natanebidan rkinigziT - senakamde
da Semdeg diliJansiT gavemgzavre Cems
sofel bediaSi. mas Semdeg vimalebodi
mamiseul saxlSi. erTxel mestumrnen
menSevikebi _ bagrat uCaneiSvili,
Teimuraz suxbaia, grigol milava da
sxv., romlebsac xomerikis danabarebi da
gegmebi dawvrilebiT gavacani.
TebervalSi tifi Semeyara da
aprilamde loginSi viweqi. avadmyofobis
Semdeg, aprilSi, CemTan movida aleqsi
Tu aleqsandre kobaxiZe, romelmac,
parolis _ `zRva~ _ gacnobis Semdeg, cksa da xomerikis saxeliT macnoba, rom
evropaSi Cveni imedebi ar gamarTlebula
da wiTeli armiis nawilebi ar gavidoda
saqarTvelodan, amitom gamoiZebna
gamosavali, unda mogvewyo ajanyeba,
romelic daiwyeboda afxazeTSi da mTels
saqarTveloSi gavrceldeboda. dasasrul
Sempirda, damatebiT macnobebdnen
samomavlo gegmebs. me ki is gavafrTxile,
rom afxazeTSi, zRvis sanapiroze, idga
erTi samxedro gemi mTeli afxazeTis
dasabombad. garda amisa, gulaxdilad
vuTxari, rom princi pulad winaaRmdegi
viyavi ajanyebis mowyobisa, rom arc
erT SemTxvevaSi ar unda daeSvaT
xelisuflebis winaaRmdeg SeiaraRebuli
ajanyeba da xalxis xocva~.
Tumca oficialuri informacia sul
sxvagvaria:
Tarasxan eSbam, saidumlo,
iataqveSa muSaobisaTvis, malulad
gadmolaxa sazRvari da samurzayanos
mazraSi Camovida, emaleboda sabWoTa
xelisuflebas da daiwyo aqtiuri


saqarTvelos Sss arqivi, (II), f. #6, saqme #25223, gv. 24-25.

86

who lived three miles from Natanebi station. We stayed

in his house for two days.
On the third day Khomeriki said that our issue
was already resolved in Europe, and he had to go to
Tbilisi to make a report to the Menshevik Central Committee and also to find out what the current situation
in Georgia was like; I myself was to receive relevant
instructions from him.
I traveled from Natanebi to Senaki by rail and
then by carriage to my village of Bedia. After I arrived
I hid in my fathers house. Once some Mensheviks,
including Bagrat Uchaneishvili, Teimuraz Sukhbaia,
Grigol Milava and some others came to see me. I delivered them Khomeriki`s message and detailed plans.
In February I came down with typhus and stayed in bed
until April. After I recovered, in April Aleksi (or Aleksandre) Kobakhidze visited me. He introduced himself by
the password Sea and informed me on behalf of the
Central Committee and Khomeriki that our hopes had
failed in Europe and units of the Red Army would not
be removed from Georgia. Therefore another solution
was found, and in particular they meant organizing a
revolt in Abkhazia and then spreading it throughout
Georgia. At the end of his visit he promised to inform
me of future plans as well. I warned him that one military vessel was docked in Abkhazia offshore and was
ready to conduct bombardments. In addition, I frankly
told him that I was opposed to a revolt in principle, and
that we had to prevent such a thing and the killing of
innocent people,
The official report differs somewhat from Eshbas
account above:
Taraskhan Eshba secretly crossed the border
in order to conduct clandestine activity and arrived
in Samurzakano Mazra; he went into hiding from the
Soviet authorities and began intensive anti-Soviet
propaganda and frequently distributed hostile provocations against the Soviet authorities; at the same time
he made contacts with criminal elements.
On December 22, 1922 twelve persons of different social groups were robbed on the road to Marneuli
on his initiative. The Abkhazian police arrested and
shot all the participants of the robbery except Eshba
and Okum Kacharava.
Two months later Eshba and Kacharava again
formed a new group of 8 persons consisting of:

antisabWoTa propaganda, xSirad

avrcelebda bilw provokaciebs sabWoTa
xelisuflebis winaaRmdeg, amave dros
daukavSirda sxvadasxva kriminalur
elementebs.
misi iniciativiT 1922 wlis
22 dekembers marneulSi mimavali
120 sxvadasxva socialuri fenis
warmomadgeneli gaiZarcva. afxazeTis
miliciam am Zarcvis yvela monawile,
eSbasa da okum kaWaravas garda, daapatimra
da daxvrita.
ori Tvis Semdeg eSbam da kaWaravam
isev Camoayalibes 8 kaciani jgufi,
romlis SemadgelobaSi Sevidnen: Tarasxan
eSba (politxelmZRvaneli da meTauri),
okum kaWarava, noCo Rurwkaia, evgeni
Zvabava, aTanasi Selia, gogia, giorgi
buskaZe da elizbar miqaZe.
axalma bandam moqmedeba daiwyo
samurzayanos mazraSi, soflebis _ bediisa
da saberios raionebSi. 1923 wlis 10 marts
dajgufebis wevrebi aqtiur moqmedebaze
gadavidnen. maT sof. gufSi gaZarcves
vinme Sambas saxli, romlisganac gaitaces
sxvadasxva Zvirfaseuloba da nivTebi.
afxazeTis `Cekas~ TanamSromlebma
naZarcv nivTebs male miakvlies
bediaSi mcxovreb CalarievTan. romlis
dapatimrebis Semdegac mcdeloba,
misi daxmarebiT miekvliaT yaCaRebis
adgilsamyofelisaTvis, uSedego aRmoCnda.
1923 wlis aprilis yoveldRiuri
agenturuli monacemebiT eSbas banda
Sedgeboda 9 kacisagan da moqmedebdnen
samurzayanos mazris saberios raionSi.
1923 wlis 2 aprils eSbas bandas
SeiaraRebuli Setakeba hqonda miliciis
razmTan. xangrZlivi srolebis Semdeg
banda 3 jgufad gaiyo:
I jgufSi gaerTiandnen evgeni jobava
da aTanasi Selia, maT okum kaWarava
meTaurobda. maTi samoqmedo asparezi iyo
samurzayano-kodoris mazrebis sazRvarebi
da SeiaraRebulebi iyvnen TofebiT, didi
raodenobiT vaznebiT, revolverebiTa da
bombebiT;
II jgufic, noCo Rurwkaias meTaurobiT,
sami wevrisgan Sedgeboda. maT gezi
zugdidis mazrisken aiRes. gzaSi miliciis
razms SeeCexnen. gaimarTa xanmokle

Taraskhan Eshba (political leader and head), Okum

Kacharava, Nocho Ghurtskaia, Evgeni Dzvabava,
Atanasi Shelia, Gohia, Giorgi Buskadze and Elizbar
Mikadze.
The new gang began its activity in Samurzakano
Mazra in the vicinity of Bedia village and the Saberio
district. On March 10, 1923 the gang members began
undertaking intensive measures; they robbed a house
belonging to Shamba and consequently captured various valuables and items.
The stolen material was soon found by Abkhazian
Cheka officials at Chalarievi`s residence in Bedia. But
further attempts to discover the whereabouts of robbers with Chalarievi`s assistance was ineffectual.
According to routine intelligence for April 1923,
Eshba`s gang was consisted of 9 acting in the Saberio
district of Samurzakano Mazra.

On April 2, 1923 Esba`s band took part an armed

combat with a police team. After a long firefight the
gang was split up into three groups:
Evgeni Jobava and Atanasi Shelia joined the first
group, which was headed by Okum Kacharava and
was active within the Samurzakano-Kodori borders.
These gang members were armed with rifles, revolvers
and bombs, and they had a great deal of ammunition.
The second group was let by Nocho Ghurtskaia
and consisted of three members. They went in the
direction of Zugdidi, and had a brief shootout with
police along the way. Ghurtskaia was arrested and
transferred to Mazra militia station in the city of Gali.
His companions escaped from the Gali police and managed to hide, though they encountered a Zugdidi police
team very soon afterwards. Robbers could not resist,
and they consequently were arrested. Later they were
recruited by the Cheka in Sokhumi.
The third group consisted of Leonti Okujava,
Bagrat Zantaraia and Gogia. They preferred to work
separately from each other. Soon Okujava and Zantaraia turned themselves in at Samurzakano and consequently were held there. Okujava, however, could not
stand to live under the strict supervision of the police,
so he joined the gang again in the end of May. Gogia`s
whereabouts were unknown.
The band members Eshba, Iona and Iason Jinjolias, Kacharava, Jobava, Taraskhan Anchabadze,
Skhulukhia and Leonti Okujava were united by June 1.
Archive Department of the MoIA of Georgia, (II), Fond.#6; File #25223; pp.24-5.
Ibid., p.30.

saqarTvelos Sss arqivi, (II), f. #6, saqme #25223, gv. 30.

87

Setakeba. Rurwkaia daapatimres da

q. galis samazro miliciaSi gadaiyvanes.
misi Tanamzraxvelebi ki xelidan
dausxltdnen galel milicielebs
da mimalva moaxerxes, Tumca maleve
gadaeyarnen zugdidis miliciis razms.
yaCaRebma winaRmdegobis gaweva veRar
SeZles da razmelebma isini daapatimres.
mogvianebiT ki gadabirebul iqnen soxumSi
`Cekas~ mier.
III jgufSi aRmoCndnen leonti okujava,
bagrat zanTaraia da gogia. maT calcalke yofna amjobines. male okujava da
zanTaraia gamocxaddnen samurzayanos
sainformacio punqtSi, sadac maT
danaSauli apaties. Tumca leonti
okujavam didxans mainc ver gaZlo
miliciis mkacri meTvalyureobis qveS
cxovreba da maisis bolos isev bandas
SeuerTda. gogias adgilsamyofeli ki
daudgeneli gaxda.
1 ivnisisaTvis yaCaRebi: eSba, iona
da iason jinjoliebi, kaWarava, jobava,
Tarasxan anCabaZe, sxuluxia da leonti
okujava, gaerTiandnen. 20 ivniss afxazeTis
`Cekam~ iason da iona jinjoliebi
daapatimra.
Tarasxan eSbas mier gaZlierebuli
saagitacio muSaobis Sedegad samurzayanos
mazraSi daiwyo sabWoTa xelisuflebis
winaaRmdeg gamosvlebi, rac male iqna
alagmuli da masSi xalxis farTo masebis
CaTreva ver moaswro.
samurzayanos mazraSi wesrigis
dasamyareblad mTeli rigi RonisZiebebis
paralelurad afxazeTis `Cekam~ miiRo
gadawyvetileba eSbas likvidaciis Sesaxeb.
marTlac, mTeli rigi operatiulCekisturi kombinaciebis Semdeg eSba
iZulebuli gaxda, Sewyalebis saTxovnelad
gamocxadebuliyo xelisuflebis
warmomadgenlebTan. igi 1923 wlis 7 ivniss
daapatimres.
maleve, 10 ivliss, samurzayanoSi
daapatimrebul iqna Tarasxan anCabaZec,
romelsac afxazeTis `Cekas~ 1924 w.
20 martis dadgenilebiT daxvreta
miesaja, xolo 3 aprilis dadgenilebiT
sasjelis umaRlesi zoma 5 wliani mkacri
izolaciiT Seecvala.


saqarTvelos Sss arqivi, (II), f. #6, saqme #25223, gv. 30.

iqve, gv. 51-2.

iqve, gv. 3.


88

On June 20 Iason and Iona Jinjolias were arrested by

the Cheka.
As a result of intensified sedition by Taraskhan
Eshba, uprisings against the Soviet authorities were
initiated in Samurzakano Mazra, although they were
quickly suppressed and not very many from the local
population took part.
At that time the Abkhazian Cheka Abkhazia decided to liquidate Eshba in order to establish order in
Samurzakano Mazra.
After the series of Chekist operation Eshba was
forced to appeal to government representatives to ask

eSbasa da bandis 3 wevris Sepyrobis

Semdeg darCenili yaCaRebi daifantnen,
cal-calke imalebodnen.. mxolod okujava
ganagrZobda kriminalur saqmianobas.
22 ivliss RamiT okujava Tavs daesxa
Tagilonis mkvidr Tumu vekuas, daWra
misi coli, xolo Tumu tyeSi waiyvana,
romelic 29 ivliss i poves Seubraleblad
nacemi.
leonti okujavam saberioSi
Sepyrobili partmuSaki gerasime caavac
tyeSi waiyvana, magram dazaralebulma
imave dRes moaxerxa yaCaRisagan Tavis
daRweva.
10 agvistos Catarda afxazeTis
centraluri aRmaskomis, saxalxo
gaerTianebuli sabWos, afxazeTis kp
(b) saolqo komitetisa da afxazeTis
`Cekas~ kolegiis gaerTianebuli sxdoma,
romelzec gamoitanes dadgenileba
yaCaRebis iason da iona jinjoliebis
daxvretis Sesaxeb.
seqtemberSi okum kaWaravam eSbas
jgufis darCenili 4 wevrisagan
Camoayaliba axali jgufi, samoqmedo
arealad maT gaixades kodoris mazris
tamiSis raioni.
23 seqtembers jgufis wevrebma
ramdenjerme gaZarcves saxazino gzaze
gamvlelebi. isini Tavs daesxnen
milicielebs _ petre salias da janjux
faCulias. yaCaRebma petre salia mokles,
xolo janjux faCulia mZimed daWres.
9 noembers zugdidis mazraSi
gadasul leonti okujavas adgilobrivma
miliciam cecxli gauxsna da mokla.
17 noembers ki colTan erTad
kodoris mazridan samurzayanoSi mimavali
okum kaWarava gzaSi milicielebma
SeamCnies da isic da misi colic
sicocxles gamoasalmes.
bandis meTauri Tarasxan eSba
saqarTvelos `Cekas~ kolegiis
dadgenilebiT 1923 wels daxvrites.

for mercy. He was arrested on June 7, 1923 in Samarzakano. He was sentenced to death by a resolution of
March 20, 1924 by the Abkhazian Cheka, but on the
basis of resolution dated April 3 execution was substituted with five years imprisonment.
The band members who remained free were
separated and hid separately. Only Okujava continued
criminal activity.
On the night of July 22, Okujava assaulted Tumu
Vekua, a resident Tagiloni, wounded his wife and took
Tumu to the forest. The latter was found on July 29,
having been brutally beaten.
Leonti Okujava took Gerasime Tsaava, a Party
member whom he kidnapped in Saberio, into the forest as well, though the victim managed to escape the
same day.
A joint session of the Abkhazian Central Executive
Committee, the Public Unified Council, Regional the
Committee of the Communist party of Abkhazia and the
Abkhazian Cheka was held on August 10; the session
took resolution ordering the execution of Iason and
Iona Jinjolias.
Okum Kacharava formed a new group from the
remaining four members, whose area of activity was in
the Tamishi district of Kodori.
On September 23 the band members robbed a
group of travelers including two policemen, Petre Salia
and Janjukh Pachulia. The band members killed Petre
Salia and seriously wounded Janjukh Pachulia.
On November 9 the local police opened fire on Leonti Okujava, who had fled to Zugdidi, and killed him.
On November 17 Okum Kacharava was together with his wife spotted by policemen heading for
Samurzakano from Kodori mazra, and both of them
were shot.
Taraskhan Eshba, the band leader, was shot in
1923 on the basis of a resolution of a Georgian Cheka
commission.

Ibid., pp. 51-2.

Ibid., p.3.




89

STamomavloba/ Posterity

rogor uswordebodnen qaquca

ColoyaSvilis Seficulebs...
How Kakutsa Cholokashvilis
allies were wiped out ...

nino yifSiZe
nino kipshidze

aarqivo moambis~ wina nomerSi

qaquca ColoyaSvilisa
da Seficulebis
eqskluziuri foto gamovaqveyneT,
es foto ColoyaSvilis Seficul
vasil TamazaSvilis STamomavlebma
gamogvigzavnes. maTgan SevityveT, rom
fSav-xevsureTis ajanyebis Semdeg
kaxeTSi gadasuli qaquca ColoyaSvili
ori Tve swored qvemo maCxaanSi, vasil
TamazaSvilis ojaxs afarebda Tavs.
Semdeg ki qaquca ColoyaSvili da vasil
TamazaSvili erTad gasulan tyeSi.

,,s

vasil TamazaSvili da qaquca ColoyaSvili

Vasil Tamazashvili and Kakutsa Cholokashvili

In the previous edition of The Archival Bulletin we published an exclusive photo of Kakutsa
Cholokashvili and some of his supporters that was
submitted by the son of Vasil Tamazahvili, one of
Kakutsa Cholokashvilis allies. We have learned
from them that Kakutsa Cholokashvili took shelter
for two months in the family of Vasil Tamazashvili
in the village of Kvemo Mackhaani after having
moved to Kakheti after the Khevsureti
rebellion. Later, Kakutsa Cholokashvili and Vasil Tamazashvili stayed
together and continued their way into
the forests.
But Tamazashvili did not emigrate
together with Kakutsa Cholokashvili,
and stayed in hiding in the forest for
several months, until at last he was
captured by the Bolsheviks and shot,
his corpse tossed into the valley. Tamazashvilis relatives were very unhappy.
They were called thugs and were made

elizbar TamazaSvili
Elizbar Tamazashvili

90

TamazaSvili sazRvargareT
emigraciaSi aRar gahyolia qaquca
ColoyaSvils da ramdenime Tve kvlav
tyeSi imaleboda, magram bolos
bolSevikebma miagnes da daxvrites,
gvami ki xevSi gadaagdes. arc vasil
TamazaSvilis ojaxis wevrebi aRmoCndnen
karg dReSi. maT yaCaRebis ojaxs eZaxdnen
da mudmiv terorSi uxdebodaT cxovreba.
vasil TamazaSvilis vaJi, elizbari maSin
mxolod ori wlis yofila da es ambebi
gadmocemiT dedisgan icis. elizbar
TamazaSvili axla 85 wlisaa da kaxeTSi
cxovrobs. sainteresoa, rom is saxlic,
sadac qaquca ColoyaSvili ori Tve
cxovrobda, dResac SemorCenilia. am
sakiTxebTan dakavSirebiT Cven elizbar
TamazaSvils vewvieT da vesaubreT.
_ rogor da sad gaicno mamaTqvenma
qaquca ColoyaSvili?
_ qaquca ColoyaSvili Tavis
razmTan erTad rodesac fSavxevsureTidan kaxeTSi gamoiqca,
TavSesafari sWirdeboda. mama
menSevikebis dros samxedroebis
mommarageblad muSaobda. Zalian
gamoCenili kaci iyo da yvela
cnobda. ColoyaSvilisTvis
uTqvamT, vasil TamazaSvili
SegifarebTo.Mmama TelavSi biZis
dakrZalvaze yofila, iq misula
qaquca ColoyaSvili, gaucniaT
erTmaneTi, Zmebad Seficulan da
mamasac qaquca ColoyaSvili Sin
wauyvania, qvemo maCxaanSi. qaquca
Tavis razmelebTan erTad ori Tve
cxovrobda Cvens saxlSi. dedaCemi
ixsenebda xolme, ocdaaT kacze
iSleboda yoveldRe CvenTan sufra,
gaTenebamde saubrobdnen da bWobdnen
qveynis momavalzeo. dedas mamaCemisTvis
uTxovia, Camoxsnoda ColoyaSvilsa
da mis razmelebs, Svilebi gvyavs
gasazrdelio, magram mamas upasuxia, ras
ambob, Sen ar ici, am mTavrobis xelSi ra
gvelodeba, koleqtivizacia unda moxdes,
saSinel mdgomareobaSi aRmoCndeba
xalxio. mamaCemi ara Tu Camoexsna qaquca
ColoyaSvils, tyeSi roca gaixiznen, iqac
wahyva. mama da qaquca uzundaras tyes
afarebdnen Tavs.

to live under permanent terror. Tamazashvilis son

Elizbar was only two at that time, and learned of
these events from his mother. Elizbar Tamazashvili is
now 85 and lives in the Kakheti region. It is interesting that the house in which Kakutsa Cholokashvili
took shelter still stands to this day. We visited Elizbar
Tamazahvili and held a conversation with him.
Archival Bulletin: How and where did your
father meet Kakutsa Cholokashvili?
Elizbar Tamazashvili: Kakutsa was in need of
refuge after he had fled from Pshav-Khevsureti in Kakheti.
Father worked as a military supplier in an army unit during Menshevik rule. He was a renowned man and was
well-connected. Mr. Cholokashvili was advised that Vasil
Tamazashvili would give him a place to hide. Father met
Kakutsa Cholokasvili in Telavi when he was at the funeral
of my uncle; they swore fidelity and father took him home
to Kvemo Machkhaani.
Kakutsa along with his fighters lived with us for two
months. Mother often recalled that she used to cook dinner for 30 men every day, and they talked until dawn and

Seficulebi / Oath
held council over the future of the country. Mother asked
father to split with Kakutsa and his fighters since the children were still young and had to be raised. To this father
responded that nothing good could be expected from
the Soviet government, since they planned to carry out
collectivization that would bring harm to the people. So
father went with Kakutsa into hiding, and they took shelter
in the Uzundara forest.
AB: Did someone betray him, or how was he
given away?
ET: Father and those who did not follow Kakutsa
Cholokashvili into exile stayed in the forest after Kakut-

91

Q_ vinmem gasca Tu
rogor miagnes vasil
TamazaSvils?
_ roca ColoyaSvili
Tavis razmTan erTad
sazRvargareT gaemgzavra,
mama isev tyeSi darCa
im adamianebTan erTad,
romlebic qaqucas
ar wahyolian. maTze
gansakuTrebuli
nadiroba iyo
gamocxadebuli. mdevrebi
yvela kuTxe-kunWulSi
eZebdnen ColoyaSvilis
Seficulebs. erTxelac,
tyesTan gaqceulebsa da
mTavrobis xalxs Soris vasil TamazaSvili
Va s i l Tamazashvili
srola amtydara, iq
mamaCemis Zma, Teqvsmeti
wlis trifoni unaxavT. Semdeg igi
viRacas daubezRebia, Setakebis adgilze
yaCaR vasil TamazaSvilis Zmac iyoo.
meore dRes biZaCemi burTis saTamaSod
yofila, iq misulan bolSevikebi,
cxenis Zuaze gamoubamT da ase wamebiT
mouklavT trifoni. sad damarxes igi,
veravin gaigo.
tyeSi gaWrilebs rom veraferi
mouxerxes, werils werilze ugzavnidnen,
gamodiT, SevrigdeTo. mama marTlac
gamovida tyidan da ori Rame saxlSic
gaaTia. mesame dRes dalaqTan wvers
i parsavda. am dros alya SemoertyaT Cveni
saxlisTvis da mamasac Tavs wasdgomodnen
bolSevikebi. mamaCems winaaRmdegoba
aRar gauwevia, erTi es uTqvams, patara
Svilebi ar myavdes, Tqven giCvenebdiT
seirso da daupatimrebiaT. im Ramesve
daxvrites igi. es 1924 wels moxda, mama
sul raRac ocdaxuTi wlis iyo. mamaCemis
gvami jer xevSi gadaugdiaT, mere ki
iqve daumarxavT. ojaxs ar misces misi
dakrZalvis ufleba.
_ ratom ar wahyva mamaTqveni qaquca
ColoyaSvils danarCenebTan erTad?
_ mamac apirebda wasvlas, magram mere
gadaufiqrebia da uTqvams, me rom wavide,
col-Svils damixocaveno. amis gamo ar
gaemgzavra sazRvargareT.

92

16 wlis trifoni

Triphon 16 years old

sas departure. These people were pursued, and their persecutors searched for Cholokashvilis allies everywhere.
Once a shoot-out took place in the forest between the
fugitives and government troops, and my fathers 16-year
old brother Tripon took part. Later somebody snitched that
Vasil Tamazashvilis brother was there during the assault.
The next day my uncle was playing football when he was
approached by Bolsheviks and was tied to a horse and
was tortured until death. No one ever found his grave.
Since the Bolsheviks failed to capture the fugitives,
they were sending lots of messages to try to make up for it.
Father actually returned from the forest, and he even stayed
over at home for two nights. On the third day he was at the
barbers shaving his beard when he was taken by surprise
and the house was besieged. Father did not resist them
because of concern for his children, and he was immediately
arrested. He was shot that same evening. This occurred in
1924; he was only 25. His corpse was first thrown out into a
gorge where he was later buried. The family was not allowed
to bury him.
AB: Why did your father not follow Kakutsa Cholokashvili and the others abroad?
ET: Father was going to follow him, but then he
changed his mind, fearing that his wife and children would be
harassed. That was the reason why he did not leave.
AB: Perhaps your family underwent trials after the
death of your father?
ET: After my fathers death we were deprived of
everything we had. Only a set of linen was left, since they
said that it would fully suffice for three people. Mother was
not allowed to lock the door, since they could check us any
time they liked. They used to take away mother, detain her
for two weeks or so and then release her. Once when I was

_ mamaTqvenis daxvretis Semdeg Tqveni

ojaxi ra mdgomareobaSi aRmoCnda?
_ rac ki qoneba gvqonda, mamis
daxvretis Semdeg yvelaferi CamogvarTves.
erTi xeli logini dagvitoves mxolod,
samives geyofaTo. dedas ufleba ar
hqonda, karebi Caeketa, raTa nebismier
dros SeZlebodaT Cveni Semowmeba.
dedaCems waiyvandnen, erTi-ori kvira
daapatimrebdnen xolme da mere isev
gamouSvebdnen. me ZuZumwovara
viyavi da erTxel CemTan erTadac
ki wauyvaniaT igi cixeSi.
ramdenime kvira metexis cixeSi
vyofilvarT gamoketilebi.
_ mezoblebi an naTesavebi
rogor geqceodnen, Tu
gexmarebodaT vinme?
_ iseTi dro iyo,
xmas vin amoiRebda, an vin
gamogvesarCleboda SiSiT,
iWerdnen, xvretdnen xalxs.
wlebis Semdegac Cems Svilebs
sofelSi patefonis CarTvis
ufleba ar hqondaT, radgan vasil
TamazaSvilis STamomavlebi iyvnen.
isic maxsovs, yaCaRis Sviliao, ase
ambobdnen Cemze, TiTqos mamaCemi
yaCaRi iyo da xalxs Zarcvavda,
am xmebs Tavad bolSevikebi
avrcelebdnen. sinamdvileSi
mamas arc aravin gauZarcvavs da
arc araferi mouparavs. piriqiT,
ubralo xalxi inaxavda da
exmareboda qaquca ColoyaSvilis
razmelebs, tyeSi gaWrilebi
roca iyvnen. gadmocemiT vici,
rom mamaCemis daxvretis Semdeg
siRnaRSi kreba yofila, iq
erTi kaci sityviT gamosula
da uTqvams, afsusi ar aris,
imisTana vaJkaci vaso TamazaSvili
daxvrites da me cocxali rogor
unda viyoo. xalxs Zalian
uyvarda mama da mis daRupvas
mTeli sofeli glovobda. roca
wamovizarde, erTi ambavic
miambes: mama dapatimrebis
Semdeg Sinsaxkomis SenobaSi
wauyvaniaT. erTi milicielisTvis
dauvalebiaT, Sen daxvriteo,

an infant she was even taken to the prison with me. We were
locked up for several weeks in Metekhi prison.
AB: Did your neighbors or relatives support
you?
ET: We survived the hard times. No one could voice
his concern or extend help. People were being arrested and
put to death, so no one would dare say anything out of fear.
Even decades later, my children were not allowed to turn
on the gramophone, since they were the descendents of

saxli, romelsac qaquca ColoyaSvili

ori Tve Tavs afarebda
House, where Kakutsa Cholokashvili was concealed for two months

adgili, sadac vasil TamazaSvili daxvrites

Place where Vasil Tamazashvili was shot

93

magram imas uari uTqvams, rac gsurT, is

miyaviT, magram me magas tyvias ver vesvrio.
meores auRia Tavis Tavze, me davxvreto.
is kaci, romelmac mama daxvrita, meore
dRes lagodexSi wasula, win ramdenime
cxenosani daxvedria, CamousvamT cxenidan,
uTqvamT, Sen daxvrite vaso TamazaSvili,
arao da xanjliT aukuwavT.
_ im adamianebs ra bedi ewiaT, vinc
mamaTqvenTan erTad tyeSi imaleboda?
_ yvelani daxvrites... mamaCemTan erTad
im dRes oTxi adamiani daapatimres da
daxvrites. danarCenebsac igive bedi ewiaT.
_ aRniSneT, rom yaCaRis Svils
geZaxdnen, roca wamoizardeT, komunistebi
Tu gaviwroebdnen?
_ meti raRa unda Seveviwroebine,
samamulo omis Semdeg gadasaxlebaSi
gamiSves. eqvsi weli viyavi gadasaxlebuli.
iq davojaxdi da Svilebic SemeZina,
mxolod eqvsi wlis Semdeg momces
saqarTveloSi dabrunebis ufleba. Cemi
Zma omSi daikarga, deda ki guliT ormoci
wlis asakSi gardamecvala.
_ miuxedavad imisa, rom Tqveni
ojaxis tragedia faqtobrivad qaquca
ColoyaSvilisa da mamaTqvenis gacnobis
Semdeg daiwyo, rogor fiqrobT, swori gza
airCia vasil TamazaSvilma?
_ marTalia, dedaCemi xSirad
adanaSaulebda qaquca ColoyaSvils,
magram me roca wamovizarde, mivxvdi, rom
ColoyaSvili gmiri iyo da qveynis ukeTesi
momavlisTvis iRwvoda. qaquca Tavis
razmelebTan da SeficulebTan erTad
patrioti gaxldaT. namdvilad gmirebi
iyvnen, laCari imas ver gaakeTebda, rasac
es xalxi akeTebda. mamaCemic maT rigebSi
iyo da amitomac yovelTvis meamayeboda,
rom vasil TamazaSvilis Svili viyavi.
Ggadasaxlebidan dabrunebis Semdeg
mTavazobdnen, komunistur partiaSi Semodi,
samsaxurSic ufro iolad moewyobi da
cxovrebac gagiadvildebao, magram uari
vTqvi. ra ufleba mqonda, im partiis
wevri gavmxdariyavi, romlis winaaRmdeg
brZolasac mamaCemma sicocxle Sealia...

94

Vasil Tamazashvili.I also remember when people pointed at

me and said that I was the son of a brigand; the Bolsheviks
were spreading rumors that my father was a criminal who
robbed people. Father did not rob or steal anything. On the
contrary, he backed and supported Kakutsa Cholokashvilis
squad when they were hiding in the forest.
In my understanding, after my father was put to death
a remembrance was held in Signagi, during which a certain
person regrettably remarked in his speech that he had
survived while as valiant a man as my father was shot. Many
showed affection towards my father, and the whole village
mourned his death.
When I grew up I was told the following story: After his
arrest, father was taken to the building of the Peoples Committee for Internal Affairs, the NKVD. A certain police officer was ordered to shoot him, but he refused to carry out the order, saying
that they could do what they wanted with him, but he could not
shoot such a man. But another police officer took up the task.
The next day the man who shot my father happened
to go to the Lagodekhi district, and on his way he was
ambushed by several fighters and was slaughtered with a
dagger.
AB: Do you know anything about those who went
into the woods with your father?
ET: All of them were shot four more men were arrested together with my father and put to death. The rest of
them also shared the same fate.
AB: You noted that you were called the son of a
brigand; did Communists put pressure on you when you
were an adult?
ET: I was permanently pressed. I was exiled after I
returned from World War II. I got married there; they only allowed me to return to my homeland six years later.
My brother was lost in the war. As for my mother, she
died in her 40s after a heart attack.
AB: What do you think, did Vasil Tamazashvili do
the right thing, despite the tragedy of your family that
began just after he met Kakutsa Cholokashvili?
ET: Right, my mother used to blame Kakutsa Cholokashvili, but when I grew up I realized that Kakutsa was
a hero and was fighting for a better future for the country.
Kakutsa Cholokashvili, along the members of his squad,
was a patriot. They were heroes indeed they did heroic
deeds that a coward could never have done. My father
also ranked among these heroes, and thats why I have
always been proud of him.
I was offered to join the Communist Party after I came
back from exile, and they said this step would help me to
get a job and improve my position, but I refused. My father
sacrificed his life against them, so how could I allow myself
to become a member of that party?

saqarTvelos Sinagan saqmeTa

saministros saarqivo
sammarTvelos Jurnali

Journal of the Archive

Administration
of the MoIA

gamodis kvartalSi erTxel

gasayidad ar gavrceldeba

Issued quarterly
Not for sale

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tel.: (995 32) 41-23-68; 41-22-91; 32-38-98.
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95