Chabua Amirejibi
Encyclopedia
Mzechabuk "Chabua" Amirejibi, (often written as "Amiredjibi") (born November 18, 1921) is a Georgian
novelist and Soviet
-era dissident notable for his magnum opus
, Data Tutashkhia, and a lengthy experience in Soviet prisons.
, Georgian SSR, in 1921, his family, once a princely house
, was heavily repressed during Stalin's Great Purge
: his father was shot in 1938 and mother sent to a Gulag
camp. During World War II
, he was recruited into the Red Army
, but was soon sacked due to his family history. Subsequently, he became involved in anti-Soviet activities, being a member of the underground political organization Tetri Giorgi
. In April 1944, he was arrested on coup plot charges and sentenced to twenty-five years of imprisonment in Siberia
. After fifteen years in prison, three prison escape
s, and two death sentence
s, he was ultimately rehabilitated
in 1959 and began his literary career in his late thirties with short stories including The Road (გზა, 1962), My Ragger Uncle (ჩემი მეჯღანე ბიძა, 1963), The Bull’s Confession (ხარის აღსარება, 1964) and Giorgi Burduli (გიორგი ბურდული, 1965).
chief Eduard Shevardnadze
that this substantial novel of over 700 pages, passed the Soviet censors and got published. The novel is a story of a Georgian outlaw
of the Imperial Russian period, a very popular theme in Georgian literature, and combines thrilling escapades with Dostoevskian dealings with the fate of an individual and national soul. The story is narrated by a Russian gendarme
, Count Szeged, who frequently passes the story-telling on to other characters. The novel follows the life of outlaw Data Tutashkhia, who spends years eluding capture by the Tsar
ist police. They are led by Data's cousin, his detached and imperturbable double, Mushni Zarandia. The book, and the feature film based on it, turned Data Tutaskhia into an iconic hero, widely popular in Georgia.
from 1992 to 1995. In 1992, he was rewarded with the prestigious Shota Rustaveli State Prize
. However, the tragic years of civil war
and the death of his eldest son Irakli in the War in Abkhazia in 1992 heavily affected the writer. Therefore, it came to a real surprise when Amirejibi published, in 1995, his next major novel, Gora Mborgali (გორა მბორგალი, literally meaning "frenzied" or "infuriating"), begun in 1978, and based on the author’s experiences in Soviet prisons. His most recent work, George the Brilliant (გიორგი ბრწყინვალე), a historical novel about the 14th-century Georgian king preaching national pride, appeared in 2005.
Amirejibi has been decorated with the highest civil orders of Georgia and several Russia
n and international literary awards.
Amirejibi briefly returned to politics in July 2009, when he joined the movement daitsavi sakartvelo ("Defend Georgia"), allied with the opposition to President Mikheil Saakashvili
's government. On November 16, 2010, he was consecrated as a Georgian Orthodox monk under the name of David. Due to his health condition, the ceremony was conducted at the writer's own apartment.
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
novelist and Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
-era dissident notable for his magnum opus
Masterpiece
Masterpiece in modern usage refers to a creation that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person's career or to a work of outstanding creativity, skill or workmanship....
, Data Tutashkhia, and a lengthy experience in Soviet prisons.
Early life and career
Born in TbilisiTbilisi
Tbilisi is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Mt'k'vari River. The name is derived from an early Georgian form T'pilisi and it was officially known as Tiflis until 1936...
, Georgian SSR, in 1921, his family, once a princely house
Amirejibi
Amirejibi or Amirajibi is a Georgian family, formerly a prominent noble house, which branched off the House of Palavandishvili and rose in prominence in the late 14th century...
, was heavily repressed during Stalin's Great Purge
Great Purge
The Great Purge was a series of campaigns of political repression and persecution in the Soviet Union orchestrated by Joseph Stalin from 1936 to 1938...
: his father was shot in 1938 and mother sent to a Gulag
Gulag
The Gulag was the government agency that administered the main Soviet forced labor camp systems. While the camps housed a wide range of convicts, from petty criminals to political prisoners, large numbers were convicted by simplified procedures, such as NKVD troikas and other instruments of...
camp. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he was recruited into the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
, but was soon sacked due to his family history. Subsequently, he became involved in anti-Soviet activities, being a member of the underground political organization Tetri Giorgi
Tetri Giorgi (organization)
Tetri Giorgi has been a name of several political and paramilitary organizations as well as non-political foundations operating in Georgia or by Georgians abroad. It is derived from the cult of Tetri Giorgi, one of the Georgian identities of St...
. In April 1944, he was arrested on coup plot charges and sentenced to twenty-five years of imprisonment in Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
. After fifteen years in prison, three prison escape
Prison escape
A prison escape or prison break is the act of an inmate leaving prison through unofficial or illegal ways. Normally, when this occurs, an effort is made on the part of authorities to recapture them and return them to their original detainers...
s, and two death sentence
Death Sentence
Death Sentence is a short story by the American science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov. It was first published in the November 1943 issue of Astounding Science Fiction and reprinted in the 1972 collection The Early Asimov.-Plot summary:...
s, he was ultimately rehabilitated
Rehabilitation (Soviet)
Rehabilitation in the context of the former Soviet Union, and the Post-Soviet states, was the restoration of a person who was criminally prosecuted without due basis, to the state of acquittal...
in 1959 and began his literary career in his late thirties with short stories including The Road (გზა, 1962), My Ragger Uncle (ჩემი მეჯღანე ბიძა, 1963), The Bull’s Confession (ხარის აღსარება, 1964) and Giorgi Burduli (გიორგი ბურდული, 1965).
Fame
Amirejibi's most famous novel and one of the best works in modern Georgian literature, Data Tutashkhia (დათა თუთაშხია, 1971-5), achieved sensational success for the magazine Tsiskari and fame for the writer himself. Conceived while Amirejibi’s years in prison, it was only through the intervention of the contemporary Georgian Communist PartyCommunist Party of Georgia
Communist Party of Georgia is a communist political party in Georgia. The party was founded on February 23, 1992 as the Socialist Labour Party. It was registered at the Ministry of Justice on February 27, 1998. In the 1992 elections it won four MPs. During the period 1994-1995 it maintained a...
chief Eduard Shevardnadze
Eduard Shevardnadze
Eduard Shevardnadze is a former Soviet, and later, Georgian statesman from the height to the end of the Cold War. He served as President of Georgia from 1995 to 2003, and as First Secretary of the Georgian Communist Party , from 1972 to 1985. Shevardnadze was responsible for many top decisions on...
that this substantial novel of over 700 pages, passed the Soviet censors and got published. The novel is a story of a Georgian outlaw
Outlaw
In historical legal systems, an outlaw is declared as outside the protection of the law. In pre-modern societies, this takes the burden of active prosecution of a criminal from the authorities. Instead, the criminal is withdrawn all legal protection, so that anyone is legally empowered to persecute...
of the Imperial Russian period, a very popular theme in Georgian literature, and combines thrilling escapades with Dostoevskian dealings with the fate of an individual and national soul. The story is narrated by a Russian gendarme
Gendarmerie
A gendarmerie or gendarmery is a military force charged with police duties among civilian populations. Members of such a force are typically called "gendarmes". The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary describes a gendarme as "a soldier who is employed on police duties" and a "gendarmery, -erie" as...
, Count Szeged, who frequently passes the story-telling on to other characters. The novel follows the life of outlaw Data Tutashkhia, who spends years eluding capture by the Tsar
Tsar
Tsar is a title used to designate certain European Slavic monarchs or supreme rulers. As a system of government in the Tsardom of Russia and Russian Empire, it is known as Tsarist autocracy, or Tsarism...
ist police. They are led by Data's cousin, his detached and imperturbable double, Mushni Zarandia. The book, and the feature film based on it, turned Data Tutaskhia into an iconic hero, widely popular in Georgia.
Later career
Amirejibi hailed the newly independent Georgia, and was elected to its ParliamentParliament of Georgia
Parliament of Georgia is the supreme legislature of Georgia. It is unicameral and has 150 members, known as deputies, from which 75 members are proportional representatives and 75 are elected through single-member district plurality system, representing their constituencies...
from 1992 to 1995. In 1992, he was rewarded with the prestigious Shota Rustaveli State Prize
Shota Rustaveli State Prize
The Shota Rustaveli State Prize is the highest prize awarded by Georgia in the fields of art and literature. The first prize-winners of this prize were Konstantine Gamsakhurdia , Irakli Abashidze and Lado Gudiashvili in 1965...
. However, the tragic years of civil war
Georgian Civil War
The Georgian Civil War consisted of inter-ethnic and intranational conflicts in the regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia , as well as the violent military coup d'etat of December 21, 1991 - January 6, 1992 against the first democratically elected President of Georgia, Zviad Gamsakhurdia and his...
and the death of his eldest son Irakli in the War in Abkhazia in 1992 heavily affected the writer. Therefore, it came to a real surprise when Amirejibi published, in 1995, his next major novel, Gora Mborgali (გორა მბორგალი, literally meaning "frenzied" or "infuriating"), begun in 1978, and based on the author’s experiences in Soviet prisons. His most recent work, George the Brilliant (გიორგი ბრწყინვალე), a historical novel about the 14th-century Georgian king preaching national pride, appeared in 2005.
Amirejibi has been decorated with the highest civil orders of Georgia and several Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n and international literary awards.
Amirejibi briefly returned to politics in July 2009, when he joined the movement daitsavi sakartvelo ("Defend Georgia"), allied with the opposition to President Mikheil Saakashvili
Mikheil Saakashvili
Mikheil Saakashvili is a Georgian politician, the third and current President of Georgia and leader of the United National Movement Party.Involved in the national politics since 1995, Saakashvili became president on 25 January 2004 after President Eduard Shevardnadze resigned in a November 2003...
's government. On November 16, 2010, he was consecrated as a Georgian Orthodox monk under the name of David. Due to his health condition, the ceremony was conducted at the writer's own apartment.
External links
- Chabua Amirejibi's website
- Chabua Amirejibi's biography and photogallery. The National Parliamentary Library of GeorgiaNational Parliamentary Library of GeorgiaThe National Parliamentary Library of Georgia is a governmental organization under the Parliament of Georgia. It is the main book depository of Georgia, as well as the most important cultural, educational, scientific, informational and methodological centre....
website.