Tengiz Gudava
Encyclopedia
Tengiz Gudava (November 28, 1953 – April 16, 2009) was a Georgian
author and human rights activist who was expelled from the Soviet Union
in 1987 and worked for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty for 17 years.
, Soviet Georgia, Gudava graduated from the 2nd Moscow Medical Institute
with a degree in biophysics
. Tengiz Gudava, and his brother Eduard, engaged in dissident
movement. They formed a rock band
“Phantom” which organized unsanctioned concerts to attract the public attention to human rights issues, published in samizdat
, and participated in the Georgian Helsinki Group, formed by young Georgian dissidents in the 1970s to monitor the Helsinki Accords
.
In 1982, Tengiz Gudava was arrested by the Soviet authorities; he was held in investigative detention for 1 year, then sentenced to 7 years imprisonment and 3 years in exile for “anti-Soviet activities”. His brother Eduard publicly protested his arrest in November 1985, and was himself sentenced to up to 4 years imprisonment. Having served 5 years in a labor camp, the Gudava brothers were released in 1987 on condition of that they would leave the Soviet Union. Tengiz Gudava went to the United States
where he would eventually become a naturalized United States citizen.
In 1987, he moved to Europe, and worked for what were then the Georgian and Russian services of the RFE/RL in Munich
, and later (since 1995), in Prague
. Earlier in his career, Gudava was a close associate of Zviad Gamsakhurdia
, a fellow Georgian dissident and the future first democratically elected President of Georgia
. However Gudava eventually broke with Gamsakhurdia over the latter's nationalist rhetoric.
In Europe he collaborated with the Soviet dissidents such as Vladimir Bukovsky
and Yuri Yarim-Agaev in their émigré NGOs and regularly published on political, economic, and cultural problems in the Soviet Union and then CIS
counties, especially Central Asia
and Caucasia
.
In 2004, together with Serge Iourienen and Mario Corti
, left RFE/RL in protest to what they believed was an increasingly conformist line of the Russian service. He then worked as an independent journalist.
. According to the report, Gudava On the night of April 15, Gudava left his Prague apartment on foot to buy cigarettes, but never returned. He was found unconscious on a road way a 20 minute drive from his home in a secluded area. A motorist found him, called emergency services and Gudava died in route to the hospital. He was unconscious when he was found and never regained consciousness. His body was discovered, without his wallet, in a morgue
by the police some distance from his home. Police identified his death as a result of a car accident
, but offered no further details.
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...
author and human rights activist who was expelled from the Soviet Union
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....
in 1987 and worked for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty for 17 years.
Background
Born in SamtrediaSamtredia
Samtredia is a town in Imereti, Georgia, lying in a lowland between the rivers Rioni and Tskhenis-Tsqali, 244 km west of Tbilisi, and 27 km west of Kutaisi, the nation’s capital and the second largest city respectively. Georgia’s most important roads and railways converge there, making Samtredia...
, Soviet Georgia, Gudava graduated from the 2nd Moscow Medical Institute
Moscow Medical Academy
I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University is the oldest and the largest national medical higher educational institution in the Russian Federation. For more than 250 years I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, previous name - I.M. Sechenov First Moscow Institute of...
with a degree in biophysics
Biophysics
Biophysics is an interdisciplinary science that uses the methods of physical science to study biological systems. Studies included under the branches of biophysics span all levels of biological organization, from the molecular scale to whole organisms and ecosystems...
. Tengiz Gudava, and his brother Eduard, engaged in dissident
Soviet dissidents
Soviet dissidents were citizens of the Soviet Union who disagreed with the policies and actions of their government and actively protested against these actions through either violent or non-violent means...
movement. They formed a rock band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
“Phantom” which organized unsanctioned concerts to attract the public attention to human rights issues, published in samizdat
Samizdat
Samizdat was a key form of dissident activity across the Soviet bloc in which individuals reproduced censored publications by hand and passed the documents from reader to reader...
, and participated in the Georgian Helsinki Group, formed by young Georgian dissidents in the 1970s to monitor the Helsinki Accords
Helsinki Accords
thumb|300px|[[Erich Honecker]] and [[Helmut Schmidt]] in Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe held in Helsinki 1975....
.
In 1982, Tengiz Gudava was arrested by the Soviet authorities; he was held in investigative detention for 1 year, then sentenced to 7 years imprisonment and 3 years in exile for “anti-Soviet activities”. His brother Eduard publicly protested his arrest in November 1985, and was himself sentenced to up to 4 years imprisonment. Having served 5 years in a labor camp, the Gudava brothers were released in 1987 on condition of that they would leave the Soviet Union. Tengiz Gudava went to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
where he would eventually become a naturalized United States citizen.
In 1987, he moved to Europe, and worked for what were then the Georgian and Russian services of the RFE/RL in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, and later (since 1995), in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
. Earlier in his career, Gudava was a close associate of Zviad Gamsakhurdia
Zviad Gamsakhurdia
Zviad Gamsakhurdia was a dissident, scientist and writer, who became the first democratically elected President of the Republic of Georgia in the post-Soviet era...
, a fellow Georgian dissident and the future first democratically elected President of Georgia
President of Georgia
The President of Georgia is the head of state, supreme commander-in-chief and holder of the highest office within the Government of Georgia. Executive power is split between the President and the Prime Minister, who is the head of government...
. However Gudava eventually broke with Gamsakhurdia over the latter's nationalist rhetoric.
In Europe he collaborated with the Soviet dissidents such as Vladimir Bukovsky
Vladimir Bukovsky
Vladimir Konstantinovich Bukovsky is a leading member of the dissident movement of the 1960s and 1970s, writer, neurophysiologist, and political activist....
and Yuri Yarim-Agaev in their émigré NGOs and regularly published on political, economic, and cultural problems in the Soviet Union and then CIS
Commonwealth of Independent States
The Commonwealth of Independent States is a regional organization whose participating countries are former Soviet Republics, formed during the breakup of the Soviet Union....
counties, especially Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
and Caucasia
Caucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
.
In 2004, together with Serge Iourienen and Mario Corti
Mario Corti
Mario Corti is a Swiss businessperson who acted as the chairperson of Swissair. Corti was put on trial, accused of unlawful management in regards to the failure of Swissair in 2001. Corti was acquitted of all charges. Corti began his term as the Swissair CEO in 2001. Corti, who also served as the...
, left RFE/RL in protest to what they believed was an increasingly conformist line of the Russian service. He then worked as an independent journalist.
Writings
Tengiz Gudava was the author of a number of articles and essays on Georgian and Soviet dissident movement, politics and human right problems in the former Soviet countries, several poems and two novels (Ego zvali Anzhelika, 2003; Gelgoland, 2008; both in Russian).Death
On April 20, 2009, the RFE/RL reported on Gudava's death under “unclear circumstances” in PraguePrague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
. According to the report, Gudava On the night of April 15, Gudava left his Prague apartment on foot to buy cigarettes, but never returned. He was found unconscious on a road way a 20 minute drive from his home in a secluded area. A motorist found him, called emergency services and Gudava died in route to the hospital. He was unconscious when he was found and never regained consciousness. His body was discovered, without his wallet, in a morgue
Morgue
A morgue or mortuary is used for the storage of human corpses awaiting identification, or removal for autopsy or disposal by burial, cremation or otherwise...
by the police some distance from his home. Police identified his death as a result of a car accident
Car accident
A traffic collision, also known as a traffic accident, motor vehicle collision, motor vehicle accident, car accident, automobile accident, Road Traffic Collision or car crash, occurs when a vehicle collides with another vehicle, pedestrian, animal, road debris, or other stationary obstruction,...
, but offered no further details.