Guram Sharadze
Encyclopedia
Guram Sharadze (October 17, 1940 - May 20, 2007) was a Georgian
philologist, historian
, and politician
. In 1995, he founded a small nationalist movement Ena, Mamuli, Sartsmunoeba ("Language, Homeland, Faith"). He was assassinated in downtown Tbilisi
.
who became, in 1991, the first elected President of Georgia
. After Gamsakhurdia's ouster in the 1992 coup d'etat
, Sharadze was in opposition to Eduard Shevardnadze
's government. In 1995, he founded the nationalist Ena, Mamuli, Sartsmunoeba ("Language, Homeland, Religion") movement, and was elected to the Parliament of Georgia
. In 2002, he spearheaded, though unsuccessfully, a drive to try to ban the Jehovah's Witness religious denomination from the country, and was heavily criticized by the Georgian human rights
activists and reformist politicians for his sympathy to the group of Orthodox radicals led by the ex-priest Basil Mkalavishvili which was involved in pogroms of the Jehovah's Witnesses. In 2003, he joined Shevardnadze's election bloc "For A New Georgia" in the controversial parliamentary elections which were widely denounced as rigged and triggered mass demonstrations concluded with the bloodless Rose Revolution
. Since then, Sharadze withdrew from politics, but attempted to organize a civic movement against Western
influences in Georgia, denouncing the civil society
work of philanthropist George Soros
as potentially more pernicious to Georgia than the Bolshevik
revolution.
In 2004, he was sentenced to fifteen days imprisonment for hooliganism
, after he tore down posters of the Polish
artist Rafal Olbinski
at an exhibition at the National Parliamentary Library of Georgia
, labeling them as "pornographic
". Next year, he was briefly arrested again for insulting the rector of Tbilisi State University
who had launched a Western-modeled program of reforms.
Sharadze was a professor of philology at Tbilisi State University and a member of the Georgian Academy of Sciences
. He authored several works on Georgian literature and history, with a particular emphasis on the 1918-1921 Democratic Republic of Georgia
and Soviet
-era Georgian political emigration in Europe
.
.
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...
philologist, historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
, and politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. In 1995, he founded a small nationalist movement Ena, Mamuli, Sartsmunoeba ("Language, Homeland, Faith"). He was assassinated in downtown Tbilisi
Tbilisi
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...
.
Career
Sharadze was involved in the anti-Soviet Georgian national movement in the late 1980s and was closely associated with Zviad GamsakhurdiaZviad 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...
who became, in 1991, the first 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...
. After Gamsakhurdia's ouster in the 1992 coup d'etat
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
, Sharadze was in opposition to 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...
's government. In 1995, he founded the nationalist Ena, Mamuli, Sartsmunoeba ("Language, Homeland, Religion") movement, and was elected to the Parliament of Georgia
Parliament 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...
. In 2002, he spearheaded, though unsuccessfully, a drive to try to ban the Jehovah's Witness religious denomination from the country, and was heavily criticized by the Georgian human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
activists and reformist politicians for his sympathy to the group of Orthodox radicals led by the ex-priest Basil Mkalavishvili which was involved in pogroms of the Jehovah's Witnesses. In 2003, he joined Shevardnadze's election bloc "For A New Georgia" in the controversial parliamentary elections which were widely denounced as rigged and triggered mass demonstrations concluded with the bloodless Rose Revolution
Rose Revolution
The "Revolution of Roses" was a change of power in Georgia in November 2003, which took place after having widespread protests over the disputed parliamentary elections...
. Since then, Sharadze withdrew from politics, but attempted to organize a civic movement against Western
Western world
The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
influences in Georgia, denouncing the civil society
Civil society
Civil society is composed of the totality of many voluntary social relationships, civic and social organizations, and institutions that form the basis of a functioning society, as distinct from the force-backed structures of a state , the commercial institutions of the market, and private criminal...
work of philanthropist George Soros
George Soros
George Soros is a Hungarian-American business magnate, investor, philosopher, and philanthropist. He is the chairman of Soros Fund Management. Soros supports progressive-liberal causes...
as potentially more pernicious to Georgia than the Bolshevik
Bolshevik
The Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists , derived from bol'shinstvo, "majority") were a faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party which split apart from the Menshevik faction at the Second Party Congress in 1903....
revolution.
In 2004, he was sentenced to fifteen days imprisonment for hooliganism
Hooliganism
Hooliganism refers to unruly, destructive, aggressive and bullying behaviour. Such behaviour is commonly associated with sports fans. The term can also apply to general rowdy behaviour and vandalism, often under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs....
, after he tore down posters of the Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
artist Rafal Olbinski
Rafal Olbinski
Rafal Olbinski immigrated to the United States in 1981, where he soon established himself as a prominent painter, illustrator and designer. For his artistic achievements, he has received more than 150 awards including Gold and Silver Medals from the Art Directors Club of New York, Gold and Silver...
at an exhibition at the National Parliamentary Library of Georgia
National Parliamentary Library of Georgia
The 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....
, labeling them as "pornographic
Pornography
Pornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...
". Next year, he was briefly arrested again for insulting the rector of Tbilisi State University
Tbilisi State University
Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University , better known as Tbilisi State University , is a university established on 8 February 1918 in Tbilisi, Georgia. TSU is the oldest university in the whole Caucasus region...
who had launched a Western-modeled program of reforms.
Sharadze was a professor of philology at Tbilisi State University and a member of the Georgian Academy of Sciences
Georgian Academy of Sciences
The Georgian National Academy of Sciences is a main learned society of the Georgia. It was named Georgian SSR Academy of Sciences until November 1990...
. He authored several works on Georgian literature and history, with a particular emphasis on the 1918-1921 Democratic Republic of Georgia
Democratic Republic of Georgia
The Democratic Republic of Georgia , 1918–1921, was the first modern establishment of a Republic of Georgia.The DRG was created after the collapse of the Russian Empire that began with the Russian Revolution of 1917...
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 Georgian political emigration in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
Assassination
On May 20, 2007, Guram Sharadze was assassinated on Melikishvili Avenue in central Tbilisi in front of the Aldagi Insurance Company office by Giorgi Barateli, an erstwhile friend of his son. Shortly thereafter, Barateli was arrested after a minor shootout with police. Sharadze’s daughter has alleged that the killing was political and her father was murdered in order to silence a vocal and a long-time critic of the expected repatriation of Muslim Meskhetians, the group deported from Georgia in 1944 by Joseph StalinJoseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
.
External links
- http://guramsharadze.wordpress.com/
- Guram Sharadze obituary. Times Online. June 4, 2007
- Official profile of the Parliament of Georgia
- Georgian former MP, Prof. Guram Sharadze murdered. Imedinews. May 20, 2007.