Zviad Gamsakhurdia

President of Georgia

Zviad Konstantines dze Gamsakhurdia (Georgian: ????? ???????????, romanized: zviad gamsakhurdia; Russian: ????´? ?????????´????? ???????´????, romanized: Zviad Konstantinovich Gamsakhurdiya; 31 March 1939 – 31 December 1993) was a Georgian politician, dissident, scholar, and writer who became the first democratically elected President of Georgia in the post-Soviet era.

A prominent exponent of Georgian nationalism, Zviad Gamsakhurdia was involved in Soviet dissident movement from his early teens. In 1953, he was one of the founders of , a nationalist group, which disseminated anti-Soviet proclamations in Tbilisi.

His activities attracted attention of Soviet intelligence, and Gamsakhurdia was arrested and sent to imprisonment, although he was soon pardoned and released from jail.

Gamsakhurdia co-founded the Georgian Helsinki Group, which sought to bring attention to human rights violations in the Soviet Union. He organized numerous pro-independence protests in Georgia, one of which in 1989 was suppressed by the Soviet Army, with Gamsakhurdia being arrested.

Eventually, a number of underground political organizations united around Zviad Gamsakhurdia and formed the Round Table—Free Georgia coalition, which successfully challenged the ruling Communist Party of Georgia in the 1990 elections.

Gamsakhurdia was elected as the President of Georgia in 1991, gaining 87% of votes in election. Despite popular support, Gamsakhurdia found significant opposition from the urban intelligentsia and former Soviet nomenklatura, as well as from his own ranks.

In late 1991 Gamsakhurdia was couped by warlords Tengiz Kitovani, Jaba Ioseliani and Tengiz Sigua, two of which were formerly allied with Gamsakhurdia.

Gamsakhurdia was forced to flee to Chechnya, where he was greeted by Chechen president Dzhokhar Dudayev. His supporters continued to fight post-coup government of Eduard Shevardnadze.

In September 1993, Gamsakhurdia returned to Georgia and tried to regain power. Despite initial success, the rebellion was eventually crushed by the government forces with the help of Russian military.

Gamsakhurdia was forced to go into hiding in Samegrelo, a Zviadist stronghold. He was found dead in early 1994 in controversial circumstances.

His death remains uninvestigated to this day, with many speculating that Gamsakhurdia was betrayed and killed by someone from his own circle under the instruction of the government.

After the civil war ended, the government continued to suppress Gamsakhurdia's supporters, even with brutal tactics. Nevertheless, Gamsakhurdia is considered as the best President by the majority of Georgians to this day.

He was rehabilitated by the President Mikheil Saakashvili and awarded the title and Order of by the President Giorgi Margvelashvili.

Government officials as well as people pay tribute to memory of Zviad Gamsakhurdia every year on his birthday. He is universally recognized in the country as the best leader of post-independence Georgia.

Gamsakhurdia was a prominent proponent of Georgian nationalism. He campaigned against what he considered as the demographic replacement of ethnic Georgians by Communist authorities, artificial increasing of ethnic minority population in Georgia and discrimination of Georgians.

Gamsakhurdia also promoted pan-Caucasian views and unity of the Peoples of the Caucasus in the face of Russian imperialism. Gamsakhurdia considered Georgians to be inherently European nation and belonging to the European civilization.