Announcement
Professor Aleksandre Gvakharia, a distinguished scholar, outstanding Iranist, prominent Kartvelologist, tireless researcher, beloved educator of the youth, Doctor of Philological Sciences, Corresponding Member of the Georgian Academy of Sciences, Head of the Chair of Iranian Philology of Tbilisi State University named after I. Javakhishvili, senior researcher at the G. Tsereteli Institute of Oriental Studies, has passed away.
He was born on 30 July 1929, witnessing in childhood the terror of 1937 - his parents falling victim to the repressions. Upon finishing secondary school, Gvakharia continued his studies at the Faculty of Oriental Studies of Tbilisi State University, specializing in Iranian philology and distinguishing himself with successful study and scholarly interests. However, on graduating from the University (in 1952), being the son of an "enemy of the people" he could not take a postgraduate course but was accepted as laboratory assistant. This is how Gvakharia’s long fruitful scholarly and educational work began - his intensive research into problems of Georgian-Iranian literary contacts - tackling individual cardinal issues of Kartvelology. He worthily continued the work of his teachers, outstanding Georgian scholars: Iustine Abuladze, Vladimer Puturidze, Aleksandre Baramidze and David Kobidze, thereby securing for himself a place of honour in the great cohort of Georgian orientalists.
Gvakharia took special interest in the Visramiani - a brilliant monument of old Georgian literature. This is a prose translation into Georgian of Vis o Ramin, a poem by the 11th century Persian poet Fakhrad-din Gorgani, the translation being ascribed to the Georgian author Sargis Tmogveli. In 1962, Aleksandre Gvakharia, jointly with Magali Todua, issued the critically established text of the Visramiani, with a study, variant readings and vocabulary. The authors established also the Persian text of Vis o Ramin which was edited, with variants, in 1970 in Tehran. In establishing the text, the editors made use of available Persian manuscripts as well as the Georgian translation which evinces particular closeness to the original. Gvakharia did not lose interest in the text of the Visramiani to the end of his life. His extensive studies on questions of the Persian and Georgian texts of the Visramiani were published in the 1999-2000 issues of the journal Matsne.
In 1958 Gvakharia's first book was printed: "The Persian Sources of the Georgian Versions of the Iosebzilikhaniani". This was followed by "Firdousi" (1963), "Bakhtiarname - Georgian Versions of Persian Folk Dastans" (1968), "On the History of Persian Folk Prose" (1985), "Essays on the History of Georgian-Persian Literary Contacts, I (1995), II (2001)". In 1965 jointly with Sargis Tsaishvili, he edited the Qaramaniani, a Persian work on heroes and champions, translated into Georgian in the 18th century.
Considerable is Gvakharia's contribution to the processing of the archive of the notable Iranist Yuri N. Marr and its preparation for publication jointly with the scholar’s widow Sophia Marr. Gvakharia published two volumes of correspondence of Yuri Marr and his colleague Konstantin Chaikin (in 1966 and 1976).
The great Georgian poet Shota Rustaveli's poem The Man in the Phanter's Skin was one of Gvakharia's passions - an excellent scholar and man of flawless taste and poetic nature. From the day the Commission for the establishment of the academic text of Rustaveli's poem (1962) was set up he was its member, and since 1992, member of the Chief Editorial Board of the Commission. He took an active part in the establishment of the text of the poem, in commenting it and in the compilation of its vocabulary. Gvakharia’s numerous studies of questions of textual study of The Man in the Phanter's Skin will forever remain the most valuable possession of Rustvelology. Gvakharia - a scholar recognized by the world's orientalists, member of Europe's Society of Iranian Studies - participated in many international conferences and symposia. His addresses at various meetings - presenting a paper, reminiscing or welcoming - were unforgettable, fascinating the audience or the reader with his rich, figurative language never growing into narcissitic pointless talk.
Teaching was an organic part of his life. He shared his vast knowledge unstintingly with his students, postgraduates and, generally with the youth to whom he was not only a loved lecturer and teacher but the highest example of nobility, kindness, philantrophy and disinterestedness.
Gvakharia combined his research and teaching activity with manifold public activity. He was member of councils for awarding scholarly degrees, scholarly-editorial boards of various journals and collected papers, including the almanac Kavkasiis Matsne ("Caucasian Messenger"), Deputy Editor of the Matsne ("Proceedings of the Georgian Academy of Sciences", Series of Language and Literature); he was head of the section of oriental literature at the Georgian Encyclopaedia.
An honoured Scholar of Georgia, bearer of the Order of Merit, Gvakharia was awarded the title of Honoured Science Worker of Azerbaijan, was decorated with the Ivane Javakhishvili Medal of Tbilisi State University, and was awarded the Acad. Giorgi Tsereteli Prize of the Georgian Academy of Sciences.
The name of Aleksandre Gvakharia - a major scholar, teacher, public figure, disinterested dispenser of good and a man of great human warmth - will live forever in the memory of his relatives, friends, numerous colleagues and pupils.
G. Kartozia