Tengiz Simashvili
(e-mail: tengiz.simashvili@tsu.ge) Professor in History at Iakob Gogebashvili Telavi State University
Abstract
It is known that Giorgi Gurdjiev and his followers established “Institute for the Harmonious Development of Man” in 1919 in Tbilisi. Archive material preserved in the National Archive Funds of Georgia confirms Giorgi Gurdjiev’s activities from 1919 to 1920s in Tbilisi.We have found unpublished articles about Giorgi Gurdjiev in personal archive of Aleksandre Kotchlavashvili (the Georgian historian of the 20th century). I have found quite interesting information in those articles, particularly, noteworthy is Aleksandre Kotchlavashvili’s consideration of existence of “Institute for the Harmonious Development of Man” in the Soviet times.I have discovered a case from Adjara Cheka (chrezvychaynaya komissiya, Emergency Committee of Soviet Union) material preserved in archive funds of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia; the case deals with arresting someone named as Lutvi Abdulla Kutsi, citizen of France of Iranian origin and Giorgi Karapetovich Gurdjiev in Batumi accused of gold speculation at the end of 1921. According to those archive material, Giorgi Karapetovich Gurdjiev who was trading and owned a shop of various goods in Batumi seems to be an agent of Georgian Cheka.These material linked with Giorgi Gurdjiev’s biography is quite interesting, however, somewhat is contradictory, as we know, Ivane was patronym of Giorgi Gurdjiev. Together with this, according to official notes, he left Georgia in 1920.Hence various archive material give us a basis to declare that in order to study Giorgi Gurdjiev’s personality and his activities in Georgia finding additional material in the foreign archive funds is necessary. This is important for identification of person or persons – Giorgi Ivanovich Gurdjiev and Giorgi Karapetovich Gurdjiev.
