Giorgi "Gogi" Khimshiashvili ( ka, გოგი ხიმშიაშვილი; 1892 – 20 May 1923) was a Georgian military officer prominent in the service of the

Democratic Republic of Georgia The Democratic Republic of Georgia (DRG; ka, საქართველოს დემოკრატიული რესპუბლიკა, tr) was the first modern establishment of a republic of Georgia (country), Georgia, which exist ...

(1918–1921). He was executed by the

Soviet authorities The Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) was the executive and administrative organ of the highest body of state authority, the All-Union Supreme Soviet. It was formed on 30 December 1922 and abolished on 26 December 199 ...

on charges of being part of an underground anti-Soviet organization. Giorgi Khimshiashvili was born in the

noble family Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy (class), aristocracy. It is normally appointed by and ranked immediately below Royal family, royalty. Nobility has often been an Estates of the realm, estate of the rea ...

from the eastern Georgian region of

Kakheti Kakheti (; ) is a region of Georgia. Telavi is its administrative center. The region comprises eight administrative districts: Telavi, Gurjaani, Qvareli, Sagarejo, Dedoplistsqaro, Signagi, Lagodekhi and Akhmeta. Kakhetians speak the ...

, then part of the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

. His father, Prince Nikoloz Khimshiashvili (Khimshiyev) was assassinated in 1910, as police concluded, for helping the authorities to reveal the murderers of Prince

Ilia Chavchavadze Tavadi, Tavadi (Prince) Ilia Chavchavadze ( ka, ილია ჭავჭავაძე; 27 October 1837 – 12 September 1907) was a Georgians, Georgian journalist, publisher, writer and poet who spearheaded the revival of Georgian nationalism ...

, a leading Georgian writer and intellectual. Giorgi Khimshiashvili was educated at the in

St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city had a population of 5,601, ...

and fought in the Russian ranks as

cornet The cornet (, ) is a brass instrument similar to the trumpet but distinguished from it by its conical bore, more compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B. There is also a soprano cor ...

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. He took part in the

Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region spanning Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is situated between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, comprising parts of Southern Russia, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. The Caucasus Mountains, i ...

and

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

campaigns. In 1918, when Georgia became an independent republic, Khimshiashvili was appointed as a commander of the cavalry in the

People's Guard of Georgia People's, branded as ''People's ViennaLine'' until May 2018, and legally ''Altenrhein Luftfahrt GmbH'', is an Austro-Swiss airline headquartered in Vienna, Austria. It operates scheduled and charter passenger flights mainly from its base at St. ...

with the rank of colonel (''polkovnik''). In this capacity, he was one of the leading officers during the conflicts with

Armenia Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of West Asia. It is a part of the Caucasus region and is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia (country), Georgia to the north and Azerbaijan to ...

(1918), Russian "White Forces" (1919), and

Soviet Azerbaijan The Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic, also referred to as the Azerbaijani Soviet Socialist Republic, Azerbaijan SSR, Azerbaijani SSR, AzSSR, Soviet Azerbaijan or simply Azerbaijan, was one of the Republics of the Soviet Union, constituent re ...

(1920). In July 1920, he was among the Georgian officers who oversaw the transfer of sovereignty over

Batum Batumi (; ka, ბათუმი ), historically Batum or Batoum, is the second-largest city of Georgia and the capital of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara, located on the coast of the Black Sea in Georgia's southwest, north of the border ...

from the British occupation forces to Georgia. During the war with Soviet Russia in February 1921, Khimshiashvili was unexpectedly dismissed from command. After the

sovietization Sovietization ( ) is the adoption of a political system based on the model of soviets (workers' councils) or the adoption of a way of life, mentality, and culture modeled after the Soviet Union. A notable wave of Sovietization (in the second me ...

of Georgia, he remained in Georgia and was given the position of commander of training battalion in a cavalry brigade of the Georgian Red Army. In 1922, he joined the underground anti-Soviet organization, the Committee for the Independence of Georgia, and was a member of its "military centre", representing a

Social Democratic party The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by many political parties in various countries around the world. Such parties are most commonly aligned to social democracy as their political ideology. Active parties Form ...

. In May 1923, the centre's leadership, including Khimshiashvili, were arrested and sentenced to death. On his way to execution, Khimshiashvili attempted to escape, but was wounded, captured, and shot together with his accomplices in what is now Vake Park in central

Tbilisi Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი, ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), ( ka, ტფილისი, tr ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Georgia (country), largest city of Georgia ( ...

. In 2023, he was posthumously awarded the title and Order of National Hero of Georgia.საქართველოს პრეზიდენტის განკარგულება N04/07/02 2023 წლის 4 ივლისი საქართველოს ეროვნული გმირის ორდენით დაჯილდოების შესახე�

/ref> Tafel zu Ehren von Giorgi Chimschiaschwili 2

Tafel zu Ehren von Giorgi Chimschiaschwili 2

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Khimshiashvili, Giorgi People from Georgia (country) executed by the Soviet Union Military personnel from Georgia (country) 1892 births 1923 deaths Russian military personnel of World War I People of World War I from Georgia (country) National Heroes of Georgia