Simon MdivaniThe French-language transcription of Georgian surnames was stable until the end of XXth century : the rules constituted by the intermediation of the Russian language, confirmed by the Legation of the Democratic Republic of Georgia in France (1921-1933 ) and close to the pronunciation in the Georgian language, were used without exception; they are still used today by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and by most French academics interested in Georgia. The usage gradually changed with the intermediation of the English language and the definition of a Latin transliteration close to the English transcription (2002). Thus სიმონ მდივანი gives Simon Mdivani in French transcription, and the same spelling in English transcription (and in Latin transliteration). (in Georgian: სიმონ მდივანი; October 20, 1876, in

Khoni Khoni ( ka, ხონი ) is a town in the Western Georgia (country), Georgian region (mkhare) of Imereti with a population of 7,756 as of January 2024. It is situated on the left bank of the Tskhenistsqali, Tskhenistsqali River in the north-we ...

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 ...

– December 13, 1937, in Sceaux,

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

), was a Georgian politician member of the

Georgian Socialist-Federalist Revolutionary Party The Georgian Socialist-Federalist Revolutionary Party () was a Georgian nationalist party, founded in April 1904. The party's program demanded the national autonomy of Georgia, within the framework of a Russian federal state, and advocated for a ...

, exiled in

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

, then in France following the invasion of his country by the Red Army, and died on December 13, 1937, in Sceaux. He was a member of the National Council and of the Georgian Constituent Assembly, of which he assumed the vice-presidency, then Ambassador 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 ...

Biography

Youth

Simon (Svimon) was born in the family of Gurgen

Mdivani The Mdivani family ( ka, მდივანი) is a Nobility of Georgia (country), Georgian noble family with the rank of aznauri (gentry, untitled nobility). History Outside of Georgia, the best known bearers of this name were the children of ...

, heiress of a local

Georgian nobility Nobility Georgia Georgia Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional charac ...

with the rank of

aznauri ''Aznauri'' ( ka, აზნაური, ; pl. ''aznaurni'', აზნაურნი, or ''aznaurebi'', აზნაურები) was a class of Georgian nobility. History The word derives from Middle Persian ''āznāvar'', which, in turn, co ...

, on October 20, 1876, in

.The word mdivani means secretary in the Georgian language, and seems to indicate a role in the political administration of the country He continued his studies in turn at primary school, at the Lyceum of

Kutaisi Kutaisi ( ; ka, ქუთაისი ) is a city in the Imereti region of the Georgia (country), Republic of Georgia. One of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, it is the List o ...

, at the Faculty of Natural Sciences of the University of Odesa, in

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

. After obtaining his higher education diploma, he found a job as a chemist in the administration of the city of

Odesa Odesa, also spelled Odessa, is the third most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city and List of hromadas of Ukraine, municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern ...

and became politically committed against

tsarism Tsarist autocracy (), also called Tsarism, was an autocracy, a form of absolute monarchy in the Grand Duchy of Moscow and its successor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire. In it, the Tsar possessed in principle authority and ...

1905 to 1917, Batumi

He joined the

Batumi Batumi (; ka, ბათუმი ), historically Batum or Batoum, is the List of cities and towns in Georgia (country), second-largest city of Georgia (country), Georgia and the capital of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara, located on the coast ...

and participated in the popular movement that shook the

. He was editor of the daily ''Chermorskoe Echo'', was prosecuted on December 14, 1906, for an article, was convicted and forced to close the newspaper. He was elected president of the local section, then a member of the central committee of the Georgian Socialist-Federalist Revolutionary Party. At the same time, he chaired a mutual bank.

1918 to 1921, the Democratic Republic of Georgia

Signatory of the act of return to the independence of

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

on May 26, 1918, member of the Georgian National Council, then of the Georgian Constituent Assembly, he was elected vice-president on March 12, 1919, under the social-federalists who obtained 8 deputies in the legislative elections. He sat as Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Secretary of the Military Committee and the Budget Committee. On December 27, 1920, he was appointed ambassador to

, in

Ankara Ankara is the capital city of Turkey and List of national capitals by area, the largest capital by area in the world. Located in the Central Anatolia Region, central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5,290,822 in its urban center ( ...

, with a diplomatic representation made up of General Eristavi, soldiers Emkhvari and Chalikachvili, diplomats Aristo Tchumbadze and Meliton Kartivadze. Simon Mdivani is the first foreign ambassador to recognize the Kemalist regime poised to overthrow the power of Sultan Mehmed VI and the Ottoman Empire.

1921 to 1928, temporary exile in Turkey

After the entry of the Red Army into Georgian territory, he emigrated to

Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...

; his brother Polycarpe Mdivani (1877-1937), known as Budu, represented Soviet Georgia in

. In 1926, he participated in the Prometheus movement initiated in

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

by Józef Piłsudski in order to weaken

Soviet Russia The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (Russian SFSR or RSFSR), previously known as the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic and the Russian Soviet Republic, and unofficially as Soviet Russia,Declaration of Rights of the labo ...

, and as such was a member of a Council of a Caucasus Confederation in exile (Georgia, Azerbaijan, North Caucasus and Ukraine ). In 1928, he was expelled from Turkey, and joined

1928 to 1937, the definitive exile in France

He continued to fight for the liberation of Georgia from Soviet occupation. He prepared in particular the days devoted to

Shota Rustaveli Shota Rustaveli ( ka, შოთა რუსთაველი, – after c. 1220), mononymously known simply as Rustaveli, was a medieval Georgian poet. He is considered to be the pre-eminent poet of the Georgian Golden Age and one of the g ...

, at the

University of the Sorbonne The University of Paris (), known Metonymy, metonymically as the Sorbonne (), was the leading university in Paris, France, from 1150 to 1970, except for 1793–1806 during the French Revolution. Emerging around 1150 as a corporation associated wit ...

, but died before them : he died on December 13, 1937, in Sceaux. He rests in the Georgian square of the Leuville-sur-Orge cemetery..

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mdivani, Simon 1876 births 1937 deaths Georgian exiles Emigrants from Georgia (country) to France Journalists from Georgia (country) Russian Marxist journalists Revolutionaries from Georgia (country) 20th-century politicians from Georgia (country) 1910s in Georgia (country) 1920s in Georgia (country) Democratic Republic of Georgia Independence activists from Georgia (country) Mensheviks Government ministers of Georgia (country) Georgian Socialist-Federalist Revolutionary Party politicians Ambassadors of Georgia (country) to Turkey