Vasil Tsereteli ( ka, ვასილ წერეთელი; 1862–1937) was a distinguished Georgian medical doctor, journalist, politician and public benefactor.

Biography

Tsereteli was born in the village of Tskhrukveti, in the

Chiatura Chiatura ( ) is a city in the Imereti region of Western Georgia. In 1989, it had a population of about 30,000. The city is known for its system of cable cars connecting the city's center to the mining settlements on the surrounding hills. The ci ...

district of

Imereti Imereti ( Georgian: იმერეთი, ) is a region of Georgia situated in the central-western part of the republic along the middle and upper reaches of the Rioni River. Imereti is the most populous region in Georgia. It consists of 11 mun ...

region in Western Georgia, into the family of Prince Giorgi Tsereteli. His brother was Professor Mikheil Tsereteli, a famous Georgian historian and public benefactor. His son Giorgi Tsereteli was a distinguished orientalist,

Academician An academician is a full member of an artistic, literary, engineering, or scientific academy. In many countries, it is an honorific title used to denote a full member of an academy that has a strong influence on national scientific life. Accor ...

of the

Georgian Academy of Sciences The Georgian National Academy of Sciences (GNAS) ( ka, საქართველოს მეცნიერებათა ეროვნული აკადემია, tr) is the main learned society of Georgia. It was named the Georgia ...

, his daughter Tinatin Tsereteli was also a famous scientist (jurist) and a Corresponding Member of the Georgian Academy of Sciences. In 1882 Tsereteli graduated from the Classical Gymnasium in

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 ...

and in 1898 from the Medical Faculty of the

Kiev University The Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (; also known as Kyiv University, Shevchenko University, or KNU) is a public university in Kyiv, Ukraine. The university is the third-oldest university in Ukraine after the University of Lviv and ...

(

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 ...

). He worked as doctor in

Tianeti Tianeti is a townlet in east-central Georgia, in the Caucasus Mountains. Tianeti is the administrative center of Municipality of Tianeti, which also comprises the town of Sioni and 43 neighbouring villages (total area – 907 km2; populatio ...

, and

until 1926. In Kutaisi he taught hygiene in a Georgian Gymnasium. In 1898 he established the

Clinic A clinic (or outpatient clinic or ambulatory care clinic) is a health facility that is primarily focused on the care of outpatients. Clinics can be privately operated or publicly managed and funded. They typically cover the primary care needs ...

in Chiatura. From 1888 onward, he was an active collaborator and author of the main Georgian newspaper ''Iveria'' of

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 ...

. In the 1910s Tsereteli edited the Georgian newspapers of national-democratic direction ''Samshoblo'' and ''Chveni Qvekana''. From 1887 to 1893 he was editor of the Russian newspaper ''Chernomorski Vestnik'' in

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 ...

. From 1904 to 1916 Tsereteli was a member of the Georgian Social-Federalist Party. In 1917 he was one of the founders of the Georgian National-Democratic Party. From 1917 to 1919 Tsereteli was a member of the "National Council of Georgia", and from 1919 to 1921 he was a member of the

Constituent Assembly A constituent assembly (also known as a constitutional convention, constitutional congress, or constitutional assembly) is a body assembled for the purpose of drafting or revising a constitution. Members of a constituent assembly may be elected b ...

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 ...

(DRG). On May 26, 1918, he signed the "Act of Independence of Georgia". Tsereteli lived in Tbilisi from1926 until his death. Between 1926 and 1930 he was an editor-in-chief of the Georgian medical journal ''Jansakhkomis Moambe''. Tsereteli died in 1937 in Tbilisi.

References

* Levan Z. Urushadze. Vasil Tsereteli - The National Figure. In: Materials of the Scientific Conference, dedicated to the 150th Anniversary of Vasil Tsereteli (1862-1937), Tbilisi-Chiatura, 2012, pp. 7–15 (in Georgian). * Nino Apakidze. The Private Fund of Vasil Tsereteli. In: Materials of the Scientific Conference, dedicated to the 150th Anniversary of Vasil Tsereteli, Tbilisi-Chiatura, 2012, pp. 16–22 (in Georgian). {{DEFAULTSORT:Tsereteli, Vasil Journalists from the Russian Empire 1862 births 1937 deaths Physicians from the Russian Empire