About
Zviad Gamsakhurdia, born March 31, 1939, in Tbilisi and died December 31, 1993, was a Soviet dissident and Georgian statesman. Son of writer Konstantine Gamsakhurdia, he studied Western literature at Tbilisi State University, where he later taught English and American literature. A leading human rights activist in Georgia, he co-founded the Human Rights Initiative Group and the Georgian Helsinki Group. Arrested in 1977 for his activism, he was imprisoned for three years. In 1990, he led the Round Table–Free Georgia coalition to electoral victory, then was elected president in 1991. Overthrown in a coup in January 1992, he died under disputed circumstances during an armed rebellion.
* 1939-03-28 — † 1993-12-28
Major works
- 20th-Century American Poetry (1972)literary monograph
- The Man in the Panther's Skin (1984)literary study
Key milestones
- 1977Arrested for anti-Soviet activism and sentenced to three years in prison.
- 1991Elected first President of Georgia with approximately 87% of the vote.
- 2007Reburied at the Mtatsminda Pantheon in Tbilisi after official rehabilitation.
Themes
Human rightsNational independenceSoviet dissidenceGeorgian literature and culturePolitical conflict
Sources: britannica.com · oxfordreference.com · link.springer.com