Abstract:
The tomb of Giorgi Kazbegi, a prominent public figure,chairman
of the Society for Spreading Literacy among Georgians (1908-1921), a
graduate of the General Staff of the Russian Empire, lieutenant general,
writer and scientist, has not been known until recently.
The Georgian National Academy of Sciences, National Agency for
Cultural Heritage Preservation and Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University
have sent a team of scientists to the Republic of Turkey,Istanbul
to find the lost grave of Giorgi Kazbegi. The search team shifted all its
attention to the Greek Orthodox necropolis in Shishli. With the help of
Father Demetrios, the pastor of the church of the Transfiguration, we
have traced the book of the dead which is now kept in the archive of the
Greek Orthodox Church of St.Mary.
The entry in the Latin alphabet of the book informs us: Giorgi
Kazbegi died on March 24, 1921.Funeral expenses №15674 in accordance
with the receipt in 540 kurush (at a modern exchange rate -approximately 250 Euros) as it should not seem surprising , paid by Consulate
of Soviet Russia. Unfortunately, in 1924 due to nonpayment of maintenance
and care costs for this №519 grave, the body of Giorgi Kazbegi
was transferred to the collective grave.
