ბერძნული მემუარული ლიტერატურა და საქართველო 1890-1920 წლებში
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Date
2023
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Abstract
The 20th-century world history faced many times different
waves of refugees: from different countries to different directions.
During and after the World War 1 Georgia had many difficulties gaining
and maintaining her freedom. Despite that she generously offered all
necessary services to the refugees from Pontus in 1920-1923 and later.
There are various memoirs, diaries or other sources written by eye-witness
Greeks who describe their experiences being refugee or helping
them in Georgia. Some of them are well-known, some of them lessknown
and some of them completely unknown to Georgian audience.
Theophylactos Theophylactos (1885-1962) is one of the unknown authors.
His memoirs entitled “Γύρω στην άσβεστη φλόγα” (“Around the
inextinguishable flame”), a bulky edition with more than 500 pages,
was published in Thessaloniki in 1958. After 36 years since he left Georgia, he precisely describes events happened before 1922. Among 7
chapters of the book the second is dedicated exclusively to Georgia
(specifically, to Batumi) and bears a title: “Batumi, the place where the
Greek-Pontic national activity was moved”. In addition to it, in other
chapters Georgia is mentioned many times.
In Batumi Theophylactos was actively involved in political activities
for Pontus independence (in 1914-1922). Some sessions of the National
Council of Pontus took place there. So he inserted in his work all
documents ratified by this Council. Besides “documental” character, in
the “Around the inextinguishable flame” many emotional passages can
be found. According to it, Georgians were very friendly to Greeks and
author’s love and gratitude to Georgia is underlined many times. Consequently,
this work is an important source for many aspects of political,
social and economic life of both Pontus and Georgia but at the same
time, it is full of literary means which reveal author’s sensitivity.
Theophylactos visited Batumi in 1897 for the first time at his 12. By
that period his father worked there and he asked his relatives to send
a small boy to him. It is evident that he was very successful with a broad
cycle of friends and employees. Exactly that year a war between
Greece and Turkey (due to the so called “Cretan question”) broke out.
It is especially interesting how author’s childhood memories are imprinted
in the work. This information is also important for diaspora
studies in Batumi at the end of the 19th century.
From historical point of view, the most important part of the “Around
the inextinguishable flame” deals with the events of 1914-1920.
Both Greek and Georgian studies can be benefited from these passages.
A Georgian translation of all important information, as well as of
parts where author’s emotions towards Georgia are revealed, is provided
in the article.
Another author discussed in the paper is Christos Samouilides
(Χρίστος Σαμουηλίδης), an author of the novel “Στους Πέντε Ανέμους
του Καυκάσου” (“In Five winds of the Caucasus”). In some points it
completes the passages provided by Theophylactos. Samouilides’ work
is not documental. Although, emotional aspects, the hospitality provided by Georgia to the Pontus’ Greek refugees and other details are in
absolute tune with the evidence provided by Theophylactos.
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საერთაშორისოსამეცნიერო კონფერენციის „გლობალიზაცია - იდენტობა - ლიტერატურა“ მასალების კრებული, 2023, გვ.: 7-17/ Proceedings of the International Scientific Conference Globalization -Identity – Literature 2023, pp: 7-17