ვახტანგ მალაყმაძე (ჰაირი ჰაირიოღლუ) - ქართველი მეცნიერი და საზოგადო მოღვაწე თურქეთში (1936-2002 წწ.)

Abstract

Vakhtang Malakmadze, whose official Turkish name is Hayri Hayrioglu, takes a special place among the ethnic Georgians of the Republic of Turkey during the 20th century. Unfortunately, his name is mostly unknown for the broad masses of the Georgian society. The name of Vakhtang Malakmadze (Hayri Hayrioglu) is closely connected with the name of famous Georgian public figure Akhmed Melashvili. Vakhtang Malakmadze was Akhmed’s closest friend, his scientific consultant and his great supporter. They created the base of scientific data, found historical, ethnographic material and restored the connection with the Georgian culture together with other great public figures. Vakhtang Malakmadze entered the police school of Ildiz in Istambul in 1960; after graduation he worked on high posts in the civil defense sphere in different Vilaiets. Vakhtang Malakmadze’s tense labour rhythm continued until 1982. At the same time he was working on scientific and public issues. He was the initiator of every Georgian affair, supporter and protector of every Georgian public figure. After he retired, Vakhtang Malakmadze worked in the direction of saving and studying Georgian culture. Unfortunately, he went blind during the last years of his life. He died in 2000. In the 60s of the 20th century Vakhtang Malakmadze and Akhmed Melashvili, together with other public figures, began working on saving Georgian indentity, waking and developing the national feelings among Georgians in Turkey. Vakhtang Malakmadze prepared and published “Georgian Children’s Tales”. The book was published in two volumes and became very popular. It is important, that the book was positively estimated by the state department – Ministry of Education of Turkey. Vakhtang Malakmadze, Akhmed Melashvili and other Georgian public figures in Turkey were trying to introduce common Georgian culture to the Lazs in Turkey. Vakhtang Malakmadze was working on the issues of history and origin of Lazs for a year and a half. Scientific materials, naturally, proved the facts that Lazs were the part of common Georgian culture. M. Vanishili’s and A. Tandilava’s work “The History of Lazs”, translated into Turkish by Vakhtang Malakmadze and published in 1992/3 was one of the first works by which Turkish society and Lazs themselves found out the issues of Lazs’ history, origin and culture – objective scientific analysis of these problems. By spreading this work began the fight for saving traditional culture of Lazs; the objective reality that the history of Lazs’ ethnogenesis is indivisible from Georgians’ history and Lazs’ traditional culture is part of Georgian culture as well, became obvious. Vakhtang Malakmadze was working on the issues of Georgian history for a long time. He wanted to provide Georgians in Turkey with Georgian history translated into Turkish. After several years of work he translated “Georgian History” by Ivane Javakhishvili, Niko Berdzenishvili and Simon Janashia. Naturally, the problem was finding sum for publishing the book and the famous publishing house “Sorun Iainlar” helped solving this problem. “Georgian History” was published in 1997, then republished in 2000. The book contains 305 pages. Nowadays this book is the main publication about Georgian history and culture and it is widely used by the interested part of Turkish society. “From Trapizon to Abkhazeti – the History and Culture of the people of Eastern Black Sea Coast Region” – another work made, composed and translated into Turkish by Vakhtang Malakmadze is dedicated to the popularization of Georgian culture. The work is the collection of the publications of several famous authors and it contains Vakhtang Malakmadze’s scientific analysis of some issues as well. The collection presents the issues of Georgians’ (Chans’/Lazs’, Megrels’, Svans’) traditional life and culture as well as the Georgian history and culture in common, from the ancient period up to mid-20th century. The information collected from the Turkish sources by Vakhtang Malakmadze is very important, for example, notification of “Islam Encyclopedia” about Lazs’ Georgian origin, etc. The Chapter about the traditional life of Svaneti gives interesting analysis of folk celebrations, epos and mentality. The collection presents the history and life of Abkhazians and Ossetians – ethnic groups living on the territory of Georgia, as well as the historical and cultural issues of the ethnic groups living in the eastern Black Sea coast region (Khemshinebi, Chephnilerebi). Together with the scientific activity, Vakhtang Malakmadze was very important and active public figure. He was the participant, supporter and in most cases, initiator of every activity connected to saving Georgian identity and culture. After the tragic death of Akhmed Melashvili, he became the leader of the national-cultural movement. According to his advices and with the help of his supporting, the new generation of Georgian public figures (Guram Khimshiashvili/ Mustapha Yakut, Iberia Melashvili/Ozkan, Giorgi Iremadze/Şemsettin Iyem, Mamia Dumbadze and others) managed to continue the cultural movement which was started by Akhmed Melashvili.