იუსტინე აბულაძის რამდენიმე ბიოგრაფიული ფაქტის ახლებური ინტერპრეტაციისთვის (საარქივო მასალებზე დაყრდნობით)

Abstract

In scholarly publications and periodicals, regarding Justine Abuladze’s life and activities different data (1902, 1903, 1915) has been named considering the scholar’s visit to Persia. The majority of Georgian scholars who had discussed the issue named Tabriz as Abuladze’s visiting place. In his official or private writings Justine Abuladze had never mentioned about his travel to Persia (Iran). Even his personal archive does not provide any document supporting the fact. During his work at Tbilisi State University he had made at least two attempts (1918, 1919) to visit Persia but did not succeed. Based on the analyses of archive materials, this paper suggests that, in contrary to the information provided by various Georgian researchers (I. Megrelidze, D. Kobidze, K. Paghava, J. Giunashvili, N.Makadze) J. Abuladze had never been to Persia (Iran). In his report to the Council of the Faculty of Philosophy of Tbilisi State University dated by September, 16, 1919 J. Abuladze mentions: “in 1902 I traveled to Turkestan (=Turkmenistan) and stayed for two months in Samarkand and Serakhs, where I exercised in spoken Persian” (See document 471/1/28, p.103-112 of the National Archives of Georgia, Tbilisi State University Fund). Serakhs, former Russian military post at the Iranian border, where J. Abuladze polished his spoken Persian could cause the misinterpretations concerning the fact of his travel to Persia. The fact acquires importance from the point of view of the investigation into the human resource policy of Tbilisi State University at that time and its approach to J. Abuladze’s personality: it is obvious that the financial and moral support of the University was aimed at encouragement of young, talented personnel. In 1918 Justine Abuladze was already 44 years old and thus he could not be considered as “a young personnel” with future. This could be the major reason for the ‘lack of favor’ towards J. Abuladze’ and not only the latter’s claim that “some get the buns and pies and some the bumps and black eyes.” The paper presents archival materials providing support for the suggestion. Another document (N373, Dimitri Gordeev’s letter dated 24.03.1928) kept in the archive of Yuri Marr at K. Kekelidze Georgian National Center of Manuscripts provides an indirect evidence that J. Abuladze had not been considered to hold major position in Persian studies at Tbilisi State University. The young and talented scholar, Y. Marr was likely more favorable for this position.