Abstract:
From the period of the establishment of the Russian civil
government in Georgia (40s of the XІΧ century), the active struggle
of the rulers of the imperial course began against the Georgian
national identity and, first of all, the Georgian language,
Georgian-language education (science). Even the generation of
the 60s, commanded by I. Chavchavadze, led the struggle for the
restoration of the rights of the Georgian language and raised
the issue of opening a university. The collapse of the Russian Empire through the revolution
(1917) accelerated the processes of national liberation in Georgia;
After the restoration of the autocephaly of the Church
(March 12, 1917), one of the important tasks was the establishment
of the Georgian University. What was carried out on February
8, 1918 by the foremost Georgian intelligence, led by Ivane
Javakhishvili – who was the worthy descendant of I. Chavchavadze.
The establishment of the university exposed the opponents
of Georgian-language education and science – the political and
scientific elite of Russian Empire – whose important representative
was the member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the
Georgian-born scientist Nikolai Yakovlevich Marr. I. Javakhishvili
and N. Marr's letters reflect radically different positions on the
planning and development of national science/education, namely:
N. Marr submitted to the Higher Schools Reforms Commission
in the letter, he raised the issue of establishing the Caucasus
State / Russian University in Tbilisi, instead of the Georgian
University; He also made purely scientific issues: a. return to
the homeland of the Georgian manuscripts and other antiquities
moved to Russia at different times; b. conducting of archaeological
research in historical areas of the country –Mtskheta and
Nakalakevi the topic of political controversy, thus preparing the
atmosphere for Bolshevik repression against the Georgian scientists.
I. Javakhishvili protects the interests of the National Higher
Education and Science School, exposes N. Marr as an ideologue
of the Empire. I. Javakhishvili expressed his civil position
when the announced the refusal of the Council of Professors of
the University “to cooperate in any form” with N.Marr, which caused
the irritation of the Soviet politicians supporting N.Marr. A practical result of the political struggle against Georgian
science was I. Javakhishvili’s dismissal from the Rector’s post
(1926), which was followed by the dissolution of the University
(1930).
The problematic of the letters by two great scientists I. Javakhishvili
and N. Marie does not lose its relevance even in modern
conditions when the issue concerns the organization and
promotion of national science.
