A R C H E I O N is an original title of an academic journal issued by the sub-department of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport of Ajara Autonomous Republic Archives Administration (P-ISSN 2233-3541; E-ISSN 3088-4284; DOI: 10.52340/PUTK.2233-3541). It is peer-reviewed by at least two anonymous referees. Article submission period: January 15 - September 15 (annually). Publisher: Publishing House Universali. Tbilisi, Georgia, 0186, a. politkovskaias #4. Phone: 5(99) 33 52 02, 5(99) 17 22 30; E-mail: universal505@ymail.com; gamomcemlobauniversali@gmail.com Established: 2010 Article Processing Charges (APC): No APC. Advertising Policy: Archeion is an ad-free publication. We do not host or display commercial advertisements on our website or within our published materials to ensure an uncompromised focus on scholarly content. Copyright and Licensing Policy: the articles published in Archeion are available under a Creative Commons licence Attribution-No Derivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-ND 4.0)
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Sub-Department of Ministry of Education and Sport of Ajara Autonomous Republic – Archives Administration /Digest of events
This section presents photo materials and digests of events organized by the sub-department of ministry of education and sport of Ajara Autonomous Republic – Archives Administration
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In Memory of the Archivist Eter Nateladze
Adjara Archival Department have lost a leading worker in the field - Eter Nateladze - a senior specialist of the second category of the Department of Protection, Information and Use of the National Archival Fund of the Archival Department. Her name is forever engraved in the history of the Adjara Archival Department. Eteri Nateladze has become a symbol of the entire archive thanks to her responsibility, versatile talent, high professionalism and the new and unique atmosphere she brought to the Archival Department. The working environment and atmosphere of cooperation she originally created will occupy a special place in the hearts of several generations of representatives of the Archival Department.
"On the instructions of the censorship authorities, we ask you to do everything possible to remove all printed works and portraits of L. P. Beria from the library and other book collections!" How many times have we heard and read that the images of Beria (then Stalin, before that Trotsky and thousands of others) have been cut out, torn out, and uprooted from documents? We all know this, but when you come across the original source, the source from which these "torn out" instructions came, it still makes you shudder. Beria turned the earth, at least one sixth of it, at his own will, with a split second of his eyebrow... Suddenly, it turned out that a few instructions, a scrap of paper, were enough to even mention it and uproot it from his folios.
Central State Archives of Adjara Archival Department,Fund R-178, Case N 29Data from the 1923 Agricultural Census of Keda Municipality
We continue the publication of documents preserved in the funds of the Adjara Archival Department. This time, we offer the reader a part of the materials preserved in the file unit No. 29 of the fund R-178, which reflects the data of the 1923 agricultural census of the modern Keda municipality: lists of household composition - indicating the head of the family, gender structure, sown areas, number of livestock (cattle, sheep, horses).
Archival Sources: Armenian Archival Sources, F. 69
We offer our readers documentary materials preserved in the National Archives of Armenia, namely in the Tbilisi Court Chamber Fund, which are related to Georgians in various aspects. These documents were translated, studied and brought by Professor Tamaz Putkaradze in September 2021. This issue presents a brief summary of these documents.
The present archival materials include articles from Iveria published in 1886 about Batumi, port news, Muslim Georgians, and Adjara villages.
Famous Georgian scientist, Major General, general designer of the first Georgian space object (according to documents preserved in the private fund (F.N R-723))
In 2017, the Ajara Archival Department faced an important fact. The personal fund of the world-renowned Georgian scientist, the general designer of the Georgian space object "Reflector", Major General Elguja Medzmariashvili, was transferred to the Central Archive of Ajara and joined the National Archival Fund. These are just brief regalia. In addition, Elguja Medzmariashvili is a corresponding member of the Georgian Academy of Sciences, Doctor of Military Sciences, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor. A fund No. R-723 was opened in the Ajara Archival Department: "Famous Georgian Scientist, Major General. General Designer of the First Georgian Space Object".
Scientific paper refers to the German colonists, who settled in the outside Kakheti, near the village of ‘’Sartichala’’, in the first half of the 19th century. Their settlement was facilitated by the Russian Empire, and the government fully reimbursed the costs of the settlement. On the one hand, "Tsarism" stated, that the settlement of German colonists would help to repopulate the settlements that had been devastated by the enemy for many centuries and turn into them oasis, and on the other hand, their real goal was to create a base in the South Caucasus, because as a result of numerous Georgian uprisings, "Tsarism" realized , that the population of Georgia would not easily adapt to the abolition of statehood and would continue to fight against the invaders. G. Manjgaladze in his science paper "German colonists in Transcaucasia" has a report, according to which since 1810 the Russian Empire stopped funding Germans who wanted to settle to the territory of Russia and they could settle only at their own expense. This restriction did not extensive to the South Caucasus, and in this area the Russian Empire still settled colonists at its own expense, which makes obviously that Russia attached special importance to the colonization of foreigners. Despite the colonial goals of Russia, the life of the Germans in Georgia had a very positive impact on the country, because the Germans brought and introduced many foreign cultures to Georgia, such as potatoes. beautiful architectural monuments, which is created by the Germans, are still preserved in Georgia.
Georgian-Czech scientific- cultural relations, trends and perspectives ofacademic knowledge exchange
In modern conditions, the drive of national politics, economy, and education towards globalization has gained special relevance. Accordingly, the degree of interdependence of states increases, unified scientific and cultural centers, global markets are created, interest in the scientific study of these processes increases. The article presents Czech-Georgian scientific-cultural relations, trends and perspectives of academic knowledge exchange.
Batumi Animal Protection Society in 1897-1910 According to the Documents Preserved in the Ajara Archives Administration)
The problem of protection of domestic and wild inhabitants is an urgent issue of all times. This problem was relevant in the past as well, which is confirmed by the documentary materials kept in the archive department. Jaime Shmaevski's typography has printed a brochure, which refers to the 10th anniversary of the Batumi branch of the Tbilisi Animal Protection Society. The brochure was prepared by the head of the department E. V. Turkin and it tells in detail what work the mentioned society has done since its establishment until 1908. The article is about these issues.
The role of reservist units in total defense
As it is known, today Georgia has two types of reserves, active and mobilization reserve. The active reserve specifically includes the reserve of specialists and the union of volunteer population selected on the territorial principle, that is, the territorial reserve, who are enrolled in the territorial defense units of the National Guard of the Defense Forces of the Ministry of Defense of Georgia. Law of Georgia - according to the Defense Code.[1] Mentioned units (territorial defense battalions) are located according to the regions of Georgia and they are staffed by the population living in the region, whose registration, 1 saqarTvelos parlamenti, saqarTvelos kanoni - Tavdacvis kodeqsi, muxli 88, (2023 wlis 12 oqtoberi). Parliament of Georgia, Law of Georgia - Defense Code, Article 88, (December 12, 2023 October 17 assembly and retraining are carried out according to the rules established by law and according to the plans and schedules prepared in advance in the units. Joining the territorial defense units is voluntary, by signing a 4-year contract. These units unite Georgian citizens of different ages, professions, nationalities and religions. Training meetings help the citizens of one region, who are members of the territorial reserve, to get to know each other better, get closer and unite as a team, which is a prerequisite for the formation of capable units, which units will be used, if necessary, to support local self-government as part of the defense forces of the country during emergency situations, natural disasters and during the state of war in the country. And all measures taken for defense. The present article deals with the presentation of the role of territorial defense units in the general context of total defense, in parallel with the ongoing reforms in the defense system of Georgia, and their importance in terms of strengthening the country's defense capability, which in their essence represent the so-called part of total defense, the implementation of which was announced by the Government of Georgia years ago.
For the history of the longboat sailing on the river Chorokhi
The long boat was found in the Chorokhi River, near the village of Maradidi. As the investments show, the use of such barcas is related to development. It is an identical construction of the "Chorokhuli boat". It was made of iron. This type of ship can be called a "rumored longboat". Place of construction - Batumi.
Gymnastics Society "Sokol" // "Shevarden" in Batumi Boys' and First GeorgianGymnasiums (1910-1921)
In the funds of the Ajara Archives Administration, there are very interesting documents about the gymnastics society "Sokol" // "Shevardeni", which will create certain ideas for the reading public about the activities of this society, the school leadership and the composition of the board. It is clear from the documents that during these years Vatslav Kouba was invited to the society as a gymnastics teacher.
1921 March of Mazniashvili and the Russian general in BatumiAccording to the records
Very important and interesting events took place in Batumi in March 1921. The occupation of Georgia by the Red Army was already coming to an end, the independent Georgian government was in Batumi and on the one hand it was dealing with the tricks and open aggression of the emissaries of Kemalist Turkey, and on the other hand it was trying to maintain the line of struggle against the Soviet occupiers. During this period, General Mazniashvili maintained the dignity and face of the Georgian army. The main issue was the battles for Batumi. According to the article, the role and merit of General Mazniashvili in the battle for Batumi is convincingly presented.
Sub-Department of Ministry of Education and Sport of Ajara Autonomous Republic – Archives AdministrationDigest of events
This section presents photo materials and digests of events organized by the sub-department of ministry of education and sport of Ajara Autonomous Republic – Archives Administration, including: an event dedicated to the Archivist, Mother and Women's Day, an exhibition of photo documents related to April 9, a visit of the Consul General of Azerbaijan to the Archival Department of Adjara, a photo exhibition dedicated to the Independence Day of Georgia, an evening dedicated to the 115th anniversary of Davit Mamuladze, an exhibition dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the famous Georgian poet Fridon Khalvashi, a lecture on raising awareness of the personal data incident, a working meeting of the National Archives of Georgia and the Archival Department of Adjara, etc.
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"Foliants on the Russian-occupied estates" The presented section includes the material selected from archival documents, divided into several thematic headings: "Countless Colors" "Ayet's Heirs" "Humor from the Soviet Occupation"
Archival Documents Central State Archive of the Archives Administration of Ajara, Fund R-178, Case No. 29 Data from the 1923 Agricultural Census of Khelvachauri Municipality
The publication of documents preserved in the funds of the Adjara Archival Department is one of the main directions of the mentioned service. This time, we offer the reader a part of the materials preserved in the file unit No. 29 of the fund R-178, which reflects the results of the 1923 agricultural census of the modern Khelvachauri municipality. The document is presented in the form of tables. It contains lists of household members by name - indicating the head of the family, the number of family members, the gender structure, the area of ​​crops, the number of livestock (cattle, sheep, horses).
REPRESENTATION OF THE AFFAIRS OF THE PORT OF BATUMI IN ARCHIVAL DOCUMENTS (1896-1913)
Batumi Seaport is a high-tech port equipped with modern container and ferry equipment. It is one of the oldest ports on the Black Sea coast, dating back to the Roman Empire, during the reign of Hadrian III. The location in a natural deep-water bay, the ability to receive large-tonnage ships and enter the port without a canal (which exempts the shipowner from additional fees), protection from the coast, and other factors gave the port of Batumi a geostrategic and natural advantage over other ports. The development of Batumi as a port city was largely determined by the need to transport oil from Baku. Until the 1980s, small light vessels entered the port of Batumi. After the conquest of Batumi by the Russian Empire (1878), the city developed. The infrastructure of the city and the port gradually improved. The construction and commissioning of the Baku-Batumi pipeline, one of the first in the world at that time, further accelerated the development of the port. The Batumi Port Affairs Office carried out important activities for the development of the port. The “Batumi Port Affairs Office” fund (fund I-17) of the Central State Archive of the Archives Administration of Ajara preserves many interesting documents about the activities of this structure for the development of the port. The aim of the article is to provide the reader with information about the activities of the Batumi Port Affairs Representation in 1896-1913 by introducing new archival documents into scientific circulation. The analysis of archival documents will allow us to take into account both the economic and social aspects of the activities of the Port Affairs Representation.
THE GENESIS OF THE GEORGIAN NATIONAL GUARD
The establishment of the Georgian National Guard was one of the most important decisions made by the government in the country's security system. It is not just a military-statutory unit ─ it is an institution that, immediately after the restoration of Georgia's independence, became the pillar of the state's defense structure. The need to create the Guard was due to the difficult political, ethnic and social challenges of the early 1990s, which necessitated the rapid and functional formation of a national-type armed formation.The creation of the National Guard was preceded by the experience of the Red and People's Guards - structures that played a decisive role in the protection of national defense, internal stability and civil order in the First Republic of Georgia (1917–1921). This historical background of the Guard model determines the conceptual framework on which independent Georgia attempted to restore a national military institution at the end of the 20th century.The orientation towards a Western-style National Guard was not just a strategic or ideological choice - it was the first step in transforming the security system and establishing a sovereign model of national defense. However, in practice, the politicization of the Guard, the problems of its subordination, and structural instability significantly limited its functional implementation. For this reason, the paper pays special attention to the analysis of the institutional, legal, and political factors that influenced the development of the Guard.The research is aimed not only at describing historical processes, but also at systematically analyzing the challenges that have accumulated around the National Guard - from the lack of discipline to the uncertainty of its legal status. A detailed assessment of the issues is based on both primary sources (official documents and archives) and the recollections of high-ranking individuals who were directly involved in the creation and reform of the Guard.
A MAN WHO PRESERVED NATIONAL MEMORY EVEN UNDER SOVIET TOTALITARIANISM(Interesting Episodes of Niko Berdzenishvili’s Biography According to DocumentsPreserved in the Funds of the Archives Administration of Ajara)
Academician Niko Berdzenishvili, a prominent representative of Georgian historical science, was the most dedicated defender of the national heritage. In the materials of the Batumi Boys’ Gymnasium Fund (1904-1917) of the Central State Archive of Ajara, scarce but very interesting archival documents about the distinguished scientist were found. Among them are certificates of clerical rank, certificates of transfer from one class to another at the boys’ gymnasium and certificates of completion of the school, documents related to permission to take exams externally, protocols of the pedagogical council, materials reflecting the participation of students in the revolutionary movement, secret letters from the heads of the relevant structure, etc.
ZAKARIA CHICHUA’S UNPUBLISHED WORK „MY ARCHIVE“
The unpublished manuscript „My Archive“, written by the prominent Social Democrat and pharmacist Zakaria Chichua (1875–1951), is preserved in the Central Historical Archive of the National Archives of Georgia (Fund 2135, Inventory 1, File 1). The work consists of two notebooks, and the memoirs were written in exile in France in 1929. The text is handwritten in black ink, and numerous pages contain insertions, deletions, and the author’s marginal comments and clarifications. The manuscript’s chronological scope spans from the late 19th century up to the year 1905. Zakaria Chichua reflects on the purpose of writing his memoirs. He expresses the hope that this work will serve as a mirror of his time: whoever looks into it will see the flaws and obstacles of the era, as well as the narrow and wide paths he himself has traversed, often thorny and challenging. Chichua’s manuscript is of particular interest for a number of reasons. It provides a vivid depiction of the flawed educational practices that prevailed in the Ozurgeti Theological Seminary in the late 19th century ─ methods which, according to the author, instilled in students a disdain for schooling rather than a love of knowledge. The manuscript devotes significant attention to the formation of Georgian Social Democracy, the internal ideological conflicts between its two main branches, and the struggles of workers and students in their pursuit of rights, the 1905 Revolution, and others. Having spent part of his life in Russia, Chichua integrates the experiences and observations from this period into his memoirs as well. The manuscript highlights the activities of several notable Georgian Social Democrats, including: Joseph Stalin, Noe Zhordania, Isidore Ramishvili, Noe Ramishvili, Benia Chkikvishvili, Noe Khomeriki, Philip Makharadze, Mikha Tskhakaia, Sasha Tsulukidze, Vlasa Mgeladze, Silibistro Jibladze, and others. Zakaria Chichua’s „My Archive“ serves as a valuable primary source for the study of the socio-political processes unfolding in Georgia from the late 19th century to the early 20th century.
COLLECTION OF CERTIFICATES RELATED TO THE WEDDING (Church Ceremony)(According to the Documents Kept in the Archives Administration of Ajara)
Wedding (church ceremony), as a religious and ethnocultural practice, played and continues to play an important role in the spiritual life of various peoples. In the context of wedding (church ceremony), written documents were kept, oral traditions were created, records of gifts and clergy, photo documents, etc. Such documents or traditions reflect not only the process of wedding (church ceremony) and the rituals associated with wedding (church ceremony), but also present the social and public life, ethnocultural values and values of the corresponding era. The purpose of this article is to process, systematize and circulate the new archival documents in the scientific circulation of the “collection of certificates related to the writing of the wedding (church ceremony)” (Fund No. E-79) preserved in the Archives Administration of Ajara. The collection of documents related to wedding (church ceremony), preserved in the Archives Administration of Ajara, represents the most important source for the study of this social institution, which gives us a clear idea of both spirituality and forms of social organization. The article presented by us discusses the documents included in the collection (345 volumes), the chronological framework of which covers the years 1883 – 1925. These documents allow us to follow the evolutionary-transformational processes of this institution, which is expressed in the form of hymns, the number of participants, although the main ethnocultural elements and the essence of the liturgy remained unchanged.
We present to the readers the 27th issue of the scholarly journal Archeion of the Ajara Archives Administration. It presents the works of researchers in various fields, as well as archival documentary sources. The magazine provides the reading public with the opportunity to get acquainted with new results achieved in the process of researching historical sources and cultural heritage. The articles published in the magazine are based on both archival documentary sources and scientific literature, as well as methods and interdisciplinary perspectives proven in modern humanitarian sciences. Special attention is paid to less-known problems of Georgian history, as well as life and culture. In the magazine, the reader will get acquainted with documents related to the wedding (church ceremony), which are preserved in the funds of the Ajara Archives Administration, data reflecting the life and scientific heritage of Niko Berdzenishvili, issues of the genesis of the National Guard, materials from the 1923 agricultural census, etc. We think that the scientific articles and archival documentary sources printed in the magazine will not only enrich the existing knowledge, but also encourage future researchers for the scientific study of the most important issues of the past and present.
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