Ekvtime Takaishvili by Levan Urushadze
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Ekvtime S. Takaishvili (January 3, 1863-February 21, 1953) was a famous Georgian historian, archaeologist and public benefactor, one of the founders of the Tbilisi State University (TSU), Academician of the Georgian Academy of Sciences (GAS), Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor.
He was born in 1863, in a small village Likhauri (Guria region of Western Georgia). In 1887 he graduated from the St.Petersburg University (Russia).
In 1887-1904 Ekvtime Takaishvili was a teacher of History (1887-1894) and Director (1894-1904) of the Georgian Gimnasium of Tbilisi.
In 1907 Takaishvili was one of the founders of the Historical-Ethnographical Society of Georgia ( now Takaishvili Historical Society of Georgia). He was the first Chairman of this Society in 1907-1921.
In 1918 he was one of the founders of the Tbilisi State University (TSU), in 1918-1921 and 1945-1953 Professor of this University. In 1920 he received a Doctoral degree.
In 1917 Takaishvili was one of the founders of the National-Democratic Party of Georgia, in 1918-1921 Deputy Chairman of Dampudznebeli Kreba (Parliament) of the Democratic Republic of Georgia (DRG).
After occupation of Georgia by the Soviet Russia (February-March, 1921) Ekvtime Takaishvili was the emigre. In 1921-1945 he lived in Paris.
In 1922 he was elected as the Honorary Member of the Society of Numismatists of France, in 1925 as Member of the Asiatic Society of Paris. Takaishvili was also a member of the Editorial Boards of the scientific periodicals "Byzantion" (Brussels) and "Georgica" (London).
In France Ekvtime Takaishvili was also a main depositor of the Georgian National Treasure, which in 1945 was returned by Takaishvili to Georgia. Today these outstanding monuments of Georgian and world culture are deposited in the Georgian State Museum of the Georgian Academy of Sciences and the Tbilisi State Museum of Art.
In 1946 Takaishvili was elected as Academician (Full Member) of the Georgian Academy of Sciences (GAS).
Main fields of scientific activity of Ekvtime Takaishvili were: history and archaeology of Georgia and the Caucasus, source studies of the history of Georgia, Rustvelology (Shota Rustaveli was a great Georgian poet of the 12th century), history of the Georgian Christian (Orthodox) literature, history of Bagrationi dynasty, etc. He was author of 200 scientific-research works (among them about 10 monographs). In 1902, 1907 and 1917 he was head of the archaeological expeditions in Tao-Klarjeti and Artaani (historical regions of Georgia, now in Turkey).
Ekvtime Takaishvili died in 1953, in Tbilisi. In 1998 he was canonized by the Georgian Orthodox and Apostolic Church.
