Simon Janashia by Levan Urushadze

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Simon N. Janashia (July 13, 1900-November 5, 1947) was outstanding Georgian historian and public benefactor, one of the founders and Academician of the Georgian Academy of Sciences (GAS), Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor.

He was born in 1900, in the village Makvaneti (Guria region of Western Georgia). His father was a famous Georgian teacher, ethnographist and public benefactor Nikoloz Janashia (1872-1918).

In 1922 Simon Janashia graduated from the Tbilisi State University (TSU). In 1924-1947 he was a Lecturer (1924-1930), Associate Professor (1930-1935) and Professor (1935-1947) of this University.

In 1941 he was one of the founders of the Georgian Academy of Sciences (GAS), in 1941-1947 Vice-President of the Academy and Director of the Institute of History of GAS.

In 1943 Janashia was elected as Academician of the Academy of Sciences of Soviet Union (now the Russian Academy of Science).

Main fields of scientific activity of Simon Janashia were: ethnogenesis of the Georgian people and other Iberian-Caucasian peoples, genesis of the feudalism in Georgia and the Caucasus, history of ancient Georgia, archaeology of ancient Georgia, history of the Kingdoms of Egrisi and Iberia, history of Christianity in Georgia, source studies of the history of Georgia and the Caucasus. He was author of more than 100 scientific-research works (among them about 10 monographs). In 1949-1968 in Tbilisi were published Janashia's works (Vol. I-IV).

In 1940's Janashia was one of the organizers of the archaeological excavations in Mtskheta and Armazi (Eastern Georgia).

Simon Janashia died in 1947, in Tbilisi.

Literature

• "Simon Janashia", Tbilisi, 1948 (in Georgian)
• Shota Meskhia. "Outstanding explorer of the history of Georgia", Tbilisi, 1960 (in Georgian)
• "Simon Janashia (1900-1947). Biobibliography, Tbilisi, 1976 (in Georgian, English and Russian)