Tengiz Simashvili
The article was published in Iv. Javakhishvili State University Proceedings, XV, 2019
Archival Materials and Ioseb
(Joseph) Jugashvili’s (Stalin) Biography
In December 21, 2019 Officially
Iosif Dzhugashvili (Stalin) will be turned 140 years old. It is impossible to
publicize previously unknown documents about Ioseb Jugashvili that I have
discovered in various archives in Georgia, without the analysis of the
already-known materials. To some extent, the content of these new materials is
different from the “true” facts that are already known to us. Although the information and documents,
examined in this article, are to some extent contradictory, the analysis of
them makes it evident that Ioseb Jughashvili’s Biography is not sufficiently
studied.
At this stage of the research, I
will not make a detailed analysis of this and other documents, and will only
point out that the information given in this document contradicts the
reminiscence of Ioseb Jughashvili’s mother Ekaterine (Keke) Geladze who states
the following: “We had two witnesses. Elder witness Iakofa Egnatashvili helped
us greatly in founding the family and after that.2
It is interesting that in 1910 when Ioseb Jughashvili was
arrested in Baku, he was taken a photo to be filed for Baku Gendarmerie
Department and his birth date is recorded incorrectly – 1879. The document of
this file also contains name “Koba” as Ioseb Jughashvili’s Party nickname and
states other data. Presumably, historians have used Ioseb Jughashvili’s wrong
birth date since that period. This document now is in the Party Archive of
the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia funds. (See Document #5)
There are other
very interesting documents about Ioseb Jughashvili which are in one of the case
of Party Archive of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia. One of the documents is a certificate signed and sealed by the
priest of Gori Dormition Cathedral (Sobori):
“Copy of
Birth-certificate extract of Gori Dormition Cathedral of Tbilisi Province. Ioseb
Jughashvili was born
in one thousand eight hundred seventy eight. In the paragraph gender male is
mentioned: Ioseb was born on sixth (6) and baptized on seventeenth (17) December. His parents: a
peasant Besarion Jugashvili and his legal wife Ekaterina Gabrielovna, both of
them are Orthodox. He was christened by a peasant Mikheil Tsikhitatrishvili,
residing at Gori. Christening ceremony was done by the Archpriest Solomon
Khakhanovi with Kvinikadze who did Eucharist of a child. The authenticity of the document is confirmed
by the signature and the seal of the church. The certificate is issued on the
basis of Besarion Jugashvili’s personal request on 19th of August
1886, Gori.
Priest of Gori
Dormition Cathedral Ivane*
Gamrekeli (signature)
The above
mentioned document is followed by a letter dated with 5th of October
1899 sent by Tbilisi Theological Seminary Department to the Exarch chancellery
of Georgia:
“Tbilisi
Theological Seminary Department represents documents of former pupil of the
seminary, Ioseb Jugashvili, namely - Success Certificate, Birth Certificate and
request dated with 19th of August 1886.
Rector of the seminary:
Archimandrite Germogen (Signature)
Secretary:
(Signature)”5
Health
certificate issued by the doctor of Gori County is quite interesting as well;
this certificate arises several questions or gives us answers concerning Ioseb
Jughashvili’s appearance and health:
“Certificate
Issued on the
son of Besarion Jugashvili residing at Gori, Ioseb who is 8 years old* and he is naturally strong and have a
healthy body structure, have no physical defect. He has pockmark on the face
which is visible.* I
certify with my signature and treasury seal in August 1886, Gori.
Doctor of Gori
County: (Signature)
We see documents
having the following content in the same archive case:
“The above
mentioned pupil Jughashvili Ioseb, if he is not going to start work in sacred
department, he is obliged to pay two hundred (200) rubl of his tuition fees for
Tbilisi Theological Seminary Department, Holy Synod of 1891 year as well as
according to the high approve on 26th of July 1891. Herewith,
Jughashvili is obliged to pay for the books of fundamental and teaching library
lost by him eighteen rubl and fifteen copeek (18 rubl, 15 copeek) to Tbilisi
Theological Seminary Department.
Rector of the seminary:
Archimandrite Germogen (Signature)
Secretary:
(Signature)
Seal”
The following
text is on the same page of the above mentioned document:
“The above
mentioned Jughashvili was studying in the seminary at the expense of the
Treasury; he has a commitment four hundred eighty (480) rubl.
If Jughashvili
is not going to start work in sacred department or primary teaching public
schools, according to the statute of Orthodox Seminary 22nd of
August 1884, he is obliged to pay back the sum used for his keeping in the
seminary and certificate issued by the seminary department.
In order to
confirm this I give him – Jughashvili the certificate according to the statute
of Tbilisi Theological Seminary Department and sealed by Tbilisi Department,
June “__” 1899,
October 2”
Rector of the seminary:
Archimandrite Germogen (Signature)
Secretary:
(Signature)
Materials
retrieved by me differ from the official biography of Stalin. In a research
process too many questions arose, including – who was a young Stalin factually?
What did influence on his ideology? What was the condition that one of the best
pupils of Tbilisi Seminary, first ranking, left the seminary without any
special reason.
Exactly, Ioseb
Jughashvili was not excluded from the seminary because of revolutionary
activity or other known reason – just he did not attend on lessons in the fifth
class. According to the academic journals of Tbilisi Seminary, Stalin was
included in the list of pupils of fifth class but he was not attending.
Memories of Mikheil Elizbarashvili, who was studying with Ioseb Jughashvili in
the seminary and living with him in a seminary hostel, confirms that Ioseb
Jughashvili was not excluded from the seminary because of a revolutionary
activity. He writes: “In the fifth class Soso was not attending, that’s why
administration excluded him.”8
In the
certificate confirming graduation of the fourth class of Tbilisi Theological
Seminary, the original of the certificate is kept in the archive of the
Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ioseb Jughashvili had the following marks:
‘’Certificate
Pupil of Tbilisi
Theological Seminary Ioseb Jughashvili, a child of peasant Besarioni, Tbilisi
Province, town Gori.
Born on the
sixth of December, one thousand eight hundred seventy eight. After graduation
of a full course of Gori Theological Seminary, in September 1894 he went to
Tbilisi Theological Seminary where he was studying till the 29th of
May 1899 and
Had the
following success in the subjects:
Behavior: Excellent /5/
Explanation of Scripture: Very good /4/
Bible History: Very good /4/
Church History: Good /3/
Basic Theology: Good /3/
Gomelistika: Good /3/
Liturgy: Very good /4/
Russian Narratives: Very good /4/
History of
Russian Literature: Very good /4/
General (World)
Civil History: Very good /4/
Russian Civil
History: Very good /4/
Algebra: Very
good /4/
Geometry: Very
good /4/
Pasxalia: Very good /4/
Physics: Very
good /4/
Logic: Excellent /5/
Psychology: Very
good /4/
Georgian Chant:
Good /4/
Languages:
Greek: Very
good /4/
Latin – not studied
Chant:
Slavic: Excellent /5/
Georgian: Very good /4/
According to the
decision of Pedagogic Meeting of the Seminary on 29th of May 1899,
approved by The High Nobility, Exarch of Georgia, Archbishop Flavian, Ioseb
Jughashvili is excluded (left) from Tbilisi Theological Seminary after
graduating the full 4th course and transferred to the 5th
class, and that’s why he will not be able to use any advantage which is given
to graduates of the full course of the seminary according to the paragraph 178
of the regulations of Orthodox Theological Seminary approved on 22nd
of August 1884.
While sending to
Compulsory Service he will use privilege which is given to the students of the
first class education institutions. (Statute of military duty, Paragraph 56,
part 2)
The above
mentioned certificate is given to Jughashvili, with a proper signature and seal
from Tbilisi Theological Seminary,
Tbilisi, 1899
year June “_”
October “2”
Rector of the Seminary:
Archimandrite Germogen
Seminary
Inspector: Priest nuns Dimitri
Seminary
Department members: signature
There are many
interesting archive document about how Ioseb Jughashvili was studying in
Tbilisi Theological Seminary. It is said in this document that Ioseb
Jughashvili started studying in Tbilisi Theological Seminary in September 1894.
His annual attendance is well shown in different subjects from the class
journals of Tbilisi Theological Seminary.
For example,
journals of 1894 or 1895 years where we see that Ioseb Jughashvili was the
pupil of the first department of the mentioned course and he was included among
the first grade students. In other material – in the journal of seminary
pedagogic meetings 1895, Ioseb Jughashvili is among the first grade students
again. I’d like to say, that young Ioseb Jughashvili was studying very well and
point of some authors that he did not have a good education is purely absurd.
Even more, according to the information of the pupils studying with him,
seminary pupils were interested in getting modern knowledge and read different
type of literature, including Lipperto’s “History of Culture,” Letourneau’s “Sociology” and
others.”10
Transferring
from the second class to the third one 1895/1896 years Ioseb Jughashvili is
among the first grade students.11
It is
interesting that in the same case in the list of the sixth class 1896/1897
years Giorgi same Gigo Kasradze12 is
included who was an agiler or “trusted person” of the participants of “Erevan
square” expropriation dated with 13th of June 1907 in Tbilisi post.13
Besides Giorgi
Kasradze in the list of Ioseb Jughashvili’s class we meet – Mikheil Davidov (Davitashvili),
Ioseb Iremashvili, Pfilimon Karbelashvili, Korneli Kekelidze.14 Besides them who
were Ioseb Jughashvili’s classmates? It is quite long list as the course of the
seminary where Ioseb Jughashvili was studying had two departments, or groups.
Below see the list of pupils of the first department of the third class,
Tbilisi Theological Seminary in 1896-1897 years:
“Antonenko Ivane
Aromshemidze Akimi
Akhmetelovi Ivane
Barbakadze Simoni
Voroshini Sergey
Gvasalia Mikheili
Glurdjadze Grigoli
Gogiashvili Kondrate
Gorduladze Vasili
Davidovi Mikheili
Japaridze Mikheili
Jughashvili Iosebi
Dolidze Giorgi
Zasulevichi Nikolozi
Inaevi Giorgi
Iremashvili Iosebi
Kandelaki Beniamini
Karbelovi Philimoni
Kasradze Vladimiri
Koridze Irakli
Kubelovi Ivane
Laperovi Teofile
Makhatadze Grigoli
Matcharashvili Konstantine
Megrelishvili
Toma
Mzhavanadze Ilia
Mikhailovi
Konstantine
Mkhatrishvili
Iona
Natroevi Simoni
Nakhutsarovi
Grigoli
Novikovi
Aleksandre
Pavlevi Daviti
Parkadze
Grigoli”15
According to the
materials of Tbilisi Theological Seminary 1897/1898 years, in the first group
of the fourth class Ioseb Jughashvili, Ioseb Iremashvili, Philimon
Karbelashvili and Giorgi Inaevi (Inashvili)*
and others were together.16
Sheet for
behavior and success in 1897/1898 years of Theological Seminary is quite
interesting; in this sheet there are marks of the pupils in different subjects,
including Ioseb Jughashvili’s monthly, annual, exam and middle, or final marks.
The readers can see the copies of the mentioned documents. Herewith, introduce
average annual marks:
“Ioseb
Jughashvili
Holy Scripture - average 2 1/2
Basic liturgy - average 3
Homiletics - average 3
Liturgy average - 3 1/2
General History of the Church - average 3
Psychology – average 3 1/2
Physics average - 3 1/2
Old languages
Greek language - average 3
Georgian
language - 3 1/2
Slavic chant - 4
Georgian chant - 3 1/2
In Pedagogic
Meeting Protocol of 1897 it is shown that Ioseb Jughashvili decreased studying
and he moved to the list of the second category students.18
I think it would
be interesting for the readers to see the copies of outpatient journal of
Tbilisi Theological Seminary Hospital where illness of the pupils is mentioned.
On one of the pages of the journal, below the paragraph “ambulatory patients”
we read: “Ioseb Jughashvili – toothache,” on the following pages “Ioseb
Jughashvili – anemia” and etc.19
I consider
sheets of Ioseb Jughashvili’s marks in different subjects too much interesting
as well. Also content of the journal of Pedagogic Meeting of Tbilisi
Theological Seminary dated with 11th of January 1899. Ioseb
Jughashvili which is named as being in the fifth class*, Mikheil Davitashvili (Davidovi) – the
fourth class, Vasil Berdzenishvili (Berdzenovi) – the second class and others
are prohibited to go to the city after dinner during one month. Herewith is
also indicated Davit Suliashvili’s bad attendance and other.20
I’d like to
underline the fact that in the fourth class Pedagogic Meeting Journal of
Tbilisi Theological Seminary, among the students transferring from the fourth
class to the fifth one, Ioseb Jughashvili is still in the list of students
having the second grade. This demonstrates that he was not excluded from the
seminary “directly”.21
In addition, the
documents show, that Ioseb Jughashvili was mentioned in the fifth class list
where he has no marks. However, at the end of the year he has annual marks.
In one of the
documents made after expelling Ioseb Jughashvili from the seminary, the above
mentioned information about starting and leaving dates of the seminary are
repeated again:
“First name,
patronymic, last name – Ioseb Besarion Jughashvili
Rank - secular,
Birth year and
month – sixth of December one thousand eight hundred seventy eight
Nationality –
son of a peasant of Gori*
Starting date –
1st of September 1894
Letter sent by
Deputy Head of Tbilisi Gendarmerie Department Principal Division to Tbilisi
Theological Seminary concerning the period of Ioseb Jughashvili’s studying in
the seminary in Akhaltsikhe, Akhalkalaki and Gori counties.
In the letter we
read:
“Urgent, secret,
20th
of October 1911
Please, let me
know was Ioseb Beso Jughashvili studying in the seminary since 1893 or 1894
year, in case of positive answer – when and from which class he was expelled,
and are there persons currently in the seminary who know him with his look,
Captain of
cavalry: signature
On the document
there is written by the hand:
“Notification,
Jughashvili
Ioseb was expelled from the seminary on 29th of May 1899. According to
decret #12, absence on the exams with unknown
reasons, after finishing the fourth class during the study in the fifth class.
There is
certificate issued on it on 2nd of October 1899, #935
He was in the
seminary from September 1894”22
A marriage record of Ioseb
Jughashvili which was written in Russian on July 16, 1906 in the so-called
“Parish Register’’* of one
of the operating churches in Tbilisi is also interesting. (See Document #5-6) The
document states the following about the marriage between: “Tbilisi resident
Ioseb Jugashvili son of Besarion – of Orthodox faith, first marriage”, and
“Tbilisi resident Simona Svanidze’s
daughter Ekaterine - of Orthodox
Christian faith, first marriage”. Witnesses of the groom were: “Tbilisi
residents: Davit Monaselidze son of Manase, Giorgi Elisabedashvili son of
Ivane”, and witnesses of the bride were: “Mikheil Davidovi son of Nikoloz;
Mikheil Tskhakaia son of Grigol”.23
A document found in one of the cases of the Central
Historical Archives is of no less interest for the study of Ioseb Jughashvili’s
biography. This is a letter sent on October 13, 1911 by the chief of the
administration of Saint Petersburg (Sankt Petersburg) province (Gubernia) to
the chief of the Gendarmerie Department of Tbilisi Province (Gubernia). The
document is short, however, its content is highly significant, as it states
Ioseb Jughashvili’s*
ethnicity and social origin: “In my
department, a correspondence has been carried on... for the purpose of
determining political reliability of the former exiled Georgian, resident of
Tbilisi Province (Gubernia) and peasant of village Didi Lilo Ioseb Jugashvili
son of Besarion who was arrested on September 9 in St. Petersburg”.24 (see document #10-11)
Furthermore, the document contains several facts from Ioseb
Jughashvili’s biography which are still issues of controversy: “According to Ioseb Jugashvili ... he was
born about 30 years before in the City of Gori, where he studied at Theological
Seminary. Later, in 1893-1894 he attended Tbilisi Theological Seminary, but he
was expelled from grade 5 before moving up to Grade 6 as if to due to not
paying his tuition fees“.25
Thus, the above mentioned document looks at the issue of
Ioseb Jughashvili either leaving Tbilisi Theological Seminary voluntarily, or
being expelled due to his revolutionary activities (as stated in the official
biography) from a different perspective. It should be pointed out that the fact
stated in Ioseb Jughashvili’s (Stalin) official biography, as if he was
expelled from the Theological Seminary has long been rejected by the
researchers of his biography. Some of them suggest the absence from
examinations as the reason for Ioseb Jughashvili’s exclusion from the Seminary,
and others propose voluntary leave.
Among them is Ioseb Jughashvili’s fellow seminarian from
Gori Gigo Kasradze. In his memories, written in 1934, Gigo Kasradze mentions
that when he was questioned by the commission members of Social Democratic
Party over the case of Yerevan Square money expropriation, on June 13, 1907 in
Tbilisi, in order to identify the participants,
he was asked where he knew Stalin from, and he answered: “From Gori; he is my schoolfriend ... I do not know he left voluntarily
or was expelled from Grade 5”.26 In the above mentioned document,
dated October 13, 1911 also states that: “Ioseb
Jughashvili’s ... father died, and his mother Ekaterine Klakhovna (Geladze at
birth) is “Modistka”* and lives in the City of Gori. Ioseb Jughashvili is Orthodox Christian and
was baptized in Gori church”.
As we see archives contains a lot of interesting
materials for researchers. There are fresh
documents which can show new biographical data about Stalin's life.
*
Solomon is struck through and written Ivane
* Presumably Ivane Baramovi, son of
Ioseb was the son of the merchant Ivane Baramovi (Baramiantsi), who established a shoe-making and cobbling
factory in Gori in 1860-1870s, and where Besarion Jughashvili used to work
1
The Georgian Central Historical Archives, Fund
440, Description 2, the case 40, pages 35-36
2 ‘’Archival
Bulletin’’, 2008, No. 1, Ekaterine (Keke) Geladze Memorie “The
Child Brought Up Thanks To Needle-Point”, pages 45-49
*
Communicant
3 The Georgian Central Historical Archives, Fund
440, Description 2, the case 38, pages 11-12
* Iona?
4
Archives
of Internal Affairs Division II, (former party archive bodies), the Fund 8,
Description 5, the case 414, page 2
5
Archives
of Internal Affairs Division II, (former party archive bodies), the Fund 8,
Description 5, the case 414, page 3
*
it means in 1878
* he injured his
arm presumably later?
6
Archives
of Internal Affairs Division II, (former party archive bodies),
the Fund 8, Description 5, the case 414, page 5
7
Archives
of Internal Affairs Division II, (former party archive bodies), the Fund 8,
Description 5, the case 414, page 6
8
Archives
of Internal Affairs Division II, (former party archive bodies), the Fund 58, Description I, the case 58, page 154
9
Archives
of Internal Affairs Division II, (former party archive bodies), the Fund 8,
Description V, the case 414, page 4
10 Archives
of Internal Affairs Division II, (former party archive bodies), the Fund 8,
Description 1, the case 3, page 305-306
11
The Georgian Central Historical Archives, Fund
440, Description 2, the case 2, pages 267
12
The Georgian Central Historical Archives, Fund
440, Description 2, the case 3, pages 375
13 Archives
of Internal Affairs Division II, (former party archive bodies), the Fund 8,
Description 2(1), the case 22, page 28-46
14
The Georgian Central Historical Archives, Fund
440, Description 2, the case 4, pages 35
15
The Georgian Central Historical Archives, Fund
440, Description 2, the case 3, pages 377
*
Giorgi Inaevi (Inashvili) was shot by communists in 1924 September as a member
of rebel group. But he was only a priest
16
The Georgian Central Historical Archives, Fund
440, Description 2, the case 4, pages 220
17 The Georgian Central Historical Archives, Fund
440, Description 2, the case 6, page 2
18 The Georgian Central Historical Archives, Fund
440, Description 2, the case 7
19 The Georgian Central Historical Archives, Fund
440, Description 2, the case 10, ,
pages
19, 22, 24
*
actually he was in the fourth class
20
The Georgian Central Historical Archives, Fund
440, Description 2, the case 14,
, page
2
21
The Georgian Central Historical Archives, Fund
440, Description 2, the case 11,
, page
28
*
It's unclear why this it is written here
22
The Georgian Central Historical Archives, Fund
440, Description 2, the case 17,
, pages
109
* In the same
material we meet one interesting person – namely Iona Brikhnevich, which was
quite famous person during 1905-1907 years revolution. For that time Iona
Brikhnevich was a priest already and he was arrested for a revolutionary
activity and positions in
Metekhi prison. He has too many photos taken with the prisoners. Among these
persons there were – Mikheil Botchorishvili, one of the closest comrades and like-minded
person of Stalin in 1906, Iliko Imerlishvili Bolshevik terrorist, participant
of Ilia Chavchavadze’s murder, and others
22
The Georgian Central Historical Archives, Fund
440, Description 2, the case 18,
, page
108
*
church
metric book
23 The Georgian Central Historical Archives, Fund
440, Description 2, the case 39,
pages
36-37
*
the person mentioned in the letter
24
The Georgian Central Historical Archives, Fund 153,
Description 1, the case 3449, page
356
25 The Georgian Central Historical Archives, Fund 153, Description 1, the case 3349, page 356
26 Archives
of Internal Affairs Division II, (former party archive bodies), the Fund 8,
Description 2, Part I, the case 22, page 4
*
fashion dressmaker
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