GORI STATE UNIVERSITY Faculty of Humanities
CENTRE OF HISTORY AND ARCHAEOLOGY
Collection of Works #24
ISSN 1512-4657
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Biography
of Ioseb Jughashvili (Stalin) and Telavi
(Based
on Archival Materials)
Tengiz Simashvili
Doctor of Historical Sciences
A
large part of scholars studying the biography of Ioseb Jughashvili (Stalin)
believe that from the early 1920s onward, numerous documents were withdrawn
from various archives, including those in Tbilisi, Baku, and others. Under the
conditions of a totalitarian state, this was certainly possible, but today it
is very difficult to confirm or deny these facts without concrete evidence.
However,
as we will see below, quite interesting documents concerning Ioseb Jughashvili
have been preserved in the archives existing in Georgia. For the purpose of
this study, I have selected only a small portion from the vast number of
documents I found — these are materials stored in the so-called Party Archive
of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia (former "IMELI" — the
Tbilisi branch of the Marx-Engels-Lenin Institute). Among these are memoirs
written during the Soviet period by old revolutionaries residing in the city of
Telavi and the Telavi district. They mention Ioseb Jughashvili’s (Stalin’s)
arrival in early 1906 in the city of Telavi and nearby villages, as well as his
revolutionary activities. This information is not reflected or confirmed in any
of the officially published biographies of Ioseb Jughashvili (Stalin) to date.
In
one of the documents of the so-called Party Archive of the Ministry of Internal
Affairs of Georgia, which belongs to Nikoloz Zakro’s son Zamukashvili, a
resident of the village of Iyalto in the Telavi district, the participation of
Ioseb Jughashvili in a meeting held in the village of Osiauri in the Telavi district
is described:
“Comrade Koba spoke at the meeting about the repression and reaction of the
autocracy and the actions of the Black Hundreds. He sharply raised the issue of
creating Red Squads and appointing their leaders. Indeed, immediately after the
meeting ended, the leaders of the Red Squads of the Telavi and Signagi
districts were appointed” (MIA, 8, 17: 38-40).
In
the memoirs of Vano Dimitris dze Ebelashvili, a resident of the village of
Kurdgelauri, it is also noted that he: “attended a meeting in the village of
Osiauri, where Koba spoke... he also attended a meeting against the autocracy
near Telavi, in Old Shuamta, where again Koba spoke” (MIA, 8, 58: 10).
Another
document authored by residents of the city of Telavi states:
“We especially remember a young orator whom we called Koba and who came to
Telavi in the spring of 1906, and as far as we recall, Comrade Koba stayed in
Telavi for more than two months. He mostly spent nights with the women of
Chkhubianishvili and sometimes with Comrade Aleksa Karaulashvili and others.
Comrade Koba was not constantly in Telavi. He often went with Khareba Jibuti
and Solia Bitskinashvili to various villages of the Telavi district, where they
called illegal peasant gatherings and meetings... Under the leadership of
Comrade Koba, a Red Squad was formed in Telavi against the Black Hundreds of
the nobility. The leaders of the squad were Aleksa Karaulashvili, Khareba
Jibuti, Solia Bitskinashvili, Melitona, Akvesenti Sidamonidze, and others. The
Red Squads had clashes with the Black Hundreds” (MIA, 8, 17: 41-42).
In
one of the documents preserved in the Central Historical Archive of Georgia,
sent in June 1910 by the head of the Tbilisi Detective Police Department to the
head of the Gendarmerie Provincial Directorate of Tbilisi, it is noted about
Solka, also known as Sosia Bitskinashvili, that he was:
“a prominent activist of the Telavi organization of the Tbilisi Committee of
the Russian Social-Democratic Labour Party and a well-known terrorist” (CHAG,
94, 53:96).
From
archival materials, it appears that the aforementioned persons — Aleksa
Karaulashvili, Khareba Jibuti, and others — were supporters of the Bolshevik
faction of the local organization of the Social-Democratic Labour Party in
Telavi and the Telavi district (Simashvili, Monograph, 2020).
In the fonds of the Party Archive of
the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia, the memoir of Soso Stefanes dze
Aivazov (Aivazashvili), a resident of Telavi, is preserved (MIA, 93,11:2-6),
along with his autobiography (MIA, 93,11:7-9). In the memoir, we read:
“In January 1906 (I do not remember the exact date), Koba (Ioseb Stalin) was
coming from Tbilisi to Gurjaani for a conference, but since the police were
chasing him to arrest him — he could not attend the conference and stopped in
Telavi. My brother Giorgi and Vano Alikhanashvili (Khunkhudza) brought him to
our place, from where we helped him escape to Tbilisi” (MIA, 93,11:2-6).
In
his autobiography, the author says nothing further about Ioseb Jughashvili but
confirms that in 1906 a conference of “Red Squads” was held in the village of
Velistsikhe:
“According to the decision of the Velistsikhe conference, armed district squads
were founded in Telavi under the leadership of comrades Khunkhudza, M. Zhgent,
and A. Sidamonidze.”
In
the autobiography, he also mentions Khareba Jobuti, Kiro Gelovani, Akvesenti
Sidamonidze, Keto Zaraphishvili, and other persons from the Telavi district who
were actively involved in the revolutionary movement (MIA, 93,11:7-9).
The
Telavi Historical Museum also preserves memoirs of Telavi residents about Ioseb
Jughashvili’s stay in Telavi. For example, in letters written in 1936 by Vano
Alikhanashvili and Kiro (Kirile) Gelovani addressed to Nikolaz Vashadze, we
read that in 1906 Nikolaz Vashadze was an assistant to the clerk of the Telavi
district, Bok’auli, and it was he who saved “Koba” from arrest:
“During the period of the Black Reaction, you saved Comrade Koba from being
arrested by the Cossacks. If not for you, the arrested Koba would have been
killed by the Cossacks in revenge. Thus, you saved the pride of our country,
the beloved leader of the world proletariat, the wise genius, our precious
Stalin — this is a great deed” (Vashadze:6).
In
the personal archive of Aleksandre Mamulashvili, former director of the Telavi
Historical Museum, there are “Memoirs about Stalin’s journey in Kakheti.” In
March 1938, the following was transcribed from the handwritten autobiography of
Ivane Nikolazis dze Uznadze:
“According to the proposal of the Bolshevik faction, it was decided to convene
a Social-Democratic conference in the town of Signagi. For this purpose,
delegates arrived in Signagi on January 3 or 4, but since police spies became
aware, the conference venue was changed to Velistsikhe... Delegates from
Tbilisi came to me in the village of Gurjaani. I clearly remember among them
Comrade Koba (Ioseb Stalin). Due to the pursuit of spies, when we arrived at my
place, I quickly bought peasant clothes and dressed him: a shirt, trousers, a
wrinkled Kakhetian chokha, a sheepskin coat, a fur hat, a worn-out cloak, and a
hooded cape wrapped over his head. Dressed like this, accompanied by two
peasants, he set off on foot in the winter snowstorm along the Gombori road
towards Tbilisi” (Mamulashvili:11).
The
author then describes the conference held on January 5, 1906, in Velistsikhe
and writes:
“After much exchange of opinions, the supporters of civil war won, and Comrade
Stalin’s resolution was adopted.”
It
is also noted:
“In May 1906, with the agreement of the Tbilisi and Telavi committees, Vano
Guruli (Khunkhudza) ambushed the post between Tsinandali and Telavi with seven
Red Squad members. The post was carrying treasury money to Tbilisi and was
escorted by 19 police officers and 100 Cossacks. Near Nasomkhara, Guruli and
the mentioned squad members engaged in a shootout with the Cossacks”
(Mamulashvili:15).
In
a memoir written in June 1938 by Tinatin Burchuladze, mother of the Telavi
revolutionary David Burchuladze, the author states that her son and other
revolutionaries were brought illegal literature such as the newspapers “Iskra,”
“Sakartvelo,” and others from Tbilisi. She also confirms Ioseb Jughashvili’s
presence in Telavi:
“Koba lived in my house for two weeks, occupying a small room where he read,
wrote, and in the evenings prepared documents” (Mamulashvili:34).
In
February 1938, Aleksandre Mamulashvili recorded the memoir of Archil
Megrelishvili, a resident of the village of Tsinandali, who said:
“Comrade Koba was in the village of Tsinandali in early spring 1906, I don’t
remember which month exactly. He was accompanied by two men — one was
Khunkhudza, the other I don’t remember” (Mamulashvili:21).
The
Telavi Historical Museum also holds a document titled: “Copies of Copies.
Memoirs of various persons about Comrade Stalin’s stay in Kakheti in 1906 (sent
to Moscow ‘CC’ on December 24, 1938),” which contains information about
Stalin’s presence in Kakheti in 1906 (Mamulashvili:62).
In another document titled:
"Letter to F. Makharadze, can he confirm Stalin’s presence in
Kakheti," we read:
"To
the Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Georgian SSR, F.
Makharadze. The Telavi Regional Studies Museum has collected very interesting
materials regarding Stalin’s activities in Kakheti. For the purpose of
providing leadership to revolutionary organizations, Stalin had been in various
towns and villages of Kakheti." (Mamoulashvili: 86).
This
letter is dated July 5, 1938, and it describes Stalin’s attendance at the
“Velistsikhe Conference,” his stay in Telavi, and more. It also states: “We
addressed the Marx-Engels-Lenin Institute, but we did not receive a
satisfactory response from there either” (Mamoulashvili: 86).
On
September 29, 1938, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Georgian SSR,
presumably authored by F. Makharadze, sent a letter to: “Comrade Mamoulashvili,
Director of the Telavi Regional Studies Museum.” In response to your extremely
important letter concerning our great and beloved leader Comrade Stalin’s
presence in Kakheti during the period of the 1905 revolution, I must inform you
the following: I know for certain that during the 1905 revolution, Comrade
Stalin had to go to Kakheti for agitation and propaganda purposes” (Arutinov:
37).
At
the end of the letter, we read: “I think you acted entirely correctly when you
approached the direct participants of the events regarding Stalin’s presence in
Kakheti in early 1906 and also about the Velistsikhe conference, interviewed
these living witnesses, and subsequently verified their testimonies. This is
indeed a scientific approach to the matter” (Arutinov: 37).
Apparently,
the above-mentioned letters and the facts they contain were somewhat reflected
in a document preserved in the archives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs
titled: “The Sector for the Study of the Life and Activities of I. B. Stalin at
the Marx-Engels-Lenin Institute, Georgian Branch, under the Central Committee
of the Communist Party (Bolsheviks) of Georgia.”
This
is a nine-page research paper dated February 1945, entitled: “Information about
I. B. Stalin’s Presence in Kakheti in 1905-1907.” It is entirely “dedicated” to
the activities of Joseph Dzhugashvili (Stalin) in Kakheti (MIA Archives, 8, 24,
38-45).
The
authors of this “study” aimed to: “Investigate in which villages and locations
of Kakheti Stalin had to be present and active. Based on the information
already collected, which exists only in the form of memories, it appears that
Stalin, after returning from Tammerfors, traveled to various villages in
Kakheti… In 1905, mass revolutionary uprisings and armed struggle were
relatively less frequent in Kakheti’s villages… For organizing party work and
assisting the peasant masses… I. B. Stalin personally had to travel to various
places in Kakheti… We have information from twenty-five people confirming
Stalin’s arrival in Kakheti. There is more material regarding the Telavi
district, as well as some on the Signagi district, but these accounts cannot
yet be considered final or fully verified” (MIA Archives, 8, 24, 38-45).
The
authors of the study listed the towns and villages in Kakheti that Joseph
Dzhugashvili visited. It is noted that Stalin was in the town of Telavi at
various times, including January 1906. He attended meetings and rallies, spoke
publicly, and engaged in debates with Mensheviks and Socialist-Federalists.
The
document names various residents of Telavi at whose homes Stalin spent the
night: Data Burdzhuladze, Sandro Sukhitashvili, Giorgi and Soso Aivazashvili
(Aivazov), among others. It also lists many people, including residents of
Telavi, who confirmed Joseph Dzhugashvili’s visits to Telavi (MIA Archives, 8,
24, 38-45).
In documents dated 1906–1908, the
local authorities of the Russian Empire referred to the members of the “Khareba
and Gogia” group active in Telavi and the Telavi district as terrorists of the
Social Democratic Party (MIA Archives, 113, 726: 30).
Giorgi
Berdzenishvili, nicknamed "Jorjika," was considered a member of the
“Khareba and Gogia” group (MIA Archives, 17, 7915: 3). Giorgi Berdzenishvili
originated from the village of Iyalto in the Telavi district. This village is
located near the village known at that time as Osiauri, where, according to the
memories of contemporaries cited above, Joseph Dzhugashvili (Stalin) presumably
attended and spoke at a rally in the first half of 1906, probably in early
January.
From
the materials available to us, it appears that in the second half of January
1906, Joseph Dzhugashvili returned to Tbilisi from Kakheti. This document
states that Joseph Dzhugashvili and the revolutionary close to him, Giorgi
Aivazov (Aivazashvili), parted ways near Sagarejo — Dzhugashvili went to
Tbilisi, while Giorgi Aivazov (Aivazashvili) returned to Telavi via the
so-called “Gombori route” (MIA Archives, 8, 24, 38-45).
On
the way, Giorgi Aivazov (Aivazashvili) was attacked and killed by policemen or
“guards.” As for Joseph Dzhugashvili, it is known that on January 28, 1906,
while lying ill in one of the clandestine apartments in Tbilisi, he was almost
arrested during a military patrol’s search of the apartment. According to some
sources, this apartment belonged to Vaso Berdzenishvili (MIA Archives, 8, 5:
91). Joseph Dzhugashvili was carrying a false passport in the name of Giorgi
Berdzenishvili (MIA Archives, 558, 658: 222–223).
It
is reasonable to suggest that Joseph Dzhugashvili obtained this passport in
January 1906 during his stay in the Telavi district from the terrorist Giorgi
Berdzenishvili. However, objectivity requires noting that in various personal
memories connected with Joseph Dzhugashvili, a certain Giorgi Berdzenishvili is
mentioned who lived in Tbilisi at that time. Whether this person and the
terrorist Giorgi Berdzenishvili were the same individual, and whose passport
Joseph Dzhugashvili actually used at the end of January 1906, remains to be
determined.
In
the letter dated September 29, 1938, sent presumably by Filipe Makharadze from
the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Georgian SSR to “Comrade
Mamoulashvili, Director of the Telavi Regional Studies Museum,” it is noted
that regarding Stalin’s presence in Kakheti at the beginning of 1906:
“Continuing work is not only desirable but absolutely necessary” (Arutinov:
37). However, during the Soviet period, for various reasons, research in this
direction was not continued.
Thus,
the above materials are quite significant, and we believe that their content
allows for raising new questions regarding Joseph Dzhugashvili’s (Stalin’s)
official biography and calls for the continuation of research in this area.
References:
·
Archive of the Ministry of Internal
Affairs (Former Archive of Party Organs), Fund 93, Inventory 2, File 11
·
Archive of the Ministry of Internal
Affairs (Former Archive of Party Organs), Fund 8, Inventory 2, Part 2, File 24
·
Archive of the Ministry of Internal
Affairs (Former Archive of Party Organs), Fund 8, Inventory 2, Part 2, File 5
·
Archive of the Ministry of Internal
Affairs (Former Archive of Party Organs), Fund 558, Inventory 4, File 658
·
Archive of the Ministry of Internal
Affairs (Former Archive of Party Organs), Fund 8, Inventory 6, File 17
·
Archive of the Ministry of Internal
Affairs (Former Archive of Party Organs), Fund 8, Inventory 2 (1), File 58
·
Central Historical Archive of
Georgia, Fund 17, Inventory 1, File 7915
·
Central Historical Archive of
Georgia, Fund 113, Inventory 27, File 726
·
Central Historical Archive of
Georgia, Fund 94, Inventory 1, File 53
·
Materials Depicting the 1905
Revolutionary Movement in Kakheti, Activities of I.B. Stalin in Kakheti during
1905–1907, Memoirs of Arshaka Arutinov (1934–1938), Telavi Historical Museum,
F.10826, Notebook 7
·
Materials Depicting the 1905
Revolutionary Movement in Kakheti, Activities of I.B. Stalin in Kakheti during
1905–1907, Nikoloz Vashadze (1934–1938), Telavi Historical Museum, F.11857,
Notebook 38
·
Materials Depicting the 1905
Revolutionary Movement in Kakheti, Activities of I.B. Stalin in Kakheti during
1905–1907, Alexandre Mamulashvili (1934–1938), Telavi Historical Museum,
F.11859, Notebook 68
·
Simashvili, Tengiz. 2020. Kakhetian
Terrorists and Unknown Details (Akvsenti Sidamonidze, Khareba and Gogia, Zaliko
Svimonishvili, and others) (Monograph). Tbilisi.
·
Simashvili,
Tengiz ‘’Fake Grave of Stalin’s Father and Modernity: Materials for Biography
of Joseph Stalin’’. Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vol
2: Issue III
ISSN: 2706 – 8242, Jul - Sep 2020
Ioseb Jughashvili's (Stalin) Biography and Telavi
(According to Archival Materials)
Tengiz
Simashvili
Iakob
Gogebashvili Telavi State University, Doctor of History
A
large part of scientists studying the biography of Ioseb
Jughashvili (Stalin) believe
that since the beginning of the 1920s, numerous documents were removed from
various archives, including Tbilisi, Baku, etc. Under the conditions of a
totalitarian state, of course, this was possible, but without evidence today it
is very difficult to confirm or deny these facts. However, as we will see
below, quite interesting documents about Ioseb Jughashvili (Stalin) have survived in the archives in
Georgia.
The
presented research deals with the materials stored in the party archives of the
Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia, the Telavi Historical Museum. These
are the memories of old revolutionaries living in Telavi city and Telavi
district, written during the Soviet period. They talk about the arrival of Ioseb
Jughashvili (Stalin) in
the town of Telavi and its neighboring villages at the beginning of 1906 and
his revolutionary activities.
In our opinion, the materials presented here
are quite important, and we think that their content gives the right to ask new
questions regarding the official biography of Ioseb
Jughashvili (Stalin),
and it is necessary to continue research in this direction.
