David Devdariani

Who was David Devdariani?

David Devdariani was a Professor of Jurisprudence and Head of Law Faculty at Georgian Technical University. He was the son of the famous Georgian revolutionary Gaioz Devdariani who was executed during the Great Purge in 1938 by orders of Joseph Stalin. David was born in Tbilisi, Georgia and attended the Russian gymnasium in Ukraine. In 1950, just before applying for university studies in Tbilisi, he was arrested by MVD for being “the son of the enemy of the people” and charged with Article 58 of counter-revolutionary activities. In KGB operated jail Devdariani suffered a great ordeal of which effects lasted throughout his life.

While imprisoned Devdariani began a dissident activities for Independence of Georgia from USSR. In 1956 after condemnation of Stalinism in USSR, Devdariani was released by the orders of Nikita Khrushchev. Soon after his release Devdariani enrolled in the Tbilisi State University and graduated with honours from the Faculty of Law. In 1970s, he became the Head of the Faculty of Law and Jurisprudence at Georgian Polytechnic University and lived with his sister Medea Devdariani.