Some new data about Andria Benashvili’s work: after archive materials

Author: Dali Nikolaishvili
Keywords: Andria Benashvili, Historical Geography, Physical observatory of Georgia, Institute of Geography.
Annotation:

Andria Benashvili’s life and work has been widely highlighted in various literary sources; however, there are still many things from his work not commonly known today. The archival funds reserve a bulk of data showing the scientific, literary, military and public work of this prominent figure better, what is evidenced by a number of historical documents found by us. As one historical document dated by 1919, Ivane Javakhishvili developed “The Temporal Charter of the Physical Observatory of Georgia”; however, as the newly discovered documents in the archival funds evidence, Andria Benashvili also contributed to the development of the Charter. In 1920, the Board of the Meeting of Founders of the Democratic Republic of Georgia adopted “The Law on Establishment of the Physical Observatory of Georgia”. If comparing the wording of the Law to that of the two documents mentioned above, we will be made sure that the author of the normative document is Andria Benashvili. Andria Benashvili, together with Ivane Javakhishvili, was a member of the “Interdepartmental Commission established to clarify the issue of founding special Java Uyezd and introducing secular institutions to this Uyezd”. The Commission had to consider the requirement of Ossetian delegation about the founding Java Uyezd, a new administrative unit. The authority of these two persons was so great that the Commission headed by Grigol Gvelesiani decided to submit a report to the Government based on their views. It is possible that the restriction of founding Java Uyezd at that time was the merit of these two figures. Andria Benashvili worked to establish the Institute of Geography. It is known that Alexandre Javakhishvili worked for the same and achieved his goal. The primary goal of Alexandre Javakhishvili was to establish a kind of the scientific institution, which would undertake a systemic and thorough study of the nature and population. Andria Benashvili had a different view: first, he thought of establishing the Institute of Geography under the umbrella of the Georgian state and second, in his view, the primary purpose of the Institute of Geography was to be a cadastre survey of the whole territory of Georgia in a large scale and publication of general geographic maps in the Georgian language.

Lecture files:

Some new data about Andria Benashvili’s work: after archive materials [en]
ზოგიერთი სიახლე ანდრია ბენაშვილის მოღვაწეობიდან: ახალი სარქივო მასალების კვალდაკვალ [ka]