Tengiz Simashvili
Professor,
Head of Caucasus Scientific-Research
Center of Telavi State University
Ioseph Jughashvili (Stalin) and ‘’Nijaradze’’
Identification
The
article was published in Iv. Javakhishvili State University Proceedings, IX,
2015
I found out quite interesting materials about
Ioseb Jughashvili (Stalin). One of the most important documents was found out
in “Ilia Chavchavadze’s* Murder
Investigation of Tbilisi Criminal Investigation Department” kept in Central
Historical Archive of Georgia.
In a few days after Ilia
Chavchavadze’s murder, an operating officer of Tbilisi Criminal Investigation
Department, someone Pitskhelauri writes two letters to Petr Evtushevsky, head
of Tbilisi Criminal Investigation Department*
Actually they are unofficial notifications about the identity of the persons
participating in this murder case. Quoting the text:
“Dear Petr
Alexandrovich! Ilia Mtskheteli residing at village Mtskheta, Dusheti District,
should know about Ilia Chavchavadze’s murder. If he did not participate in the
crime, then he will know who did it as he knows who commits such a crime,
that’s why I suppose to arrest him. Besides, it is inevitable to arrest a
driver of the Victoria. As I’ve investigated he knows people who committed
Chavchavadze’s murder.
Sincerely, Yours
Pitskhelauri
Tpilisi city
This letter is interesting for the
researchers as on 4th of September 1907 it was known for the
investigation that Bolshevik terrorist Iliko Imerlishvili was participating in
Ilia Chavchavadze’s murder. The fact is that I. Imerlishvili’s nickname in a
terrorist organization which was created by Social-Democrat labour Party
members in Tbilisi – “Mtatsminda Group” was “Ilia Mtskheteli.” Accordingly,
about identity of Iliko Imerlishvili and “Ilia Mtskheteli” was known for the
police, however, investigation is not done in this regard. This letter,
existing in the above mentioned archive material, is followed by the second
letter sent to Petr Evtushevsky, head of Tbilisi Criminal Investigation
Department by Pitskhelauri, dated 5th of September 1907:
“Dear Petre
Alexandrovich! Nizharadze, a suspected in Ilia Chavchavadze’s murder, is
arrested in Borjomi; as I clarified secretly, a watch of the murdered was found
with him; the driver of the Phaeton is arrested as well. They do not want to
divulge about the watch as they think participants of the murder can be
hid.
Sincerely, Yours
Pitskhelauri
5th of
September 1907 year”2 I’ve mentioned about presumable
participation of “Ilia Mtskheteli” and
“Nizharadze” in Ilia Chavchavadze’s murder in my book published in 2011 –
“Social – Democrat Bolshevik Terrorists Murderers of Ilia Chavchavadze”.* I think that by highlighting a number
of newly found documents, in my works I clearly substantiated both identity of
the nicknames - “Ilia Mtskheteli” and “Imereli“ to Iliko Imerlishvili and Iliko
Imerlishvili’s direct participation in Ilia Chavchavadze’s murder. However, I
did not publish the results and detailed analysis of my research carried out in
order to identify “Nizharadze” - presumable participant in Ilia Chavchavadze’s
murder. I was trying to find additional materials as this surname may contains
too much important information about studying Ioseb Jughashvili’s (Stalin)
biography.
The fact is that in 1908 Ioseb
Besarion Jughashvili was arrested in Baku with a fake passport on the name of
Gaioz Beso Nizharadze. There are copies of the archived documents related with
this issue in Party Archive of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia. One
of the papers is a secret letter sent by the Head of Baku Gendarmerie Province
Department on 31 May 1908 to the Deputy Head of Kutaisi Gendarmerie Province
Department in Batumi Region:
“On 25th of March of the
current year a person residing at Baku with a fake passport on the name of
Gaioz Beso Nizharadze was arrested in Baku. During interrogation Nizharadze
confessed that his real name is Ioseb Besarion Jughashvili and he is a peasant
of Didi Lilo village society of Tbilisi Province and District, and in 1902 he
was arrested by Kutaisi Gendarmerie Province Department in Batumi for
propagation and exiled in Yakutsk for three years; in 1904 he left the place of
exile willfully. Attaching the photo in order to
identify the person depicted on it and personated himself as Jughashvili; if he
was accused and what kind of information do you have about him.
This document is known for the
historians, but the document retrieved by me about someone “Nizharadze“
participating in Ilia Chavchavadze’s murder was unknown. That’s why I’ve
mentioned above that I’d like to retrieve improved materials and then publish
my analysis. Unfortunately, because of different objective reasons which I will
mention at the end, I did not have an opportunity to do this.
From the materials retrieved
currently becomes clear that a fake passport on the name of Gaioz Nizharadze
was issued on 7th of April 1906 year.4
It is likely that Ioseb Jughashvili “bought“ it instead of the passport issued
on the name of Giorgi Berdzenishvili which was seized by the police in March
1906.
There is another document which
related with the identity of Ioseb Besarion Jughashvili and Gaioz Beso
Nizharadze, too. This is a copy of superscription (resolution) on a letter of
the Head of Tbilisi Gendarmerie Province Department dated with the 10th
of June 1908 sent to the Head of Baku Gendarmerie Province Department 31 of May
1908:
“...
A person with a fake passport on the name of Gaioz Beso Nizharadze residing at
Baku confessed that his real name is Ioseb Besarion Jughashvili - a peasant of
Didi Lilo village society of Tbilisi Province and District, and in 1902 he was
arrested by Kutaisi Gendarmerie Province Department in Batumi for Tbilisi
Social – Democratic Party and exiled in Yakutsk for three years; in 1904 he
left the place of exile willfully“.5
In this document Ioseb Jughashvili’s
party affiliation is already specified. In the next document – a secret letter
by Deputy Head of Kutaisi Gendarmerie Province Department in Batumi Region dated
with 13th of June 1908 sent to the Head of Baku Gendarmerie Province
Department, it is written: “In response of your letter dated with 31 May 1908
I’d like to let you know that Ioseb Besarion Jughashvili, a peasant of Didi
Lilo village society of Tbilisi Province and District, was arrested and exiled
in Yakutsk for three years for propagation in 1902. In fact in my subordinate
clause he was related with the investigation of an anti-state case.* His crime was that he was a main head
and teacher for Batumi labors as well as labors’ revolutionary movement which
was expressed in distribution (disperse) of propaganda leaflets and call for
overthrow the existing system. According to the photo, none of my employee and
police officer could identify Jughashvili because of passing a long period of
time.
Also I think it is necessary to add
that the above mentioned Jughashvili, as it is shown in the materials of the
point under my leadership, as an accused he was really related with the
investigation of “the circle of Tbilisi Social -Democrat Labor Party“ done by
Tbilisi Gendarmerie Province Department and was a main accused.
Signature:
Captain of cavalry ...“6
As I mentioned, the copies of the
above named documents are kept in Party Archive of the Ministry of Internal
Affairs of Georgia. And below mentioned document is a resolution of
General-Major Kozintsev, a head of Baku Gendarmerie Province Department, dated
with 4th of August 1908 and sent to the head of Tbilisi Gendarmerie
Province Department.* There
is the following original kept in one of the cases of Central Historic Archive
of Georgia:
“Resolution # 4287
On 4th of August 1908 in
Baku I, the head of Baku Gendarmerie Province Department, General-Major
Kozintsev, discussed the correspondence in order to state the political
reliability of a person who was named as Kaikhosro Nizharadze and in fact, who
seemed to be Ioseb Besarion Jughashvili, and I found out as follows:
On 25th of March of the
current year Baku Criminal Investigation Department arrested an unknown person
who names himself as Kaikhosro Nizharadze, resident of village Maglaki of
Kutaisi district, and which had a party correspondence during searching. In the
correspondence on this issue it was cleared out that Nizharadze is Ioseb
Besarion Jughashvili - a peasant of Didi Lilo village society of Tbilisi
Province and District, and in 1902 he was related with the investigation by
Kutaisi Gendarmerie Province Department according to article 251 and Tbilisi Gendarmerie
Province Department, the first part of article 251. Finally the case has been
solved administratively and Jughashvili was exiled in the Eastern Siberia under
an open supervision of police and from where he has escaped and he was wanted
by the police department circular on the 1st of May 1904. Since 25th
of March of the current year Ioseb Jughashvili is arrested in Baku prison. I
suppose to exile Ioseb Besarion Jughashvili for three years in the Eastern
Siberia under supervision of police.
Verified: the above mentioned
correspondence should be sent to Baku in a disposal of city head.
Information about Ioseb jughashvili’s
activity under the surname of “Nizharadze“ and his arrest in March 1908 is
given not only Lavrenti Beria’s book but in other authors‘ works as well,
including modern ones; I will mention this below. And now I would like to note
that in the archive document mentioned above considering someone “Nizharadze“
as a killer of Ilia Chavchavadze somehow shows us completely newly a friend of
youth of Ioseb Jughashvili (Stalin), Ioseb Iremashvili’s point of view
expressed in his book published in 1932 in Berlin ‘’Stalin and the Tragedy of
Georgia - point is that Ioseb Jughashvili had a relation with Ilia
Chavchavadze’s murder.
Thus, on the one hand, concurrence of
the surnames directly suggests Ioseb Jughashvili’s participation in Ilia
Chavchavadze’s murder. On the other hand, while working on the materials of
Ilia Chavchavadze’s murder, treating materials existing in Georgian archives
about physical murderers of Ilia – Iliko Imerlishvili, Ivane Inashvili, Pavle
Pshavlishvili and Gigla Berbitchashvili, I could not find any other allusion
about the participation of “Nizharadze“ or Ioseb Jugashvili in this murder.
As it is said in the above mentioned
document Nizharadze, suspected in Ilia Chavchavadze’s murder, had Ilia’s watch
with him when he was arrested. I consider it interesting for the reader that
Stalin, as well as many other people, had a hobby – he was collecting the
watches. In 1940-1949 years in the memories of a head of „Sovnarkom“ affairs* I. E. Chaadaev mentioned that Stalin
was collecting the watches and he had a collection including both wrist-watches
and the so called pocket watches.8 I’ve
investigated identity, activity of revolutionists, terrorists, members of “Red
Detachment“ acting that period of time in Borjomi and surrounding territories
as far as it was possible. Including a surrounding of Aleksandre (Christoferus)
Tsagurishvili – “Poria,“ one of the most famous robber and terrorist acting in
Borjomi Gorge for that time. This person was connected and had friendly
relationship to the participant of Ilia Chavchavadze’s murder, Bolshevik
terrorist Iliko Imerlishvili, as well as Kamo (Ter-Petrosyan), Batchua
Kuprashvili and others. However, I could not find any terrorist acting under
the name of Gaioz Nizharadze or just Nizharadze in Borjomi in 1906-1908 yet.
In
return for, during the research process it was found out that in March 1908
there was someone Sh. Nizharadze who was imprisoned in Bailov prison in Baku
with Ioseb Jughashvili. In one of the documents we read: “Stalin was imprisoned
in Bailov prison, in the third jail ward, there was Sergo Orjonikidze in this
jail as well... we wanted to escape from the third jail ward and we brought Sh.
Nizharadze inside“.9 I
retrieved a photo of someone Shalva Vasil Nizharadze in the files of Tbilisi Gendarmerie
Province Department, thus, I could not find any additional material about him
yet and still continue searching concerning this issue.
Herewith,
I’d like to mention that a part of authors of the works about Ioseb Jughashvili
variously refer “Nizharadze“ into the connection of him. For example, V. S.
Kraskova in his book “Crimes into the Kremlin Walls“ writes: “there were more
people inside the dungeon in which Vishinski had appeared than it was possible.
Bed was occupied by one person who was brought there in March. In police papers
he was mentioned as Gaioz Nizharadze. Prisoners called him Koba, but his real
name was Ioseb Besarion Jughashvili, or Stalin. In the corner, a leg-bended,
backwarded from everyone, he was learning “future language“ Esperanto during
the hours.“10
And
M. S. Aldanov wrote: “After a “failure“ of the first revolution Lenin’s right
hand in implementation of “expropriation“ became - at that time already a
well-known Caucasian “militant“ with a revolutionary nickname “Koba“ identic
“Daviti,“ “Nizharadze,“ “Chizhikovi,“ “Ivanovich,“
almighty Russian dictator Ioseb Besarion Jughashvili“.11
According to another author, Soviet diplomat (the
former left-wing Socialist-Revolutionaries) G. Z. Besedovski, a fugitive in the
West Europe in 1929, Stalin was agreed about the actions for robberies with
Lenin: “I. Jughashvili – Koba ... started completing the orders of his leader
and got a new nickname. Now he was called Nizharadze. He started leading a
militant activity under this nickname. Soon Nizharadze found a very good leader
for a combat organization, Armenian, Petrosyan.12
According to Besedovski, Nizharadze – Stalin not
only leading expropriations, but he was participating in them himself:
“Nizharadze fired the first bomb from the roof of Sumbatov’s house during the
expropriation on 13th of June 1907.“13
For various reasons, I could not
retrieve archival documents, which can prove opinions of the above mentioned
authors. However, considering that a number of authors think that Stalin was
directly leaded and participated in the expropriation on 13th of
June 1907, I think continuing the research in this direction will give us quite
interesting results. Moreover, retrieved several archive cases unknown up
today as well as separated documents where the speech is about additional
episodes that Ioseb Jughashvili’s closest surrounding was participated in the expropriation on Erevan Square on 13th
of June 1907.
As for Nizharadze, while searching
his identity, it was cleared out that knyaz Nizharadze is mentioned at the end
of 1905 and at the beginning of 1906, in a book of a famous mystic and
philosophic George Ivan Gurjiev residing at Georgia – “Meetings with Famous People.”* At the beginning of 1900ies “Knyaz* Nizharadze” was a participant of an
expedition in the countries of Persian Bay with George Gurjiev in order to
retrieve a secret (esoteric) knowledge. According to existing notes, in the
above mentioned book of George Gurjiev a separated chapter was dedicated to
“Knyaz Nizharadze,” but for some reasons the author did not publish it.
Some of the authors consider Ioseb
Jughashvili under the name of “Knyaz Nizharadze,” as they think he was a pupil
of George Gurjiev and they interpret the relation of these two persons
variously. *From the documents
retrieved during the research process it is clear that in March – April 1906
George Gurjiev was teaching how to make explosives, barricade fighting in the
city, and other “useful skills” to the six-persons group including Bolsheviks
and Mensheviks. Teaching place was located on a top floor of a famous “Avlabari
Illegal Printing House” building. Even
more, a number of sources name him as a police agent, a traitor of the so called
“Military – Technical Group” and “Avlabari Illegal Printing House.” Historian Aleksandre
Kotchlavashvili dedicated a wide research enough to this issue under the title
– “His Real Identity” which is kept in his archive and is not published yet.
Moreover, the author translated his research in Russian as well, but the title
in Russian version is “George Gurjiev – an Agent of Tsarist “Okhranka.”
According to Aleksandre Kotchlavashvili, George
Gurjiev was “a secret agent” of Tsarist Government. However, from the analysis
of archive materials retrieved by me, George Gurjiev as an agent of secret
police of Russia at that period of time is not approved. On the contrary, as it
turns out he was in a close relation with Social – Democrats. According to one
source, George Gurjiev was recommended as a teacher for “Military – Technical
Group” by Bolshevik Mikha Botchoridze, and according to another one, by a
famous Menshevik Silibistro Jibladze. And it is interesting as well that during
the Soviet period George Gurjiev was named as a Menshevik.14
According to archive documents,
George Gurjiev lived in Khashuri in January 1906. Moreover, he was teaching the
activists of Social – Democrat Party including Vladimer (Valerian) Bilanov
(Bilanishvili) how to make explosives. Presumably, with Iliko Imerlishvili,
Aleksandre (Sasha) Oboladze, Gigla Berbitchashvili* and others he was mentioned as a member
of armed detachments of the both parties (Mensheviks and Bolsheviks) of Social
– Democrats created in order to avoid Armenian-Tatars attack in autumn 1905.
According to various information, these armed detachments were leaded by
Isidore Ramishvili from Menshevik party, and Ioseb Jughashvili from Bolshevik
party.
Herewith, it is interesting and
trustworthy that some of the authors consider that not George Gurjiev or other
person, or a group of persons, but Ioseb Jughashvili was a traitor of “Avlabari
Illegal Printing House“. Avlabari Printing House“ was located in a basement and
in March – April 1906 rooms of upper floors were used for “studying“ of the
united the so called “Military – Technical Group“ of Bolshevik-Mensheviks. In
addition, if we consider that the closest friend, comrade of Ioseb Jughashvili,
Mikha Botchoridze (Botchorishvili) was connected to “Avlabari Illegal Printing
House,“ I think it is required to carry out additional researches about this
issue.
In foreign archives, funds including
France, United State of America, there are a number of materials and documents
which deals with Ioseb Jughashvili’s (Stalin) biography. For example, from the
analysis of materials retrieved by me we can find answers in the so called
Russian archive materials of Hoover Institute of Stanford University, Russian archive
funds of Illinois University Library and others; answers which
can confirm or deny
identity of Nizharadze, a presumable participant in Ilia Chavchavadze’s murder,
to Ioseb Jughashvili.
P.S.
Unfortunately, up today I could not find a sponsor for scientific – research projects among the representatives of both local and foreign funds existing in Georgia, because of the “reasons” well-known for Georgian scientific – researchers and independent from us; funding is definitely required in order to continue research either in Georgia or abroad. Accordingly, I hope the questions put by me will be answered in future by the researchers who “can knack” to gain sources required in order to search materials in archives and funds existing on abroad.
*
Ilia Chavchavadzewas a great Georgian Writer, Father of nation. According to
archival and other historical documents, four people participated in the
assassination of Ilia Chavchavadze. On August 30, 1907, the killers awaited
Ilia Chavchavadze’s Phaeton on the road between Tsitsamuri and Saguramo, a few
kilometers away from Saguramo. Ilia Chavchavadze and his servant were killed,
and Ilia’s wife was beaten brutally.
* Petr
Evtushevski was investigating Ilia Chavchavadze’s murder
* It’s
interesting that “Nizharadze” and “Ilia Mtskheteli” are mentioned as suspected
in Ilia Chavchavadze’s murder in the table of contents of the mentioned archive
material
3 Archives of Internal Affairs
Division II, (former party archive bodies), the Fund 8, Description 5, the
case 207, page 27
5 Archives
of Internal Affairs Division II, (former party archive bodies), the Fund 8,
Description 5, the case 207, page 53
* There was
a subordinate department of Tbilisi “Okhranka“ in Batumi, the so called Batumi
“Okhranka“ point
6 Archives
of Internal Affairs Division II, (former party archive bodies), the Fund 8,
Description 5, the case 207, page 28
* The copy
of this document, as it seems from the analysis of the text that it is taken
from Baku archive, I retrieved in Lavrenti Beria’s report published as a book –
L. Beria “For the Issue of Bolshevik Organizations History of Transcaucasia.“
(Report at Tbilisi Party Meeting 21-22 July 1935) the sixth edition, 1945 year.
Pages 208-209
* Council of
Public Commissars of the Soviet Union
9 Archives
of Internal Affairs Division II, (former party archive bodies), the Fund 8,
Description 2-1, the case 42, page 33-39
11 Е. Н. Гусляров, ,,Сталин в жизни :
систематизированный свод воспоминаний современников ...'', Москва, 2003, Страница 60
* George Gurjiev’s being in Tbilisi
during these years is approved by the archival documents retrieved by me. I
will offer a research about this issue in another work
* nobleman
* There is
a number of materials about the relation of Giorge Gurjiev and
Stalin-Nizharadze in currently published popular occult, esoteric literature as
well as in the Internet resources. This information is quite motley and
cognitive. The speech is about the topic such as esoteric-mystical schools,
occult practice and etc. which goes beyond my competence. Accordingly, I can’t
discuss them as documentary material for analyzing, as well as concerning
reliability and factuality of existing information
* all were
Bolsheviks
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