Merab Kostava
Merab Kostava | |
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| მერაბ კოსტავა ( Georgian | |
| Known for | Soviet and Georgian dissident |
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Merab Kostava (Georgian: მერაბ კოსტავა) (May 26, 1939 – October 13, 1989) was a Georgian dissident, musician and poet; one of the leaders of the National-Liberation movement in Georgia. Along with Zviad Gamsakhurdia, he led the dissident movement in Georgia against the Soviet Union, until his death in a car crash in 1989.
Life
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Kostava was born in 1939 in
Kostava graduated from the Tbilisi State Conservatoire in 1962. From 1962–1977 he was a teacher at a local music school in Tbilisi.
In 1973, Kostava and Gamsakhurdia established the Initiative Group for defence of Human Rights. In 1976 Kostava co-founded the Georgian Helsinki Group (later renamed the Georgian Helsinki Union in 1989). From 1976–1977 and 1987–1989 Kostava was a member of the Governing Board of the abovementioned human rights organization. After 1975 Kostava was a member of Amnesty International.
In 1977, Kostava and Gamsakhurdia were arrested and jailed, charged with spreading anti-Soviet propaganda, the result of bringing a note to the pillaging of
Merab Kostava was active in the underground network of Samizdat publishers, co-publisher of the Georgian underground periodical "Okros Satsmisi" ("The Golden Fleece"). He was the author of many important literary and scientific works.
Death
On October 13, 1989, Merab Kostava died in a car crash near
Remembrance
There are streets named after Merab Kostava in Tbilisi, Batumi, Rustavi and Shindisi.[citation needed]
References
- ISBN 978-1-78-023030-6.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-25-320915-3.
- ^ Suny. The Making of the Georgian Nation. p. 320.
- ^ Rayfield. Edge of Empires. p. 379.
- ^ Kirtzkhalia, N. (October 27, 2013). "Georgian president awards National Hero title posthumously to Zviad Gamsakhurdia and Merab Kostava". Trend. Retrieved January 14, 2015.