It is impossible to publicize previously unknown documents about Ioseb Jugashvili that I have discovered in various archives in Georgia, without the analysis of the already-known materials. To some extent, the content of these new materials is different from the “true” facts that are already known to us. Although the information and documents, examined in this article, are to some extent contradictory, the analysis of them makes it evident that Ioseb Jughashvili’s Biography is not sufficiently studied.
First of all, I am presenting the metric record about the marital union which was recorded on May 17, 1874 in the so-called “Parish Register (church metric book)” of Gori “Soboro” (Charch). In particular, this is a marriage record between “Gori temporary resident, peasant Besarion Jugashvili, son of Ivane – of Orthodox faith, first marriage”, and his spouse – “Gori resident Ekaterine Geladze, daughter of the dead peasant Glakha Geladze, of Orthodox faith, first marriage”. The record contains the list of clergymen who conducted the marriage ceremony as well as the names of witnesses. Witnesses of the groom had been “Gori residents, peasants: Alexi Zozievi, son of Nikoloz, Nikoloz Kopinovi, son of Iase and Ivane Baramovi, son of Ioseb” ; witnesses of the bride had been “Gori residents: Ivane Mamasakhlisovi, son of Stephane, Ivane Mechitovi, son of Glakha and Stephane Galustovi, son of Giorgi”.
At this stage of the research, I will not make a detailed analysis of this and other documents, and will only point out that the information given in this document contradicts the reminiscence of Ioseb Jughashvili’s mother Ekaterine (Keke) Geladze who states the following: “We had two witnesses. Elder witness Iakofa Egnatashvili helped us greatly in founding the family and after that.
The following document in the so-called “Parish Register” of Gori “Soboro” is a birth record. According to the record, Ioseb Jugashvili was born on December 6, 1878 and was baptized on December 17. The document also includes the parents: “Gori resident, peasant Besarion Jugashvili son of Ivane and his wife (spiritual wife) Ekaterine daughter of Gabrieli, both of Orthodox Christian faith”. The godfather of the child has been “Gori resident peasant Mikheil Tsikhitatrishvili son of Shio”. The ceremony of christening was held by “Archpriest Khakhanov with Prichastnik Kvinikadze”.
It is interesting that in 1910 when Ioseb Jughashvili was arrested in Baku, he was taken a photo to be filed for Baku Gendarmerie Department and his birth date is recorded incorrectly – 1879. The document of this file also contains name “Koba” as Ioseb Jughashvili’s Party nickname and states other data. Presumably, historians have used Ioseb Jughashvili’s wrong birth date since that period. This document now is in the Party Archive of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia funds.
There are other very interesting documents about Ioseb Jughashvili which are in one of the case of Party Archive of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia:
“Copy of Birth-certificate extract of Gori Dormition Cathedral of Tbilisi Province. Ioseb Jughashvili was born in one thousand eight hundred seventy eight. In the paragraph gender male is mentioned: Ioseb was born on sixth (6) and baptized on seventeenth (17) December. His parents: a peasant Besarion Jugashvili and his legal wife Ekaterina Gabrielovna, both of them are Orthodox. He was christened by a peasant Mikheil Tsikhitatrishvili, residing at Gori. Christening ceremony was done by the Archpriest Solomon Khakhanovi with Kvinikadze who did Eucharist of a child. The certificate is issued on the basis of Besarion Jugashvili’s personal request on 19th of August 1886, Gori.
Priest of Gori Dormition Cathedral Gamrekeli
ჩუქება
