Akakii Ionovich Beliashvili

Born Apr. 11 (24), 1903, in Chiatura; died Dec. 14, 1961. Soviet Georgian writer.

Beliashvili studied at Tbilisi Polytechnical Institute beginning in 1921. During the 1920’s he joined the group of Georgian futurists known as Levizna (leftism). In 1937 he published short stories portraying daily scenes and the life of the Georgian people at work, ridiculing the survivals of the past. In the historical novel Besiki (1942–47), devoted to the life of the poet and political figure Besiki Gabashvili, Beliashvili describes the stormy events in 18th-century Georgia and the struggle against the Turkish and Persian conquerors, and he reconstructs the figure of King lraklii II, the farsighted political leader and fearless military commander. The same period is depicted in the novel The Golden Tent (book 1, 1952). The novel The Pass (1956) presents problems concerning the upbringing of Soviet youth. In the novels Rustavi (parts 1–2, 1959–60) and Shvidkatsi (1960), Beliashvili describes the life and heroic labor exploits of the progressive people of socialist industry. He was awarded two orders.