Salia Kalistrate

Salia Kalistrate (1901-1986), Kartvelologist (expert in Georgian Studies), Honorary Professor of Oslo University (1965), Member of the Mediterranean Academy (1968), Honorary Foreign Member of Georgian Historic Society (1977), Honorary Member of the Academy of Sciences of Georgia (1983). He was born in Jvali village, Georgia. In 1920 he entered Tbilisi University. In 1921 he left for foreign countries. He graduated from the Institute of German Language at Berlin University. In 1924 he settled in France and graduated from the Faculty of History and Literature of Paris University (1927). Starting from 1948, together with his wife N. SaliaKurtsikashvili, he published magazine Bedi Kartlisa (Destiny of Georgia). He researched the issues of Georgian history and history of Georgian literature (Origin of the Bagrationi Dynasty, Georgian Literature, Georgia, Brief Survey of Byzantine-Georgian Relations). He also published articles about Georgia in foreign Encyclopedias and rendered help to foreign Kartvelologists. He was the member of Asian, Linguistic, Historic, Byzantine Studies’ and many other Scientific Societies. From 1964 he held the position of the Vice President of International Scientific Press. His work The History of Georgian Nation that was published in French and English languages in Paris (1980) was awarded the prize of the Academy of Sciences of France.

K. Salia died in Paris. His ashes were buried at Didube Pantheon in Tbilisi.