Gegechkori Giorgi

Gegechkori Giorgi (Gogi) (February 21, 1923, Tbilisi – March 11, 2003, Tbilisi) was a theater and cinema actor - a Honored Artist of Georgia (1966).

He graduated in 1944 from the Shota Rustaveli Theatre and Film University and joined the Shota Rustaveli Theatre troupe in Tbilisi, where he worked until the end of his life. On the stage of the Rustaveli Theatre, he played about 120 roles. Among them: Glumov (A. Ostrovsky's Sometimes the Wise Make Mistakes), Nikoloz Baratashvili (M. Mrevlishvili's The Fate of the Poet), Don Cesar (Dumanoir and A. d'Ennery's Don Cesar de Bazan), Ekvtime Katamadze (K. Buachidze's A Story of Love), the Wolf (G. Nakhutsrishvili's Chinchiraka), Gloucester, Buckingham, and the Witch (W. Shakespeare's King Lear, Richard III, Macbeth), Bopertui (E. Labish's Straw Hat), Plato (D. Kldishvili's Samanishvili’s Stepmother), Nathan the Wise (G. Lessing's Nathan the Wise), and others.

It is worth noting Gegechkori’s roles in other theaters: Narrator (Our Town, Th. Wilder's play adapted by R. Gabriadze, M. Tumanishvili's State Theatre of Film Actors), Guduli (N. Dumbadze's Longing, One Actor's Theatre), and others.

He performed about 50 roles in cinema, including: Vakhtang (Abazara, directed by N. Sanishvili, 1956), Besarion (Past Summer, directed by N. Nenova and G. Tsulaia, 1959), Father (On the Holidays, directed by M. Kokochashvili, 1962), Conductor (Chari Rama, directed by N. Sanishvili, 1972), Pharmacist (Melodies of the Vera District, directed by G. Shengelia, 1973), Chachika (The Wishing Tree, directed by Th. Abuladze, 1976), Galaktion (Bakula's Pigs, directed by B. Rachvelishvili, 1976 and others.

He worked on TV and radio productions: Father Iorami (The Law of Eternity, directed by Th. Chkheidze, 1979), Darispani (The Trouble of Darispani, directed by V. Nikoloz, 1984), and others.

He was frequently invited to work in film studios of other republics, where he played roles: Uncle Kolia (The Time of Happy Discoveries, 1969, Mosfilm), Adam (Adam and Eve, 1969, Mosfilm), Saiatnova (The Color of Pomegranate, 1970, directed by S. Parajanov, Armenfilm), Old Man (Veldi, 1988, Uzbekfilm), and others.

Gegechkori was known for his reserved humor, clear individuality, and great professional culture.

He received state awards.

He is buried in the Writers' and Public Figures' Pantheon in Didube.

N. Gurabanidze