Gogebashvili Iakob
Iakob Gogebashvili [October 15 (27), 1840, Village Variani, present-day Gori Municipality – June 1 (14), 1912, Tbilisi] was a public figure, founder of the teaching methodology in Georgia, enlightener, publicist, and children's writer. He was born into the family of a priest. He first studied at the Gori Theological School and later at the Tbilisi Theological Seminary. In 1861, young Gogebashvili was admitted to the Kiev Theological Academy. During his studies (1861–1863), he became acquainted with the ideas of Russian revolutionary democrats, as well as the materialist views of Charles Darwin and Alexander von Humboldt. Due to illness, he left the academy in 1863 and returned to Georgia.
In 1864, he was appointed as a teacher of geography and arithmetic at the Tbilisi Theological School; in 1865, he became its supervisor, and in 1868, inspector. At the Tbilisi Theological School, Gogebashvili advocated for free thinking—he would often assign materialistic literature to his students, which landed him on the list of “unreliable persons.” In 1873, a special auditor sent from Russia by the Synod accused him of many “violations”, and he was dismissed from the school. From that time onward, Gogebashvili supported the idea of the harmonious coexistence of religion and science.
Gogebashvili composed and published "The Georgian Alphabet and First Reader for Students" in 1865, which employed the latest progressive teaching methods. In 1868, he also composed and published an encyclopedic textbook Bunebis Kari ("The Gate of Nature"), intended as a reading book for upper-grade primary school students. "The Gate of Nature" helped spread knowledge of natural science in Georgia for half a century.
In 1876, he published Deda Ena ("Mother Tongue"), which became a widely popular book and still relevant for teaching today. Gogebashvili was the first in Georgia to begin teaching reading and writing using meaningful words and phrases, which allowed the learning process to be more comprehensive from the outset.
Based on the latest methods he also created a Russian language textbook, "Russkoe Slovo" ("The Russian Word," 1887), which was recognized throughout the Russian Empire for its didactic and methodological excellence. Textbooks used in Georgian schools in later periods to teach Georgian and Russian languages in the early grades were based on Gogebashvili’s works. He also wrote Darigeba maswavlebeltatvis ("Guidance for Teachers"), a course on the methodology of teaching Georgian and Russian, which laid the foundation for the scientific teaching methods in Georgia.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Gogebashvili took part in the national-cultural initiatives that served educational purposes. His contribution to the establishment of the Society for the Spreading of Literacy Among Georgians is especially significant—he was involved in its preparatory work and founding in 1879. For twenty years, he was a member of its board, chairman of its school and textbook commissions, and from 1890, an honorary member. He also financially supported the society.
Gogebashvili is recognized as the father of Georgian scientific pedagogy; he developed a progressive-democratic scientific-pedagogical doctrine.
Gogebashvili’s Short Stories. Gogebashvili’s children's stories realistically depict various aspects of nature and social life. He drew on rich folk traditions for his storytelling. His stories on moral issues (e.g., “The Thief and the Rooster,” “The Swallow and the Shepherd,” “The Sheep and the March,” “The Prosecuted Friend,” “The Sparrow,” “The Lion,” “The Swallow,” “The Camel,” and others) are based on folk proverbs.
Particularly appealing to adolescents are his historical stories based on episodes from Kartlis Tskhovreba - “The Life of Kartli” (“The Battle of Aspindza,” “Iotam Zedginidze,” “King Erekle and the Ingilo Woman,” “Tsotne Dadiani,” “The Devoted Priest Tevdore,” “A Ray from the Past,” and others), which inspire a love for the homeland. His famous story “Iavnanam Ra Hkna?” is a spiritual companion for every Georgian from childhood through the rest of life.
Gogebashvili’s Philanthropy. Gogebashvili provided financial support to poor teachers, public figures, poets, and writers. He regularly sent money to Georgian students studying at higher educational institutions abroad, as well as to political prisoners exiled and repressed by the government, among others.
According to his will, Gogebashvili was buried at the Didube Pantheon of Writers and Public Figures. In 1940, on the 100th anniversary of his birth, his remains were transferred to the Mtatsminda Pantheon.
In 1976, the 100th anniversary of Deda Ena was celebrated. The first and last editions of Deda Ena and Bunebis Kari, published during Gogebashvili’s lifetime, were reissued in large print runs. In Tbilisi, a monument titled Deda Ena, the Bell of Knowledge was erected (sculptor: E. Amashukeli; architect: N. Mgaloblishvili; bronze, 1983).
To commemorate Gogebashvili’s memory, numerous events have been organized: his name was given to the National Scientific Institute of Pedagogy, the Georgian Pedagogical Society, the Pedagogical Library, the Telavi Pedagogical University, the Tbilisi Pedagogical School, and one of the streets in Tbilisi (in the Vera district). A memorial plaque was installed on his residence in Tbilisi, on Dimitri Kipiani Street.
A medal named after him was established (awarded by the Ministry of Education of Georgia), along with a prize (first and second class, awarded by the Georgian Pedagogical Society) and a scholarship. A public holiday, Iakoboba (Day of Iakob), was established in 1971 and is celebrated annually on the last Sunday of October in the village of Variani.
From 1952 to 1965, a ten-volume collection of Gogebashvili’s works was published; in 1976, a one-volume edition of selected works appeared; in 1982, a collection of literary works titled The Treasury was published. In 1990, for the 150th anniversary of Gogebashvili’s birth, 9 volumes of his works and letters were published.
Literary works: რჩეული პედაგოგიური და პუბლიცისტური ნაწერები, ტ. 1, თბ., 1910; რჩეული ნაწერები ოთხ ტომად, ტ. 2, თბ., 1940; თხზულებანი, ტ. 1–10, თბ., 1952–65; რჩეული პედაგოგიური თხზულებანი, თბ., 1977; საგანძური, თბ., 1982; თხზ. ხუთ ტომად, თბ., 1989–90; საღმრთო ისტორია, თბ., 1992; თხზულებათა 20-ტომეული (გამოიცა 9 ტ.), თბ., 1990–97; მოთხრობები, სკოლამდელთათვის, თბ., 1940; მოთხრობები მოზრდილთათვის, თბ., 1950; მოთხრობები მცირეწლოვანთათვის, თბ., 1951; Избр. педагогические сочинения, М.,1954.
Literature: გ უ რ გ ე ნ ი ძ ე დ., მარად უჭკნობი ეროვნული დიდება, თბ., 1976; თ ა ვ ზ ი შ ვ ი ლ ი გ., იაკობ გოგებაშვილი, თბ., 1960; თ ა ლ ა კ ვ ა ძ ე მ., ი. გოგებაშვილის ანბანის სახელმძღვანელოთა აგების პრინციპები, თბ., 1952; იაკობ გოგებაშვილის სახსოვრად, ტფ., 1913; იაკობ გოგებაშვილი (საიუბილეო კრებული), თბ., 1940; იაკობ გოგებაშვილი (საიუბილეო კრებული), თბ., 1960; იაკობ გოგებაშვილის ბრძნული გამონათქვამები, თბ., 1990; იაკობ გოგებაშვილი – 150, თბ., 1991 (შემდგ. ვ. მაჭარაშვილი); იაკობ გოგებაშვილის თხზულებათა ლექსიკონი, თბ., 1994 (შემდგ. გ. შალამბერიძე); ლ ო რ თ ქ ი ფ ა ნ ი ძ ე დ., დიდი ქართველი პედაგოგი იაკობ გოგებაშვილი (დაბადებიდან 120 წლისთავის გამო), თბ., 1960; მ ი ს ი ვ ე, ქართული კულტურის მარგალიტი – ი. გოგებაშვილის "დედა ენა", თბ., 1976; რ ა მ ი შ ვ ი ლ ი ვ., ი. გოგებაშვილის "დედა ენა", თბ., 1979; მ ი ს ი ვ ე, ი. გოგებაშვილი, თბ., 1979; ჯ ი ბ ლ ა ძ ე გ., იაკობ გოგებაშვილი – ახალი ქართული პედაგოგიკის მამა, თბ., 1976.
D. Gurgenidze
G. Kvantaliani
