Arsena Odzelashvili

Arsena Odzelashvili commonly known as Arsena of Marabda (b. c. 1797, Marabda, present-day Tetritskaro Municipality — d. 1842, Mtskheta) was a peasant who fought against serfdom in the first half of the 19^th century. Due to the conflict with Zaal Baratashvili, young Arsena ran off to the forest. He could not stand the oppression of the peasantry and slave trade. He fought against hordes of mountaineers, officials implementing colonial policy, and profiteer merchants. Arsena Odzelashvili was famous in Georgia and its neighboring lands. The authorities sent a special squad to arrest him. He was captured as a result of the betrayal of someone from Bodbiskhevi, but he soon escaped from captivity.

Arsena Odzelashvili's anti-feudalist protest turned into a peasant liberation movement. He was fiercely chased by the police; Once, he came across units of the Russian army near Mtskheta and was killed. According to folk tradition, the murderer of Arsena Odzelashvili was Giorgi Kuchatneli. Arsena Odzelashvili's name was immortalized by people — during his lifetime, the folk epos “Arsena's Poem” was created. Prominent singers praised him through their songs. Georgian writers (I. Chavchavadze, A. Tsereteli, M. Javakhishvili, S. Shanshiashvili, G. Leonidze, M. Chiaureli) immortalized this hero who fought for freedom.

Literature: უმიკაშვილი პ., ხალხური სიტყვიერება, ტ. 1, 4, მ. ჩიქოვანის რედ., თბ., 1964; ხინთიბიძე ა., ფოლკლორული მასალები არსენა ოძელაშვილზე, თბ., 1968.

M. Chikovani