Gigineishvili Otar

Gigineishvili Otar (September 27, 1916, Kutaisi – February 10, 1990, Tbilisi) was a historian, public figure, and one of the founders of the Georgian school of modern and contemporary history of the Middle East, Doctor of Historical Sciences (1986) and professor (1989).

In 1940, he graduated from the Faculty of History at Tbilisi State University, and in 1947, from the Higher Diplomatic School in Moscow. From 1947 until his death, he lectured at the Faculty of Oriental Studies of Tbilisi State University.

From 1947 to 1954, he worked at the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs as an attaché, expert-consultant for the Ministry and assistant to the minister. From 1956 to 1958, he was the first secretary at the Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and from 1958, he worked in the system of the Georgian Academy of Sciences: until 1960, at the Institute of History, and from 1960 onward, as the head of the Department of Modern and Contemporary History of the Middle East at the Institute of Oriental Studies. From 1974 to 1990, he served as the deputy director for scientific work in the same institute.

His researched Turkey's socio-economic and political history. As well as, Turkey's, Iran's, and Russia's policies toward Georgia. From 1968 to 1990, he was a member of the Presidium of the Georgian Society for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries. From 1963 to 1983, the head of the Presidium of the Georgian Mountaineering Federation. He received several state awards.

Literary works: თურქიზმი და ოსმალეთის საგარეო პოლიტიკა, თბ., 1963; ნარკვევები ოსმალეთის ისტორიიდან, თბ., 1982; მთამსვლელობა საქართველოში, თბ., 1983; თურქეთის 1960 წლის 27 მაისის სახელმწიფო გადატრიალების მოკლე ისტორია, თბ., 1989.

J. Giunashvili