420:– the State Council – in March 1992. As a result of the power-sharing arrangement that was eventually struck between Ioseliani, Kitovani, Sigua and Shevardnadze, Kitovani remained the commander of the National Guard and retained a considerable influence on decision-making. In May 1992, Shevardnadze appointed Kitovani Minister of Defence and Deputy Prime Minister in an effort to bring the National Guard under central control. However, both Kitovani and Ioseliani were reluctant to concede power to Shevardnadze and tended to engage in unilateral actions, and in doing so frequently conflicted with each other.
44:
208:
449:
a successful operation. Later, Shevardnadze would accuse
Kitovani of provoking an armed conflict in Abkhazia, claiming that Kitovani disavowed his order and advance with his military to Sukhumi. Kitovani however blamed Shevardnadze for preventing him from following up an offensive on Sukhumi with an attack on the Abkhaz stronghold in
378:, but did not produce the documents he claimed to possess confirming this. Kitovani refused to accept his dismissal and left Tbilisi with most of his troops to entrench himself in the Rkoni Gorge. This was the beginning of the end for Gamsakhurdia, whose inflexible politics forced many of his former supporters into opposition.
448:
which would end in
Georgia's loss of control over most of Abkhazia. Another version of these events, often quoted in Georgia, says that Russia, while supporting the Abkhaz, also instigated Kitovani to trigger the conflict and perhaps even promised support for his leadership ambitions in Georgia after
481:
However, Shevardnadze was able to exploit the military setback in
Abkhazia to embark on a crackdown on the paramilitary groups and ultimately their leaders. After the pro-Gamsakhurdia rebellion had been quashed with Russian aid by December 1993, Shevardnadze was able to increasingly consolidate his
461:
During the war in
Abkhazia, Kitovani developed a power centre rivalling Shevardnadze's and on several occasions challenged Shevardnadze, now Head of State, on defence matters, suggesting that he should be responsible only for foreign policy. Kitovani stood as a candidate in Georgia's parliamentary
373:
and appointed
Kitovani as its head. However, the two men feuded in August 1991, when Gamsakhurdia sacked him as National Guard commander. Kitovani subsequently claimed that Gamsakhurdia was intending to disband the National Guard, and had been ordered to do so by the leaders of the
474:, was named as his replacement, and he was able to retain some of his power – partly, according to widespread rumours in Tbilisi, through his control over Georgia's "energy mafia" and his "special relationship" with Russian defence minister
404:
in
December 1991. Ioseliani, as well as Gamsakhurdia's supporters and some independent observers, claimed that Kitovani hired some Soviet/Russian troops stationed in Tbilisi to join the attack on the government.
427:
against
Gamsakhurdia's supporters who had formed pockets of armed resistance in western Georgia and had taken Georgian government officials hostage. On the night of 13 August 1992, Kitovani's force entered the
516:
From the early 2000s, Kitovani lived in Moscow from where he harshly criticized the
Shevardnadze government on several occasions. In February 2002, he responded scandalously to the mysterious suicide of
392:
The confrontation between pro- and anti-Gamsakhurdia factions quickly degenerated into a series of strikes and armed clashes, and eventually, Kitovani, joined by
Gamsakhurdia's former Prime Minister
440:. Although this operation and show of force resulted in the eventual release of the hostages, Kitovani, acting most probably on his own initiative, proceeded towards Abkhazia's capital of
875:
809:
412:
was announced with
Kitovani and Ioseliani as its leaders. Gamsakhurdia was forced into exile on 6 January 1992, and the coup leaders invited the former Soviet foreign minister
436:, whose leadership had taken a series of steps towards secession from Georgia, in order to establish control over the region's railways sabotaged by Gamsakhurdia's loyal
470:
but was unable to do so. Amid persistent rumours that he was planning a new military coup, Kitovani was finally forced into resignation in May 1993 – though a protégé,
467:
1183:
1178:
549:
in 1999/2000, was in fact held captive and put to death in Pankisi, with the body then taken to southern Chechnya. Georgia dismissed all these claims.
444:
and forced the Abkhaz leaders into flight. Shevardnadze failed to have Kitovani's force withdrawn from Abkhazia and the country became involved in a
919:
500:. They were stopped by Georgian police and arrested. Kitovani was tried for having organized an unlawful armed force and sentenced to eight years'
486:
518:
552:
Georgian Prosecutor-General Nugzar Gabrichidze claimed that Kitovani had been in close contact with National Guard veterans who staged a failed
1198:
872:
466:. In the aftermath of the elections, Shevardnadze attempted to replace him as Minister of Defence with a professional soldier, General
806:
591:
993:
496:
On 13 January 1995, Kitovani, with the support of Tengiz Sigua, led a force of some 700 lightly armed supporters in a march against
1193:
387:
324:
1188:
700:
560:
375:
522:
304:; 9 June 1938 – 13 November 2023) was a Georgian politician and military commander with high-profile involvement in the
362:, a Soviet-era dissident who went on to become the chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Council and eventually the
401:
1168:
1112:
1090:
1072:
1058:
851:
685:
664:
601:
343:
on 9 June 1938, Kitovani graduated from the Tbilisi Fine Arts Academy and taught at a boarding school in the town of
182:
655:, Autonomy and Conflict: Ethnoterritoriality and Separatism in the South Caucasus – Case in Georgia, p. 183, n. 18.
207:
957:
268:
1130:
316:
239:
83:
844:
The OMRI Annual Survey of Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union – "1996: Forging Ahead, Falling Behind,"
756:
445:
273:
350:
Kitovani entered national politics early in 1990 when the independence movement reached its climax in then-
176:
916:
453:, home to a Russian military base which supplied the secessionist forces with instructors and munitions.
1096:
1082:
559:
Kitovani returned to Tbilisi, in December 2012, after the change of government in the aftermath of the
409:
355:
59:
485:
After spending some time in Russia, Kitovani returned to Tbilisi and, together with Tengiz Sigua and
370:
309:
234:
1051:
Georgia from National Awakening to Rose Revolution: Delayed Transition in the Former Soviet Union
953:
525:, making allegations that Sajaia was a homosexual and had ordered the 2001 murder of journalist
493:
from Abkhazia, founded the National Front for the Liberation of Abkhazia in the autumn of 1994.
417:
990:
564:
1173:
1163:
1158:
1140:
885:
819:
529:. Later that year, Kitovani accused Shevardnadze of being behind the 2002 assassination of
363:
118:
1010:
697:
482:
power and deprive both Kitovani and Ioseliani of influence over national security policy.
8:
1123:
786:
429:
413:
320:
106:
533:, a businessman and former football star. He also upheld Russia's claims that some 700
424:
359:
328:
305:
263:
1108:
1086:
1068:
1054:
847:
681:
660:
597:
471:
292:
43:
462:
elections of 11 October 1992 and was elected in the single-mandate constituency of
423:
The first and most obvious of such actions were taken by Kitovani during a planned
997:
923:
879:
813:
704:
542:
652:
530:
397:
75:
1024:
975:
938:
1152:
782:
538:
526:
475:
501:
408:
On 2 January 1992, the deposition of Gamsakhurdia and the formation of the
393:
351:
150:
1065:
State Building and Military Power in Russia and the New States of Eurasia
900:
698:
Eduard Shevardnadze accuses Tengiz Kitovani of provoking war in Abkhazia.
344:
556:
on 23 March 2003. Kitovani, however, denied any links with the mutiny.
1104:
521:, Shevardnadze's close ally and an influential Chairman of Georgia's
504:
in October 1996. He served four years of his eight-year term and was
546:
534:
497:
433:
323:
who had earlier been invited to lead the nation after a successful
939:
Georgia Denies Kidnapped Russian General was Detained in Pankisi.
901:
Nugzar Sajaia, Shevardnadze's closest confidant, commits suicide.
787:"Russia's Security Interests and Policies in the Caucasus Region"
463:
450:
441:
437:
340:
146:
1079:
Conflict, Cleavage, and Change in Central Asia and the Caucasus
678:
Politics of the Black Sea: Dynamics of Cooperation and Conflict
553:
505:
490:
369:
In December 1990, Gamsakhurdia decreed the creation of the
807:
Georgia puts Kitovani on trial while Ioseliani awaits same
1101:
Statehood and Security: Georgia After the Rose Revolution
794:
198:
National Front for the Liberation of Abkhazia (1994–1995)
657:
Department of Peace and Conflict Research, Report No. 61
976:
Veterans' Failed Mutiny Unsettles Georgian Politicians.
327:
launched by Kitovani and his allies against President
16:
Georgian politician and military commander (1938–2023)
954:
Georgian National Guard veterans seize military base.
508:by Shevardnadze on medical grounds on 22 May 1999.
1025:"Умер экс-министр обороны Грузии Тенгиз Китовани"
1150:
570:Kitovani died on 13 November 2023, at age 85.
381:
358:the same year, he was closely associated with
296:
32:
1097:"Georgian Defense Policy and Military Reform"
917:Military issues block Russia-Georgia détente.
456:
1011:"Tengiz Kitovani loses Georgian citizenship"
1000:. Russian. NewsGeorgia.ru. 21 December 2012.
537:fighters had spent that winter in Georgia's
567:stripped him of his Georgian citizenship.
541:. He further claimed that Russian General
42:
1184:Generals of the Defense Forces of Georgia
1179:Government ministers of Georgia (country)
489:, leader of a faction of ethnic Georgian
308:early in the 1990s when he commanded the
904:Central Asian-Caucasus Institute Analyst
511:
334:
773:Dawisha & Parott (1997), pp. 166–7.
585:
583:
72:6 January 1992 – 10 March 1992
1151:
991:Тенгиз Китовани вернулся в Грузию — ТВ
824:Volume 1, Issue 163, 28 December 1995.
1077:Karen Dawisha, Bruce Parrott (1997),
590:Cook, Bernard A. (14 November 2001).
1199:Tbilisi State Academy of Arts alumni
789:, in: Bruno Coppieters (ed., 1996),
589:
580:
1027:. ekhokavkaza.com. 13 November 2023
561:October 2012 parliamentary election
319:until being gradually sidelined by
13:
593:Europe Since 1945: An Encyclopedia
14:
1210:
890:Volume 5, Issue 102, 26 May 1999.
791:Contested Borders in the Caucasus
183:Union of Georgian Traditionalists
206:
96:8 May 1992 – 5 May 1993
1194:Military personnel from Tbilisi
1099:, in: Bruno Coppieters (2005),
1017:
1003:
984:
969:
958:Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
947:
932:
909:
893:
866:
857:
836:
827:
800:
776:
767:
749:
740:
731:
722:
376:1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt
1189:Leaders who took power by coup
1131:Minister of Defense of Georgia
713:
691:
670:
646:
637:
628:
619:
610:
388:1991–1992 Georgian coup d'état
84:Minister of Defense of Georgia
1:
1043:
873:Kitovani released from prison
1053:. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.,
396:and the paramilitary leader
7:
728:Darchiashvili (2005), p. 6.
634:Wheatley (2005), pp. 68–70.
563:. In early 2014, President
382:Military coup and civil war
269:South Ossetia war (1991–92)
60:Military Council of Georgia
10:
1215:
1083:Cambridge University Press
1049:Jonathan Wheatley (2005),
964:Hellenic Resources Network
846:pp. 227–230. M.E. Sharpe,
643:Wheatley (2005), pp. 72–3.
616:Wheatley (2005), pp. 54–5.
457:Conflict with Shevardnadze
385:
356:Supreme Council of Georgia
315:Kitovani also served as a
1137:
1128:
1120:
842:J. F. Brown (ed., 1997),
606:– via Google Books.
545:, abducted and killed in
523:National Security Council
371:National Guard of Georgia
310:National Guard of Georgia
297:
282:
274:War in Abkhazia (1992–93)
256:
248:
227:
219:
214:
202:
192:
169:
157:
133:
128:
124:
112:
100:
89:
82:
65:
57:
53:
41:
33:
30:
23:
1169:Politicians from Tbilisi
878:23 November 2006 at the
812:23 November 2006 at the
703:13 February 2011 at the
596:. Taylor & Francis.
573:
177:Round Table—Free Georgia
996:3 February 2014 at the
863:Wheatley (2005), p. 87.
833:Wheatley (2005), p. 79.
746:Wheatley (2005), p. 75.
737:Parrott (1995), p. 216.
719:Parrott (1995), p. 217.
625:Wheatley (2005), p. 65.
446:thirteen-month-long war
1063:Bruce Parrott (1995),
680:, p. 189. I.B.Tauris,
418:provisional government
416:to head the post-coup
1095:David Darchiashvili,
565:Giorgi Margvelashvili
512:Emigration and return
400:, launched a violent
335:Early life and career
74:Serving with
1141:Giorgi Karkarashvili
1135:May 1992 – May 1993
886:Jamestown Foundation
820:Jamestown Foundation
364:President of Georgia
119:Giorgi Karkarashvili
1124:Levan Sharashenidze
906:, 27 February 2002.
676:Tunç Aybak (2001),
430:autonomous republic
414:Eduard Shevardnadze
321:Eduard Shevardnadze
317:minister of defense
240:Ministry of Defense
153:, Soviet Union
107:Levan Sharashenidze
922:3 May 2008 at the
899:Irakly Areshidze,
708:The Georgian Times
653:Cornell, Svante E.
468:Anatoli Kamkamidze
425:military operation
360:Zviad Gamsakhurdia
329:Zviad Gamsakhurdia
306:Georgian Civil War
264:Georgian Civil War
1147:
1146:
1138:Succeeded by
929:, 6 January 2003.
797:University Press.
710:, 14 August 2007.
472:Gia Karkarashvili
354:. Elected to the
302:tengiz k’it’ovani
286:
285:
151:Georgian SSR
1206:
1121:Preceded by
1118:
1117:
1037:
1036:
1034:
1032:
1021:
1015:
1014:
1007:
1001:
988:
982:
981:, 25 March 2003.
973:
967:
966:. 24 March 2003.
951:
945:
944:, 28 March 2002.
936:
930:
913:
907:
897:
891:
870:
864:
861:
855:
840:
834:
831:
825:
804:
798:
780:
774:
771:
765:
764:
763:. 20 April 1993.
753:
747:
744:
738:
735:
729:
726:
720:
717:
711:
695:
689:
674:
668:
650:
644:
641:
635:
632:
626:
623:
617:
614:
608:
607:
587:
410:Military Council
300:
299:
215:Military service
210:
164:
161:13 November 2023
143:
141:
129:Personal details
115:
103:
94:
70:
48:Kitovani in 1997
46:
37:
36:
35:
21:
20:
1214:
1213:
1209:
1208:
1207:
1205:
1204:
1203:
1149:
1148:
1143:
1134:
1126:
1067:. M.E. Sharpe,
1046:
1041:
1040:
1030:
1028:
1023:
1022:
1018:
1009:
1008:
1004:
998:Wayback Machine
989:
985:
974:
970:
952:
948:
937:
933:
924:Wayback Machine
915:Sergei Blagov,
914:
910:
898:
894:
880:Wayback Machine
871:
867:
862:
858:
841:
837:
832:
828:
814:Wayback Machine
805:
801:
781:
777:
772:
768:
761:The Independent
757:"Georgian plot"
755:
754:
750:
745:
741:
736:
732:
727:
723:
718:
714:
705:Wayback Machine
696:
692:
675:
671:
651:
647:
642:
638:
633:
629:
624:
620:
615:
611:
604:
588:
581:
576:
543:Gennady Shpigun
514:
459:
390:
384:
337:
298:თენგიზ კიტოვანი
289:Tengiz Kitovani
278:
244:
194:
193:Other political
188:
170:Political party
162:
145:
139:
137:
113:
101:
95:
90:
78:
71:
66:
49:
34:თენგიზ კიტოვანი
31:
26:
25:Tengiz Kitovani
17:
12:
11:
5:
1212:
1202:
1201:
1196:
1191:
1186:
1181:
1176:
1171:
1166:
1161:
1145:
1144:
1139:
1136:
1127:
1122:
1116:
1115:
1093:
1075:
1061:
1045:
1042:
1039:
1038:
1016:
1002:
983:
968:
946:
931:
908:
892:
865:
856:
835:
826:
799:
775:
766:
748:
739:
730:
721:
712:
690:
669:
645:
636:
627:
618:
609:
602:
578:
577:
575:
572:
531:Kakhi Asatiani
513:
510:
487:Boris Kakubava
458:
455:
398:Jaba Ioseliani
386:Main article:
383:
380:
352:Soviet Georgia
336:
333:
284:
283:
280:
279:
277:
276:
271:
266:
260:
258:
254:
253:
250:
246:
245:
243:
242:
237:
235:National Guard
231:
229:
228:Branch/service
225:
224:
221:
217:
216:
212:
211:
204:
200:
199:
196:
190:
189:
187:
186:
180:
173:
171:
167:
166:
165:(aged 85)
159:
155:
154:
135:
131:
130:
126:
125:
122:
121:
116:
110:
109:
104:
98:
97:
87:
86:
80:
79:
76:Jaba Ioseliani
73:
63:
62:
58:Leader of the
55:
54:
51:
50:
47:
39:
38:
28:
27:
24:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1211:
1200:
1197:
1195:
1192:
1190:
1187:
1185:
1182:
1180:
1177:
1175:
1172:
1170:
1167:
1165:
1162:
1160:
1157:
1156:
1154:
1142:
1133:
1132:
1125:
1119:
1114:
1113:0-262-03343-7
1110:
1106:
1102:
1098:
1094:
1092:
1091:0-521-59731-5
1088:
1084:
1080:
1076:
1074:
1073:1-56324-360-1
1070:
1066:
1062:
1060:
1059:0-7546-4503-7
1056:
1052:
1048:
1047:
1026:
1020:
1012:
1006:
999:
995:
992:
987:
980:
979:Civil Georgia
977:
972:
965:
961:
959:
955:
950:
943:
942:Civil Georgia
940:
935:
928:
925:
921:
918:
912:
905:
902:
896:
889:
887:
881:
877:
874:
869:
860:
853:
852:1-56324-925-1
849:
845:
839:
830:
823:
821:
815:
811:
808:
803:
796:
792:
788:
784:
783:Dmitri Trenin
779:
770:
762:
758:
752:
743:
734:
725:
716:
709:
706:
702:
699:
694:
687:
686:1-86064-454-6
683:
679:
673:
666:
665:91-506-1600-5
662:
658:
654:
649:
640:
631:
622:
613:
605:
603:9780815340584
599:
595:
594:
586:
584:
579:
571:
568:
566:
562:
557:
555:
550:
548:
544:
540:
539:Pankisi Gorge
536:
532:
528:
527:Giorgi Sanaia
524:
520:
519:Nugzar Sajaia
509:
507:
503:
499:
494:
492:
488:
483:
479:
477:
476:Pavel Grachev
473:
469:
465:
454:
452:
447:
443:
439:
435:
431:
426:
421:
419:
415:
411:
406:
403:
399:
395:
389:
379:
377:
372:
367:
365:
361:
357:
353:
348:
346:
342:
332:
330:
326:
322:
318:
313:
311:
307:
303:
294:
290:
281:
275:
272:
270:
267:
265:
262:
261:
259:
255:
251:
247:
241:
238:
236:
233:
232:
230:
226:
222:
218:
213:
209:
205:
201:
197:
191:
184:
181:
178:
175:
174:
172:
168:
160:
156:
152:
148:
136:
132:
127:
123:
120:
117:
111:
108:
105:
99:
93:
88:
85:
81:
77:
69:
64:
61:
56:
52:
45:
40:
29:
22:
19:
1129:
1100:
1078:
1064:
1050:
1029:. Retrieved
1019:
1005:
986:
978:
971:
963:
962:, cited in:
956:
949:
941:
934:
926:
911:
903:
895:
883:
868:
859:
843:
838:
829:
817:
802:
790:
778:
769:
760:
751:
742:
733:
724:
715:
707:
693:
677:
672:
656:
648:
639:
630:
621:
612:
592:
569:
558:
551:
515:
502:imprisonment
495:
484:
480:
460:
422:
407:
394:Tengiz Sigua
391:
368:
349:
338:
314:
301:
288:
287:
257:Battles/wars
195:affiliations
163:(2023-11-13)
114:Succeeded by
91:
67:
18:
1174:Svan people
1164:2023 deaths
1159:1938 births
1031:13 November
659:. Uppsala.
345:Tetritsqaro
325:coup d'etat
185:(1990–1991)
179:(1990–1991)
144:9 June 1938
102:Preceded by
1153:Categories
1044:References
927:Eurasianet
366:in 1991.
220:Allegiance
140:1938-06-09
1105:MIT Press
203:Signature
92:In office
68:In office
994:Archived
960:Newsline
920:Archived
876:Archived
810:Archived
701:Archived
547:Chechnya
506:pardoned
498:Abkhazia
438:militias
434:Abkhazia
339:Born in
293:Georgian
888:Monitor
822:Monitor
535:Chechen
464:Bolnisi
451:Gudauta
442:Sukhumi
341:Tbilisi
252:General
223:Georgia
147:Tbilisi
1111:
1089:
1071:
1057:
850:
684:
663:
600:
554:mutiny
295::
574:Notes
1109:ISBN
1087:ISBN
1069:ISBN
1055:ISBN
1033:2023
884:The
848:ISBN
818:The
682:ISBN
661:ISBN
598:ISBN
491:IDPs
402:coup
249:Rank
158:Died
134:Born
795:VUB
478:.
432:of
1155::
1107:,
1103:.
1085:,
1081:.
882:.
816:.
793:.
785:,
759:.
582:^
347:.
331:.
312:.
149:,
1035:.
1013:.
854:.
688:.
667:.
291:(
142:)
138:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
.jpg)
.svg){kind=small}