David Kldiashvili (Georgian: áƒ"რვით
კლáƒ"ირშვილი, Davit' KldiaÅ¡vili) (August 29, 1862
â€" April 24, 1931) was a Georgian prose-writer whose novels and plays
are concentrated on the degeneration of the country’s gentry and the
miseries of the peasantry, boldly exposing the antagonisms of Georgian
society.Born to an impoverished petite noble family in the province of
Imereti, Georgia (then part of the Russian Empire), he was educated at
the military schools of Kiev and Moscow (1880-1882). Returning to
Georgia, he joined the Russian army. While serving in Batumi, he was
close to the local intelligentsia and engaged in cultural activities.
Deemed to be a non-reliable officer, he was forced to resign as a
non-reliable officer during the Russian Revolution of 1905. During
World War I, he was remobilized in the army and served on the Ottoman
front. Following the 1917 February Revolution, he was demobilized and,
sick and tired, returned to his native village.Kldiashvili’s best
works belong to the first half of his life. He is said to have
forgotten his Georgian while studying in Ukraine and to have had to
relearn it. Nevertheless, he is regarded as an exemplary prose stylist
with superb humor and gentler social satire. Since the 1880s, his
translations and original works were regularly published in Georgian
press. The first major novel, Solomon Morbeladze
(სრლრმრნ მრრáƒ'áƒ"ლრძáƒ") appeared in 1894,
followed by Samanishvili's Step-Mother
(სრმრნიშვილის
áƒ"áƒ"áƒ"ინრცვრლი, 1897), The Misfortunes of
Kamushadze (ქრმუშრძის áƒ'რáƒáƒ˜áƒ ვáƒ"áƒ'რ,
1900), Rostom Mashvelidze (რრსტრმ
მრნვáƒ"ლიძáƒ", 1910), and Bakula's Pigs
(áƒ'რკულრს ღრრáƒ"áƒ'ი, 1920). His plays,
especially Irine’s Happiness (ირინáƒ"ს
áƒ'áƒ"áƒ"ნიáƒ"რáƒ"áƒ'რ, 1897) and The Misfortunes of Darispan
(áƒ"რრისპრნის áƒ'რსრáƒáƒ˜áƒ ი, 1903)
resemble the French comedies of the 1840s only set in an Imeretian
village at the turn of the 20th century. They are typically tragicomic
impregnated with what the author himself referred to as "tears mixed
with a smile".In the 1920s, Kldiashvili returned to writing and
produced his memoirs On the Road of My Life (ჩáƒ"მი
ცხრვრáƒ"áƒ'ის áƒ'ზრზáƒ", 1925), as well as two new
novellas published between 1924 and 1926. In 1930, he was awarded the
title of People's Artist of Georgia.[1][2]
კლáƒ"ირშვილი, Davit' KldiaÅ¡vili) (August 29, 1862
â€" April 24, 1931) was a Georgian prose-writer whose novels and plays
are concentrated on the degeneration of the country’s gentry and the
miseries of the peasantry, boldly exposing the antagonisms of Georgian
society.Born to an impoverished petite noble family in the province of
Imereti, Georgia (then part of the Russian Empire), he was educated at
the military schools of Kiev and Moscow (1880-1882). Returning to
Georgia, he joined the Russian army. While serving in Batumi, he was
close to the local intelligentsia and engaged in cultural activities.
Deemed to be a non-reliable officer, he was forced to resign as a
non-reliable officer during the Russian Revolution of 1905. During
World War I, he was remobilized in the army and served on the Ottoman
front. Following the 1917 February Revolution, he was demobilized and,
sick and tired, returned to his native village.Kldiashvili’s best
works belong to the first half of his life. He is said to have
forgotten his Georgian while studying in Ukraine and to have had to
relearn it. Nevertheless, he is regarded as an exemplary prose stylist
with superb humor and gentler social satire. Since the 1880s, his
translations and original works were regularly published in Georgian
press. The first major novel, Solomon Morbeladze
(სრლრმრნ მრრáƒ'áƒ"ლრძáƒ") appeared in 1894,
followed by Samanishvili's Step-Mother
(სრმრნიშვილის
áƒ"áƒ"áƒ"ინრცვრლი, 1897), The Misfortunes of
Kamushadze (ქრმუშრძის áƒ'რáƒáƒ˜áƒ ვáƒ"áƒ'რ,
1900), Rostom Mashvelidze (რრსტრმ
მრნვáƒ"ლიძáƒ", 1910), and Bakula's Pigs
(áƒ'რკულრს ღრრáƒ"áƒ'ი, 1920). His plays,
especially Irine’s Happiness (ირინáƒ"ს
áƒ'áƒ"áƒ"ნიáƒ"რáƒ"áƒ'რ, 1897) and The Misfortunes of Darispan
(áƒ"რრისპრნის áƒ'რსრáƒáƒ˜áƒ ი, 1903)
resemble the French comedies of the 1840s only set in an Imeretian
village at the turn of the 20th century. They are typically tragicomic
impregnated with what the author himself referred to as "tears mixed
with a smile".In the 1920s, Kldiashvili returned to writing and
produced his memoirs On the Road of My Life (ჩáƒ"მი
ცხრვრáƒ"áƒ'ის áƒ'ზრზáƒ", 1925), as well as two new
novellas published between 1924 and 1926. In 1930, he was awarded the
title of People's Artist of Georgia.[1][2]
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