Gerzel Baazov (Georgian: áƒ'áƒ"რცáƒ"ლ áƒ'რრზრვი)
(October 28, 1904 â€" September 12, 1938) was a Georgian Jewish poet
and playwright who fell victim to Joseph Stalin’s Great Purges.He
was born in Oni, Georgia (then part of the Russian Empire) into the
family of the leading Georgian Zionist David Baazov. At the age of 14,
he published his first poems under the pen name of Ger-Bi (1918). In
the 1920s, he systematically published poems, historical stories and
journalistic essays in Georgian-Jewish press and garnered acclaim with
his Georgian translation of Song of Songs in 1924. In 1925, he
organized a Tbilisi-based Georgian-Jewish dramatic troupe "Kadima" and
began writing plays depicting the life of the Georgian Jews. In 1927,
he graduated from the Faculty of Law, Tbilisi State University, and
briefly served as a lawyer.Through his 1928 play Dilleamari
(áƒ"ილლáƒ"რმრრი), Baazov established himself as a
leading writer in Georgian on Jewish themes. He was the first Jewish
writer to introduce the subject matter of the life-style, character,
and routine life of Georgian Jews into Georgian literature. In an
amazingly brief period, Baazov wrote ten plays (notably The Mutes
Began to Speak [მუნჯáƒ"áƒ'ი რლრპრáƒ
რკáƒ"ნáƒ"ნ, 1931], Without Respect of Persons [áƒ'რნუáƒ
ჩáƒ"ვლრáƒ" პირრვნáƒ"áƒ'ისრ, 1933], Itska
Rizhinashvili [იცკრრიჟინრშვილი, 1936],
etc.), most of which became standard items in Georgian repertory in
the 1930s. Early in the 1930s, he conceived a trilogy on the Georgian
Jews, the first part of which â€" Pethaim â€" appeared in Georgian
(ფáƒ"თხრინი, 1934) and Russian (Петхайн, 1936).
His prolific work was terminated by the Soviet political repressions
under Stalin. In 1937, he was arrested in Moscow and extradited to
Tbilisi where he was either shot or tortured to death during the
interrogation. He was posthumously rehabilitated in 1955. A street in
his native Oni has been named after Gerzel Baazov.
(October 28, 1904 â€" September 12, 1938) was a Georgian Jewish poet
and playwright who fell victim to Joseph Stalin’s Great Purges.He
was born in Oni, Georgia (then part of the Russian Empire) into the
family of the leading Georgian Zionist David Baazov. At the age of 14,
he published his first poems under the pen name of Ger-Bi (1918). In
the 1920s, he systematically published poems, historical stories and
journalistic essays in Georgian-Jewish press and garnered acclaim with
his Georgian translation of Song of Songs in 1924. In 1925, he
organized a Tbilisi-based Georgian-Jewish dramatic troupe "Kadima" and
began writing plays depicting the life of the Georgian Jews. In 1927,
he graduated from the Faculty of Law, Tbilisi State University, and
briefly served as a lawyer.Through his 1928 play Dilleamari
(áƒ"ილლáƒ"რმრრი), Baazov established himself as a
leading writer in Georgian on Jewish themes. He was the first Jewish
writer to introduce the subject matter of the life-style, character,
and routine life of Georgian Jews into Georgian literature. In an
amazingly brief period, Baazov wrote ten plays (notably The Mutes
Began to Speak [მუნჯáƒ"áƒ'ი რლრპრáƒ
რკáƒ"ნáƒ"ნ, 1931], Without Respect of Persons [áƒ'რნუáƒ
ჩáƒ"ვლრáƒ" პირრვნáƒ"áƒ'ისრ, 1933], Itska
Rizhinashvili [იცკრრიჟინრშვილი, 1936],
etc.), most of which became standard items in Georgian repertory in
the 1930s. Early in the 1930s, he conceived a trilogy on the Georgian
Jews, the first part of which â€" Pethaim â€" appeared in Georgian
(ფáƒ"თხრინი, 1934) and Russian (Петхайн, 1936).
His prolific work was terminated by the Soviet political repressions
under Stalin. In 1937, he was arrested in Moscow and extradited to
Tbilisi where he was either shot or tortured to death during the
interrogation. He was posthumously rehabilitated in 1955. A street in
his native Oni has been named after Gerzel Baazov.
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