Biography
Eduard Shevardnadze was born on January 25, 1928 in the village of Mamati, Lanchkhutsky District (Guria), Georgian SSR. His father was a teacher. At the insistence of his parents, he graduated from the Tbilisi Medical College, but did not continue to engage in medicine and preferred politics.
Since 1946, Eduard Shevardnadze worked as an instructor, and then as the head of the department of personnel and organizational work of the Ordzhonikidze district committee of the Komsomol in Tbilisi.
In 1948 E. Shevardnadze joined the CPSU.
From 1949 to 1951, Eduard Shevardnadze was a student of a two-year party school under the Central Committee of the Communist Party (b) of Georgia, after which he became an instructor of the Central Committee of the Komsomol of Georgia.
In 1952, E. Shevardnadze became secretary, then second secretary of the Kutaisi regional committee of the Komsomol of the Georgian SSR, and the very next year - the first secretary of the Kutaisi regional committee of the Komsomol of the Georgian SSR.
In 1959, Eduard Shevardnadze graduated from the Kutaisi Pedagogical Institute named after A. Tsulukidze.
From 1961 to 1964, E. Shevardnadze was the first secretary of the Mtskheta district committee of the Communist Party, and then, from 1963, the first secretary of the Pervomaisky district party committee of Tbilisi.
In 1964, Eduard Shevardnadze took the post of First Deputy Personnel of the Ministry of Public Order of Georgia. For a year of work in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, he typed dirt on Minister Otar Kavtaradze and handed over the material to the chairman of the KGB of the USSR Vladimir Semichastny. Kavtaradze was fired, and Eduard Shevardnadze took his place.
Until 1968, E. Shevardnadze was the Minister of Public Order, then - the Minister of Internal Affairs of the Georgian SSR.
On September 29, 1972, Eduard Shevardnadze was appointed First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Georgian SSR. He announced the launch of a campaign against corruption and the shadow economy. During the first year and a half of the purge of personnel, Shevardnadze dismissed 20 ministers, 44 secretaries of district committees, three secretaries of city committees, 10 representatives of district executive committees and their deputies, appointing KGB officers, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and young specialists in one or another field in their places. During the first five years in the new post, more than 30 thousand people were arrested, half of whom were members of the CPSU; another 40,000 were relieved of their posts.
In 1985-1990, E. Shevardnadze was the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the USSR, from 1985 to 1990 - a member of the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee, from 1976 to 1991 - a member of the CPSU Central Committee. Deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of the 9th-11th convocations. In 1990-1991 - People's Deputy of the USSR.
As head of the USSR Foreign Ministry
In 1985, Eduard Shevardnadze became a member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the CPSU, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the USSR and one of Mikhail Gorbachev's most faithful "foremen of perestroika".
In January 1986, during a visit to Pyongyang, E. Shevardnadze signed an agreement between the USSR and the DPRK on the delimitation of the economic zone and the continental shelf, as well as an agreement on mutual trips of citizens of the USSR and the DPRK.
In September 1987, Eduard Shevardnadze made a visit to the United States, during which the parties managed to agree on the start of full-scale bilateral negotiations to limit and then stop nuclear tests. During the visit, he signed an agreement on the establishment of nuclear risk reduction centers.
While on a working visit to Germany in January 1988, E. Shevardnadze reached an agreement to extend for five years an agreement on the development and deepening of long-term cooperation in the field of economy and industry, and also signed a protocol on consultations and a protocol of negotiations related to the establishment of the USSR Consulate General in Munich and Germany - in Kiev.
In April 1988, with US Secretary of State George Shultz, Eduard Shevardnadze signed a declaration on international guarantees and a relationship agreement to settle the situation concerning Afghanistan.
E. Shevardnadze paid visits to Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Iran, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Nigeria, Afghanistan, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, as well as other countries of Africa, Asia and Latin America.
On June 1, 1990, in Washington, together with US Secretary of State James Baker, Eduard Shevardnadze signed an agreement on the transfer of the Bering Sea to the United States along the Shevardnadze-Baker dividing line.
In December 1990, E. Shevardnadze unexpectedly resigned "in protest against the impending dictatorship" and left the ranks of the CPSU.
In November 1991, at the invitation of Mikhail Gorbachev, Eduard Shevardnadze again headed the USSR Foreign Ministry (at that time called the Ministry of Foreign Relations), but a month after the collapse of the USSR, this position was abolished.
Political activity in independent Georgia
In December 1991, E. Shevardnadze was one of the first among the leaders of the USSR to recognize the Belovezhskaya Accords and the forthcoming demise of the USSR.
In December 1991 - January 1992, Eduard Shevardnadze was one of the main organizers of the military coup in the Republic of Georgia, as a result of which the legally elected president Zviad Gamsakhurdia was removed, and the civil war actually ended. A significant role in Shevardnadze's coming to power was played by the Mkhedrioni militant group, led by Jaba Ioseliani.
In 1992, E. Shevardnadze was the chairman of an illegitimate body - the State Council of the Republic of Georgia, and in 1992-1995 - chairman of the Parliament of the Republic of Georgia, chairman of the State Defense Council of Georgia.
In the summer-autumn of 1993, a party of supporters of Eduard Shevardnadze "Union of Citizens of Georgia" (UCG) was created. At the founding congress of the CUG, held on November 21, E. Shevardnadze was elected chairman of the party.
As President of Georgia
On November 5, 1995, presidential elections were held in Georgia, in which Eduard Shevardnadze won with 72.9% of the vote.
On April 9, 2000, E. Shevardnadze was re-elected President of the Republic of Georgia, having received more than 82% of the votes of the voters who took part in the elections.
On February 9, 1998, Eduard Shevardnadze survived an assassination attempt. In the center of Tbilisi, his motorcade was fired from a grenade launcher and automatic weapons. However, the armored Mercedes saved his life.
In September 2002, E. Shevardnadze announced that after the end of his presidential term in 2005, he intended to retire and start writing memoirs.
"Rose Revolution" and resignation
On November 2, 2003 parliamentary elections were held in Georgia. The opposition announced massive violations and called on its supporters to take civil disobedience actions. They insisted that the authorities declare the elections invalid (the "Rose Revolution").
On November 20, the CEC of Georgia published the official results of the parliamentary elections. The Shevardnadze bloc "For a New Georgia" won 21.32% of the votes, the "Union of Democratic Revival" - 18.84%. Shevardnadze's opponents considered these results a falsification. Doubts about the election results led to the so-called "Rose Revolution" on November 21-23, 2003. The opposition put forward an ultimatum to Shevardnadze: to resign as president, or the opposition will take over the residence of Krtsanisi. On November 23, 2003, Shevardnadze resigned.
After his resignation, Eduard Shevardnadze lived in Tbilisi. Worked on memoirs.
According to human rights activist Emil Adelkhanov, in fact Shevardnadze "was under house arrest" until his death.
In 2013, in an interview with the Asaval Dasavali newspaper, Eduard Shevardnadze said that he "must repent and apologize to the people" for handing over power to Mikheil Saakashvili. Criticizing the policy of Saakashvili's supporters who were in power, E. Shevardnadze stated that they "are not in a position to solve the problems of modern Georgia."
Family status
He had two children and four grandchildren. Son - Paata - a lawyer, works at the headquarters of UNESCO in Paris. Daughter - Manana - works on Georgian television. Eduard Shevardnadze's wife, Nanuli Tsagareishvili-Shevardnadze, died on October 20, 2004.
Awards and titles
Eduard Shevardnadze was awarded five Orders of Lenin, the Order of the October Revolution, the Red Banner of Labor, the Order of the Patriotic War 1st degree, Hero of Socialist Labor, was awarded numerous other titles, international prizes and awards. Major General of the Internal Service (MVD).
Notes:
- The sometimes encountered version of "Shevardnadze" is erroneous. The surname Shevardnadze comes from the Georgian word "shevardeni" (falcon) and should be written with the letter "D". - Commentary of the professor of the Georgian language department of the Tbilisi State University named after. I. Javakhishvili Inga Sanikidze.
In 1985-1990 - Minister of Foreign Affairs of the USSR, from 1985 to 1990 - member of the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee. Deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR 9-11 convocations. In 1990-1991 - People's Deputy of the USSR. Former President of Georgia, Eduard Shevardnadze, died on July 7 at the age of 86 in Tbilisi…
In 1985-1990, Eduard Shevardnadze served as Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Soviet Union. In the West, he was perceived as a reform-oriented politician, he was one of the architects of the "New Thinking" - perestroika.
Shevardnadze cannot be assessed in terms of "good or bad". Most people remember him as the president who rigged the results of the Georgian elections in 2003, which caused the protests of the population and the opposition, known as the Rose Revolution. 
On the other hand, he was a politician who took upon himself the burden of transforming the system, which in all the former Soviet republics was a difficult and painful process.
Political youth
Already at the age of 18, Eduard Shevardnadze took his first steps in politics. In 1946, while still a student at the Faculty of History of the Pedagogical Institute in Kutaisi, he became an activist of the Komsomol and was a party worker of the Communist Party of Georgia. And in 1956 he was elected secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Youth Union of Georgia. Then he was sent to the Kazakh steppes, where he became the head of the Komsomol, whose task was to raise the virgin lands.
During this period, he made his first contacts with people who later held prominent positions in the party apparatus. One of them was Mikhail Gorbachev, at that time the first secretary of the Komsomol of the Stavropol Territory. Shevardnadze describes the future First Secretary of the Soviet Union like this in his book The Future Belongs to Freedom:
There was also something that in my eyes especially distinguished him from others. He was completely devoid of such artificial Komsomol simplicity, which always demotivates me. He attracted attention, first of all, by his way of thinking, expressively going beyond the style imposed from above.
Career
In 1965, Shevardnadze became the Minister of Public Order, and in 1968, the Interior Minister and General of the Police. In 1972-1985, he served as the first secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Georgia. 
Then he became known as a determined politician who fought corruption, bribery and embezzlement of state property. He did not hesitate to dismiss and imprison unscrupulous officials.
In the book mentioned earlier, he also emphasized other aspects of his work; first of all, experiments in the field of economics. He was interested in introducing elements of a market economy into the socialist system, as well as strengthening the position of the union republics in relation to the center. He called these actions "Georgian Perestroika".
At the "top"
The rise of Eduard Shevardnadze was associated with the strengthening of the position of Leonid Brezhnev in 1964. The changes that accompanied this event at the heights of power in Moscow also meant a change in the composition of the elites leading the union republics.
In addition to Shevardnadze, Karen Demirchyan in Armenia and Heydar Aliyev in Azerbaijan held the highest posts in their republics. As part of the fight against corruption and crime in 1972-1974, 25 thousand people were arrested. Among them were 9.5 thousand party members, seven thousand Komsomol members and 70 police and KGB officers. 
First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Georgia. 70s
Among his achievements of that period, Shevardnadze names an increase in state subsidies for the restoration of monuments of history and art, and an improvement in the quality of teaching in schools. Presents himself as a "philanthropist of culture" who is concerned about the problems of his country, its history and traditions. As an example, he cites his assistance to the famous director Sergei Parajanov at the time when he was prosecuted in Tbilisi.
Also, he speaks very positively about Leonid Brezhnev, arguing that "the Secretary General not only did not interfere with our undertakings (and, of course, he could interfere with this because of his 'eretic' nature), but also supported them."
At the head of the Foreign Ministry
July 2, 1985 Eduard Shevardnadze was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Soviet Union. He himself describes this event unusually pompously, arguing that for more than five years, which he spent in the minister's office, "I remember every day I lived", but that first one, imprinted in my memory to the smallest detail:
Looking ahead a little, I want to say that my “motor” from the very beginning received a strong fuse of their friendliness, confessions, cordial attitude towards me, willingness to help, bring me up to date, and interestingly, without any emphasis on their professionalism and gaps in my knowledge. 
USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Eduard Shevardnadze in his office in Moscow
As head of the USSR Foreign Ministry, Shevardnadze was perceived very positively in the West. First of all, he was considered one of the main architects of the famous "perestroika" and "new thinking" of Mikhail Gorbachev.
He was considered a politician open to cooperation with capitalist countries, he was not afraid to criticize the distortions of the socialist system and the mistakes of his predecessors. He became famous for criticizing the invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. This decision, according to him, "was made behind the shoulders of the party and the people."
Fall of an empire, new chapter
Eduard Shevardnadze had no previous experience in diplomacy and foreign policy. Andrei Gromyko's successor turned out to be a very ambitious minister, a staunch supporter and defender of "perestroika". He negotiated with both Helmut Kohl and other leaders of Western Europe, as well as with Deng Xiaoping or Qian Qichen from China. I tried to find a recipe for improving Soviet-Chinese relations, incl. problems in Cambodia. 
The Soviet Union, despite the "perestroika" and "new thinking" irretrievably collapsed. As a result of the conflict with Gorbachev, Eduard Shevardnadze resigned from the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs on December 20, 1990.
A year later, he returned to office, but only for a month, until the collapse of the Soviet Union. He didn't go down with his ship. A symbolic gesture of Shevardnadze's new political path is his baptism in the Georgian Orthodox Church in 1991. 
Less than two months later, parliamentary elections were held in Georgia, which were the first elections organized in the USSR with the participation of the opposition. Over 60% of the votes were received by the bloc of opposition forces, "Round Table - Free Georgia" headed by Zviad Gamsakhurdia. In the spring of 1991, the Georgian parliament declared the country's independence. Gamsakhurdia became the first president.
The first days of Georgia's independence passed to the accompaniment of gunshots in South Ossetia. The support provided to the Ossetians by Russia led to Gamsakhurdia's not very diplomatic declaration that his country was in the process of war with the USSR (at that time, Georgia did not yet have a regular armed forces).
The loss of actual control over Abkhazia and South Ossetia is today considered one of the main defeats of the presidency of Eduard Shevardnadze.
Georgian conflicts
The developing conflict with Abkhazia prompted the Georgian government to make efforts to create its own armed forces. In the spring of 1991, the National Guard of Georgia was created, which in form and name belonged to the traditions of the period of the First Republic.
However, the remaining anti-communist elites soon turned away from the president, who believed that he very quickly received full power and did not reckon with anyone. One of his opponents was Prime Minister Tengiz Sigua, who was appointed by him. All this was superimposed on the serious economic problems that Georgia was then experiencing - huge inflation and the lack of basic food products in stores. The Guard took the side of the putschists. 
The coup began on December 22, 1991 with an attack by the Guards on government buildings in Tbilisi, and ended on January 4, 1992 with the defeat of the poorly organized presidential forces. According to official figures, 107 people were killed. Immediately after the end of hostilities, Eduard Shevardnadze arrived in the capital of the country at the invitation of the former leader of the Communist Party of Georgia, Avtandil Margiani.
The civil war in Georgia has entered a new phase - the struggle of Georgians against Georgians. It continued until about the end of 1992. During the war, Tbilisi troops controlled the eastern part of the country, while supporters of the overthrown president, called Zviadists, controlled the western part. Shevardnadze used the resulting unrest to strengthen his political positions.
The situation finally returned to normal after the death of Gamsakhurdia in December 1993. In 1995, presidential elections were held in Georgia, in which, with an 80% turnout, Eduard Shevardnadze received 75% of the vote and became president of Georgia.
At the head of Georgia
The new parliament transferred almost all power into the hands of Eduard Shevardnadze, who declared himself the "head of state" and ruled the country with the help of decrees. This meant big changes in Georgia's domestic and foreign policy. Seeing public dissatisfaction due to continuous conflicts, social problems and the economic crisis, Shevardnadze unequivocally rejected the anti-Russian course of Zviad Gamsakhurdia.
On October 22, 1993, he signed a decree on Georgia's accession to the Commonwealth of Independent States and proceeded to disband all informal and paramilitary organizations, to arm the people, and he himself announced the creation of a regular army. At the same time, a new currency was introduced, first the so-called temporary coupons, and later, since 1995, the lari. Privatization and distribution of land to peasants has begun. An interesting fact is that one of the economic advisers to the authorities of independent Georgia was Leszek Balcerowicz. 
Shevardnadze also pursued an active policy in the international arena. He achieved Georgia's accession to various organizations. He opened its embassies in different countries and received assistance from other countries for the restoration of Georgia. Such actions gave people hope for a way out of the crisis. Shevardnadze demonstrated to the public that he is a politician who knows how to coordinate Georgian foreign policy with Russia's interests, and at the same time actively cooperate with Western countries.
On the other hand, the decision on Georgia's accession to the CIS was perceived very negatively by the Georgian society. Conflicts with the Ossetians, whose Abkhazians were supported by Russia and the Zviadists, continued uninterrupted. In turn, Russia, dissatisfied with the pro-Western course of the Georgian president, strategic partnership with NATO and a declaration of desire to join the Alliance (as well as the European Union), accused him of supporting Chechen separatism.
End of career
Shevardnadze gradually stabilized his political position, consolidating his own political camp around the Civil Union of Georgia party. His program was in line with the programs of the Western Social Democratic parties. However, the popularity of this policy has declined over time.
In addition to the above problems, one can add the huge corruption that people from the inner circle of the president were involved in, as well as the falsification of the presidential elections in 2000 and the parliamentary elections in 2003. The last elections put an end to the power of this politician. Eduard Shevardnadze voluntarily relinquished power (although at first he refused to give in) after consultations with opposition leaders as well as Colin Powell and Sergei Ivanov. 
Thus ended the political career of Eduard Shevardnadze. A career full of contradictions, ambiguities, things that are not so easy to define. Time will tell whether the future really belongs to freedom, as the former President of Georgia and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the USSR arrogantly stated in the title of his book ...
Igor Khomyn
Eduard Amvrosievich Shevardnadze (Georgian ედუარდ ამბროსის ძე შევარდნაძე, Eduard Ambrosis dze Shevardnadze). Born January 25, 1928 in the village. Mamati, Georgia - died July 7, 2014 in Tbilisi. Soviet and Georgian political and statesman. 1st Secretary of the Komsomol of Georgia (1957-1961), Minister of the Georgian SSR (1965-1972), First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Georgia (1972-1985), Minister of Foreign Affairs of the USSR (1985-1990), Minister of Foreign Relations of the USSR (November 19 - December 26, 1991). Hero of Socialist Labor (1981). Member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the CPSU (1985-1990), the closest associate of M. S. Gorbachev. President of Georgia (1995-2003).
Shevardnadze returned to Georgia after the overthrow of the regime of Zviad Gamsakhurdia and took the post of Chairman of the State Council, and then Chairman of the Parliament. However, he faced serious economic problems, the growing influence of the mafia and military operations in Abkhazia. Having become the president of Georgia, he could not achieve the return of Abkhazia and South Ossetia and the solution of the political and economic problems of the country. In the fall of 2003, he was forced to resign during the Rose Revolution.
Born on January 25, 1928 in the village of Mamati, Lanchkhutsky District (Guria), Georgian SSR, in the family of a teacher. His older brother Akaki died in 1941 during the defense of the Brest Fortress, and is currently buried in a memorial on Ceremonial Square in the citadel of the Brest Hero Fortress memorial complex.
He began his career in 1946 as an instructor, and then head of the personnel department and organizational instructor work of the Ordzhonikidze district committee of the Komsomol in Tbilisi. In the period from 1949 to 1951, Eduard Amvrosievich was a student of a two-year party school under the Central Committee of the Communist Party (b) of Georgia, after which he became an instructor of the Central Committee of the Komsomol of Georgia. In 1952, Shevardnadze became secretary, then second secretary of the Kutaisi regional committee of the Komsomol of the Georgian SSR, and the very next year - the first secretary of the Kutaisi regional committee of the Komsomol of the Georgian SSR.
Graduated from the Tbilisi Medical College. In 1959 he graduated from the Kutaisi Pedagogical Institute. A. Tsulukidze.
In 1956-1957. - Second Secretary of the Central Committee of the Komsomol of Georgia, in 1957-1961. - First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Komsomol of Georgia. In April 1958, at the 13th Congress of the Komsomol, he met Mikhail Gorbachev.
From 1961 to 1963 - First Secretary of the Mtskheta District Committee of the Communist Party of Georgia, from 1963 to 1964 - First Secretary of the Pervomaisky District Committee of the Communist Party of Georgia in Tbilisi. In the period from 1964 to 1965 - First Deputy Minister of Public Order Protection, from 1965 to 1968 - Minister of Public Order Protection of the Georgian SSR. From 1968 to 1972 - Minister of Internal Affairs of the Georgian SSR. Major General of the Internal Service.
In 1972 - First Secretary of the Tbilisi City Committee of the Communist Party of Georgia.
On September 29, 1972, he was elected First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Georgia. Eduard Shevardnadze announced the launch of a campaign against corruption and the shadow economy. During the first year and a half of the purge of personnel, he dismissed 20 ministers, 44 secretaries of district committees, 3 secretaries of city committees, 10 chairmen of district executive committees and their deputies, appointing KGB officers, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and young technocrats in their places. According to V. Solovyov and E. Klepikova, during the first 5 years in the new post, more than 30 thousand people were arrested, half of whom were members of the CPSU; another 40,000 were relieved of their posts.
By a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of February 26, 1981, E. A. Shevardnadze was awarded the title of Hero of Socialist Labor with the Order of Lenin and the Hammer and Sickle gold medal.
In 1985-1990 - Minister of Foreign Affairs of the USSR, from 1985 to 1990 - member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the CPSU, from 1976 to 1991 - member of the Central Committee of the CPSU. Deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR (1974-89).
The appointment of Shevardnadze to the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs of the USSR was unexpected. Shevardnadze created the image of a modern, democratic minister in contrast to the party functionary Gromyko. Gained great popularity in the West. He often lectured at foreign universities.
In January 1986, during a visit to Pyongyang, Shevardnadze signed the Treaty between the USSR and the DPRK on the delimitation of the economic zone and the continental shelf, as well as the Treaty on mutual trips of citizens of the USSR and the DPRK. In September 1987, he made a visit to the United States, during which the parties managed to agree on the start of full-scale bilateral negotiations to limit and then stop nuclear tests. During the visit, he signed an agreement on the establishment of nuclear risk reduction centers. Being, in January 1988, on a working visit to Germany, Shevardnadze reached an agreement to extend for 5 years the Agreement on the development and deepening of long-term cooperation in the field of economy and industry, and also signed the Protocol on consultations and the Protocol of negotiations related to the establishment of the USSR Consulate General in Munich and Germany - in Kiev. In April of the same year, with US Secretary of State George Shultz, he signed the Declaration of International Guarantees and the Relationship Agreement to settle the situation concerning Afghanistan.
Shevardnadze paid visits to Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Iran, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Nigeria, Afghanistan, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, as well as other countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
After the events in Tbilisi in April 1989, he condemned the actions of the army.
On June 1, 1990, in Washington, together with US Secretary of State James Baker, he signed an agreement on the transfer of the Bering Sea to the United States along the Shevardnadze-Baker dividing line.
On December 20, 1990, from the rostrum of the IV Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR, he announced his resignation "in protest against the impending dictatorship" and in the same year he left the ranks of the CPSU. As L. P. Kravchenko recalled: “At the end of 1990, Gorbachev decided to introduce the post of vice president and named Shevardnadze one of the candidates for it. But at the next Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR, Shevardnadze makes a loud statement about the threat to democracy in the Soviet Union and leaves official politics. Gorbachev himself later confirmed his then plans to nominate Shevardnadze as vice president. After leaving the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs, Shevardnadze worked in the presidential structure under Gorbachev.
On November 19, 1991, at the invitation of Gorbachev, he again headed the USSR Foreign Ministry (which was then called the Ministry of Foreign Relations after the reorganization), but a month after the collapse of the USSR, this position was abolished.
In December 1991, Shevardnadze was one of the first among the leaders of the USSR to recognize the Belovezhskaya Accords and the impending demise of the USSR.
Shevardnadze was one of MS Gorbachev's associates in pursuing the policy of perestroika, glasnost and détente in international tension.
Shevardnadze himself in 2006 spoke about his activities as head of the USSR Foreign Ministry: “what has been done in the six years during which I was the Minister of Foreign Affairs. About what I managed to do - not only to me, but also to Gorbachev. It was then that the Cold War ended. After all, no one expected this to happen. My friends and I managed to settle the strained relations between the USSR and the USA. It was when I was the head of the Foreign Ministry that the unification of Germany, the liberation of Eastern Europe, the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan took place ... Is this a little or a lot? I think quite a lot. I'm not saying that I'm very talented, that it was I who managed to do all this. It’s just that the USSR and the USA by that time were ready to think about new relations.”
In December 1991 - January 1992, a coup d'etat took place in Georgia, as a result of which President Zviad Gamsakhurdia was removed and fled the country. There is an opinion that Shevardnadze was behind the organizers of the coup. He was invited by the leaders of the coup to return to his homeland and lead the country.
Shevardnadze returned to Georgia at the beginning of March 1992 and on March 10, 1992 was appointed chairman of the provisional body of the country's supreme administration - the State Council of the Republic of Georgia, which replaced the Military Council.
In October 1992, he was elected Chairman of the Parliament of the Republic of Georgia in the general elections, and took office at the first meeting of the new Parliament on November 4, 1992. Shortly thereafter, the Parliament introduced the position of the Head of the Georgian State, and on November 6, 1992, Shevardnadze was elected to this post without an alternative. Formally retaining the position of Parliament Speaker, Shevardnadze was released from the day-to-day work of managing its meetings, which was entrusted to Vakhtang Goguadze, who took the newly created post of Speaker of Parliament. The positions of Chairman and Speaker of the Parliament were merged in 1995, simultaneously with the restoration of the post of President of Georgia.
In March 1992, Shevardnadze turned to Yeltsin with a request not to withdraw the CIS troops from the territory of Georgia, and practically all the arsenals and a significant military contingent of the Transcaucasian Military District remained here.
On May 7, 1992, Shevardnadze, being the Chairman of the State Council of Georgia, signed a resolution "On the solution of complex problems in the formation and functioning of the border zone of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia."
On June 24, 1992, in Sochi, he signed an Agreement with Russian President Boris Yeltsin on the principles of a peaceful settlement of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict, which temporarily ended the Georgian-Ossetian military conflict. Unsuccessful for Shevardnadze was an attempt to restore Georgian sovereignty in Abkhazia, which led to the defeat of the Georgian army and the expulsion of the vast majority of the Georgian population from Abkhazia.
In November 1992, Shevardnadze underwent a rite of holy baptism in the Cathedral of the Georgian Orthodox Church, receiving the church name George.
When in 1992 Shevardnadze signed a friendship treaty with Turkey, in its preamble, at the insistence of the Turkish side, it was stipulated that the provisions of the Treaty of Kars remain in force.
Although in May 1993 he issued an act “On the settlement of some social problems of the deported Meskhs”, and in December 1996 a decree “On the approval of the state program for solving the legal and social problems of the Meskhs deported and repatriated to Georgia”, no real steps followed.
In the summer-autumn of 1993, a party of Shevardnadze's supporters, the Union of Citizens of Georgia (UCG), was created. At the founding congress of the CUG, held on November 21, Shevardnadze was elected chairman of the party. Meanwhile, Shevardnadze's rating gradually began to fall.
In March 1994, Shevardnadze made a trip to the United States and during the visit convinced B. Clinton of the need for an international military presence in Georgia. During a trip to the United States, Shevardnadze signed an agreement to open military missions of the two countries and implement a "military cooperation program", which includes American assistance and financial assistance in the restructuring of the armed forces of Georgia. The agreement contained a statement on the territorial integrity of Georgia.
In 1994, he suggested that Russia send its peacekeepers to the banks of the Inguri to separate Georgia and Abkhazia.
In 1994, he signed an agreement on friendship and good neighborliness with Turkey, in which he confirmed Georgia's loyalty to the Treaty of Kars.
On August 29, 1995, there was an assassination attempt on Shevardnadze in Tbilisi: a Niva car exploded near the parliamentary garage, as a result of which he was slightly injured. Georgian Security Minister Igor Giorgadze was accused of organizing the assassination, then removed from his post and put on the international wanted list.
On November 5, 1995, presidential elections were held in Georgia, which were won by Eduard Shevardnadze, gaining 72.9% of the vote.
In 1996, Shevardnadze described the period of Gamsakhurdia's rule as provincial fascism and promised that "the fight against fascism in Georgia will be intensified."
In Tbilisi from 25 to 30 April 1997, with the support of UNESCO, the Council of Europe, the President and the Parliament of Georgia, the first ever International Youth Delphic Games were held, as well as the Second World Delphic Congress.
Around 1998, Shevardnadze began to pursue a radically pro-Western political course. The country agreed to build the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline bypassing Russia, and for the first time invited US instructors to train the army.
On February 9, 1998, the president survived another assassination attempt. In the center of Tbilisi, his motorcade was fired from a grenade launcher and automatic weapons. However, the armored Mercedes saved his life.
In the summer of 1998, Shevardnadze sent a letter to Yeltsin, in which he demanded that an extraordinary meeting of the CIS heads of state be convened to urgently resolve the issue of the return of refugees to Abkhazia.
In October 1998, the Akaki Eliava rebellion broke out, suppressed by government forces.
On December 13, 1999, Shevardnadze, in his traditional speech on the radio, once again stated that Georgia would give a "worthy response" to terrorists if they tried to enter its territory. However, according to E.Shevardnadze, Georgia will continue to accept Chechen refugees and provide them with temporary shelter. The Georgian leader expressed his satisfaction with the statement of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, in which he said that he did not intend to allow the conflict in Chechnya to escalate to the entire Caucasus.
On April 9, 2000, he was re-elected President of the Republic of Georgia, having received more than 82% of the votes of the voters who took part in the elections.
On May 25, 2001, a coup d'état was attempted by a National Guard battalion, but the next day, after negotiations with Shevardnadze, the battalion returned to its place of deployment in full force.
In September 2002, Shevardnadze announced that after the end of his presidential term in 2005, he intended to retire and start writing his memoirs.
On October 8, 2002, Shevardnadze announced that his meeting with Putin in Chisinau was "the beginning of a turning point in Georgian-Russian relations" (the leaders of the countries announced their readiness to jointly fight terrorism).
The Russian authorities accused the Georgian leadership of harboring Chechen separatists and threatened to attack "terrorist bases" on Georgian territory, in the Pankisi Gorge.
On November 2, 2003 parliamentary elections were held in Georgia. The opposition called on its supporters to take civil disobedience actions. They insisted that the authorities recognize the elections as invalid.
On November 20, 2003, the CEC of Georgia announced the official results of the parliamentary elections. The pro-Shevardnadze bloc "For a New Georgia" won 21.32% of the vote, the "Union of Democratic Revival" - 18.84%. Shevardnadze's opponents considered this a "mockery" and an open, total falsification. The doubtful result of the elections caused the Rose Revolution on November 21-23. The opposition put forward an ultimatum to Shevardnadze - to resign from the presidency, or the opposition will occupy the residence of Krtsanisi. On November 23, 2003, Shevardnadze resigned.
In July 2012, Shevardnadze, in an interview with a Tbilisi newspaper, apologized and repented to the citizens of Georgia for giving power to M. Saakashvili during the Rose Revolution. Emphasizing that at that time he had no other choice but to resign early, Shevardnadze publicly admitted his mistake, criticized Saakashvili's policy, arguing that he was not capable of solving Georgia's key problems.
On July 7, 2014, at 12:00, after a serious long illness, Eduard Shevardnadze died at the age of 87 in his Tbilisi residence in Krtsanisi.
The funeral service took place on July 11 at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Tbilisi, the politician was buried on July 13, 2014 next to the grave of his wife in the residence park in Krtsanisi, where Shevardnadze lived in recent years.
Shevardnadze family:
Wife - Shevardnadze (nee Tsagareishvili) Nanuli Razhdenovna (1929-2004). For 35 years she was engaged in journalism, was the head of the international association "Women of Georgia for Peace and Life". Two children - son Paata and daughter Manana, three granddaughters - Sofiko, Mariam, Nanuli and one grandson - Lasha (children of Paata's son).
Paat's son is a lawyer and works at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris.
Daughter Manana works on Georgian television.
Granddaughter Sofiko Shevardnadze (b. September 23, 1978, Tbilisi) - journalist, worked in Russia on television, now a correspondent for the Ekho Moskvy radio.
Photos from open sources
Eduard Amvrosievich Shevardnadze was born on January 25, 1928 in the village of Mamati, Lanchkhut region, in the historical region of Guria in Georgia. The personality of this politician and the consequences of his actions in the post of both the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the USSR and the President of Georgia cause ambiguous assessments. About the dead or good, or nothing but the truth. But we will not discuss Shevardnadze's personality as a person; we will dwell on his policy, the consequences of which are "alive" to this day.
For some reason, for a long time in many Russian media, Shevardnadze was presented as an exceptionally wise politician, a born diplomat, such a political "elder". However, if you look at the list of "merits" of Eduard Amvrosievich, you understand that if he had some kind of political wisdom, then it clearly did not work for the good of the Soviet state. And after the collapse of the Soviet Union, to which Eduard Shevardnadze also had a hand, already in the status of president of sovereign Georgia, the former Soviet foreign minister was far from being a friend of Russia. Having instantly "changed shoes", yesterday's representative of the Soviet party nomenklatura, the general of the Soviet Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the USSR, calmly reoriented towards cooperation with the United States.
Who knows how the fate of Eduard Amvrosievich would have developed if he had chosen a different life path for himself in his youth. He graduated with honors from the Tbilisi Medical College and could have entered a medical school without exams. Perhaps he would have become an excellent doctor, like many of his countrymen, would have treated people, and ninety years after his birth, he would have been remembered with exceptional gratitude. But, after graduating from a technical school, Shevardnadze went along the Komsomol, and then the party line. This predetermined his future fate, and Edward's career in the party was very successful.
At the age of 18, he came to the position of an instructor in the personnel department of the Ordzhonikidze district committee of the Komsomol of Tbilisi and then went exclusively along the Komsomol line. By that time, Shevardnadze had neither work experience in production, nor service in the army, nor even work as a teacher, paramedic or newspaper correspondent. Professional apparatchik. In 1952, 24-year-old Eduard became the secretary of the Kutaisi regional committee of the Komsomol of the Georgian SSR, and in 1953 - the first secretary of the Kutaisi regional committee of the Komsomol of the Georgian SSR. Naturally, such a successful career in the Komsomol gave great chances for continuing a career already in party structures. In 1957-1961. Eduard Shevardnadze was the first secretary of the Central Committee of the Komsomol of the Georgian SSR. It was at this time that he met another Komsomol functionary - Mikhail Gorbachev, who in 1958 participated in the XIII Congress of the Komsomol as the second secretary of the Stavropol Regional Committee of the Komsomol.
In 1961, when Eduard was 33 years old, he switched from Komsomol to party work - he headed the Mtskheta district committee of the Communist Party of the Georgian SSR. What followed was a dizzying career. The path from the first secretary of the district committee to the republican minister took him only 4 years. In 1963-1964 Shevardnadze headed the Pervomaisky District Committee of the Communist Party of the Georgian SSR in Tbilisi, and in 1964 was appointed First Deputy Minister of Public Order of Georgia. Then it was a very common practice to send party officials "to strengthen" the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the KGB. Yesterday's Komsomol member Shevardnadze, who from the age of 18 was engaged exclusively in apparatus work, at the age of 36 ended up in a general's position without the slightest experience in law enforcement and even without serving in the army. The following year, 1965, he was appointed Minister of Public Order (since 1968 - Internal Affairs) of the Georgian SSR and received the rank of Major General of the Internal Service. Shevardnadze led the Georgian police for seven years - until 1972.
In 1972, after a very brief leadership of the Tbilisi City Committee of the Communist Party of the Georgian SSR, Eduard Shevardnadze was elected First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Georgia. In this post, he replaced Vasily Mzhavanadze, who was accused of corruption and encouraging the activities of the guilds. Eduard Shevardnadze promised to restore order and deal with violations of socialist legality. He conducted a massive purge in the party and state apparatus of the republic, replacing the old leading cadres with young intellectuals and technocrats. However, it was during the years of his leadership of the Georgian SSR - in the 1970s - 1980s - that the republic had already finally secured for itself the glory of one of the most corrupt in the Union, living according to "special rules" that had nothing to do with Soviet laws. Yes, and the “purges” of the leadership could be a classic preparation for the subsequent flowering of nationalism.
In 1985, Eduard Shevardnadze was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs of the USSR. Mikhail Gorbachev needed a reliable person in this position, who would share his aspirations for the liberalization of the political, including international, course. Therefore, the choice fell on Shevardnadze, who, by the way, had no experience in diplomatic work and even in the state language of the USSR, not to mention foreign languages, spoke with a strong accent until the end of his life.
It was in the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs of the USSR that Eduard Shevardnadze caused maximum harm to the Soviet state with his activities. In fact, together with his "patron" Mikhail Gorbachev, Shevardnadze is directly responsible for the events that led to the final weakening and collapse of the Soviet state. It was Eduard Shevardnadze who, with his extreme pliability, led to a quick surrender of positions in foreign policy, having managed to completely destroy the socialist bloc in Eastern Europe in five years, and prepare the conditions for the complete withdrawal of Soviet troops from the countries of Eastern Europe.
In 1987, Eduard Shevardnadze signed the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, which was to come into force in 1991. As a result of the Treaty, the Soviet Union destroyed 2.5 times more launchers and 3.5 times more warheads than the United States. The Oka missile (SS-23), which had been built over many years by entire teams of Soviet scientists and engineers, was also destroyed, although the United States did not ask for it. It turns out that Shevardnadze and Gorbachev simply "gave" the United States the destruction of a modern Soviet missile at that time.
Another famous "case" of Eduard Amvrosievich is the Shevardnadze-Baker agreement. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the USSR signed with US Secretary of State James Baker the Agreement on the line of demarcation of maritime spaces in the Bering Sea. The title of this document does not convey the essence of the consequences to which the "demarcation of maritime spaces" has led. In the part of the Bering Sea, which was discussed in the agreement, there were explored large reserves of oil, and besides, there were many fish. But the "political elder" simply ceded 46.3 thousand square meters to the United States. km of the continental shelf and 7.7 thousand square meters. km of the continental economic zone of the Soviet Union. Only 4.6 thousand square meters went to the USSR. km of the continental shelf - ten times less than the United States. Of course, US Coast Guard ships immediately appeared in this zone and it became impossible for Soviet fishing vessels to visit it. Subsequently, James Baker, characterizing Shevardnadze, said that the main achievement of the latter was the refusal to use force to preserve the empire. But there were other, even more interesting words - “the Soviet minister seemed almost a suppliant. The Soviet leadership needs only a little encouragement to conduct business essentially on Western terms.”
Eduard Shevardnadze played one of the key roles in the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan. Of course, from a human point of view, the fact that our soldiers and officers stopped dying is a big plus. But politically, it was a colossal miscalculation. Its consequences were the imminent coming of the Mujahideen to power in a neighboring country, the complete opening of the "underbelly" of the Soviet Union for attacks by extremists, which began almost immediately after the withdrawal of troops. The civil war in Tajikistan is also the result of this step, as well as the flood of drugs that poured into the post-Soviet republics, from which hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of young Russians died.
It was Eduard Shevardnadze who stood behind the "surrender" of East Germany. Mikhail Gorbachev and Eduard Shevardnadze are highly respected in the West for their contribution to the unification of Germany. But what was the use of this for the Soviet state, for Russia? The actions of the Soviet leadership were dumbfounded even by the Western leaders themselves. Throughout 1990, the issue of unification of the FRG and the GDR was discussed. And Eduard Shevardnadze made concessions of a very serious nature. As you know, the FRG was a member of the NATO bloc, and the GDR was a member of the Warsaw Pact. There was an opportunity to fix the need for united Germany to refuse to join NATO, but Shevardnadze relented and agreed with Germany's right to re-join the North Atlantic Alliance.
In addition, he allowed not to indicate the promise of German Foreign Minister Hans Dietrich Genscher to abandon plans for NATO expansion to the East. Although the latter promised the Soviet minister that the former countries of the socialist bloc would never be members of NATO. Shevardnadze explained his actions by the fact that he trusts his negotiating partners and there is no need to write down Genscher's promise on paper. What was the cost of fixing these words in the contract? But there is no fixation - and there are no agreements. In the 1990s-2000s, most of the former Soviet allies in Eastern Europe became members of NATO. The North Atlantic Alliance has moved as far as possible to the borders of modern Russia - and this is the most direct "merit" of the then Minister of Foreign Affairs of the USSR, a "wise politician."
The process of unification of Germany took place in maximum haste. It seems that Gorbachev and Shevardnadze were given the task by someone to complete the preparations for the collapse of the Soviet state by 1991. Therefore, 1990 went down in history as the year of surrender of the positions of the Soviet Union on all fronts. By the way, the “White Fox” himself, as the media liked to call him, recalled in his memoirs that he made some decisions on the unification of Germany personally, without consulting with “Mikhal Sergeyich”. Obviously, Shevardnadze wanted to go down in history as the unifier of Germany much more than to remain in memory as a normal foreign minister of his state. George W. Bush, the President of the United States, was literally shocked by the behavior of the Soviet leaders. He recalled that the West was ready to write off multibillion-dollar debts, to give guarantees that Eastern Europe would never join NATO, but Shevardnadze did not demand anything in return.
On December 20, 1990, at the IV Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR, Eduard Shevardnadze announced his resignation from the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs "in protest against the impending dictatorship", although it was not very clear what kind of dictatorship he was talking about. However, in November 1991, he returned for a month to the post of Minister of Foreign Relations of the USSR (instead of the abolished Ministry of Foreign Affairs), but soon the Soviet Union ceased to exist and Eduard Amvrosievich was out of work. He decided to return to Georgia, where in January 1992 a military coup took place that overthrew Zviad Gamsakhurdia.
On March 10, 1992, Shevardnadze headed the State Council of Georgia, in October 1992 he was elected Chairman of the Georgian Parliament, and on November 6, 1992 - Head of the Georgian State (since 1995 - President). Thus, Shevardnadze actually headed sovereign Georgia for eleven years - from 1992 to 2003. Those who caught that time remember that life in Georgia became literally unbearable. The war with Abkhazia, the conflict in South Ossetia, the unprecedented growth of banditry - and all this against the backdrop of the complete destruction of the social infrastructure, the total impoverishment of the population. It was during the years of Shevardnadze's presidency that many citizens of Georgia left the territory of the country, emigrating to other states, primarily to that very Russia, independence from which Tbilisi so desired a few years ago.
Shevardnadze's policy as president of sovereign Georgia cannot be called friendly towards Russia either. Although the “White Fox” repeatedly spoke in words about the friendship of the Russian and Georgian peoples, he himself tried to turn the country into a US satellite, asking Washington to send an international military contingent to the republic. The role of Georgia during the First Chechen War is well known. Just at that time, Eduard Shevardnadze was in charge of the country on whose territory the militant bases were located.
In domestic politics, Shevardnadze suffered a complete fiasco, unable to lead the country out of the economic and social catastrophe. On November 21-23, 2003, the so-called massacre took place in Georgia. The "Rose Revolution", which forced Eduard Amvrosievich on November 23, 2003 to step down as president of the country. After Shevardnadze's resignation, he lived for almost eleven more years. He passed away on July 7, 2014 at the age of 87.
Many experts in Western Europe consider him an extra-class politician, since his merits in the history of the USSR are incredibly great. First, he worked to end the Cold War and bring down the Iron Curtain. Secondly, he contributed to the unification of Germany. And thirdly, he ensured the sovereignty of his native Georgia. And this is far from all the achievements in big politics that Eduard Shevardnadze has achieved. However, according to some media, he made a dizzying career solely due to such qualities as cunning and business acumen. Moreover, having taken a high post in the system of state administration, initially he had a very remote idea of how he could be useful to the party leadership of the USSR. And although Shevardnadze had some experience in the Komsomol and the apparatus of the Central Committee, he clearly lacked life experience and profile education for the civil service when he took the chair of the head of the Foreign Ministry. And yet, Eduard Amvrosievich was able to prove that he could handle not only party affairs, but also work in the highest echelons of power.
And Leonid Brezhnev, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the USSR, became his patron in big politics. Favored the party functionary from Georgia and another general secretary - Mikhail Gorbachev.
Years of childhood and youth
Shevardnadze Eduard Amvrosievich - a native of the settlement Mamati (Lanchkhut region, Georgia). He was born on January 25, 1928 in a large family. His father taught Russian language and literature, and his mother was engaged in housekeeping. Eduard Shevardnadze was the youngest child in the family. After graduating with honors from eight classes, the future head of the Union Foreign Ministry travels to Tbilisi and enters a medical college. Eduard Shevardnadze chose the profession of a doctor on the recommendation of his parents, who had health problems. Three years later, the young man received a medical degree, and with honors. Eduard's prospects for continuing his studies at the university were very bright. As a holder of a red diploma, he could become a student at a medical institute without entrance exams.
The beginning of a party career
But at the last moment the young man changed his mind. The fact is that, while still studying at a technical school, Eduard Shevardnadze began to act as secretary of the Komsomol committee. Over time, the young man became an activist in the above youth structure, and after graduating from a technical school he was offered a place in the district committee of the Komsomol. Eduard Amvrosievich agreed.
In 1946, he was entrusted with the position of an instructor in the Komsomol cell of the Ordzhonikidzevsky district of Tbilisi, and then there he became in charge of recruitment and supervised organizational work. Soon Eduard Amvrosievich Shevardnadze becomes a student of the party school organized under the Georgian Central Committee of the Communist Party. For two years, the young man regularly visits the library, getting acquainted with the works of the ideologists of communism. After training, Shevardnadze becomes an instructor of the Central Committee of the Komsomol of Georgia. His career along the party line is rapidly going up. He works first as a secretary, then as a second secretary, and after that as a first secretary of the Kutaisi Regional Committee of the Komsomol of Georgia. And even after the Khrushchev reform, which provided for the abolition of two regions of Georgia - Kutaisi and Tbilisi - Shevardnadze did not lose the post of secretary of the Komsomol city committee. Moreover, working in this capacity, Eduard Amvrosievich received by no means high wages. By this time he already had a wife, and the problem of the family budget deficit often made itself felt. But these were all temporary difficulties. In the late 50s, a party functionary from the village of Mamati became a certified historian, graduating from the Kutaisi Pedagogical Institute.
Key position in home country
The rise of Shevardnadze's political career could only be envied. In the mid-60s, he took the chair of the Minister of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia, and at the age of 44 he received the responsible and high post of First Secretary of the Republic. Eduard Shevardnadze, whose biography is of great interest to historians and political scientists of the Soviet period, in a new capacity begins the fight against corrupt officials in power and representatives of the shadow economy.
He initiates a purge of personnel, totally dismissing negligent ministers, secretaries of regional committees and secretaries of city committees.
Reforms that could affect career
Also, Eduard Amvrosievich was remembered as the first secretary of Georgia for his unusual reforms in the economy. In particular, he allocated land plots to his compatriots for a period of 10-15 years. After the harvest, the farmers had to give 1/5 of it to the budget, and they could take the rest for themselves. Naturally, such elements of a market economy, which had an effect on enrichment, were unacceptable in a planned state. Mikhail Gorbachev, then secretary of the Central Committee for agriculture, pointed this out to the Georgian innovator. Eduard Amvrosievich met him when he came with an inspection to Abasha. However, Gorbachev did not report to the Central Committee about Shevardnadze's reforms unacceptable to the communist system. Moreover, Mikhail Sergeevich and Eduard Amvrosievich became friends after meeting in Georgia. But after some time about the experiments of the first secretary of the GSPC, they still learned at the top. Checks began immediately, but Leonid Brezhnev himself intervened in the situation, ordering his subordinates to turn a blind eye to Shevardnadze's innovative ideas. For some reason, the Secretary General turned out to be favorable to Eduard Amvrosievich.
In the early 1980s, the head of the Georgian republic was awarded the Order of Lenin, the title of Hero of Socialist Labor and the Hammer and Sickle gold medal for services in public affairs. After a while, he was also awarded the Order of Lenin, the Order of the Patriotic War of the 1st degree, the Order of the October Revolution, the Order of the Red Banner of Labor.
MFA
In the mid-80s, power in the Land of Soviets was in the hands of the last General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev. He entrusted the post of head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to his old friend, Shevardnadze.
In parallel, Eduard Amvrosievich became a member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the CPSU. As head of the department responsible for diplomatic contacts, he adhered to a pro-Western policy. Moreover, the issue of expanding the eastern borders of NATO was the cornerstone in relations with foreign states. And Eduard Shevardnadze (Georgian by nationality) stood up for the signing of the Treaty on Limited Arms (CFE). During the period from 1985 to 1990, he made official visits to such countries as Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Jordan, Syria, Nigeria, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and others.
When on April 9, 1989, opposition forces were attacked by special forces near the Government House of Georgia, resulting in human casualties, Shevardnadze condemned the use of force to resolve the conflict.
In December of the following year, he submitted an official letter of resignation from the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs, shortly after that he handed over his party card. The politician explained his decision by saying that he did not like the way democratic reforms were being implemented in the Soviet Union. He even turned down the vice-presidential post offered to him by Gorbachev. In the deep autumn of 1991, Mikhail Sergeevich again asked Shevardnadze to head the Foreign Ministry. But the collapse of the USSR was approaching, and a few months later the position was abolished.
At the end of 1991, Eduard Amvrosievich himself recognized the legitimacy of the collapse of the Land of Soviets and the legitimacy of the Belovezhskaya agreements.
After the USSR disappeared, a coup d'état was carried out in Georgia. President of the Republic Zviad Gamsakhurdia was overthrown, after which he immediately left the country. There were rumors that Eduard Shevardnadze took an unspoken part in the revolution against the overthrow of the government. One way or another, but the elite that won the coup d'état suggested that the ex-Minister of the USSR Foreign Ministry take the leadership of Georgia into their own hands. In the spring of 1992, Eduard Amvrosievich became the head of the State Council of the Republic of Georgia, and six months later he took the post of speaker of the republican parliament. A law was passed through the legislature introducing the post of head of the Georgian state, and in November 1992 it goes to Shevardnadze. Having received a new post, Eduard Amvrosievich began to actively contact Boris Yeltsin. In the summer, Boris Nikolayevich and Shevardnadze signed an agreement in which they fixed the conditions for a peaceful solution to the conflict between Ossetia and Georgia. This treaty was negotiated after Shevardnadze's unsuccessful attempt to restore the independence of the Georgian people in Abkhazia.
In 1993, Eduard Amvrosievich legitimized the deployment of Russian military bases and peacekeeping forces in Georgia.
Elimination Attempt #1
Of course, not everyone was happy with the fact that Eduard Shevardnadze came to power in Georgia. An attempt on the life of a politician was made in the summer of 1995. The incident took place in Tbilisi, not far from the garage where the cars of civil servants were located. Eduard Amvrosievich walked towards the Palace of Youth to attend the ceremony of adoption of the Constitution. On the way, the Niva car suddenly exploded. Fortunately, the Georgian leader received minor injuries. The investigation was able to identify the perpetrator of the incident. It turned out to be the head of the Ministry of Security, Igor Giorgadze. However, it was not possible to put handcuffs on the civil servant. He fled to Moscow. The prosecutor's office put him on the international wanted list, but his trial took place only in 1997. Giorgadze denied his guilt in committing the crime, as a result of which Shevardnadze, who served as head of the country's State Council, suffered.
Elimination Attempt #2
In the fall of 1995, presidential elections in Georgia started. 72.9% of voters voted for Eduard Amvrosievich. It was a stunning victory. The newly-made head of the republic severely criticized the activities of Zviat Gamsakhurdia and promised the people that from now on the Nazis would not come to power in his native country. Shevardnadze began to pursue a pro-Western policy.
In the autumn of 1998, there was another attempt on the life of the President of Georgia. In the center of the capital, someone from a grenade launcher fired at the motorcade of Eduard Amvrosievich. But he was not injured: an armored Mercedes saved his life.
In the spring of 2000, Shevardnadze was again re-elected president. This time over 82% of voters voted for him. But some time later, elections to the Georgian parliament began, which seriously changed the political alignment of forces.
Resignation
The opposition was not ready to recognize the results of the elections, in which Shevardnadze's party received 21% of the vote, and the bloc of democrats - 18%. In November 2003, the Rose Revolution broke out, and the liberals put forward a condition: either the incumbent president resigns, or the opposition occupies the residence of Krtsanisi. Eduard Shevardnadze was forced to make concessions and on November 23 resigned as head of the Georgian republic.
Life in retirement
Moving away from public affairs, Eduard Amvrosievich spent almost all the time in his household, located in the capital of Georgia. He was dissatisfied with the political course pursued by Mikheil Saakashvili. He joined the Georgian Dream opposition alliance, which became the ruling force in 2012.
Shevardnadze began to write books about the events of the past: “When the iron curtain collapsed. Meetings and memories”, “Thoughts about the past and the future”. In the fall of 2015, a documentary film was shown on one of the Russian TV channels, in the center of the plot of which was Eduard Shevardnadze. "Power Strike" - that's what it's called. The authors of this material tried to reveal in detail the biography of the politician.
Personal life
What else, besides a political biography, can interest the audience when it comes to such a colorful figure as Eduard Shevardnadze? Family, children, of course.
The ex-president of Georgia met his wife Nanuli Tsagareishvili when he was a graduate of the party school. He offered the girl a hand and a heart, but was unexpectedly refused. The fact is that the father of Nanuli turned out to be an officer of the Red Army, who was recognized as an enemy of the people. The chosen one of Eduard Amvrosievich simply did not want to spoil her lover's career, so she refused to marry him. But Shevardnadze courted her so persistently and beautifully that Nanuli nevertheless accepted his proposal. And then offspring appeared in their family. The children of Eduard Shevardnadze are the son of Paat (a lawyer and businessman) and the daughter of Manana (a TV journalist). They gave their father four grandchildren.
Death
The ex-president of Georgia in the fall of 2004 grieved over the death of his wife. He survived her by 10 years. In the summer of 2014, Eduard Shevardnadze also died in his mansion. The cause of death is old age. He was 86 years old. The funeral of Eduard Shevardnadze took place on July 13, 2014 at his residence in the capital.
