Zviad Kliment Lazarashvili
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| Image:SURATI Image:ZVIAD.jpeg Zviad Kliment Lazarashvili. |
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| Born: | January 30, 1979 Rustavi, Georgia |
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| Occupation: | Philosopher, poet, novelist, Financial Analyst, publisher |
| Nationality: | Georgian |
| Writing period: | 1999 - Present |
| Literary movement: | Existentialism and Historical Fiction |
Zviad Kliment Lazarashvili (born January 30, 1979) is a prominent figure in present day Georgian emigrant literature. He is a novelist, poet and philosopher. He is mainly known for his patriotic philosophy, ideas of Christian existentialism, and sharp prosaic writings much influenced by a Georgian writer Ilia Chavchavadze and a Yankee philosopher Henry David Thoreau.
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[edit] Biography
[edit] Early years (1979–1999)
Zviad Kliment Lazarashvili was born in 1979, in Rustavi, a large industrialized city in central Georgia, close to the capital city Tbilisi, although he always considered to be the native of Meskheti, the land of ancient Mushki people of Georgia from Lesser Caucasus, where his paternal family came from. He developed early interest in Georgian and world history, poetry, prose, philosophy and Christianity due to enormous influence of his Father, Kliment Levan Lazarashvili, a learned historian and an engineer, who had devoted lifetime to Christianity, patriotism and written word. His mother, Natela Sergo Aleksidze, taught him how to play classical music on piano – a hobby, which he never abandoned. He graduated Summa Cum Laude Rustavi City High School No 23 in 1996 and during the same year he was admitted in Tbilisi State Institute of Economic Relations (TSIER). He studied International Business and Foreign Trade, and later graduated with a Degree of a Bachelor of International Business and Economics, Summa Cum Laude. During his college years he was actively involved in the academic life. He founded the first independent newspaper of TSIER, “Manager” and remained as its president and chief editor for three years. His scientific endeavors in the fields of business and economics were quite successful, gaining the young student recognition in academic circles – two of his thesis won top prizes in national scientific student conferences and one was published in the periodical of Small Business by Friedrich Ebert Foundation of Germany.
[edit] United States (1999–2006)
In early 1999, after collaborating with his Father, Zviad moved to the United States. He spent a short while in the state of New York and northern New Jersey and in the year 2000 he settled in Unionville, Pennsylvania (close to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Wilmington, Delaware), with Dr. Winford Blair Johnson and Janet Mathewson Johnson. This was a life-altering step for the young man. He learned a lot from the elderly couple, who were both Yale University PhDs and decided to adopt him. Janet Mathewson was a novelist, poet and philosopher. She became his mentor and influenced Zviad more than anyone else, with an exception of his Father. He learned proper English by reading American and English classics with her. He was most influenced by New England school of thought and to this day he considers himself to be “Georgian, like Ilia (Chavchavadze) with a Yankee heart full of zest of (Janet) Mathewson, oomph of Thoreau and vigor of Katharine Hepburn”. In 2002 he published his first compilation of early Georgian writings titled “Invictus Pathos”. In 2004 his book was published in his native Rustavi City. It was titled “Manhope”. The book contains two novels, many short stories, Socratic dialogues and some poems. In 2005-2006 he attended Strayer University and graduated with a degree of Master Of Business Administration, Summa Cum Laude. In 2005-2006 he briefly worked in New York City on Wall Street for Merrill Lynch. He recalls this experience as "studying decadent characters of abominably greedy merchants of the mercantile world... merchants, who have mortgaged their souls for primitive material gains".
[edit] Literary Criticism
Even though Zviad Lazarashvili's novels are deeply philosophical and profoundly patriotic, they don’t overlook social aspects of human existence – they sound like a polyphonic mixture of a very sophisticated Symphonic Sonata with Georgia’s social injustice and economic depression of 1990s played as background themes for constant leading contrapuntal trios of philosophic thought, patriotism and Christianity. His novels are inspiring as they portray a little man’s fight against the world of money making and savage capitalism, where intangible values, with which the little heroes and heroines of these novels are amply endowed, are ridiculed and scorned. His short stories titled “Nocturnes” offer close look into human psyche. Stylistically they seem to be much influenced by Mikheil Javakhishvili, Alphonse Daudet and Anton Chekhov, while ideologically they are unique and present existential thoughts in the most poetic settings of a thinking man’s nocturnal contemplations.
[edit] Philosophy
Zviad Lazarashvili's philosophy takes its roots in Orthodox Christianity and Existentialism. It is completely idealistic and its most fundamental belief is existence of God – Holy Trinity with ideal and eternal justice and love. In this his philosophy is much influenced by Rene Descartes and Georgian Orthodox Church. Although it is philosophy of idealism, it recognizes worldly imperfections. The author finds causes of such imperfections in evil brought by deception, which is so deeply rooted in human character and nature of its greedy society. Zviad Lazarashvili is by no means a pacifist – his soliloquies and heroes of his novels contain infinite vigor and desire to combat such imperfections and injustices. He envisions a true philosopher not as a pacifist, but rather as an activist everlastingly endeavoring to change the crookedness of the world, expose deceit and rid the society of its swindlers and cozeners. “I learned not to be a pacifist from my Father, Holy Orthodox Church, Ilia Chavchavadze, Janet Mathewson, J.W. Goethe and Henry David Thoreau, when he spoke of pointlessness of simple voting. St. George too was a fighting Saint fully dressed in armor, battling the dragon symbolizing deceiving evil, which has so thoroughly penetrated human kind… and, most importantly, from Jesus, when he physically removed greedy merchants from the church, when he taught, when he healed, when he toiled and when he was tortured.”
[edit] Legacy
Legacy of Zviad Kliment Lazarashvili's writings is yet to be determined. His second book "Manhope" was the best seller in his native city of Rustavi in 2004 and has been used as out of class reading in some highschools in Rustavi.
[edit] References
- Friedrich Ebert Stiftung. Small Business -- Opportunity for Future Generations, p. 36, Tbilisi, Georgia, 1998
- Zviad Lazarashvili. Manhope, pp.2-5. ISBN 99940-799-6-4 Irida Publishing House, Rustavi, Georgia, 2004
- Tbilisi State Institute of Economic Relations. Manager, p.3, Tbilisi, Georgia, 1999
