Iakob Gogebashvili
Encyclopedia
Iakob Gogebashvili (October 15, 1840 – June 1, 1912) was a Georgian
educator, children’s writer and journalist, considered to be the founder of the scientific pedagogy
in Georgia. Through his masterly compiled children's primer, Mother Tongue (დედა ენა), which in a modified form serves to this day as a manual in Georgian schools, every Georgian
since 1880 has learnt to read and write in their native language.
near Gori, Georgia
(then part of Imperial Russia) to a poor family of a priest Simon Gogebashvili. He studied at the seminaries of Gori and Tiflis before enrolling into the theological academy in Kiev
in 1861. Simultaneously, he attended the lectures in natural sciences at the Kiev University
where he became familiar with the political ideas of Russian enlighteners such as Herzen, Belinsky and Chernyshevsky. Yet, unlike many of his contemporary Georgian intellectuals, he was affected less by the Russian radicals than by a Christian
background in the seminaries of Gori and Tiflis. Returning to Georgia in 1863, he taught arithmetic
and geography
at the Tiflis Seminary and later became its inspector. Gogebashvili’s apartment, frequented by the seminarian students, soon became a haven for forbidden discussions of art and politics. Consequently, he was dismissed on the orders from the Holy Synod
in St. Petersburg in 1874.
From then onwards Gogebashvili became a free-lance and devoted his energies to spreading education among his countrymen. In 1879, he helped found the Society for the Spreading of Literacy Among Georgians
through which he channeled his efforts aimed at countering Russification
, especially in the school system, and at reversing the erosion of Georgian language whose status he compared with that of a "wretched foundling, deprived of all care and protection." Gogebashvili quickly gained influence among the constellation of intellectuals around Prince Ilia Chavchavadze who spearheaded the movement for Georgian national revival until his assassination
in 1907.
Gogebashvili’s most influential work, Mother Tongue (დედა ენა), an introduction to Georgian for children, was first published in 1876. Moving from alphabet to literary texts, with a number of encyclopedic passages, it has gone through countless editions to become the pattern over the next hundred years for primers not only in Georgian, but in the several new literary languages of the Caucasus
. Another of his major works is The Door to Nature (ბუნების კარი, 1868), which builds fable and introduction to natural sciences into a miniature children’s encyclopedia. Gogebashvili also authored a number of fairy stories and historical fiction for children as well as several journalistic articles in defense of Georgian culture and identity.
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
educator, children’s writer and journalist, considered to be the founder of the scientific pedagogy
Pedagogy
Pedagogy is the study of being a teacher or the process of teaching. The term generally refers to strategies of instruction, or a style of instruction....
in Georgia. Through his masterly compiled children's primer, Mother Tongue (დედა ენა), which in a modified form serves to this day as a manual in Georgian schools, every Georgian
Georgians
The Georgians are an ethnic group that have originated in Georgia, where they constitute a majority of the population. Large Georgian communities are also present throughout Russia, European Union, United States, and South America....
since 1880 has learnt to read and write in their native language.
Biography
Iakob Gogebashvili was born in the village VarianiVariani
Variani is a village in the Gori District of Shida Kartli, about from Gori. As of 2008, it had a population of 1,500.Variani is best known for being the birthplace of Iakob Gogebashvili and the location of the Iakob Gogebashvili House Museum, being a border village to the South Ossetia disputed...
near Gori, Georgia
Gori, Georgia
Gori is a city in eastern Georgia, which serves as the regional capital of Shida Kartli and the centre of the homonymous administrative district. The name is from Georgian gora , that is, "heap", or "hill"...
(then part of Imperial Russia) to a poor family of a priest Simon Gogebashvili. He studied at the seminaries of Gori and Tiflis before enrolling into the theological academy in Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
in 1861. Simultaneously, he attended the lectures in natural sciences at the Kiev University
Kiev University
Taras Shevchenko University or officially the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv , colloquially known in Ukrainian as KNU is located in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. It is the third oldest university in Ukraine after the University of Lviv and Kharkiv University. Currently, its structure...
where he became familiar with the political ideas of Russian enlighteners such as Herzen, Belinsky and Chernyshevsky. Yet, unlike many of his contemporary Georgian intellectuals, he was affected less by the Russian radicals than by a Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
background in the seminaries of Gori and Tiflis. Returning to Georgia in 1863, he taught arithmetic
Arithmetic
Arithmetic or arithmetics is the oldest and most elementary branch of mathematics, used by almost everyone, for tasks ranging from simple day-to-day counting to advanced science and business calculations. It involves the study of quantity, especially as the result of combining numbers...
and geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
at the Tiflis Seminary and later became its inspector. Gogebashvili’s apartment, frequented by the seminarian students, soon became a haven for forbidden discussions of art and politics. Consequently, he was dismissed on the orders from the Holy Synod
Holy Synod
In several of the autocephalous Eastern Orthodox churches and Eastern Catholic Churches, the patriarch or head bishop is elected by a group of bishops called the Holy Synod...
in St. Petersburg in 1874.
From then onwards Gogebashvili became a free-lance and devoted his energies to spreading education among his countrymen. In 1879, he helped found the Society for the Spreading of Literacy Among Georgians
Society for the Spreading of Literacy Among Georgians
The Society for the Spreading of Literacy Among Georgians was a charity founded by a group of leading Georgian intellectuals in May 1879 in order to promote a cultural renaissance among the peasantry of Georgia, then part of the Russian Empire...
through which he channeled his efforts aimed at countering Russification
Russification
Russification is an adoption of the Russian language or some other Russian attributes by non-Russian communities...
, especially in the school system, and at reversing the erosion of Georgian language whose status he compared with that of a "wretched foundling, deprived of all care and protection." Gogebashvili quickly gained influence among the constellation of intellectuals around Prince Ilia Chavchavadze who spearheaded the movement for Georgian national revival until his assassination
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
in 1907.
Gogebashvili’s most influential work, Mother Tongue (დედა ენა), an introduction to Georgian for children, was first published in 1876. Moving from alphabet to literary texts, with a number of encyclopedic passages, it has gone through countless editions to become the pattern over the next hundred years for primers not only in Georgian, but in the several new literary languages of the Caucasus
Caucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
. Another of his major works is The Door to Nature (ბუნების კარი, 1868), which builds fable and introduction to natural sciences into a miniature children’s encyclopedia. Gogebashvili also authored a number of fairy stories and historical fiction for children as well as several journalistic articles in defense of Georgian culture and identity.
External links
- Mikaberidze, Alexander (ed., 2007). Gogebashvili, Jacob. Dictionary of Georgian National Biography.