Karmazanashvili
Karmazanashvili (Georgian: ყარმაზანაშვილი) is a Georgian surname historically associated with the Aragvi [1] and Ksani [2] valleys in eastern Georgia. The family is traditionally linked to the regional Eristavi class and is noted for its independent status, political influence, and a commanding presence. Some accounts trace the family's origins to extinct Circassian nobility who were driven from the North Caucasus after Karamirzey Massacre [3] (1825) .After resettling in Georgia, members of the family served as diplomats, scholars, and political advisors, with their women famed for their Circassian beauty reinforcing the era’s romanticized image of the Circassian noblewoman and cementing the family's prestige in high society.
Bolshevik Revolution (1917) and the Red Army invasion of Georgia in 1921, ultimately marked the final blow to the family's downfall. Openly opposing the Bolshevik revolutionaries, the family funded and supported anti-Soviet rebellions, often sheltering public enemies of the state in their highland estates. In response, during the Great Purge the family was targeted: nearly all members were executed, and their ancestral estate and town were submerged beneath the artificial lake, erasing their physical legacy.
Soviet authorities systematically wiped out records, portraits, and documents related to the family. With records destroyed, the full genealogy of the family remains unknown.
References
- ^ Rayfield, Donald (2012). Edge of Empires: A History of Georgia. London: Reaktion Books. p. 256. ISBN 978-1780230306.
- ^ Silogava, Valeri; Shengelia, Kakha (2007). History of Georgia: From the Ancient Times Through the "Rose Revolution". Tbilisi: Caucasus University Publishing House. p. 167. ISBN 978-9994086160.
- ^ Andronikashvili, Lali (25 November 2011). "Monument of 300 Aragveli". Tbilisi City Hall. Archived from the original on 29 June 2014. Retrieved 6 April 2013.
- ^ "Holy Synod Session at Patriarchate of Georgia on 27 June 2008". Patriarchate of Georgia. 1 July 2008. Retrieved 6 April 2013.