Irodion Evdoshvili

(pseudonym of E. I. Khositashvili). Born May 7(19), 1873, in the village of Bodbiskhevi, present-day Signakhi Raion; died May 2 (15), 1916, in Tbilisi. Georgian poet; of peasant origin. Expelled from the Tbilisi Theological Seminary in 1893 for “unreliability.” His works began to be published in 1892. He participated in the Revolution of 1905-07 and was exiled to Sol’vychegodsk in 1910.

Evdoshvili was the first Georgian writer to create proletarians and revolutionary fighters as characters in literature. His poems “The Storm,” “To Friends” (1895), “The Muse and the Worker” (1905), “Freedom,” “At a Hero’s Grave” (1906), and “Song of the Struggle” (1907) summoned the masses to action. Several of his poems became popular songs. The characteristic traits of socialist realism are observed in Evdoshvilïs work. Later, new themes of mourning and sadness occasioned by the defeat of the Revolution of 1905-07 appeared in his works. Evdoshvili was the author of children’s poems and short stories, as well as acute topical satire. His work was highly praised by V. V. Mayakovsky.