Profiles

In January 2023, current board member, Nina Mdivani moderated a panel discussion with the current and past presidents of the Georgian Association as a way to document the history of the organization. This virtual discussion was recorded and can be viewed in its shortened version on our YouTube channel. The panel features: Elizabeth Zaldastani-Napier (1995-2001)…
Continue reading » Panel discussion with Presidents of the Georgian Association in the USA

Georgian Association’s former Board Member, Mamia Zakradze has celebrated his 100th birthday! Mamia Zakradze’s life story is a tribute to the struggles of his generation of Georgians. Born in Gomi, Georgia, on April 10, 1920, Mamia Zakradze’s youth fell on fighting the Nazis in WWII. After the war ended, Mamia stayed in Germany where he…
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Born November 1, 1919 in Tbilisi, Georgia. Guivy Zaldastani was a Boston businessman who often played the role of diplomat between his adopted country and his native country of Georgia. At 84 he returned to his homeland and lived in Tblilisi to the great age of 87 passing away on October 12, 2007. When Mr….
Continue reading » Guivy Zaldastani

Othar Zaldastani was born in Tbilisi on August 10, 1922, the son of Colonel Soliko Zaldastanishvili and Mariam Hirsely; and grandson of Nicholas Zaldastanishvili and Anna Tzitzishvili, and of Esthate Hirsely and Varvara Vatchnadze.  He left Georgia in 1925, with his mother and brother Guivy, to rejoin his father in Paris.  After the failure of…
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George Balanchine made his mark in the world of ballet for over 50 years. He gained fame as a young choreographer and was the co-founder, artistic director and chief choreographer of the New York City Ballet. With his over 400 choreographed works, Balanchine transformed American dance and created modern ballet, developing a unique style with…
Continue reading » George Balanchine, Georgian Ballet Choreographer Extraordinaire

Petre Kvedelidze tirelessly promoted the rich culture of his homeland from the time he arrived in America in 1956 until his passing in 2014 at the age of 95.   He wanted Americans to learn and appreciate the history and nationalism of the Georgian people.  He took a special interest in helping new Georgian immigrants assimilate…
Continue reading » Petre Kvedelidze, Georgian-American Patriot

General Shalikashvili achieved the highest ranking position in the US military. He joined the United State Army as a private, served in every level of unit command from platoon to division, and rose to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. As a Georgian he was also the first foreign-born Joint Chiefs Chairman. He was…
Continue reading » Biographical Sketch – General John Shalikashvili

George Matchabeli was a Georgian nobleman, diplomat and an American perfumer. He was born in Tbilisi in July 1885 and is a descendant of the princely family of Machabeli, from the Tskhinvali area, currently known as the South Ossetian province of Georgia, today occupied by the Russian army. He studied in the Tbilisi College of Nobles and later…
Continue reading » Biographical Sketch – George Matchabeli, a Georgian nobleman, diplomat and an American perfumer

The Georgian Association in the United States will launch a series of short biographical sketches showcasing some of the more illustrious members of the Georgian diaspora. Our first profile is Irakli Orbeliani, the first director of the Georgian Service in the Voice of America and one of the co-founders of the Georgian Association in the USA…
Continue reading » Biographical sketch – Irakli Orbeliani, the first director of the Georgian Service in the Voice of America