The remains of Ioseb Kipshidze, co-founder of the Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, were reburied in the TSU Pantheon. TSU Rector, Academician Vladimer Papava, Finance Minister, TSU Professor Nodar Khaduri, TSU academic staff and students attended the event.
“It is symbolic for our university to bury its founders in the Pantheon. Next year we will mark the 95th death anniversary of Ioseb Kipshidze; therefore, TSU will announce the next year as his anniversary year; various events and conferences will be held; we also plan to erect a bust on his grave,” TSU Rector Vladimer Papava said.
Finance Minister, TSU Professor Nodar Khaduri said: “The reburial of TSU founders in the University’s Pantheon has actually been completed by reburying Ioseb Kipshidze. Today all the founders of the university are together and they are taking care of the university from here.”
“Today is a special day in the history of TSU. Ioseb Kipshidze, one of the most devoted followers of Ivane Javakhishvili, has largely contributed to the university’s foundation and we think that by reburying his remains and erecting a statue the society will honor his memory,” Zurab Gaiparashvili, the head of TSU Library, said.
Ioseb Kipshidze (1882-1919) was a great Georgian philologist and linguist. In 1911 he graduated from the Faculty of Oriental Languages at the University of Petersburg. He launched his scientific-pedagogical activities at the Eastern Practical Academy. In 1915 he became a Privatdozent and started to deliver the Georgian language lessons. Kipshidze returned to Georgia in 1917. He took part in the foundation of Tbilisi State University. He was a scientific secretary of the board and the first professor of Georgian language. He studied the Kartvelian languages, the issues of their structure and history. His most important publications are: “Additional Information on Laz Language” (1911) and “A Grammar and Short Dictionary of Mingrelian Language” (1915), etc.
