David Chavchavadze facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
David Chavchavadze
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David Chavchavadze
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| Born | May 20, 1924 London, England |
| Died | October 5, 2014 (aged 90) Washington DC, U.S. |
| Noble family | Chavchavadze |
| Father | Prince Paul Chavchavadze |
| Mother | Princess Nina Georgievna of Russia |
| Occupation | CIA Officer, author |
David Chavchavadze (born May 20, 1924 – died October 5, 2014) was an American author and a former officer for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). He was born in London, England, and had family roots in both Georgian and Russian noble families.
Contents
David Chavchavadze's Life Story
David Chavchavadze was born in London to Prince Paul Chavchavadze and Princess Nina Georgievna of Russia. His family was very important, connected to a famous Georgian noble family and the Russian Imperial royal family. His father, Prince Paul, was a writer and translator who had moved from Georgia to the United Kingdom and then to the United States.
Joining the Army and College Life
David joined the United States Army in 1943 during World War II. He helped with a program called Lend-Lease, which sent supplies from the U.S. Army Air Force to the Soviet Union. During the war, he trained at Camp Ritchie, becoming one of the many "Ritchie Boys" who were specially trained for intelligence work.
After the war, David went to Yale University. There, he was part of "The Society of Orpheus and Bacchus," a very old singing group.
Working for the CIA
David Chavchavadze worked for the CIA for over 20 years. He was an officer in the Soviet Union Division, which meant he focused on matters related to the Soviet Union.
Life After the CIA
After retiring from the CIA, David became an expert on the noble families of Imperial Russia. He wrote a book called The Grand Dukes in 1989. He also wrote Crowns and Trenchcoats: A Russian Prince in the CIA (1989), which was about his experiences working for the CIA. David also translated a book from Russian called Stronger Than Power: A Collection of Stories.
He also taught part-time at universities like Georgetown, The George Washington, and George Mason. He lectured about Russian history and culture.
Royal Family Connections
Because his mother was a Russian Grand Duchess, David was an Associate Member of the Romanov Family Association. This group is for descendants of the Russian royal family. Through his mother, David was a great-great-grandson of Nicholas I, a former Russian Emperor. He was also a second cousin to King Charles III of the United Kingdom.
David Chavchavadze passed away peacefully in his sleep on October 5, 2014, at the age of 90, after a long illness.
Family Life
David Chavchavadze was married three times and had children and grandchildren.
He first married Helen Husted in 1952. They had two daughters and three grandchildren.
- His daughter Maria Chavchavadze was born in 1953 and had one daughter.
- His daughter Alexandra Chavchavadze was born in 1954 and had two children.
He then married Judith Clippinger in 1959. They had two children and three grandchildren.
- His daughter Catherine Chavchavadze was born in 1960 and had two daughters.
- His son Michael Chavchavadze was born in 1966 and had one son.
He married Euginie de Smitt in 1979. He also had one step-son from this marriage.
See also
- Chavchavadze, Georgian surname
