Giorgi Maisashvili facts for kids
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Gia Maisashvili (born November 24, 1962 – died February 26, 2018) was an important Georgian economist and politician. He was a candidate for president in the Georgian presidential election of 2008.
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Early Life and Education
Gia Maisashvili was born in Tbilisi, the capital city of Georgia. He studied at Tbilisi State University and finished his studies in 1985. In the late 1980s, he became very active in the movement that wanted Georgia to be independent from the Soviet Union. He played a big part in helping Georgia gain its independence and become a democracy in 1991.
Helping Georgia's Economy
After Georgia became independent, Gia Maisashvili helped change the country's economy. From 1991 to 1992, he helped Georgia move towards a free-market system. He did this by starting the country's first-ever trading places, like the Tbilisi Universal Exchange. This helped people buy and sell goods more easily.
Time in the United States
After some political problems in Georgia in 1992, Maisashvili had to leave the country. He was given political asylum in the United States, which meant he could live there safely.
While in the US, he continued his education. He earned a special degree from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in 1997. That same year, he married an American lawyer named Robin Lightner. He then worked for an energy company called Enron in Houston, Texas. He was in charge of looking at risks for the company until he left in 2001, shortly before the company faced problems.
Return to Politics in Georgia
Gia Maisashvili returned to Georgia just before the Rose Revolution in 2003. This was a peaceful change in government. He became a guide and an economic advisor to Mikheil Saakashvili, who was a leader of the opposition at the time.
After Saakashvili became president, Maisashvili started to disagree with some of his ideas. He decided to create his own political party in July 2007, which he called the Party of Future.
Running for President
In 2008, Gia Maisashvili ran as a candidate in the early presidential elections. He focused a lot on improving the economy and helping people work together. He also supported Georgia joining NATO, which is a group of countries that work together for safety.
During his campaign, he made a statement that many people thought was a mistake. He said he would support Mikheil Saakashvili in a second round of voting if the other candidate was Badri Patarkatsishvili. This statement was used by his opponents and talked about a lot in the news. It caused his support to drop, and he didn't recover from it.
In May 2008, he also ran in the Georgian Parliamentary elections. He represented a part of Tbilisi as part of the Christian-Democratic Alliance.
Focus on Education
On May 6, 2009, Gia Maisashvili was trying to help calm a situation between protesters and police. He was accidentally shot in the head with a rubber bullet. Luckily, he fully recovered from his injuries.
After this event, he decided to step back from direct politics. Instead, he focused on a big project to improve education in Georgia. He wanted to make changes from the ground up through his Leadership School. He had started this school in 2006 with his friend Bob Spears. Their goal was to help create "a new generation of skilled, wise and courageous leaders of Georgia."
Later Years and Passing
In March 2015, Gia Maisashvili was diagnosed with Glioblastoma, which is a serious type of brain cancer. He had surgery and chemotherapy, and it seemed like he was getting better. However, his recovery was not long-lasting.
The cancer returned, and Gia Maisashvili passed away on February 26, 2018. His body was brought back to Georgia from California. His funeral was held at the Sioni Cathedral in Tbilisi. Thousands of people came to pay their respects to him.
He is remembered by his three children: Sophia, William, and Anna.
