Hélène Carrère d'Encausse facts for kids
Hélène Carrère d'Encausse (born Hélène Zourabichvili; 6 July 1929 – 5 August 2023) was a famous French historian. She was born in Paris to a family from Georgia. Hélène Carrère d'Encausse was an expert in Russian history.
From 1999 until she passed away in 2023, she was the head of a very old and important French group called the Académie française. She was first chosen to be a member of this group in 1990.
Carrère d'Encausse was also a member of the European Parliament from 1994 to 1999. She represented a political party in France. She received many important awards, including the Lomonosov Gold Medal in 2008 and the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland in 2011. She was a cousin of Salome Zourabichvili, who is the current President of Georgia. In 2023, she won the Princess of Asturias Award for her work in social sciences.
Quick facts for kids
Hélène Carrère d'Encausse
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Carrère d’Encausse in 2013
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| Member of the European Parliament | |
| In office 1994–1999 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Hélène Zourabichvili
6 July 1929 16th arrondissement of Paris, France |
| Died | 5 August 2023 (aged 94) Paris, France |
| Spouse |
Louis Carrère
(m. 1952) |
| Children |
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| Parent | Georges Zourabichvili (fr) |
| Relatives |
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| Education | Lycée Molière |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupation | Historian |
| Known for | Member of the Académie Française |
| Awards |
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Contents
Early Life and Family
Hélène Zourabichvili was born in Paris, France. Her family had moved there from Georgia. She was a cousin of Salome Zourabichvili, who is now the President of Georgia.
Hélène married Louis Carrère in 1952, and they had three children. Her son, Emmanuel Carrère, born in 1957, is a well-known French writer and director.
Her Work as a Historian
Hélène Carrère d'Encausse went to the Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris. She became a very respected historian. Most of her studies were about Russia and the Soviet Union. She wrote more than 20 books in French. Many of these books were translated into English.
One of her most famous books, published in 1978, was called Decline of an Empire: The Soviet Socialist Republics in Revolt. In this book, she predicted that the Soviet Union would eventually break apart into its 15 separate republics. This prediction later came true.
She also shared her thoughts on modern Russia. She believed it was important not to judge Russia's democracy only by Western standards. She felt that Vladimir Putin's government was sometimes unfairly criticized.
Académie française
In 1990, Hélène Carrère d'Encausse was chosen to be a member of the Académie française. This is a very old and important group in France that protects the French language. In 1999, she became the "Perpetual Secretary" of the Académie. This meant she was the permanent head of the group. As part of a tradition, her special academician's sword was made by a French-Georgian artist named Goudji.
Awards and Honours
Hélène Carrère d'Encausse received many awards and honours from different countries for her important work. Some of these include:
Belgium : Commander of the Order of Leopold (Belgium)
Brazil : Commander of the Order of the Southern Cross
France : Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour (2011)- France : Officer of the National Order of Merit
- France : Commander of the Ordre des Palmes académiques
- France : Commander of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
Monaco : Commander of the Order of Cultural Merit (November 1999)
Poland : Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland
Russia : Medal of the Order of Honour (Russia)
See also
In Spanish: Hélène Carrère d'Encausse para niños
