Variani

Variani ვარიანი
Variani Location in Georgia
Coordinates: 42°04′27″N 44°02′01″E
Country	Georgia
Region	Shida Kartli
Municipality	Gori
Elevation	680 m (2,230 ft)
Population  (2014)
• Total	1,469
Time zone	UTC+4 (Georgian Time)

Variani (Georgian: ვარიანი) is a village in the Gori District of Shida Kartli, about 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) from Gori. As of 2014, it had a population of 1,469.[1]

Variani is best known for being the birthplace of Iakob Gogebashvili and the location of the Iakob Gogebashvili House Museum,[2] being a border village to the South Ossetia disputed territory, and being occupied by Russian forces in the 2008 South Ossetia war[3] until 8 October 2008.[4]

Notable people

In addition to Iakob Gogebashvili, who was born in Variani in 1841, the boxer Georgi Kandelaki who won the 1997 World Amateur Boxing Championships in the Superheavyweight category[5] and competed in the 1996 Summer Olympics, was born on 10 April 1971 in Variani.[6]

See also

• Shida Kartli

References

1. "მოსახლეობის საყოველთაო აღწერა 2014". საქართველოს სტატისტიკის ეროვნული სამსახური. November 2014. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
2. Flynn, Tom (26 August 2008). "Fog of war obscures state of cultural heritage sites in Georgia". Georgian Daily Independent Voice. Georgian Daily. Retrieved 12 October 2010.
3. Giorgadze, Nino (31 August 2008). "Beyond Russian Checkpoints". Country: Georgia - Topics: Conflict & War, Displacement, Emergencies. Mercy Corps. Retrieved 12 October 2010.
4. "Still No Russian Withdrawal from Akhalgori - Minister". Civil Georgia. Daily News Online. 8 October 2008. Retrieved 12 October 2010.
5. "Children's Dream Is to Be World Champions in Boxing". News. IRC-Georgia. Retrieved 12 October 2010.^[permanent dead link‍]
6. "Giorgi K'andelak'i". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com - Athletes. Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 12 October 2010.