Read the story of a Georgian fighter pilot whose name is now carried by a mountain
Senior Lieutenant Iarajuli was also posthumously granted the Vakhtang Gorgasali I Quality Medal. Photo courtesy: STC Delta.
Tweet 
Share
One of the mountain peaks in Dusheti Municipality has been named after Georgian fighter pilot Zurab Iarajuli.
Zurab Iarajuli died in Abkhazia war at the age of 22.
Zurab Iarajuli was born on March 12, 1972. He enrolled at the Kacha High Military Aviation School in Russia in 1988.
On April 9, 1989, at least 20 people were killed in Georgia as Soviet troops attacked peaceful protestors in Tbilisi: the event was very painful for Zurab, who was unable to continue living in Russia and returned to Georgia.
He carried out 25 sorties during the Abkhaz-Georgia war. The last one was on July 13,1993 when the village of Shroma was being bombed by Russian military forces.
Zurab forced the Abkhazia side to retreat and went to resupply ammunition but his SU-25 attack aircraft was shot down.
Georgian General visited Iarajuli's family members in the village of Zaridzeebi today. Photo: Georgia's Ministry of Defence
His parachute was taken by the wind to territory controlled by the other side of the military conflict.
He tried to cross the front line for three days but later he was captured by Abkhaz and Chechen fighters.
Zurab Iarajuli did not surrender. He killed two and wounded one fighter but lost his life at well.
Later his father was able to have his body transferred to Tbilisi-controlled territory as the ceasefire agreement was signed on July 27, 1993.
In 2013 Zurab Iarajuli was awarded the status of a National Hero of Georgia. Senior Lieutenant Iarajuli was also posthumously granted the Vakhtang Gorgasali I Quality Medal.
Georgian General Shalva Jabakhidze paid tribute to the memory of the deceased hero in the village of Zaridzeebi today.
He gave a map of Georgia with the Iarajuli Peak coordinates to the hero’s family and village school representatives.
Zurab Iarajuli Peak is located in Dusheti Municipality, in Pshavi, near Didi Borbalo Peak.
The Georgian National Film Center (GNFC) released the first trailer of Shindisi, a film about 17 soldiers who died during the August 2008 Georgia-Russia war.
The Georgian national flag is flying at half-staff at government buildings around the country today in remembrance of thousands of ordinary citizens and soldiers who died in the battle against Soviet forces 98 years ago.
One year has passed since the brutal murder of Georgian citizen and former soldier Archil Tatunashvili by occupying forces in the occupied Tskhinvali region (South Ossetia), whose body was transported to Tbilisi administered territory only after about a month with his internal organs removed and more than 100 injuries on his body.
President of Georgia Salome Zurabishvili has awarded the family of Giga Otkhozoria with the Medal for Civil Commitment today in Zugdidi, where she attended a Presidential Christmas Tree event with the children of the late Otkhozoria.
Georgia is commemorating today a group of soldiers who lost their lives during the Russia-Georgia 2008 war in a battle in Shindisi village in central Georgia.On the day 12 years ago a 21-member detachment of Georgian soldiers came face-to-face with Russian soldiers in the village of Shindisi. The Russians greatly outnumbered the Georgian soldiers and ordered them to surrender, but they refused.The uneven battle continued for 45 minutes.