Zviadists

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Zviadists was an informal name of supporters of the former Georgian President Zviad Gamsakhurdia, who was overthrown and killed during the Georgian Civil War of 1991–1993. First President of Georgia Zviad Gamsakhurdia was ousted in a bloody coup that destroyed the center of Tbilisi between 22 December 1991 and 6 January 1992, forcing Gamsakhurdia to flee to neighboring Chechnya. Zviad Gamsakhurdia's supporters, the Zviadists staged mass demonstrations against the post-coup government led by the former Soviet Georgian leader Eduard Shevardnadze in various parts of Georgia and organized armed groups which prevented the government forces from taking control of Samegrelo, the ex-President's home province. Skirmishes between pro- and anti-Gamsakhurdia forces lasted throughout 1992 and 1993 and developed into a full-scale civil war with Gamsakhurdia's return to Western Georgia in September 1993. Zviadist rebels were defeated by November 1993 and Gamsakhurdia was probably murdered on 31 December 1993. Gamsakhurdia's body was recovered and his death was confirmed on 17 February 1994. After Gamsakhurdia's death, some Zviadists moved to underground resistance in Western Georgia, especially Mingrelia. Zviadists never created a single party, but some of them joined various political organizations and social movements, while others continued to fight Eduard Shevardnadze's government.