Prince (

knyaz , or ( Old Church Slavonic: Кнѧзь) is a historical Slavic title, used both as a royal and noble title in different times of history and different ancient Slavic lands. It is usually translated into English as prince or duke, dependi ...

) Grigor

Mikeladze Mikeladze ( ka, მიქელაძე) was a Georgian noble family, known from at least the 14th century. The senior, and the princely, line of the Mikeladze flourished in Imereti (western Georgia), while a collateral branch was later establish ...

(1898–1955) was born in Tbilisi, Georgia into a Georgian noble family, who are known from at least the 14th century, which was then a part of

Imperial Russia The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the List of Russian monarchs, Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended th ...

. Grigori Mikeladze’s family belonged to the

aristocrat The aristocracy is historically associated with "hereditary" or "ruling" social class. In many states, the aristocracy included the upper class of people (aristocrats) with hereditary rank and titles. In some, such as ancient Greece, ancient Ro ...

ic and sophisticated circles of Russia before the

Russian Revolution The Russian Revolution was a period of Political revolution (Trotskyism), political and social revolution that took place in the former Russian Empire which began during the First World War. This period saw Russia abolish its monarchy and ad ...

of 1917. Grigor’s father Prince (knyaz) Simone Mikeladze, had six children, three girls and three boys: • Konstantin Mikeladze (1895–1927) • Grigor Mikeladze (1898–1955) •

Evgeni Mikeladze 220px, Evgeni Mikeladze Evgeni Mikeladze ( ka, ევგენი მიქელაძე) (July 27, 1903 – 1937) was a leading Georgian orchestra conductor of the 1930s, executed during the Joseph Stalin's Great Purges. Born in Baku, Azerba ...

(1903–1937) • Ketto Mikeladze • Tamara Mikeladze • Anastasia Mikeladze

Early years

Grigor Mikeladze attended the Imperial Russian Cavalry School in Tbilisi and joined the army. Prince Grigor Semenovich Mikeladze emigrated from Russia to Iran after his brother Konstantin (Kostia) Semenovich Mikeladze was killed while serving in the Iranian Army, fighting Simko and his

Kurd ug:كۇردلار Kurds ( ku, کورد ,Kurd, italic=yes, rtl=yes) or Kurdish people are an Iranian peoples, Iranian ethnic group native to the mountainous region of Kurdistan in Western Asia, which spans southeastern Turkey, northwestern Ir ...

ish fighters. He was accepted in the Iranian Army with his Russian rank, First Lieutenant. Grigor Mikeladze was sent to Tabriz to fight the Simko Kurds who were fighting the Central Government in Azarbaijan from 1918–1922.

Promotions

In 1930, by order of Reza Shah Pahlavi and the request of

Hasan Arfa Hasan Arfa (1895 in Tbilisi – 1983 in Monte Carlo) was an Iranian general and ambassador to the Pahlavi dynasty. He was a leading figure in the British military network in Iran. Early life Hasan Arfa was born in Tbilisi, Georgia (then pa ...

, who was appointed “Commander of the Pahlavi Guards Cavalry Regiment”, Prince Grigori Mikeladze was transferred from Tabriz to Tehran and served at the Pahlavi Guards Cavalry Regiment for a number of years. A few years later, Colonel Grigor Mikeladze was appointed commander of the “Hamleh Regiment at Mehrabad”. Grigor Mikeladze served for years in the Iranian Army and rose through the ranks. Eventually, he was promoted to the rank of colonel, the highest rank a

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

foreigner could achieve in the Iranian Army.

For safety's sake

On September 16, 1941, the Soviet and the British troops passed the Iranian borders and occupied Iran. By the request of Hasan Arfa and order of Reza Shah, Colonel Mikeladze was transferred to Isfahan for his safety. The reason for his transfer was that the Russians occupying Iran could arrest Colonel Mikeladze and execute him on the pretext of being a deserter from the Russian army two decades ago."Under Five Shahs”, by General Hassan Arfa, William Morrow & Co., New York, 1965, p. 220-221. In 1951, when

Hussein Ala Hosein Alā ( fa, حسین علاء; 13 December 1881 – 12 July 1964) was an Iranian politician who served as Prime Minister in 1951 and from 1955 to 1957. Background He was born in 1882 in Tehran and spent his early years in London. He was ed ...

became Prime Minister, he proposed the position of Minister of Roads and Communications to General Hasan Arfa. General Arfa in turn asked Colonel Mikeladze to join him in this endeavor. During his later years in life, Grigor Mikeladze retired from the Army and joined the private sector.

Life outside of duty

Prince Grigor married a Georgian belle by the name of Yelena (Lola) KhanPira (1900–1932). He had four daughters, Irina Mikeladze, Pariani (1925–1987), Moora Mikeladze, Parsa (1927–2008), Eya Mikeladze, Toossi (1929- ) and Etery Mikeladze, Shartooni (1920–1957).

Grigor's death

Grigor Mikeladze died of a heart attack in 1955. For all his services to the country the Iranian Army provided Colonel Mikeladze a full military ceremony with horse-drawn carriages and cannons. He was buried with full military honor. Both Grigor and Yelena Mikeladze (Khan Pira) are buried in Doulab Cemetery, the Christian cemetery which is in a beautiful garden shaded by big trees in the south of Tehran.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mikeladze, Grigor Georgian emigrants to Iran 1955 deaths Military personnel of the Russian Empire Imperial Iranian Army personnel White Russian emigrants to Iran Russian Orthodox Christians from Iran Nobility of Georgia (country) 1898 births Military personnel from Tbilisi Burials in Iran Emigrants from the Russian Empire to Iran Burials at Doulab Cemetery