Egias Sakartuli

Egias [XII] Mikheili Sakartuli (17 November 1949-present) is current President of Georgia.

Egias was born to teachers Egias Sakartuli XI (1923-2002) and Nina Bartuli (1925- ) and was taught as local schools in his home town of Rustavi. He got enough money to enter Tblisi State University in 1969, to undertake studies in German. He graduated in 1975, and taught in many schools and was awarded teacher of the year in 1983 by King Beria.

After this, he entered the Senate in 1985, and constantly pressed for a proper constitution. He escaped execution because he took German citizenship in the early 1980s. He was a leader in the revolution of 1993, and was appointed by the Prime Minister to the new Ministry of Education, the first in 52 years.

Egias became a candidate for the Presidency in 1999, and on March 17th 2000, he won the election with 59% of the vote. Egias was sworn in on July 7th 2000. Egias does not live in the Presidential Residence but he reserves it for visits by heads of state and diplomats. He lives in a 1980s house built in the property boom of the era, with wife Gia (1950- ), who he has been married to for twenty-nine years on Christmas Eve 2005.

The couple met while on a teaching course in 1974, and married after Gia became pregnant with Egias XII (b. 1977). He has one other child, called Gia II (b. 1982), who is a model.

He speaks perfect English, German, French, has some knowledge of Russian, and also Armenian. He put it to the test on his recent state visit, where he said "I might be just next door, but can you help me at all?" that was responded with laughter.