Read the story of a Georgian fighter pilot whose name is now carried by a mountain

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.