He is known for taking part in the arctic theater of the Second World War where he commanded a Soviet icebreaker A. Sibiryakov until its destruction by a German cruiser Admiral Scheer on August 24, 1942.

Kacharava was severely wounded but survived, and was one of 22 of the ship's company that were captured by the Germans.

Kacharava was born in the summer of 1910 in a coastal town of Sukhumi, Georgia, then part of the Russian Empire.

He received education in several technical and maritime schools, namely Sukhumi Industrial College, Kherson Maritime School and Fishery College of the Far-East.

Afterwards, he joined the navy aboard Soviet icebreaker A. Sibiryakov as a senior lieutenant.