Henri Kuprashvili
[4] Leading up to the event, Kuprashvili went through a vigorous training schedule, including a 2 kilometre swim at "Laguna Vere".
Henry Kuprashvili took part in Cross-Continental Swimming across the Bosphorus Strait from Asia to Europe in 01:03:14 (distance 6500 m.) organized by National Olympic Committee of Turkey on July 7, 2013 (took 16th place among 50 swimmers).
Henry Kuprashvili's main competitors were American, Netherlander, Italian, Russian, Brazilian, Japanese and Turkish professional marathon swimmers born during the period 1944 – 1953.
[16][17] Also, Henry Kuprashvili showed himself as a coach: His student, 11-year-old Jimmy Brodzeli, using “Mkhedruli Kolkhuri” (Military-training style of swimming) swam across “Tbilisi Sea” (distance 3600 m) on 3 August 2008.
[22][23][24][25] Henry Kuprashvili's another student, 17-year-old Ana Lominadze, using old Georgian Military-training style “Mkherdruli Kolkhuri” (Military Colchian), swam across the Dardanelle's Strait on 30 August 2012.
She was the first woman on earth that swam across the Dardanelle's Strait from Asia to Europe using Georgian Military-training swimming style.
[26][27][28][29][30] Henry Kuprashvili is credited with reviving the Georgian style of swimming, which consists of several styles (“Lazuri” (Free Colchian),[31] “Mkherdruli Kolkhuri” (Military Colchian)- “Hands and feet bound Kolkhuri”, “Apkhazuri” (Abkhazian), “Okribula”, “Iberiuli” (Iberian), “Takhvia” and partly “Khashuruli” and “Kizikuri”.
A swimming competition for young swimmers, trained in “Mkherdruli Kolkhuri” (Military Colchian) by Kuprashvili, was held on September 3, 2006 at Tbilisi.
Eduard Shevardnadze, President of Georgia from 1995 to 2003, wrote to congratulate Kuprashvili on his achievement at the Dardanelles.
[34] Kuprashvili is also a historian, journalist, and Full Professor of Political Science at the Georgian Technical University.
He is the President of Georgian Federation of National Swimming Styles, the founder and the chairman of Saint David the builder's Union of Chokhawearers,[35][36] and the Seaside Guardians Association of Aeetes[37] He has been awarded a medal for "Courage" (1993), the Order of Vakhtang Gorgasali Second Class (2002),[38] and the golden medal of George Byron.
He is the author and Manager Project of Multi and Interdisciplinary Training and Scientific Theoretical-Practical activities Politics on trial, which is carried out by the faculty of law and international relations of Georgian Technical University.
Between 1968 and 2006 Kuprashvili worked at the Georgian Technical University, initially as an assistant, and later as associate professor, and Deputy Chairman of the trade union committee.
During 1992 he was Responsible Secretary of the Special Governmental Commission on Tskhinvali Region Problems, at the Cabinet of Georgia.
Between 1996 and 2002 he was the representative of Georgia to the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) member countries’ information coordination council.
In 1967, while serving in the Soviet Army, and then while working in Polytechnical Institute of Georgia (1975), Kuprashvili was given a notice for thinking differently, dissident inclinations, and spreading illegal literature, by the USSR Committee for State Security (the KGB).
His grandfather, Luka Kuprashvili (1896–1924), born in Tsutskhvati, Tkibuli region, perished during the Georgian military rebellion against Bolshevik Russia.
Sectoral Editors: J. Gabelia, J. Gakhokidze, A. Gegeshidze, A. Gvenetadze, I. Kveselava, T. Kiknadze, T. Lominadze, N. Odishelidze, A. Sichinava, G. Sopadze, I. Kartvelishvili, N. Chitadze, M. Jikia.
