Prominent Georgian entrepreneur and politician Gogi Topadze passes away at 84

Gogi Topadze, a prominent Georgian entrepreneur and politician, has passed away at the age of 84.

Born on April 18, 1940, in Tbilisi, Topadze played a significant role in Georgia’s business and political landscape for decades. After graduating from Tbilisi’s 51st Secondary School in 1957, he pursued higher education at the Georgian Polytechnic Institute, specializing in food and chemical industries. Later, he continued his studies at the All-Union Scientific Research Institute of Organic Chemistry in Moscow, where he earned a Candidate of Technical Sciences degree in 1969.

Throughout his career, he held several influential positions in Georgia’s industrial sector. In the 1970s, he served as the director of the Tbilisi Soap Factory before becoming the general director of “Tbilludi,” a major brewing enterprise, a position he held until 1986. He later oversaw the construction of the Lilo Brewery before founding the Kazbegi Beer Company in 1994, a brand that became a household name in Georgia.

Beyond business, Topadze was deeply involved in politics. He led the “Industry Will Save Georgia” movement from 1999 to 2005 and remained a key figure in the party afterward. As a member of Georgia’s 5th, 6th, and 8th convocations of Parliament, he was active from 1999 to 2008 and again from 2012 to 2016. He chaired the “Industrialists” faction and in 2010 ran for Tbilisi Mayor, securing 5.9% of the vote. In 2012, he joined the “Bidzina Ivanishvili – Georgian Dream” electoral bloc and continued to serve in Parliament.