This is a list of famous people who have lived in Tbilisi, including both natives and residents. Some figures in the list may be included in several of the categories simultaneously, but are only included in the sections which pertain to their achievements or occupations the most. Irakli Bagration-Mukhraneli, Georgian prince, exiled to Spain Tsotne Bakuria, legislature member of Autonomous Republic of Adjara, Georgia Kakha Bendukidze, Georgian businessman Lavrenti Beria, head of the NKVD (the predecessor to the KGB), supervisor and one of the initiators of the Soviet Union's Nuclear Project Giga Bokeria, Georgian political leader Ilia Chavchavadze, writer, politician, public benefactor Gela Charkviani, politician, current Ambassador of Georgia in the UK Kakutsa Cholokashvili, national hero of Georgia Zviad Gamsakhurdia, former president of Georgia Alexander Griboedov, diplomat, playwright, composer Tedo Isakadze, politician and business founder Vyacheslav Ivankov, Russian mafia boss and thief in law Merab Kostava, national hero and anti-Soviet activist Zurab Pololikashvili, 6th Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization Mikheil Saakashvili, former president of Georgia Eduard Shevardnadze, former president of Georgia and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Soviet Union Joseph Stalin, leader of the Soviet Union Ekvtime Takaishvili, politician and public benefactor Giorgi Targamadze, Georgia politician Aslan Usoyan, Georgian mobster, Russian mafia boss and thief in law Noe Zhordania, Prime Minister of independent Georgia in 1918-1921 Irakli Zhorzholiani, politician and scientist Zurab Zhvania, former prime minister of Georgia Writers Boris Akunin, writer Hovaness Toumanian, poet and writer Nikoloz Baratashvili, poet and writer Konstantine Gamsakhurdia, one of the most influential Georgian writers of the 20th century Mirza Fatali Akhundov, writer Hakob Melik-Hakobyan (Raffi), writer Ryurik Ivnev, poet Dagny Juel, writer Nar-Dos, Armenian writer Zurab Samadashvili, writer and playwright Akaki Tsereteli, writer Lesya Ukrainka, Ukrainian poet Friedrich Martin von Bodenstedt, writer Chabua Amirejibi, writer Scientists, engineers, designers and inventors Malkhaz Abdushelishvili, scientist (anthropologist) Andria Apakidze, scientist (archaeologist) Viktor Amazaspovich Ambartsumian, astronomer Georgy Mikhailovich Beriev, aircraft designer, founder of the Beriev Design Bureau Felix d'Herelle, French-Canadian microbiologist, one of the discoverers of bacteriophages Revaz Dogonadze, physicist Tamaz Gamkrelidze, linguist Joseph Jordania, ethnomusicologist, evolutionary musicologist Alexander Kartveli (Kartvelishvili), aircraft engineer Gustav Radde, scientist Alexander de Seversky, aircraft engineer Otto Wilhelm Hermann von Abich, mineralogist and geologist Musicians, singers and composers Robert Bardzimashvili, singer, founder of Orera, Via-75 Lisa Batiashvili, violinist Rashid Behbudov, singer Paata Burchuladze, operatic bass, civil activist and politician Feodor Chaliapin, opera singer Irakli Charkviani, Georgian poet and rock/pop singer