 In April 1917, he was elected as a delegate to the 7th RSDRP(B) Conference and served in the Bolshevik Caucasian Region Committee.In 1919–1920, he led Bolshevik groups resisting the Menshevik government of independent Georgia.After the Soviet takeover of Georgia, he became chairman of the Georgian Revolutionary Committee in February 1921 and then directed the Georgian Central Executive Committee.