 Although Mdivani was shot immediately, the couple remained waiting on Death Row for a significant period.Upon being presented with a list of planned executions, Stalin marked a dash in crayon next to Kavtaradze's name—according to various sources, this discreet sign saved Kavtaradze's life.Sergey Kavtaradze was later moved to a prison in Tbilisi, but brought back to Moscow in February 1939.