Znaur Gassiev

Znaur Nikolaevich Gassiev (Ossetian: Гасситы Знауыр Znauyr Gassity, Georgian: ზნაურ გასიევი, Russian: Знаур Николаевич Гассиев; 17 March 1925 – 6 March 2016) was a South Ossetian politician, who was one of the leaders of the South Ossetian independence movement in the early 1990s, which culminated in the 1991–1992 South Ossetia War.

Gassiev was born in Tskhinvali in 1925, but soon moved with his parents to Moscow. In 1935 the family went back to Tskhinvali, where Znaur Gassiev finished secondary school in 1942. He enrolled in the Physics and Mathematics Faculty of the South Ossetian State Pedagogical Institute, but was drafted into the Soviet Army to fight in World War II during the period 1942 to 1944. Upon completion of his studies in 1947, he started working as a teacher, teaching mathematics and physics in various schools in Tskhinvali.

In 1951, Gassiev moved to Tblisi, where he worked as a teacher for four years, and at the same time studied at the Mining Department of the Polytechnic Institute, where he graduated with honours in 1955. He then started working at the Mining Department of Kvaisa, where he held several ranks.

Gassiev subsequently moved into politics, first working as the head of the industrial and transport committee of Dzau district. In the early 1960s, he was appointed the chairman of the Tskhinvali branch of the Georgian Communist Party, as well as the head of the administration of Tskhinvali city. In 1963, he went to the Higher Party School, from which he graduated with honours in 1965. Then, until 1972, he worked as deputy chairman of the South Ossetian executive committee.

In 1991, when armed aggression was starting, he was elected first secretary of the South Ossetian Communist Party, and also headed the Supreme Council when South Ossetia declared its independence. As chairman of parliament, Gassiev was Head of State of South Ossetia. In early 1992, Gassiev handed over power to Torez Kulumbegov, a former chairman of the Supreme Council, who had been imprisoned in Tblisi by Georgian police until then.

Since 1992, Gassiev remained active in politics, being re-elected as an MP in the 1994 election. Gassiev was once again elected in the 2004 election, where he ran as a member of President Eduard Kokoity's Unity Party. Following the Unity Party's electoral victory, Gassiev was once again elected chairman of Parliament.

Later career

After the 2008 South Ossetia war, Gassiev was appointed head of the government's commission to deal with the resulting emergencies.

Gassiev, then 84 years old, did not run in the 2009 election, and was replaced as speaker by Stanislav Kochiev.

On 27 October 2010, Gassiev was appointed State Advisor to President Eduard Kokoity. His death was announced on 6 March 2016.