KOGONIA IUA ABASOVICH
10.11.1904 — 14.07.1928
He's an Abkhazian Soviet poet.
He was born on 10 November 1903 in the village of Kutol, Ochamchira district, Abkhazian SSR, into a peasant family.
He graduated from Kutol rural school.
From 1919 he studied at the Sukhumi Teachers' Seminary.
At the seminary, he actively participated in the work of the literary circle and the publication of the handwritten magazine «Asharpy-yetsva» («Morning Star»).
In 1924-1925 in Sukhum he organised a literary and dramatic circle.
The handwritten magazine «Atshar Ryzhy» («Voice of the Young») was published under his leadership.
From 1925 to 1928 he studied at the Moscow State Institute of Journalism.
While studying in Moscow, he was a correspondent for Abkhazian newspapers.
From childhood he was interested in oral folk art, which formed the basis of his poetry, in particular the poems.
He began to write poems during his years in the teachers' seminary, but these works have not survived.
In 1920 the newspaper «Apsny» («Abkhazia») published his first article «How useful education is!» and his first poem «Poor thief».
I. Kogonia is the author of many poems and 8 poems (written in 1924-1925):
- «Abataa Beslan»;
- «Nawei and Mzauch»;
- «Hmych the hunter»;
- «How the Marchionesses destroyed each other»;
- «Zoskhan Achba and the sons of Janaa Beslan»;
- «Mshagu-shorty and Papba Rashit»;
- «Svan Myrzakan»;
- «Ashuba Danakey and Karachai Bakuk».
His poems are mainly about the past life of the Abkhaz and their moral and ethical code - Apsuara.
In 1925 his book of poems, «Poems. Old Tales».
Poems and poems were reprinted in the magazines «Alashara» («Light»), «Amtsabz» («Flame»), «Akua-Sukhum»; newspapers «Apsny Kapsh» («Red Abkhazia»), «Etsvaadjaa» («Constellation»); in the «Anthology of Abkhazian poetry. XX century» (Akua-Moscow, 2001, reprinted in Akua-Moscow, 2009) and others.
Collections of his works were subsequently reprinted many times.
Poems by I. Kogonia's poems were translated into Russian by B. Brik. Brik, D. Golubkov, Y. Levitansky, R. Kazakova, D. Chachkhalia and were published in the «Anthology of Abkhazian Poetry» (Moscow, 1958), the newspaper «Sovetskaya Abkhazia», as well as published in separate books.
In 1928, I. Kogonia contracted pulmonary tuberculosis.
On 15 July, the poet died.