The Mdivani Saga

Description

What do Chanel, Sherlock Holmes, Salvador Dali, and the world’s richest heiress have in common? …they were all part of the Mdivani entourage.

The creation of mass media in the 1920s paved the way for five siblings to become a global lifestyle celebrity. Though professional successes adorned them, scandal reigned supreme. As they married their way into the echelons of Hollywood, American and European high society, a moniker “The Marrying Mdivanis” was born. Always dramatic and often heart-breaking, this is a whirlwind epic spanning four continents, eleven weddings, seven divorces and five spectacular deaths with millions in play.

The Mdivani Saga is an astonishing biographical account of one of the 20th century's most captivating families. The story follows five siblings born to a Georgian general and his socialite wife, once stirring intrigue at the Russian Imperial court. This riches-to-rags-and-back-again story follows the changing fortunes of the Mdivanis as they barely escaped a revolution with just a few dollars. Within a decade, the Mdivani had turned these dollars into millions when they became the epicentre of the international jet-set —until their dazzling world began to unravel.         

David Gigauri is a London-based researcher specialising in history and the Georgian diaspora. His first book, Be My Guest: The Georgian Recipe for Cooking Success (Sulakauri Publishing, 2013), has been translated into several languages and was featured at the Frankfurt Book Fair 2018 as part of the Guest of Honour selection. He frequently contributes articles to online publications and delivers talks and lectures at various societies and universities.