Guria Region/State გურიის მხარე Guriis Mkhare
—  Region  —
Country	Georgia
Capital	Ozurgeti
Districts	3
Government
• Governor
Area
• Total	2,033 km2 (785 sq mi)
Population (2002)
• Total	143,000
• Density	70/km2 (180/sq mi)
ISO 3166 code	GE-GU

Guria (Georgian: გურია) is a region (mkhare) in Georgia, in the western part of the country, bordered by the eastern end of the Black Sea. The region has a population of 143,357 (2002)^[1] and Ozurgeti is a regional capital.

Geography[link]

Guria is bordered by Samegrelo to the north-west, Imereti to the north, Samtskhe-Javakheti to the east, Ajaria to the south, and the Black Sea to the west. The province has an area of 2,003 km².

Guria is traversed by the northeasterly line of equal latitude and longitude.

Guria consists of three administrative districts:

• Ozurgeti
• Lanchkhuti
• Chokhatauri

History[link]

Flag of the Principality of Guria

The toponym "Guria" is first attested in the c. 800 Georgian chronicle of Pseudo-Juansher.^[2]

Guria first appears c. 1352 as a fief of the house of Vardanidze-Dadiani; and after 1463 it became a sovereign principality independent of the Kingdom of Georgia under a branch of that house, known thereafter by the name of Gurieli. The principality, comprising modern Guria and much of Adjara with the city of Batumi, was subsequently reduced in size and devastated in a series of conflicts with the Ottoman Empire. A Russian protectorate was established by the treaty concluded on June 19, 1810 between the Gurieli Mamia V and the empire, and in 1829, during the regency for the last prince, the Gurieli David, the principality was annexed by Russia.^[3]

There were uprisings against Russian rule in 1819 and again in 1841. In 1840, Guria was made a county (uyezd) and renamed Ozurgeti, after one of its main towns. In 1846, it was transferred to the new Kutais Governorate. By 1904, the population was just under 100,000, occupying an area of approximately 532,000 acres (2,150 km²) of mountains and swampy valleys, covered by corn fields, vineyards, and some tea plantations. It was the most ethnically homogenous of Georgian areas, with the peasantry and lesser rural nobility making up almost the entire population, with a high level of literacy and relatively high degree of economic self-satisfaction. The peasant protest movement, which originated in 1902 and culminated in an open insurrection against the government during the Russian Revolution of 1905, was the most effective and organized peasant movement in the empire. The peasants’ self-government, the so-called Gurian Republic, survived into 1906, when it was crashed and Guria devastated by the Cossack punitive expedition.^[4] The region was a native powerbase of the Georgian Social Democratic (Menshevik) Party which dominated the Democratic Republic of Georgia from 1918 to 1921. Guria was a scene of guerrilla resistance to the militarily imposed Soviet rule early in the 1920s. Under the Soviet government, Guria was an agrarian area divided into three administrative districts. In 1995, the Georgian government decreed the creation of the region (mkhare) of Guria, restoring the province’s historical name to official usage.

The Orthodox churches of Likhauri and Shemokmedi are the main historical buildings in the province.

Origin of the name "Guria"[link]

As for the etymology of the name of Guria, some say that the root of the word refers to restlessness and the word should mean “the land of the restless” and may be associated with events during the eighth and ninth centuries when “Leon became the King of Abkhazeti, Guruls refused to obey the ruler of Odzrakho, ceased their vassal relations with Adarnase and Ashot Bagrationi and united with Leon” as it was described in Vakhushti Bagrationi’s historical works of the eighteenth century.

According to a later explanation, in the times of Georgia’s prosperity, when its borders stretched from “Nikopsia to Daruband”, Guria was situated in the heart of the Georgian territory. The linguistic evidence for the above hypothesis is the Megrelian for “heart” – “guri”.

Economy[link]

Subtropic farming and tourism is a mainstay of the region’s economy. Water is one of the Guria’s main assets. The province is famous for the mineral water of Nabeglavi, which is similar to Borjomi in its chemical composition and the Black Sea health resort of Ureki rich in magnetic sand. Guria is also one of the largest tea growing regions in Georgia. [1]

Demographics[link]

Gurians (Gurulebi) are ethnic Georgians who speak a local dialect of the Georgian language.

Notables[link]

• Gabriel Kikodze, the Bishop of Imereti (nineteenth century).
• Ekvtime Takaishvili (1862-1952), historian.
• Kalistrate, the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia from 1932 to 1952.
• Noe Zhordania, Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Georgia from 1918 to 1921.
• Pavle Ingorokva (1893-1990), historian, philologist, and public benefactor.
• Eduard Shevardnadze, Georgia's former president.
• Nodar Dumbadze, Writer.
• Zviad Kvachantiradze, (b. 1965) diplomat

References[link]

v t e Administrative divisions of Georgia Autonomous Republics Abkhazia Adjara Regions Guria Imereti Kakheti Kvemo Kartli Mtskheta-Mtianeti Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti Samtskhe-Javakheti Shida Kartli City with special status Tbilisi (capital)

Coordinates: 41°58′N 42°12′E / 41.967°N 42.2°E / 41.967; 42.2

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Charly Wingate (born May 21, 1978), better known as Max B, is an American rapper and songwriter from Harlem and is known for his original rap style of mumbled delivery, catchy sing-song choruses & hooks, and his energetic personality in interviews and videos.

In 2009, Max B began serving a 75-year prison sentence for charges of armed robbery, kidnapping, aggravated assault and murder.

Biography[link]

He was incarcerated on robbery charges from 1997 to 2005,^[1] He had come up with a second alias Biggaveli or Biggaveli denoting his belief that he is a combination of rappers: The Notorious B.I.G. ("Biggie Smalls"), Jay-Z ("Jigga") and Tupac Shakur ("Makaveli").^[2]

His manager Mike Bruno, whose name denotes his belief that he is a combination of boxers: Mike Tyson ("Mike") and Frank Bruno ("Bruno"), passed a demo along to Diplomats member Jim Jones in 2005, and Max B came to prominence through his affiliation with the Harlem collective The Diplomats, and with rappers Jim Jones and Cam'Ron in particular. In 2006 Jones formed the collective ByrdGang with Max B as a starring member.^[3] Fellow ByrdGang-member Stack Bundles was killed in 2007.^[4] Max B expressed the loss: "That was fucked up because the nigga Stacks was close to me, I ain't even gonna front. I was in jail at the time, so a nigga was sitting. A nigga learned to cope with that thing pretty well though, R.I.P. to Stacks. Shout out to my nigga, he played me all the joints he had. Man, that was my nigga."^[5]

Having gained release from his contract, he signed a three-album deal with a now out of business Boston based label in 2008.^[6][7] Preparations were underway for a debut album to be entitled Vigilante Season when in 2009 Max B was found guilty of involvement in a robbery which left a man dead.

Murder charges[link]

According to authorities, Max sent his ex-girlfriend, Gina Conway, and his stepbrother Kelvin Leerdam, in 2006 to rob two men in a Holiday Inn, in Fort Lee, Northern New Jersey. On September 22, 2006, Max's crew ambushed Allan "Jay" Plowden in room 408 and restrained him with duct tape, while awaiting Plowden's partner, David Taylor. Also in the room was Gissele Nieven. When Taylor arrived, he was immediately shot, point-blank, execution-style, in the head. He did not have any money on him.

The crew fled the scene, Plowden alerted the hotel front desk of the murder. When police entered the room, Plowden was caught trying to take $30,000 out of the room. Plowden was charged with money laundering and identity theft. A week later the duo Conway, Leerdam and coordinator Max B were apprehended and charged with the robbery.

On January 9, 2007 Max B was remanded to Bergen County Jail in New Jersey on a $2 million bail.^[8] Conway testified against Max B and Leerdam, in exchange for a 18 years sentence on armed robbery and manslaughter. Leerdam received a life term plus 35 years.

Conviction and appeal[link]

By June 6, 2009, he had been found guilty on 9 of 11 counts in the ongoing trial. ^[9] On June 9, he was found guilty of murder conspiracy and robbery charges and faced up to 75 years. He was to be sentenced in Bergen County on July 30.

In a statement, Gerald Saluti said:

“Max B would like to first thank all his family, friends and fans that have supported him plus Mula Ave throughout this trial. Please don’t give up on him at this point. Although the jury has spoken and Max has been convicted of felony murder, kidnapping, robbery and conspiracy a swift and successful appeal shall follow.”
“It is inconceivable that a jury could convict Max under the facts presented by the State. Even Gina Conway the State’s own witness testified that Max knew nothing of a robbery,” he stated. “Ms. Conway, a jilted lover and proven liar, said so at the trial itself. Max said after the verdict was read that he is confident that justice will eventually be served and he will be free.”
“Max intends to continue putting out music for his fans while the appeal process grinds along. Although shocked by the verdict, Max remained grateful,”

Max B was later sentenced to 75 years in prison on September 4, 2009.^[10] His mother, Sharon Wingate,and fellow rap artist said he plans to appeal his conviction. On March 19, 2010, Max B was granted an appeal with a new trial and lawyer.^[11]

On Feb 29th, rumors spread that Max's request for an appeal were denied, but it since has been cleared up as an internet/blog/twitter rumor.^[12]

Discography[link]

Albums

• March 21, 2011: Vigilante Season US #200

Mixtapes[link]

• Public Domain: Million Dollar Baby Radio (2006)
• Million Dollar Baby (2006)
• M.O.B.: Members Of Byrdgang (2006)
• Public Domain: The Prequel (2007)^[13]
• Members Of Byrdgang 2 (2007)
• Million Dollar Baby 2 (2008)
• Public Domain 2: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2008)
• Wavie Crockett: Return Of The Wave (2008)
• Public Domain 3: Domain Pain (2008)^[14][15]
• Max Payne (2008)
• Domain Diego^[16] (2008)
• Million Dollar Baby 2.5: Da Appetizer (2008)
• Coke Wave (2008)^[17]
• Goon Music 1.5: The Doomship (2008)
• Goon Music 2.Owww (2009)
• Quarantine (2009)^[18]
• Public Domain 6: Walking the Plank (2009)^[19][20]
• Coke Wave 2 (2009)
• Wave Gang 4 (2010)
• Dopeman:Public Domain 6.5 (2010)^[21]
• Picture Me Rollin' (2010)
• Amalgam Series Vol. 1: A Wave Called Yes (2010)
• Free Max B (The Best of Max Biggavelli) (2010)^[22]

Other appearances[link]

• Song "We Roll", with Jim Jones, Pete Rock on NY's Finest (2008)

References[link]

Sources[link]

Murder case

• • BREAKING NEWS: Max-B Found Guilty on 9 out of 11 Counts in Murder Trial "Facing up to 20 Years in Prison"
  • Former Dipset member Max B. was found guilty of murder conspiracy and robbery charges today (June 9)
  • Bergen County Prosecutor's Office PRESS RELEASE, SEPTEMBER 25, 2006
  • Rapper gets 75 years for fatal Fort Lee hotel robbery