Childhood of Sofiko Shevardnadze. Education
Little Sofiko Shevardnadze was born in Tbilisi.
The girl’s mother, Nino Guramovna, a woman with a truly Georgian upbringing, devoted her entire life to home and children. In addition to Sofiko, her sisters Mariam and Nanuli, as well as brother Lasha, were growing up in the family. Dad, Paat Eduardovich, a lawyer by training, was a diplomat, and later became an entrepreneur. But the main “star” in the house was his beloved grandfather - Eduard Shevardnadze, ex-president of Georgia. When Sofiko was four years old, the family moved to Moscow for the sake of her father’s diplomatic career. They lived there for only 1.5 years, after which they returned to Georgia. However, these months were enough for Sofiko to literally fall in love with Russia. In 1985, Eduard Shevardnadze was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs of the USSR, so he had to move to Russia. Since then, Sofiko spent every summer vacation in Moscow.
Little Sofiko Shevardnadze and her grandfather (1992)
But when Sofa turned 11 years old, her father was transferred to Paris. Many would like to be in Sofiko’s place, but for her this period of time became morally difficult. A girl who grew up and was brought up according to Georgian traditions found herself in European society. These modern views were alien to her. Her peers were dating guys, wearing jeans, but she wore a modest silk dress and was embarrassed to look up at the sight of a handsome boy.
In addition, her father forced her to quit ballet, considering it an unacceptable activity for a teenager. But she devoted more than four years to this business, and dreamed that she would connect her life with this art. Her father forced her to practice piano. Out of hatred for the instrument, the girl, figuratively speaking, bit into the lid with her teeth and silently tried to overcome her anger. At her father's request, she entered the conservatory, but never completed it, dropping out a month before graduation. The only joy in life was vacations at my grandfather's dacha.
“Dancing with the Stars”: Sofiko Shevardnadze and Ivan Oganesyan As soon as Sofiko Shevardnadze graduated from school, she received the right to choose. She, a freedom-loving nature, was terribly tired of her parents' care, so without hesitation she decided to continue her education away from her family, in the USA. Sofa has always been a diligent student, so she entered the theater and film department at Boston University without any problems. “Alone with everyone”: Sofiko Shevardnadze This time was carefree and fun: she rented an apartment with her friends, went to discos. That's when she met a student from Turkey, Bashar. Their romance lasted three years and ended after the next summer vacation in Georgia.
It was that summer that she decided to make a documentary about her grandfather. The director on the set was a young man who captivated her with his simplicity, intelligence and talent. Soon the engagement was announced. But 1.5 months before the wedding, Sofiko broke off the engagement for unknown reasons and returned to America.
Shevardnadze Sofiko Paatovna on social networks:
Twitter: twitter.com/sophieco_rt Instagram: instagram.com/sofikosh…
Sophie was brought up in native Georgian, conservative traditions. Her grandfather is a famous politician, ex-President of Georgia Eduard Shevardnadze.
The girl’s father followed in his father’s footsteps, worked for some time as a diplomat, lawyer, and is now engaged in entrepreneurial activities. The mother is a true keeper of the home, she devoted her life to raising children: Sofiko, Mariam, Nanuli, and her only son Lasha.
In 1977, the Sofiko family moved to Moscow due to the diplomatic career of the head of the family, Paat Eduardovich. They lived there for about two years and returned to their homeland, but as it turned out, not for long. Since the elder Shevardnadze was elected Minister of Foreign Affairs of the USSR, her granddaughter spent every year in the Russian capital.
In the photo Sofiko is with her grandfather Eduard Shevardnadze.
In 1984, Sofiko’s father was sent to work at the French consulate. The years spent in Paris turned out to be the most difficult in the girl’s life. She always dreamed of becoming a famous ballerina, and attended a specialized school for about 4 years. But in the new European city, Paat forbade his daughter to do what she loved.
At the insistence of her father, Shevardnadze entered the music conservatory , where she studied piano. This instrument evoked hatred, which she tried in every possible way to suppress within herself. A month before graduating from school, Sofiko called it quits and dropped out of school.
Career of Sofiko Shevardnadze
After Boston University, she received a second education, graduating from the School of Television and Journalism at New York University. In America, she tried herself as a correspondent for the Georgian version of the program “Namedni” on the ABC channel.
Sofiko Shevardnadze worked on the American ABC channel
In 2005, the “Namedni” program was closed on the NTV channel. Sofiko was assigned to film a report about this, and she was urgently forced to fly to Moscow. The first thing that greeted her in the Russian capital was a dirty airport, gloomy staff and rainy weather. But in her heart she immediately realized that she wanted to stay here. Soon she received a work visa and got a job as an assistant director at Mosfilm.
Sofiko at the 2012 GQ Awards
For her, who has two higher education degrees from world-famous universities and knowledge of five languages, this was not enough. She was already planning to return to America when she received a call and was offered a job on the Russia Today TV channel. At first, Sofiko hosted the Vesti program, and then became the host of her own SophieCo program, interviewing famous people in her studio three times a week, including Vladimir Putin. In addition, the girl hosted the program “With My Own Eyes” on the radio station “Echo of Moscow”. Sofiko Sheverdnadze interviews Putin (2013) In the fall of 2021, the talk show “About Love” was released on Channel One. Sofiko Shevardnadze became one of the leaders of the project. Her co-host was the flamboyant Sergei Shnurov. The experience was new and unusual, because previously Sofiko had only conducted political programs and analytics.
Hosts of the show “About Love” Sofiko Shevardnadze and Sergey Shnurov
Reforms that could affect your career
Eduard Amvrosievich was also remembered as First Secretary of Georgia for his unusual reforms in the economy. In particular, he allocated land plots to his compatriots for a period of 10-15 years. After harvesting, farmers had to give 1/5 of it to the budget, and could take the rest for themselves. Naturally, such elements of a market economy, which gave the effect of enrichment, were unacceptable in a planned state. The then Secretary of the Central Committee for Agriculture, Mikhail Gorbachev, pointed this out to the Georgian innovator. Eduard Amvrosievich met him when he came on an inspection to Abasha. However, Gorbachev did not inform the Central Committee about Shevardnadze’s reforms that were unacceptable for the communist system. Moreover, Mikhail Sergeevich and Eduard Amvrosievich became friends after meeting in Georgia. But after some time, people at the top found out about the experiments of the first secretary of the GSSR. Checks began immediately, but Leonid Brezhnev himself intervened in the situation, ordering his subordinates to turn a blind eye to Shevardnadze’s innovative ideas. For some reason, the Secretary General turned out to be favorable to Eduard Amvrosievich.
In the early 80s, for his services in state affairs, the leader of the Georgian republic was awarded the Order of Lenin, the title of Hero of Socialist Labor and the Hammer and Sickle gold medal. Over time, he was also awarded the Order of Lenin, the Order of the Patriotic War, 1st degree, the Order of the October Revolution, and the Order of the Red Banner of Labor.
The secret personal life of Sofiko Shevardnadze
Sofiko carefully protects her personal life. In personal interviews, she only talks about how “her man is smart, generous and smart.” After her first unsuccessful relationship experience, when she almost got married, Shevardnadze admitted that she was looking for a monogamous man like her grandfather and father, who lived with the same woman all their lives.
Sofiko Sheverdnadze without makeup
Answering questions about her relationship with her family, Sofiko admits that her relatives are scattered all over the world: in London, Switzerland, France, but still every year the whole family tries to gather in full force in Georgia.
Sofiko Shevardnadze and her nephew Eduard
If at first the parents were against their daughter living in Russia, then over time they came to terms with this. Even more than that, they helped her buy an apartment on Patriarch’s Ponds.
Sofiko Shevardnadze's hobby is skydiving
Sofiko Shevardnadze's life is full of events and boils just like her hot Georgian blood. Sofiko’s main hobby is skydiving, the number of which has exceeded 25.
Long study
After graduating from school, the granddaughter of Eduard Amvrosievich went to Paris, where she studied at the conservatory. Education occupied a special place in the biography of Sofiko Shevardnadze. Without having time to catch her breath after the French voyage, she was immediately transferred to the USA, where she became a student at Boston University.
Here Sofiko conscientiously studies directing, but at this time she felt the calling of a journalist, firmly deciding to devote her career to this craft. To obtain the necessary qualifications, the Georgian girl goes to New York, where she enters the local university to study journalism. In 2005, she received the coveted diploma and decided that she had had enough.
Maternal anxiety and ADHD treatment. What Sofiko Shevardnadze talked about with Mikhail Labkovsky
At the very beginning, Sofiko makes a remark - this is her first interview in the past six months. During this time, she became a mother, and the picture of her world changed - the happiness of motherhood goes hand in hand with worries about responsibility for the life of a child. Such frankness sets the tone of the conversation with Mikhail Labkovsky, psychologist and author of the book “I want and will. Accept yourself, love life and become happy.” We are publishing the abstracts of the interview, which can be viewed in its entirety on the YouTube channel “Simply about complex things with Sofiko Shevardnadze.”
Being a mother and doing what you want is possible . Contrary to popular belief that the birth of a child changes priorities in the lives of parents and the child’s happiness is now at the forefront, Mikhail convinces that in fact such drastic changes should not happen.
From a psychological point of view, the older the parent, the better the child . It is mature mothers and fathers who statistically spend more time with their children than young ones. But to resolve the dispute surrounding the benefits and health risks of late childbirth, you should turn to geneticists.
Women who are not happy about motherhood should be tested for postpartum depression . Otherwise, there will be no happiness for either the mother or the child.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder took away years of quiet life from Mikhail ; only taking special medications was effective. These are Adderall-based drugs, and they are not sold in Russia.
“A healthy person does not have a mild form of anything!” If you suddenly wake up and feel that there is an order of magnitude less joy in life and that your mood has nothing to do with it, you should talk to a specialist.
Living with parents for an adult is taboo . Mikhail is sure that in such conditions it is difficult for an older “child” to build personal boundaries.
The rule of one “no” always works! Labkovsky recommends: if, when solving a serious problem with your partner, parent, or even just an acquaintance, your “no” is not heard the first time, there is no point in trying to say it twice. There are two options here - either continue to endure the uncomfortable situation, or leave. Even if it concerns your own mother. Cruel, but true, according to Mikhail.
“Choosing a psychologist is a minefield.” Mikhail advises how to walk along it so as not to stumble upon a bomb. Here are his requirements for a specialist:
- Traditional psychological education - diploma.
- Work experience - at least five years.
- During sessions, the client and the psychologist should feel comfortable. No shock therapy! Only comfortable communication.
- Positive dynamics at least three to four weeks after the first dose. If you feel that you are not moving forward with your problem, you should change the specialist.
The best psychological technique is the one that works. There are many areas of practical and theoretical psychology in the world. Mikhail suggests leaving the decision on the effectiveness of each approach to the client.
“80% of good media content now comes out on YouTube. The audience there is the most active, and interaction with them is productive and interesting. A big season awaits us: current heroes with empathy and new ideas, algorithms for success. There will definitely be spin-offs; there are plans to create a travel blog about Russia. But the core of our project will remain a laboratory-conversation with a person. And our idea of simply talking about complex things will remain unchanged,” program producer Alexey Bokov comments on the release.
Episodes of “Simply About Complex Things with Sofiko Shevardnadze” have been published on Yandex.Ether since October 2021. The goal of the project is to discuss and explain to the viewer complex phenomena that occur in everyday life in the format of a conversation with an expert. Sofiko Shevardnadze's guests were Timur Bekmambetov, Alexander Nezlobin, Vladimir Pozner, Irina Gorbacheva, Manizha and other public figures.
The program’s channel on Yandex.Ether will remain, but episode premieres will now appear on the project’s YouTube page four times a month.
Carier start
Photos of Sofiko Shevardnadze did not appear in secular publications. She shunned social life and empty fame, unlike many of the offspring of the powerful. From her youth, Sofiko was accustomed to working hard and hard. She started as a referent and public relations assistant in the administration of the President of Georgia, who was her grandfather. She worked conscientiously and could have made a career in politics, but force majeure circumstances intervened.
In 2003, the Rose Revolution broke out in Tbilisi; President Shevardnadze was forced to flee from the parliament building, surrounded by rebellious citizens of the country. Sofiko also left the dangerous place with him, whose political career ended before it even began.
The girl was not embarrassed by what happened, and with a light heart she returned to the USA. Here she worked as one of the producers for the ABC channel, working on the creation of various television shows. In 2004, Sofiko Shevardnadze became her own correspondent for the Georgian version of the Namedni program.
Sofiko outside of work
Personal life in the biography of Sofiko Shevardnadze is a carefully fenced territory from outsiders. Nevertheless, she does not hide certain facts from society.
When Sofiko was still a student, she was one step away from getting married. While living in New York, she dated a young director from Georgia. The engagement took place, she introduced the groom to the family, but a few days before the wedding she abandoned the marriage bond.
Later, the girl was credited with a relationship with actor Alexei Chadov, but he suffered the fate of an abandoned groom.
The girl is not yet married, and little is known about her men. Sofiko clearly adheres to the precepts of the national poet of Georgia Shota Rustaveli and “hides love like a stolen horse.”
Moving to Russia
It so happened that the United States did not become a home for the granddaughter of the disgraced president. In the biography of Sofiko Shevardnadze, there was room for another sharp turn. In 2005, she came to Moscow for the first time in her life and, according to the girl herself, fell in love with this city at first sight.
A graduate of Boston and New York universities found a place in the hospitable capital; she continued her journalistic career and began working in the news department of the Russia Today channel. Shevardnadze calmly hosted news programs until 2008, when politics again interfered in the girl’s life. During the war in South Ossetia, Sofiko could not find the strength to impartially evaluate the news from the battlefields and asked to be transferred to another place. That’s how she got into the “Interview” program.
However, the girl’s creative energy did not find an outlet in the role of a simple performer; the next stage in the biography of TV presenter Sofiko Shevardnadze was the creation of her own information and analytical show SophieCo.
