In the third Millennium Henry KUPRASHVILI establishes new ways for swimming over straits
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The Flag of the National Seaside Guardians’ Association of Georgia A I E T Y (1990) – the author Gia TSKHOVREBADZE

The Emblem of the Saint David the builder’s union of Chokhawearers of Georgia – “CHOKHAWEARERS 1973” – the author Shalva TSKHOVREBADZE

On Friday, 30 August 2002, the Georgian historian and political scientist Henry KUPRASHVILI performed a Guinness record swimming across the Dardanelles, Turkey. The performance has no analogue in the world. With his hands and legs bound at four points – or in the ancient Georgian military-training style swam 12 (twelve) kilometers in 3 hours and 15 minutes from port Eceabat (European side) to the village of Kepez near Çanakkale (Asian side), beginning at 16.30 p.m. and ending at 19.45, local time. 


The Dardanelles is a strait between the Asia Minor and Europe. It connects the Marmora and Aegeos Seas. Its lenght is 120.5 km, width - 1.3-18.5km and the depth is 53-106m

       The Dardanelles is a major international transport route. However, due to the celebration of the Victory of Turkey and of her Armed Forces, sailing in the strait was suspended for a short time. Instead, the record breaker was hampered by the roughness of the sea (up to force 3); head wind and constant rapid current, characteristic of the Dardanelles. Notwithstanding all these, the record breaker managed to do what was almost impossible – he triumphantly completed his extraordinary marathon.
       The organizers of the marathon were: Gvanji MANIA – the chairman of world achievements and travelers club "Giorgi", head of the expedition "Dardanelles 2002" (Georgia) and Nuri ENGIN – the chairman of Youth and sports department of the city Cakkanale (Turkey).
      The marathon swimming was performed under strict supervision – rigid adherence to rules of the safety of the record breaker's life. This was facilitated by two big launches: ERDEM – 17.00 D 0246, Captain Ahmed ERDEM, and co-owner Ismet ERDEM, and ERDEM – 17.00 D 1014, Captain Deniz ERDEM; on board of these launches were cited Turkish navigators, members of our expedition, and Georgian and Turkish journalists (Giorgi DULARIDZE-representative of "RUSTAVI 2", Guranda GURASASHVILI – TV company "IBERIA" representative, Alexander KOTORASHVILI – photo correspondent of newspaper "Mtavari Gazeti", Zurab BATIASHVILI – Turkologist, Ludmila KOVALETS-KUPRASHVILI – doctor of the record breaker, as well as representatives of Turkish TV companies and agencies: Erdem SUREK (Dogan Haber Ajansi), Ersan KUCUKKURU (D.H.A.), Birol GURSES (A.A.), Ercan OZCETIN (A.A.),Burak GEZEN (S.H.A.) and Burak AKAY (A.T.V. TV.).
     The important contributions in resolving the problems created before the marathon were made by the Chief of Canakkale Navy – colonel Ilias KOCHAK (former captain of the first Turkish ship on friendly visit in Poti port) and the Military attache of Georgia in Turkey, vice-colonel Temur KERESELIDZE.