Teimuraz "Temur" Shashiashvili is a distinguished Georgian politician, scientist, engineer, and television personality. He currently resides and works in Tbilisi while also spending time in his hometown of Kutaisi, the medieval capital of the Kingdom of Georgia.

Born on 20 June 1951 in Kutaisi, he studied at the Georgian Polytechnic Institute and the Saint Petersburg Higher Political School for his higher education. From 1967 to 1972, he worked at the Galaktion Tabidze Printing House in Kutaisi.

Since 1974, Shashiashvili has held various government positions, including being elected as a party leader by the citizens of Kutaisi. He chaired the City Council and the Kutaisi Executive Committee from 1989 to 1991. During the first convocation from 1990 to 1991, he was also a member of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Georgia and served on the State Council in 1992. Additionally, he was a member of the Parliament of Georgia during its third convocation from 1992 to 1994.

He became the first mayor of Kutaisi from 1993 to 1995 and served as the inaugural governor of the Imereti region from 1995 to 2003. Under his leadership as mayor, the Bagrati Cathedral and the Gelati Monastery were recognised as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. In 1998, Shashiashvili was captured by rebel troops during the Akaki Eliava conspiracy but later regained his freedom.

On 9 April 1991, Teimuraz Shashiashvili signed the Act of Restoration of Georgia’s State Independence. In 1992, he co-founded the movement "Independent, Democratic Georgia." He stood for election as president in both 2004 and 2018. In 2005, he established the public movement "Forward Georgia!" and, in 2009, co-founded the political party "Whites," serving as its chairman.

In recognition of his contributions, the President of Georgia awarded him the Order of Honour in 2001, and he also received the 1st degree of the Order of Vakhtang Gorgasali. Furthermore, he obtained the Albert Schweitzer International Diploma and holds the title of Honorary Citizen in the US cities of Columbia and Indianapolis. In 1992, he was appointed senior researcher at the Georgian Institute of Democratic Construction and Political Science. As a prolific author, he has published more than 40 scientific works and articles and is an academician at the Gelati Academy of Sciences.