About 18 pounds of gold coins, diamonds and icons encrusted with diamonds were stored in three iron chests. It was the private property ofprince Michael (the brother of the last tsar of Russia- Nikoloz II . He was shot by Bolsheviks in 1918 in the forest near Perm.).

In February, 1917 during the revolution, the chests were given to the prince’s adjutant Makinski. He was ordered to take the treasure from the country and transfer it to a nobleman from Karachael (Makianski’s father in law), Kumik Aidabulov.

Makianski died during the revolution and his two adjutants with the gang “Dikaia Divizia” (Wild Divide)carried out the job with great care. After having buried the chests in the North

aucasus’ mountains, Aidabulov got rid of the witnesses.

Aidabulov was a well-off person and dedicated to the principles of the Monarchy. He hoped the old form of Government would be reestablished after the failure of the revolution.

Due to the abovementioned reasons, he left the treasure as it was.

In 1920 after defeating so called “whites,” Aidabulov along with his family moved from The North Caucasus to Georgia and settled at Mushni Dadiani’s place in New Senaki.

When Soviet Governance was established in Georgia, Aidabulov found refuge in Turkey.

Aidabulov decided to take out the treasure in 192,1 and for that reason he had negotiations with French representatives. They sent an expedition but at the last moment

Aidabulov changed his mind and the expedition was canceled. Meanwhile, Aidabulov was negotiating with the representative of The Soviet Trade Group in Turkey –comrade Zalkin.

But later Zulkin was exiled from Turkey for spying.

Aidabulov was looking forward to getting the treasure. He got through to an emigrant Joto Shervashidze and asked him to find a rich man who would be able to prepare an expedition for recovering the chests with treasure. Such a man was found.

A millionaire called Arif Bei financed the expedition. He was assured of investment money for the expedition by introducing himself by letter, where the prince would disclose the location of the treasure to Aidabulov. The letter was enclosed with a list of jewelry in the chests. A small, well-equipped ship was purchased in order to find and return the treasure.

The crew of the ship consisted of Aidabulov, Joto Shervashidze and his men, Iason

Chanturia (Social-federalist), Iusup Abashidze, Iusup Bakuradze, Rasim Kost Ogli(Abkhazian from Batumi), and Arif Bei’s close and devoted 6 men from Lazeti, two of whom were officers of the Turkish army.

Iason Chanturia was a resident of Turkey who was busy working illegally for the Menshevik party. He convinced Shervashidze of the need to involve Menshevik organizations in the undertaking, hoping to profit from the expedition. Chanturia was secretly offered 10% of the treasure by Aidaburov and Arif Bei.

Meanwhile, there were other people involved in the expedition through Chanturia: Sosilo Mdivani(Georgian emigrant, social-federalist), Kotsia sulaqvelidze(Menshevik). The latter was responsible for finding guides and shelter in Abkhazia.

Chanturia also received assistance from the party committee of Constantinople.

The members of the expedition swore to keep all activities secret.

Shervashidze and Chanturia swore by Saint George’s icon and Muslims by Koran.

The plan was hatched: They were thinking of reaching the place by crossing the sea and arriving at the village Eshera. After reaching the spot they were going to split into two groups. The first group under Joto Shervashidze’s leadership and the second group under Chanturia’s leadership. The destination was Andro Kokaia’s and Mukuchu Bidzba’s houses. The password was “ Dilijan.”

Aidabulov insisted on taking him at the Murukhi or Korokhi Mountain range. With help of Shamlakhov, who lived near that place, he would contact his nephew and leave him the part of the treasure, which would be unavailable for the expedition.

As soon as the members of the expedition had learned about the detention of Kotsia Salukvadze (he was arrested by the special commission on counterrevolutionary affairs), they changed the route and found another collaborator in Batumi. Since the old contact (Dimitri Gabunia) was thought to be discovered, the destination was opted for--the village Tamishi.

The members of the expedition except Aidaburov (Aidaburov and Arif Bei had to join the expedition later), equipped with English armament, illegally arrived from Constantinople to the city of Zunguldag. Despite acting in secrecy, the Turkish police were well aware of the case. They even participated and assisted the members of the crew in settling down at Arif Bei’s place. The police had already issued documents giving permission to the members of the expedition living in the country. All above mentioned measures were thought to be assigned by Kemal Pasha himself (the leader of Turkey).

That doubt among the members of the expedition was strengthened by Arif Bei’s words. He mentioned a powerful person who would award the members of the expedition with 100 000 Turkish liras and would have facilitated their living in the country by the end of the operation.

Everything was ready for the launch of the expedition.