National memory in modern Georgia
If you ask the Georgian man and woman what they think about their own past, present or future, in the end they will give you one and only optimistic answer which sounds like this: “This will pass and
our country will have a better western future.“
As far as we, Georgians, remember ourselves, we are constantly struggling and fighting for our welfare and better future, and our desired external political and mental course always has been toward the west. The same is happening right now in Georgia. We still have a hope for our better western future and that’s why we are not surrendering and we are facing on our own all the obstacles on this path. No one knows how or why this happened but historically, if we take a look on our past, Georgians, in the south Caucasus, always were making choice in the favor of the Western values.
Today, in Georgia, there is a political and economic crisis. The country is on the edge of revolution because still this people do not lose a hope and tangible, realistic predictions for their better future. What is the reason for such mental welfare and resilient mental condition besides the past and
national memory? The answer is simple and sharp — Nothing.
Into the past, Georgians were fighting against different evil empires who wanted to capture this tiny country with its population. At least Georgia was the part of Soviet Union during so many years. So the bottom line is clear: Georgians’ national memory is constructed, foremost, on the basis of national and private pain, which is related to different wars, loosing of relatives, family members and so on. What is the most important point, today this nation is immature because of lack of personal freedom
during being in Soviet Union approximately for 60 years. Nevertheless such pain and national memory, Georgians national identity today is constructed on the western knowledge and aspirations, which helps single Georgian to think in a positive way and continue fight for western welfare.
Nowadays, Georgians are trying to build a new statehood based on western values. For this reason they are ready for constant rallies, opposition to the one ruling party government and external Russian propaganda, which aims to distance Georgian sovereignty and democracy from western hemisphere. They are ready for capitalized changes and that’s why they are getting ready for real revolution. They are sure that they want that and they can. So be it.
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Ani Jikuridze
