Georgia marks 104th anniversary of Soviet occupation
Today, Soviet Occupation Day is celebrated throughout Georgia. This is one of the most tragic dates in the country's modern history. Exactly 104 years have passed since the fall of Tbilisi as a result of the Red Army's invasion of Georgia.
The Georgian Democratic Republic, a subject of international law with a freely elected government, was annexed by Bolshevik Russia. Thus ended the almost three-year existence of the first Georgian Republic and began a period of occupation that lasted 70 years. The loss of independence was followed by a wave of political repression with thousands of executions, long prison sentences and exile.
The day before, the fifth President of Georgia Salome Zurabishvili called on residents of the country to gather on Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi on February 25.
"Tomorrow is February 25, one of the hardest days in our modern history, when Bolshevik troops entered the capital. This day has become a symbol of the Russian occupation. Therefore, tomorrow we are all obliged to stand on Rustaveli to say: “No to Russian occupation!” This will be our common statement. I am with you – on Rustaveli at 9:00,” Zurabishvili said in a video address.
Thus, the 90th day of protests in Georgia will be dedicated to a dramatic date. Marches and a strike have been announced in Tbilisi in the afternoon. Protesters will march to Heroes’ Square from six different locations and unite at the memorial to the soldiers who died for the territorial integrity of Georgia. The organizers of the announced actions believe that today the country “faces exactly the same existential threat” as 104 years ago.
