On May 22, the Security, Policy and Nationalism Research Center (UGSPN) of the School of Social Sciences at University of Georgia held a public discussion titled: “The Unextinguished Spark: Georgia’s Long Road to Independence.”
Dedicated to Georgia’s Independence Day, the event aimed to discuss, from various professional and academic perspectives, what independence truly means and what it demands from Georgians. The discussion focused on the continuous chain of Georgian resistance — from the declaration of independence to the restoration of independence and up to the present day.
As is well known, on May 26, 1918, the Democratic Republic of Georgia was proclaimed — one of the first parliamentary democracies in the region and the state foundation to which Georgians returned in 1991. However, even during the seven decades of Soviet occupation, the idea of independence remained alive in Georgia. Thus, Independence Day is viewed as part of the collective historical events that have shaped the broader national narrative from the past to the present.
Within the framework of the discussion, participants examined the different methods each generation used in the struggle for independence, as well as contemporary perspectives on the meaning and significance of May 26 as Independence Day.
The discussion was moderated by Konstantine Topuria — Rector of the University of Georgia.
The speakers included:
