+ A
A -
Ramy Salama
Doha
THE Embassy of Georgia in Qatar celebrated the silver jubilee of Georgia's Independence on Thursday with a reception and photo exhibition commemorating key historical stops along the country's journey to self-determination.
Speaking to Qatar Tribune, Ambassador of Georgia to Qatar HE Ekaterine Meiering-Mikadze explained that the event was intended to celebrate her country's independence from the Soviet Union, while stressing that the country had simply regained self-rule, following a three year period, from May 26, 1918 to 1921, during which the country had previously enjoyed its sovereignty.
"This year we are actually celebrating the 25th anniversary of Georgia's regaining its independence. While we will be organising a gala concert to mark the occasion later in the year, we wanted to highlight the importance of May 26, which is the date on which our country first gained its independence in 1918," she said.
"Our idea was to showcase to the public some of the old photos which depict these two major events in our country's history, one in 1918 and the other in 1991, the point being that when we say that Georgia has been independent for 25 years, it does not show the whole picture. In fact, it has been 98 years since the declaration of the First Georgian Republic, which is something many people may not know!", she added.
An exhibition titled 'The First Democratic Republic of Georgia 1918 -1921 and Regaining of Independence' was also held on the occasion commemorating the key events and actors leading to Georgia's restitution of statehood after World War I as well as its courageous and inspiring secession from the Soviet Union.
The exhibition features written and photo materials preserved at the National Archives of Georgia, depicting the period of independence (1918-1921) of the First Republic, the national liberation movement in the 1980s as well as the referendum of March 31, 1991 in which Georgians overwhelmingly voted for independence, an ambition Georgia shared with the three Baltic republics that had previously held similar plebiscites.
Exhibits include reproductions of the Act of Independence of Georgia, the founding session of the Constituent Assembly, legislative work, portrays of Georgian statesmen and foreign relations prior to the annexation of Georgia by Bolshevik Russia. Likewise, the revolution and secession leading to the referendum on March 31 1991 are on display together with the Act of Restoration of Independence adopted on April 9, 1991.
The official celebration of the 25th Anniversary of Independence of Georgia will be celebrated by the Embassy of Georgia to Qatar on September 26, with a major concert featuring a number of performers from that country.
