Today, nearly 700 recruits swore the military oath and joined the Defence Forces.

In addition to the ceremony at Freedom Square in Tbilisi, the oath was also administered at five other historic sites nationwide—Nokalakevi, Geguti Palace, Samtavisi Cathedral, Vejini Ascension Monastery, and Mount Elia in Khevi.

Today, May 26, Georgia celebrates Independence Day. On this day in 1918, Georgia’s National Council adopted the Act of State Independence and established an independent government. A democratic republic was recognized as the country’s political system, laying the foundation for a European-style Georgian state and democratic governance.

However, Georgia’s independence was immediately challenged by the Bolshevik regime, which aimed to restore the Russian Empire. In 1921, the Red Army invaded and annexed Georgia, prompting the government and most of the Constituent Assembly to go into exile.

Decades later, through a nationwide referendum on March 31, 1991, the people of Georgia overwhelmingly voted to restore their independence. On April 9, 1991, the Act of Restoration of Georgia’s State Independence officially came into force, re-establishing Georgia as a sovereign nation.