“Georgians, under any circumstances and under the influence of any empire or foreign power, do not forget their identity. The striving for freedom and independence remains constant, and this struggle never ends,” the Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia, Shalva Papuashvili, wrote on social media.

“Today marks the 70th anniversary of the tragic events of March 9, 1956, when Soviet troops opened fire on a peaceful rally near the Stalin Monument in Tbilisi, on the territory of what is now the Dedaena Park. The demonstration was held in response to the anti-Stalin policies announced by Nikita Khrushchev.

The exact number of victims remains unknown. According to various sources, the number of those killed ranges from several dozen to several hundred people.

By 1956, 35 years had passed since Georgia became part of the Soviet Union. During this time, the early Bolshevik period had gradually been replaced by the later era of Stalinist policies, which integrated Georgian society more deeply into the Soviet system. At the same time, national consciousness continued to develop. After the death of Joseph Stalin, the announcement of anti-Stalinist policies triggered a particularly strong reaction in Georgia, where many people perceived the new course as an insult to national pride.

March 9 became the first large-scale protest within the socialist bloc directed against the Soviet system itself. Later, similar uprisings would occur in places such as Poznań, Budapest, and Prague. On that day in Tbilisi, calls for independence were once again heard for the first time in many years.

Only a few months later, members of the underground organization Gorgasliani — including Zviad Gamsakhurdia and Merab Kostava — were arrested for anti-Soviet activities. These arrests became one of the first signs of the emergence of a new national movement.

Thirty-five years had passed since the loss of independence, and another 35 years would pass before independence was restored in 1991. Today, more than three decades later, Georgia continues the struggle to protect and strengthen its independence.

If this historical event teaches us anything, it is that Georgians, under any circumstances and under the influence of any empire or foreign power, do not forget their identity. The striving for freedom and independence remains constant, and this struggle never ends.

May the souls of those who died on March 9, 1956 rest in peace,” Papuashvili stated.