“Eighty years ago, we fought against Nazism at Kerch and in Berlin, at Marukhi Pass and in the Kodori Valley—against an ideology whose very aim was the destruction of entire nations. Had it not been for this fight, the footprints of Nazism would have ruthlessly erased our history as well. That is why this war was our Patriotic War,” writes Shalva Papuashvili, Georgian Parliament Speaker, on social media.

“‘I take pen in hand, sending you warm greetings… writing to you, longing for your life…’—this letter, penned by my great-grandfather from the front on February 18, 1945, turned out to be his last.

In Georgia, we commemorate Victory Day on May 9, honouring the 1945 triumph over Nazi Germany. From Georgia, 300,000 lives were sacrificed on the path to this victory, representing the highest proportional loss of any population.

We and our ancestors paid this price in the fierce fight against the greatest evil the world has known. There is scarcely a family in Georgia whose father, grandfather, or great-grandfather did not participate in the struggle against fascism. Today, veterans who fought in the war are still among us.

For the past 80 years, celebrating May 9 has become an inseparable tradition—one that, in today’s distorted reality, serves as a living reminder of who we were yesterday, where we stood, what we fought for, and who we are today.

Yet, today we witness efforts to diminish Georgia’s history, our past, and the significance of Victory Day. Under the guise of reexamining history, relentless debates about whether the date is May 8 or May 9, what the holiday should be called, whether Stalin can be mentioned, and countless other empty arguments—all serve a single purpose: not to understand the past, but to rewrite it. These efforts cultivate guilt for having lived in the Soviet Union, seeking to undermine our national identity and lay the groundwork for a pseudo-European, artificially constructed ideology influenced from abroad.

Those responsible for creating an anti-European, anti-democratic, criminal regime, along with social media activists promoting this ideology, are attempting to distort the meaning of May 9.

May 9 is and will remain the day of that great victory to which Georgia contributed with honour. Our contribution, sacrifice, and heroism will never be forgotten, nor will history be rewritten.

We Georgians are a proud, ancient, and resilient people. No one will succeed in making us ashamed of our past. Our history is intact. Whatever hardships fate has sent our way, our ancestors endured them with dignity. We are their descendants. We have fought solely for Georgia. We will continue to do so.

Eighty years ago, we fought against Nazism at Kerch and in Berlin, at Marukhi Pass and in the Kodori Valley—against an ideology whose goal was the destruction of entire nations. Had it not been for this fight, the footprints of Nazism would have ruthlessly erased our history as well. That is why this war was our Patriotic War.

Eighty years ago, we emerged victorious—alongside our allies, Georgia was victorious too.

I extend my heartfelt congratulations on May 9, our Victory Day!” writes Shalva Papuashvili.