“Independence is not merely a chapter in history; it is an ongoing responsibility. Those who neglect this duty will ultimately jeopardise their state,” wrote Shalva Papuashvili, the Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia, on social media.

“On 25 February 1921, Russia’s Eleventh Army seized Tbilisi and put an end to Georgian statehood by force. The Democratic Republic became a Soviet republic. In the internal struggle within the Social Democratic Party, the Bolsheviks defeated the Mensheviks, and Georgia found itself in the grip of a new ideology and a Red Empire for seventy years.

Over those seventy years, industry was built in Georgia, manufacturing developed, the economy grew, education flourished, and art, culture, and the preservation of heritage reached new heights. Within the Soviet system itself, Georgian nationalism and national consciousness were reborn, with roots reaching deep into preceding centuries. We had generation upon generation of distinguished scientists, intellectuals, artists, and cultural figures.

And yet, for all of this, we lacked the one thing that mattered most — independence.

Never, throughout our history, has a Georgian abandoned the aspiration to freedom and independence, regardless of which imperial space they were forced to inhabit.

The 25th of February is no longer just a chapter of history; we live under its shadow to this day, because our country’s territorial integrity remains violated, and our independence remains incomplete.

What is more, the bayonet assault on our independence has been joined by an assault in words; an occupation of Georgian minds followed the occupation of Georgian territory. The Liberal International replaced the Communist International, and Ordzhonikidze, who raised the red flag over Tbilisi, has been replaced by rootless figures waving foreign flags.

History shows that external aggression feeds on internal weakness. As it was 105 years ago, so it is today, the fifth column, feeding foreign interests, remains the most effective weapon of any intervention. The methods change, the forms change, but the objective is constant: to weaken the state from within.

The 25th of February must also serve as a reminder of this.
We must understand the circumstances in which we live. We must remember the price Georgia has paid for its love of freedom. We must know the true worth of independence.

Independence is not a historical episode; it is a permanent responsibility. Those who cannot bear that responsibility ultimately lose their state.

The 25th of February is a tragic day in our history, and its lesson is one we have yet to learn fully,” Shalva Papuashvili wrote.