Georgian PM marks Didgoroba as ‘symbol of national unity’, ‘victory’

Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has described Didgoroba - the annual commemoration of the 1121 Battle of Didgori - as a “lasting symbol of the Georgian nation’s resilience, unity and triumph.”

Speaking at a ceremony marking the anniversary on Tuesday, Kobakhidze said the battle, fought on 12 August 1121, was not merely a military success but “the final victory of the idea of the Georgian state and of the Christian values on which our culture and history are founded.”

Outnumbered, the Georgian army under King David IV achieved what Kobakhidze called a “miraculous victory” that secured the country’s freedom and laid the foundations for its political, economic, cultural and educational “golden age,” making Georgia the strongest state in the region at the time.

Kobakhidze drew a parallel between the medieval battle and what he described as Georgia’s “modern Didgori” - the ongoing struggle for the country’s full territorial reunification, sovereignty and the protection of Christian values.

“When a nation is united around a common goal, driven by faith in its cause and led by a worthy leader, no obstacle is insurmountable,” he said, quoting the Georgian Patriarch’s words that “Didgori is yet to be won.”

The Prime Minister expressed confidence that unity and commitment would enable Georgia to achieve its “historic goal,” and concluded his address by congratulating citizens on the occasion of Didgoroba.