Georgian Parliament Speaker highlights country's contribution to World War II victory

Shalva Papuashvili, the Chairman of the Georgian Parliament, on Friday commemorated the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945. In a message shared on social media, Papuashvili emphasized Georgia’s significant contribution to the Allied victory, honoring the sacrifices made by Georgian soldiers and their families.

Papuashvili shared a personal story about his great-grandfather, who wrote a letter from the front on February 18, 1945, which turned out to be his last. "I take up the pen, I give you my best regards... I write to you, longing for your life," read the letter. This personal connection, he suggested, reflected a broader national experience, with nearly every Georgian family having been touched by the war.

The speaker highlighted that approximately 300,000 Georgians lost their lives during World War II, a devastating toll given the country’s population at the time. He stressed that the sacrifices made by Georgians in the fight against fascism cannot be forgotten, nor should they be rewritten.

In his statement, Papuashvili criticized what he described as efforts to distort or diminish Georgia’s history, including debates over whether Victory Day should be marked on May 8 or 9, and questions regarding the commemoration of historical figures such as Joseph Stalin. He accused those pushing such narratives of seeking to undermine Georgia’s national identity and replace it with an "artificially constructed ideology under foreign influence."

"May 9 is and will be the day of the great victory, to which Georgia made a worthy contribution. This contribution, this sacrifice, and this heroism will not be forgotten, and history will not be rewritten," Papuashvili declared.

He also described how the celebration of May 9 has become an "inseparable tradition" for Georgia over the past 80 years, serving as a living reminder of the country’s role in the Allied victory and the values it defended. Papuashvili urged the Georgian people to resist attempts to "shame us with our past" and to remain proud of their historical legacy.