Parliament Speaker marks Victory Day, highlighting Georgia’s role in defeating Nazism

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Friday shared a message on social media commemorating Victory Day over Fascism, extending his congratulations to Georgian citizens on this significant date.

Papuashvili highlighted that 80 years ago, the Allies triumphed over Nazi Germany, and Georgia was part of that historic victory.

The Speaker reflected on the weight of that contribution.

“On May 9, we celebrate Victory Day in Georgia to honour the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945. Three hundred thousand Georgians fell on the battlefield leading to that victory - the highest proportional loss among nations involved. This was the price we and our ancestors paid in the fight against one of the greatest evils the world has seen”, Papuashvili said.

The Speaker criticised attempts to question or revise the historical narrative under the pretext of “rethinking the past.”

He pointed to ongoing debates about the correct date for commemorating Victory Day - May 8 or May 9 - and discussions on how the day should be titled.

“Such endless speculation and idle talk do not aim at understanding history but at rewriting it. They seek to instill a sense of guilt over our Soviet past and dismantle our national identity, paving the way for pseudo-European, artificially constructed ideologies under foreign influence”, he continued.

He shared a poignant excerpt from a letter written by his great-grandfather on February 18, 1945, from the front lines - his last message home: “I take the pen in my hand and send you my warm greetings… I write with the longing for your life”.

Papuashvili emphasised that there was no Georgian family untouched by the war. Veterans of that generation still live among us, serving as a living link to the past.

“For 80 years, May 9 has been an inseparable part of our tradition. In today’s distorted reality, it stands as a vivid reminder of who we once were, what we stood for, and who we are now”, the Speaker noted.

He also criticised those who, in his view, aim to diminish Georgia’s historic role and the meaning of May 9, warning that such actions align with attempts to weaken Georgia’s historic consciousness and moral legacy.

“On May 9, 80 years ago, we fought Nazism in Kerch and Berlin, in the Marukh Pass and the Kodori Gorge. We fought against an ideology of extermination. Without that fight, our nation’s history could have been crushed beneath the wheels of fascism. That is why this was our Patriotic War”, he said.

“We won 80 years ago. The Allies won. And Georgia won with them. May 9 is, and always will be, the day of that great victory - a victory to which Georgia made an honorable contribution. That sacrifice, that heroism, will not be forgotten, and history will not be rewritten. We are the descendants of those who walked through that fire with dignity. We fought for Georgia then, and we will continue to do so. Happy May 9 - our Victory Day!” Papuashvili concluded.