Georgia marks mother language day

Today Georgia marks mother language day, commemorating mass protests in 1978, under the country’s Soviet rule, when thousands of Georgians took to the street to oppose the authorities plans to ban the official status of the language. 

In his statement, prime minister Irakli Garibashvili said the Georgian people managed to “win” 45 years ago and force the Soviet authorities to step back in their intentions.  

“This year marks the 45th anniversary of the unprecedented peaceful demonstration of April 14, 1978, when the Georgian nation stood up to the Soviet government’s attempt to abolish the state status of the Georgian language through the new constitution. Georgians won the battle to protect their native language. It was the first time in the history of the Soviet Union that the regime retreated as a result of popular protests. This victory proved to be exemplary for other republics and influenced the formation of the final version of their constitutions”, Garibashvili said. 

Parliament speaker Shalva Papuashvili hailed the day “as one of the outstanding dates of recent history, because on this day, tens of thousands of people who came out on Rustaveli Avenue, still under the Soviet occupation, were able to preserve the state status for their native language”.