Philologist Levan Berdzenishvili faces repeated attack for his stance on king signing treaty with Russia, gov’t

Philologist and a former leader of the Republican Party, Levan Berdzenishvili, on Tuesday faced a repeated attack for his critical comments on the country’s 18th century king Erekle II for signing the Treaty of Georgievsk with Russia that the latter had later used to occupy the country. 

 

In his press comments, Berdzenishvili said an individual approached him on central Tbilisi Chavchavadze Avenue, when he came out of a lecture, verbally abused him for “insulting the king” and threw an egg to him, which the professor said had hit his car. 

 

It was not the first case Berdzenishvili faced aggression. He said in May that about 20 masked people had gathered at his house in Tbilisi when he was about to return home. He then connected the incident with revenge for the criticism of the current authorities, who had accused him of “fighting Christian values and heroes, like king Erekle II”. 

 

Several months ago, Berdzenishvili was not allowed in eastern Georgia’s Kvareli Euroclub to hold a lecture in the American corner. The domestic opposition claimed the “shameful, Soviet style” move had been organized by the representatives of the current authorities. 

 

In his comments last year, Berdzenishvili said “until King Erekle is declared a traitor, prime minister Irakli Garibashvili will come out and say – do you want a war?! Erekle said the same”. “Who gave him the right to hand over the whole of Georgia to Russia?!” 

 

Berdzenishvili’s comments were allegedly in reference to the current government’s stance on the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict and its claims on “saving the country” from a war with Russia.