Polish Embassy marks April 9 tragedy, reaffirms support for Georgia’s European aspirations

The Polish Embassy in Georgia issued a statement on Wednesday, commemorating the victims of the April 9, 1989 tragedy in Tbilisi, when Soviet troops violently dispersed a peaceful demonstration, killing at least 21 people and injuring hundreds.

“Together with our Georgian friends, we remember those who fought and gave their lives for a free, independent and democratic Georgia,” the embassy said.

It also highlighted the historic solidarity between Poland and Georgia in their shared struggle against Soviet oppression. “Poland and Georgia fought together against Soviet tyranny then. We still join Georgian society, which strives for a free, democratic and European future,” the statement read.

April 9 is marked annually in Georgia as a day of national mourning and remembrance. Known as the Tbilisi Massacre, the crackdown on pro-independence demonstrators played a pivotal role in galvanising public sentiment against Soviet rule, eventually leading to Georgia’s declaration of independence in 1991.