“Dear compatriots, I congratulate you on the most important national holiday in our history, Georgia’s Independence Day. I offer my particular congratulations to those of you who today swore devotion to the Motherland and earned the name of Georgian soldier,” declared Georgia’s President, Mikheil Kavelashvili, in his address at the ceremonial event dedicated to Georgia’s Independence Day.
According to the President, every nation’s history contains dates that define its identity and future, and for the Georgian people, that day is the 26th of May.
“Every nation’s history has dates that define its identity and future. For the Georgian people, that day is the 26th of May. One hundred and eight years ago, after centuries of annexation, our country restored its statehood, and the world beheld an independent, free Georgia.
Our forebears carried the sacred idea of Georgian statehood to the present day through sword, pen, prayer, and selfless deed. We survived despite the countless tribulations endured across the centuries. We survived because we prevailed in the most crucial of wars: we upheld the highest values, faith, identity, and tradition, and we did not surrender our mother tongue,” declared Mikheil Kavelashvili.
The President went on to say that the Mother Church had played a pivotal role in preserving national identity, historical memory, and spirituality.
“Along this most arduous of paths, it was our Mother Church that played a transformative role in preserving our national identity, historical memory, and spirituality. For centuries, she has diligently safeguarded Georgian consciousness, and in today’s chaotic world, she remains our great hope. This year, we celebrate the 1,700th anniversary of Christianity being declared the state religion, and this date reminds us once again how inseparable our history and our faith truly are. We take pride in the fact that Georgian culture not only teaches us loyalty to our traditions but also encourages us to respect the beliefs of others. For centuries, our very strength was expressed in Georgia’s being a place of peaceful coexistence among people of different faiths and cultures,” the President declared.
