Tbilisi Hangout is a weekly Google Hangout with Mirian Jugheli and Nicholas Alan Clayton. We talk about stuff in Georgia and what not.
Two journalists in Tbilisi. Lots of opinions. Through the wizardry of Google Hangouts, join Mirian Jugheli and Nick Clayton every Wednesday at 20:00 Tbilisi time and watch and listen as they talk all things Caucasus — news, sports, food, and whatever else is on the menu.
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Mikheil Saakashvili, the president of Georgia and his political team – United National Movement have been very tough on soviet symbols in Georgia. During their parliamentary rule a law was passed that required all soviet symbols to be taken down from public buildings. They also removed monuments of Stalin from Gori (Stalin’s hometown) and other parts of Georgia. After the October 1, 2012 parliamentary election, when Bidzina Ivanishvili’s Georgian Dream came to power elderly citizens of Georgia began to re-erect Stalin’s monument in various parts of Georgia. For example in this video called “Glory to big Stalin” people say what a great person Stalin was and what great things he has done:
This fact has upset the other part of Georgians who decided to fight against resurrection of Stalin monuments by painting them pink. And this is the result:
Stalin monument in Village Alvani, Kakheti region.
The President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili and the leader of Georgian Dream coalition Bidzina Ivanishvili, who is set to become the Prime Minister of the country, met on October 9 at the presidential palace. The meeting, that was also attended by representatives of the current government and Georgian Dream coalition, lasted for about 35 minutes after which both Saakashvili and Ivanishvili gave commentaries to public. After the first images were out, Georgians on Facebook began to react. Some of them claimed that Ivanishvili looked mad, some wrote that Saakashvili looked sad, others said that the meeting looked like El Clasico (A football match between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona), etc.
Mirian Jugheli 