Milestones of Georgian history

that you should have heard about

The first settlers
The oldest evidence of Proto-Georgian tribes inhabiting the territory of modern-day Georgia dates from the 10th-12th century BC.

The first kingdom
The kingdom of Iberia, the first kingdom of the area with state-like organization, was established in the 4th century BC.

Christianity becomes official religion
In 337 AD King Mirian III declared Christianity the official religion, not only greatly stimulating the development of literature and arts, but also playing a great role in the later development of a Georgian state. Saint Nino, a nun from Cappadocia and one of the most famous Georgian saints, is said to have persuaded King Mirian to adopt Christianity as the official religion. 

The Georgian Golden Age
The Kingdom of Georgia reached its peak in late 12th and early 13th centuries under King George III (1156-1184) and his elder daughter and successor Tamar (1184–1213). Especially under Tamar’s reign, who was crowned “King of Kings” (not “Queen”!), this period was one of territorial expansion and a boost to architecture, literature, philosophy and the sciences in general. The most famous Georgian poem, “The Knight in the Panther's Skin“ by national poet Shota Rustaveli dates back to this period.

The Ottoman invasion
As soon as Tamar, the strong symbol of unity, died, the Kingdom of Georgia collapsed. First it was invaded by the Mongols, in 1466 it finally broke up into three independent kingdoms and five semi-independent principalities, therefore becoming easy prey for neighbouring countries. The Ottomans invaded the eastern and western regions of Georgia.  

Annexation by Imperial Russia
With the Treaty of Georgievsk, signed in 1783 by the Russian Empire and the eastern Georgian kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti, Georgia tried to get rid of Ottoman rule once again. In reality Georgia became a protectorate of Russia, but still, when the Iranians invaded the area a few years later, the Russians didn’t help. They even violated the treaty further and annexed Eastern Georgia in 1801, exiling the royal family of Bagrationi. The annexation of Western Georgia happened only a few years later under Russian tsar Alexander I.

A short period of independence
After the Russian revolution in 1917 and Russia’s exit from World War I, the countries of the Caucasian region tried to seize their opportunity. Georgia declared its independence on May 26th, 1918, with Noe Zhordaniaas as the first prime minister. But it didn’t last long: the young Georgian republic was invaded by the Red Army on February 25th, 1921

Under the Soviet Union
For 70 years, from 1921 to 1991, the “Soviet Socialist Republic of Georgia” remained under the rule of the Soviet Union. After the invasion of the Red Army the regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which had tried to break away from the new Georgian Republic since its founding, also became part of the new Socialist Republic.

The modern Georgian state
After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 Georgia not only tried to establish itself again as a sovereign state, but Abkhazia and South Ossetia also declared themselves to be independent regions, which led to a short but bloody war. More than 100,000 Georgian inhabitants of the two areas had to flee and Georgia lost control of the territories. Today Abkhazia and South Ossetia are semi-autonomous regions, mostly depending on Russian protection.

Georgia moves toward the West and gets in trouble with Russia once again
In the following years Georgia's political orientation turned towards the West, the country’s strategic position between Europe and Asia made it an interesting partner. But the approach did not suit the Russians and in 2008 the situation culminated in a five-day war that ended with Georgia’s defeat.

Georgia today
Since then, the relationship between Georgia and Russia has somewhat eased, but there remain enough problems to be solved. Still, Georgia has come a long way since its rebirth as an independent state and because of its orientation towards the West, it is widely regarded as a political pioneer of the Caucasus.  

Picture credits: beyondarts GmbH

Project “Increased regional added value in the tourism sectors of Georgia by Digital Heritage Tourism Guides” was funded by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) with funds of Austrian Development Cooperation.