Georgy Kalatozishvili, Tbilisi. Exclusively to Vestnik Kavkaza
Recently a group of Georgian citizens (about 30 people) who stand for the restoration of relations with Russia tried to lay flowers at the Pushkin statue in the center of Tbilisi. However, another group – “watchful citizens” who want the accession of the country to NATO – strictly prevented these “seditious activities.”
The first group came with Pushkin’s books and flowers, the second group with national flags of Georgia and NATO emblems. After a small clash, the sides drifted apart, Pushkin statue was left without flowers.
There was no North-Atlantic Alliance in Pushkin times, but those who favor Georgia joining the NATO interpreted an attempt to lay flowers at the poet's statue as a raid against European-Atlantic integration. According to their logic, those who love Pushkin are against NATO and vice versa. Thus, the poet is turning to a symbol of political orientation rather than cultural preferences.
It is not the only case in current Georgia. Huge resonance was caused by the media reports on a scandal over Eldar Ryazanov’s film “The Irony of Fate” in Latvia. In Georgia it was unofficially forbidden after the August war of 2008. “We will be free from Moscow only when we forget this movie,” one famous writer posted in his blog. The film transports a certain civilization code; and people who unaccepted the code are afraid of the movie. They are sure in their choice, but they doubt in correspondence of their choice and views of the population.
If they had no such doubts, nobody would pay attention to a small group of people who dared to lay flowers to the statue of the genius poet, protest against broadcasting the wise New Year comedy and forbid singing Russian songs.
Recently the best Georgian cinema expert Georgy Gvakharia has heavily criticized the film by Rezo Gigineishvili “Love with Accent”: “I couldn’t fall asleep and I decided to watch this film with Nikita Mikhalkov’s daughter. Greatest kitsch shot in accordance to Soviet traditions a-la “Georgia is a picture.” I read praises of the movie in the Russian mass media and begin to fear.” Why does the cinema critic fear? Perhaps, Gigineishvili’s film with Nadezhda Mikhalkova is not a masterpiece. However, it seems the cinema expert is irritated not by this fact, but “raising the question,” i.e. the essence and the key message rather than artistic merit. Even if the film were genius, of Tarkovsky’s level, nothing would change.
The author of the review also is indignant with the fact that two years ago in Georgia President Saakashvili was present at the wedding of Rezo and Nadezhda (real wedding). In honor of the couple he even invited father of the bride, Nikita Mikhalkov, in his wine cellar in Kakheti. Of course Saakashvili was cunning again: he couldn’t forbid the wedding, but he forbade Russian channels and terrorized owners of restaurants where songs by Alexander Rozenbaum were sung.
It seemed that after the elections of October 1st and victory of Georgian Dream of Bidzina Ivanishvili the situation began to improve. Russian channels were returned to cable net providers’ offers and songs returned to restaurants. However, it’s not that simple. How could “the group supporting NATO” learn about an attempt to lay flowers to Pushkin statue? The action wasn’t announced anywhere, but blue flags of NATO were right in time in a due place. Oh God, what could only happen if nobody prevented people from laying flowers to Pushkin monument! 30 people can turn into three million and disaster will take place. Nobody lays flowers to Shakespeare monument in Tbilisi. It is not because there are no people who understand his sonnets or read Tired with all these, for restful death I cry, but because there is no Shakespeare monument in Tbilisi. However, there is the George Bush Jr. Street, who has already been forgotten by Americans, especially after release of another film by Oliver Stone, in which the 43rd president of the US is presented as a clinical idiot.
