History

Georgia's history reaches back into the deepest prehistory. The Dmanisi skulls (1.8 million years old), found near Tbilisi, are the oldest remains of Homo erectus outside Africa — Georgia was literally one of humanity's first stops in Europe.

Colchis — The Land of the Golden Fleece

In western Georgia, the kingdom of Colchis (Kolcheti) emerged in the 2nd millennium BC, famous for its goldsmithing and wealth. Greek mythology placed the Golden Fleece here — the magical ram's fleece that Jason and the Argonauts attempted to steal. In fact, the myth is based on a real practice: the Colchians placed sheep's fleece in gold-bearing streams to catch the gold dust.

In the east, the kingdom of Iberia (Kartli) existed, consolidating in the 4th century BC and encompassing present-day central Georgia. The capital was Mtskheta, today a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of Georgia's holiest places.

Christianization (337 AD)

In 337 AD, under King Mirian III, Georgia became one of the first Christian countries in the world — even before the Roman Empire. The conversion is attributed to Saint Nino, a Cappadocian woman who proselytized with a cross made of vine branches (tied with her own hair). This cross remains the symbol of the Georgian Orthodox Church to this day.

The Jvari Church (6th century) above Mtskheta and the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral (11th century) in Mtskheta — both UNESCO World Heritage sites — mark the birthplace of Georgian Christianity.

The Golden Age (11th–13th centuries)

Under the Bagrationi dynasty, Georgia experienced its heyday. King David IV the Builder (1089–1125) united the fragmented land, expelled the Seljuks, and made Georgia the dominant power in the Caucasus. He founded the Gelati Monastery (UNESCO) as an academy — one of the first centers of higher education in Europe.

★★★ Queen Tamar (1184–1213)

The pinnacle was the reign of Queen Tamar (თამარ) — the most powerful woman in Georgian history and one of the most remarkable rulers of the Middle Ages. Under her rule, Georgia reached its greatest territorial extent: from the Black Sea coast to the Caspian Sea, from the Caucasus to northeastern Anatolia.

Tamar promoted art, literature, and architecture. During her reign, Shota Rustaveli's national epic “The Knight in the Panther's Skin” (Vepkhistkaosani) was created — one of the masterpieces of medieval world literature. Tamar is still revered as a saint in Georgia; her image adorns the 50-lari banknote.

Mongols, Persians, Ottomans (13th–18th centuries)

After the Golden Age followed a long period of destruction and survival:

• 1235: The Mongols ravage Georgia
• 1386–1403: Tamerlane (Timur) invades Georgia eight times, leaving destruction
• 15th–18th centuries: Georgia is caught between the Ottoman Empire (west) and Persia (east). The country is repeatedly conquered, divided, and devastated. The Persian Shah Abbas I deports 100,000 Georgians to Persia from 1614–1617

Despite all the invasions, Georgia never lost its Christian faith and cultural identity — a miracle of resistance.

Annexation by Russia (1801)

In 1783, King Erekle II signed the Treaty of Georgievsk with Russia — a protection agreement against Persians and Ottomans. But Russia did not adhere to the terms: In 1801, Tsar Alexander I annexed Eastern Georgia completely, followed by Western Georgia in 1810. Georgia ceased to exist as an independent state.

Russian rule brought stability (no more Persian or Ottoman invasions), but also cultural suppression and the abolition of Georgian church autonomy. At the same time, Tbilisi became a cosmopolitan city — Russians, Georgians, Armenians, Persians, and Europeans lived side by side.

Brief Independence (1918–1921)

After the Russian Revolution, Georgia declared its independence on May 26, 1918, and founded the Democratic Republic of Georgia — one of the first democracies in the region, with women's suffrage and a social-democratic government. Independence lasted only three years: In 1921, the Red Army invaded and made Georgia a Soviet republic.

Soviet Era (1921–1991)

The Soviet era was a double-edged sword:

• Ioseb Jughashvili, better known as Joseph Stalin, was Georgian — born in Gori, 80 km west of Tbilisi. His museum in Gori remains controversial: a Stalinist temple that largely glosses over his crimes.
• Cultural suppression: Russification, ban on Georgian national symbols, persecution of dissidents.
• Industrialization: Georgia was economically developed, receiving infrastructure and education at a high level.
• April 9, 1989: During a peaceful demonstration for independence in Tbilisi, Soviet soldiers used poison gas and shovels against the demonstrators — 21 people died, including 17 women. This massacre radicalized the independence movement.

Independence & Rose Revolution

On April 9, 1991 (deliberately the anniversary of the massacre), Georgia declared its independence. The first years were chaotic: civil war in Abkhazia and South Ossetia (both regions are de facto controlled by Russia), economic collapse, corruption under President Shevardnadze.

On November 23, 2003, the young lawyer Mikheil Saakashvili stormed the parliament with a rose in hand and forced Shevardnadze's resignation — the Rose Revolution. Radical reforms followed: the police were completely rebuilt (from the most corrupt to the most honest in the Caucasus), the bureaucracy digitized, the economy liberalized. The war with Russia in 2008 (Five-Day War over South Ossetia) remains a trauma.

Today, Georgia aspires to join the EU and NATO — in 2024, the country received EU candidate status. The political situation remains turbulent, but the will for European integration is overwhelming among the population.