Georgia emerged from the fall of the Soviet empire in 1991 with the promise of swift economic and democratic reform. But that promise remains unfulfilled. Economic collapse, secessionist challenges, civil war and the failure to escape the legacy of Soviet rule - culminating in the 2008 war with Russia - characterise a two-decade struggle to establish democratic institutions and consolidate statehood. Here, Stephen Jones critically analyses Georgia's recent political and economic development, illustrating what its 'transition' has meant, not just for the state, but for its citizens as well. An authoritative and commanding exploration of Georgia since independence, this is essential for those interested in the post-Soviet world.

Georgia

Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, Georgia is a country of rainforests and swamps, snow and glaciers, and semi-arid plains. It has ski resorts and mineral springs, monuments and an oil pipeline. It also has one of the longest and most turbulent histories in the Christian or Near Eastern world, but no comprehensive, up-to-date account has been written about this little-known country—until now. Remedying this omission, Donald Rayfield accesses a mass of new material from recently opened archives to tell Georgia’s absorbing story. Beginning with the first intimations of the existence of Georgians in ancient Anatolia and ending with the volatile presidency of Mikheil Saakashvili, Rayfield deals with the country’s internal politics and swings between disintegration and unity, and divulges Georgia’s complex struggles with the empires that have tried to control, fragment, or even destroy it. He describes the country’s conflicts with Xenophon’s Greeks, Arabs, invading Turks, the Crusades, Genghis Khan, the Persian Empire, the Russian Empire, and Soviet totalitarianism. A wide-ranging examination of this small but colorful country, its dramatic state-building, and its tragic political mistakes, Edge of Empires draws our eyes to this often overlooked nation.

Edge of Empires

A textbook discussing the state's history and government from the colonial period to the present.

Georgia History and Government

This two-volume book entitled Georgia: History, Culture and Ethnography is a richly illustrated, genuine gift for the lovers of European culture and history. This book consists of more than twenty chapters in which Georgias musical folklore is described in detail according to its different ethnographic corners. It is accompanied by audio recordings of more than 1,600 Georgian folk songs and more than 100 church hymns. It also contains unique videos of Georgian folk dances. In the first volume, the reader will find articles about pre-Christian culture, as well as church architecture, fresco paintings, icon painting, and sacred hymns belonging to the period after the adoption of Christianity by Georgia (IV century AD). Readers will discover how unique and distinctive this culture is, and how it was developed by such a small country in the South Caucasus, the territory of which is recognised as the homeland of winemaking and the oldest dwelling of man in Europe. In the second volume, for readers interested in musical folklore and folk art, they will learn about Georgian folk architecture, pottery, stone masonry, winegrowing-viticulture, costumes and other elements of Georgian folk traditions.

A History of the Georgian People

Georgia, located at the crossroads of Eastern Europe and Western Asia, boasts a rich history dating back to ancient times. The Kingdom of Colchis, which is famed in Greek mythology as the destination of the Argonauts in their quest for the Golden Fleece, was one of the earliest Georgian states, established around the 6th century BC. Over the centuries, Georgia’s strategic location made it a focal point of various empires, including the Roman, Byzantine, Persian, and Ottoman Empires. In the early medieval period, Georgia reached its zenith under the rule of King David IV and Queen Tamar, who presided over a golden age of political strength and cultural flourishing. Despite later subjugation by Mongols, Persians, and Russians, Georgia maintained a distinct cultural identity, centered around the Georgian Orthodox Church. After a brief period of independence from 1918 to 1921, Georgia was incorporated into the Soviet Union, from which it regained independence in 1991. Since then, Georgia has been navigating a path toward greater economic and political integration with the West.

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History of Georgia

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