Movement and exile are recurring themes in Georgian history. The twentieth century, however, brought a dramatic rupture in the lives of Georgia’s citizenry. The Red Army's invasion of the Democratic Republic of Georgia in February 1921 set in motion waves of emigration that would carry tens of thousands of Georgians to destinations as far apart as Warsaw, Istanbul, Paris, Harbin (China), and New York. Political leaders, military officers, intellectuals, and ordinary families fled Soviet rule and sought refuge in Europe and beyond. They joined earlier generations of Georgian migrants who had settled abroad before the 1917 revolution, to form the nucleus of a small but globally dispersed Georgian diaspora. Georgian prisoners of war, political exiles, and economic migrants made their way across Europe to American shores following years of displacement in multiple countries experiencing fascism or post-war economic turmoil. The United States became a destination for many of these émigrés.
This webinar traces four principal corridors taken by Georgian exiles. One was across the Black Sea and Eastern Europe to Poland, a refuge for one of the largest Georgian communities in the interwar period. Another was through Istanbul to France and the émigré community at Leuville-sur-Orge, south of Paris. A third went eastward through Siberia and Manchuria to the city of Harbin in China. Finally, Georgians crossed the Atlantic to the United States. We will look at the stories of individual men and women and their extraordinary journeys. Among them were Ivane Nanuashvili, Alexi Merabishvili, Giorgi Nakashidze and Tamar Jorjikia-Kvartzkhelia. Presenters will bring to life the human experience behind the archival records and biographical notes. We will employ an interactive Story Map which will help us visualize their routes and illuminate the wide-ranging dispersal of Georgians following twentieth century wars and revolutions.
Sponsorship
The Program on Georgian Studies, in partnership with the Georgian Association in the US Archives GA, promotes interdisciplinary research and public engagement on the history, culture, and society of Georgia and the wider South Caucasus, including a pioneering digital initiative to document and map the lives of Georgian emigrants scattered across the globe following the Soviet occupation of 1921.
Accessibility
The Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies at Harvard University encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation or have questions about the physical access provided, please contact us at 617-495-4037 or daviscenter@fas.harvard.edu in advance of your participation or visit. Requests for Sign Language interpreters and/or CART providers should be made at least two weeks in advance if possible. Please note that the Davis Center will make every effort to secure services but that services are subject to availability.
