Georgia Stalin: Icon removed from Tbilisi church

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Controversy Surrounds Stalin Icon in Georgian Church

An icon donated to a church in Georgia several months ago by the anti-Western nationalist party Alliance of Patriots has ignited a national debate. Suspected of having Kremlin links, the party's gift gained attention after opposition figure Giorgi Kandelaki brought it to light.

Protests and Defacement

The controversy escalated when activist Nata Peradze, expressing opposition to what she perceived as the glorification of a tyrant, threw eggs filled with paint at the icon. Citing personal family experiences with Stalin's terror, Peradze's act triggered a wave of reactions.

Activist Faces Threats and Goes into Hiding

As a response to her actions, the ultra-conservative pro-Russian group Alt-Info organized protests outside Peradze's house and parliament. Facing death threats, she has gone into hiding, with her residence under police guard.

Georgian Dream Party's Response

While condemning the defacement of the icon, the ruling Georgian Dream party has remained silent on the broader national debate concerning Stalin's role. The incident has brought attention to the complex relationship Georgia has with its Soviet past.

Soviet Past Research Laboratory's Perspective

The Sovlab, focusing on exploring and analyzing Georgia's totalitarian past, suggests that the rehabilitation of Stalin has accelerated in Putin's Russia. Moscow allegedly employs this as part of an information warfare agenda to influence the Georgian public. Sovlab has tracked the emergence of 12 new Stalin statues across Georgia in the past decade.

Stalin's Legacy and Contrasting Views

Stalin, born Iosif Dzhugashvili in Georgia in 1878, played a key role in the Russian revolution and ruled the USSR from 1924 to 1953. His iron discipline and state terror resulted in millions of deaths. The controversy surrounding the icon has sparked a renewed national debate about Stalin's legacy, with some viewing him with pride due to his humble beginnings in Georgia.

Surprising Presence in the Church

British author Simon Sebag Montefiore, visiting Tbilisi, expressed surprise at seeing Stalin's image in the cathedral. Montefiore highlighted Stalin's early religious background, studying in a seminary and being a believer until his late teens. Despite starting as a star choir boy, Stalin later rejected the Church, embraced secular life, and became a staunch supporter of Bolshevism and Marxism.