Data Tavadze

Last year, the „Georgian Dream” party seized power in Georgia through rigged elections, pursuing an extremely pro-Russian, anti-Ukrainian and radically anti-European course, which triggered nationwide mass unrest, the most intense wave of which continues for 200 days to the present and Georgian Theatre is at the epicentre of it.

We said: WE BRING BACK OUR VOICES TODAY!

(Note for the translator: VOICES and VOTES are the exact words in Georgian).

For a full six months, Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi has been a stage of relentless resistance. Across cities, districts, streets, universities, and theatres, tens of thousands have mobilized against the oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili and his illegitimate government’s authoritarian and fascist-leaning actions, refusing to accept the results of government elections held on October 26. The protesters’ demands include the resignation of the current government, a re-run of the elections under international supervision, and the restoration of Georgia’s path towards European integration. A month later, on November 28, Georgia’s de facto Prime Minister, representing the 'Georgian Dream’ Party, announced that it halted the country’s European integration and negotiations with the EU regarding the accession process until 2028. The mass protests followed, continuing to this day.

The protest movement has transformed public squares into arenas of civic engagement and artistic expression. As repression escalated, so did the determination to fight for our country’s future. Police have responded with brutality, mass arrests, and torture in detention centres. New authoritarian laws have been implemented, banning masks at demonstrations, prohibiting marching and blocking the streets, presenting fines that are equal to the yearly standard salary of Georgian citizens, and introducing the chilling concept of arresting individuals for 'potential crimes’ that gives security forces unchecked power to detain activists before the crimes committed. Despite these draconian measures, the movement persists. There had been no day when the main avenue in Tbilisi would not be blocked.

On November 28, I said:

WE ARE ON OUR WAY, GEORGIA, HOLD ON!

For a month after the elections, we were in a state of shock and numbness following the disappointment of the rigged results. We gathered in smaller numbers in front of Tbilisi State University or Batumi State University, as students mainly led the demonstrations. We slept in tents blocking the streets while police occasionally beat our fellow protestors and arrested some of them.

One of the most shocking images from November days was when police forces emerged from the Tbilisi State University building. I thought this marked the state of Georgian culture under this regime! — The country’s oldest and largest University, the symbol of resistance against Russian imperialism, with its students and professors known for being at the epicentre of every significant historical change or its tradition of researching Georgian history and protecting the language under Russian rule, was filled with armed forces supporting a pro-Russian government, going against the very students who study there.

One would hope that any university would serve as a sanctuary for students fighting for their rights, as the primary protector of their freedom of speech and thought. Yet, it has become a primary source of physical danger for them. Students no longer seek refuge there as they once did; instead, they run out, chased by the police. The students demanded an immediate resignation of the rector, but their demands were not satisfied.

Amid the frustration, Georgia’s only glimmer of hope was its prospects for European integration. However, Georgia’s so-called Prime Minister crushed that fragile hope when he announced the cancellation of the negotiations with the EU regarding the accession process.

On the evening of November 28, people began to gather for an unannounced demonstration, as if once more called by history itself, to the sacred place — Rustaveli Avenue, the arena for every significant change in the country, right in front of Parliament.

I wrote that night in my notebook: „The country’s future is wounded and bleeding. A crowd gathered in quiet anticipation. No one spoke; hundreds of thousands stood in profound silence, filled with rage. The only sound echoing down the avenue was the desperate banging on police barricades by demonstrators of all ages and professions. People from all social groups— unknown faces and famous ones, students and retirees — stood together, creating a haunting rhythm. One noted that „it resembled a mourning ritual that lasted for hours”. For a month prior, we searched for words to express our discontent, and here they were — that banging was our language.

No more walls!

No more Iron Curtains!

The people arrived!…”

And so did the special police forces, starting the twenty days of severe and brutal crackdowns on demonstrations—that involved unlawful detentions, arrests, and violent assaults on civilians and journalists carrying out their duties. Survivors and human rights organizations reported hundreds of cases of torture and numerous incidents of sexual harassment occurring within police departments. So far, no law enforcement official has been disciplined for using excessive force against protesters or journalists.

On November 30, while police forces surrounded protesters once again, some of us went to Public Broadcaster (the 1TV), from which the misinformation and distortions were being shared nationwide about the events taking place in Rustaveli at that moment.

We said: We demand that you let people into the studio and give them a chance to speak to the entire nation from the platform they fund. Give back to people what belongs to them! WE BRING BACK OUR VOICES TODAY—no public institution will no longer silence the people’s voices!

A huge crowd had gathered around 1TV, and they had no choice but to let us in, so the New National Resistance had begun.

ARTISTS AGAINST TYRANNY

The spring of 2024 saw a renewed push for the controversial Kremlin-style legislation known as the Foreign Agents Law, also referred to as the Russian Law. This effort to undermine civil society posed a significant risk to Georgia’s aspirations for European integration. Following its retraction from the previous widespread public outcry and international condemnation, the government of the „Georgian Dream” attempted to enforce it by coupling it with another oppressive measure: „an Anti-LGBTQI+ Propaganda Law”.

Since 2023, around 450 Georgian filmmakers have been boycotting the National Film Center. Their protest stems from deep dissatisfaction with the Centre’s leadership and what they perceive as a lack of support for artistic freedom. The boycott pressures the institution to appoint a democratically elected leader who upholds freedom of speech and creative autonomy. This action is part of a broader movement opposing perceived government interference in the cultural and creative sectors. The filmmakers’ ongoing role and position in the current developments remain significant.  

In parallel, Georgian writers have been boycotting the Writers’ House of Georgia since the Ministry of Culture appointed a former member of writers from the Georgian Dream party as the institution’s director.

While most Georgian state theatres operated under the regime’s complete control, with artistic directors appointed to promote state propaganda, actors bravely resisted them. A vibrant independent theatre scene and freelance artists emerged as a powerful force in the ongoing protests. Throughout the spring, actors from various theatres began to cancel the „curtain calls” after performances as a form of solidarity, standing firmly with their audiences and their demands against censorship and the fascist-leaning rhetoric of the government.

I vividly remember the day when theatre halls filled with audiences draped in Georgian and EU flags. They waited for the actors to join the protest, and they did, standing as a barrier between the police and their audience.

We said: Theatre as a shield of people!

On the evening of November 28, the curtain calls were cancelled once more at several theatres, and the actors of the Royal District Theatre invited the audience to join them in a march to Rustaveli. That was the last day those actors stood on stage. It was a striking scene: remaining in their full makeup and costumes, they walked directly from the stage to the streets in front of the water canons and tear gas.

The violent repression against peaceful protesters has escalated dramatically. Approximately 300 protesters have been beaten and tortured by the police, and over 500 have been detained in just the first two weeks in Tbilisi alone. Artists and journalists are among the primary targets of the regime. Journalists have faced the most brutal physical attacks while carrying out their essential work, further silencing the voices of those brave enough to stand up for truth and freedom of expression.

Yes, the first goal of any regime is to dismantle the spaces where we practice solidarity. Their primary aim is to break our unity, making us feel isolated, weak, and unheard.

 

On December 4, the Georgian Theatre united in arguably the longest strike in theatre history. For 100 days, the theatre stood united with its audience, refusing to enter its buildings until the citizens’ demands were met.

The full force of the propaganda machine was unleashed against the artists, subjecting them to relentless attacks and intimidation. But let there be no illusions: the target was not just the artists but the idea of the strike itself. They feared its power and potential to ignite resistance and rally other workers into collective action.

On December 5, our friend Andro Chichinadze, an actor in film and theatre and a member of the ensemble of NEW STATE THEATRE, was arrested for absurd charges and remains in prison to this day.

 

In solidarity with Andro Chichinadze and 50 other political prisoners, the artistic director of New State Theatre, Davit Doiashvili, together with his ensemble, created a performative manifesto that travelled around Georgia, raising awareness of our country’s political and social reality, giving the platform to the families of political prisoners, and offering the stage to actors from regional theatre.

Andro’s portrait appeared on the façade of the New State Theatre, and the audience gathered in front of the theatre on the dates of cancelled shows not to return the tickets but to applaud in solidarity with Andro and in gratitude to the artists who supported the movement.  

STUDENTS, STAND WITH STUDENTS!  

In a remarkable display of courage, students from the Theatre and Film University (TAFU), primarily from the acting department, have occupied the foyer for 83 days, demanding new elections and the release of fellow students who have been unjustly detained. Enduring days of blackmail, being locked in and out of the building, they faced deprivation of food supplies, electricity, and heating, after which they demanded the immediate resignation of the rector. Their actions have sparked a wave of solidarity, with students from eight other universities joining the movement by occupying the foyers of their institutions. They transformed the façades of their schools into displays featuring banners to meet their demands. The white banners with daily changing massages on different façades became the symbol of the movement.

The situation reached a boiling point on the 83rd day of the student occupation as they maintained their blockade of the foyer. Giorgi Shalutashvili, the rector of the Theatre University and a staunch ally of the Ivanishvili regime, authorized a toxic chemical treatment of the building, demanding that the students vacate the premises. When the students refused to comply, they woke up at dawn to find themselves choking on the chemical fumes. The chemical brigade had been told the building was empty—they were shocked to see students still inside and halted the operation. On the same day, the police were called by the rector three times to remove the students forcibly, and he ultimately revoked their student statuses.

Those events sparked intense protest from the theatre community and the broader movement, successfully restoring the students’ status. Neither Rector Giorgi Shalutashvili nor the Dean of the Drama Department, Director Andro Enukidze, has engaged in any dialogue with their students. Additionally, during the same week, they were reportedly instructed by the Minister of Culture to assist in shutting down the School for Playwrights—the only remaining free space still operating with funding from the Ministry. This school has been a hub for emerging Georgian playwrights, promoting their art both domestically and internationally.

APRIL 2025 – THE THEATRE MONTH

In April, the government passed a new law eliminating the position of Artistic Director in state theatres, effectively placing sole managerial authority in the hands of financial directors. The law also grants the Minister of Culture full power to appoint and dismiss theatre directors without consultation or oversight unilaterally.

In April, the government passed a new law eliminating the position of Artistic Director in state theatres, effectively placing sole managerial authority in the hands of financial directors. The law also grants the Minister of Culture full power to appoint and dismiss theatre directors without consultation or oversight unilaterally.

David Doiashvili was removed from his leadership position at the New State Theatre, widely regarded as Georgia’s most successful state theatre and a crucial ally of the protest movement. Doiashvili and his ensemble fully supported their arrested actor, Andro Chichinadze, and other company members who faced targeting, detention, police violence, or public bullying from the regime’s propagandists at different times. The regime pressured Doiashvili to make an ethically impossible choice: to replace Chichinadze in every production and continue with the repertoire as if nothing had happened. Doiashvili refused and subsequently lost his job. In response, both the theatre community and the public rallied in an intense wave of solidarity for Doiashvili, but the regime once again disregarded their call.

IN TYRANNOS! – AGAINST TYRANNY!

In 1936, during the bloodiest period of Stalin’s repressions, the anniversary of the October Revolution approached. People stood in shock before the Rustaveli National Theatre on Rustaveli Avenue, gazing at its façade. They noticed a banner beneath the portraits of Soviet leaders displayed for the special parade occasion that read, „IN TYRANNOS” („Against Tyranny”).

Sandro Akhmeteli (1886-1937), the greatest Georgian stage director, created „IN TYRANNOS,” based on Schiller’s Die Räuber. Authorities arrested Akhmeteli that same year. They captured and tortured him for 222 days before parading him in an open car before the theatre troupe. Silence fell. Execution followed.

On January 14, 2025, Georgian Theatre Day, we marched with our audiences toward the same Rustaveli Theatre and hung a banner on its façade that proclaimed: IN TYRANNOS— SANDRO AKHMETELI AGAINST TYRANNY.

We vowed that no one and nothing would ever silence us again!

The officials backed by the theatre management removed the banner the same day.

THE ROYAL DISTRICT THEATRE UNDER SIEGE

The Royal District Theatre has a long history of resistance to every government in Georgia. It has been the most critical stage and most vigorous advocate of human rights since its foundation in 1997. In 2016, it was named “The most democratic theatre in Georgia” by human rights organizations, rapidly becoming well-known internationally. In recent months, it has become the target of direct attacks from government-controlled media outlets and factions within the Georgian Orthodox Church.

The immediate catalyst for the onslaught was the performance of LIBERTÉ [trigger warning], now labelled as „blasphemous” and „propaganda of LGBT”. The controversy began after 30 seconds of the play, featuring a half-naked actor alongside an audio recording of the provocative text, was illegally recorded during the show. The video was first posted by the fake account on Facebook and then broadcast repeatedly across state-aligned propaganda channels. The footage aired every hour for four consecutive days, amplifying the backlash.

The situation deteriorated further as the Georgian Patriarchate joined the condemnation, threatening to excommunicate the theatre’s leadership from the church. This move has fueled extremist groups to target theatres with increasing impunity, spreading false accusations, engaging in public defamation, and undermining the theatre’s efforts to foster dialogue and artistic expression.

On May 10, ultra-right-wing groups gathered outside the Royal District Theatre, demanding that the institution be defunded. The groups, some of whom have links to Russian-backed entities, shared private information about theatre personnel, including my home address, calling for violence against us. The situation escalated as a group of „Tytushki” hired thugs, physically attacked audience members and threw eggs at the building. In „light of these threats, some individuals associated with the theatre have felt compelled to leave the country for their safety.

Amidst the growing violence, LIBERTÉ [trigger warning] was recently performed at the Warsaw Dramatic Theatre on May 18 and 19 as part of the Warsaw Theatre Meetings. The management of the Warsaw Dramatic Theatre has generously offered us the opportunity to store the set, as it is no longer safe to present the play in Tbilisi.

In a further escalation, a group known as „Anti-Maidan”— linked to efforts to undermine Georgia’s pro-European protests—has filed a court case against me, accusing me of „offending religious feelings.”

On May 17 – On International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia – Georgian Orthodox Church, together with the leaders from the Georgian Dream Party, organized an alternative celebration of The Day of Sanctity of Family.

WHAT NOW?

Ivanishvili continues further crackdown on opposition. Nika Melia, co-leader of the Coalition for Change, was arrested for allegedly insulting police or refusing testimony. Zurab Japaridze, head of the More Freedom party, was detained for refusing to attend a parliamentary inquiry.

Journalists, artists, activists and students remain in prison for half a year already, and the regime does not tend to back up.

60 political prisoners, more than 800 activists with administrative charges, thousands fined, 300 tortured, 87 artists repressed and so on.  

Those are not just the numbers.

We call upon the EU to put more pressure on Ivanishvilli’s regime and to help Georgians fighting for freedom to be heard.

Can we hope that the EU and the West will not abandon the Georgian people in their fight for the EU and the West?

Everyone in the EU needs to see where the future is being tested and perhaps even shaped—we must understand the processes in Georgia as a warning to the West because they are coming. Soon, they will be everywhere, with different names but with the same evil goals. It didn’t happen overnight in Georgia – it took them 13 years to bring us to this moment. We need a strong EU, and we need examples of resistance until it’s not too late.

We call upon artistic communities worldwide to unite in the face of growing authoritarianism and act together.

If we fought for our rights, human rights, with the same intensity, radicalism, and unwavering commitment as the right-wing fights to undermine them, we could prevail.

If we could create an efficient network, as efficient as those of right-wing powers, that would allow us to let one another know we are not alone in the face of growing darkness, we could prevail.

In this togetherness and care, we would help each other reinforce faith in global resistance, which is urgent.

If we could find the language for our acts that would be equivalent to our rage and adequate to the danger we are facing, we could prevail.

Let us listen to one another and come together to resist the dark future that is already beginning to take shape around the world.

At the close, I would like to end with a letter from a Georgian journalist and a political prisoner, Mzia Amaglobelil:

„Freedom is more valuable than life. Any citizen who wishes to live in a democratic, just, European Georgia—free from Russian influence—could find themselves in my position.

Fight before it’s too late.

Fight wherever you are—inside the country or abroad, in villages or cities, in the streets or lecture halls, in public and workspaces.

Be brave, protect, and strengthen one another.

Do not allow Georgia to be isolated from the civilized world.”

The time to UNITE is NOW!

WE WON’T STOP!

With stubborn hope,

Love and Rage,

Data Tavadze

 

 

Kultura Enter
2025/03 nr 115