The Georgian authorities continue adding the list of oppositionists through their activities. This time, the target for authorities and defender of the oppositionists is the most respected and successful king David Shinarar (constructor). Better yet, his huge statue which was placed in the Republic Square of Tbilisi next to the “Iveria” hotel a couple of years ago.
Until recently, there were refugees from Abkhazia living in the “Iveria” hotel. During the past ten years, they have turned one of the best hotels in Georgia into a wreck. When the authorities finally decided to provide the refugees with homes, the only thing that remained from the “Iveria” hotel was its beautiful name. The constructors were condemned to repeat what they had done: it was easier to build a new hotel than to remodel the old one. The “Silk Road” company hotel bought the hotel from the state and promised to maintain the old look. Here, it became clear that the statue of the czar was in the way and bothered the constructors. However, nobody said anything about this.
During his short time as mayor of Tbilisi, Gigi Ugulava has not only managed to change municipal transportation around so that some city districts were deprived of public transportation for a couple of weeks and decided to hand over the Youth Palace to foreigners (there are approximately 15,000 teens and children studying here, the choreographic school after famous ballet dancer Nino Ananiashviel is located here where there are more than 1000 students), this time he has decided to move the statue of David Shinarar. Despite the residents’ complaints, the king’s statue is getting ready to be moved. Nothing changed Ugulava’s mind-neither the applications sent by artists nor the complaints of the opposition and residents, nor the tears of an old Armenian living in Tbilisi who had come to the statue with flowers and said the following phrase just like the famous hero from “Mimino”: “What is going on here?”. These scenes were being shown on local television.
Ugulava’s “theft” may play tricks with him. During these days, the opposition remembered that there was a time when Mikael Sahakashvili had forgotten all about democratic principles and had made the mayor get appointed, not elected.
Deputy of the city council Georgi Mosidzen said: “It is time to remind Ugulava that he is only a mayor who is not trustworthy. We can tell him to throw his dictatorial ways in the safe and close it with a key.”
Politician Ramaz Sakvarelidze told “168 hours”: “The authorities once again proved that they don’t care about the public opinion and that they are sure about their innocence. They keep themselves isolated from the people more and more. That will help the opposition and the authorities will have to pay for that.”
The authorities probably understand that they are “getting out of hand”, so they decided to make their decision under the veil of democracy. On Sunday at the Digomi district of Tbilisi, where it is foreseen to move the statue of David Shinarar, there was a demonstration in favor of the decision made by the municipality. The irony of this story: the great king was able to unite the people and the country; however, it appears that the bronze statue of the king is beginning to break the Georgian society apart. But what does the statue have to do with anything?