From Revolutionary to Socialist Legality: Georgian Perspectives
Doctoral researcher Katie Sartania also investigates dissident activities in the project “The Georgian Perspective on Soviet Legality and Justice: Dissident Activities and the Legacy of Stalin’s Influence (1950–1980)”. This work poses essential questions about identity and governance, including what did and does it mean to be both Georgian and Soviet? Furthermore, how did Georgians engage with the Soviet institutional framework of nation- building? Sartania aims to illustrate Stalin’s lasting
impact on Georgian national identity and its trajectory. In the aftermath of Stalin’s death in 1953, subsequent political transformations, including Khrushchev’s de-Stalinization and the suppression of pro-Stalin protests in Tbilisi in 1956, irrevocably altered the dynamics between Georgia and Moscow. The events of the late 1950s
marked a decisive shift in Georgian attitudes, as the population increasingly demanded their rights as entitled nationals rather than appealing to Moscow for assistance. The quest for cultural preservation, the safeguarding of traditions and the promotion of the Georgian language emerged as central themes of this period.