Redjeb Jordania's New Year Message

Redjeb Jordania, son of Noe Jordania, Head of State of the first republic of Georgia (1918-1921), has released a New Year message, in which he addresses Georgian population, expressing gratitude that having been born in the times of exile of his father, head of short-lived first republic, he lived long enough to witness the rebirth of Georgia and its overcoming of the Soviet ideology to regain its rightful place in the world as a free sovereign nation.

"Let it continue thus forever!" reads the letter released by him. 

Below, we offer the full version of his New Year message to the Georgian nation: 

"My fellow Georgians:

29 years ago, at midnight of December 25, 1990, the Soviet Union ceased to exist.  And thus Georgia, which had declared its independence on April 9 of the same year 1990, greeted the new year 1991 as a sovereign nation, recognized as such on the world stage.

Yes, only 29 years ago: a very short slice of our history, yet the longest period in centuries that Georgia has been a free country, able to nurture a whole generation of young people untainted by the disastrous Soviet ideology or any other foreign influence. It will be up to them to take over the direction of our country, to lead Georgia to a positive and bright future, whatever the uncertainties of the moment.

I am now 98 years old, and I am immensely grateful that having been born in the times of exile of my father Noe Jordania, head of our short-lived first republic,  I lived long enough to witness the rebirth of our country and its overcoming of the Soviet ideology to regain its rightful place in the world as a free sovereign nation.

Let it continue thus forever.

Gaumarjos Sakhartvelo (Long live Georgia)."