PM: April 9 is the Greatest Tragedy and Hope in the History of Georgia

"We must always honor the memory of our heroes, and of course we must remember that this sacrifice was made for us in order to create a successful, strong state," the Prime Minister of Georgia Giorgi Gakharia said while speaking of the tragedy of April 9, 1989.

"April 9 is the greatest tragedy in the history of Georgia, as well as the greatest hope," he noted. 

"I understand that today we have a big battle against COVID-19, but we must not forget our history. 31 years ago, on April 9, 1989, Soviet troops committed a crime. This crime was the greatest tragedy in the history of our country, but also the greatest hope, and this hope was realized on April 9, 1991, when the country declared independence and we began to build a state.

"We must always honor the memory of our heroes, and of course we must remember that this sacrifice was made for us in order to create a successful, strong state and that this process must be more and more efficient and successful than in recent years," the head of the government emphasized. 

31 years have passed since 9 April 1989. The April 9 tragedy (also known as Tbilisi massacre or Tbilisi tragedy) refers to the events in Tbilisi, when an anti-Soviet demonstration on central Rustaveli Avenue was dispersed by the Soviet Army, resulting in 21 deaths and hundreds of injuries.

By Ana Dumbadze 

Related Story: 31 Years Since April 9 Tragedy