The Night That Changed Georgia
On the night of April 8 to 9, 1989, tens of thousands gathered in front of the Parliament building. They demanded freedom, independence, separation from the USSR. At 4 a.m., under orders from Soviet General Igor Rodionov, the assault began. Tear gas, rubber batons, and sapper shovels were used. Twenty-one people were killed—mostly women. Hundreds were injured.
Tbilisi remembers
The ceremony began on the evening of April 8 and lasted nearly 24 hours. People came despite the weather. Some stood in silence. Others prayed. Many just stood. Flowers, candles, flags. The rain only sharpened the contrast—red carnations on wet stone steps.
This year, many people blocked politicians—especially those tied to the current government—from approaching the memorial. It wasn’t an act of violence. It was a form of refusal. A quiet, but firm gesture: memory is not for show.
April 9 is not just a date. It’s a lesson. A silence full of meaning. It’s a people who remember—not because they must, but because they cannot forget. These photos are my way of telling the story. Of those who stood then. And who still stand now.
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