Seven years on: Georgian Embassies abroad host photo exhibition of Russian-Georgian August war

Seven years has passed since Russia and Georgia clashed in a short but violent war in but those who lost their lives in the fighting are not forgotten.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia (MFA) is continuing to remind the international community about the 2008 conflict and the ongoing effects the war had on the small post-Soviet nation.

In this respect, Georgian Embassies in five different countries are holding photo exhibitions about the conflict and informing locals about the situation that led to Russia’s violation of Georgia’s territorial integrity and now occupation of 20 percent of Georgia’s territory.

Kazakhstan, Greece, Armenia, Denmark and Latvia each hosted their own exhibition, dedicated to the seventh anniversary of the conflict. 

At the Kazakhstan exhibition, Georgia’s Ambassador to Kazakhstan Zurab Pataridze spoke about the conflict as well as about the more recent violations by Russia at the so-called Administrative Boundary Line (ABL), which included illegal installation of new signposts and barbed-wire fences on Georgian territory. 

Georgia’s Ambassador to Kazakhstan Zurab Pataridze addresses the audience about Russian-Georgian conflict issues. Photo by Georgia’s Foreign Ministry. 

The same issues were touched upon at the Greece exhibition by Georgia’s Ambassador to Greece Joseph Nanobashvili. The photo exhibition took place in capital Athens at the Melina Cultural Centre. 

Diplomats in Athens, representatives of Georgian diaspora, Greek public figures and journalists attended the event and paid tribute to the Georgian soldiers and civilians killed in the 2008 Russian-Georgian war by observing a minute silence.

In Riga, Georgia’s Ambassador in Latvia Teimuraz Janjalia presented a video presentation of the current situation at the occupation line in Georgia, informing the guests of what was happening at the ground. 

High-ranking officials of Latvia, the country’s Defence Minister and Parliament vice Speaker attended the event at the War Museum of Latvia along with diplomatic corps representatives, local NGOs, Georgian diaspora and media.

Meanwhile Georgia’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of Denmark, Nikoloz Rtveliashvili, spoke about the ongoing threats of creeping occupation on Georgian territory after paying tribute to those who died in the 2008 war. 

After showing the photo exhibition, he presented a short documentary prepared by Georgia’s Ministry of Civil Equality and Reconciliation to the gathered audience. 

Finally, in Armenia Georgia’s Ambassador to Armenia Tengiz Sharmanashvili touched on the heavy consequences of the Russian-Georgian conflict and answered questions by the audience after discussing the 2008 war and commemorating those who died seven years ago.