Gov’t to unveil monument, museum to fallen soldiers of Russia-Georgia war’s Shindisi Battle

Georgia’s Defence Minister Juansher Burchuladze on Thursday revealed Government plans to commemorate the Georgian servicemembers who fell in the Shindisi Battle of the 2008 Russia-Georgia war by opening a monument and a museum in their memory.

Speaking on the 14th anniversary of the engagement that saw the group of soldiers clash with the Russian invading forces, Burchuladze said the monument in their honour would be unveiled  in September.

• Georgian PM commemorates soldiers fallen in Shindisi Battle of Russia-Georgia 2008 war

Commending the “dedication and heroism” of the 17 servicemembers killed in the Battle, Burchuladze said the design for the monument had been produced with the involvement of their families, adding the Government would also build a museum in memory of the heroes. 

“Fourteen years after the battle, we stand proud. I want to thank the families of the fallen servicemembers for bringing up the heroes who sacrificed their lives for their motherland”, Burchuladze said. 

In the engagement on August 11, 2008, a 21-member detachment of Georgian soldiers came face-to-face with Russian troops in the village of Shindisi on the fourth day after the start of the conflict.

Being greatly outnumbered, they were ordered to surrender by the Russian troops but issued a strong refusal and inflicted significant losses on the enemy in a 45-minute subsequent uneven battle that also left 17 of the 21 Georgian servicemembers killed.