The Georgian Association in the USA is launching the ‘Making of Modern Georgia’ series, which intends to inform the American public on Georgian history and culture. This series brings together Georgian and non-Georgian researchers, academics, and practitioners to create an engaging series and provide information for those interested in learning more about Georgia today.
The series, titled “The Making of Modern Georgia” started in November 2025 and will go until Summer 2026. It will combine webinars, movie screenings, and other social activities to attract a wide range of participants and attendees.
Schedule of the events will be updated regularly. Topics and guests are subject to adjustment. Recordings of past events can be seen by clicking the title of the event.
November 30, 2025 – The Democratic Republic of Georgia, 1918-21
December 12, 2025. Visit to Library of Congress for a display and briefing on the Democratic Republic on Georgia materials.
December 14, 2025 – Georgian Monks and Scribes: Shaping the Christian Legacy
2026
February 1, 2026 – Keeping the Georgian Language Alive: Poets, Legislators and Teachers
Session 4 – The History of Georgian Wine: What does the Georgian Wine Industry look like today? – February 21, 1 pm EDT REGISTRATION REQUIRED
It is impossible to talk of Georgian culture and history without including wine, a vital part of Georgian social life, the supra, and the livelihood of its citizens. Wine has always been central to Georgian identity through song, ritual, and storytelling around the table. In what ways does wine and wine production connect with Georgian history, and what is its role in the economy today?
Moderator: Valerian Sikhuashvili, board of directors, Georgian Association in the USA
Guests:
Dr. Mamuka Tsereteli – President, Georgia-American Business Council,
Baia Abuladze – Baia’s Wines.
March 13, 2026, 3pm EST. Visit to Library of Congress – in Person. Registration is FREE but required on Eventbrite.
Session 5 – March 14, 2026, 1pm EST – Soviet Georgia and its Legacy on Contemporary Politics – Register on Zoom
Georgia has always been vulnerable to neighboring imperial powers. For most of the twentieth century, Georgia was part of the Soviet Union. What impact did Soviet power have on Georgian politics, economy, and society? In what ways can we trace its legacy in contemporary Georgia?
Moderator: Dr. Malkhaz Toria, Professor of Georgian History, Ilia State University
Guests:
Dr. Ron Suny, William H. Sewell Jr. Distinguished University Professor of History and Professor of Political Science at the University of Michigan,
Dr. Tamar Qeburia, Research associate, Leibniz Institute for East and Southeast European Studies, Regensburg, Germany
Webinar series continues in 2026 with the following topics (subject to updates)
- How do Small States Survive? Lessons from Georgia
Since its emergence as a unified kingdom in the 11th century, Georgia has had to navigate its foreign relations with aggressive neighbors and distant allies. Despite its small size and modest population, Georgia has survived both wars and foreign occupation. What must Georgia do to ensure its survival in the 21st century as an independent state? - Georgia and the Black Sea
The Black Sea has always been a space of migration, trade, and commerce, but it’s role in Georgian history has been under researched. After the rise of the Ottoman and Russian empires, the Black Sea became a strategic space for Great Power competition. What role has the Black Sea played in Georgian history, and what role does it play today, as the Chinese sponsored Middle Corridor reaches Georgia’s West coast and the maritime war between Russia and Ukraine continues? - Armies and Nations: The Role of the Georgian Military Since Independence
Georgia has a long martial tradition, and many times has successfully defended itself against larger armies. Yet Georgia, subject to imperial occupation and hegemony, was unable for many centuries to establish a united military force of its own. After independence in 1991, Georgia created its own army and defended its own territory in 2008 from a foreign invasion. How important is the Georgian military to the security of the Georgan state? Is it ready to defend the country against the multiple national security threats that face it today? - Foreigners, Immigrants, and the Making of Modern Georgia
Located on a peninsula where trade routes from the north and south, and east and west, converge, Georgia has at times been part of the Eastern Mediterranean, the Middle East, and Europe (as a colony of the Russian empire). Foreign merchants, soldiers, religions, and ethnic minorities, have always had a major influence on the development of Georgian culture and statehood. How should we assess the role of immigrants in Georgian history and what is their role in the country today?