Foreigners, Immigrants, and the Making of Modern Georgia – June 20, 2026 – 1pm.
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?
Guests: Dr. Lasha Vashakidze, Dr. Marine Chitashvili.
Moderator: Professor Stephen Jones, Founding Director of the Program on Georgian Studies, Harvard University.