In the XIX-XX centuries, Georgia-based ethnic groups used to play significant role in Georgia’s social-political
and cultural life. On the one hand, they used to take active part in domestic public and cultural life, but, on the other
hand, they have never lost their ethnic identity. They had their own schools, theaters, literature and newspapers in
native languages. The main objective of the project is to study the life, interests, priorities, worldviews and, in general,
history of Georgia-based ethnic minorities (Persian, Azerbaijani, Armenian, Greek, Abkhaz and Jewish), based on
periodical editions that were issued in their native languages in 1819-1921.
The research period of the project is divided in two parts. The first one implies the years from 1819 to 1918, that
is, starting from issuance of the first newspaper in Georgia up to the foundation of the first Democratic Republic of
Georgia (DRG). And the second period includes the years of 1918-1921 – the years of the first DRG, which existed
about 3 years and left significant traces in the near history of Georgia.
The reality expressed by groups with different interests, which were reflected in newspapers, provide much more
precise picture of the their being and life than even the history described by qualified historians. It should be noted that
Georgian-language and Russian-language periodical editions published in Georgia have been studied, while periodical
editions in other ethnic languages remain unexplored.
The project calls for searching, sorting of the 1819-1921 periodical editions in various ethnic languages and
creating due database. The project also calls for exploring the history of various ethnic groups in Georgia. This job will
create an important basis for historical homelands of these ethnic groups, because the project will foster research of
historical heritage of these countries. The last phase implies a publishing of a joint collection