The Government of Georgia announced the decision to erect a new monument to King Irakli II Bagration, the ruler of the Kartli-Kakheti Kingdom, in the center of Tbilisi. This move caused a wide resonance and discussion both in Georgia and beyond, given the historical context and contemporary political realities.
"Our duty is to pay tribute to Georgian history and all the deserved heroes who preserved our religious and national identity," the prime minister said at the government meeting, noting that Irakli II "is a great national hero."
Pro-Western political forces criticized the government's initiative. Mikheil Saakashvili's "United National Movement" accused the ruling party "Georgian Dream" of seeking to "surrender the country to Russia" and pointed to the "obvious non-accident" of the initiative two months before the parliamentary elections.
The "Treaty of George" was concluded in 1783. He made the Kartli-Kakheti kingdom (Eastern Georgia) a protectorate of Russia - it retained formal independence in internal affairs, but partially renounced independent foreign policy. Georgia finally became part of the Russian Empire 17 years later.
The role of Heraklius II in modern Georgia is assessed ambiguously. Some historians and politicians believe that the "Treatus of George" imprisoned by him became a prerequisite for the abolition of Georgian statehood.
This will be the second monument to Heraklion II in Georgia. The first was installed in Telavi, the tsar's hometown during the USSR.
