The October Revolution of 1917 has destroyed the Russian Empire. On May 26, 1918, on the meeting of National Council in Tiflis, Georgia was declared to be a Sovereign Democratic Republic. Noe Zhordania, the leader of Social-Democratic Party became the head of Georgian Government.
Young democratic country was facing hard economic, internal and external problems. Extremely growing enthusiasm stirred the society's best forces to greater activity, that stabilized the situation of the country. Georgia was looking for the ways of free development under the permanent pressure of external danger and was striving for the acknowlegment of it's independence.
In 1920 in Russia Communists managed to win over the counter-revolution forces and started to reestablish the borders of former Empire. Soviet power was set up in Armenia and Azerbaijan. Georgian government was trying to withstand the aggression, but the fate of the country was predetermined. On February 25, 1921 Russian army entered in Tiflis. Sergo Orjonikidze, one of the organizator of itervention sent a telegram to Lenin informing that the Red banner was raised above Tiflis. This banner was flying in Georgia for 70 years.
Pictorial reviews depicting these events taken by E. Klar, B. Kozak, V. Grinevich and others are represented by static photos, as the photographers who were working in studios were not in habit of reporting. Anyway, they are important documents describing that particular epoch.
Giorgi Gersamia
Photos are kept in the State Cinema-Photo Archive.
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