An ever unfolding story of the Georgian Polish Diaspora

Abstract

At the end of the 18th century and during the 19th century nobles, intelligentsia of the Polish national uprisings against tsarism were displaced to Georgia. The tsarist authorities used the Caucasus as a place of punishment. Poles found themselves in Georgia as exiles and called the Caucasus – “A Warm Siberia”, however, they also voluntarily came and settled down there. There were educated people in the Polish community. Artists Kirill and Ilia Zdanevich, Sygmunt Waliszewski, Ilia Zankowski, Mikołaj Sklifasowski, painter and architect Henryk Hryniewski, architect Aleksander Szymkiewicz, naturalists Ludwik Młokosiewicz, Władysław Bagrinowsky, writers Wojciech Potocki, Kazimierz Łapczyński, operatic soprano Melania Wohl-Lewicka and etc. They have made a significant contribution to the development of Georgian culture. Some of these figures became victims of Stalin’s terror. Unfortunately, the names of some of these victims are no longer known to the general public. These people have been introducing European culture for years, instilling European values in Georgia through their activities, and promoting Georgian culture in Europe as much as they could. I had a desire to show an ever unfolding story related to the Poles for almost two hundred years in Georgia that was happening at different times, in different circumstances, and is still going on today.