Assyrians and Syriacs in Georgia

Present day Assyrians and Syriacs in Georgia arrived in the Southern Caucasus in early 20th century when theirancestors fled present day Turkey, during the Seyfo genocide.

History

Historically, the first Assyrians arrived in Georgia in the 6th century A.D.13 Assyrian monks (history knows them as 13 saint Assyrian fathers) from the city of Edessa came to Georgia and estabish the Shio-Mgvime Monastery. Scholars have linked their contribution to the Christianization of Georgia, with what Saint Nino leading the way of converts from paganism. Assyrians came in contact with Georgians once again in the 1760s. Assyrians under Ottoman rule were looking for some kind of protection. Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East Mar Avraam requested of Georgian king Erekle II protection for Assyrians and the Yezidi Kurds of present-day Turkey. On 25 September, 1768 the Ottoman Empire declared a war on Russia, and by 1770, Georgia came in on the Russian side. During the war, historical documents of King Erekle II have him quoted as saying:

In April 1770, Georgian troops, under Russian plans, headed towards the city of Akhaltsikhe. At the same time, Assyrian Bishop Isaiah left Tbilisi and carried letters to Assyrian and Kurdish leaders which the Georgian czar invited them to fight together against the Ottomans. He promised them his all-round support.In September 1770 (dated July 1770, but arrived in September,) Assyrian Catholicos Simon replied back to Czar's letters:

Assyrian Bishop Isaiah wrote:

Choban-aga also replied to Czar:

Kurds and Assyrians were prepared to move against the Ottoman, whenever the support from Erekle II arrived. But Russian General Totleben changed his mind and turned his detachment back to Kartli. The plans for military cooperation failed, but during the war, Assyrian community of several dozen families appeared in Georgia. They arrived in Makhani (Mtskheta District) from Persia and Ottoman Empire. The second wave of Assyrian immigrants came when Russia signed a Treaty of Turkmenchay with Persia in 1828, where Assyrians and Kurds (from present-day Iran) got an opportunity to come to Georgia as hired hands.

Present-day Assyrians in Georgia arrived in the second half of the 19th century and settled in Tiflis and became Russian citizens. By the end of the 19th century there were over five thousand Assyrians living in Georgia.A fourth and largest wave came in between the years of 1915 and 1917, as Assyrian fled from the Ottoman massacre (see Assyrian genocide).

Today's Assyrian community in Georgia

According to 2001 census, there are a little over 3,000 Assyrians left in Georgia. Some of the Assyrian villages include:
* Dzveli Kanda (Mtskheta District) with 350 families (The largest and oldest Assyrian village in Georgia). About 1,500 people live in the village, in which 80 percent of them are Assyrians.
* Gardabani - 600 to 700 AssyriansThere are also Assyrians in the Tbilisi area, where one of the compact settlements is found in the Kukia locality (about 800 people). A smaller population exist in Kutaisi, Batumi, Senaki, Zugdidi, and Zestaponi.

Today, some Assyrians struggle in Georgia, since Russian is not used anymore.This makes it difficult for them to obtain jobs - which has led to many Assyrians going to Krasnodar Territory and Moscow to make money temporary and then come back.The Assyrian language is taught in Dzveli Kanda and Tbilisi. These classes receive aid and books from Assyrians in Northern Iraq. On August 2002, a team of Assyrian athletes of Georgia took part in the Pan-Assyrian Games (the so-called Tammuz Games) in the Iranian city of Urmia, in which they took 3rd place.

On May 15, 2005, United States President George W. Bush met with Assyrian leaders of Georgia.The meeting was mostly about the situation of Assyrians in Iraq. Assyrian leaders also gave the American president a letter as well. [http://www.furkono.com/modules/upload/appeal_usa/picture_008.jpg] When asked by Edgar Bitbunov, the Member of Assyrian International Congress"Nowadays American Georgian forces are on Assyrian soil in Iraq. Of course,we aren't indifferent to the fortune of assyrians in Iraq. What's their future like? What can you say about it?" Bush answered: "We consider that every nation is equally responsible to find its own way to develop and achieve its own object. Assyrians are equal in right to any other peoples living in Iraq these days. Assyrians other nations in Iraq first of all should change their way of thinking, should act more persistently, resolutely and bravery to achieve their own objects and prinsiples all these are in their hands. The USA always stands for, defends and supports people fighting for justice, freedom, independence and democracy."

ources

[http://www.aina.org/reports/tykaaog.pdf The Yezidi Kurds and Assyrians of Georgia] , Journal of the Central Asia & the Caucasus, Iraklii Chikhladze, Giga Chikhladze. (3/21/2003)

External links

* [http://assur.ge/ Assyrian National Congress of Georgia]