Memorial Column Unveiled in Honor of Georgian National Hero Giorgi Antsukhelidze
By Liza Mchedlidze
Monday, August 19, 2024
On August 18, a memorial column dedicated to Giorgi Antsukhelidze, a national hero of Georgia, was unveiled at the Abano Pass in Tusheti. The event, organized by the Ministry of Defense of Georgia, was attended by Deputy Commander of the Defense Forces Brigadier General Irakli Chichinadze, Chief Sergeant of the Defense Forces Giorgi Gogochuri, family members of Antsukhelidze, and representatives of the Defense Forces.
Brigadier General Chichinadze spoke at the ceremony about Antsukhelidze's legacy: "August 18 is the birthday of our national hero, Giorgi Antsukhelidze. Today, in his native Tusheti, at Abano Pass, a memorial dedicated to his memory was opened under the organization and leadership of the Ministry of Defense. It is a great honor for me to have been given the opportunity to participate in this process. Georgia stands on heroes like Giorgi Antsukhelidze."
President Salome Zourabichvili honored Antsukhelidze on her personal Facebook page: "Giorgi Antsukhelidze and our national heroes are the country's source of energy. They revive and stir up the huge national charge accumulated over the centuries. Eternal memory be yours! May God give us the strength to be worthy of you and justify your way!"
Minister of Defense Irakli Chikovani also paid tribute on social media: "It is on Giorgi Antsukhelidze, brave soldiers, and heroes like him that the freedom and independence of our country rest. In the war of August 2008, Giorgi Antsukhelidze defended the state flag of Georgia and the honor of the country at the cost of his life. August 18 is the birthday of the national hero of Georgia, Giorgi Antsukhelidze! We bow before the distinguished and unbroken hero of the modern history of our country. For future generations, he became an example of devotion to the motherland, spiritual strength, and patriotism. The freedom and independence of our country rest on Giorgi Antsukhelidze, brave soldiers, and heroes like him. Glory to the heroes."
