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Discussion over changing the name of the Stalin Avenue in Gori still continues

May 20, 2019
 
Lado Bitchashvili, Shida Kartli

The issue of changing the name of the central street in Gori – Stalin Avenue is still urgent. Maro Makashvili’s Society requests to change the name of the street. They organized action-performance and called on the local self-government to respect the law.

The Law of Georgia on Freedom Charter intends to remove the symbols and the names of cult buildings, memorials, monuments, bas-reliefs, inscriptions, streets, squares, villages and settlements of the communist totalitarian regime, as well as to prohibit the propaganda instruments and other means of communist totalitarian and national socialist (Nazi) ideologies. 

“Mayor, Municipal Assembly, change the name of the street,” the initiators released this slogan attached to the balloons in the air in front of the building of the Gori municipal assembly. Representatives of the political parties also joined the action, among them was Aleksandre Valiauri from the Republic Party.

“Europe made right decision when they refused to use the names of Hitler, Stalin and other dictators. Our problem is that we, mentally, still live in the Soviet Union. We have elected deputies in the assembly as well as the elected mayor, but they cannot perform their duties. 90% of the municipal assembly members agree with me, but they keep populist position because they know there is concrete group of people in this city [who is against changing the name] and the government cannot act against their will,” Aleksandre Valiauri said, who believes that the number of the Stalin’s followers in his native city is reducing and currently only 3% of Gori population likes Stalin. 

Aleko Lursmanashvili, representative of the movement Stalinelebi (Stalin’s followers), thinks differently. He said the number of active people, who support Stalin, is few but if the name of the street is changed, he promises to organize large-scaled demonstrations.
“The Stalin’s statue shall be erected on its old place and it is odd to speak about the street name; if anybody in the government dares to change it, they will receive huge protest,” Lursmanashvili said. 

Chairman of the Gori Municipal Assembly Davit Razamadze said if the initiators apply the assembly according to the procedures, the question will be included in the agenda of the next sessions and the assembly members will individually decide to support the idea of changing the name of Stalin’s street or not. 

“Any member of the assembly can raise this issue during the session; also the initiators may petition the City Hall. Afterwards, in respect of procedures, the assembly will discuss and decide to support the idea or not. I will demonstrate my position during the ballot; until then I refrain from making any comments,” Davit Razmadze said.

The attitudes towards Stalin have changed in his native city that can be easily detected in the discussions in social networks, where the number of Anti-Stalinists has increased. However, local authority cannot dare to openly oppose the Stalin’s cult because many local businessmen fancy Stalin and local officials do not want to annoy them. 

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