The master’s thesis examines Georgia’s ontological security in the context of Russo-Georgian relations, with the analysis primarily focused on the Gavrilov affair and the subsequent protests. The affair is treated as a symbolic manifestation of Georgia’s long-standing struggle for sovereignty and the preservation of its national identity. The June 2019 incident, when Russian State Duma deputy Sergei Gavrilov delivered an address in Russian from the speaker’s chair in the Georgian parliament, sparked months of mass protests in Tbilisi and across the country. Within the thesis, this moment is analyzed as a critical juncture that brings together earlier historical processes of Russification, Soviet repression, and post-Soviet conflicts with the contemporary political and social challenges confronting Georgia.
The thesis emphasizes the significance of the affair for understanding historical patterns, social dynamics, and Georgia’s political aspirations for European integration, thereby revealing the complex identity dimensions of modern Georgian society. It is grounded in both historical and media analysis, employing an original conceptual framework that first uncovers the specific socio-material components underpinning the reproduction of a stable national identity and hence ontological security in Georgia, and then investigates how leading media outlets and political actors interpret the Gavrilov affair and how those interpretations respond to the perceived erosion of political sovereignty.
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