December 5, 2023
The Government Does not Mourn, the People Mourn
Several hundred Georgian volunteers have been fighting in Ukraine since the first days of the war. The first wave of volunteers left Georgia for Ukraine at the beginning of March. They are enrolled in different battalions and participate in military operations on the front line. The first news about the death of Georgian fighters was reported on March 18.
On December 3, 2023, five Georgian fighters were killed in Ukraine: Badri Markelia, Roland Kvaratskhelia, Romeo Fichkhaia, Merab Aladashvili, and Avto Rurua.
The crash occurred near Bakhmut, one of the war’s hot spots, where intense fighting is ongoing.
In response to the government’s inaction, “Shame Movement ” members voluntarily lowered the Georgian flag before the chancellery, declaring, “When the government does not mourn, the Georgian people mourn.”
December 24, 2021
Russian Dream
With this video clip, the “Shame Movement” responded to the footage of the country’s half-naked third president being dragged from cell to cell on November 16, 2021, and joined the call to take him to the hospital.
Later, due to airing this clip, the Communications Commission fined “Mtavari” TV channel 111,903 GEL, which was followed by a protest from the movement:
“The sanctioning of a critical media outlet by state institutions associated with the ruling party is a step towards authoritarianism. This decision limits the freedom of speech and expression granted by the Constitution. We once again see the political authorities’ intention to legislate censorship and, in general, limit critical opinion. Additionally, the ‘Mtavari’ sanctioning is a continuation of the repressive policy against civil activists.”
December 7, 2022
War With Women's Voices
Since November 2022, “Shame Movement” has cooperated with the Ukrainian organization Volya Hub.
Volya Hub is a newly launched platform for content creators, storytellers, and journalists to expand global awareness of Russian colonial and imperial influences. They tell stories using innovative storytelling formats in the local languages of people affected by Russian colonialism.
Russian colonialism has left its mark on millions of people. In 1992-93, more than 250,000 citizens of Georgia were forced to leave Abkhazia. In 2022, as a result of repeated Russian military intervention in Ukraine, more than 10 million people left the country.
Marina Guledani, a refugee from Abkhazia, and Lesia Vinnik, a refugee from Ukraine, share their stories about the war that changed their lives forever.