A new draft law has been registered in the Ukrainian legislative body, according to which, Georgia shall be denominated as Сакартвело [Sakartvelo] in place of Грузія [Gruziya].
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In the explanatory note of the bill, the Rada deputies note that Sakartvelo is a genuine historical name, while Gruziya is a form established as a result of strong Soviet (Russian) influence.
“About 20 states use the term Gruziya, Ukraine among them. These are mostly post-soviet states or ones that had been under strong Soviet influence. It is how Georgia is referred to in Russia. Gruziya – this imperial name, is a result of translating “Georgia” into Russian. Sakartvelo is how Georgians themselves refer to their country.
Ukraine, which is a separate matter of international relations, seeking to establish friendly historical relations with Georgia, and, especially in light of the Russian aggression, rid itself of the Russification and the results of the decades of colonial politics, is starting to refer to Georgia by its historic name Сакартвело, and to Georgian people – картвели [Kartveli].
The relationship between Georgia and Ukraine is deep and multifaceted, but Ukraine’s move of officially renaming Georgia to its historic name might be a further step towards closer relations,” remark Rada deputies.
The draft law implies establishing Sakartvelo and Kartveli not only on an official level – in diplomatic communications – but in mass media channels too.
The bill was submitted in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on May 26, Georgia's Independence Day. It was presented by Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, a member of the Rada from the European Solidarity party, who was the Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine in matters of Euro and Euro-Atlantic Integration in 2014-2019. Oleksi Goncharenko was among the initiators of the bill.
In 20118, Lithuania became the first to implement Georgia’s authentic name in their state language. Since then, the country refers to Georgia not as Gruzia, as established under Russian influence, but as Sakartvela.
