Day: February 5, 2024

Protest against the Minister of Culture of Georgia

Representatives of the cultural sector in Georgia have appealed to members of the Georgian Parliament, urging them to express their distrust in Minister of Culture Thea Tsulukiani and demanding an examination of the ministry’s activities by the state control and audit service.

Today, at 19:00, a rally of cultural representatives will be held at one of the entrances to the Parliament, urging MPs not to express confidence in the new Cabinet of Ministers, where Thea Tsulukiani is still nominated for the post of Minister of Culture.

This week, the Georgian Parliament will discuss the issue of confidence in the Cabinet of Ministers, with Tea Tsulukiani again nominated for the post of Minister of Culture.”

• Filmmakers in Georgia boycott Ministry of Culture “for repression and destruction of cinema”
• Georgian Film Academy withdraws film about Ivanishvili’s tree collecting hobby

Appeal by representatives of the cultural sector

The authors of the appeal argue that retaining Thea Tsulukiani in the system would signify the irreversible destruction of the country’s cultural identity, declared hostility against conscientious professionals, and complete cultural isolation. They advocate against her reappointment as minister for the second time, citing the following reasons:

• Gelati is being destroyed (referring to the restoration of an ancient architectural monument by the Ministry of Culture)!
• Archaeological monuments are under threat!
• Scientists are deprived of opportunities for professional engagement!
• Attacks on artists persist!
• Numerous professionals across various fields are compelled to join boycotts!
• Autonomy of educational spaces is diminishing!
• Film center budgets are allocated to party agitators’ trips to Berlin!
• Literary processes face delays!
• Unlawful dismissals occur, and labor disputes are favoring the ministry!
• Personnel from the scientific and creative spheres are being replaced by individuals from the penitentiary system!

We urge parliamentarians – each of you is obligated to demand an examination of the Ministry of Culture’s activities by the State Audit Service. You are obligated to express no confidence in Thea Tsulukiani! If the extensive list of damages she has inflicted on the cultural sphere is inconsequential to you, then be pragmatic because spring will be heated,” reads the appeal from Georgian cultural representatives.

Protest against Tsulukiani. Background

On June 11, the Ministry of Culture announced the commencement of reorganization at the film center. Deputy director Nino Kukhalashvili was dismissed, and amendments were made to the charter. Subsequently, new appointments were made. Koba Khubunaya, the head of the economic department of the Ministry of Culture, became the acting director. He previously served as the deputy head of the National Agency for Crime Prevention, Execution of Non-Custodial Sentences, and Probation in 2021. Before that, Khubunaya was a financial adviser at the Ministry of Justice.

Georgian writers, translators, and publishers have joined the filmmakers’ protest, stating that “professional employees of the film center are being replaced by correctional officers and politically engaged individuals with dubious experience.”

Earlier, Minister of Culture Thea Tsulukiani had subjected employees of the National Museum of Georgia to reorganization and purges, leading some to resign. However, they later won a lawsuit against Tsulukiani in court, and the Ministry of Culture was ordered to provide monetary compensation. Nevertheless, no one was reinstated in their positions.

The recent events are connected to the House of Writers, where the Ministry of Culture appointed Georgian Dream MP Ketevan Dumbadze as the head, leading to the resignation of the former director Natalia Lomouri. Ketevan Dumbadze is among those who supported the so-called Russian law on foreign agents in March.

The filmmakers’ movement has now joined the protest of writers and publishers, expressing defiance against the “repressive, anti-democratic, and anti-state policy of the Ministry of Culture.” Film representatives assert that Dumbadze’s appointment as the head of the House of Writers is yet another deliberate attempt to undermine culture in Georgia.