The Georgian Mothers

Mothers are important in Georgia. To be fair I hadn’t done much thinking about mothers before a particular incident at a Tbilisi restaurant brought the subject to my attention.

"Generally you find three kinds of Mothers in Georgia. One traditional with capitol M and the second, more modern and younger version with small m, focused on creating a career for themselves outside the family still parallel with the traditions. The third mother is the more abstract and provoking kind, watching over the country (as seen on the picture). This kind of “mothers” with swords and strenghty attitude gives many Georgian men high blood pressure and force them into panic, at least in the columns of the Tbilisi newspapers, debating the shere presence of Mother Georgia standing on the hills above Tbilisi. She has, as a sign of contempt?, her back turned to the american “refugeecamp” of rich Americans wives living in their protected luxury quarters high above Tbilisi, shielded from the Georgian “plebeians”. It could be frustrating to have such a dualistic female statue stiring at you every day, watching your steps….

The complete article is found on my website.