Paper long abstract:

Thirty years after the demise of the Soviet Union, independent Georgia’s historiography is still experiencing an identity crisis. Starting from Ivane Javakhishvili's works from the beginning of the 20th century, 'scientific" historiography became a necessary tool for achieving international acknowledgement among the European nations in the post-1918 order of nation states. Under Stalin, historiography was turned into a tool for legitimizing the privileged status of titular groups with primordial claims to certain territories. With Georgia’s independence in 1991, the role and functions of historiography required redefinition for the period of transition and up to the present day. In this presentation, Prof. Reisner will identify the major trends in the writing of the history of Georgia that he would summarize as 1). Renovation, 2). Reconstruction, and 3). Nationalisation. Rather than discussing individual works, Dr. Reisner will focus on the environment of the writing of history and the production of historical knowledge necessary for Georgia to orient itself in a globalizing world.