On May 26 President Mikheil Saakashvili attended an opening of the Museum of Soviet Occupation exhibiting documents testifying repression of Soviet regime and chronicling the fate of thousands of Georgians who became victims of the regime. At the ceremony President Saakashvili said that opening of this museum was a bit belated whereas symbolic, since its opening coincided with the Independence Day of Georgia. President Saakashvili recalled the years of Georgia's occupation and draw historic parallels between the past and the present. He also said that this museum is dedicated to the Georgian heroes - Kakutsa Cholokashvili and many others like him. According to President Saakashvili the museum depicts the life of every Georgian family and is dedicated to each family. 
"During 1918-21 Georgia could not become a state however, its leaders knew very well the threats the country was facing. Today we have managed to achieve the main thing - we have evaded lots of obstacles and we have become a state. This means that no one will ever kneel Georgia as in1921. Everything is ready today - "Orjonikidze", a whole group of people like him and the army; an all-out campaign of defamation, blackmailing and pressure is being used against Georgia, but they could not foresee one thing - today's Georgia is absolutely different from the one it was in 1921.We are not going to give up independence and freedom even for a second. [. . . ] This museum vividly shows that the main thing which should never happen again is to see disgraced and defeated Georgians. These people, who had been destroyed, were the best part of the Georgian society, but it was all in vain. Their desperate effort contributed to the creation of today's Georgia!," President Saakashvili said.

Communications Office
of the President of Georgia