31 Years Since April 9 Tragedy
The April 9 Tragedy, which is also known as Tbilisi massacre or Tbilisi tragedy, refers to the events when an anti-Soviet demonstration was dispersed by the Soviet Army, resulting in 21 deaths and hundreds of injuries.
The protests reached their peak on April 4, 1989, when tens of thousands of Georgians gathered before the House of Government on Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi. The protesters, led by the Independence Committee (Merab Kostava, Zviad Gamsakhurdia, Giorgi Chanturia, Irakli Bathiashvili, Irakli Tsereteli, and others) organized a peaceful demonstration and hunger strikes, demanding the punishment of Abkhaz secessionists and restoration of Georgian independence.
Local Soviet authorities lost control over the situation in the capital and were unable to contain the protests. First Secretary of the Georgian Communist Party Jumber Patiashvili asked USSR leadership to send troops to restore order and impose curfew.
On April 9, at 3:45 a.m., Soviet APCs and troops under General Igor Rodionov surrounded the demonstration area. Later, Rodionov claimed in his interview that groups of Georgian militants attacked unarmed soldiers with stones, metal chains, and rods. The Soviet troops received an order from General Rodionov to disband and clear the avenue of demonstrators by any means necessary.
Those, who sacrificed their lives for the freedom of the country are listed below (many of them are women and under 30):
Aza Adamia, 22
Natia Bashaleishvili, 16,
Eka Bezhanishvili, 15
Nato Giorgadze, 23
Tamuna Dolidze, 28
Tina Enukidze, 70
Nino Toidze, 25
Zaira Kikvidze, 61
Manana Loladze, 33
Tamar Mamulishvili, 50
Venera Metreveli
Mamuka Nozadze, 22
Nana Samarguliani, 31
Marina Chkonia-Samarguliani, 31
Eliso Chipashvili, 25
Tamar Chovelidze, 16
Nodar Jangirashvili, 40
Mzia Jincharadze, 43
Manana Melkadze, 23
Gia Karseladze, 25
On April 9, 1991, the second anniversary of the tragedy, the Supreme Council of Georgia declared Georgian sovereignty and independence from the Soviet Union based on the results of a nationwide referendum.
A memorial to the victims of the tragedy was opened at the location of the crackdown on Rustaveli Avenue on November 23, 2004.