10:49, 17 April 2019

Georgia: burial of victims of Stalinist repressions in Batumi postponed

Graves with remains of 150 citizens executed during repressions in 1937-1938, found in Batumi in Georgia (The Autonomous Republic of Adjara). Photo: Facebook of Batumi's Diocese https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1984889058472554&set=pcb.1984896091805184&type=3&theater

Residents of Batumi want to establish their relatives among the 150 victims of Stalinist repression, whose remains were found in common graves. In this regard, the burial of the remains, scheduled for April 21, was postponed indefinitely.

In April 2019, four graves with remains of citizens executed during repressions in 1937-1938 were found in Batumi. According to the Mufti of Georgia, Beglar Kamashidze, most of the casualties had been Muslims.

According to Mikheil Mikeladze, the press secretary of the Mufti of Adzharia, there is another place where victims of repressions could have been buried.

He has noted that almost every village in Adzharia has relatives of those who had been repressed; and descendants want to know how their ancestors died.

In total, in 1937-1938, according to the Diocese, 608 residents of Batumi were shot dead.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on April 17, 2019 at 05:08 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

Author: Beslan Kmuzov

Source: CK correspondent