27 January Commemoration in Georgia

On 27 January, two events were organized for International Holocaust Memorial Day in Tbilisi, Georgia. An official remembrance ceremony was held from 11am- 12pm and the film "Hotel Miena" was also screened.

The official remembrance ceremony was organized by the Public Defender's Office, the International Foundation "LEA" and the Council of Jewish women in Georgia. At the Opening of the event, Public Defender of Georgia, Ucha Nanuashvili, asked guests to pay respect to the victims of the Holocaust with a minute's silence. Speakers included the Head of the International Foundation “LEA” Ms.Marine Solomonishvili, EU Ambassador Janos Herman, UNDP Resident Representative Niels Scott, Israeli Ambassador Yuval Fuchs, Polish Ambassador Andrzej Cieszkowski and US Ambassador Ian Crawford Kelly as well as Kakha Kozhoridze, Advisor to the President of Georgia, who read a statement from the President: "Hatred of others, unconditional and absolute belief in self superiority led us to the Holocaust. We should never fail to be attentive towards even the slightest expression of evil, oppression, deprivation of liberty, and we should immediately resist with love, mutual respect and support. Today we can best pay honor to the memory of the Holocaust heroes by building the kind of future where our children, our future generations, will live in an environment of peace, prosperity and development, in a world in which the Holocaust is impossible”.

An exhibition of Holocaust photos was also presented at the event by the Israeli Embassy to Georgia as well as the exhibition "Jews and the Holocaust", consisting of art work by Marine Solomonishvili.

The screening of the movie "Hotel Meina" by Carlo Lizzani was held follow the official ceremony.  The event was opened by H.E. Mr. Antonio Enrico Bartoli, Ambassador of Italy,  and Ms.Marine Solomonishvili, President of the International Foundation "LEA. Young people and representatives of different public schools were in attendance.