54th anniversary since March 9 tragedy09.03.10 12:0354 years have passed since March 1956 demonstrations, known as March 9 massacre. It was the tragedy in Soviet Georgia, a reaction to Nikita Khrushchev`s de-Stalinization policy, which shocked the younger Georgians raised on Stalinist ideology and wounded their national feelings. The epicenter of the protests was the republic`s capital, Tbilisi, where spontaneous rallies to mark the third anniversary of Stalin`s death and to protest Khrushchev`s denunciation of Stalin quickly evolved into an uncontrollable mass demonstration and rioting which paralyzed the city. Soon, political demands such as the change of the central government in Moscow and calls for the independence of Georgia from the Soviet Union appeared. The local Georgian authorities, confused and demoralized, passed on the responsibility to the Soviet military. Later on March 9, the troops deployed in the city opened fire upon the students picketing the government buildings in what the official Soviet version held was "an act of self-defense". The agitated crowds continued resistance on March 10, but were eventually dispersed by tanks. The number of casualties has been estimated from several dozens to several hundreds. Today, the relatives of the March 9 tragedy casualties went to the cemeteries to respect the memory of the Soviet regime victims. |
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