On February 21, Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University (TSU) hosted a solemn event marking International Mother Language Day. Rector of TSU, Giorgi Sharvashidze; Deputy Minister of Education and Science, Alexander Tevzadze; Head of the Department of the Official Language, Giorgi Alibegashvili; Director of the Korneli Kekelidze National Center of Manuscripts, Zaza Abashidze, foreign diplomats and invited guests attended the event.
A joint exhibition was organized by the National Center of Manuscripts and the Tbilisi State University on the sidelines of the event. Historical materials stored in the archives as well as the documents kept in Giorgi Akhvlediani’s personal archives about teaching European and eastern languages, Sanskrit, as well as Ossetian and Abkhaz language programs were displayed.
Rector Giorgi Sharvashidze said that about 80 languages are taught at TSU with many of them representing ethnic minority languages. “Teaching of Abkhaz and Ossetian languages has a century-old history at TSU. The today’s exhibition displays the Order issued by the first Rector of TSU on setting up Abkhaz and Ossetian centers at the university. Actually, TSU was the center for teaching the Caucasian languages and it educated a lot of researchers and scientists who later made a huge contribution to the development of their nation,” Sharvashidze said.
“This day is very important in terms of intercultural dialogue. In the situation, when Georgia aspires towards closer relations with Europe, naturally, similar days are very important for us. Let me congratulate our compatriots, representatives of Georgian Diaspora who represent a link between their nation, language, culture and our country. Georgian language is the official language. It has always been a link between various cultures and languages and naturally, a century-old tradition that our nation has had will continue forever,” Head of the Department of the Official Language, Giorgi Alibegashvili said.
UNESCO announced February 21 as International Mother Language Day in 1999 to promote awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity and promote multilingualism. According to UNESCO, linguistic diversity is increasingly threatened as more and more languages disappear. One language disappears on average every two weeks, taking with it an entire cultural and intellectual heritage, it said.
“This day is very important for the world culture, because actually the day of identification of a nation is being marked. Language is the major achievement of this or that nation. It defines nation’s culture and we are glad that a lot of manuscripts created in various languages are presented at the National Center of Manuscripts,” Director of the Korneli Kekelidze National Center of Manuscripts, Zaza Abashidze said.
The event was organized by the Department of the Official Language, the Ministry of Education and Science, the Tbilisi State University and the National Center of Manuscripts.
International Mother Language Day is marked worldwide since February 2000. The day was first marked in Georgia in 2005.
