"evropuli qartia saqarTvelo "European Charter for Regional or ...

language (national language) 234 . The same is being approved by modern
Kartvelology, historiography and ethnology 235
.
After gaining dominance in Georgia, the Russian Empire’s officials
attempted to promote the opinion according to which Georgia has
never been a unified country and different "ethnoses" within the Georgians
speak three-four different languages for more than 3000 years. For
instance, even today a famous specialist, Professor Yuri Koryakov of
Moscow State University tries to convince the whole world that the independent
ethnoses (EG) include the Megrels, the Lazes, the Georgians,
the Balians (the upper Svans) and lower Svans, as for the independent
languages, they include Megrelian, Laz, Georgian, upper Svan (Balian)
and lower Svan.
Modern information networks are mostly dominated by the Soviet
qualifications. For instance, according to the map of the Republic of
Georgia given on the website of the World’s virtual history, within the
Asian Studies Virtual Library, languages of other ethnic groups – ethnic
minorities – are represented as follows:
234 see: Kartlis Tskhovreba (“Life of Kartli"), Tbilisi, 1955; metropolitan Anania Japaridze,
History of Georgian Apostolic Church, vol. I-IV, Tbilisi, 1976-2003; metropolitan
Anania Japaridze: “our ancestors distinguished between a common literary language
and a local dialect” “Republic of Georgia”, February 3, 2007 (№ 5622); B. Diasamidze,
Christianity in Western Georgia, Batumi, 2001, etc.
235 For the review of the scientific literature see: T. Putkaradze, The Georgians, part I,
Pre-Christian Era, Kutaisi, 2005; T. Gvantseladze, The Question of Language and Dialect
in Kartvelology, Tbilisi, 2006; M. Nachqebia, Ethnolinguistic Terms of Georgia,
Tbilisi, 2006; R. Sherozia, On Some Issues of Kartvelian Literary Language and
“Sitkvis Kona” (“Bouquet of Words”) by Sulkhan-Saba, Kartvelian Heritage, XI, Kutaisi,
2007; M. Tabidze, Condition of a State Language as One of the Characteristics of
the State’s Strengths-Weaknesses, Scientific conference on Georgia and the World held
by the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia and Shota Rustaveli State University,
Batumi, November 14-15, 2008; R. Topchishvili, Problems of Ethnogenesis and
Ethic History of the Georgians, Tbilisi, 2008; R. Gujejiani, From the History of Mentality
of the Georgian Mountain Dwellers, Tbilisi, 2008, pp.191-197; T. Beradze, Major
Phases of Georgian Identity, Ethnological Collection, Tbilisi, 2008, pp. 3-9; R. Topchishvili,
K. Khutsishvili, R. Gujejiani, Theoretical Ethnology, Tbilisi, 2009; T. Beradze,
B. Khorava, Georgian Literary Language and Georgian Culture – Creative Result of All Ethnographic
Regions of Georgia, Kartvelian Heritage, Kutaisi, 2009, pp. 19-29.
See also, Materials of International Scientific Conference “Kutaisi Discussions XII” (the
symposium was dedicated to the arrival of disciples to Georgia and declaration of Christianity
as the official religion of the state) November 13-14, 2009.
200