Contested names: (re)naming of places and nation-building in Soviet Georgia

Abstract

This study examines the renaming of settlements in Soviet Georgia. The goal of the research is to determine the extent to which toponym change was employed as a strategy to build the Soviet Georgian nation. Since toponyms are not chosen at random by political authorities, studying toponyms can reveal a lot about the attitudes, perceptions, and ideologies of those in positions of political authority. The article's focus is on the events that caused toponyms to change rather than the examination of toponyms from a linguistic perspective. The toponym is viewed as a performative act in this article rather than an inscription. Having stated that, the study first seeks to understand the nature of national spaces created in Soviet Georgia before examining the situation of the country's ethno-political system.