President of Poland ceremonially opened Marshal Józef Piłsudski avenue in Tbilisi

31-05-17 Promocja 0 comment

On May 29-31, President of Poland, Andrzej Duda made a diplomatic visit to Georgia. The visit was caused by the 25th anniversary of the establishment of Polish-Georgian diplomatic relations after Georgia regained its independence. During the visit, the President talked with Georgian leaders about Georgia`s proximity to the EU and NATO. Among the members of the Polish delegation was also Jan Malicki, director of the Centre for East European Studies of the University of Warsaw.

 

President Duda was a special guest at the opening ceremony of Marshal Józef Piłsudski`s avenue in Tbilisi. Together with the ceremony, a memory board has also been unveiled, highlighting the hundred years of friendship between Georgia and Poland. On the board is a quote from St. Grzegorz Peradze, a professor at the University of Warsaw, who died in the Auschwitz Concentration Camp, and who is a patron of the annual International Caucasus Session, organized by Centre for East European Studies. The ceremony was related to the 150th anniversary of Piłsudzki`s birth and commemorates the idea of the Intermarine, promoted by the Marshal Piłsudzki.

 

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President Andrzej Duda and his wife at the opening ceremony of the Marshal Józef Piłsudski Avenue in Tbilisi Photo: PAP / Paweł Supernak

 

President Duda, together with the President of Georgia, Giorgi Margwelaszwili took the honorary patronage of the Polish-Georgian Historians’ Committee, dedicated to Polish-Georgian relations and cooperation between 1917 and 1921. The project consists a series of scientific conferences, exhibitions and publications.

Director Jan Malicki, said that the reason for the establishment of commissions is the forthcoming anniversary of the centenary regaining independence of both countries, Poland and Georgia. As he said, the commission consists seven Polish and seven Georgian historians.

On May, 30, during the ceremony at the National Library of the Parliament of Georgia, President Duda gave to the Library`s collection the Polish translation of the „King David’s Penitential Canon”. This translation of medieval Georgian literature is intented to launch a Polish library department within the National Library of Georgia. Polish translation was made by dr Dawid Kolbaia, director of Caucasian Seminary at Centre for East European Studies, secretary of the St. Grzegorz Peradze`s International Caucasus Session and President of the Polish-Georgian Committee of Historians.

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Title page of „Penitent Canon of St. David IV „, translated by D. Kolbaia