The Duran Podcast Pushing Georgia into a postmodernist European Union
Aug 17, 2025
Levan Gigneshvili, a lecturer at Ilia State University, dives into the rich interplay of Georgian culture and geopolitics. He discusses the profound influence of national and religious identity in Georgia, shaped by historical figures like Saint Nino. The conversation navigates Georgia's quest for a European identity, grappling with the integration of Enlightenment ideals and local traditions. Gigneshvili also highlights the challenges posed by external pressures from the EU and the nation's resistance to these influences in shaping its cultural aspirations.
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Culture As National Backbone
- Georgian culture and Christianity form a core national identity that Georgians often say they'd defend strongly.
- Levan explains this identity grew from early Christianization and deep medieval literary and monastic traditions.
Enlightenment Without Secularization
- Georgian intellectuals synthesized European Enlightenment ideas with deep Christian faith rather than rejecting religion.
- Levan notes 19th-century nation-builders read Kant and Hegel while remaining devout Christians and saints in Georgian memory.
Different Europes Perceived
- Georgians conceive Europe as the classical Enlightenment culture, not the contemporary postmodern EU.
- Levan warns Georgians haven't fully reckoned with postmodern European shifts that conflict with traditional values.