The Strategies on Cultural Heritage: Challenges and Discourses in Urban Environment (The Case of Georgia)
The Strategies on Cultural Heritage: Challenges and Discourses in Urban Environment (The Case of Georgia)

Summary/Abstract: The paper discusses the development of the attitudes towards the cultural heritage in Georgia and the challenges in contemporary urban areas. The problem of cultural heritage is a particularly sensitive issue for the comparatively small ethno-cultural groups like Georgia, which has an ancient culture and for a long period was under the domination of the Russian Empire and later, after a short period of independency in 1918-1921, became a part of the Soviet Union. During that time the maintenance of the national identity was highly oriented on the past,ethnographic elements and cultural heritage. The urban environment and contemporary economic developments put different tasks into the agenda of protecting the monuments of cultural heritage. The term itself goes under the process of reconsideration.The cases of Tbilisi and Batumi are used for displaying the contemporary problems. In modern Georgia, the issue of cultural heritage protection is oneof the most important issues. The Ministry of Culture of Georgia, the National Agency for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Georgia, various governmental and non-governmental structures, civil society groups, and educational institutions work in this field. The Georgian Law on Cultural Heritage regulates cultural heritage protection issues. Despite the fact that many activities directed to protect the cultural heritage were/are carried out in Georgia, the activities still need further elaboration. Culture is in a state of constant development, and constant changes along the way require new approaches.

• Details
• Contents