National history in the mirror of literature: on the 240th anniversary of the treaty of Georgievsk

The study is intended to determine the views of the iconic Georgian political and cultural figures of the 18th-19th centuries on the assessment of the reasons for the conclusion of the Treaty of Georgievsk and its results through their literary heritage. The work is based on the literary works of Georgian authors (David Guramishvili, Grigol Orbeliani, Nikoloz Baratashvili, Ilya Chavchavadze and Akaki Tsereteli) translated into Russian and the results of research by Russian and Georgian historians and literary critics. The methodological basis of the study was mainly the cultural-historical method, which contributes to the perception, analysis and evaluation of literary works in terms of their correspondence to the facts and events that took place in the 18th-19th centuries in Georgia. The biographical method was used to determine the links between literary texts and the realities of Georgian poets’ life. Literary texts were analyzed using the corpus of literary methods. In the course of the study, the main historical events concerning the relations between Russia and Georgia in the period under study were identified, certain aspects of the biographies of Georgian poets that influenced their creative heritage were considered; significant literary works expressing the opinions of contemporaries, their reflection on the political, economic, social and cultural changes that took place in Georgia after the conclusion of the Treaty of Georgievsk were analyzed. The studied works characterize the level of education and social status of their authors, as well as their ability to observe the history of their homeland and participate in it. The authors of the article draw attention to the directness and clarity of expression of the convictions of Georgian writers, who were at the same time public figures. In their works, they pointed out that the choice made by King Heraclius II at the conclusion of the Treaty of Georgievsk was one of the forms of struggle for national unity and the preservation of the people in the face of a threat to the existence of the country. The authors conclude that the Treaty of Georgievsk and the consequences of its signing for Georgia were positively assessed by the classics of Georgian literature, exponents of the Georgian national spirit. Their assessment of the historical events connected with the interethnic relations of the two states seems to be quite objective. The authors emphasize that the literary heritage of the great Georgian political and cultural figures helps to understand the complex realities of our time.