Vol. 17 (2024): Contemporary Issues of Literary Criticism Literatures of Small Countries and Challenges of the Modern Global World
World Literature and National Literatures

Literary and Political Strategy of French Writers Towards Georgia in the First Half of the 20th Century

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  • Rusudan Turnava,
  • Nino Gagoshashvili,
  • Tatia Oboladze
Rusudan Turnava
Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University; Shota Rustaveli Institute of Georgian Literature
Nino Gagoshashvili
Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University; Shota Rustaveli Institute of Georgian Literature
Tatia Oboladze
Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University; Shota Rustaveli Institute of Georgian Literature

Published 2024-12-20

Keywords

  • Georgian-French cultural relations,
  • Soviet propaganda,
  • French literary reflections,
  • Ideological conflict,
  • Early Soviet period

Abstract

This paper examines Georgian-French literary and cultural relations during the 1920s-1930s, focusing on the influence of the Union Society for Cultural Relations with Abroad (VOKS). Using archival sources, it explores how French writers, including André Gide, were invited to observe Soviet Georgia as part of a broader propaganda strategy. The study highlights ideological conflicts, reflecting both admiration for Georgian culture and skepticism toward Soviet politics. The works of Romain Rolland, Henri Barbusse,  and Gide illustrate the tension between initial enthusiasm for socialism and growing disillusionment with Soviet totalitarianism, shaping cultural exchanges and the literary narratives of the time.

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