Vol. 18 (2025): International Conference Emigration and Literary Discourse
The Literary Heritage of Georgian Emigrants of the 1920s-30s

Georgian Women in Emigration: (The Gambashidzes)

  • Tamar Tsitsishvili,
  • Nino Gambashidze
Tamar Tsitsishvili
Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University; Shota Rustaveli Institute of Georgian Literature,
Nino Gambashidze
Vano Sarajishvili Tbilisi State Conservatoire; Association of Analytical Psychology
DOI: https://doi.org/10.62119/cils.18.2025.10944

Published 2026-02-19

Keywords

  • France,
  • Emigration,
  • Medea Ghambashidze,
  • Sunana Ghambashidze,
  • Georgetta Ghambashidze

Abstract

As a result of Georgia’s occupation by Bolshevik Russia, part of the population was forced into exile, including the family of the prominent Georgian doctor and public figure Vakhtang Gambashidze (1872–1951). While Gambashidze has been widely studied, this work focuses on the women of his family–his wife Wanda Hope and daughters Medea, Georgetta, and Sunana – their experiences of homeland, emigration, and life abroad. Through their story, the study explores the socio-emotional condition of the first wave of Georgian émigrés in France, issues of identity, and sustained ties with Georgia, drawing on previously unpublished family archival materials.