Eurasianet

Georgian cinema has been enjoying a renaissance, becoming a darling of the international independent film world. But it’s also running into political problems at home.

The Ministry of Culture issued a new statement responding to international criticism of an earlier announcement that it intended to “remove” Armenian “forgeries” from churches on its territory.

The minister of culture said that a working group will be set up to identify what he called “Armenian forgery” from churches, putting into practice a pseudoscientific theory that denies the churches’ Armenian origin.

The unfinished structure was the result of a brief period of direct Roman control over Armenia in the second century CE.

Geneticists say the popular vegetable was first domesticated in the region.

To renovate or destroy? The Culture Ministry is dragging a dispute about Georgia’s heritage into the country’s muddy politics.

When Koma Wetan was formed, singing in Kurdish was illegal in Turkey. Now, the group is a legendary influence among Turkish Kurdish rockers..

Azerbaijanis, the largest ethnic minority in Georgia, say that Tbilisi neglects their culture while Baku tries to co-opt it. Now they are claiming it for themselves.

Fears are growing in particular for Armenian monuments being handed over.

The conspiracy involved many players from around the former Soviet Union who have previous records of match fixing.

This year, Azerbaijan embraces both the Orient and bisexuality, while Georgia complains about the West.

Former Soviet states are coming together to mourn the death of Gia Kancheli, who personified a positive memory from their shared past.

The Georgian capital has become a stage set for a Hollywood action flick; some joke that the name of the film franchise is just driving as usual in the city.

The new government has embraced the New York show while underplaying the role played by its political enemies.

The women said they entered the contest to try to show Georgians more about their region, which in recent years has been stereotyped as a hotbed of Islamist radicalism.