Last modified: 2013-12-08 by ivan sache
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![[Georgia, 1918]](../images/g/ge-1918.gif)
Flag of the First Republic of Georgia (1918-1921) - Image by Ivan Sache, 29 November 1998
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According to Trembicky's monograph Flags of Non-Russian Peoples under Soviet Rule published as the Flag Bulletin [tfb], #8 (3) in summer 1969, the flag of Georgia was the same as the flag used in 1990-2004 except for having dimensions 1:2 instead of the modern 3:5 and having a slightly larger canton. Trembicky states that it was flown as the flag of the constituent republic of the Transcaucasian Federation 22 April 1918 when the Federation was formed, and as the flag of independent Georgia from 26 May 1918 until the Red Army finally completed the conquest of Georgia 18 March 1921.
Norman Martin, 24 November 1998
The Georgian flag was designed by Jakob Nikoladze who won a
contest, and was accepted by the Georgian de facto authorities
on 25 March 1917.
On 22 May 1918, Georgia proclaimed independence under the flag
created in 1917 but only de facto because the flag laws were
not changed and the former Transcaucasian Federation flags were still
officially in use. The national flag was officially adopted only on
22 April 1921 and the former Federal flag was officially abolished.
Jaume Ollé, 29 November 1998
![[Georgia 1918 variant]](../images/g/ge-1918v.gif)
A reported variant of the flag of the First Republic of Georgia - Image by Ivan Sache, 29 November 1998
Some variations of the Georgian flag were reported for the period 1918-1921. One of them is a horizontal black-white-red (1:1:2) flag.
Jaume Ollé, 29 November 1998
The shatandart of the First Republic is kept in the First Republic Hall of the Parliament fo Georgia (photo).
The State Council of Heraldry of Georgia, 4 September 2012
The word shtandart (U+0448 U+0442 U+0430 U+043D U+0434 U+0430 U+0440 U+0442) is the Russian form of the word standard, and is used in vexillology in exactly the same way. Perhaps that is the word which
was meant to be used, but got misspelled somehow?
If one might wonder why they would use a Russian word, one shall bear
in mind that Russian was the "language of inter-ethnic communication",
as it was officially called, in the USSR and that only the younger
generations of Georgians did not use it as such. Consequently, it
seems quite possible that, if there was any uncertainty about the
correct English word to use, a Russian word was used instead, in hope
that it would be recognized by foreigners.
Tomislav Todorović, 12 September 2012
Georgian has also borrowed the word from Russian, ending up slightly different. Whatever the etymology, the word shtandarto (შტანდარტი) appears in Georgian Wikipedia referring to various flaggy things including vexillums and presidential standards.
Jonathan Dixon, 12 September 2012
Leuville-sur-Orge (3,700 inhabitants) is a small town located c. 25 km of Paris, France. Leuwille is more famous in Georgia than in France, because the Georgian government in exile settled there in 1921. The "castle" of Leuville has been for generations of Georgians the symbol of resistance and aspiration to freedom.
In 1921, the Red Army invaded Georgia, three years after the proclamation of the independence of the state. The Parliament gathered in Batumi and voted the exile of the Government, which was granted political asylum by France. On 18 March 1921, President Noe Jordania, the members of the Government, a few Representatives and their families went aboard the ship Ernest Renan and sailed to Paris, where they founded the Georgian Association in France.
The emigrates went quickly short of money and looked for a cheaper
place. Using Georgian state funds, they bought in Leuville a 5-ha
domain surrounding a "castle", indeed a hunting lodge. Some thirty
Georgian emigrates lived in the fifteen flats of the castle and shared
the lounge.
The life in Neuville was difficult; there was neither water nor
electricity supply and money quickly vanished, as well as any hope of
return to the homeland. The President and the members of the Government
had to grow vegetables in the garden. They produced local vegetables
but also Georgian red beans and Russian pickles, which were also
produced by the local growers and jointly sold on the markets in Paris.
The Government in exile established its official residence in Leuville
and maintained close contacts with the anti-Soviet resistance in
Georgia. The 1924 national insurrection was organized from Leuville. It
failed after the execution of its local leader Benia Tchkhikvichvili,
the former Mayor of Tbilisi and formal owner of the castle of Leuville.
On 10 February 1927, the three main Georgian political parties in exile
constituted the real estate company The Georgian Home and purchased the
castle. The notarial deed states that the estate, bought with Georgian
state funds, should be retroceded to Georgia as soon as the country
recovers its independence.
The survivors from the 1924 insurrection fled to France; most of them
settled in Sochaux-Audincourt (east of France) and Paris; Lieuville was
their meeting place.
In the 1960s, there were still some thirty Georgians living in the
castle and another ten of them living in the village of Neuville. The
community kept relationships with Georgia; a print was set up in the
castle and Georgian newspapers were published.
After the death of the founders of the real estate company, the
Association for the Georgian Home was founded. Today, the castle is
inhabited only in summertime. The Association organizes workshops,
visits and celebrations. It also takes care of the tombs located in the
"Georgian square", a part of the municipal cemetary of Leuville that
was offered to the Georgian community. The Roman Catholic church of
Leuville is also officially lent to the Georgian Orthodox Church for weddings and funerals; it houses an icon of St. Nino, the patron saint
of Georgia.
On 26 May 2001, the National Day of Georgia, the municipality of
Leuvillle twinned with the Georgian municipality of Mtskheta.
The lounge of the castle of Leuville shows a few souvenirs from the Georgian government in exile, including photographies and the original independance act of the country, shown today flanked by the two national flags of Georgia (1918-1921 & 1990-2004; 2004-).
Source: A paper by Eva Csergo, 27 December 2004 (Caucaz agency)
Ivan Sache, 15 February 2005
