Description

The 1956 Georgian demonstrations, also known as the March 1956 events or the Tbilisi riots, were a series of protests against Nikita Khrushchev's de-Stalinization policy which took place in Tbilisi, capital of the Georgian SSR, Soviet Union, and other cities in the republic from 4 to 10 March 1956. The immediate trigger was the publication of Khrushchev's "Secret Speech" which criticized Joseph Stalin, the former Soviet leader born in Georgia. The demonstrations began as spontaneous gatherings to mark the third anniversary of Stalin's death but evolved into large-scale protests, primarily led by students, defending Stalin's legacy and expressing Georgian national pride.