Georgian Museum Staff Dismissals Spark Unionization Amid Political Allegations

Forty employees from the Georgian National Museum were fired last week, joining a newly formed union to challenge what they describe as politically motivated sackings by culture minister Thea Tsulukiani. Senior curator Maia Pataridze reported no reason given for her dismissal, but new management appointed by Tsulukiani referenced her critical social media posts against the government. Pataridze and others underwent performance reviews conducted by government-aligned officials rather than field experts. Union leader Nikoloz Tsikaridze stated that Tsulukiani-appointed management rejects critical views on museum policy and politics. Last year, Ekaterine Kiknadze, a manager at Tbilisi's Museum of Fine Arts, was sacked after director Nika Akhalbedashvili confronted her over social media criticism of a refurbishment plan, where she raised safety concerns for the historic collection. The crackdown extends beyond museums; in March, Gaga Chkheidze was dismissed as director of the Georgian National Film Centre over allegations of fund misuse and nepotism, which he denies, planning to sue and citing arguments with Tsulukiani. This week, Tsulukiani welcomed the sentencing of Nika Gvaramia, founder of Mtavari Arkhi television, to three and a half years in prison for abuse of power and embezzlement, charges his supporters call politically motivated. The union, the Union of Science, Education and Culture Workers of Georgia, aims to combat these actions under the ruling Georgian Dream party.