In the spring of 2018 the Georgian government officially recognised the “26 centuries of Georgian-Jewish friendship” as an intangible cultural heritage of the country. Yet, the story of Georgian Jews still leaves many questions and further research is required.

"When I went to Tbilisi, I went to the synagogue one evening… it was packed. Tbilisi is the capital of Georgia, from which there's a major movement." Marshall Weinberg's Report on his trip to the USSR to the JDC Administration Committee, October 25th 1972.

The movement which is mentioned in the 1972 report refers to the movement of Georgian Jews outside the Soviet Union, mostly to Israel. “Every single Jew we met, there were 80 or 90, was talking about Israel, Israel, Israel,” Weinberg wrote. As soon as the Soviet Union lifted the ban on Jewish emigration in the 1970s, thousands of Georgian Jews moved to Israel.

Interview with Nugzar Kokhreidze, head of the Georgian NGO Dialogue of generations (RICDOG). Interviewer: Yulia Oreshina.

The memory of Staro Sajmiste, the former Nazi concentration camp in Belgrade, will depend on how well Serbia’s discourse on the Holocaust continues to develop. Today, the Holocaust memory serves as a tool for highlighting both Serbia’s belonging to the European memory culture and the country’s narrative of Serbian victimhood.

The tower of the old Belgrade fairground, a former Nazi concentration camp, ominously peers down at the city. It is hard to miss, whether from the road connecting the airport with the Serbian capital or while wandering around the Belgrade fortress hill. Its characteristic spot right across the river can be well seen from the extravagant waterfront as the tower stands near the Hyatt Regency Hotel. It is an integral part of the city’s landscape.

In spite of the site’s proximity to the city centre, and its visibility, Staro Sajmiste is still a neglected and somewhat isolated area. Turning from the main road to Sajmiste Street feels like entering another world – trespassing the border and violating the privacy of the space. It can take some time to discover any sign of the site’s former purpose; especially since it has transformed into a residential area with a children’s playground and laundry hanging near to what was once a prison. Thus, while it has been officially recognised as a Holocaust memory site, Staro Sajmiste remains largely forgotten, in plain sight.

A review of Hostages. A film written and directed by Rezo Gigineishvili, Georgian-Russian-Polish co-production, 2017.