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National Integration in Soviet GeorgiaAuthor(s): J. W. R. ParsonsSource:
Soviet Studies,
Vol. 34, No. 4 (Oct., 1982), pp. 547-569Published by: Taylor & Francis, Ltd.Stable URL:
http://www.jstor.org/stable/151907
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SOVIETSTUDIES,vol.XXXIV,no.4,October1982,pp.547-569
NATIONALINTEGRATIONIN SOVIETGEORGIAByJ. W. R. PARSONS
DESPITE
some differences about howthefinal end should beachieved andat whatdate,the Sovietleadershiphasalwayscommitteditself to theultimatemergingoftheconstituentpartsof theUSSRandtothe erosionof allhistorical,traditional,legalandlinguisticbarriersthatmightimpedetheprogressiontowards thatend.Nevertheless,almostsixty yearsafter theestablishmentoftheUSSR,national boundariespersist,anddespiteallofficial rhetoric tothecontrary,nationalself-awareness,inmanyoftherepublics,is asstrong,if notstronger,than atanytimesincetherevolution.ISince Khrushchev's claim to the XXIIPartyCongressin1961 that thenationalquestionhad beensolved,that national differences weresubsiding,andthatunder therapidly approaching periodofmaturecommunism,themerger,orsliyanieof the Sovietnationalities would becomplete,therehasbeen areappraisalof thenationalquestion.2Thetermsliyaniehas beendroppedfrom officialpronouncementsand the1977Sovietconstitution,whileproclaimingtheemergenceof a'newhistoricalcommunityofpeople,theSovietpeople',3doesnotdo so totheexclusion of thenationalities.Itis now maintained that theexistenceof acommon Sovietidentityand of Sovietpatriotismdo notprecludethepossibilityof continuednational differencesand nationalsentiment.4Thusshortlybefore theratificationofthe newconstitutionBrezhnevdeclared:TheSovietpeople'ssocialandpoliticalunitydoesnotintheleastimplythe
disappearanceof national distinctions . ..
However,inthe samespeechhenoted that there had beenproposalsto introducento the constitutionheconceptof oneSovietnation,oabolishheunionand autonomousepublics,r tolimitdrasticallyhesovereigntyfunionrepublics y deprivinghem oftherightof secession romtheUSSRandof therighttoenterntoforeignrelations.Theproposaloliquidatehe CouncilofNationalitiesnd toestablishone-houseSupremeovietwouldhavemovedn
thesame direction.6
Despitetheirrejectionandtheacceptanceofcontinuingnationaldistinc-
 
NATIONALINTEGRATIONtions,thedifference between Brezhnevand his more assimilationistcolleaguesremains oneofdegreerather thanofkind.Bothseektheultimatemergingof the Sovietpeoples,but whereas Brezhnevappearstoholdto theconviction that theprocessof thedrawingtogether,flourishingand eventualmergingtogetherof nations is anobjectiveonethatcanneither bespeededupnorretarded, others,perhapsfearfulof thegrowingweightof non-Russianpeoplesand,inparticular,CentralAsians inthetotalpopulation,areanxioustospeedtheprocessof assimilationbyadoptingadministrativemeasures of the kind describedabove.Itis nowsixty yearssinceGeorgianindependencewas terminatedbytheRedArmyandtenyearssince EduardShevardnadzereplacedV.P.Mzhavanadze astherepublic'sfirstpartysecretary.In that timeSovietpolicyhasgivenactiveencouragementto the rastsvetorflourishingofGeorgianculture(asofthatof the othernationalities),inthe beliefthatbyprovidingforboththe socio-economicdevelopmentoftherepublicsandforpoliticalandculturalequality,attachmentto national differenceswould,byitself,subside.Despitecontinuingcommitmentto thedrawingtogetherof thenationalities,however,the successofSovietpolicyindisplacingtheGeorgiannationas the focusofitspeople's loyaltiesandinreplacingthenationwith thestate remainsindoubt.In this article we shallconsiderthesegeneralquestionsfurtherbylookinginturn at socio-economicdevelopment,languageandpoliticalrepresentation,andpoliticaland culturallifeincontemporarySovietGeorgia.Socio-EconomicDevelopmentandAssimilationIfoneadoptstheSovietapproachto theproblemofnationalities,onewouldpresumablyanticipatethatassocio-economicconditionsevenedoutacrossthecountryand as nationalprivilegewasremoved,sowouldnational differences show atendencytodisappear.An examination of theevidence, however,producesmixedresults.It is clearthatRussia,ortheRSFSR,hasbecomeurbanized faster thananyof the other ethno-territories,and as the Americanpolitical geographer,R.Clem,haspointedout,intheUSSR,thelevelof urbanisations agoodsurrogateor economicdevelopmentecausein theUSSRhistoricallyhe level andrateof urbanisation re linkedboth con-ceptuallyndempiricallyo industrialisation.7One doesnot have to resortto accusationsof deliberateRussificationtofindexplanationsastowhythis shouldbe thecase.Theurgeforrapidindustrialgrowth,forinstance,inducedSovietplannerstoinvestinareaswheretheycouldexpecttogetthegreatestimmediate returns on theirinvestments,andthis ledthem to favour areas whereindustrialplant,skilledmanpowerand resourceswerealreadyavailable.Althoughitis548
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