Eight years passed since the Battle of Shindisi
By Tea Mariamidze
Friday, August 12
Eight years have passed since the 2008 August War, and government members remembered the heroes of the Battle of Shindisi once again.
The President of Georgia, Giorgi Margvelashvili, Minister of Defence Levan Izoria, Minister of Reconciliation and Civil equality Ketevan Tsikhelashvili, Euro Integration Minister Davit Bakradze and other members of the government attended an event conducted in the village of Shindisi in the Gori region.
After laying wreaths on the Shindisi Heroes’ Memorial, a Georgian state flag was erected on the battlefield and the state anthem was performed. The locals of Shindisi village also attended the event and remembered the fallen heroes.
The President thanked the families of the deceased military servicemen and noted that these soldiers gave their lives in order to save the country.
"We, the citizens of Georgia, come here with gratitude, to honour the memory of those people who sacrificed their lives to protect us, and defend the capital and our homeland from a treacherous enemy,” Margvelashvili said.
According to the Defence Minister, Levan Izoria, the heroes of Shindisi surprised the enemy with their courage.
“This place is very tragic, but at the same time very glorious for every Georgian. The heroism of the soldiers even surprised the enemy. I bow before their souls and before their families,” Izoria said after putting wresths at the Memorial.
Moreover, the Defence Ministry organized a wrestling competition in Shindisi involving 50 soldiers from Georgia’s Armed Forces, which was dedicated to the memory of the fallen soldiers.
The Battle of Shindisi took place on 11 August 2008. A total of 17 Georgian soldiers were killed in action. After the war, the St. George Church and a memorial were built in Shindisi in honour of the fallen heroes. They are: Aleksandre Oniani, Emzar Tsilosani, Vepkhvia Jishkariani, Zviad Katsadze, Teimuraz Beridze, Ilia Gabunia, Ilia Sheklashvili, Irakli Janelidze, Kakha Koshadze, Levan Melkadze, Marlen Baramia, Mikheil Dvalishvili, Nikoloz Porchkhidze, Roman Zoidze, Ruslan Tsuladze, Feliks Kakauridze and Shmagi Kupatadze.
