In recent years, Georgia has become increasingly visible in the United Kingdom. As a tour guide, I have noticed more and more British visitors coming to Georgia, especially after the restoration of direct flights from London Luton Airport to Tbilisi International Airport.
Before arriving, most travelers search for information about the country. Many already know about Georgian wine, traditional food, and the beautiful Caucasus Mountains. However, I believe that most British visitors are not aware of the fascinating story I am going to share in this blog—one that may be especially interesting for travelers eager to learn about the historical relationship between Britain and Georgia.
Before diving into the main topic, a brief introduction to Georgia’s history is necessary, as it provides essential context.
Georgia adopted Christianity in the 4th century, becoming one of the earliest Christian kingdoms in the world. From the 6th to the 8th centuries, Arab forces controlled parts of eastern Georgia. The 11th and 12th centuries are considered Georgia’s Golden Age, when the kingdom was strong and culturally flourishing.
In the 13th century, the Mongols invaded Georgia and ruled for about a century. Later, during the 16th–18th centuries, eastern Georgia was largely under Iranian influence, while the western part of the country was controlled by the Ottoman Empire.
In 1801, the Kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti was annexed by the Russian Empire, bringing eastern Georgia under Russian control. Eventually, the whole country became part of the empire until 1917.
After the collapse of the Russian Empire during the Russian Revolution, Georgia declared independence and established the Democratic Republic of Georgia. Initially, Germany acted as the guarantor of Georgia’s independence in 1918. However, after Germany’s defeat in World War I, the situation changed.
From December 1918 to July 1920, British troops were stationed in Georgia. Their main strategic interest was the oil of Baku, which could be transported to Europe through Batumi on the Black Sea coast. British generals and soldiers lived in Batumi and Tbilisi for about a year. Around 1,500 soldiers arrived in Batumi with two warships, with names “London” and “Liverpool.”
Sixty-eight of them died while serving in Georgia, and today there are British military cemeteries in both Batumi and Tbilisi. The contingent was multinational, including soldiers from Scotland, Wales, Ireland, and even India. The headquarters of the British military command was located in the building on Liberty Square where the Courtyard by Marriott Tbilisi now stands. While military commanders did not always have good relations with Georgian authorities or the local population, there was another side to the British presence.
Besides the military, an important diplomat, Oliver Wardrop, played a major role in Georgia. He served in the country from 1919 to 1921, but his first visit was much earlier, in 1887. After that journey, he wrote the book The Kingdom of Georgia, probably one of the first introductions of Georgia to the British public.
Wardrop fell deeply in love with Georgia and its culture. Together with his sister, Marjory Wardrop—friends from a conservative family in the SevenOaks district—he became a strong supporter of Georgian independence. Oliver Wardrop also played a key role in the United Kingdom recognizing Georgia as an independent state in 1920.
Unfortunately, in the same year the British army left Georgia, the country was occupied by the Soviet Red Army. Georgia remained part of the Soviet Union until it regained independence in 1991.
Marjory Wardrop also developed a profound interest in Georgia. Inspired by her brother’s letters, she learned the Georgian language and became the first person to translate several Georgian literary works into English, including the famous epic poem The Knight in the Panther’s Skin by Shota Rustaveli. She impressed Georgian intellectuals with her knowledge of the language at a time when literacy in Georgia was relatively low.
The house where Oliver Wardrop lived as British commissioner 1919-1921 , modern writers house Machabeli street
Marjory later visited Georgia in 1894, where her host was the renowned Georgian writer and public figure Ilia Chavchavadze. She was received with great honor. The house where Oliver Wardrop lived in Tbilisi still exists today, and there is also a monument dedicated to the Wardrop siblings in the city. Oliver loved Georgia so deeply that he gave his daughter the Georgian name Nino, after Saint Nino, the woman who brought Christianity to Georgia in the 4th century.
Of course, one small blog post is not enough to cover all the fascinating details of the British-Georgian historical connection—there is still much more to say. I will continue writing about it in future posts.If you ever travel to Georgia, you can join one of the special tour
Mukhran Guliashvili
