When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, Georgia emerged as an independent country facing immediate economic collapse, territorial conflict, and institutional fragility. The promise of democracy and market reform was immediate, but the path forward was fraught with uncertainty. Georgia After the Collapse of the Soviet Union provides an emotionally detailed and data-driven account of the nation's first decades of independence. Tsisnami Sakvarlishvili, a journalist and survivor who personally led protests for democratic values, weaves her own journey of resilience into a rigorous analysis of Georgia's transformation. The book examines the leadership of post-Soviet presidents and the sweeping reforms that followed the 2003 Rose Revolution, detailing the shift from a centrally planned command economy to a liberalized market system. The narrative confronts the structural realities of rebuilding a nation under pressure caught between integration with Western institutions and systemic external pressure from Russia. Tracing the dramatic liberalization of taxation, anti-corruption campaigns, and institutional restructuring, Tsisnami honors the "quiet heroism" of the Georgian people who reshaped their country's economy. For scholars, policymakers, and readers alike, this work offers a comprehensive and balanced account of one nation's complex and ongoing path toward freedom after the fall of an empire.
