Traumatic Memory of the 1951 Deportation in Ajara

Abstract

The article examines Soviet repressions in Ajara in the 1950s, specifically the deportation of 1951, which represents one of the significant yet relatively understudied episodes of Soviet repressive policy.

The aim of the study is to analyze the experience of deportation not only at the level of historical facts, but also from the perspective of traumatic memory.

The study is based on the analysis of both archival documents and oral histories recorded within the framework of the research project “Memory Excluded from the Official Narrative: Repressions of 1951-1952 in Ajara.”

The analysis of oral histories demonstrates that the experience of deportation is constructed within collective and family memory through specific narrative structures. The research identifies the main narrative models through which individuals and families represent, interpret, and transmit traumatic experiences across generations.

The study confirms that the 1951 deportation should be understood not only as an act of political repression, but also as a social and cultural trauma that has had a significant impact on the historical consciousness and collective identity of the society of Ajara.