Akaki Bakradze

The Tergdaleulebi did not seek to shape Georgian life and freedom with borrowed ideas. Instead, they aimed to study deeply the history, character, customs, and temperament of the Georgian people and to build the future on the foundation of that understanding.

— Akaki Bakradze, Niko Nikoladze

European culture nurtured the ideal of personal and national freedom among the conquered peoples of Africa and Asia—it awakened them. Russian culture, on the other hand, offered no such ideal. It produced instead new forms of enslavement, of both the individual and the nation, and found a new path to Russification, under the banner of socialism.

— Akaki Bakradze, The Taming of Literature

“What our ancestors did, we must do the same”—that is a philosophy of Chinese culture. If we follow that, we too will become like the Chinese: stagnant in one place, unable to move forward. If we truly want progress and victory, we must not shy away from naming our flaws. We must speak the truth and call out whatever is false and unworthy. How can we improve ourselves if we do not know where our shortcomings lie?

— Akaki Bakradze, Ilia Chavchavadze

Emotional patriotism has fulfilled its critical role for the country, it awakened and stirred the Georgian people, gave them hope and purpose. But it is now rational patriotism that must carry our nation toward the goals we have set for our future.

— Akaki Bakradze, Year 1989