On January 12, Poland's Ambassador to Georgia, Mariusz Maszkiewicz, revealed that the Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs sought to reprimand him after he advocated for the museum's closure dedicated to Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin in Gori.

Responding to a question in a video podcast by SOVA News about whether he was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maszkiewicz acknowledged receiving unofficial remarks but chose not to disclose the details. 

Maszkiewicz elaborated on the significance of the issue, emphasizing that Georgian officers who served in the Polish army were among those killed in the Katyn massacre. He stressed that this matter is beyond religious sentiments or emotions, presenting it as an objective truth that should be acknowledged as a diagnosis of a larger problem.

Notably, the incident in question occurred during a Rondeli Foundation conference on Russia's invasion of Ukraine in March 2022. At the conference, Maszkiewicz urged the Georgian government to consider making a symbolic gesture by closing the Stalin Museum in Gori. He empathized with the challenges faced by Georgia, acknowledging its small size, formidable neighbor, economic difficulties, and the delicate political situation vis-à-vis Russia. The ambassador's proposal aimed to address these complexities by taking a symbolic stand against the glorification of Stalin through the museum's closure.

On January 13, the Conservative Movement/Alf-info, known for its pro-Russian and anti-liberal stance, mobilized its supporters near the Parliament building to protest the perceived "defacement" of the icon depicting Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin. The party leaders refused to forgive what they considered an insult to the icon of St. Matrona and called for appropriate punishment for those they deemed responsible.

Konstantine Morgoshia, one of the founders of "Alt-Info," stated, "If we don't protest against this fact and don't have healthy and targeted correct protests, this will be the impetus for the same events to happen as what happened in Ukraine." Morgoshia urged the healthy segments of Georgian society to stand firm and prevent the recurrence of such incidents.

During the rally, participants urged the government to urgently enact legislation making such acts punishable by imprisonment rather than fines. They also demanded that activist Nata Peradze, who had thrown blue paint over the Stalin icon in Tbilisi's Holy Trinity Cathedral on December 9, be tried under a legal provision resulting in imprisonment.

Irma Inashvili, leader of the pro-Russian Patriots Alliance party, which had donated the icon to the cathedral, joined the protest. Carrying crosses, rally organizers and participants submitted a petition to the local police department, calling for initiating a criminal case against Nata Peradze and requesting the re-qualification of charges.

Following their demonstration near the Parliament, the participants engaged in a procession to the Patriarchate to express, as they described it, the people's love for the Most Holy and Blessed. The culmination of the procession was at the Sameba (Trinity) Cathedral, where the icon of St. Matrona and Joseph Stalin is displayed. There, leaders of the Conservative Movement, rally participants, and clergy gathered to pray before the icon of St. Matrona.

Read more: Controversial Icon Triggers Debate in Georgia Over Russian Influence