The Life That I Lived in Communist Georgia

NUGZAR "NICK" ZHORZHOLIANI was born and raised in the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic, a part of the USSR until its dissolution in December 1991, when Georgia became an independent nation. Throughout his youth, the KGB tried to recruit him, starting in 1977 when he was seventeen years old.

Nick's private teacher, for instance, an undercover KGB agent provocateur, indoctrinated and possibly brainwashed him, trying to convince him to commit high-risk criminal acts to further the KGB's aims. Fortunately, due to timely interventions, Nick did not commit any major crimes. But the damage was done, and the cumulative effects on Nick were immense and enduring.

In this deeply personal memoir presented as a collection of short stories, Nick shares a firsthand account of the struggles of everyday life under the iron fist of the Soviet regime. The glimpses into the workings of a Communist society are particularly fascinating. Elements of Georgia's rich cultural heritage are woven into his stories, like strands of gold, offering balance and warmth to Nick's experiences.

Driven by a desperate need to escape a life of oppression in Soviet Georgia, Nick overcomes obstacles of every description to eventually settle in New Zealand in 1996.

The Life That I Lived in Communist Georgia is a poignant journey through a bygone era, providing a rare and insightful view into a world of secrecy, control, and resilience.