Book presentation of ‘Reimagining Georgia: Images of Georgia Held by the Collective West, Georgian, and Russian Political Elites from 1991 to 2020’ by Dr. Natia Gamkrelidze

The book underscores the importance of studying the role of individual leaders’ agency and incorporating it as a level of analysis in international politics. The study’s findings suggest that both external and internal political elites have had somewhat divergent perceptions of Georgia over time. These contrasting images primarily surfaced after the Rose Revolution in 2003 and are integral to understanding Georgia’s complex geopolitical situation. For this research, Dr. Gamkrelidze conducted 102 interviews with political elites from the U.S., NATO, EU, Russia, and Georgia, yielding an exceptionally empirical-rich study. It serves as an excellent resource for anyone interested in Georgia, the Caucasus region, and Eastern Europe more broadly. The research has been financed by Linnaeus University, Sweden.