November 548
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Arc of the 26 May was opened at the Public Service Hall of Tbilisi

How Georgian passport has been changing from the document of the First Democratic Republic in 1918 to the modern biometric passport, which allows the citizens of Georgia to travel to the European Union and Schengen zone countries without a visa.  

With regard to the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the First Democratic Republic presentation of the Arc of the 26 May was held in the Public Service Hall. The installation was opened by the Minister of Justice Thea Tsulukiani. The event was attended by the deputies of the Minister Mikheil Sarjveladze and Giorgi Pataridze, as well as, the director of the Public Service Hall Givi Azaurashvili, the supervisor of Public Service Development Agency Soso Giorgadze. The arc, which is raised at the entrance of the Public Service Hall, is a symbol of the path that Georgia went through throughout the past 100 years in order to return to Europe.   

The citizens that are going to receive modern biometric passports will have to go through the same path symbolically, which the country has gone through since 1918 until today. Information about every travel document is shown on the installation, which have been used by Georgian citizens since 1918 until today. 6 different travel documents that were active in different times are distinguished from one another and presents the transformation of Georgia as a country striving towards Europe.  The passport of the First Republic of Georgia is in Georgian, as well as, in French. The national emblem of Georgia is depicted onto its cover. During the period of Soviet occupation two different passports were functioning in different periods of time. Since 1954 so called ОФ serial passports were issued; and since 1 July 1975 they were replaced by passports with the symbol of Soviet Union, which was obligatory for everyone to have. The first passport of independent Georgia was ratified on 4 August 1994 and given away on 22 November of the same year. The symbol of Borjghali is depicted on its cover. On the 16th of April in 2005 32-page passport was ratified, on which Georgian national emblem is depicted.  Since the 13th of June in 2006 the citizens have been able to take 48-page passport, as well. The most protected travel document – modern passport – has been given away since 15 April 2010. From the year 2017 their owners are able to travel to the European Union and Schengen zone countries without a visa, which is possible after the reforms by the Georgian government and the Ministry of Justice.

After the presentation of the Arc of the 26 of May the visitors were able to view the exhibition dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the First Republic of Georgia.  The diverse material preserved at the National Archives of Ministry of Justice reflects important events such as: the restoration of independence, establishment of the government, the elections of the Constituent Assembly and acceptance of the first constitution.

The exhibition on the 100th anniversary of independence of Georgia “The First Republic of Georgia” will be presented in all Public Service Halls in Georgia throughout the year.

To this day exhibitions have opened in the Public Service Halls of Lagodekhi, Gurjaani, Kvareli and Gori.