MOSCOW GEORGIANS CHANGE THEIR NAMES TO RUSSIAN ONES

Armenpress
Oct 24 2006

MOSCOW, OCTOBER 24, ARMENPRESS: Ethnic Georgians who have lived
in Russia’s capital city Moscow for decades are turning in mass to
registrars in a bid to change their Georgian first and second names
to Slavonic ones.

According to Ekho Moskvy radio station, every second registrar in
Moscow has received applications from Georgians wanting to change
their names. For example, a Georgian surname Gedechkori was changed
to the Russian Govorov, Turashvili to Turakov. This is not the whole
list of transformed surnames, but this ‘privilege’ is granted only
to Georgians living in Moscow, according to the Russian radio.

The renegade drive was strictly condemned by the Union of Georgian
Organizations of Moscow. "The hysteria will pass but the disgrace will
remain," a source in the Union was quoted by Ekho Moskvy as saying.