The key facts

  • The Tbilisi book bar a.uditoria cancelled Drobyshevsky's planned lectures
  • The organizers linked the decision to the scientist's earlier statements about the history of Georgia and Tbilisi
  • Drobyshevsky himself learned of the cancellation from journalists and offered to give lectures for Georgians in Russia

Cancellation of lectures in Tbilisi

The a.uditoria book bar in Tbilisi has cancelled the planned lectures by paleoanthropologist Stanislav Drobyshevsky. The organizers called the cancellation their own initiative and explained it as a reaction to the scientist's earlier statements about the history of Georgia and Tbilisi: in their assessment, those comments were 'superficial and demonstrated disrespect for the country's historical and cultural heritage.' At the same time, the venue emphasized that the content of these statements had nothing to do with the scientific program of the planned events, and that the decision was connected with their responsibility to the venue's visitors and respect for the country in which they operate. The cancellation was reported by Life.ru citing RBC.

The scientist's reaction

Drobyshevsky himself, as he told RBC,did not know about the cancellation of the talks until journalists contacted him. He expressed no regret and said he was ready to give lectures for a Georgian audience in Russia. To give the scientist an opportunity to respond to the criticism that arose, his representative was offered an interview with a Russian-language Georgian media outlet.