JOURNAL "ORBELIANI"

THE CRISIS OF A LANGUAGE IN THE MODERN WORLD

Rusudan Asatiani — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The sign, as a symbiotic unity of content and expression, undergoes a certain deconstruction in different directions in the modern world: 1. Modernism is characterised by the destruction of form caused by experiments related to the expression of abstractionism, cubism, futurism, dadaism, avant-gardism, symbolism, etc.; although the whole social discourse’s content is mostly preserved, it disrupts only within the framework of subjective interpretations. As for 2. Postmodernism, experimental manipulations are related to the content of a sign: eclecticism and intertextuality, deconstruction and decentralisation, disruption of solid content, chaos and hyper-reflection, breaking the boundary between the author and readers, temporal and supra-spatial projections, the ironic reflection of reality, and even its general rejection, etc. The logical end of this process is the disappearance of the unified content and
common discourse. The Credo of postmodernism is: Everything is possible! As a result of such divergence, the content of a sign is defined within sub-discourses, which actually create „virtual worlds”. Communication between people in these divergent,
virtual spaces is hindered and almost impossible. The language tries to escape from this crisis and to maintain the communicative function of the language. This is the main attempt of 3. Metamodernism. It tries to fill the „empty” content by keeping
plurality, sometimes uniting opposite meanings into one oxymoronic concept: hero-cowardly, evil-God, sunny-night, dead-alive, etc. It encompasses the paradoxes, alternate realities, and emotional swings accompanying life. However, on the other hand, metamodernism promotes the setting up of ambivalent and mentally problematic concepts and factually creates the illusion of communication: Such oxymoronic meanings make possible communication, but only between the „virtual” realities

MODELS OF THE NATIONAL FUTURE IN COLONIAL PERIOD (19TH CENTURY) GEORGIAN POETRY

Tsira Kilanava — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This study examines the poetic models of national futurity in nineteenth-century Georgian literature, focusing specifically on representations of the future articulated within the colonial context of the Russian Empire. The research object comprises lyrical
texts produced during two major phases: the first generation that directly experienced the trauma of annexation—princess-poets of the Bagrationi dynasty and Romantic authors—and the subsequent generation of Realist writers, with particular emphasis
on the extensive poetic corpus of Akaki Tsereteli. The aim of the article is to trace how Georgian poets imagined the national future during a period marked by political subjugation, cultural disruption, and the transformation of national consciousness.
The theoretical framework integrates key concepts from nationalism studies, imagology, cultural memory, and intergenerational trauma theory. The study conceptualizes national identity as a discursively constructed and historically modifiable model
that retains certain stable core elements across time. Within this frame, Georgian literature is approached as a medium of collective/National memory that not only reflects socio-political realities but also shapes cultural perceptions of the self and the Other. Methodologically, the research combines close reading with digital-humanities-oriented text annotation and visualization. While the relatively small corpus of early nineteenth-century lyrical texts allows for manual identification, contextualization, and comparison of future-oriented motifs, the large volume of Akaki Tsereteli’s three-volume poetic output required the application of digital tools. For this purpose, CATMA was used for systematic annotation of future-related semantic markers, and the visAvis tool was employed for their graphical visualization. The annotated material was categorized into three tagsets—allegorical models, hope, and hopelessness—each comprising specific subcategories such as biblical, mythological, and historical allegories; unconditional hope; generational and educational hope; nihilism; and the impossibility of change. The analysis demonstrates that poetic representations of the national future during the first, trauma generation are heterogeneous, fragmented, and often emotionally contradictory. While some Romantic authors express messianic optimism or conditional hopes linked to the Russian Empire as a potential protector, others portray uncertainty, skepticism, or outright despair. Notably, even the most optimistic visions frequently remain passive, abstract, or unfulfilled. By contrast, the post-trauma/post-memory generation—the „Tergdaleulebi”—introduces an entirely new model of futurity grounded in active national responsibility, cultural modernization, civic awakening, and heroic resistance. Akaki Tsereteli’s corpus reveals a dynamic evolution: whereas early poems contain pronounced nihilistic tendencies, later works increasingly privilege unconditional and theologically informed hope, biblical allegorical frameworks, and faith in historical continuity. Over time, the future is imagined less as dependent on imperial structures and more as aligned with global socio-political
processes and the moral agency of the Georgian nation itself. The study concludes that nineteenth-century Georgian poetic discourse constructs three principal types of national future: (1) futures mediated through Russia—thematised as expectations largely destined to remain unrealized; (2) futures rooted in Georgia’s own heroic past, independent of external actors; and (3) futures embedded within broader global developments, envisaging Georgia as a free and self-determining nation. These findings illuminate the diachronic emergence of future-oriented national rhetoric as a central component of Georgian literary nation-building
discourse under colonial rule.

PEOPLE AND EVENTS IN THE CONTEXT OF THE UNITY OF TIME (BASED ON TAMRI PKHAKADZE’S NOVEL „WE, THE TURMELS”)

Maia Jalaiashvili — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The unity of time forms the solid foundation for the resilience of human consciousness. „Time is out of joint” (Hamlet), perceiving the past, present, and future in isolation, becomes a source of tragedy for both nations and individuals. In her novel „We,
Turmels” (“Chven, Turmelebi”), Tamri Pkhakadze explores mythopoetic time. The author employs universal mythological archetypes, interpreted in diverse contexts, to imbue her narrative with depth and multi-layered meaning. She effectively reveals the
hidden connections between rational and irrational, material and spiritual realms. The metaphorical and symbolic nature of the characters and artistic images encourages readers to delve beyond the surface of the work into its profound depths.
Within this novel, fairy tale and mythological „stories” seamlessly blend into the narrative flow, blurring the boundaries between reality and the metaphysical. Myth, in general, implies the eternity of a moment and the manifestation of the eternal within
that moment. The coexistence of the fleeting and the eternal is vividly portrayed in the novel. This unity is sustained by human memory, which „distributes” what it cannot hold into books and objects. The sense of the future in the novel is directly linked to
the „permanence” of this memory.

POSTCOLONIAL UTOPIANISM, ALLOCHRONISM, AND THE RECOLLECTION OF NATIONAL FUTURE IN IOANE-ZOSIME’S TEXT „PRAISE AND EXALTATION OF THE GEORGIAN LANGUAGE“

Mzia Jamagidze — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This article explores the concept of postcolonial utopianism and allochronism through the analysis of Ioane-Zosime’s 10th-century text „Praise and Exaltation of the Georgian Language.” Drawing on the theories of Ernst Bloch, Bill Ashcroft, and
Johannes Fabian, it examines how utopian imagination operates within postcolonial temporalities. It also emphasizes the role of Zosime’s text as a manifestation of messianic-national utopianism, providing a historical example of how utopianism
can inspire political action. The study interprets Zosime’s text as a manifestation of messianic-national utopianism that once functioned as an emancipatory response to Byzantine cultural and political hegemony and inspired the political consolidation of
medieval Georgia. However, in the modern contemporary secular context, the same eschatological temporality and imagination include risks of producing temporal marginalization by locating national identity in a deferred, mythical, or premodern future.

AN ANALYSIS OF APOCALYPTIC BELIEFS BASED ON THE MYTH OF GILGAMESH AND ATTITUDE AND SET THEORY

Davit Baratashvili — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Beliefs about the end of civilization, or apocalyptic moods, are deeply embedded in human history and culture. These ideas, originating from time immemorial, manifest in various forms and have been widely studied as expressions of humanity’s
existential fears. While the term „apocalypse” originally signified a divine „revelation,” its modern connotation has shifted towards catastrophic destruction, often caused by human actions. This paper explores the psychological foundations of these enduring
and evolving beliefs.
Research will find out underlying psychological mechanisms that give rise to and shape apocalyptic moods, from ancient myths to modern anxieties. This study employs a theoretical and conceptual analysis, using Dimitri Uznadze’s attitude and set theory as its primary analytical framework. The theory, which posits that psychic activity arises from the interaction between a subject’s needs (subjective factor) and the objective environment (objective factor), is applied to interpret one of the earliest recorded apocalyptic narratives—the flood myth in the Epic of Gilgamesh and the modern apocalyptic fears. The analysis integrates insights from anthropology and religious studies to trace the evolution of apocalyptic thought. The analysis suggests that the genesis of apocalyptic beliefs is rooted in the human capacity for „objectification”—the conscious act of singling out and reflecting
upon a phenomenon. The foundational objectification is that of individual death, as exemplified by Gilgamesh’s fear following the death of his friend Enkidu. This individual existential anxiety, when confronted with large-scale natural disasters (objective
factors), is projected onto a collective scale, forming the basis for apocalyptic myths of world destruction and renewal. In the modern era, the objective factor has shifted from metaphysical forces to human-made threats, such as nuclear weapons and
pandemics, altering the nature of apocalyptic fear from one of divine judgment and renewal to one of secular, final annihilation.
Understanding apocalyptic moods through the lens of attitude and Set theory provides a framework for analyzing contemporary societal anxieties. It highlights how objective threats, amplified by modern technology and media, interact with fundamental human psychology to create powerful, socially formative dispositions towards the future. This perspective is crucial for comprehending the political and social impact of widespread existential fear.

MARGARET ATWOOD’S „ORYX AND CRAKE”: POSTHUMAN REALITY IN A BIOTECHNOLOGICAL AGE

Tamta Amiranashvili — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This paper examines Margaret Atwood’s 2003 novel Oryx and Crake through the lens of biotechnological development and posthumanist theory. This literary work describes a dystopian future where genetic engineering has fundamentally altered
human genetic code and blurred the traditionally sharp boundary between natural and artificial. Through detailed text analysis, it becomes clear that Atwood’s narrative simultaneously serves as both a warning and a critique of humanity’s rapid technological development trajectory, particularly regarding genetic modification and corporate biopower issues. The character Crake embodies posthumanist ambition—a scientist who creates a new species to replace flawed humanity—while protagonist Jimmy/Snowman presents a nostalgic human perspective, caught between old and new worlds. Through analysis of the relationships between Crake, Jimmy, and the genetically modified „Crakers” presented in the novel, the study reveals Margaret Atwood’s vision regarding complex issues such as human essence, establishing boundaries between species, and biotechnological ethics.
Ultimately, Oryx and Crake reveals deep concern about biotechnology’s potential to transform and, moreover, assume the role of God and completely recreate humanity. At the same time, the writer critiques the environmental and social complexities that might trigger such radical posthumanist scenarios as world destruction and repopulation of Earth with new posthuman species—the „Crakers.” The novel is not a simple moral judgment of current events; the writer has much to contemplate about human characteristics and those features worth preserving in a posthumanist world.

PARADIGMATIC MODEL OF HUMANISTIC FORECASTING OF THE MICRO-APOCALYPSE CONCEPT

Manana Kvataia — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The civilizational metamorphosis of the modern world necessitates the creation of new time dimensions, consciousness, and ideologies, as well as the expansion and reinterpretation of the existing space. Future studies, as a science, imply the sociological forecasting of future developments. Dystopian texts, the main feature of which is the criticism of the viciousness of the various political systems, provide valuable insight for a deeper understanding of these processes.
In his dystopian novel Blindness (2005), José Saramago, the Portuguese Nobel Prize winner and master of magical realism, advocates the idea of equality of mankind and humanism. The author’s concept is that in the age of globalization, technological dependence alienates individuals from both nature and each other, gradually leading to moral or spiritual blindness. In this providential novel, a mysterious epidemic sweeps through the city: people suddenly lose their sight due to an unknown, contagious disease, as if submerged in a white, milky sea.
José Saramago’s Blindness depicts a micro-apocalyptic hellish world inhabited by merciless, blind creatures, where people are deprived of both physical sight and spiritual vision. Understanding the symbolism of the novel clarifies the author’s intention: salvation lies in the purging of vice. Through catharsis, humans may return to their original, divine essence.

HUMAN TRANSFORMATION: FROM BODILY ALTERATION TO THE MODIFICATION OF HUMAN NATURE IN 21ST-CENTURY FRENCH AND GEORGIAN DYSTOPIAN LITERATURE

Ekaterine Chumburidze-Shetsiruli — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The body, as a complex and multifaceted entity, represents a unique human experience and a significant way of expressing an individual’s inner world. In literary studies, transformations of the body often coincide with shifts in human nature. Traditionally, the body was perceived as an element expressing suffering, degradation, or alienation; however, in contemporary literature, it no longer serves as a mere reflection of the soul, rejects transcendence, and remains a fragmented, disassembled object.
This article examines manifestations of dystopian thought in the context of human bodily transformation in the novels of Michel Houellebecq and Zura Jishkariani.
Based on a comparative analysis, the study explores the impact of bodily changes on human nature and identifies the distinctions between the natural human and the scientifically modified individual.

GENRE MARKERS OF SCIENCE FICTION AND THE EARLY PHASE OF GEORGIAN SCIENCE FICTION

Levan Gelashvili — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This article examines the specificity of the science fiction genre, its theoretical approaches, and its literary-historical context. Particular attention is given to the historical evolution of science fiction and its theoretical perspectives. The study
conceptualizes science fiction as a literary phenomenon. It traces the genre’s historical development from early mythology and folktales to its contemporary forms, emphasizing the impact of technological progress. The article analyzes various
theoretical approaches to the classification and interpretation of fiction, including the scholarly contributions of Umberto Eco, Yuri Lotman, Tzvetan Todorov, and others regarding the theoretical definition of the genre. The discussion highlights the role of
writers in anticipating scientific advancements and explores the diversity of subgenres such as fantasy, dystopia, alternative history, cyberpunk, and more. Ultimately, the paper elucidates the function of fiction as an artistic form that not only forecasts the
future but also critically engages with the present and constructs alternative realities.