European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - June 14, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Resisting a ossification in soviet Georgia by Carol  associated press t he Vendor i .1  along Bullin Grustav Sirro in to so crowned when asked Toi a Ruisi in no a a Pei. She rummage through a Stock of issues in georgian finally plucking a paper Dom the Bottom and noting without apology. It s irom yesterday " russian is a foreign language in Geo Rio and natives Are proud Ohl from school blackboards to shop signs to propaganda placards the distinctive georgian script Muscles out the cyrillic of Mol Hor  georgians say they have resisted  01 their language and culture Bol Ler than some of 1 heir compatriots in Pihur republics and autonomous regions because Iney tend i a stick close to Home. Those who Migrate t hey say risk assimilation with the Ruisi in  the 1979 census the last population statistics made Public. Showed that More than 96 percent of Alt org Haas five in their Transeau Osran Homeland about 1,000 Miles South of Moscow bordering Turkey. Russians constitute a significant percentage of 1he population in most Oiher republics of the soviet Union. Bui in Georgia Only about 7 percent of the citizenry is of russian extraction and Trie proportion is declining. Tow pre Domlnic of georgians currently about 70 percent of the Republic s 5.2 million people and their natural inclination toward their native Tongue bodes Well for the continued health of the language. No one Speaks russian on the streets a Tbilisi resident explained Why should we if russians or Azerbaijan 01 armenians move Here they should learn our  Educa lion officials say Many newcomers to Georgia attempt at least to learn the alphabet and the Basic salutations Many of which reflect the Battle scarred history of ancient Tbilisi a City invaded 31 least 40 times since ils founding in the year bos. The georgian greeting is Jamar Oba which in English Means May you be  the 33-character alphabet developed in the fourth Century is used nowhere else in the world. Georgians say the unique characteristics of their language Are ail the More reason 10 preserve i. Georgian is the slate language of Georgia and it will continue to be said education minister Natela Vas adze. Noting its special status is protected by the georgian Constitution the designation did not come without a sight. When the Republic s Constitution was being approved in april 1973. The phrase acknowledging georgian As the stale language was Al first omitted. Local sources said at the Lime that thousands o georgians staged an unsanctioned protest rally outside the parliament building in Tbilisi. There were efforts Over the next to years to expand the use of russian in Georgia. Graduate students were required to submit dissertations in russian. Edwatd a. Shevardnadze then communist party Boss of the Republic and now soviet foreign minister personally calmed the 1978 demonstration by promising his fellow georgians that the state language designation would be included in Ida Constitution. We have a tendency in the republics to become nationalistic about  Vas adze said. Bui russian is a necessary Means of communication Between All nationalities of the soviet Union 1 getting ahead in soviet society is impossible without speaking russian Vas adze said most georgians do nol View the second language As an Alferna to thwart their native culture. A georgian foreign ministry Olli Cial. Roland Beridze.  Many Young parents like himself Are rearing heir children bilingually to give. Them a head Start. Russian language classes Are mandatory starting in Ide fourth Grade but instruction in All Oiher subjects is in georgian except in special schools Lor children of Oiher nationalities. In All. 130 languages Are spoken in one part or another of the soviet Union s 15 republics and numerous autonomous regime soviet Law requires stale schools to conduct classes in whatever language is dominant in Lite area served by the school. The education Reform act of 1984 requires All secondary school graduates to master russian. But Vas adze acknowledged there is no lest administered to Check each graduate s proficiency. We have a problem with Rural schools where students have Little exposure to russian to help them expand it she said. College students from Rural Georgia Are sometimes allowed to study russian Lor foreign language credit explained Medeya Kravic Shvili. Ade ailment head at Tbilisi s Institute of foreign languages winding Cobb Fantom it tit in Tallinn capital of Estonia. I new York fim Phora suckling Ptg for Tolt at a private Matt in bit Al. Sobering up in the soviet associated press t he communist party says that so need to curb their drinking Halls but 1hauthorities Aro going too 1ar when they investigate every wine Purchase halt cd buses to chech passengers breath and Force Teeto tales into sobriety clubs. The party daily pravda recently published excels from readers letters complaining about extremes some militiamen and Industry officials i been going to in he year old nationwide Campai Ween workers from their Vodka bottles. Pravda criticized As absurd the events detailed readers and declared thai in these cases admin ism Over zealousness is overcoming Good  a series of strict new anti alcoholism measures began last May and soviet Media have repeated stressed is need to enforce them vigorously. Numerous articles have been published about Moonshiner and Black myrhol liquor salesmen Iii caught and severely reprimanded in apparent Effta to get people to heed the Campaign. Soviet Leader Mikhail a Gorbachev a reputed Drinker is said to be behind 1 he wide ranging Aff Page 14 the stars and stripes