Abstract

This article examines the origins, activities, and historical significance of the Society for the Spreading of Literacy among Georgians, established in Tbilisi in 1879 amid the erosion of Georgia’s political and cultural autonomy under Russian rule. It explores the Society’s contribution to education, the promotion of Georgian-language schooling, the production of textbooks, and the preservation of national identity. Particular attention is paid to its founders, organisational structure, sources of public support, and efforts to collect Georgian manuscripts. The article also examines how the Society fostered national consciousness and argues that its formative role in shaping Georgia’s educational and cultural development was a principal reason for its closure by the Soviet regime in 1927.