When Gagra fell, the city was full of lifeless Georgian soldiers. Whoever dared to bury them risked their life. Aza Chilachava dared. She spent three months in the occupied city. When she escaped, she lived in Tskaltubo, carrying bags of sugar on her back for sale. Later she went into exile and bought a small apartment in a suburb of Tbilisi with the little money she had saved. From there, she comes to the city center every day. Walking is difficult, but she follows the ZSMU march toward Rustaveli. She carries a worn notebook in her hand—one message on each page. Sometimes she gives cakes to fellow protesters, sometimes seedlings. At one of the dispersals, she shielded a young protester from being kidnapped by masked men for torture. She was beaten so badly that she lay down for three days. Still, she got up and strengthens the protest. What could stop a woman who beat fear in fallen Gagra?
This is who stands on Rustaveli.