In the history of Georgia, August 12 is the day of the Didgori victory. On August 12, 1121, David the Builder achieved one of the greatest military victories in Georgia`s history on the Didgori field, which was followed by the unification of the country, the liberation of Tbilisi, and the era of the Georgian state`s power. Speaker of the Georgian Parliament writes this on his Facebook page.

"887 years later, on August 12, 2008, Mikheil Saakashvili, who so often likened himself and his reign to the era of David the Builder, lost the war on Didgoroba Day (Battle of Didgori Day) and was compelled to sign a six-point capitulatory agreement for Georgia.

History has preserved the name of this document: the August 12 Agreement. This symbolic coincidence is particularly bitter: David the Builder vanquished the enemy on August 12 and opened Georgia`s road to unity; Saakashvili, on that very day, bequeathed to Georgia military defeat, the loss of new territories, and the expansion of Russian occupation.

The August 12 Agreement was not a peace treaty concluded between two equal sovereign states. It was a document accepted on Russia`s terms by a defeated government, in which Georgia`s territorial integrity was violated once again. The document contained no mention of Russia as the aggressor. There was no explicit guarantee of Georgia`s sovereignty and territorial integrity, nor was any specific timeline set for the withdrawal of Russian troops. There existed no effective mechanism to enforce compliance with the agreement. Russia`s obligations were vague, whereas Georgia`s commitments were concrete and unequivocal. The outcome was entirely predictable: Russia failed to fulfil the agreement, maintained its military presence on Georgian soil, occupied the Akhalgori District and the Kodori Gorge, and subsequently recognized the so-called independence of Abkhazia and so-called South Ossetia. Georgia lost control over additional territories, tens of thousands of people became internally displaced in their own country, and Russian military bases entrenched themselves in Georgia`s occupied regions. All of this was the outcome of a war that the Saakashvili administration had for years portrayed as an inevitable historical epic and a victory for Georgia.

However, a state`s victory is defined not by television backdrops, waving flags, and self-serving celebrations staged by those in power. Victory is measured by concrete results and how effectively a nation`s territory, citizens, peace, and vital state interests are protected. In August 2008, Georgia achieved none of these objectives. The Saakashvili regime first led the country into a disastrous military gamble, then suffered defeat on the battlefield, and finally signed up to terms that failed to halt the new occupational reality imposed by Russia. Most egregiously of all, the leadership shielded its own errors behind the heroism of Georgian service members. Georgian soldiers fought with self-sacrifice. The defeat was not theirs. It was the defeat of a political leadership, a government that dragged the country into war, failed to manage that war, and failed to defend the nation`s interests when it concluded.

Another painful dimension of this history was the international response. The EU acted as mediator and guarantor of the August 12 Agreement. The 5th of the 6 points was paramount for Georgia, requiring Russian military forces to withdraw to their pre-conflict positions. But what followed? Was real pressure applied to Russia? Were sanctions imposed? Was trade suspended? Were political and economic ties curtailed? No. On the contrary, a "reset" in relations between the West and Russia soon followed. Large-scale economic cooperation continued unabated. The Nord Stream pipelines were built; and on May 9, 2010, we witnessed Russian and European troops marching together in a joint parade on Red Square.

Georgia, meanwhile, was left with a starkly different reality: an arms embargo, harsh international assessments assigning responsibility for the war, pressure to consent to Russia`s accession to the World Trade Organisation, and the darkest years of a brutal regime. What was this if not the penalisation of Georgia and a rapid return to business as usual with Russia? Yet despite everything, despite capitulation in three days, despite abandoned soldiers, the necktie incident, the disgraceful footage from Gori, and the celebrations on Rustaveli Avenue while our Patriarch personally walked into the war zone to retrieve fallen soldiers and assist civilians, despite it all, the Georgian soldier never surrendered the dignity of Georgia.

There is no battle for Georgia without heroes, without devotion, without ultimate sacrifice. This war gave us the heroes of Shindisi, Gela Chedia, the Romelashvili brothers, Giorgi Antsukhelidze… dozens and hundreds of heroes. They preserved the honour of Georgia, defended the sacred name of Didgori with their blood, and left us with the unshakeable belief that we will never reconcile ourselves to defeat, betrayal, or injustice.

Thus, August 12 holds two radically opposed historical meanings. On the one hand, it is Didgori Victory Day, a symbol of wise statecraft, sound military strategy, heroic devotion, and national unity. On the other hand, it is the day of the 2008 Capitulation Agreement, a symbol of political folly, military defeat, and flight from responsibility.

David the Builder unified Georgia through the Didgori victory. Saakashvili lost the war on the Didgoroba Day and left the country with an expanded occupation. This is a historical reality that neither propaganda nor declaring a lost war as a victory can change. History is merciless. Documents remain, consequences remain, and the memory of the people remains. Glory to the heroes who fell for Georgia! Glory to everyone for whom the holy name of Didgori is precious", - writes Shalva Papuashvili.