Artificial Change of Toponymy as a Tool of Propaganda of Soviet Ideology

Abstract

Toponymy, this original area of the vocabulary of the language, is a kind of guide, since taking into account the conclusions obtained on the basis of its scientific study is the best way to fully understand nature, historical past, culture, migration, and the existence of a particular country. We consider it especially important to include toponymy as an auxiliary discipline in the educational process of general education schools. With this goal, since 2022, we have started work on the project "Georgia through Toponymy". The topic turned out to be very diverse. This time, we present only one aspect of the project - "Artificial change of toponymy as a tool of propaganda of Soviet ideology". It is important to observe the artificial change of preselected toponyms to give students an understanding of the tragic history of 20th-century Bolshevism-infected Georgia, which is still not fully appreciated and underestimated by modern society. We selected the toponym "Leselidze" as a sample. This is a striking example of artificial toponym change. The change was implemented in 3 stages, and each stage was determined by the historical context. Our conclusion is as follows: Toponym is a linguistic historical document. It is necessary to include toponymy achievements in the educational process.