Since her book 'Georgia After the Collapse of the Soviet Union' was featured on a towering digital billboard in Times Square on Easter 2026, Georgian-born author, journalist, and activist Tsisnami 'Sissy' Sakvarlishvili has seen her global platform expand rapidly. The campaign, which broadcast her cinematic video trailer and book cover over 50 times in the heart of New York City, honored her as one of Franklin Publishers' 'Top 5 Spring Authors.' This dual feature has cemented her status as a premier voice in political history and human rights.
For Sakvarlishvili, the Times Square feature represents the culmination of a deeply personal and political journey. Rising from an abandoned child raised by blind adoptive parents to a migrant caregiver in Italy, she earned a Master's degree in Political Science from the University of Florence and immigrated to the United States in 2013. Today, she remains an active leader in the fight for Georgian democracy, having personally led protests against pro-Russian forces in her homeland.
'Seeing my story—and the story of my country—lit up in the center of the world is a profound honor,' says Sakvarlishvili. 'Georgia is an ancient, beautiful nation that has been tested by empire and has paid a very high price for its freedom. I wrote this book so the world will finally understand our history and our ongoing fight for democracy.'
The book provides an emotionally detailed and data-driven account of Georgia's first decades of independence. Sakvarlishvili weaves her own journey of resilience into a rigorous analysis of the nation's transformation, examining the leadership of post-Soviet presidents and the sweeping reforms following the 2003 Rose Revolution. It details the shift from a centrally planned command economy to a liberalized market system and confronts the structural realities of rebuilding a nation under pressure, caught between integration with Western institutions and systemic external pressure from Russia.
Sakvarlishvili's writing blends personal resilience with geopolitical history, giving voice to the quiet heroism of ordinary people and her homeland's ongoing fight for freedom. Her book is available for purchase globally on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and through her official author website.
The significance of this announcement lies in its amplification of Georgia's struggle for democracy and the personal story of an author who overcame immense adversity to become a global advocate for human rights. As Sakvarlishvili's readership grows, her message of resilience and freedom reaches an increasingly international audience, underscoring the importance of understanding Georgia's historical and ongoing challenges.
