Kote Kubaneishvili

Konstantine "Kote" Kubaneishvili (Georgian: კოტე ყუბანეიშვილი) is a Georgian poet known for his political and anti-establishment themes, who was at one point imprisoned by the Soviet authorities.^[1] In the 1980s, while Georgia was still part of USSR, Kubaneishvili collaborated with Irakli Charkviani to establish the Reactive Club (Georgian: რეაქტიული კლუბი), a "revolutionary art-collective" that ran counter to the accepted Soviet poetry style and was a reaction "against provincialism".^[2]

Kubaneishvili is known for his progressive views. He came out against the 2013 homophobic protests, calling ultra-conservative riot participants "morons" and stating "there's darkness here, that's clear as a day" (Georgian: აქ რომ სიბნელეა ეს ხომ ნათელია)^[3] In 2021, he criticized Rustaveli Theater and its director Robert Sturua for traveling to Russia to participate in a festival despite Russia occupying parts of Georgia; Kubaneishvili expressed belief that this visit was part of a pattern by the Georgian Dream-led government of pursuing openly pro-Russian policies and "playing a Russian game".^[4]