Soviet Past Research Laboratory, in partnership with Ilia State University, started to organize a free open educational and practical course, funded by DVV Internationl Georgia. 25 participants, selected on the basis of competition, took part in an intensive lecture course.

Open lectures were held at Ilia State University every saturday during the course. The topics included the issues of various social and political processes between the late 19th century and 1990’s: national formation and development of civic culture, social movements and creation of political parties, First Republic and the project of Georgia’s European development, Soviet Occupation and the resistance movement, Soviet policy on nationalities, urbanization and industrialization, changes in architecture and daily life, formation of Stalin’s personality cult and ‘’de-Stalinization’’ that followed through, Cold War and Soviet ‘’welfare state’’, the end of Soviet Union and transitional era.

The participants were actively involved in research as well as practical fieldwork. Outdoor lectures were held after the end of every course, they included visiting various sites of historical significance in Tbilisi as well as other parts of Georgia.

During the course, several public lectures of visiting local and international professors were held, they shared with the audience the experience of deep research related to the issues represented in the course.