George W. Bush takes part of Georgian capital!

30 August, 2008, 07:01

There's a tradition which is familiar to almost every city in the world – naming streets after national heroes. Usually these names come from the pages of the country's own history – but not in Mikhail Saakashvili's Georgia. Unlike the U.S., the capital Tbilisi has a George W. Bush Street, which appeared in one of its oldest districts in 2005 during the American President's visit – despite protests from the opposition.

The Old City is the traditional heart and soul of the Georgian capital, but now the new generation faces a complex question – stay East, go West, or find a compromise.

The statue of a Georgian cultural hero, poet Shota Rustaveli, which stands not far away in the heart of the capital, is now swamped by another icon – the American hamburger.

And when you arrive in Tbilisi, the image which greets you as you head for the city centre, is an American face.