Since her book Georgia After the Collapse of the Soviet Union was featured on a 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 included her cinematic video trailer and book cover being played over 50 times in the heart of New York City, honored her as one of Franklin Publishers' "Top 5 Spring Authors." This feature has cemented her status as a leading voice in political history and human rights.
For Sakvarlishvili, the Times Square feature represents the culmination of a deeply personal 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 and immigrated to the United States. 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, Georgia After the Collapse of the Soviet Union, provides an emotionally detailed and data-driven account of the nation's first decades of independence. Sakvarlishvili weaves her own resilience into a rigorous analysis of Georgia's transformation, examining post-Soviet leadership and reforms following the 2003 Rose Revolution. The book details the shift from a command economy to a liberalized market system, confronting the structural realities of rebuilding a nation under pressure between Western integration and Russian influence.
Sakvarlishvili is also the author of Diary of the Red-Haired Girl and The Red-Haired Girl Recipes. Her writing blends personal resilience with geopolitical history, giving voice to ordinary people and her homeland's fight for freedom. The book is available for purchase globally on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and via her official author website.
