August 18 marks the birthday of Georgia`s national hero, Giorgi Antsukhelidze, who would have turned 41 this year.

Military personnel, local government representatives, and villagers gathered in his native Kvemo Alvani to honor his memory.

Antsukhelidze, a soldier in the 41st Battalion of the 4th Infantry Brigade, heroically lost his life during the Russian-Georgian war in August 2008. In recognition of his bravery, Giorgi Ankshelidze was posthumously awarded the Order of Vakhtang Gorgasali, 1st degree, the medal Devoted to the Motherland, and the title of National Hero of Georgia.