On September 26, the 10th International Scientific Conference “Archival Studies, Source Studies, Trends and Challenges” was held at the National Archives of the Ministry of Justice of Georgia. The three-day conference brought together about 160 Georgian and foreign scientists and researchers.

Tengiz Verulava, Professor at Caucasus University and Director of the Institute of Health Policy, presented a report entitled “Social Insurance System in Independent Georgia (1918–1921).”

The social policy of the Democratic Republic of Georgia was based on the experience of the European welfare state. Despite the country’s difficult political and economic circumstances, the government initiated the first steps toward building a social security system. The establishment of the Tbilisi General City Hospital was of particular importance.

The hospital fund model closely resembled the German “Krankenkasse”, one of the key pillars of the Bismarckian social insurance system. This similarity demonstrates that the social policy of the Democratic Republic of Georgia was not isolated but aligned with the progressive European social models of the time. On this basis, the initial elements of the social state were formed, connecting Georgia with the broader European social space.

Caucasus University Institute of Health Care Policy.