Sovietisms: Metaphorical Representation of the Soviet Union

In specialized literature, expressions that metaphorically reflect the Soviet Union are referred to as Sovietisms. The Georgian language is particularly rich in Sovietisms, a fact that has a historical basis: in 1921, the Red Army fully occupied Georgia. The 70-year period of forced unification within the Soviet Empire left a lasting impact on the Georgian language. The names and surnames of many Soviet leaders served as the basis for new expressions. This paper discusses several of them: “Aurora’s Volley”, “Brezhnev’s Kiss”, “Denikin’s Time”, and “Stakhanov-like”. The paper cites illustrative material from contemporary Georgian political discourse. A conceptual analysis of specific cases is presented in two directions: a) identifying metaphorical structures and showing how a metaphor shapes a specific idea, and b) highlighting cultural significance and demonstrating how metaphors express the political positions of a given speech community. The results of the study show that in modern Georgian political discourse, Sovietisms are not merely ideological metaphors but also instruments of so-called hate speech. These expressions are used in explicitly negative contexts, primarily to describe pro-Russian sentiments. They serve as tools for ridicule, criticism, or even verbal attack against an interlocutor or the subject of discussion.