Amiran and the Ox

This illustration, accompanied by a verse, depicts the struggle of the Georgian movement against the Russian administration. The bison’s thick skin that deflects the arrows shot at it is a metaphor for Georgian’s failed attempts against the tsarist regime.

In order to evade the harsh censorship, contemporary political events are told through a tweaked version of  Amiran Darejaniani, a medieval Georgian romance. The Russian word for 'bison,' zubr (зубр), that is used instead of Georgian mozveri (მოზვერი), implies the Russian government, while Amirani, a legendary name from Georgian mythology, represents the Georgian nationalist movement.

 At the end of the story the author asks, “Who will be the winner? Or, would it be better to foster peace, instead of harboring hostility with a neighbor”?

Source: The National Parliamentary Library of Georgia