I want you to know that the idea of our national anthem came to my mind when I was 5 years old, writes Mikheil Saakashvili on his Facebook page.

“My mother took me to the English language class, and walking in the street we came up to a funeral ceremony of Georgian well-known opera tenor Davit Gamrekeli.

The aria text from Zakaria Paliashvili’s opera Daisi, which was played at the funeral ceremony, dwelled in his mind.

After the Rose Revolution, the issue of changing the Georgian state anthem was put on the agenda, and I suggested the commission use Paliashvili’s aria text and melody.

Our Freedom today. These are words that best portray the genetic code of Georgians. I felt proud when I heard these words from squares and streets across Georgia”, - writes the former president.