Answer
Russification was the Tsarist policy of promoting the Russian language and culture in non-Russian areas of the Russian Empire. This policy was particularly harsh in Georgia, where the Tsarist government suppressed the Georgian language and culture and tried to replace it with Russian. Ilia Chavchavadze, a Georgian writer and statesman, was one of the leading opponents of Russification. He encouraged education in the Georgian language and promoted Georgian culture.