An independent Georgia or a Tiflis governorate?
Today’s Georgia is a country of contradictions. While most of the population has come out in support of Ukraine, the country has experienced a great amount of migration from Russia since the war. This, combined with a government uncertain of its foreign policy, has made Georgia’s future all the more unclear.
Russian migrants have arrived in Georgia in two waves. The first wave took place in March 2022 right after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The second wave took place in late September 2022, after Vladimir Putin announced “partial” mobilisation. They waited in long lines, often for hours, at the Larsi checkpoint. According to various data, there are between 70,000 to 200,000 Russians living in Georgia right now, some estimate that this figure is even higher.
To access this content, you must
subscribe to NEE, or
log in if you are a subscriber. Not a subscriber? Why not try it out. Plans start at just €5 per month.
February 15, 2023 -
Wojciech Wojtasiewicz
-
Issue 1-2 2023MagazineStories and ideas
The Itaka bookshop opened long before the Russian aggression in
Ukraine. It is located in an old and quite neglected building. You can
enter it through a courtyard where the balcony is decorated with two
flags: Ukrainian and the white-blue-white (Russian opposition) flag. Photo: Wojciech Wojtasiewicz