Russians in Georgia: Near Nation?

Return to the project "Lingva Frank"

If you do not take into account the lyrics, but turn to the facts, it turns out that the life of the Russian diaspora in Georgia over the past 200 years is closely connected with the wars.

In 1783, a St. George treatise was concluded - Georgia needed protection from Turkey and Iran, Russia - an ally in the Caucasian War. Since then, the Russian army, the governor, the names of the streets, buildings, church, schools, gendarmes, engineers, poets, exiled and, of course, immigrants have appeared in Georgia.

Another influx of migration falls on the Soviet period-during the Second World War, in the early 40s, Georgia was one of the largest evacuation centers. Fleeing from shelling and hunger, people went to the Caucasus from the central regions of Russia even on foot. Many found the second homeland here.

Another resettlement-already from Georgia to Russia-falls in the 90s, and the war is again to blame, even three at once-civilian, and then in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Georgians left Georgia for tens of thousands of thousands of thousands of thousands of thousands. It became uncomfortable to live here-the economy reached the bottom in the early 90s, crime-peak, pensions were enough for bread-it is quite clear that many rushed to the historical homeland.

Until the 90s, the Russians were the third largest diaspora in Georgia-about 400 thousand for the almost 5 millionth population. Today, the Russian diaspora in Georgia according to various estimates - this is only from 20 to 50 thousand people. Half of them are elderly people. Russian old people more often Georgian suffer from disorder and loneliness - the lack of support of relatives affects. Young people-those who went to school in the 90s, mainly already fluent in the state Georgian and are practically no different from their peers-Georgians. Well, there were never problems with mixed marriages with Russians in Georgia. Today, Russians in Georgia are mainly urban residents, a creative and technical intelligentsia, those who came to large union construction sites, as well as their children and grandchildren.

There is another category - a few and very exotic. These are the descendants of the Dukhobors - the direction of Christianity, rejecting the external ritual of the Church. Dukhobors fell out of favor and were expelled from Russia at the beginning of the 19th century. In the deaf mountain villages of Georgia, they managed to preserve the tongue, customs and ways up to clothes and platbands on the windows. Today in the village of Gorelovka, the Ninocmintsky district is still living about 200 ducal families, there is a Russian school where 30 children are studying.

"Stop Russia"

For four years, there has been no diplomatic relations between Georgia and Russia. In 2008, a real, albeit five -day, war occurred between the countries. Of course, Russia before that fought in Georgia, for example, in Abkhazia in 1993, but for a long time it managed not only to avoid accusations, but also to use the status of a peacekeeper.

A pro -Western orientation for all Georgian presidents sooner or later turned into a conflict with the Kremlin. Not everyone remembers, but the last wave of the conflict began under President Shevardnadze. In 2000, Russia introduced a hard visa regime with Georgia. Moscow was dissatisfied with the situation in the border areas and accused Georgia of covering the Chechen militants.

The contradictions went deeper under the current President Saakashvili. Georgia finally led Russian military bases from the country and was a step away from obtaining a plan of action on membership in NATO. In 2006, Russia closed its market for Georgia. In August 2008, the Russian army entered the territory of Georgia under the pretext of protecting its peacekeepers and almost reached Tbilisi. After this conflict, Moscow officially recognized the independence of the former Georgian autonomies - Abkhazia and South Ossetia - and placed its military bases there.

Diplomatic relations between countries were torn. Georgia left the CIS. However, in 2012, Tbilisi unilaterally abolished visas for Russian citizens. After the war, not a single case of conflicts with Russian tourists on national grounds was recorded.

Claims to Russia

“Russians in Georgia are a“ non -poor nation ”and it goes from above, from the government, especially after 2008,” says Alla Conflystseva, head of the Russian Women's Union of Georgia. "We must say -" Russian ", and not the" Russian "troops, the government, politics. For the layman there is no longer a difference between the government and the people. In the Soviet school, we were told that the enemy number one is America. And now in Georgia the enemy is Russia. The media on both sides play a negative role, create the image of the enemy. And there is no what came together in antagonism."

Alla Conflight agrees that all citizens should know the state language, but proposes to pursue this policy thoughtfully and gradually. Russian schools simply closed, but they could introduce bilingual training, begin to introduce Georgian from the third, fourth grades, ”complains refugee.

According to her, the main problems of Russians in Georgia are difficulties with a job for work due to ignorance of the language, legal problems and Russian visas. This topic, which is not related to the Georgian government, is one of the most painful. A call to Russia can be issued only through close relatives: parents, children, brother or sister, spouse. "Even Uncle has no right to send an invitation to his nephew. Often, in order to issue a visa, you need to wait 2-3 months. In order to advance in line, they pay money," Alla says. True, now, according to her, the situation has improved - "the commission worked all summer, the consul was changed, the queues were automated, it became a little easier." The same difficult topic is the receipt of Russian citizenship. Nobody loves to talk about this, but it’s no secret to anyone that this is connected with corruption.

Alla Reflantseva talks about the problems of the Russian diaspora not only with journalists. She periodically visits the Congress of Compatriots. "Previously, Luzhkov has helped, now there has been no help for several years. Although a lot has been changing in Russia, the fight against corruption has begun. The legal protection center has arisen, the economic forum is being created where they will choose experts from compatriots. Maybe we will have helped help from there. We have lost the ambassador that our youth organization with their help conducted different events-Brain-Ring, tournaments in terms of tournaments. It is a shame to say to the mini-football, but the Russian diaspora does not have its dance ensemble. From all the diasporas, including the Greek and Ukrainian, but there is no Russian ensemble.

Language

The Russian language is not state -owned in Georgia, and this question in connection with the small number of the Russian diaspora has never been acute. However, the Russian remains the language of interethnic communication of numerous diasporas - for example, Azerbaijanis and Armenians living in Georgia.

According to sociologists, half of the population of Georgia quite freely speak the Russian language. In Abkhazia, the Russian language is used as a worker in state institutions, and in South Ossetia - for a year, as state -owned along with Ossetian.

In 2000, in Georgia there were 214 schools with training in Russian. Now in Tbilisi - two Russian schools, in Georgia there are 28 such schools and about 50 schools - with sectors of training in Russian.

Since 2011, teaching the Russian language in schools has ceased to be mandatory. What language to study as a foreign one is decided by schools themselves, given the desire of parents. There was an opinion that school leadership was unscrupulous to encourage the study of Russian. Although there is no confirmation of this, and even in an ordinary state school, not to mention private, Russian lessons two or three times a week-ordinary practice.

After the government arrived, led by Prime Minister Ivanishvili, the Russian language seems to take even stronger positions. At least, the new Minister of Education Georgy Margvelashvili immediately after appointment criticized the policy of crowding out the Russian language. However, it is not yet about the wide financing of the study of Russian in Georgian schools by the government. "The only language that we manage to finance from the means of Georgian taxpayers is English, since this is the language of globalization. However, it is natural that Russian is very important for Georgia," Margvelashvili said in one of his interviews. In general, a good moment to understand whether the refusal to study in Russian in Georgia was made under the pressure of the government or is it still the influence of time.

Press

The director of the News-Georgia project Elena Imhedashvili believes that the Russian language in Georgia is becoming less and less in demand, and the Russian-speaking press gradually loses to the policy and market requirements.

"Journalists who can write in Russian are becoming less and less in Georgia, and those who remain are already in renewal. Representatives of numerous Russian-speaking Internet publications work for an external audience. There are no state support. The advertising market is weak. All problems are rested on financing," Elena notes. There are something to compare with - there were times when the circulations of Russian newspapers in Georgia were calculated in tens of thousands. Today, editors avoid the issue of circulations. A potential audience of 50-70 thousand are representatives of the older generation. And not everyone can afford to spend money on newspapers and magazines regularly.

About culture

The Minister of Culture of Georgia Gum Obesaria is a writer, author of the book “Return to Sukhumi”, published in Georgian and Russian:

"Despite the fact that there was a war, books in Russian are published in Georgia, translate the classics of Russian literature. My father recalled that during the Second World War books of German classics were published. Maybe this is a wrong comparison. But even when people fought against each other, they talked about the situation on the fronts, and then broadcast Bach, Bethokhoven and even Wagner. Cultures.

Despite the fact that we have our claims to Russian politics - these are occupied territories - we do not cease to develop cultural ties.

Already in 2009 and in 2010 in Georgia, Batumi and Tbilisi, a festival of Russian poetry was held. The Georgian government is financed by the State Russian Drama Theater named after Griboedov. This is the Center for Russian Culture in Georgia, there are different meetings, the Russian Club operates, a good journal about culture is published. We will welcome the desire of ensembles and theaters from Russia to visit Georgia or Tours in Russia of Georgian artists, we will help the translation of books. So far, at the state level, special events are not planned, but there are private initiatives. In November, representatives of our Griboedovo Theater were invited to St. Petersburg, where they celebrated the anniversary of the classic of Georgian literature Elijah Chavchavadze.

In the fall, in Tbilisi was the Kalyagin Theater ET Cetera with the performances of director Robert Sturua. When Alexander Kalyagin found out that I was a writer and playwright, he invited me to Moscow, get acquainted with the repertoire of the theater. I gladly accepted this invitation, but I need to think in what format I will spend this trip - the minister’s position is obliged for a lot. ”

Religion

The vast majority of Georgians are Orthodox Christians. There were no churches subordinate to the Russian Orthodox Church in Georgia even in Soviet times. However, in many churches in Tbilisi, a service is carried out in Russian. The Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia is the second according to the reviews of the ministers of the Russian churches, very friendly and correctly refers to their activities.

In 1811, the Georgian Orthodox Church lost its autocephaly and received the status of the Georgian exarchate of the Russian Church. The election of exarchs from bishops-trigger caused such discontent among the population that one day, in 1908, it came to the murder of Exarch Nikon Sofia. In 1917, autocephaly of the Georgian Church was restored. Communication between the Moscow Patriarchate and the Georgian Church was officially settled only in 1943. Today, the Russian Orthodox Church and the GRC are so warm that the Moscow Patriarchate still recognizes Abkhazia part of the canonical territory of the Georgian Orthodox Church. The Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Elijah the second recently has been increasingly acting as a diplomat, urging the relationship between countries. In January of this year, Elijah Second visited Moscow at the invitation of Patriarch Kirill, was awarded the Prize of the International Public Fund for Unity of Orthodox Peoples and adopted by President Putin.

Political parties

Unlike the CIS and post -communist countries, in Georgia there were never parties expressing the interests of the Russian diaspora. According to political scientist Giya Abashidze, "in Georgia there was never a strong Russian diaspora that would promote integration with Russia and the interests of Moscow."

However, it is relations with Russia - varying from the exit from the USSR (under the first President Zviad Gamsakhurdia), attempts to establish cooperation and work within the CIS (under Eduard Shevardnadze) until a full breakdown of diplomatic relations (under Mikhail Saakashvili) are a determining factor in modern Georgian politics.

In the variegated Georgian political palette there are parties that advocate close relations with Russia. However, as Abashidze states, "they are all quite unpopular and their ratings do not do not much exceed the zero mark."

This, for example, is the "Labor Party of Georgia", whose leader, Shalva Natelashvili believes that Georgia should declare neutrality. After the devastating defeat in the parliamentary elections in 2012, the party will most likely break up. Another “neutral Georgia”-its leader Valery Kvaraskhelia at one time was a press-speaker of Shevardnadze. The Society of Elijah of the Second, several activists of which at the end of last year unsuccessfully tried to hold an anti -NATO rally in the city center. There is also a pro -Russian “Party of the Georgian Vine”, known only thanks to the leader - director George Shenglay, who is sometimes a feud in the press.

One of these parties - the "democratic movement for a single Georgia" - is headed by the former speaker of the Georgian parliament Nino Burjanadze. After the August war, Burdzhanadze even met Putin in Moscow, presumably to receive support. But these steps of Burjanadze never added popularity to her. The Party of the ex-Prime Minister Zurabaida "Movement for Fair Georgia", which also met with the Kremlin leadership, completely disappeared from the political advance.

With the members of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, including Zhirinovsky, at one time met the leader of the "People's Party" Koba Davitashvili (he has currently become a deputy of the parliament on the lists of Coalitsia, the new Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili) and the leader of the Free Georgia, a member of the Tbilisi Sagrebulo (metropolitan parliament) of Kakha Kukava. “These parties, as well as several other similar associations, are so unpopular that they are considered parties of one person,” says Gia Abashidze.

After the coalition of Ivanishvili came to power, the Georgian Dream on the political field of Georgia intensified new players - the Russian businessman of Georgian descent, Mindia Gululo - the party for updated Georgia and the former Minister of State Security in the government of Shevardnadze Valery Khaburdzania, who was about to establish a new pro -Russian party in Georgia.

With the idea of ​​establishing relations with Russia, without refusing pro -Western orientation, the coalition “Georgian Dream”, the leader of which is the Russian oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili, who won the last election. Before the elections, he was forced to abandon Russian citizenship and is currently a citizen of France, but still, as they say, has a percentage of shares in Gazprom. The National Movement Party, which has ruled the country for the past 9 years, suspects that Ivanishvili will soon abandon the pro -Western course for the sake of Russian interests.

At the same time, it seems that most of the electorate of Ivanishvili-his coalition received 54 percent of the vote in the elections, is not very interested in the prospect of changing the country's foreign policy. The electoral company of the Georgian Dream was focused on social problems - the fight against unemployment, reducing the cost of utilities, affordable health care, lending to agriculture, mass amnesty of prisoners. In addition, representatives of the new government are actively negotiating to resume the supply of Georgian wine, mineral water and agricultural products to the Russian market.

Business

It is hardly possible to talk about any special preferences for Russian business in Georgia, but the fact that Georgia is a leader in the post-Soviet space for the simplicity of business, for economic freedom and a number of other ratings of international organizations. This in itself is a good incentive for attracting investments, ”says expert Gennady Abarovich. По его словам, в год в Грузию поступает свыше 1 млрд инвестиций (пик — 2007 год, когда инвестиции составили свыше 2 млрд долларов, в том числе из России — 89 млн долларов).

Гораздо важнее, по словам эксперта, что несмотря на сложные политические отношения между Грузией и Россией, правительство не создает российским компаниям никаких трудностей, сделав ставку на принцип "бизнес есть бизнес". В итоге даже во время войны между Россией и Грузией компания РАО ЕЭС, владеющая Тбилисскими электросетями, исправно подавала населению свет.

Всего с 1997 года по 2011 год из России в Грузию поступило прямых инвестиций в размере 456,2 млн долларов. В целом объем российских инвестиций в Грузию составляет 5-6 процентов от общего объема.

Все еще актуальными для Грузии остаются денежные перечисления родственников, проживающих или работающих в России, хотя в этих показателях значительно увеличилась доля средств для ведения бизнеса. Только за 2011 год из России было переведено 655,2 млн долларов, а за 11 месяцев 2012 года 643,2 млн долларов. Объем денежных переводов из России составляет 54% от общего объема переводов.

Российская компания DEMA COMPUTERS LIMITED с 2005 года владеет 51% акций АО "Электровозостроитель". Предприятие поставляет электровозы не только для Грузинской железной дороги, но и на экспорт — в Украину и Азербайджан. Российской компании принадлежит и один из крупнейших горно-металлургических комплексов — Маднеульский ГОК, занимающийся разработкой медного месторождения в Восточной Грузии. "Маднеули" производит медный концентрат и золото — это одна из основных статей экспорта Грузии. В 2011 году компания GeoProMining, принадлежащая компании "Промышленные инвесторы", продала предприятие другой российской компании — "Капитал групп".

С 2006 года в Грузии работает российская компания "Вымпел-Коммуникации" (Вымпелком). Начав в Грузии практически с нуля, Beeline к середине 2012 года уже имела около 991 тысяч активных абонентов. Присутствует в Грузии и российский банковский сектор. Группе "ВТБ" принадлежит одноименный банк, занимающий шестое место по объему активов в стране.

Return to the project "Lingva Frank"