Since the fall of the Soviet Union, relations between Georgia and Russia have been far
from amicable, as disagreements over international alignments, territorial pretensions,
and historical legacies have created a significant number of damaging rifts between the
political elites of the two countries. However, prior to the arrest of four Russian citizens
accused of espionage in Georgia in September 2006, it was thought that the elite political
conflicts had only a marginal effect on relations between average Russians and
Georgians, as manifested for example on the streets of Moscow or Tbilisi. However, the
so-called „spy scandal? of September-October 2006 set in motion an extended targeting
and expulsion of ethnic Georgians from Russia, both those living legally in the country
and those without official permission. Russian government officials, police officers, and
mass media outlets alike were accused of fomenting this persecution, which has resulted
in the closing of Georgian businesses alleged to be operating illegally and so far in the
departure of an estimated 4-5,000 ethnic Georgians, either by order of expulsion or out of
fear of the possible consequences of further life in Moscow.
The treatment of ethnic Georgians in Russia could have resulted in a backlash from the
Georgian side against the considerable minority of ethnic Russians in Georgia. This Issue
Brief examines the conduct of Georgian officials, journalists, and citizens towards ethnic
Russians in the aftermath of the expulsions from Russia and intends to determine the
extent of any appearances of discrimination in response. In the end, few such
manifestations were found, as Georgian officials, possibly seizing the initiative only for
political reasons, took steps to reassure the Russian minority in Georgia of their safety.
Furthermore, the bans on transportation links, postal service, and money transfers levied
4
by Russia on Georgia have also had an adverse effect on ethnic Russian organizations
and individuals.
In order to provide a background for the analysis of majority-minority relations, this Brief
will first look at the formation and composition of the ethnic Georgian and Russian
communities, in Russia and Georgia respectively. Next, an examination of the treatment
of ethnic Russians will be undertaken, comparing events in Georgia to those which
happened in Russia in the fall of 2006 and afterward. Over the course of the research on
the ethnic Russian community in Georgia, a series of 20 interviews was undertaken
among leaders of organizations, religious figures and ordinary citizens in order to obtain
their views on the situation in Russia. The findings revealed a praiseworthy sense of
judgment on the part of Georgian actors in response to the crisis, although overall rhetoric
towards Russia still demonstrates negative tendencies, which increasingly may affect the
level of tolerance in the country.