Long in Russian orbit, Georgia tilts West
Nestled in a fairy-light-strewn park along the riverbank, near a street vendor proffering a chipped-nose statuette of native son Josef Stalin, a pub has posted a notice.
Russia is an “occupier,” and its President Vladimir Putin is “evil.” “If you do not agree,” it warns, “please do not come in.”
It’s a serious statement in a country that prides itself on its smothering hospitality.
Proprietor Data Lapauri is speaking in part to potential patrons fleeing Moscow in the wake of the war in Ukraine to avoid conscription and prosecution for dissent, or on the lookout for a better life.
These Russians are, on the whole, richer, if more politically oppressed, than their Georgian neighbors, and have been driving up the cost of living here in the capital. Rents have more than doubled since 2022, and lattes are approaching London prices.
With a penchant for silent meditation retreats and potted fern-forward decor, Mr. Lapauri doesn’t seem prone to martial pronouncements. Nonetheless, he detects existential threat in these developments: “Every Russian is a soldier. Some come with guns, others come with money – and they’re expanding the Russian empire.”
Across town, at a new Russian-owned cafe with views overlooking the stylish cobblestoned old city, a 20-something couple from St. Petersburg marvel at the balmy breezes. They are digital nomads who no longer want to live in the authoritarian state Mr. Putin has created. They also understand the frustration of Georgians like Mr. Lapauri who question why Russians like them don’t depose their leader.
But the state “is so strong, so corrupt, [with] so many weapons,” says Katya, who has compatriots in prison for engaging in political protests and prefers not to share her last name. “The police and soldiers, they are so ...” Katya struggles for the right word, “impossible.”
Her boyfriend abridges, putting his hand on her shoulder: “It’s pain.”
The dynamic between these young Russians and the Georgian cafe owner is playing out throughout the former Soviet satellites of the Caucasus and Central Asia,
