'Russians Go Home': Understanding the Neo-Imperial Narrative toward Russian Migration in Tbilisi (2022-2023)

• In Event: Russian Migration to Central Asia and the Caucasus: Shifting Narratives

Abstract

The Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine has provoked one of the largest migration crises in post-Soviet spaces, when immigrants from Russia and refugees from Ukraine are mixed up in former Soviet republics, actively shaping everyday life in these places. Tbilisi has become one of the most popular destinations for Russian emigrants, provoking a lot of protests and confrontation from the pro-European Georgian youth. This article, based on two year long research in Tbilisi, unpacks the popular narratives associated with the increasing influence of the Russian emigrants in Georgia. It particularly engages with what is perceived as “imperial” behavior, and “occupation” and how those are connected with the current politics, economical connections between countries, recent history of military interventions from the Russian State and personal and family memories. The article argues that the since the beginning of the war, the Russian emigrants, even with clear anti-war position are seen as the agents of the neo-imperial influence in Georgia, and urges for widening up the existing frames in the post-colonial post-Soviet debates in the new direction.

Author

• Sofia Gavrilova, Leibniz Institute for Regional Geography (Germany)