Hundreds of Russian citizens leave their country for Georgia.
The first thing they do when they arrive is withdraw money from an ATM and then look for a place to live. Once in Tbilisi, everyone has their own plans.
Difficulty finding a flat
“I decided to stay here until something changes,” says one man. “I came last month, before all this nasty chaos. I don’t want to be in a country that starts a war, that’s why I came.”
I don’t know how long I’ll stay, but this year for sure. Maybe a few months, a year, even more,” says another.
They have no problem booking a hotel. But sometimes it is difficult for them to find an apartment to rent. Many in Georgia prefer to host Ukrainians in their flats, sometimes even for free.
“I have been renting apartments for about five years, I have two in the old part of Tbilisi,” says a real estate owner. “I have had clients from all over the world, from Europe, from Asia, also from Russia. But for now, considering the situation, we give priority to Ukrainian citizens.”
He explains that some friends even let them have their house without asking for money in return.
Refugees or “subversive elements”? Why do so many Russians come?
In mid-March, Georgian Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri reported that 30,500 people had arrived in the country from the Russian Federation, of whom some 12,600 were still there.
Analysts are cautious.
“During the whole month ten times more Russians have arrived in Georgia,” says Lasha Dzebisashvili, a professor at the University of Georgia. “Doubts arise as to whether they are real refugees or whether they have been expelled from Russia for political reasons and are thinking about how to save their businesses or whether they are so-called subversive elements purposely come to Georgia”.
The main concern of the security agencies is the possible entry into the country of Russian paramilitaries, as happened in Ukraine in 2014.