Russia is trying to regain influence in Georgia through culture and language – intelligence
Kyiv • UNN
Russia is methodically promoting the Russian language and culture in Georgia through concerts, competitions, and language programs. Moscow's goal is not mass support, but to test the readiness of Georgian society to tolerate Russia's return to the public sphere.
Russia is trying to return to Georgia's public space not through diplomacy, but through culture – and it is doing so methodically. This is stated in an analysis by the American center The Jamestown Foundation, UNN reports, citing the Foreign Intelligence Service.
Details
The intelligence service noted that diplomatic relations between the countries have been severed since 2008, so Moscow's interests in Tbilisi are formally represented by the Swiss embassy. It is under this sign that the "Russian interests section" operates, which, according to its head D. Olisov, sees the promotion of the Russian language as one of the main areas of work.
The Kremlin's toolkit is standard: an appeal to a "common history," cultural tours, and language programs. On May 14, a concert by students of a Russian creative university with a Soviet repertoire took place at the Rustaveli Theater in Tbilisi – an event that immediately drew criticism due to its location in the center of the Georgian capital. A month later, on June 14–15, Tbilisi was visited for the second time this year by Putin's special representative for cultural cooperation, M. Shvydkoy, officially for a theater tour, unofficially promoting the idea of "restoring trust" between Moscow and Georgia through culture.
In parallel, Russia is trying to secure the status of the Russian language as part of Georgia's heritage. At the end of May, the "interests section" gathered Georgian teachers of Russian, and on June 6, it held an event for Pushkin's birthday, which was attended by only about two dozen elderly people. The effect was the opposite of what was intended: Georgian activists regarded the event as the promotion of the "Russian world," and Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman M. Zakharova called the protesters "radicals" in response.
The intelligence service added that the Kremlin is trying to attract youth and creative circles separately – through the Pushkin competition, the "Ambassadors of the Russian Language" project, and invitations to youth competitions in Russia. At the same time, activity is expanding beyond Tbilisi: performances by Russian artists, some of whom openly support the war against Ukraine or justify the occupation of Georgian territories, are planned in Batumi for summer and autumn.
These steps will not lead to a rapid growth of pro-Russian sentiments, but Moscow's goal is different – not mass support, but a test of how ready Georgian society is to tolerate Russia's return to the public sphere under the guise of "non-political" culture. Even small-scale initiatives can deepen polarization and give the Kremlin convenient reasons to talk about the "radicalization" of anti-Russian forces in Georgia.