Stories about Georgia from January, 2009
Georgia: Opposition Unites, Kind Of…
Dateline Tbilisi comments on news that twelve opposition parties have agreed to unite to call for Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili's resignation. The blog says the party believes Saakashvili will be forced to resign by the end of 2009 but points out some of the many factors which will determine if...
Georgia: Armenian Activists Detained
Blogian comments on the arrest of two ethnic Armenians in the Georgian region of Samtskhe-Javakheti allegedly for espionage and the formation of an armed gang. The blog says calls for autonomy or independence from Georgia are once again being heard.
Georgia: Glukhov's Case; U.S.-Based “Georgian Chalabis”
Scraps of Moscow writes about Aleksandr Glukhov's case, and notes on the possibility “that Georgian Chalabis are already being groomed Stateside.”
Russia, Georgia: Glukhov's Unit in Tskhinvali Since June 2008?
AnTyx comments on soldier Aleksandr Glukhov‘s mention of his unit's transfer to South Ossetia in June 2008: “If true, it would mean that the war in Georgia was deliberately provoked by Russia.”
Russia: Conscript Seeks Asylum in Georgia
Aleksandr Glukhov, a 21-year-old Russian conscript, has asked for asylum in the Republic of Georgia to escape the "unbearable conditions" in the Russian army. One of Glukhov's media appearances took place as he was dining at a McDonald's restaurant in Tbilisi. Russian officials claim that Glukhov was captured by Georgian armed forces in South Ossetia, where he was performing his compulsory military service, and taken to the Georgian capital. Quite a few people in Russia seem to consider Glukhov "a traitor." Below are some of the reactions from the Russophone blogosphere.
Georgia: Uneasy Reading
This is Tbilisi Calling comments on a new report released by Human Rights Watch detailing war crimes committed during the August war between Georgia and Russia. The blog says that the report is uneasy reading, but essential nonetheless. Meanwhile, while both sides violated international humanitarian law, The Tbilisi Blues says...
Ukraine: “The EU Neighbour ‘Reality’ Problem”
Wu Wei writes about the EU and “the Ukrainian (or Georgian) reality”: “I speak from experience in working on oil stocks in Ukraine, where the Ukrainian “reality” apparently required to set up an agency for oil stocks first, then worry about what it would do later (legislation, finance, ownership of...
The Balkans: Urbanization
The Unforgiving Minute writes about urban development in the Balkans and elsewhere.
Israel: A Russian Photojournalist's Notes
Dmitry Kostyukov (LJ user kostyukov), a Russian photojournalist, is currently on assignment in Israel. In August 2008, he was covering the war in South Ossetia, and in his posts from Israel, he does draw some parallels between the two conflicts, and also provides insight into the work of a war photographer.
Georgia: Stalin Monuments in Gori
Photos of Stalin monuments in Gori, Georgia – by Latvian photographer Arnis Balcus.
Georgia: Beautiful Tbilisi
Flying Carpets and Broken Pipelines, the blog of an Azerbaijani political analyst based in Baku and Istanbul, pays its first visit to Tbilisi, capital of the Republic of Georgia. The blog says that the city is beautiful and has preserved it historical charm while it also notes some of the...
Russia-Georgia: Tblisi selling out energy supply
FP Passport notes that Georgia is selling part of a hydroelectric plant – supplying nearly half the country's energy – to Russia, amidst the gas crisis between Moscow and Kiev.
Russia-Georgia: Red Cross viewpoint
Krusenstern discusses [GER] the civilian consequences of the Russo-German war from the perspective of a recent ICRC-official's reflections.
Georgia: U.S. Strategic Partnership Charter
Dateline Tbilisi reports that the outgoing Bush administration in Washington has signed a strategic partnership charter with Georgia which supports its territorial integrity and aspirations towards NATO membership. Although non-binding, the blog notes that the charter reportedly marks a shift towards direct military assistance for the South Caucasus republic and...
Russia-Georgia: Overcoming war by wine?
Paul Goble of WindowonEurasia discusses how Georgian wine producers are seeking to get Russia's ban on Georgian wine import lifted.
Georgia: IDPs
Swapping Purley-on-Thames for Tbilisi, Georgia pays a visit to collective centers for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from the August war with Russia. Visiting with an ethnic Armenian Santa Claus and toys for the children, the blog says that conditions have improved in time for Winter, but there is little sign...
Caucasus: New Year, Christmas
With Christmas and the New Year usually accompanied by lavish television spectaculars and decorations in the center of most cities worldwide, celebrations in countries such as Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia are the same to some extent, but usually more low-key and family-orientated. A number of expat workers and Peace Corps Volunteers in all three countries offer an outside eye on proceedings.
Georgia: New Year, Christmas Feasting
The Tbilisi Blues comments on preparations for the New Year festivities in Georgia. Although events started at the beginning of December, the New Year will lead into Christmas celebrated on 7 January. From the beginning of the year, however, Georgians will visit relatives until 14 January and particularly enjoy their...
