the russians are here
exile in georgia
Disclaimer: This article was originally created in 2022. While its content remains relevant, please note that some information may not reflect the latest developments.
part 1: the russians are here
The small nation of Georgia located by the Black Sea has been one of the countries most affected by Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
Georgians resonate with Ukrainians as 20% of their country is being occupied by Russia and Russian-backed forces. They even had a short war in 2008 where Russia came very close to Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia.
Fabrika Hostel in Tbilisi is a popular place for travelers as it offers affordable dorm-style beds and rooms. It is also popular with local Georgians for its many restaurants and bars.
Although Fabrika caters to all tourists, most who stay here are Russians. Georgia, a nation of 3.7 million people has seen an influx of 100,000 Russians coming into the country.
Ilya Kim was living in Moscow with his wife and daughter. He left Russia in March after the war started and went to Georgia followed by Spain. He then went back to Russia to sell his property but while there, the mobilization of the military began so he immediately flew to Baku, Azerbaijan with $100 in his pocket. He eventually made his way here to Tbilisi. He is now waiting for his wife to finish selling their property in Russia, they then plan on moving on to Thailand but with an end goal of settling down in the United States, where his daughter is a citizen since she was born in Miami.
Constantine, a former oil and gas worker didn’t expect he would leave his home in Moscow. After training with the military while in college and gaining the rank of an officer, he was supposed to be exempt from the mandatory draft. But, four weeks ago, after coming back home from walking his dog with his girlfriend, his building supervisor informed him that two men from the military were hanging around in the building and had a special interest in his apartment. He didn’t wait around to see what they wanted and immediately booked the cheapest flight he could find out of Russia, which happened to be a $400 flight to Yerevan, Armenia. He has been in Georgia for one week but plans on returning to Armenia soon.
Mikhail left St. Petersburg 3 weeks ago. He booked and flew to Minsk in Belarus one day after Putin’s mobilization order. After spending 2 weeks there, he then flew to Georgia. He hopes to eventually become a citizen of Canada, Australia, Finland, or Iceland.
Anya and Roma are from Pyatigorsk, a Russian city in the Caucasus. They hitchhiked to Georgia and have been here for 2 weeks. They plan their day at the moment and don’t know where they will end up sleeping at night till it’s time to sleep.
Rodion and Sergei are from St. Petersburg while Vladimir is from Moscow. Rodion left two months ago, going to Kazakhstan for a month and then making his way to Georgia. Sergei drove from St. Petersburg to Tbilisi; he spent 2 days at the border crossing. Vladimir, a nurse by profession, flew from Moscow to Vladikavkaz, a Russian city near the border with Georgia, he then found a ride to Tbilisi, this was the cheapest and fastest way to get out of Russia.
Russian citizens are allowed to stay in Georgia for one year without a visa. Some of them are planning to hopefully go and settle in a country in the west, some plan on moving on to warmer countries such as Thailand and the UAE, while others don’t know what they are going to do as they can only wait and see what happens next.
all photos taken by mohamed mohamed, 2022.
part 2: catching up with ilya kim
Since Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, the small nation of Georgia has been flooded with Russians fleeing mobilization into the army and economic issues caused by the sanctions from the west.
More than 100,000 Russians have crossed the Russian-Georgian border.
Most are only briefly staying in Georgia as they try to figure out where to go next.
Ilya Kim was living in Moscow with his wife and daughter. He left Russia for Georgia when the war was in its beginning stages back in March of 2022. He returned to Russia via a stop in Spain to sell his property. But while back home in Moscow, Putin declared a partial mobilization. The risk of being drafted compelled Ilya to leave immediately for Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan with only $100 in his pocket. He eventually returned to Georgia since he knew many people there.
Two months ago, he was in Tbilisi waiting for his wife to sell their remaining property. They planned to move to Thailand with their daughter and eventually settle down in the United States where she is a citizen since she was born in Miami.
Since then, Ilya has made it to Thailand and has been reunited with his wife and daughter. They have rented a place in the resort town of Pattaya, He still wants to move to the US, more specifically Texas and hopes to be there in the summer.
“I’m going to settle down here and enjoy my time here with my family, and in the summer, I will be in America, hopefully, if they approve my visa!”
