“Something broke between us”: Russian tourists spoke about the meeting in Georgia

The Russians, who arrived in Georgia on their own, without waiting for the launch of a mass domestic tourist product, are still amazed with a plus sign.

– The prices are generally ridiculous, – a Muscovite rejoices, having arrived in Tbilisi for the first time the day before. – I understand that such happiness loves silence, but still they will come in large numbers. Just imagine, a boutique hotel in a restored old estate on a cliff above the Kura – less than 40 GEL per day (40 GEL – 1268 rubles). You live like a Georgian prince, and the city center with all the affairs is five minutes on foot. Local “fives” – up to 4 thousand rubles per day. And in the most expensive restaurant to eat and get drunk together – within 100 GEL.

– How about the attitude of the locals?

– Everyone here is glad to see us, they say that it was necessary to return direct flights and give visa-free travel to Georgians for a long time. They say that, whatever one may say, we are native people.

– It’s true, there are no anti-Russian sentiments here, – confirms a 45-year-old relocant from the Russian Federation, to whom I address my doubts. – Everything anti-Russian is only at the level of the opposition’s rhetoric, which benefits from it. And ordinary people treat us well.

Personally, I’ve been here for the second year, and I can’t remember a single case of aggression against myself on a national basis. Unless the youth in Tbilisi does not speak Russian, if you need to ask something, it is better in English. Although, of course, prices for long-term rentals have doubled or even tripled because of us.

The same housing that I managed to rent for 750 GEL is now already 1900. Some particularly convenient locations have tripled in size. But this is Georgia, and there will always be a person who will not raise prices “solely for the sake of your beautiful eyes.” For example, if you found it through local acquaintances. Such a people, hospitality in them is indestructible.

Young travelers from Russia, who do not have a budget for the “life of a Georgian prince”, are also satisfied: they expect to meet 300 lari (9,510 rubles) per person per week. This includes accommodation in a hostel in the center of Tbilisi (about $ 10 per day), breakfasts and lunches at home (the hostel has a kitchen), and dinners in a cafe.

– We like everything, – students from Moscow assure. – We are visa-free for up to 360 days, the weather is gorgeous, a combo lunch in fast food is 27 GEL, in a local kebab place to overeat 10 GEL per person, a liter of homemade wine is 6 GEL.

Metro and bus – 1 lari (31.6 rubles) per trip, bike rental 35 lari (about 1000 rubles) per day, cable car (cableway across the Kura – Avt) 3 lari (94.9 rubles). Everything is very intelligently arranged, the smartphone will lead you around the city, you don’t have to pay live guides. Rubles are exchanged for lari at a good rate, there is no need to carry bucks with you.

Russian youth is still gathering in Batumi and is ready for the fact that it will be more expensive there, since the swimming season is already here:

– But we don’t need expensive hotels, we have already found private owners for 1500 per day for a very decent half-house with a separate entrance ten minutes by the sea.

– How do Georgians treat you?

– Oh, they seem to be happy. The taxi driver from the airport did not even want to take his 40 lari (1265 rubles) for the fare, like we are dear guests. But 40 GEL for locals is quite a big amount.

– And because of the Russian relocators, the rent has increased!

– Yes, this is what one local student told us. What, they say, used to be a kopeck piece on Rustaveli (the central avenue of Tbilisi — Auth.) for $ 500 a month he calmly rented, and now he barely has enough for a single apartment in a residential area. But after that, he immediately opened his smartphone and showed us on the Internet how many millions of dollars the Russians have taken to Georgia over the past two years. And he said that everything can be forgiven for this.

And now let’s listen to the people of Tbilisi themselves.

– The prices for the simplest apartments grew from $200 lari per month to $600, some had to leave Tbilisi for home in the village, – says a resident of the Georgian capital. – Other relatives sheltered, if students, or colleagues, if the visitor works. The attitude towards Russians is normal. What are you angry about. We are all humans.

Recently, I was personally looking for an apartment for your relocant. And for $700 I found only a kopeck piece in Vake, although she wanted an apartment in the center. It was then that I told her: what did you want?! There are 60 thousand of your souls here, and everyone is filming.

– A little more than a year ago there was more aggression towards the Russians, – a Tbilisi student admits, – but now people are used to it. Of course, anything happens, but in general the situation is normal. The Georgian people are like that, they get used to everything. It’s just that now is the time, everyone is excited.

– Does anyone still have aggression?

– For young people who were eager to go to Europe, and now they think that with these direct flights and “visa-free” the way to the EU was closed. At the beginning of May there was a lot of hype, but now only some tension remains. Most of all, rental prices are frustrating, of course. Earnings have remained the same, but visitors have to pay twice as much. Well, adult children used to shoot so as not to live with their parents. And now they can’t afford it.

But then I asked a Russian friend: in the 7 months of his life in Georgia, he only faced aggression twice. He didn’t even want to tell. I forgot, he says.

Everything else that a Russian needs to know about Georgia and about Georgians, whom we once knew well, but have forgotten, was voiced to us by Nata Kirvalidze, a 27-year-old resident of Tbilisi:

– I have been waiting for the day when our visas to Russia will be canceled, one might say, since childhood. My family in Russia has relatives and friends. Having been there as a child, I still dreamed of returning.

Unexpectedly, visas were canceled – and it would seem that we should rejoice, but I felt emptiness. I still want to see my relatives, I believe in people both on my land and on your land, but something between us still broke. Not only now, but in all recent years. I’m afraid it will be impossible to make up for this time, too much has changed, and we all have become different. But this does not mean that we must hate or ignore each other, we must build good relations anew.

In the first days of the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, everyone here was aggressive towards any people of Slavic appearance. But over time, things got better. True, the unexpected cancellation of visas and the permission to fly caused a new outburst of indignation among part of the population. But, by and large, Georgians appreciate the guests of their land, and over time, innate hospitality will win.

But it is very important that guests respect our rights and our values. We are all inhabitants of one planet and in difficult times we must especially respect each other.