Executive Summary:
- Russia is expanding soft power in Georgia through cultural diplomacy, highlighted by two visits this year from Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for International Cultural Cooperation Mikhail Shvydkoy.
- Moscow has intensified its promotion of Russian culture and language in Georgia, using theater performances, concerts, educational programs, and Russian-language initiatives to promote narratives of a shared historical and civilizational space and encourage closer Russian–Georgian ties.
- The Russian Interests Section at the Swiss Embassy in Georgia—the Russian diplomatic mission operating under a Swiss protecting-power arrangement established after Georgia severed relations following the 2008 invasion—has made promotion of the Russian language a priority over the last year.
- Moscow’s soft-power campaign has generated backlash inside Georgia, including protests at Russian-language events and criticism from civil society figures who view Russian cultural outreach as a vehicle for political influence from a state that continues to occupy Georgian territory.
On June 14–15, Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for International Cultural Cooperation Mikhail Shvydkoy visited Tbilisi for at least the second time this year. Formally, Shvydkoy’s June visit was in his capacity as artistic director of a Russian theater group that put on several performances in the Georgian capital (Sputnik Georgia, June 16). Russian President Vladimir Putin’s special representative, however, also used his stay in Georgia to make political statements and promote rapprochement between the two countries via cultural events.
Shvydkoy stated that culture could help restore trust between Russia and Georgia. According to him, the two countries have deep historical and human ties, and cultural contacts could gradually restore an atmosphere of mutual understanding (Sputnik Georgia, June 16). In Shvydkoy’s March visit to Tbilisi, he participated in mourning events and the farewell ceremony for the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Ilia II (see EDM, April 7).
A scandal over a May 14 concert performed by students of a Russian creative university preceded Shvydkoy’s June visit to Georgia. The concert took place in the center of Tbilisi on the most prestigious stage of one of Georgia’s most famous venues, the Rustaveli Theater. The theater is not typically used for school or student events, especially those involving Russian students. Located near government buildings and areas of anti-Russian protests, many Georgians saw the event as provocative because of the performance of Soviet-era songs associated by many Georgians with Soviet rule (Facebook/TV Mir, May 18).
A statement from the Russian Federation Interests Section at the Swiss Embassy in Georgia regarding the concert said, “The heroic pages of our shared history, the bright poetic memories of the Great Patriotic War, will forever remain in the hearts of the peoples of Russia and Georgia” (Facebook/RuISEmbSwissGEO, May 15). [1] After the scandal broke out, the Ministry of Culture of Georgia denied any involvement in organizing the event and stated that the theater “conducts its activities independently” (Radio Tavisupleba, May 18). The comments of one of the Russian student-actors who took part in the event caused the greatest irritation in Georgian society. He stated, “It feels as if this is not another country, not another city, as if we never left—we were here, and we will always be here” (Facebook/TV Mir, May 17).
Tamta Mikeladze, a Georgian human rights defender and one of the leaders of the country’s non-governmental sector, stated that Russia uses the idea of “shared history” within the framework of the “Russian World” concept to expand its influence (Facebook/tamta.mikeladze, May 17). According to Mikeladze, phrases such as “the heroic pages of our shared history,” used in the statement by the Russian Interests Section at the Embassy of Switzerland, are not neutral cultural language. They are part of a policy of imperial memory, within which Moscow presents itself as the historical center, while post-Soviet societies are portrayed as a single “civilizational space” (see EDM, February 19, 2016, December 13, 2023, May 5, 2025).
Amid Moscow’s declared policy of expanding cultural engagement with Georgia, Batumi, Georgia’s Black Sea resort city, is set to experience a wave of performances by Russian musicians this summer and autumn. The Georgian service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty published a comprehensive schedule of appearances by Russian artists, many of whom support Russia’s war against Ukraine and have expressed support for, or justified, Russia’s occupation of parts of Georgia’s territory (Radio Tavisupleba, June 19).
Russia has noticeably intensified its use of “soft power” in Georgia over the past year, placing particular emphasis on strengthening and promoting the Russian language as one of its geopolitical instruments of influence in the post-Soviet space. There are no updated data on Russian language proficiency among the population of Georgia. The latest available study from 2024, however, shows that knowledge of the Russian language is still present to some extent due to the Soviet legacy, especially among the older generation. Among younger generations, proficiency in Russian is gradually and consistently declining. Around 17 percent of the population do not know any Russian, 25 percent are at a beginner level, 38 percent have an intermediate level, and 18 percent have an advanced level of proficiency. The highest level of Russian language knowledge is found among older generations (Caucasus Barometer, 2024)
Head of the Russian Interests Section at the Swiss Embassy in Georgia Dmitry Olisov explicitly identified one of his priorities one year ago following his appointment—Russia would work to promote the Russian language in Georgia (Tvpirveli.ge June 6, 2025). In the first half of this year, the Russian Interests Section organized a series of events to promote and strengthen the Russian language in Georgia. At the end of May, the Russian Interests Section brought together Georgian teachers of the Russian language from across the country to recognize their contribution to Russian-language instruction and the development of “cultural ties” (Facebook/netgazeti, May 30).
On June 6, the Russian Interests Section at the Swiss Embassy organized another event dedicated to the protection of the Russian language, held in conjunction with the birthday of the Russian writer Alexander Pushkin (X/@FormulaGe, June 6). The event took place in the center of Tbilisi near the Pushkin bust. Only around two dozen elderly Georgian citizens attended the event, underscoring the limited effectiveness of Russia’s efforts to strengthen the position of the Russian language in Georgia. The popularity of the Russian language and Russian culture, particularly among Georgian youth, remains relatively low.
Such assertive promotion of Russian culture in Georgia generated a counterreaction. On Pushkin’s birthday, the event became the focus of a protest in the city center, with young demonstrators expressing their opposition to its organization. Police were called to the scene to prevent potential incidents (Facebook/Mtavarinow, June 6). On June 18, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova described Georgian activists who protested the celebration of Russian Language Day as extremists, radicals, and hooligans. She stated that “the Russian language is part of Georgia’s cultural heritage and an integral component of the Georgian people and Georgian culture” (Facebook/Mtavarinow, June 6). Zakharova appeared so confident that the current Georgian authorities would act in accordance with Moscow’s wishes that she expressed hope that Georgia’s law enforcement agencies would give the protesters’ actions an appropriate legal assessment (TASS, June 18).
Practically every week, the Russian Interests Section organizes events dedicated to the Russian language. On June 9, the Russian Interests Section published a news announcement about the results of the XXVI International Pushkin Competition. The theme of this year’s competition was “The Russian Language on Pravda Street. How is it living in your school and country?” Two participants from Georgia were among the 50 winners of the competition (Facebook/RuISEmbSwissGEO, June 9). On June 10, the Russian Interests Section held an event titled “Ambassadors of the Russian Language” with the participation of teachers and philologists. The event was attended by a researcher from the Russian Academy of Sciences, who spoke about the development of the Russian language, its current state, and prospects for its further development (Facebook/RuISEmbSwissGEO, June 10). The Russian Interests Section at the Swiss Embassy also continues to promote cultural and educational initiatives to engage Georgian youth and attract them to Russia. On June 11, it published an invitation for musicians from Georgia to take part in the second International Children and Youth Competition “In the Homeland of P. I. Tchaikovsky” (Facebook/RuISEmbSwissGEO, June 11). This invite suggests that Moscow intends to once again make Russia a center of attraction for Georgian creative circles, as it was during the Soviet period. While in Tbilisi, Special Representative Shvydkoy stated that Russia is open to creative people from Georgia (Sputnik Georgia, June 16).
After the 2003 Rose Revolution, Georgia reduced Russian cultural and educational influence, but this approach gradually shifted after Georgian Dream came to power in 2012. One of the early signs of this change was a statement by then-Minister of Education Giorgi Margvelashvili, who later became Georgia’s president from 2013–2018, that Georgia should be viewed as bilingual, implying a place for the Russian language and cultural heritage (Ekho Kavkaza, November 2, 2012). In recent years, this trend has also been reflected in Russian rhetoric. In 2025, Olisov, emphasized the role of the Russian language in Georgian literary heritage, stating that some Georgian writers “not only created, but also thought in Russian” (Radio Tavisupleba, June 6, 2025). These developments indicate that Moscow is attempting to use the changing political environment in Georgia to restore influence through language, education, and cultural initiatives. Such efforts remain controversial in Georgian society, where many view them as instruments of political influence from a country that still occupies Georgian territory rather than pure cultural engagement.
Note:
[1] Russian diplomats represent Moscow through the Swiss Embassy under a protecting-power arrangement established in March 2009 after Tbilisi severed formal diplomatic relations with Moscow because of Russia’s 2008 invasion of Georgia.
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