Georgian Revolution on Granite

Almost a revolution is now taking place in Georgia against Russian oligarch Ivanishvili's desire to establish the "Russian world" in the country (the "Russian world" is the general idea of the superiority of Russian Orthodoxy, culture, language, etc., widely promoted by pro-Kremlin figures). That is, the system of corruption, the eradication of civic society, freedom of expression, and the vast exodus of citizens overseas.

Ivanishvili had a good run till recently. Every fourth citizen left the country, he doubled his income, and in recent years, he widely laundered Russian money and facilitated the transit of sanctioned goods. And all would have been dandy if he hadn't decided last year to implement the "foreign agents" law, which followed closely Russian blueprints.

Last year, large protests by mostly young people compelled the authorities to revoke the law. This year, Ivanishvili attempted to corrupt students through ruling parties under his control, student councils, and efforts to sow discord between youth and opposition political organisations.

Russia made available a considerable number of free placements in Russian universities for Georgian students. Most of these scholarships went unclaimed. The money granted to the student councils was spent by the students on themselves, and when Russia once again insisted on passing the law again at the beginning of this year, the young protested once more, this time more forcefully than before. The scale and spirit of these movements make it possible to draw conclusions about the birth in Georgia of a new era of the national liberation movement against the Russian presence and for rapid integration into Europe.

This movement did not appear on its own. In my farewell address as President in 2013, I spoke of "Misha’s generation," referring to individuals who know nothing of the shocking poverty and criminality from the 1990s and have not seen the overarching corruption, particularly in the educational system, that has existed since Soviet times.

We gave each student a free computer and brought Americans into almost every Georgian middle school to teach them English. This generation grew up during a period of free elections in Georgia, as a consequence of which I peacefully transferred power for the first (and last) time in the history of Caucasus.

This generation frequently travels to Europe thanks to the visa-free travel, which my government initiated negotiations on, doing so with low-cost airlines from the airfields we've built. A presidential scholarship enabled ten thousand Georgians to attend the world's premier colleges.

This is a generation that grew up in a state of freedom and have no fear of Russia, and it has become an insurmountable obstacle in the ambitions to transform Georgia into a new "Belarus."

In reaction to this rising tide, Ivanishvili organised a pro-government gathering. People were brought in an orderly manner, primarily from far and destitute communities. 90% of the participants were elderly, and half did not even make it to the venue. And the remainder of them fled so swiftly that the authorities had to turn off the lights at Rustaveli Avenue, ensuring that the emptiness would not be seen neither by the viewers of the broadcast nor by Ivanishvili himself, who was performing this time.

The other day Ivanishvili had his final "coming out". He claimed that the West manufactured the Rose Revolution to pit Georgia against Russia, and that Europe and the United States are part of a worldwide war party that initiated the conflict in Ukraine and intends to include Georgia in it. "I am not Yanukovych, and this will not work with me," Ivanishvili stated. He declared that no matter what the election results were, he would not relinquish power, and that the opposition, which he regards to be a member of my party, the National Movement, would be tried. That is, we were publicly informed of a change in foreign policy and the end of Georgian democracy.

Despite this grandiose statement, members of Ivanishvili's entourage have numerous reasons to lose sleep. Many state workers refused to attend the demonstration yesterday for the first time. The ground is shrinking beneath their feet, particularly in the cities, and they have irreversibly lost Tbilisi, which carries the most weight in Georgia.

It is critical that Americans and Europeans ultimately agree on personal sanctions on Ivanishvili and his immediate entourage. This will severely damage the unity of the governing wolf pack.

Events in Georgia are also crucial for Ukraine. It is quite evident that if Russia's power in Georgia crumbles, the aggressor country's position will be significantly weakened.