Podcast: Roundtable Osteuropa 57

Russians on the Move: Reception and Response in Georgia and Armenia

13/11/2025
In September 2022, cars waited in a long line at the Verkhny Lars–Darial Gorge border crossing between Russia and Georgia, with people walking beside the vehicles and the mountains visible in the background.
A queue of cars waiting to enter Georgia from Russia at the Verkhny Lars-Darial Gorge border crossing in the Republic of North Ossetia–Alania, Russia, in September 2022. IMAGO / SNA

Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, hundreds of thousands of Russians have left their country. Many of them went to the South Caucasus, with Georgia and Armenia becoming popular destinations. In this episode, we explore why these countries were chosen, how the newcomers were received, and how both they and the host societies have adapted to this new reality.

Why were Georgia and Armenia a particular magnet for Russian migrants? What has life been like for them since they arrived? We delve into local reactions, from skyrocketing rents and unofficial boycotts in Georgia to more restrained responses in Armenia, and try to explain these differences. Are they rooted in history, politics or economics? How do official attitudes towards Russia influence everyday interactions? And what opportunities are there for Russian activists in these countries?

This episode looks at the connection between mobility, politics and memory in the South Caucasus and shows how this region has been greatly affected by Russia's war.

Participants

  • Margarita Zavadskaya (Researcher at the Aleksanteri Institute – Finnish Centre for Russian and East European Studies)

  • Tsypylma Darieva (ZOiS, head of the research cluster on ‘Migration and Diversity’)

  • Moderation: Stefanie Orphal (ZOiS, Communications Director)

(Music: “Complete” by Modul is licensed under a CC BY-NC-ND 3.0-License.)

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Roundtable Osteuropa

Roundtable Osteuropa is a podcast by the Centre for East European and International Studies. Scholars of ZOiS and their guests discuss their research of Eastern Europe. We consider events in politics and society, while also trying to shed light on lesser-known issues – with insights from sociology, political science, geography, social anthropology, literary studies and theology.

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