This project takes place in Georgia at a time where once again the small nation finds itself at a crossroads in its political history. Georgian Dream, the name of the controversial government party, was chosen as the name of this project in reference to the nation’s European aspirations, a future dependent on the results of the October 2024 parliamentary elections. What started as a coverage of the protests of May 2024 became an exploration of the underlying issues which have exacerbated a political divide thirty years in the making. Over a total period of two months, this project explores a multitude of subjects – from the internal migration crisis due to the 1991 conflict and the harsh economic conditions leading to difficult development, to the attempt at revival of the former leading political party of Saakashvili and the role of the EU in stabilising relations with breakaway regions. Georgian Dream aims to provide a vision into the leitmotif at the heart of the country’s division, and the stakes relying on the result of the upcoming political decision, which could tip the scale at a time of particular tensions between the West and Russia.
Tbilisi, May 2024. More than a hundred thousand protesters gathered in the streets of the Georgian Capital to protest the Foreign Agent law. A column of demonstrators arrives in front of Europe square, where a stage was set up for representatives of anti-government parties.
Tbilisi, May 2024. Levan Khabeishvili, the president of the United National Movement, addresses members of the press in front of the parliament, just days after sustaining serious injuries in attacks linked to a wave of political violence against figures of the opposition.
Tbilisi, July 2024. Giorgi Vashadze, leader of the Strategy Aghmashenebeli party, officially announces the rallying of all the opposition under the flag of the United National Movement for the upcoming parliamentary elections at the campaign’s launch event.
Tbilisi, May 2024. Protesters gather in front of the Georgian Parliament following a nightly demonstration, awaiting the results of the controversial foreign agent law, which ultimately was implemented the following day, after weeks of protests.
Batumi, July 2024. Alexei, a Russian citizen from Rostov-on-Don, who moved to Batumi in 2022. In the current context, many military aged males cross over the border to what is deemed a more hospitable land.
Batumi, July 2024. Soviet-era seaside apartment blocks are layered behind colorful playground rides, rusting away behind a new coat of paint, and a staple of the soviet heritage which still today comes to define the country.
Tbilisi, July 2024. The campaign launch of former president Mikheil Saakashvili’s political party, the United National Movement. Before the event, attendees were gifted the biography of the imprisoned politician as a token of appreciation.
Zugdidi, July 2024. A wall of postcards at the headquarters of Radio Atinati, a local NGO broadcasting into the breakaway region of Abkhazia from the neighbouring town of Zugdidi. Today, Abkhazia is recognised as an independent country by only five nations, including Russia, and has largely been cut off from the rest of the world.
Gori, July 2024. At the Great Patriotic War Museum, dedicated to the Soviet victories of WW2, a more recent display showcases members of the Georgian Armed forces who lost their lives during the August 2008 five-day war with Russia.
Tskaltubo, July 2024. An abandoned soviet sanatorium, Sanatorium Imeriti, which housed Abkhazian refugees until 2022, when they were relocated to suitable accommodation after several years spent in dubious living conditions.
Tskaltubo, July 2024. “Russians only bring war”. Completely abandoned, the decrepit sanatoriums now welcome adventurous explorers and unofficial tour guides, often leaving behind some humorous or political graffiti.
Chiatura, July 2024. Kote Abdushelishvili, filmmaker and environmental activist, at his home in the hills of Chiatura. He has been actively protesting Georgian Manganese’s activity in the area, amongst which government sanctioned illegal exploitations which destroy the area’s villages. He was attacked in June 2024, in Tbilisi, by masked thugs, in what he believes was part of an intimidation campaign against political dissent.
Batumi, July 2024. During one of the hottest days of the year, a boat renter takes advantage of a break in the flux of clients to rest in the shade.
Kutaisi, July 2024. The “old parliament”, built under Saakashvili after the 2003 rose revolution, aimed to move the heart of power away from the capital. It was abandoned after the accession of the Georgian Dream, and now only serves as a backdrop for the Instagram photos of the Georgian youth
Tskaltubo, July 2024. A magazine illustrating the architectural progress of Georgia under the Saakashvili administration, titled “New Georgia”. It lies abandoned in the Sakartvelo Sanatorium, on the outskirts of Kutaisi, where until 2022 refugees from nearby Abkhazia were sheltered.
Tbilisi, July 2024. A scene at the deserter’s bazaar, at the heart of the city, where everything from groceries to second-hand clothes are sold, along with seemingly alternative means of transportation.
Okami, July 2024. The heritage of Georgia’s most infamous countryman, Ioseb Jughashvili, a name which he later russified to Joseph Stalin, has been subject to a process of erasure in the past decades. Most statues and monuments, including in his hometown of Gori, have been taken down, and adorn the corridors of the eponymous Stalin Museum. Nonetheless, the cult of personality lives on in a few isolated communities, reminiscent of soviet times which were seen as “easier” by some.
Tbilisi, July 2024. A young supporter underneath the monumental statue of St. George slaying a dragon, on Freedom Square. The column replaced an earlier bust of Lenin, torn down after the country’s separation from the Soviet Union – in the aim of the revival of national identity.
South Ossetian ABL, July 2024. The abandoned asphalt once crumbled under Russian tanks, which used this highway as one of their entry points into Georgia. Now, the area is walled off and part of the disputed region of South-Ossetia, even cutting in half the fields of one apple grower.
Mtskheta, July 2024. A French gendarme, member of the European Union’s Monitoring Mission, during a routine patrol along the administrative border line with South-Ossetia. The mission, comprised of more than 300 foreign advisors, ensures the respect of the 2008 ceasefire agreement.
Batumi, July 2024. Children, enjoying their summer holiday, take a leap of faith from the piers of Batumi to bask in the warm black sea during the hotter days, along the port -currently the biggest in Georgia.
Batumi, July 2024. The Black Sea’s coast was the perfect setting to establish what was to be seen as the model for the future of Georgia. Modern Skyscrapers and casinos embellish the city centre while constructions of luxury hotels and residences are still ongoing.
Tskaltubo, July 2024. A room in which a family of six Abkhazian refugees lived until as recently as 2023, before being relocated. The decrepit conditions have not much worsened since their departures, providing a saddening insight at the lives of the more than hundred thousand of Ethnic Georgians who have had to leave Abkhazia after the conflict in 1993.
Tskaltubo, 2024. A detail of a torn icon of Jesus Christ. Orthodoxy is still the main religion in Georgia, with more than 80% of the population identifying as such. The orthodox church as an institution retains a close relationship with power, particularly with the current government.
Batumi, 2024. A woman by the side of the airport’s road, using a bubble gun to attract attention.
Batumi, 2024. The ongoing construction of many luxury resorts to accommodate the influx of foreign tourists, many coming from nearby countries where gambling is prohibited, such as Turkey.
Batumi, 2024. Kandimir, a street performer.
Anaklia, July 2024. The watchtower of the Anaklia port, at the northern edge of the country’s coastline. Built over ten years ago to accommodate a grand infrastructure project, it has since been abandoned due to a lack of budget and become a point of contention in national politics. In 2024, it was announced that a Chinese firm would take over the venture.
Batumi, July 2024. The marine academy, a part of the deep-sea port of Batumi, which provides the country with the capacity of mooring large, deep-sea vessels. However, as demand increases, the antiquated infrastructure begins to struggle.
Batumi, July 2024. Under the ornate chandeliers of the summer theatre, apprehensive parents wait for their children to perform in the national traditional dance competition.
Tbilisi, July 2024. At the campaign launch of the United National Movement, an attendee awaits the start of the event by the podium.
Zugdidi, July 2024. An employee at Radio Atinati monitors the broadcast feed in preparation for the daily report to Abkhazia, planned for later that afternoon.
Tbilisi, May 2024. Hundreds of protesters broke down the gates to the Metekhi Church, waving the flag to the sound of the bands playing on Europe Square, in a celebration of Freedom.
Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili addresses the crowd assembled in front of the Parliament with a message of hope and resilience. Amongst the chants of Sakartvelo, the Georgian name for the nation, Saint George crosses flew along the European flag in a show of both defiance and unity. The large crowd assembled that night, while not rivalling in size with those of the May protests, showcased a determination whose sufficiency only time will reveal. Tbilisi, October 2024.
Demonstrators at an encampment ahead of the opening of the newly elected parliament, a month after the elections. Tbilisi, November 2024.