Seventeen years after the full scale Russian invasion of Georgia in August of 2008, not only does feeling of occupation and resentment linger in the breakaway states, but everywhere you travel- from the city streets to the bus drivers that swear at every Russian license plate passing on the mountain roads.
Approximately 20% of Georgia is still occupied territory- the Republic of Abkhazia, and the Autonomous Oblast of South Ossetia are both breakaway states of land independent from Georgia.
Bordering Russia, and having a government that is (debatably) pro-Russia, the youth is making it well known that they are determined to separate themselves from the superpower, to join the EU, and to become aligned with the west.
My generation, the Georgians my age, lived through the invasion as children. It was extremely fascinating to see opinions reflective of those experiences. If you want to understand the majority of Georgia’s perspective (especially the younger generation’s) on Russia in modern day, all that you need to do is walk down the street and look around you.
Madigan Murphy 