GEORGIAN LIMBO

International tourism in the Caucasian nation has broken all records. Yet Georgia remains suspended between the Europe it aspires to join and an increasingly overbearing Russia. What if Tbilisi’s future depended on the war in Ukraine?

EUROPE | GEORGIA | SOCIAL ISSUES | CURRENT AFFAIRS

In Batumi, Georgia, a large crowd of local young people and tourists gathers in Europe Square to watch the 2026 World Cup final between Argentina and Spain. Surrounded by 19th- and 20th-century buildings, the square is a symbol of the bond between Georgia and Europe, a bond also represented by the large statue of Medea holding the Golden Fleece.

Georgia is experiencing a curious paradox: it is increasingly loved by tourists and increasingly disliked by a significant part of its own population, who would like to see it become more democratic and closer to Europe. In 2025, the country recorded an all-time high of 5.5 million international tourist visits (twenty years earlier, the figure was around 560,000). At the same time, the streets of Tbilisi have become the stage for one of the longest protest movements in the country’s recent history: since November 2024, pro-European demonstrators have gathered every evening in front of Parliament, and the protests are still continuing today. At the centre of the demonstrations is Georgian Dream, the ultraconservative ruling party that has been in power since 2012, accused of an increasingly authoritarian drift and, through the suspension of the EU accession process, of gradually drawing the country closer to Moscow.

The mythical land of the Golden Fleece, Georgia is roughly the size of Ireland and has a population of fewer than four million. Wedged between Russia and Turkey, it offers a remarkable concentration of attractions: ancient Orthodox churches and fascinating post-Soviet cities, but also a winemaking tradition stretching back thousands of years, a lively “Las Vegas” on the Black Sea, and a cosmopolitan capital reminiscent of Berlin. Visitors do not come only from Europe; many are from the Middle East, while large numbers also arrive from Russia. Following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, tens of thousands of Russian citizens also moved to Georgia, bringing money and economic activity but at the same time placing considerable pressure on the property market. This has further fuelled resentment among a population that continues to regard Russia as an occupying power.

The relationship between Georgia and Russia is built on a contradiction that is difficult to resolve. Following the 2008 conflict and the consolidation of Russian control over Abkhazia and South Ossetia (around 20 percent of Georgian territory), diplomatic relations between the two countries were severed. And yet, economically, Russia remains a partner that is difficult to replace: Russian trade, tourism, remittances and capital help sustain Tbilisi’s struggling economy, marked by unemployment, low wages and widespread poverty. But Georgia’s predicament is not merely an internal political crisis. In recent years, relations with Brussels have deteriorated, while a stronger Moscow on the Ukrainian front would increase Russia’s ability to exert pressure across the Caucasus. The question, then, is unavoidable: does Georgia’s future also run through Kyiv?

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Tbilisi (Georgia), people traveling on a subway car. Opened in 1966 to facilitate travel in a city that stretches along the river and is built on steep slopes, it was the fourth-largest subway system in the entire Soviet Union. Today, the subway—which has two lines and 23 stations—carries 400,000 passengers every day.

Katskhi (Georgia): The Katskhi Pillar towers over the Katskhura River valley in the Imereti region, not far from the city of Chiatura. This 40-meter-tall limestone monolith, known as “the Pillar of Life,” has been home to a hermitage at its summit for over a thousand years; the hermitage was rediscovered in the mid-20th century.

Batumi (Georgia): At sunset, teenagers wait for the right moment to dive off the iron structure supporting the fishermen’s pier. An ancient Greek colony on the Black Sea, Batumi derives its name from the Greek “bathus limen,” which means “deep harbor.”

Tskaltubo (Georgia): Two homeless people are occupying the entrance to the Metallurgist Sanatorium, a Soviet-era hotel that is now completely abandoned. A famous spa town during the Soviet era, Tskaltubo welcomed 120,000 visitors a year (including Stalin himself) who came to vacation at its 22 sanatoriums. Then, with the collapse of the USSR, the city fell into crisis; most of the sanatoriums and hotels were abandoned, and today only a few hundred tourists visit the only spa center still open.

Tbilisi (Georgia): At Avlabari Square, a young woman takes a photo of herself in front of the procession of demonstrators participating in the so-called “Saturday March,” during which various pro-European parties and movements march to protest the policies of the current government led by the Georgian Dream party, which is accused of being pro-Russian.

Kutaisi (Georgia), Brutalist-style public housing complexes on the outskirts of the city. The ancient capital of Colchis in the fifth and sixth centuries B.C., Kutaisi became a major industrial hub during the socialist era and experienced significant population growth.

Stepantsminda (Georgia): During the Gergetoba festival on July 16, a young woman picks flowers in the hills surrounding the Gergeti Trinity Church, a structure nestled in nature at an elevation of 2,170 meters in the shadow of Mount Kazbek. Built in the 14th century, the church has become one of Georgia’s symbols: it was the first church to be reconsecrated during the Soviet era, on July 16, 1980.

Chiatura (Georgia): Dancers from the Georgian Dance Ensemble rehearse a dance on the stage of the Cultural Center theater, built in 1967. Chiatura is one of Georgia’s most important mining towns, where manganese is mined—an industry now marked by a severe environmental and economic crisis, leading to ongoing worker protests.

Batumi (Georgia): Beachgoers on the pebble beach north of the historic center, with a large container ship heading into the port in the background. Home to numerous casinos and a rapidly growing tourist destination, as well as an important commercial port, Batumi is known as the “Las Vegas of the Black Sea.”

Tbilisi (Georgia): An elderly woman is cataloging books at the National Library of Georgia. Founded in 1846, the library houses nearly four million volumes, as well as magazines and newspapers; it employs 445 people.

Poti (Georgia): To the northeast of the city, the winding Rioni River flows through Kolkheti National Park before emptying into the Black Sea. Known to the ancient Greeks as the Phasis River, it was considered the eastern edge of the world and the boundary between Europe and Asia; it was by following its course that Jason and the Argonauts set out in search of the Golden Fleece.

Stepantsminda (Georgia): During the Gergetoba festival on July 16, a worshipper exits Gergeti Trinity Church after prayer. The church stands alone amid nature at an elevation of 2,170 meters in the shadow of Mount Kazbek. Built in the 14th century, the church has become one of Georgia’s symbols: it was the first church to be reconsecrated during the Soviet era, on July 16, 1980.

Chiatura (Georgia): a theater director is on the phone, sitting in an armchair at the Cultural Center theater, built in 1967. Chiatura is one of Georgia’s most important mining towns, where manganese is mined—an industry now marked by a profound environmental and economic crisis, resulting in ongoing worker protests.

In the village of Ateni (Georgia), about ten kilometers south of Gori, children and adults chat in the afternoon while sitting on an old Russian UAZ off-road vehicle abandoned on the side of the road.

Tbilisi (Georgia), a view of the southern part of the capital, divided in two by the Kura (or Mtkvari) River, which originates in Turkey and flows into the Caspian Sea after passing through Georgia and Azerbaijan.

In Batumi (Georgia), at sunset, many children and teenagers wait for the right moment to jump off the fishermen’s pier. Home to numerous casinos and a rapidly growing tourist destination, as well as an important commercial port, Batumi is known as the “Las Vegas of the Black Sea.”

Kvakhvreli (Georgia): A young woman enters a cave while a dog sleeps just a few steps away at the Uplistsikhe site. One of Georgia’s oldest settlements, Uplistsikhe is a city literally carved out of the rock.

Gori (Georgia): Tourists pose for photos in front of the statue of Stalin, right across from the entrance to the Joseph Stalin Museum. The Soviet dictator was born in Gori in 1878, and the museum—established in 1937 around his nearby birthplace—was transformed in 1957 into a hagiographic exhibition of Stalin, remaining open even after the collapse of the USSR and the 2008 war with Russia.

A low-lying valley at the foot of Mount Kazbek (Georgia), a 5,047-meter-high mountain in the Caucasus Range that was once a volcano. According to Georgian tradition, the demigod Amirani was punished on this mountain for daring to defy God.

Batumi (Georgia): The audience and performers exchange final greetings after a choir performance in the city’s Summer Theater square. An important port on the Black Sea, Batumi attracts more than 2.5 million international visitors each year.

Tbilisi (Georgia): Some citizens are browsing books at the National Library of Georgia. Founded in 1846, the library houses nearly four million volumes, as well as magazines and newspapers; it employs 445 staff members.

Tbilisi (Georgia): Two Orthodox worshippers pray and light candles while a woman cleans a display case inside the Cathedral of the Dormition, known as Sioni Church (named after Mount Zion in Jerusalem). Located in the heart of the historic center, the cathedral dates back to the 7th century but has been destroyed and rebuilt several times.

Kazbegi District (Georgia): Four tourists are taking photos of themselves on a hill at the foot of Mount Deda Ena, along the Greater Caucasus mountain range. This spot along the famous Georgian Military Highway (which connects Russia to Georgia) is well-known for paragliding.

Tbilisi (Georgia): A young woman walks along one of the bridges connecting the three tall Soviet-era buildings on Nutsubidze Street. Built between 1974 and 1976 by architects Otar (Toni) Kalandarishvili and Gizo Potskhishvili, the buildings are still inhabited, although they are in a state of semi-abandonment.

Batumi (Georgia): At sunset, people relax on the pebble beach or swim in the Black Sea. Lively, with modern buildings in the background, Batumi’s beach is much loved for its relaxed atmosphere and for taking long evening walks along the promenade that runs along the sea.

Tbilisi (Georgia): Georgians attend a concert at Mtatsminda Park. Founded in the 1930s during the Soviet era, the park is located at an elevation of 770 meters and features, among other things, restaurants, a roller coaster, a concert venue, and a large Ferris wheel that can be seen from almost anywhere in the city.

Tbilisi (Georgia): An elderly woman in Freedom Square, carrying the U.S. flag, leads the procession of demonstrators in the so-called “Saturday March,” during which various pro-European parties and movements march through the historic center to protest the policies of the current government led by the Georgian Dream party, which is accused of being pro-Russian.

In Tskaltubo (Georgia), the library at the Museum of Local Traditions is being rebuilt, and several books are scattered throughout the museum’s rooms. A famous spa town during the Soviet era, Tskaltubo welcomed 120,000 visitors a year (including Stalin himself) who came to vacation at its 22 sanatoriums. Then, with the collapse of the USSR, the city fell into crisis; most of the sanatoriums and hotels were abandoned, and today only a few hundred tourists visit the only spa center still open.

Batumi (Georgia): At sunset, teenagers walk along the iron structures supporting the fishermen’s pier to go for a swim in the sea. An ancient Greek colony on the Black Sea, Batumi derives its name from the Greek “bathus limen,” which means “deep harbor.”

Tskaltubo (Georgia): A film crew is shooting a movie inside the Metallurgist Sanatorium, a Soviet-era hotel that is now completely abandoned. A famous spa town during the Soviet era, Tskaltubo welcomed 120,000 visitors a year (including Stalin himself) who came to vacation at its 22 sanatoriums. Then, with the collapse of the USSR, the city fell into crisis; most of the sanatoriums and hotels were abandoned, and today only a few hundred tourists visit the only spa center still open.

Chiatura (Georgia), public housing along the Qvirila River. Chiatura is one of Georgia’s most important mining towns, where manganese is mined—an industry now marked by a severe environmental and economic crisis, leading to ongoing worker protests.

Chiatura (Georgia): Singers perform during a party at the Muza restaurant. Chiatura is one of Georgia’s most important mining towns, where manganese is mined—an industry now plagued by a severe environmental and economic crisis, leading to ongoing worker protests.

Batumi (Georgia): Members of a Georgian family check their smartphones while sitting in their parked car on a street in the historic center. As the capital of the Georgian Autonomous Republic of Adjara, Batumi has been investing heavily in tourism in recent years and has become one of Europe’s up-and-coming destinations.

Tbilisi (Georgia): The Technical University metro station features a mosaic-decorated panel at its east exit, created in 1979 during the height of the socialist era. The panel depicts the themes of work and education and was created by the artists Apolon Kharebava, Radish Tordia, and Iden Tabidze.

In Khidistavi (Georgia), just a few kilometers from the city of Gori, lie the vineyards of TDWinery, led by the young choreographer Tengiz Dvalishvili (pictured here tending to the rows of vines). The first rows were planted in the 1970s by Tengiz’s grandmother, who today carries on the family tradition through strictly organic and traditional winemaking.

In Khashuri (Georgia), a family receives a gift after playing a shooting game in a park on the outskirts of town. Khashuri, a city in central Georgia located along a major railroad line, was known as Stalinisi from 1928 to 1934 in honor of Joseph Stalin.

Tbilisi (Georgia): A procession of demonstrators participating in the so-called “Saturday March,” during which various pro-European parties and movements march through the historic center to protest the policies of the current government led by the Georgian Dream party, which is accused of being pro-Russian.

In Tskaltubo (Georgia), a newlywed couple poses for a photo among the columns of the Medea Sanatorium, a Soviet-era hotel that is now completely abandoned. A famous spa town during the Soviet era, Tskaltubo welcomed 120,000 visitors a year (including Stalin himself) who came to vacation at its 22 sanatoriums. Then, with the collapse of the USSR, the city fell into crisis; most of the sanatoriums and hotels were abandoned, and today only a few hundred tourists visit the only spa center still open.

In Tbilisi (Georgia), Georgians and international tourists admire the scenery and take photos from the funicular that leads to Mtatsminda Park. Tbilisi has several cable cars and funiculars, most of which were built during the Soviet era, as the city lies in a valley basin surrounded by steep hills.

Tbilisi (Georgia), an exterior view of the current headquarters of the Bank of Georgia, designed by architects George Chakhava and Zurab Jalaghania and completed in 1975; it was originally intended to house the offices of the Georgian Ministry of Highway Construction. Today, it is a national monument.

Khashuri (Georgia): Some young people are playing cards in a park on the outskirts of town. Khashuri, a city in central Georgia located along a major railroad line, was known as Stalinisi from 1928 to 1934 in honor of Joseph Stalin.

Gori (Georgia): A tourist walks through one of the rooms of the Joseph Stalin Museum. The Soviet dictator was born in Gori in 1878, and the museum—established in 1937 around his nearby birthplace—was transformed in 1957 into a hagiographic exhibition of Stalin, remaining open even after the collapse of the USSR and the 2008 war with Russia.

Tbilisi (Georgia): An employee at work in the office of Cargon, a digital freight forwarding startup founded by Vaniko Chaladze. Tbilisi is home to a growing number of startup incubators and accelerators and is rapidly becoming a hub for Eurasian innovation.

Chiatura (Georgia), an abandoned Soviet-era building. Chiatura is one of Georgia’s most important mining towns, where manganese is mined—an industry now plagued by a severe environmental and economic crisis, leading to ongoing worker protests.

Chiatura (Georgia): A group of friends chat outside the Muza restaurant during a break in a dance party. Chiatura is one of Georgia’s most important mining towns, where manganese is mined—an industry now marked by a severe environmental and economic crisis, leading to ongoing worker protests.

Zhinvali Reservoir (Georgia): Tourists pose for photos along the artificial lake, located on the Aragvi River along the Georgian Military Highway, about 70 km from Tbilisi. Created in 1985, it supplies drinking water to Tbilisi and generates hydroelectric power.

In Batumi (Georgia), people play backgammon in Europe Square. Batumi, a thriving port and major tourist destination on the Black Sea, is famous for its casinos—so much so that it’s nicknamed the “Las Vegas of the Black Sea.”

Khashuri (Georgia): Some teenagers are playing basketball in a park on the outskirts of town. Khashuri, a city in central Georgia located along a major railroad line, was known as Stalinisi from 1928 to 1934 in honor of Joseph Stalin.

Gori (Georgia), a religious service held inside the Georgian Orthodox Church of Ateni Sioni, which dates back to the early 7th century (there are also numerous inscriptions from that period, both inside and outside the church).

Batumi (Georgia): A tourist takes a photo of her daughter posing in the revolving restaurant on the top floor of the Alphabet Tower. Overlooking the Black Sea, the tower stands 130 meters tall and celebrates the uniqueness of the Georgian alphabet.

Khashuri (Georgia): A woman waves goodbye to a friend in front of her house. Khashuri, a city in central Georgia located along a major railroad line, was known as Stalinisi from 1928 to 1934 in honor of Joseph Stalin.

In Tbilisi, Georgia, a family climbed aboard an old Ferris wheel from the socialist era, located in the center of the city zoo. Founded in 1927, the zoo has weathered a series of economic crises, and in 2015, a devastating flood killed half of its animals.

Tbilisi (Georgia): An Orthodox priest prays, prostrating himself before a column near the entrance to the Kashveti Church, located between the National Gallery and the Georgian Museum of Fine Arts. The church was built between 1904 and 1910 and features paintings by local artist Lado Gudiashvili.

In Stepantsminda (Georgia), the Terek River flows south of the village along the Georgian Military Highway, with the peaks of the Greater Caucasus Range visible in the background. Located at an elevation of 1,740 meters and just a few kilometers from the Russian border, Stepantsminda was, according to tradition, founded by an Orthodox monk who built a hermitage there.

Tbilisi (Georgia): A young woman takes a photo of herself with the view of the city from Mtatsminda Park in the background. Founded in the 1930s during the Soviet era, the park is located at an elevation of 770 meters and features, among other things, restaurants, a roller coaster, a concert venue, and a large Ferris wheel that can be seen from almost anywhere in the city.

Chiatura (Georgia), a Soviet-era building that is still inhabited. Chiatura is one of Georgia’s most important mining towns, where manganese is mined: an industry that is currently facing a severe environmental and economic crisis, leading to ongoing worker protests.

Gori (Georgia): A woman taking a break from work at the entrance to the Joseph Stalin Museum. The Soviet dictator was born in Gori in 1878, and the museum—established in 1937 around his nearby birthplace—was transformed in 1957 into a hagiographic exhibition of Stalin, remaining open even after the collapse of the USSR and the 2008 war with Russia.

Tbilisi (Georgia): A young woman looks at paintings in a gallery at the Georgian Museum of Fine Arts. Founded in 1932, the museum houses a large collection of Georgian, Russian, Persian, and Oriental paintings from the 19th and 20th centuries.

Kumistavi (Georgia): Three Georgian Orthodox nuns enter the Prometheus Cave Natural Monument, north of the city of Tskaltubo. Approximately 11 kilometers long and featuring 22 chambers, the karst cave system was discovered by speleologists in the early 1980s and became a tourist attraction within a few years. After the collapse of the USSR, the cave lay abandoned for 17 years, until 2017, when President Mikheil Saakashvili himself pushed for its revival as a tourist destination.

Tbilisi (Georgia): Old houses overlooking an inner courtyard in the Old Tbilisi neighborhood, with the cabins of the Rike-Narikala Cable Car visible in the distance. Tbilisi has several cable cars and funiculars, most of which were built during the Soviet era, as the city is situated in a valley basin surrounded by steep hills.

Kazbegi District (Georgia): Tourists visiting the Monument to the Friendship of the Peoples of Russia and Georgia, a large tile mural created by artist Zurab Cereteli in 1983 along the Georgian Military Highway.

Batumi (Georgia), beachgoers on the pebble beach north of the historic center. Home to numerous casinos and a rapidly growing tourist destination, Batumi is known as the “Las Vegas of the Black Sea.”

Kutaisi (Georgia), the Georgian Parliament building, designed by the Spanish architectural firm CMD Ingenieros: it was inaugurated in 2012 and—following a decision by then-President Mikheil Saakashvili—hosted the sessions of the Georgian Parliament until 2019, when it was decided to move the Parliament back to Tbilisi.

Tbilisi (Georgia): A woman wearing a leopard-print dress rides down the escalator at a subway station. Opened in 1966, the Tbilisi subway was the fourth of its kind in the entire Soviet Union at the time.

Tbilisi (Georgia), a view of the southern part of the city featuring the Kura River (or Mtkvari), Rike Park on the left (with the large white hot-air balloon), and, in the center, on a rocky outcrop overlooking the river, the Metekhi Church. Built in the 13th century, the current Orthodox church has served over the years as a residence, a mosque, and a prison.

Tskaltubo (Georgia): A newlywed prepares for a photo shoot at Tskaltubo Central Park. A famous spa town during the Soviet era, Tskaltubo welcomed 120,000 visitors a year (including Stalin himself) to its 22 sanatoriums. Then, with the collapse of the USSR, the city fell into decline; most of the sanatoriums and hotels were abandoned, and today only a few hundred tourists visit the only spa center still open.

Tbilisi (Georgia): A group of people holding Georgian and EU flags in front of the Parliament at the end of the protest march known as the “Saturday March,” during which various pro-European parties and movements marched through the historic center to protest the policies of the current government led by the Georgian Dream party, which is accused of being pro-Putin.

Chiatura (Georgia): a woman sitting outside dilapidated Soviet-era buildings that are still inhabited. Chiatura is one of Georgia’s most important mining towns, where manganese is mined—an industry now marked by a profound environmental and economic crisis, leading to ongoing worker protests.

Tbilisi (Georgia): A woman on Rustaveli Avenue, across from the Parliament building, holding a Georgian flag and an anti-Russia sign at the end of the march by protesters in the so-called “Saturday March,” during which various pro-European parties and movements marched through the historic center to protest the policies of the current government led by the Georgian Dream party, which is accused of being pro-Putin.

Batumi (Georgia): A tourist in Europe Square takes a photo of the statue of Medea, the mythological princess of Colchis. Batumi itself—now a thriving port and major tourist destination on the Black Sea—was once part of Colchis; the ancient Greeks considered the journey to reach it “the longest possible.”

Tbilisi (Georgia): Two people (on the right) walk along the walkways connecting the three tall Soviet-era buildings on Nutsubidze Street. Built between 1974 and 1976 by architects Otar (Toni) Kalandarishvili and Gizo Potskhishvili, the buildings are still inhabited, although they are in a state of semi-abandonment.

Tbilisi (Georgia): Orthodox worshippers attend a service at the Kashveti Church, located between the National Gallery and the Georgian Museum of Fine Arts. The church was built between 1904 and 1910 and features paintings by local artist Lado Gudiashvili.

Chiatura (Georgia): Children play soccer on a field in a residential neighborhood. Chiatura is one of Georgia’s most important mining towns, where manganese is mined—an industry now plagued by a severe environmental and economic crisis, leading to ongoing worker protests.

Tskaltubo (Georgia), a mosaic inside the Aia Sanatorium, a Soviet-era hotel that is now completely abandoned. A famous spa town during the Soviet era, Tskaltubo welcomed 120,000 visitors a year (including Stalin himself) who came to vacation at its 22 sanatoriums. Then, with the collapse of the USSR, the city fell into crisis; most of the sanatoriums and hotels were abandoned, and today only a few hundred tourists visit the only spa center still open.

In Khashuri (Georgia), a young woman from Tbilisi on vacation smokes a cigarette and poses for a photograph taken by a friend amid the ruins of the medieval fortress of Surami. Khashuri, a city in central Georgia located along a major railway line, was known as Stalinisi from 1928 to 1934 in honor of Joseph Stalin.