“How Have Political Realities in Georgia Shaped the Country’s Response to the 2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine?” - This essay was researched and written in March - May 2022, in Tbilisi, Georgia by MCERC fellow Patrick Norén. Underlying political realities are discussed with reference to numerous recent opinion poll surveys conducted by local and international research institutes, while the precise responses of the government and the people have been well-documented in local and international media. With regards to the Georgian people’s response to the invasion, the author has included some original research in the form of photographs of pro-Ukrainian or anti-Russia messaging around Tbilisi, indicating the widespread strength of feeling held among Georgians vis-à-vis the Russia-Ukraine war. Other evidence of this solidarity - in the form of social media posts and charity events - he also includes as original research to back up similar points made in pre-existing media reports concerning the Georgian response to the war.
See the research essay attached:
About the Author: Patrick Norén, Research Fellow at MCERC. Born and raised in Watford, UK, but of both British and Swedish descent, Patrick Norén is a master's student of Russian and Eurasian Studies at Leiden University in the Netherlands. Patrick has already completed “Georgian language course” in Leiden at the end of 2021 and is now engaged in solidarity journalism activities within the project “Media Voice” at MCERC. Patrick Noren’s research interests include the intersection of contemporary post-Soviet politics and culture, the manipulation of identity for political purposes, and information and disinformation. He is writing his MA thesis on music revivalism and restorative nostalgia in post-Euromaidan Ukrainian popular music, and, to varying degrees, can speak eight languages.
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