76 organizations founded in Georgia tried and still try to facilitate mutual understanding and good-neighborliness between our country and Russia. How do they do it? By people’s diplomacy, supporting trade, promoting Russian culture, literature and language.
33 organizations were founded since 2012, however they are not all that active. 65 out of 76 organizations were given a passive status by the Revenue Service, which means there were neither any funds transferred to their accounts, neither they had any organizational activity registered.
Some of the organizations listed as passive, might be remembered by the public because of their various activities. For example, Anzhelika Zakharova’s organizations, which have organized May 9 march or Gulbaat Rtskhiladze’s Eurasian Institute, which has conducted trainings, meetings and discussions.
Ifact studied activity of such organizations in social networks and real life, we saw what were they occupied with and what do people in Tbilisi and the regions know about them. We talked to their management and would like to tell you what is going on in this network, which procliams bringing Georgia and Russia closer together is their goal.
Overview of the organizations
43 organizations out of 76 were created after the “August war”. It seems they have learned nothing neither from the war in their own country, nor in others’ and still believe in friendship with Russia.
Some of the inspirators of those organizations don’t even consider Georgia to be occupied by Russia.
“I don’t think it is occupied. We just can’t take care of that, neither we have this capability, nor they. All this has been sold and scattered in line with American plans… Maybe one or two from there are interested in that, however the rest of the mass, Russia, wouldn’t allow it,” states the founder of Georgian-Russian Friendship Union, Giorgi Bichashvili, whose organization works in Tbilisi since 2007.
“Everyone wants to make peace [with Russia], however it requires a background – historical and beautiful. We need to sweeten our statements, both them and us, we have to apologize for a lot of things,” – Tamaz Japoshvili, who founded Russian-Georgian Cooperation Society in 2015, states. He also believes the negotiations with Russia are possible, however his organization is passive and inactive as well.
Alike Tamaz Japoshvili’s, dozens of other organizations, existing in Georgia promote the ties between Georgian and Russian culture and preservation of traditions and religion. Behind their seemingly harmless activities, state security experts identify a Russian plan, that is aimed to form a public opinion within the Georgian public in favor of achieving Russian political goals.
47 organizations out of 76 are registered in Tbilisi, while the rest are in the regions. Information on said organizations can be found here:
We especially focused on the organizations which have been founded recently or are active online. There are 45 such organizations.
In all 45 cases, we have visited the addresses given in the official documents to find most of their legal addresses being, in fact, private apartments with no offices ever functioning there. After unfruitful search for their legal addresses, Ifact started to look for the official documentation and their factual addresses. Results were not much different in this case either. At the last stage of the search, we have contacted the founders and directors. Some of them disconnected as soon as they found out we were journalists and some refused to discuss the topic. We will tell you what we could find out about the rest of them.
Existing only on paper
A researcher of Russian hybrid war, Giorgi Butikashvili tells us that the increased number of this type of organizations is a part of Russian political agenda. According to him, Putin felt threatened since 2007, when the discussions on Georgia leaving the CIS and integration to the EU and NATO commenced. He considered that this process could be infectious for other post-Soviet countries. That’s why he decided to turn to Soviet propaganda methods and establish non-governmental organizations in all of those countries. Formally, the organizations were supposed to be involved in democratic development, when in real life they promoted Russian interests.
“The region was getting a feeling that Saakashvili was successful at reforms which could be infectious for other states in South Caucasus and Eastern Europe. Putin understood that the process can’t continue the same way, which lead to Rose and Orange revolutions and needs forces he could rely on in those countries.
The only way for Putin to go, was the anti-Western propaganda. He would propose a narrative of cultural conservatism and ethnic nationalism to those countries and would establish these so-called non-governmental organizations,” Butikashvili states.
He also notes that the situation shifter after the change of the government in Georgia. Georgian Dream started to fix relations with Russia. New organizations have been founded since 2013, however, this doesn’t mean they didn’t exist before that, they just could talk about their goals openly now.
Despite the fact that the number of such organizations is seemingly high, the majority of them either only exist on paper or have very limited recourses for activities. They, themselves blame the pandemic for that. Some of them conduct activities without having an officially registered organization at all.
That’s how the former Akhaltiskhe prosecutor, Gocha Parunashvili operates. He plans to develop trade and tourism ties with Russia and names educational exchange programs as his priority. Back in 2019, Parunashvili addressed Putin with a proposal to fly in 50 Russian children to Georgia in exchange to send 50 children from Georgia to Russia.
In order to achieve that, he planned to create People’s Diplomacy Without Border organization in 2019, he even presented it in Akhaltsikhe. However, in the end, as it became clear after a conversation with Parunashvili, the organization was never officially registered. Because of the pandemic, neither the visit to Russia, nor the youth exchange program ever took place.
He told us that the official registration is just a formality and had very little importance to him. He states that he is a businessman and will develop his business in the most profitable direction with a condition that the profits are not used against the country. He never specified how would he control this in regards to the ties with Russia.
“I’m not interested in politics, one should take away the wealth you need, from the occupant country with one’s smart actions. I wanted to start touristic relations with Russia because of simple statistics,” Parunashvili said.
Apart from Gocha Parunashvili, two more founders of organizations aim to have closer ties with Russia. Despite the fact, they are not active at the moment, the ideology of their leadership is rather alarming. It is especially important when it concerns the region with a predominantly ethnic minority population. Ethnic Armenians comprise for more than a half of the region’s total population. The majority of them are Russian-speakers, are economically tied to Russia, have friends and family there. It is easier for Russia to achieve its hybrid war goals here:
“We, the generation which remembers those warm times and those warm relations, would like to bring them back to us. The key to resolve the relations with Abkhazia and Samachablo lies not only in Abkhazia and Samachablo, but also in Russia,” Oleg Sandroshvili, a former chairman of the Akhaltsikhe Sakrebulo said is his interview to Radio Freedom in 2019. He founded a pro-Russian Friendship and Unity organization in Akhaltiskhe the same year.
In his interview to the 9th Channel, he said, that the government needs to fulfill the wish of the population and start a dialogue with Russia:
“This idea is spread among people either we want it or not. In reality, at least 70% of the people want it, and someone should work in this direction. If you don’t want to work on it, let us do it,” Sandroshvili stated.
Our journalists visited the legal address of the organization in Akhaltsikhe to found out it was, in reality, Oleg Sandroshvili’s house. He wasn’t home, so we tried to call him on the phone, however he refused to talk to us: “I don’t work with this topic anymore. I didn’t do anything and even forgot I ever had this organization. It was active for a very short period of time. I don’t have time for this now, my dear.”
There was a third organization in Akhaltsikhe, called The Tolerant Brotherhood. It was also registered on its director’s, Vasil Sidorkin’s, home address. His spouse opened the door and had no information about the existence of this organization. She said that Sidorkin himself left for Armenia.
We have talked to more than 20 people in Akhaltsikhe streets, they have never heard of the pro-Russian organizations registered in the town. We also asked local civil activists and journalists what do they know about these organizations:
“I don’t really know what kind of activities are conducted by those organizations. I don’t even know where their offices are located. I remember when it was founded and registered, local media – The 9th Channel and Samkhretis Karibche covered this story and it caused an outrage from the public. However, even then the opinion was split in half. I don’t remember anything those organizations did ever since. I have need seen them participating in rallies or other activities,” Tako Tumansihvili, who is a youth worker in Akhaltsikhe, training the youth community on various important topics stated.
Just like the people of Akhaltsikhe, the people of Rustavi have no information on pro-Russian non-profit organizations registered there. We asked 30 locals about this issue, however neither of them knew anything about any of the three organizations. The head of Kvemo Kartli Media, journalist Manoni Bokuchava told us that the organizations claiming to promote cultural ties with Russia, become active in Rustavi on certain dates, for example on the day of the signing of the Treaty of Georgievsk.
“We are even surprised a little to see the organization, which didn’t appear in public before, become suddenly active. We hear them speaking Russian. This people might not meet each other for daily activities, their offices only exist as a formality, however, I think they still do their harmful work,” Manoni Bokuchava told us.
The founder of Iskra Russian-language Culture Center in Dmanisi refused to talk to us. We have visited Vasilisa Minakova at her home however, she refused the interview: “I don’t want to have this conversation, I don’t want it at all. I have two organizations, one is temporarily inactive, the second – isn’t. The organization is active, however not as active as it used to be.”
Vasilisa Minakova is a Russian language teacher in Dmanisi. She has registered Iskra in 2004 using her own address. According to the documentation, the goal of the organization was the intolerance to separatism and the unification of Russian compatriots and Russian-speaking population in Dmanisi and nearby regions.
According to the information published by the Russian Youth Union of Georgia organization, Iskra is an organization of Russian diaspora and they have a history of relations for over a decade.
Dmanisians also haven’t heard much about Iskra and Vasilisa Minakova’s activities.
“This organization exists for years and we had no ties with them. I have no idea who the people, who registered it, are. Maybe certain people from the population know them. I haven’t heard about any meetings in these years, I don’t know if they are active or not,” Mariam Dautashvili, the co-founder of The First European non-governmental organization told us.
The First European was founded in 2015 and it aims at promoting European and democratic values. They actively work with youth in Dmanisi and villages, conducting summer schools and movie nights.
It turned out that two organizations in Kutaisi – the Russian Teachers’ Association and the Orthodox Center for Georgian-Russian relations, exist only on paper and have no public activity.
According to the documentation presented by them to the Public Registry, these organizations were created to deepen friendship, cultural and commercial ties with Russia. We have checked their addresses as well. The Teachers’ Association is registered in an apartment block with no one present at the location, neighbors also didn’t know anything about it. The contact information for the organization couldn’t been found. The phone number of Maia Esebua, who is mentioned as a director in the papers uploaded to the Public Registry, seems not to belong to her anymore.
The Orthodox Center for Georgian-Russian relations is registered in one of its founders, Nana Lomtadze’s, house. A male person who opened the door, confirmed that the center is registered to this address. He, however, turned his back in order for us not to see his face. He said he felt sick and wasn’t able to answer our questions in-detail. We asked for Nana Lomtadze’s number in order to talk to her later, however, he replied, that he doesn’t even know his own number.
Kutaisi activists and citizens, who closely follow current events, have not heard anything about the non-profit organizations registered in Kutaisi. They couldn’t recognize the names of their founders and directors. They also added they are so actively involved in public events, that if those people would really be active, they would have definitely heard of them.
Batumi City Hall owns a building called the Friendship House and it offered its space to a pro-Russian organization too. Three non-profits work in one room the house here since 2007 – Russian Intelligentsia Association Rassvet, the Russian-Georgian Relations Association in Adjara and the Adjara Russian Compatriots Society. The director of the Friendship House, confirmed that all three non-profits are quite active conducting cultural and literature meet-ups. Their offices are still located there; however, they stopped their work. We have covered their activities before.
Several years ago we wrote an article on Zhemchuzhina, an organization registered in Marneuli. The aim of this non-profit was a deep study of Russian culture and literature. It was founded in 2015 by a double Russian-Georgian citizen, Natalia Vereshchagina. Zhemchuzhina conducted literature evenings, celebrated Maslenitsa holiday, birthdays of Russian poets and writers and sent youth on exchange programs to Russia. It seems that the organization was more active prior to the pandemic.
“It was more noticeable before the Covid. They distributed free tickets to the Griboedov Theater amongst the Russian-speaking population. Locals were sent to study in Russia with the assistance from Zhemchuzhina. I know several students, who were helped by this woman to enter Russian universities, filling the quotas. They might still work even now, I just have no more information about it,” the founder of Community Radio Marneuili, Kamila Mamedova stated.
Alongside with the non-active organizations, the organizations with more noticeable activity exist
The most active organizations of them all belong to a double Russian-Georgian citizen, Anzhelika Zakharova. Her and her husband founded seven non-commercial organizations in Georgia since 2013. The Congress of Slav Peoples is one of them, this non-profit initiated and organized Immortal Regiment March.
The Immortal Regiment March took place in Tbilisi, five years ago, on the 72nd anniversary of the victory against fascism. This march, which is a tool to spread Russian political ideology, was first conducted in 2007. Back in 2017, Vladimir Putin stated that this movement was created in order to restore historic justice and not to forget the past and prevent its falsification. This military-patriotic march is dedicated to honor the memory of those died in the World War Two. The demonstrators walk with their portraits in hands. Vladimir Purin has personally participated in the march.
Participants of this rally in Tbilisi, usually carry St. George’s ribbons, which are a symbol of the Soviet Union and generally represent “Russian World.”
Zakharova wanted to open a memorial for the Immortal Regiment in Batumi in 2019. However, the Advisory Council of the Batumi City Hall rejected her proposal. The head of the Council stated that the memorial can’t be erected by a private organization, especially the one which doesn’t recognize Russian occupation of Georgia.
Zakharova’s organizations also printed books in Russian language and distributed them in schools in 2017. They supported those who wanted to study in Russia and helped them to collect necessary papers and organize the trip. Zakharova’s and Gogidze’s non-profits also offered legal assistance to Russian citizens in Georgia. Maria Zakharova received a letter of appreciation for her activity and good deeds from Leonid Slutsky, a representative of Russian World Foundation in Russian Duma.
Pro-Russian non-governmental organizations registered in Georgia, appealed to then-Prime-Minister of Georgia, Giorgi Gakharia with a request to allow the import of Russian-made Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine in February, 2021. Two of Zakharova’s and Gogidze’s organizations – the National Congress of Slav Peoples in Georgia and the Congress of Russian and Russian-speaking communities in Georgia, were amongst them.
According to the public database of the Revenue Service, all of the organizations founded by Zakharova and her husband are passive, meaning the organization had no financial activity within the last two years.
However, Zakharova’s and her organization’s activities are noticeable on the social network. We wanted to ask her, how could they fund and conduct events in past two years, if the organizations are indeed passive.
We have called Anzhelika Zakharova on her cell phone, the call was answered by her husband, Revaz Gogidze. He told us that the whole family is abroad, on a medical trip for their grandchild and didn’t wish to talk about this topic. He said Zakharova didn’t have a phone number of her own.
Revaz Gogidze has been hiding in Turkey since 2020. He was in-absentia sentenced to a five-year imprisonment for avoiding paying taxes to the government in especially large amount. Gogidze deprived the state budget of a total sum of GEL 153 000.
Anzhelika Zakharova is involved in political activity as well. During the 2021 local elections, she was running for Batumi Mayor seat from the Workers’ Socialist Party.
Gio Tomashi, head of Russian Compatriots Society, registered in Kutaisi, tells us the organization works as well as they can now. Tomashi helps Georgian students to join Russian state exchange program. The organization exists since 2001 and has five founders. Their office is located in one of the rooms of the Press House, where the meetings with the public are being held twice a week. We asked Gia Tomashi what kind of issues are being discussed on the meeting – whatever is of interest for the public, was his response.
Tomashi confirmed that he sends students to study in Russia with the assistance of Nikolai Sventitsky, who is a head of Russian Compatriots in Georgia Coordination Council. Gio Tomashi’s organization is a member of said council.
“We are protecting our people too, no one is here to damage anything or force anything on anyone. We need this, the state needs this. We need education, what should the ones who graduated from the Russian sectors do?” Russian Compatriots Society director, Gia Tomashi told us.
We asked him how do they select students for the program, he avoided to reply to this question – “You want to know too much, now, my girl.”
Civil activists, Akaki Saghinadze and Gocha Chkhetaia noted that this organization was less visible during the pandemic, however it used to send students to Russia before that.
“I can’t really say that they are conducting events and are noticeable in the city. Whenever you come to visit, Gia Tomashi is always alone in the office. Whenever I walked by and peeked in, he was always alone. They have been in the Press House for a long time, about 15 years,” Gocha Chkhetaia stated.
This organization is listed as passive in the Revenue Service database despite the fact Gia Tomashi states that the organization works as well as they can. We asked this question to Tomashi as well:
“The pandemic has been around for the last two years and, of course, the organization remains passive. We never had any funds, nor salaries or profits. What are you trying to investigate, I can’t understand?”
We asked how to they manage to work if they had no funds or salaries. “Now you are asking too many questions and I have no interest in talking to you,” that was his response.
Vera Kuznetsova also helps those who want to go to Russia for different reasons. She is a head of Rodnik Russian Society, registered in Rustavi.
Ifact visited Rodnik’s office, which is located on the first floor of a private school in a rented space. The founder, Vera Kuznetsova, invited us into the room – “Davaite, girls, come in.” The first thing we have noticed was a Russian flag placed on a shelf as well as diplomas in Russian, hung on the walls.
Kuznetsova stated that she has a “mini-business”, helping those who wish to travel to Russia to fill-in the applications needed for the visa for a cost of GEL 30. The organization exists since 1999, staging shows for May 9th and the New Year, funded by the Ministry of Culture of Russa. The founder said 30 students from Georgia went on a tour to Moscow with the support from her organization.
“The organization is inactive due to the pandemic and the current political situation. We had a library and a theater studio, people came to us and I consulted them, answered their questions in regards to the Consulate. My child was a head of the theater studio after an internship in Saint-Petersburg,” Vera Kuznetsova stated.
Zhiuli Shartava Socio-cultural Education Center is registered in Rustavi. The center was provided with a free space for their office in Rustavi Culture House in 2003-2010. After the August War, the relations got spoiled and the center was requested to pay rent in 2010. That’s the reason why director’s home is used as an office for the organization now. Viktoria Popova confirmed that the organization is active, however they are not able to fully operate because of the pandemic.
Zhuli Shartava Center unites Russian language teachers, music school teachers, artists and Russian-speaking professors from Tbilisi State and Ilia Universities.
Viktoria Popova named the center after Zhuili Shartava, because of her friendship with Shartava. She said she was moved by his heroism. Zhiuli Shartava was a Chairman for the Ministers Council of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia and a Chairman for the Defense Council. He was captured as a prisoner by separatists during the war in Abkhazia and later executed. Zhiuli Shartava was awarded with the order of the National Hero of Georgia in 2004.
Viktoria Popova recalls that up to 2008, schoolchildren were sent to Moscow for a period of one month to study Russian language. This program was financed by Moscow Support Fund. The organization still continues to support students who wish to continue their education in Russia with Russian state funding.
“We help them to collect the necessary papers. We get calls from principles who tell us they have a child graduating secondary school who wishes to go to Russia to continue to study, asking and if we could help the student, provide consultancy. With Georgian diplomas you can only be employed in Georgia, but with a Russian diploma you could find work in many countries,” Viktoria Popova states.
Pushkin’s birth and death anniversaries are being celebrated in Zhiuli Shartava Center. According to Popova, students mark the exact time of his heart stopping with a moment of silence. The center also organizes cultural gatherings dedicated to Lermontov and Galaktion Tabidze. Russian Embassy awarded Viktoria Popova with a prize for preserving Russian language and culture in Georgia in 2007.
We asked Popova if she thinks her organization might be used as a tool for the Russian hybrid war in Georgia. She responded that she keeps away from any kind of politics and that this rule is mentioned in her organization’s statue. Her primary goal is to conduct cultural and educational events.
Russian hybrid warfare researcher, Giorgi Butikashvili states that the sentiment praising Russian culture in the society is becoming common and it weakens the protest feeling against Russia in Georgia.
“When they feed you such narratives through social networks, media, neighborhood or church, your mind is prepared to accept those statements, it becomes organic. Placing a flower for Pushkin or celebrating May 9th with a parade, for example. All this becomes a part of you and part of the society won’t even protest that. Russia has nothing to offer to modern culture, they still go back to writers and authors from the 18th and 19th century. Old Russian culture has its origins in European Russia and it was a whole different deal. Now, they just use this to support the Russian sentiment, to keep Russia forever in the minds of the public,” Batikashvili stated.
While talking about those Georgians who strive for friendship and good-neighborliness with Russia, we can’t ignore the work of Valeri Kvaratskhelia and Gulbaat Rtskhiladze. Valeri Kvaratskhelia founded two organizations – Georgian-Russian Friendship Union and Georgian-Russian Friendship Center. According to the official documentation, their aim is to deepen tries with Russia and “people’s diplomacy.” Kvaratskhelia is a host of Obiektivi, a Russian propagandist media outlet
“When they ask us about the occupation, why can’t we give a straightforward answer, that there was no occupation? There not even a trace of occupation,” – Kvaratskhelia stated in 2018. He is one of the people, who saw the last Russian ambassador to Georgia, Vyacheslav Kovalenko off to the airport in the aftermath of 2008 August war and even toasted with him.
In regards to Gulbaat Rtskhiladze – he started his work benefiting Russian back in 2008. Soon after the August war he founded Politforumi internet media outlet, in which he accused Georgia with starting the war. Gukbaat Rtskhiladze founded Eurasian Institute organization in 2009. They started visiting Russia in 2014, actively cooperating with Russian institutions, including the ones managed by the administration of the Russian President.
Eurasian Institute is partnered with Sakartvelo da Msoplio, Sakinformi and Iverioni media outlets. The materials published by those outlets mostly consist of anti-Western rhetoric.
On May 2, 2015, in an event organized by the Eurasian Institute, war veterans met students displaced from Samachablo, the veterans talked about the importance of May 9th as a victory day as well as Stalin’s achievements.
Last month, on the third anniversary of Gavrilov’s Night, Eurasian Institute organized a seminar for schoolchildren in Tbilisi, praising the accomplishments of the Soviet Union.
According to the Revenue Service data, Eurasian Institute didn’t have any financial activities within the last two years. The organization haven’t provided any declarations for governmental institutions either.
Ifact contacted Gulbaat Rtskhiladze. He told us he traveled the Donbass region and was the only Georgian reporter who entered the area during the hostilities there. He also noted he doesn’t represent a commercial organization and he’s not required to have spendings and income.
“I am a founder of the organization and I have a full right to fund any activity by Eurasian Institute with my own means. I, Gulbaat Rtskhiladze, am personally sponsoring this organization, I don’t receive any grants or anything of that sort. Who donates money to me is my private affair, you can call a secret, if you like.”
We asked Rstkhiladze in detail about the kind of activities his organization conducts. He told us they organize rallies, trainings, gatherings, publish literature and distribute it for free: “Our activities are commonly known. We identify the organizations like your own, which are registered in Georgia, but are funded from unclear sources, from the West. For example, we have conducted an investigation on Kuroptev and the likes of him, that’s the latest news.”
Finally, he added that if we would like to have a deeper understanding of materials they print, we could come and visit as soon as he is back to Tbilisi, despite the fact we “represent a certain kind of an organization.”
It appears, Gulbaat Rtskhiladze is a follower and a supporter of oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili. Back in 2011 he published an article on Politforum, titled “Boris, you are right,” in which he praised Ivanishvili’s concession policy towards Russia. “There is a hope, that Ivanishvili won’t back down under the pressure of the propaganda machine, while the relationships and restoration of the friendship with Russia are discussed. This job will get done and the swamp of Georgian politics will be turned into a clear lake,” the article reads.
While we studied these organizations, we got the impression that Alexander Bezhentsev and his organizations are the most active of them all.
Alexander Bezhentsev is a director of the Russian Youth Union of Georgia and Russian Compatriots Legal Protection Center of Georgia. According to the Media Development Foundation (MDF) report, the Legal Protection Center is funded by the Foundation of Protection and Support of Compatriots Abroad, founded by Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The activities of the Russian Youth Union of Georgia, in their turn are funded by Gorchakov Foundation, also created by Russian Foreign Ministry. Gorchakov Foundation is considered to be one of the major tools used to spread Russian “soft power.” Its office in Ukraine was shut down for anti-state activity back in 2015 by Ukrainian State Security Service.
Russian Youth Union of Georgia organized young lawyers’ school in Borjomi’s Crown Plaza Hotel in March 2021. The training was funded by the Foundation of Protection and Support of Compatriots Abroad. The Foundation funded another Bezhentsev’s event, “A Round Table” a month later. Global Coordination Council webpage gives out 128 results with this name. Part of them concern the events conducted by his organization and some others relate to his publications.
Bezhentsev is deputy head of Russian Compatriots Coordination Council, founded in Georgia. The Council was created 20 years ago aiming for the cultural development and interests’ protection of ethnic Russian citizens of Georgia. It is managed by Section of Russian Interests with the Embassy of Switzerland. The Council is funded by the foundations created by the president and governmental institutions of Russia.
The Council assists its member organizations to get funding; provides consultations for students intending to travel to Russia and get scholarships; manages cultural, educations and charity events.
The Council is chaired by Nikolai Sventintsky, a director of Griboedov’s Theater. Sventintsky is an Honored Actor of Russia and Georgia and a president of Russian Club. He has received the highest award from the Russian Patriarchate in 2021 for preserving Russian culture in Georgia. The council organizes conferences to honor their active members, alike the Eurasian Institute and Iskra International Russian-speaking Cultural Center. These gatherings are conducted annually. The conference of 2016 was opened by playing Russian national anthem.
Out of 76 studied organizations, 20 are members of the Russian Compatriots Coordination Council.
The project is prepared within the Information Integrity Program of USAID. The project is implemented by Zinc Network. The views expressed in this material do not reflect the views of USAID or Zinc Network.
