other than me, a really excellent line-up for the #Georgia event in Oxford from May 26. events.ox.ac.uk/oxford_event...

A stark read, and as so often history, here the teaching of it, helps to explain where we're at. #history #Georgia #Russia open.substack.com/pub/ganatleb...

Evening views over #Tbilisi.

why what happens at KIU and @tum.de while about #Georgia, is about a deeper question of scholarly integrity. #NoKings applies at universities also. It is odd that people in Munich do not seem to understand this. #education. open.substack.com/pub/ganatleb...

"The Iranian leadership knows they are outgunned, but they think they can outlast the US." Very nuanced podcast on the present fix, w @alivaez.bsky.social to understand inside perspectives that are rarely outlined as well. #Iran pca.st/episode/20a2...

Probably the member of staff of the Georgian Post that most enjoys hanging out at the office!!! Via the good people from www.dog.org.ge.

GD claims that the restructuring of #education is needed "to save money" -- this turns out to be simply & demonstrably untrue. More evidence that it is really nihilistic totalitarianism that it's driving what goes on. Adrian Novak breaks it down for Ganatleba. ganatleba.substack.com/p/the-cost-s...

why is Eagle Hills so risky as a project? Its lack of transparency creates lots of backchannels for shady deals, also on residency & golden passports. This Substack follows story, also looking at EH in other countries. Really worth subscribing to. open.substack.com/pub/unaccoun...

hundreds of scholars from around world expressed their solidarity with Ilia State University #Georgia. I have often been critical of a residual few who collaborate w perpetrators, but real story is how many colleagues are *entirely* clear in their values. More than open.substack.com/pub/ganatleb...

And this...

Let's see. I don't see quite enough yet that speaks to the people they haven't reached in the past, but that they made this step is definitely much much better than going around in circles.

Interesting to read this from Georgia, though of course contexts vastly different (and now Imedi anyway on the ropes, making it different again).

Iran feels both close and far from Georgia -- would be a very long trip on the road, but AZE border anyway closed for years, long day from Yerevan. In other ways, shortest distance from border to border would be 170-ish km, across Armenia, along the Turkish side. Shorter than most ppl assume.

Why is Eagle Hills such a terrible project for Georgia and Georgians? This article puts some of the key pieces on this together, based on how little the project delivered elsewhere. #Georgia

the "Labor Market Study" presented as a justification for drastic restructuring & unconstitutional assault on higher education is a charade and does not meet minimum standards of evidence -- we take a closer look for Ganatleba #education #Georgia open.substack.com/pub/ganatleb...

And did so on Estonian Independence Day -- of course also expressing my support for Ambassador Marge Mardisalu-Kaher, though I guess I won't be invited in for a chat.

while superficially attractive to many, this will likely informalize more employment; make Georgia less attractive to many international students; create opportunities for corruption. Fully in line with destructive assault of GD all around. oc-media.org/georgia-shar...

This dog has it totally worked out! #Tbilisi #AirportDog #3am

Well worth a read. A slightly more whacky version of Putin’s Russkiy Mir worldview. And evocative what’s happening in the US under Trump.

I do not think I am promising too much if I say that this story will blow your mind -- how esoteric numerology with bizarro claims about Aryan, Chaldeans and Mesopotamia gives you a surprisingly accurate insight of how to understand #Georgia today. open.substack.com/pub/ganatleb...

You are not legitimate if you threaten to prosecute those that challenge your legitimacy. #Georgia

Georgia: Freedom Square led by Levan Tsutskiridze is transforming into a political party. Last weekend they held a large conference attended by around 800. Amidst the disintegrating and decapitated opposition, Tsutskiridze convinced everyone only protests is not enough. oc-media.org/amidst-state...

Good illustration of how drastic the rampage is. I'd quibble with "government critical" -- rather: "insisting on academic freedom."

This is a criminal attempt at destruction and silencing of knowledge. And it’s very intentional, in light of the leading role Georgian academics and students have played in protests against authoritarian rule

Talked this week with two persons highly knowledgable about, and with considerable personal experience of, Georgia. Both said they could not work out Georgian Dream's reasoning for such counterproductive from the POV of its own interests, antagonistic moves. "nihilistic totalitarianism" seems apt.

in another entirely illegal move, the nihilistic totalitarianism of the Georgian Dream continues its rampage, here against #Georgia's most successful research university. Yes, it is a regime, and yes, this is illegal and totally illegitimate. open.substack.com/pub/ganatleb...

Apt contrast between poor woman sitting & eating from container, freezing night, inside TBC ATM place <=> the $150k luxury SUVs idling, just around the corner, in/at BI's 5 star Freedom Square building & hotel. #Georgia

The beautiful Georgian word for snow ❄️ in snow: tovli. Saburtalo today.

A truly Kafkaesque trial, with the intent to harm and repress but next to no substance, vague charges and random items such as "evidence, the prosecution has submitted records of viewing Zelenskyy’s website and Arakhamia’s website." #Georgia

In a normal country, minister in charge would resign. But cabinet is accountable only to one man, not to the people of #Georgia. This whim has passed, but others are still upon us & who knows what's to come. (The minister, too, let's recall, previously was less than straight about his doctorate.)

Just in: Following mass and unprecedented protests from academia, Georgian Dream has decided to retract its decision to merge Tbilisi State University and Georgian Technical University, the country’s two oldest state universities. 1/

It's a grim time in #Georgia & all the more remarkable that people step forward to reclaim the country's future, both across civil society and with Tavisuplebis Moedani / Freedom Square convening. Sensible focus on presenting a credible alternative & showing that country can do much better.

Evocative update, great voice, on Tsalenjikha & trying to hold it together. #Georgia

there is something darkly comic that after talking about "Second Front" for years, the strategic mastermind of Kobakhidze opened one up himself by his vicious attack on TSU/ GTU. Now GTU leadership highlights nasty distortions & falsehoods on Rustavi & Imedi ganatleba.substack.com/p/from-loyal...

Happy to recommend this, too!!!

why is Tulsi Gabbard investigating the wrong #Georgia -- quite the read from the Georgia in the Caucasus www.thebulwark.com/p/why-is-tul...

I kind of feel sorry for Lasha. If meeting went badly because of all the GD craziness, he'll be dressed down for not delivering though he anyway couldn't. If it actually went *well*, he'll likely soon be suspected of fraternizing w the Deep State, as happened to several previous emissaries.

Quite a few other contexts this can apply to.

Even self-described supporters /მხარდამჭერები /mkhardamjerebi of Bidzina Ivanishvili are appealing for international attention to stop the destructive rampage that the Prime Minister is on. The full letter -- previously mentioned -- in this post. open.substack.com/pub/ganatleb...

Illustration of how GD's current rampage causes discontent even among their own -- here a letter to Bidzina Ivanishvili, groveling but highly critical of the education restructuring. gtu.ge/en/News/?ELE...

A little puzzled people say "how does this make sense?" about newest ultra repressive laws in #Georgia, when the evidence that this clique is on a paranoid rampage in all directions (now businesses & even their own) is so abundantly clear. This will continue to escalate, too.

Usually one complains about headlines -- and then there are cases where they sum it up exceptionally well. Here is one great summary! Very well done, @ocmedia.bsky.social oc-media.org/georgias-ene...

This letter is collecting more signatures! #FreeBahruz He is truly a very good guy & shouldn't be locked up. #Azerbaijan freebahruzcampaign.org/news/zizek-s...

Why the critical battle is even more about attention than it is about freedom -- excellent piece with lots of practical advice by a good friend, must-must read if you're interested in #Georgia. #lossi36 lossi36.com/2026/01/25/t...

Add to this, already largely displaced from most people's mind, the death (most likely suicide) of Gogoberishvili, the prison director, three months ago. GD is taking a terrible toll -- even on their own people. #Georgia

Georgian word of the day ხიბლი (khibli) - charm. Easily rememberable word because it lines up w enchanting "Studio Ghibli", the landmark Japanese filmmaker. (Though using Georgian themes in some films, the studio is actually named after an Italian plane, but that story is charming, too.)

policy brief on the restructuring of higher education, by Simon Janashia, who knows the system better than probably anyone else, as he's worked in the field for 25 years in various capacities #Georgia ganatleba.substack.com/p/policy-not...

if you want do ONE practical thing today in response to all that is is unfolding, get Proton Mail/suite today, to reduce your exposure to/dependence on Gmail. Yes, the docs are more clunky but still. There are a lot of other steps, but this is one that is both easy (5 minutes) & sensible. #Proton

"A petulant, violent and deranged individual is running the United States." (And no, not planning to visit that place.)

ahead of important public discussion at @dgap.org, w @daadworldwide.bsky.social & DGO, this warning is well worth reading (also for some of the limitations). #Georgia "The End of the Tbilisi Hub -- A Warning to International Academics from the DAAD Report" open.substack.com/pub/ganatleb...