Publication: N6 / Review period: April-June, 2022 / Author: Ani Zirakashvili

Review of Russia’s Soft Power in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali Region is being prepared within the framework of the project - Roadmap to the Kremlin's Policy in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali Region. The purpose of the publication is to review important developments related to Russia's soft power in these regions and activities that the Kremlin uses to strengthen its influence in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region. The review is a quarterly publication and will be useful for everyone – decision-makers, public employees, media representatives, and other people who are interested in the Kremlin’s policy in the occupied regions of Georgia.

Russia’s Soft Power in Abkhazia

Education

• On April 4-8, the “State” University of Abkhazia accepted applications for studying at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (МГИМО). Applicants will be admitted to two undergraduate programs: International Law (1) and International Economic Relations (2).
• On June 8-14, the Russian city of Orenburg hosted the “Eurasia Global” international youth forum. A total of ten participants represented Abkhazia in the forum. The four main topics of the forum were kindness, career, media, and compatriots; The forum discussed the issues such as public diplomacy, soft power, and humanitarian impact. A grant competition of the A. Gorchakov Public Diplomacy Support Fund and Rossotrudnichestvo was also held. As part of the forum, the Chairman of the “State” Committee of Youth and Sports of Abkhazia signed a memorandum of understanding with Rossotrudnichestvo.
• Students of the Abkhazian “State” University won the Russian Olympiad. The Economics Olympiad was organized by the Russian State University of Finance. Students scored 38 points in the competition and took first place.
• A total of four Abkhazian students from Moscow higher education institutions will undergo internships in the state structures of the Russian Federation. Students were selected as a result of a competition. The Center for the Future of Abkhazia, located in Moscow which has been operating since February, was actively involved in the selection process.
• Abkhaz entrants will study for free at the Sevastopol University in Russia. The university has more than 2000 budget places. Representatives of the university held meetings for interested parties on June 22-24.
• On June 30, heads of the Academy of Sciences met with representatives of the North Caucasus Federal University. The parties discussed such issues as the implementation of joint projects in humanitarian and natural science fields, opportunities for qualification improvement for Abkhaz scientists in Stavropol, etc.

Culture

• On April 20, Abkhaz students took part in a festival of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (МГИМО). The Global Village festival was dedicated to national cultures - students presented their national dances and songs.
• The Country of the Soul - Land of the Abkhazians festival was held at the Moscow Road Technical Institute (МАДИ). The program included Abkhazian dances, songs, films, and poems, as well as traditional food. The festival lasted for a month and ended on May 1.
• On June 3, an actor of the Russian State Drama Theater, Jambul Zhordania, met with students of Sokhumi schools. He spoke about the role of A. Pushkin in Russian literature.
• The Aurasha Children's Dance Theater from Gudauta took the Grand Prix at a Kremlin Festival. The Kremlin’s Stars Festival was held in Moscow on June 11-13.
• On June 9-17, the Moscow government, the Moscow Department of Foreign Economic and International Relations, the Moscow House of Compatriots, and other agencies organized an exhibition - Russian Artists in Abkhazia.

The Country of the Soul - Land of the Abkhazians Festival at the Moscow Road Technical Institute (МАДИ). Source: abkhazinform.com

Activities of Non-Governmental Organizations

• On June 6, a new head of the Rossotrudnichestvo office, Dmitry Fedotov, took office. He previously worked as an advisor to the head of the mentioned agency.

Celebrating Historical Dates

• The 77th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War was celebrated on May 9. Representatives of the de facto government and the Russian “Embassy,” soldiers of the 7th military base, and others participated in the solemn event. Schoolchildren read poems dedicated to the war. A march of the Immortal Regiment was also held.
• On June 21, the memory of the Russian “peacekeeper” was honored in Abkhazia. Servicemen of the de facto Armed Forces of Abkhazia laid flowers at the memorial of the fallen Russian soldiers. According to local reports, the Russian “peacekeeping” operation officially ended on September 1, 2008.
• On June 21, the Candle of Memory action was also held in Sokhumi, which was dedicated to the 81st anniversary of the beginning of the "Great Patriotic War". Participants of the event laid flowers at the grave of the Unknown Soldier.

Other Events

• On April 8, a round table was held in Sokhumi which discussed the issue of falsifying the history of the "Great Patriotic War" in the modern mass media and the fight against it. The talks also referred to information warfare technologies, methods of combating fakes and other similar issues. The participants agreed that there is a need for more intensive teaching of history and Soviet literature, screening of Soviet films and promotion of history among the younger generation through various means. 
• On April 18, Timur Shafir, the Deputy Chairman of the Russian Journalists' Union, met with Abkhaz journalists. The theme of his masterclass was: Fake news as a weapon of information warfare: Why they are used and how to counter them.
• On April 22-23, the School of Real Journalism Russian project took place within the framework of which Russian journalists shared their knowledge and practical experience with 60 Abkhaz participants. The partners of the project were Rossotrudnichestvo, the leading mass media of Russia, and the Presidential Grants Fund.

Russia’s Soft Power in the Tskhinvali Region

Education

• On April 4-15, the “Ministry” of Internal Affairs was receiving applications for studying in higher educational institutions of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs. Applicants could choose one of four Russian educational institutions: the Krasnodar University, the Nizhny Novgorod Academy, the Voronezh Institute, and the V. Lukyanov Oryol Law Institute.
• On April 15, the gymnasium Albion hosted a presentation of the Big Change new competition which discussed the goals, activities, and prize fund of the project. In July, a total of 500 finalists of the competition will spend a vacation at the Artek International Children's Camp of the Russian Federation, and 100 winners will continue their studies at leading Russian universities.
• On April 25, the Rector and Professors of the North Caucasus Mining and Metallurgical Institute (СКГМИ) met with entrants from the Tskhinvali region and talked about the benefits of studying in the institute. Applicants can apply for seven faculties. Applications will be accepted until July 17.
• On April 26, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Tskhinvali region completed accepting applications for studies at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (МГИМО) and the Diplomatic Academy. There are four places allocated in the undergraduate and three places in the master's programs for Ossetian entrants.
• On April 27, Russian professor Alexander Mazuritsky delivered lectures on the Great Patriotic War. The lectures were attended by over 300 schoolchildren.
• The registration of those wishing to study at higher military schools of the Ministry of Defense of Russia was extended from May 11 to May 20. Entrants could apply to 17 higher military schools. The entrance exams started on June 20. The entrants have already undergone medical examination and psychological testing; They also passed physical norms, Russian language, and other internal tests.

Culture

• On April 26, the Children of the Planet Paint Peace competition ended in the Tskhinvali region. The competition was attended by young people aged from six to 17 and was organized by the Russian Military-Historical Society, the Union of Cities of Military Glory, as well as the Arkhangelsk regional branch of the All-Russian United Russia Party. The competition was aimed at preserving the memory of the Peace Guard ancestors among the younger generation.
• The Center of the Russkiy Mir Foundation started events to promote Russian fine arts, in particular, portrait painting in the Tskhinvali region.
• The K. Khetagurov “State” Theater of the Tskhinvali region participates in the IV Russian Festival of Foreign Theaters in Tambov. The festival started on June 16 and ends on June 22. The large-scale project was aimed at popularizing Russian theatrical art and supporting Russian theatre groups abroad. 
• On June 28, the presentation of the 20th-anniversary issue of Russian Word - the scientific-methodical and socio-literary journal took place. The event was attended by the Russian “Ambassador,” Marat Kulakhmetov, and the Head of the Rossotrudnichestvo office, Sergey Skvortsov. The journal has been published in the region since 2013. Its goal is to popularize the Russian language and improve its teaching methods in universities and schools.

Activities of Non-Governmental Organizations

• Association of Teachers of Russian Language and Literature in the region (АПРЯЛ ЮО)  received a total of 500 books as a gift from the Solzhenitsyn Russian Diaspora House in Moscow. Among the gifts, there were textbooks of Russian, books about prominent Russian artists and composers, as well as about the history of Russia, etc.
• On April 27,  winners of another competition organized by the Rossotrudnichestvo office in Tskhinvali – “the military feat of Stalingrad to live for centuries” - were awarded. The competition was dedicated to the blockade of Stalingrad. 
• On April 28, refugees from the Donbas region, including schoolchildren, visited the Center of the Russkiy Mir Foundation in the “State” University. They visited the museum complex of the university, met with students of the faculties of philosophy and journalism, and at the end received souvenirs.
• On June 20, a quiz for scholars of classical Russian literature of the 19th century was held at the Russkiy Mir Foundation in the Tskhinvali region. The participants were given souvenirs at the end of the event.

Refugees from the Donbas Region in the Center of the Russkiy Mir Foundation. Source: cominf.org

Celebrating Historical Dates

• On May 9, the 77th anniversary of Victory in the "Great Patriotic War" was also celebrated in the Tskhinvali region. A march of the "Immortal Regiment" and military parade with the participation of soldiers of the 4th military base was held.
• On June 6, the Russian Language Day and the 223rd birth anniversary of A. Pushkin was celebrated. Representatives of the de facto government, Russian language teachers, students, and schoolchildren, as well as Marat Kulakhmetov and Sergey Skvortsov, participated in the event. One of the organizers of the event was the Center of the Russkiy Mir Foundation.

Other Events

• On April 26-27, staff of the Tskhinvali Region “State” University participated in the VI scientific-practical conference - Russia and the World: Dialogues - 2022. The conference discussed the future prospects of the worldwide situation, ways out of the crisis, Russia's international cooperation, etc. 
• On May 19, the 100th anniversary of the founding of a pioneer organization was marked in the Tskhinvali region. Twenty more students from N5 Public School joined the pioneer organization on this day.
• Journalists of the Zvezda TV channel of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation are making a film about the August 2008 war. The film will highlight the role of the Russian Armed Forces in resolving the conflict. Special attention was paid to the “peace” mission carried out by Russia and its uniqueness.
• The department of culture of the “administration” of the Java district organized an excursion for refugees from the Donbas region. The participants visited several sights of the district, including a monument to the Defenders of the Fatherland, and then attended a concert of patriotic songs.
• Vadim Tedeev, the rector of the so-called State University of South Ossetia paid a working visit to Moscow where he met with the rector of the Moscow State University of Food Production. The parties signed a cooperation agreement.
• On June 27, the Chairman of the “Committee” for Youth Policy and Sports, Sergey Zaseev, and the Head of the Apollo student club, Olesya Kajaeva, discussed the issues of youth policy. According to them, it is necessary to establish such an organization that would "develop a national ideology"; where young people would gather and meet their peers from "friendly countries".

Russia’s soft power is an instrument of foreign policy, which the Kremlin actively uses to increase its influence abroad, including in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region. Offices of the Federal Agency for CIS, Compatriots Living Abroad and International Humanitarian Affairs ensure the implementation of Russia’s soft power policy in the occupied regions of Georgia. Dmitry Fedotov is the Head of the Agency office in Abkhazia and Sergey Skvortsov is the Head of the Agency office in the Tskhinvali region.