Georgia. A man who misses his homeland explains why he'd rather stay in Central Europe.

[pesvi]

Introduction, general information 

Georgia is an Eastern European country, located just in the Caucasus mountains. Its neighbours are Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia. It’s divided into different regions, which have different cultures, traditions, folk and cuisine but share the same Georgian language. This means the fact that the last names differ. Regions have unique endings to their last names, usually indicating where one’s from. The people from each are stereotyped differently, for example, people from Samegrelo tend to be liars and more financially educated, others from Svaneti and Racha are mocked for talking slowly, Kakhetians are lovers of feasts, etc.

Living conditions and the general lifestyle The country declared independence twice in the past century, went under a soviet dictatorship and had a fair share of Post Soviet Union problems. The people living here are hardened by the financial difficulties and the two wars Georgia has had with Russia,  aided by a civil war in the capital. The country lacks a decent, non-biased and non-thieving government. Corruption is taking a toll on the locals along with the inflation caused by it. Generally, jobs don’t earn much more than 300-400$ per month, and considering that some move from regions to the capital to live, the added rent gives them nothing to spare. It's gotten worse after the Russo-Ukraine war since many Russians escaped to Georgia to avoid the sanctions. The prices have skyrocketed and Georgians are forced to move back in with their parents since they can no longer afford the rent. The Georgians are finally opening their eyes and the younger generations are more and more sceptical towards the northern neighbours.

Because of the awful Soviet educational system, the majority of the Georgians have at least a bachelor's degree in something and still work as Taxi drivers or construction workers.  Even though it’s that hard, Georgian people always find resources to feast once in a while, as it’s a lifelong tradition. There’s a tradition of saying a toast at the table, and there’s an order too.

(Disclaimer that 20% of Georgia - Abkhazia and Samachablo are illegally occupied by Russia, therefore Georgians can't go there)

 

 

Georgian males, who are they?

The majority of us and a bit elderly people as well, grew up spending most of the time outside. When you’re there, you usually hear legends about Thieves in law and Goodfellas. But it grows more and more into you. Then, suddenly, you’re sitting at a table with your relatives, drinking wine and enjoying the toasts when one of your uncles slides out a Browning Hi-Power. That’s it. You want it too, it’s fun, right? The guy has cash, weapons, and most likely women too.

If you fight, you usually ask around before to make sure the guy you want to beat the crap out of isn’t your friends' friend, or even a relative in some way. Sometimes if the kids are unable to solve the conflict elders talk it out.Yhey do the asking around and in some way or another and meet each other afterwards. It’s taken care of (Tema, explained below). Your uncle tells you to forget about it and you do. Now guys your age know that you’ve got someone behind your back and you can act like the big shot, it’s not a problem.

 

What do we like, dislike, enjoy? 

Guys who follow the street mentality usually hate working and rarely study or do anything productive. They spend most of their time outside, where they learn how to talk themselves out of situations. They often find disputes with others. It can be about a girl, or someone saying something behind a guy's back, stealing from a person he shouldn’t have stolen from etc. There’s a thing called Tema (A Georgian name for problem-solving). It means a meeting between two individuals or two parties, who are looking forward to resolving a problem between each other.

Just like peers their age, many Georgian males take drugs, but for some absurd reason, they hate drug dealers. They’re heavily taxed in every district and aren’t taken as normal members of the society, they’re seen as the scum. Georgians dislike cops as well, not only because of their mentality but also because many of them in Georgia are angry, bitter guys who were bullied in their teenage years. More than the police, Georgians hate the people who cooperate with authorities – Snitches. 

The positive is that, compared to other Eastern Europeans, Georgians respect females and mom jokes and insults about them aren’t allowed, there are many people that have been shot, stabbed or killed over it. Georgians have their honour and are willing to risk everything to keep it intact. They follow Orthodox Christianity, so any comments about religion aren't appreciated either. It should be noted that Georgia doesn't see much of the on-paper racism like in the developed countries. Because of the poverty the generations have closely identified with the US counterparts, 80's, 90's and early 00's generations grew up listening to the old school hip hop and watching  the usual Gangster movies such as Godfather, Goodfellas, A Bronx Tale, Carlito’s Way & the rest. Georgians are usually accepting of other cultures and races.

 

The general structure, criminals 

Most of the criminals still follow the Thief-in-law mentality. People here are still getting extorted, scammed or scared into paying money. They do There are usually crews of 4-5 people, which have a certain authority figure backing them. The ladder isn't like the other criminal enterprises. Georgian crews are just a bunch of criminals who all have different relationships with each other and unless someone's a sworn-in thief-in-law, rarely does anyone stand above others. They bribe people in Law enforcement and the corrupt government to further cover, or aid them in the crimes they commit. Most of the document forgery is done with the help of small-time government figures such as parliament deputies or local governors. There are a lot of Georgian Authorities in various different crime groups, Such as Mindia Goradze (Lavasogli) and others.

 

Outside of the country, Georgian migrants 

Because of the difficult working situation in the country, many people, both genders, leave to find a better place to provide for their families. While females usually take care of the elderly, most of the males that go abroad illegally find work as shoplifters, burglars or doing some other petty crime. People end up selling properties (houses, cars, jewellery) or taking out loans to afford the travel, as they’ve got to pay more for an illegal stay or an illegal trip if they’ve been deported before. Yes, you’ve heard me right – people who work illegally outside of Georgia often get caught and deported back here, only to return in half a year maximum. Usually, the main direction is Central Europe and the US, but it's a bit more expensive to end up in the States.

Nowadays it's more common for workers to go to the States since it's close to impossible to get a real job in Europe without having the proper documentation or a working visa. They work as the delivery man, taxis or truckers in most instances. Funnily enough, there are many who cross the border from Mexico, others are blessed by winning the green card lottery.

 

A criminal lifestyle abroad

Criminal Georgians earn money by shoplifting, burglary, document forging and extortion. They might look like smaller crimes, but once they add up it's a massive financial gain. Abroad, they can often be aided by females who work as the caregivers in elderly families, who know ins and outs of properties. Crews operate in a usual way. One finds clues, another one’s a master locksmith, the third one usually goes in to get the score and the fourth guy stands in the corner, watching out for the buddies. Then the items are stored safely before they’re sold or sent home and split afterwards. The crews usually keep some kind of an Obshyak (Asset gathering) so if the thing goes south they have the money to escape, or if deported back to Georgia, to return illegally. A few of the lucky ones manage to earn enough and return, running businesses ranging from 24/7 stores to hair salons, but, others stay there for years to keep earning for their families back in Georgia. According to the sources, Georgia has produced most of the Thieves in law from any post-Soviet Union country. 

 

TL: DR 

While developing a Georgian (Who lives by stealing or follows the Thief in Law mentality) keep in mind that there’s a lot of room for creativity and livelihood of the character. The characters' problems could vary from medical conditions to addictions, divorces, hiding from loan sharks, etc. There’s no need to make the basic Eastern Goon, who’s 2 meters tall and weighs 100 kilos.

 

A graffiti from one of the walls in Georgian capital. "Here, sell it"

Edited November 5, 2023 by pesvi

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