The investigation's conclusions about the beating of the tourist in Telavi sparked new debates on social media.
Supporters of Giorgi Chigladze, who beat a Russian-speaking tourist in Telavi, did not provide any video evidence confirming that the tourists poured water from the balcony, stated some social media users, commenting on the investigation's conclusions that the girls did not douse the wedding guests. Other commentators continued to insist that the attack was preceded by provocation from the tourists.
As reported by "Caucasian Knot", the beating of the Russian-speaking tourist by Georgian resident Giorgi Chigladze caused a resonance on social media. One of the participants in the incident, which occurred in a hotel room in Telavi, stated that the investigation confirmed that the girls did not douse the wedding guests with water, did not insult them, and did not damage the equipment.
Georgian police stated that Chigladze attacked the tourist due to insults directed at the wedding participants. The victim's friend claims that the conflict arose because of the Russian language. A march took place in Tbilisi, where participants expressed support for Chigladze. The court in Telavi released Chigladze on bail. In court, he stated that he regretted what happened. Georgian media reported that the victim holds citizenship of Russia and Turkey. In the recording that preceded the beating of the tourist by a wedding participant in Telavi, the girl waves from the window to the celebration participants, but in response, she faces accusations of pouring water on the equipment and insults. The victim herself stated that they did not provoke the wedding participants.
Social media users debated the circumstances of the incident
Three posts on the "Caucasian Knot" Facebook page*, discussing the beating of the Russian-speaking tourist in Telavi, collectively garnered about 223 thousand views and 3868 comments. The main subject of the debate was whether the tourists doused the wedding guests and equipment from the balcony.
"To be honest, I haven't seen a single frame of them pouring anything on anyone. There were 150 people at the wedding, the operator should have been there too. So where's the video?" – asked Alidmar Aldi.
"What about the video where they pour something out of the window? I personally saw that video," – stated Efrat Igor.
Some users believed the words of the incident participant, while others were skeptical of them.
"I had no doubt that it was exactly like that. All her words are confirmed by the video and logic," – wrote Irina Matskevich.
"I don't believe the girls. They are like little angels," – stated Zamira Abdurashitova. "It's hard to believe," – wrote Zelikhа Idelyevna Kubeeva.
Commentators also debated whether a man could attack a tourist without a preceding conflict.
"I believe the girls didn't like the noise below, and they expressed it in some inappropriate way. A man can't just come from below and hit," – wrote Anzor Georgiev.
"So the girls, if they were so good and did nothing wrong, why did the conflict start?" – asked Julietta Dilyan.
Some commentators called for not making final conclusions until the investigation is complete.
"It's still unknown what she will say in court when the court warns her about the responsibility for giving false testimony. Only an impartial court can establish the truth of what happened," – emphasized Zamir Saribaev.
"It doesn't just happen, it means they were provoked. What happened will be revealed in court," – stated Tatyana Lobzina.
A separate topic became the possible consequences of the conflict for Georgia's tourist attractiveness.
"It seems that Georgia has suffered millions in losses due to one punch to a girl's nose, as it is acquiring a reputation among tourists as a dangerous country to visit," – wrote Andrey Kuznetsov.
"Boycott the hotel," – called Saodat Bazarova.
The beating of the Russian-speaking tourist in Telavi became the second conflict between the residents of Georgia and tourists in two weeks. On July 11, in Tbilisi, participants of a memorial event for fighters killed in combat actions in Ukraine held a march near the parliament building. A conflict occurred between the march participants and a group of tourists. Georgian media stated that the tourists were from Russia. The incident caused a resonance on social media. Commentators debated its causes. Some users believed that the tourists only responded to the aggression of the demonstrators, while others claimed that their behavior was the cause of the incident.
Analysts assessed the impact of conflicts with tourists on the current tourist season in Georgia
Incidents with tourists will not affect the current tourist season in Georgia, believes tour organizer and wine guide Anna Filatova. Russians are used to perceiving the country as a convenient and safe destination, separating the political background from leisure. However, the increase in conflicts will make tourists pay closer attention to the news and may reduce Georgia's attractiveness against competing destinations, she previously told a correspondent of "Caucasian Knot".
Isolated conflicts cannot reduce the high demand for recreation in Georgia, also believes a representative of the tour company "Level-Travel" Alexey. According to him, Russian tourists still consider the country a close, convenient, and safe destination. Bookings continue as before, and vacationers do not feel a sense of personal risk, he explained to a correspondent of "Caucasian Knot".
Recent conflicts are a sign of deteriorating attitudes of Georgian society specifically towards Russians, believes senior researcher at the Institute of Geography of the Russian Academy of Sciences Alexey Gunya. In his opinion, what is happening is more related to the development of civil society in Georgia and a more principled attitude towards foreigners in general. Anti-Russian slogans also do not indicate negative attitudes directly towards Russian citizens, he told a correspondent of "Caucasian Knot".
Political scientist Sergey Zhavoronkov stated that Russian tourists generally do not face hostility in Georgia unless they show support for the Russian authorities. In his opinion, everyday conflicts may be related to the high emotionality of local residents. A part of Georgian society treats relocants differently, accusing them of rising housing prices and changing the ethnocultural balance of the small country, he noted to a correspondent of "Caucasian Knot".
Participants in the incident presented different versions of what happened
Present at the wedding Lasha Kapanadze reported that the conflict began after the tourists from the third-floor balcony shouted the word "kiss" in Russian to the groom and bride. According to him, not receiving a response, they began to throw liquids at the guests and spit, damaging the sound equipment and temporarily stopping the music, noted the publication OC Media on July 20.
Kapanadze claims that the guests asked the women to stop, but in response, they heard insults directed at Georgia and the wedding participants. After that, Giorgi Chigladze went up to the tourists' room. According to Kapanadze's version, one of the tourists grabbed Chigladze by the neck and scratched him, after which he broke free.
The company Agarani Estate expressed deep regret regarding the incident. Hotel representatives stated that staff intervened and called the police as soon as they noticed the rising tension. This statement received numerous negative responses on Facebook*: users accused the hotel of inaction at the initial stage of the conflict, the publication noted.
The tourist who was beaten reported that there were five women in the room and none of them insulted the wedding participants. According to her, the other side used foul language first.
The girl also stated that she and her friends were celebrating a birthday. She admitted that when opening champagne, a few drops might have splashed on the wedding guests, but rejected claims that the women intentionally doused people or spat at them.