Table of Contents
PART ONE: Russian Media Coverage of the Events in Georgia
1989
– STANDOFF OUTSIDE TSKHINVALI Moskovskiye novosti, December 3
1990
– ON GUARANTEES OF THE PROTECTION OF GEORGIA’S STATE SOVEREIGNTY Zarya Vostoka, March 12
– SESSION OF THE GEORGIAN REPUBLIC SUPREME SOVIET Izvestia, March 21
– DEADLY ARGUMENTS Izvestia, November 10
– APPEAL FROM THE PRESIDIUM OF THE USSR SUPREME SOVIET Izvestia, December 15
1991
– POLARIZATION OF FORCES IN GEORGIA Izvestia, January 2
– ON CERTAIN LEGISLATIVE ACTS ADOPTED IN DECEMBER 1990 IN THE GEORGIAN SSR Pravda and Izvestia, January 8
– PARLIAMENT REJECTS DECREE Izvestia, January 9
– FIRST STEP MUST BE TAKEN – ON EVENTS IN SOUTH OSSETIA Pravda, January 21
– AN AGREEMENT IS REACHED, AND SHOTS RING OUT AGAIN Pravda, January 23
– TSKHINVALI UNDER BLOCKADE Pravda, February 9
– ZVIAD GAMSAKHURDIA: ‘I WILL CROSS THE KREMLIN’S THRESHOLD ONLY AS A CITIZEN OF A FREE GEORGIA!’ Komsomolskaya pravda, February 21
– THE OBJECTIVE IS TRANQUILLITY Pravda, March 25
– SOUTH OSSETIA: THE SITUATION IS AT THE BREAKING POINT Izvestia, December 9
1992
– TSKHINVAL’S PAIN Pravda, January 6
– SOUTH OSSETIA: ‘NO COMPROMISES WITH GEORGIA’ Nezavisimaya gazeta, April 10
– GEORGIAN-OSSETIAN CEASE-FIRE PROTOCOL SIGNED Izvestia, June 11
– GEORGIA AND SOUTH OSSETIA: THE PEOPLES ARE PAYING IN BLOOD FOR THE POLITICIANS’ MISTAKES Izvestia, June 12
– THE RUSSIAN PARLIAMENT MAY CONSIDER THE QUESTION OF THE ANNEXATION OF SOUTH OSSETIA BY RUSSIA Izvestia, June 15
– WAR IS COMING FROM THE SOUTH Moskovskiye novosti, June 21
– YELTSIN AND SHEVARDNADZE REACH AGREEMENT ON A CEASE-FIRE IN SOUTH OSSETIA Nezavisimaya gazeta, June 26
– TOREZ KULUMBEGOV Moskovskiye novosti, June 28
– ABKHAZIA: NEXT IN LINE AFTER SOUTH OSSETIA? Moskovskiye novosti, July 5
– RUSSIAN PARATROOPERS ENTER SOUTH OSSETIA Izvestia July 14
1993
– POLITICAL EXTREMISM IS BEING PAID FOR IN BLOOD Izvestia, September 18
1994
– PEACE SUPPORTED BY BAYONETS CANNOT LAST FOREVER Izvestia, January 19
– ABKHAZIA AND SOUTH OSSETIA FEAR THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE RUSSIAN-GEORGIAN TREATY Sevodnya, February 5
– ‘RUSSIA ALREADY HAS LAMENTABLE EXPERIENCE’ Nezavisimaya gazeta, February 5
– RUSSIA SIGNS A FRIENDSHIP TREATY WITH GEORGIA Megapolis-Express, February 9
– TWO OFFICERS FROM RUSSIAN PEACEKEEPING FORCES KILLED IN ABKHAZIA Nezavisimaya gazeta, September 15
1995
– GEORGIAN-ABKHAZ TALKS IN MOSCOW: WAY OUT OF IMPASSE LIES THROUGH MOSCOW Kommersant-Daily, August 31
1996
– GEORGIA’S FOREIGN POLICY: IDEALS AND INTERESTS Nezavisimaya gazeta, January 4
– ABKHAZIA INSISTS ON EQUALITY WITH GEORGIA Sevodnya, February 21
1997
– COLD WAR IN THE DARYAL GORGE Kommersant-Daily, December 6
– GEORGIA WINS BACK ONE AND A HALF KILOMETERS FROM RUSSIA Sevodnya, December 11
1998
– GEORGIANS AND ABKHAZ PREPARE FOR WAR Kommersant-Daily, May 23
1999
– NO ONE IN NATO IS AWAITING GEORGIA Izvestia, October 27
2000
– TALIBAN FROM PANKISI GORGE Sevodnya, May 17
– UNFORTUNATELY, TURKEY DOESNT HAVE ROOM Sevodnya, June 17
– GEORGIA REPAYS RUSSIA Kommersant, November 16
– EXCEPTIONS TO THE RULE Sevodnya, December 6
2001
– SECRETARY OF STATE POWELL WILL LIBERATE GEORGIA FROM RUSSIA Kommersant, March 22
– MEN OF FIGHTING AGE Izvestia, October 10
– SPECIAL POLICE TRY TO ABORT PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION Vremya novostei, November 22
– SOUTH OSSETIA CHOOSES A RUSSIAN CITIZEN Kommersant, December 8
2002
– PANKISI BATTLE Vremya MN, February 20
– AMERICAN MILITARY COMES UP AGAINST THE ABKHAZ Kommersant, March 1
– DEPUTIES THREATEN GEORGIA Nezavisimaya gazeta, March 7
– MY GOAL IS FOR SOUTH OSSETIA TO BECOME PART OF RUSSIA Vremya novostei, March 6
– COMMUNICATION PROBLEMS Izvestia, March 29
– GEORGIA CONDEMNS RUSSIAN CITIZENSHIP LAW Kommersant, June 14
– EDUARD KOKOITY: WEVE ALREADY INVITED THE RUSSIAN MILITARY TO COME IN Vremya novostei, September 16
2003
– GEORGIAN WEDGE BETWEEN RUSSIA AND THE U.S. Nezavisimaya gazeta, April 17
– SOUTH OSSETIAN GOVERNMENT IS DISMISSED Kommersant, August 14
– GEORGIA IS MOVING WESTWARD Kommersant, November 25
– SOUTH OSSETIA WANTS TO BECOME PART OF RUSSIA Rossiiskaya gazeta, November 26
– ABKHAZIA TAKES A WAIT-AND-SEE APPROACH Rossiiskaya gazeta, November 26
– PRESIDENT’S CHAIR IS FOUND IN GEORGIA Kommersant, November 27
– NEW GEORGIA IS DISGRUNTLED WITH RUSSIA Vremya novostei, December 1
– ‘SAAKASHVILI DRANK TEA OUT OF MY GLASS’ Vremya novostei, December 1
– OSCE WILL PROTECT TBILISI FROM MOSCOW Russky kuryer, December 2
– VLADIMIR PUTIN SORTS OUT RUSSIAN-GEORGIAN RELATIONS Kommersant, December 26
2004
– GEORGIA ELECTS THE YOUNGEST LEADER IN EUROPE Nezavisimaya gazeta, January 12
– ANCIENT EUROPE MAKES ITS CHOICE Kommersant, January 16
– SOUTH OSSETIA PREPARES ITSELF FOR THE WORST Vremya novostei, January 23
– I SERVE THE U.S.A. Noviye Izvestia, January 26
– MIKHAIL SAAKASHVILI RECEIVES VISA PERMIT Kommersant, February 13
– DOES A ‘ROSE REVOLUTION’ THREATEN ABKHAZIA? Izvestia, May 18
– NEXT STOP: SUKHUMI Vremya novostei, May 20
– GEORGIA IS PREPARED TO DO ANYTHING Kommersant, May 26
– GEORGIA TAKES ACTION Kommersant, June 1
– PRESIDENT’S WIFE IS MET WITH GRENADE LAUNCHERS Kommersant, June 2
– BE GEORGIAN OR LOSE Kommersant, June 3
– OSSETIA WILL MEET GEORGIANS WITH FERTILIZER Kommersant, June 4
– ‘WHO’S KOKOYEV?’ Kommersant, June 15
– GEORGIA IS DISPLEASED WITH RUSSIAN PEACEKEEPERS Kommersant, June 16
– MIKHAIL SAAKASHVILI TAKES LITTLE AWAY FROM THE NEGOTIATING TABLE Kommersant, July 5
– HAS WAR BEEN DECLARED? Vremya novostei, July 8
– ESCALATING PROVOCATIONS Vremya novostei, July 9
– POLICE AND MOUNTAINS Kommersant, July 9
– SOUTH OSSETIA COMES BETWEEN RUSSIA AND THE WEST Kommersant, July 10
– CARTE BLANCHE FOR SAAKASHVILI Noviye Izvestia, July 12
– UNWANTED PEACEKEEPERS Noviye Izvestia, July 14
– PROTOCOL OF INTENTIONS Vremya novostei, July 16
– PRESIDENT SAAKASHVILI GOES ON NIGHT PATROL Kommersant, July 20
– ARMOR GETTING STRONGER Vremya novostei, July 22
– TSKHINVALI UNDER SIEGE Noviye Izvestia, August 2
– GEORGIA IS READY TO TAKE ON EVERYONE Kommersant, August 2
– SEA BATTLES FOR RESORT VACATIONERS Vremya novostei, August 5
– TWO STEPS AWAY FROM WAR Nezavisimaya gazeta, August 12
– GEORGIANS AND OSSETIANS ZERO IN ON EACH OTHER Kommersant, August 13
– GET RID OF EVERYTHING RUSSIAN Kommersant, August 14
– PEACE FOR GEORGIA IN EXCHANGE FOR MILITARY BASES Nezavisimaya gazeta, August 16
– CHAIRS IN THE MORNING, BULLETS IN THE EVENING Kommersant, August 19
– ONE-DAY WAR Vremya novostei, August 20
– OPPONENT IS TEMPORARILY UNAVAILABLE Kommersant, September 14
– GEORGIA IS PREPARING DOCUMENTS FOR ADMISSION TO NATO Vremya novostei, September 15
– SAAKASHVILI DOESN’T INTEND TO DRAG OUT TALKS WITH TSKHINVALI Nezavisimaya gazeta, October 22
– KREMLIN INCANTATION Moskovskiye novosti, October 22-28
– RESORT ROMANCE Vremya novostei, November 10
2005
– SAAKASHVILI IS ‘READY TO HEAR THE VOICE OF THE OSSETIANS,’ BUT THEY AREN’T WILLING TO RECIPROCATE Izvestia, January 27
– A BULLET FOR THE STATE MINISTER Nezavisimaya gazeta, July 19
– CHIEF INTELLIGENCE ADMINISTRATION LEAVES TRAIL IN GEORGIA Vremya novostei, July 26
– MIKHAIL SAAKASHVILI WITHDRAWS HIS CHALLENGE Kommersant, July 28
– PEACEKEEPERS ARE BLAMED Nezavisimaya gazeta, September 22
– TBILISI IS COUNTING ON THE AMERICANS Nezavisimaya gazeta, September 30
– GEORGIA DEMANDS WITHDRAWAL OF PEACEKEEPERS FROM ABKHAZIA AND SOUTH OSSETIA Izvestia, October 12
– MOSCOW’S RESPONSE TO GEORGIAN ULTIMATUM Vremya novostei, October 17
– SECOND-STRING PEACEKEEPERS Nezavisimaya gazeta, November 2
2006
– CAUCASUS SABOTEURS FREEZE GEORGIA Kommersant, January 23
– UKRAINE TRYING TO PUSH RUSSIA OUT OF GEORGIA Kommersant, February 1
– ‘IT WOULD BE A MISTAKE TO LOSE COOPERATION WITH THE KREMLIN’ Kommersant, February 10
– PEACE REMOVAL OPERATION Kommersant, February 8
– REPLACEMENT SOUGHT FOR RUSSIAN PEACEKEEPERS Kommersant, February 16
– GEORGIA CROSSES THE LINE Vremya novostei, February 16
– PASSPORT ‘GUN’ Vremya novostei, February 22
– DON’T ALLOW WAR Trud, March 4
– GEORGIA PROVOKING RUSSIAN PEACEKEEPERS Rossiiskaya gazeta, May 31
– SOUTH OSSETIA FLEEING SAAKASHVILI Izvestia, June 2
– LAND SEIZURES Kommersant, June 2
– SEPARATISTS OF ALL STRIPES HAVE A RIGHT TO INDEPENDENCE Nezavisimaya gazeta, June 2
– MIKHAIL SAAKASHVILI REACHES VLADIMIR PUTIN BY PHONE Kommersant, June 5
– ‘GEORGIAN LANDS ARE BEING ANNEXED’ Nezavisimaya gazeta, June 15
– COMMUNITY OF UNRECOGNIZED STATES Kommersant, June 15
– WHAT CAN WE OFFER THEM? Izvestia, June 19
– BAGAPSH PERPLEXED Nezavisimaya gazeta, June 22
– KNIGHT COMMANDER TAKES STEPS Vremya novostei, July 28
– A SMALL VICTORIOUS RETREAT Kommersant, July 22
– BIG CAUCASUS REVENGE Nezavisimaya gazeta, July 24
– SOUTH OSSETIA DOCUMENTS ITS SEPARATENESS Nezavisimaya gazeta, August 16
– TSKHINVALI GETS JUMPY Nezavisimaya gazeta, September 5
– GEORGIA LAUNCHES ACCESSION CAMPAIGN Kommersant, September 25
– THE WEST AT THE GATES Kommersant, October 2
– AND NOW, A BLOCKADE Vremya novostei, October 3
– SANCTION MASTER Kommersant, October 4
– WHAT’S AT STAKE Kommersant, October 11
– EU STICKS UP FOR GEORGIA Vremya novostei, October 18
– MOSCOW DISTANCES ITSELF FROM SEPARATISTS Nezavisimaya gazeta, October 23
– POLITICAL GAS HOOKUP Vremya novostei, October 25
– GEORGIAN HAWK FLIES OUT OF THE DEFENSE MINISTRY Kommersant, November 11
– FROM DEFENSE MINISTER TO GOVERNMENT SUPPLY CHIEF Kommersant, November 13
– ‘WE CAN’T FIGHT THE GODS’ Vremya novostei, November 13
– SOUTH OSSETIA IS BEING TORN APART Kommersant, November 14
– SOUTH OSSETIA MEASURED BY KOSOVO STANDARD Kommersant, November 15
2007
– TANGERINE IMPASSE Noviye Izvestia, January 10
– CUBIC METERS OF FRIENDSHIP Vremya novostei, January 19
– GEORGIAN POLICE EXPLODE RUSSIAN BOMBSHELL Kommersant, January 26
– BIRTH TRAUMA OF INDEPENDENCE Nezavisimaya gazeta, March 6
– TBILISI RECOGNIZES SOUTH OSSETIA Kommersant, April 6
– EDUARD KOKOITY DOESN’T GO FAR Kommersant, May 14
– SOUTH OSSETIA IS DRAGGED THROUGH COMMISSIONS Kommersant, July 26
– BOMB FRENZY Vremya novostei, August 8
– HOLE FROM A ‘RAINBOW’ Vremya novostei, August 10
– RUSSIAN MISSILE HITS NEGOTIATING TABLE Kommersant, August 11
– REMILITARIZATION OF POLITICS Izvestia, August 22
– SOUTH OSSETIA WILL BE DISCUSSED BY LATE SEPTEMBER Vremya novostei, August 31
– A PUZZLE FOR LAVROV Rossiiskaya gazeta, September 27
– GEORGIAN PRESIDENT STRIKES TWIN BLOWS Kommersant, September 28
– POLITICAL MISADVENTURER Kommersant, September 29
– WHAT’S AT STAKE Kommersant, October 5
– A SHEPHERD FOR THE OPPOSITION Vremya novostei, November 1
– NOT SO ROSY Rossiiskaya gazeta, November 3
– ‘RUSSIAN OLIGARCHS ARE BUILDING A LIE FACTORY IN GEORGIA’ Kommersant, November 6
– IRAKLY OKRUASHVILI LAUNCHES PROTEST ACTIONS Kommersant, November 7
– TBILISI EMERGENCY Vremya novostei, November 8
– GEORGIAN GAMBIT Vremya novostei, November 9
– RUSSIA IS AMAZED AT MIKHAIL SAAKASHVILI’S IMAGINATION Kommersant, November 16
– ‘WRONG’ DOCUMENT Vremya novostei, November 23
2008
– EXPORT MODEL OF THE GEORGIAN PRESIDENT Kommersant, January 25
– SAAKASHVILI DOESN’T GIVE UP HIS PEOPLE Nezavisimaya gazeta, January 31
– ALBANIAN SIRENS Vremya novostei, February 18
– RUBLES FOR KOSOVO Vedomosti, February 22
– POINTS OF NO ADMISSION Vremya novostei, February 28
– ABKHAZIA IS SEMIRECOGNIZED Kommersant, March 7
– THE KOSOVO PRESCRIPTION IS NOT FOR EVERYONE Nezavisimaya gazeta, March 13
– STATE DUMA TRUMPS BID Kommersant, March 22
– TBILISI ACCUSES MOSCOW OF AGGRESSION Nezavisimaya gazeta, March 26
– GEORGIA FOR DESSERT Kommersant, March 21
– IRAKLY OKRUASHVILI LOSES RIGHT TO RUN IN ELECTIONS Kommersant, March 29
– TRANSNISTRIA MAKES CONCESSIONS Kommersant, April 12
– A CREEPING MARCH Vremya novostei, April 17
– GEORGIA DECIDES TO HOLD BACK Kommersant, April 18
– GEORGIA TO BECOME RECOGNIZED REPUBLIC Kommersant, April 19
– ‘IF THEY FLY HERE AGAIN, WE WILL RESPOND THE SAME WAY’ Vremya novostei, April 22
– IS RUSSIA DRIVING GEORGIA TO JOIN NATO? Novaya gazeta, April 24
– GEORGIAN PLANE LANDS AT U.N. Kommersant, April 25
– RUSSIA IS PREPARED TO PROTECT ABKHAZIA AND SOUTH OSSETIA BY FORCE OF ARMS Kommersant, April 26
– SAAKASHVILI CALLS FOR NATO’S HELP Nezavisimaya gazeta, April 29
– AGGRESSIVE ENVIRONMENT Vremya novostei, April 30
– ABKHAZIA’S CLAIMS MAKE HOT SPOT EVEN HOTTER Kommersant, May 5
– GEORGIA BELIEVES RUSSIA WANTS MILITARY ACTION Kommersant, May 7
– AGREEMENT, ‘TAKE TWO’ Rossiiskaya gazeta, May 5
– MOSCOW AND BERLIN AGREE ON MEDVEDEV VISIT Nezavisimaya gazeta, May 16
– WHY IS SAAKASHVILI STILL POPULAR? Izvestia, May 23
– FLIGHT FROM THE CONTRARY Vremya novostei, May 27
– RAILROAD OF DISCONNECTION Kommersant, June 2
– WHAT A NEW RAILROAD WILL BRING TO ABKHAZIA Izvestia, June 2
– SOLANA INVADES ABKHAZIA Nezavisimaya gazeta, June 5
– RUSSIA AND GEORGIA EXCHANGE UNVOICED OPINIONS Kommersant, June 9
– GEORGIA STEALS RUSSIAN MISSILES Rossiiskaya gazeta, June 19
– PEACEKEEPERS GIVEN PERMISSION TO FIGHT Kommersant, June 20
– ‘WE SELL TANGERINES, NOT OUR HOMELAND!’ Izvestia, June 30
– RUSSIA WILL PROTECT ITS CITIZENS Izvestia, July 14
– WHY DOES SAAKASHVILI NEED MORE SOLDIERS? Izvestia, July 16
– ABKHAZIA REJECTS GERMANY’S ORDERLY PLAN FOR RECONCILIATION WITH GEORGIA Kommersant, July 19
– GEORGIA IS CHANGING PEACEKEEPING FORMAT Nezavisimaya gazeta, July 22
– RETREAT AFTER REPAIRS Vremya novostei, July 23
– GEORGIA REDUCED TO INDIFFERENCE Vremya novostei, July 23
– THERE WILL BE NO WAR Nezavisimaya gazeta, July 28
– PLAN IN THE WIND Vremya novostei, July 28
– ‘CEASE FIRING IMMEDIATELY!’ Vremya novostei, August 8
– THE FIRST PEACEKEEPING WAR Kommersant, August 9
– MINUTES BEFORE MIDNIGHT Rossiiskaya gazeta, August 9
– RUSSIA BAITS GEORGIA Kommersant, August 9
– FOUR-WAY AGRESSION Novaya gazeta, August 11
– A HISTORY OF THE GEORGIAN-OSSETIAN CONFLICT Kommersant, August 9
– RETREAT ENFORCEMENT Vedomosti, August 12
– PEACE WITHOUT POINT 6 Vremya novostei, August 14
– SOUTH OSSETIA PUSHED CLOSER TO INDEPENDENCE Nezavisimaya gazeta, August 14
– RECOGNITION OR NOTHING Nezavisimaya gazeta, August 26
– RUSSIAN PRESIDENT DMITRY MEDVEDEV: ‘THIS IS NOT AN EASY CHOICE TO MAKE, BUT IT REPRESENTS THE ONLY POSSIBILITY TO SAVE HUMAN LIVES’ Izvestia, August 27
– WORDS OF RECOGNITION Rossiiskaya gazeta, August 27
PART TWO: Commentary From Russian Foreign Policy Elite and Military Experts
THE CAUCASIAN TRACK OF RUSSIA’S FOREIGN POLICY
By Stanislav Chernyavsky, director of a division of the Fourth Department of CIS Countries, Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
RUSSIA’S NATIONAL SECURITY PROBLEMS IN THE TRANSCAUCASUS IN THE ERA OF GLOBALIZATION
By Major General Yury Ivanov, Deputy Chief of Staff, North Caucasus Military District
SEVEN ITEMS ON THE RUSSIAN-GEORGIAN AGENDA
By Aleksandr Chepurin, Deputy Director of the Fourth Department of CIS Countries, Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
RUSSIAN-GEORGIAN RELATIONS
By Aleksandr Chigorin, political scientist
THE GEORGIAN TEST
By Aleksandr Chigorin, political scientist
THE GEORGIAN THEME
By Vladimir Gurev, international observer
PROVINCIALISM IN POLITICS
By Mikhail Kokeyev, retired ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary, first class
THE SARABUKI INCIDENT
By Vladimir Potapov, former Deputy Secretary of the Russian Security Council, Colonel General (Ret.)
TBILISI’S TROUBLES
By Mikhail Kokeyev, retired ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary, first class
RUSSIAN ARMED FORCES AND PEACEKEEPING
By Colonel General V. Barynkin, Doctor of Military Sciences
THE TRANSCAUCASUS AND THE BALKANS
By Stanislav Chernyavsky, director of a division of the Fourth Department of CIS Countries, Russian Ministry of Affairs
SOUTH OSSETIA: ARMED AND DEVOTED TO PEACE
By Mikhail Maiorov, ambassador at large, Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs; head, Russian part, Joint Monitoring Commission for a Settlement of the Georgian-Ossetian Conflict
APPENDIX
Key Political Figures
Index
Learn more about Countdown to War in Georgia