"You were, like, our republic." What do Russians who arrived from Sochi to Batumi by cruise ship say?
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Russian cruise ship passengers in Batumi
The cruise liner Astoria Grande with Russian passengers on board, which departed from the port of Sochi on July 22, arrived in Batumi on July 27. A special excursion trip and tasting of local cuisine is planned for tourists.
Passengers also talked to reporters.
“I don’t know about the occupation, you were, like, our republic during the [Soviet] Union. Russia is not an occupier, have we occupied you? We helped. We liberated Abkhazia from you, they asked us for help. You entered there with tanks, we saw these tanks. I was in Abkhazia and saw it myself. I don’t know whose territory this is, but we have not occupied either Abkhazia or Georgia. I don’t know anything about Ossetia, perhaps Ossetia also turned to us for help, and we helped. I do not know anything about the Russian occupation of Georgian territories, and Russia is not an occupier.”
“The last time we were in Batumi was in 1978, now we have to see historical places again. We do not know that Russia occupied the territories of Georgia, everywhere – the Soviet Union. Russia is not an occupier. We are all the Soviet Union, a single, big, beautiful country.”
“We will not comment on the topic of occupation. I know, but we won’t talk. Russia is not an occupier. Let’s solve the problem of Abkhazia and Ossetia.”
On July 22, the cruise liner Astoria Grande started from the Russian port of Sochi on a new route, which includes a visit to Georgia’s Batumi. This information was confirmed by the Georgian Maritime Transport Agency. They said that the ship serves the Turkish cruise company Miray Cruises International and its stop in Batumi is of a commercial nature.
Ekho Kavkaza reports that the cruise program offers to “visit the sights of Batumi and taste local cuisine.” In addition, traditional Georgian dishes have been added to the menu of the liner.
According to the Russian pro-government media outlet Rossiya 1, the organizers say the Georgian resort could significantly increase interest in the flight, “without the need for passengers to sign any additional documents.”
It should also be noted that the Sochi Port Authority announced back in January 2023 that it was negotiating with Georgia and the authorities of occupied Abkhazia about the possibility of calling at their ports. Sochi Port Director Yury Vladimirov then noted that the first flights were going to be opened by the summer of 2023. The Georgian Maritime Transport Agency responded to these words, noting that the agency “does not know what the Sochi Port Authority is talking about.”
