Georgia Dispatches: Inside Gori

18 August 2008: After the failed attempt to enter the Russian-occupied town of Gori in a convoy organized by the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the European Union on Saturday, another opportunity emerged two days later when Moscow indicated it would give the order for its troops to leave the town the same day. Nobody believed them, of course, but the international media pack in town had to be there just in case. Reuters had decided to leave for Gori at 7 in the morning while AFP would start out a little later at 9.30.

Given that we had to get into Gori, a town where 90 percent of the population had already fled following Russian cluster-bomb attacks and where Russian troops now patrolled the streets, we decided to leave at 8.30 am. The plan was to travel alongside the New York Times’ car which would otherwise try to sneak in if the Russians weren’t true to their word. Despite the risk of running into South Ossetian militia, the need to find alternate routes into Gori really was necessary.

Just under 50 miles from Tbilisi, the birthplace of the Soviet dictator Josef Stalin was now the most strategically important town in the country. Controlling it, especially after the bombing of a railway bridge on the outskirts of nearby Kaspi, the Russians had effectively cut off the main transport route connecting East and West. Most of its inhabitants had fled creating a considerable problem with IDPs and everyone was expecting the Russians to finally leave.

And for a while, at least, all indications were that this might happen. In the last part of the Georgian-controlled section of the Gori road, dozens of local police stood brandishing semi-automatic weapons and dressed smartly along the road with their vehicles parked a little way ahead. It seemed more like preparations for a publicity event than security, and after passing the first Russian military checkpoint at Igoeti, there even appeared to be less tanks dug-in alongside of the road.

Photo: Russian soldier, Igoeti, Republic of Georgia © Onnik Krikorian / Oneworld Multimedia 2008

Russian military petrol tankers were heading towards Tbilisi as well, as if to refuel any vehicles for the journey back to South Ossetia. Closer to Gori, dozens of cars and vans transporting the international media brigade to Gori stood in line at another Russian military checkpoint where soldiers checked passports. Perhaps the first sign that all was not as it seemed came when one Georgian photographer was told in no uncertain terms, “Take any photographs and we’ll smash your cameras.”

Already the signs were ominous and our worst fears were confirmed when an effective convoy of journalists from the BBC, ABC, CNN, Reuters, AFP, AP and many more reached the final roadblock a mile outside Gori. Refused entry, Russian soldiers instructed the media that they were not authorized to enter until an unnamed General arrived to escort us in. No prizes for guessing that the General in question never materialized.

Instead, the media hung out sheltering under the shade of some nearby trees in between filming or photographing troops on patrol or jumping to do the same when armored personnel carriers drove by. One international film crew were even rehearsing their live piece to be broadcast out by a van powered by multiple petrol generators to power the satellite dish on top.

Photos: Russian checkpoint, Gori, Republic of Georgia © Onnik Krikorian / Oneworld Multimedia 2008

“It is still uncertain whether Russian’s planned withdrawal is going ahead today or not,” the reporter from the station said to the amusement of his film crew. “Well, what do you want me to say?” he remarked. “That nothing whatsoever has changed?” I walked away smirking. There was no way the Russians were leaving that day.

So, while the New York Times decided to stay in the hope of a miracle happening, EurasiaNet’s Caucasus Editor Elizabeth Owen, the Washington Post’s Jon Finer, Florian Lems, photographer Temo Bardzimashvili and myself decided it was time to try the back route via Kaspi. True, there was no guarantee that the route over sub-standard village roads and dirt tracks would work, but it had worked the day before for other journalists.

A call en route informing us that within the past hour an AP car trying to do the same had been hijacked by South Ossetian militia was of concern for 10 minutes, and warranted questions to local Georgian villagers sitting by the roadside. In their opinion we shouldn’t continue. Nobody knew if the South Ossetians were still operating in the area or not, but there were five Russian tanks ahead.

When it became apparent that the AP journalists were stopped on another back route we continued and just outside of Kaspi, a local villager driving a clapped-out Soviet car said we wouldn’t get into Gori the way we were going and offered to show us another route. We followed his advice and eventually found ourselves on the outskirts of the town blocked off by Russian soldiers.

Photos: Russian checkpoint, Gori, Republic of Georgia © Onnik Krikorian / Oneworld Multimedia 2008

Yet, despite the order given on the main entrance to stop journalists entering, no such command had been relayed to these guys. “Journalists?” they asked. “Go right in.” Surreal is not the word given our experiences so far combined with the sight of dozens of armed Russian soldiers sheltering from the hot afternoon sun in the shade of a nearby building. What was even more surprising was that Gori was virtually intact.

True, bullet holes were everywhere on the side of buildings, most of which were without windows from the fighting or from looting, but it was intact and actually quite pretty. Stalin’s statue still overlooked the main square even if the nearby bank had seen much better days. Russian soldiers, some with their faces covered perhaps in an attempt to look more formidable and threatening, were standing nearby.

Photos: Gori, Republic of Georgia © Onnik Krikorian / Oneworld Multimedia 2008

The town is almost completely deserted, however, and most of those out on the streets were pensioners seeking humanitarian assistance from the local authorities. The situation was calm at first until one Georgian official started accusing the Russians of hindering supplies to Gori much to the concern of one of the journalists I was with given the number of guns on display. Still, my take was with a few film crews also having made it in, nothing bad was going to happen.

Photos: Gori, Republic of Georgia © Onnik Krikorian / Oneworld Multimedia 2008

That’s not to say that the situation in the town is safe, however. The local authorities alleged that South Ossetian militia were terrorizing nearby villages and also conducting hit and run raids in Gori, robbing people and looting shops at gunpoint. Nearly all shops were closed as a result except for one. Upon entering, the sight of three Russian armed soldiers — including one woman — shopping for khingali seemed to indicate that it was the South Ossetian and North Caucasus militias that were mainly looting.

A Georgian girl, however, had just been reported raped in the village of Akalgori, and five others were reported kidnapped by South Ossetian gunmen in Karaleti.

In the central Square, one Russian soldier, identifiable from his uniform as a peacekeeper from South Ossetia, was surprisingly articulate and reasoned when talking about the war. Seemingly somewhat upset by the situation, the soldier reminded journalists that he had seen some of his fellow soldiers as well as local civilians killed during the Georgian attack on Tskhinvali. Seemingly a decent fellow.

Photos: Gori, Republic of Georgia © Onnik Krikorian / Oneworld Multimedia 2008

Human Rights Watch had reported that cluster bombs had been used on Gori, and while the target was meant to have been a local military base, residential buildings had been hit too with civilian casualties. However, Russian checkpoints barred the way and we couldn’t get to any of those sites except for one. An old man stood in front of a two sheets of metal lying on the ground. “They’re graves,” he said. “We couldn’t find all the bodies, though. We just buried the [dismembered] limbs — arms and feet — that we found.”

Photos: Gori, Republic of Georgia © Onnik Krikorian / Oneworld Multimedia 2008

Meanwhile, an old woman walked through the rubble pointing at pockmarks and ditches. “Bombs,” she said, as if still shell-shocked.

Photos: Gori, Republic of Georgia © Onnik Krikorian / Oneworld Multimedia 2008

Back in the central Square, the first signs of the Russians letting in international organizations to distribute humanitarian aid could be seen. ICRC as well as local Georgian relief agencies and World Vision were now being allowed to enter, and even UNICEF Armenia’s Country Director, Sheldon Yett, had gotten in through the main entrance a few hours after we had sneaked in the back way. A few days earlier, however, UNHCR had two vehicles held up at gunpoint and stolen.

Photo: Gori, Republic of Georgia © Onnik Krikorian / Oneworld Multimedia 2008

But the availability of humanitarian assistance brings with it other problems. There is nearly always never enough and it wasn’t long before the stress of living under seige with little or no food gave way to fierce arguments between residents and local officials.

Photos: Gori, Republic of Georgia © Onnik Krikorian / Oneworld Multimedia 2008

Life under the occupation of foreign soldiers is not something to wish on anyone, and with news that the Russians are now limiting access to Gori even more — and it was never easy to get in — has to raise some concerns. This is especially true when even the French Ambassador to Georgia was detained by Russian troops as he attempted to pass through the town.

And as a 6pm curfew announced by Russian occupying troops neared, we left with just 15 minutes to spare. We also decided to leave by the much more arduous route over village roads rather than attempt to exit via the main entrance in case we too were detained for being in a town we had previously been denied access to. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of IDPs from Gori now live in makeshift accommodation in Tbilisi.

It’s time for the Russians to pull out as they have promised to do and for the IDPs to return with security guarantees and confidence measures. No matter where the blame for this conflict lies, the suffering among civilians on both sides of the South Ossetian is the main disasterous consequence.

Photos: Gori, Republic of Georgia © Onnik Krikorian / Oneworld Multimedia 2008