After having withdrawn Dukhobori from Georgia, Russian authority is intending to take Malakni from our country now. As Malakni stated to the Human Rights Center they have been offered residence in Krasnodari Krai in Russian Federation; the invitation was sent by the Ministry of Urgent Situations of Russia. Nowadays Malaknis are busy to prepare their documents for departure. Because of unbearable conditions in Georgia and various problems that originated from ethnic motives hundreds of Malakni have already left Georgia.
According to historical sources, Malakni arrived in Georgia late in 19th century. They had some controversy with Russian authority on religious grounds and they were forced out of the country.
Currently, Malakni reside in the village of Ulianovka in Sighnaghi district and in the village of Svobodnoe in Lagodekhi district. According to the local governmental agencies about 1 800 Malakni resided in those villages by 1995. By 2000 their number reduced to 750 and at the moment only 98 Malakni reside in Ulianovka as well as in Svobodnoe.
Main occupation of Malakni, like Dokhobori from the village of Ninotsminda district in Samtskhe-Javakheti region, is farming. So, agricultural plots are one of the most important issues for them. Nevertheless, the state did not assign land to them as private property until 2004. The Malakni said they are leading collective farming but because of lack of land their social-economic conditions worsened. Besides that, if there is some vacancy in their villages nobody employs anyone among Malakni residents. Locals claim that representatives of various organizations state the reason for their unemployment is thievery: less robbery happens in those offices where Malakni do not work. Badur Baidoshvili, village council of Ulianovka, confirms the fact: “Nobody paid attention to their problems. Malakni have never had any income and finally decided to go,” said the village council.
Only elderly people live in Ulianovka and Svobodnoe. Young and middle-aged people have abandoned Georgia during recent years and moved to Russia to work. Before war in August of 2008 those who remained in Georgia hardly managed to visit their relatives in Russia but now it has become impossible because of locked border and unissued visas.
Badur Baidoshvili stated that he did not know whether they were really offered to move to Russia or not. “Nobody has informed me about it; whoever could go has already left,” he said.
Neither Malakni wanted to speak about this problem in public. Some of them explained that they are busy with preparing their documents. Malakni were offered to depart a month ago and almost every resident of Ulianovka and Svobodnoe accepted it. “We speak about this issue only in the church when we gather for prayers. Everybody who is healthy enough will move to Russia. We have our children and relatives there. Besides that, Russian authority will cover our travel expenses; they will give us houses and some compensation as well as monthly pension. Here we have nothing. Regardless our poverty the state does not assist us because we are people who preserve order and tidy at homes. Our innocent people are arrested; they seized everything from us; we are often laughed at,” said the Malakni. They recall one concrete fact when Nugzar Abulashvili, single mandate candidate from Sighnaghi district, insulted them and threatened with arrest because Malakni participated in protest demonstration.
“We protested the decision of the Ministry of Economic Development based on which the land, where we grew wheat, was sold. We urged the authority for help. MP Abulashvili met us but he, instead of listening to us, sent armed people to beat us. Next day we wanted to arrive in Tbilisi to meet President but we were threatened and local authority banned us to hold protest demonstrations. The MP shouted at us: “you are sectarians and you should go back to Russia; if you continue like that you will not stay here any longer.” MP denies their accusations.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia does not have any information about supposed departure of Malakni to Russian Federation. The representatives of the Ministry stated that Russian side had not reported official Tbilisi about the fact.
Gela Mtivlishvili, Kakhet
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