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Hans Gutbrod

@hansgutbrod.bsky.social
3.9K followers 566 following 2.1K posts

Interest in policy, think tanks, Caucasus, dogs, ethics. Teach at Ilia State University.

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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Windsurfing into the sun today. Posting also because I was mostly alone on Tbilisi Sea today -- if you live here and are interested in water sports, on a good day it's truly fabulous. Definitely worth trying.
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Jelger Groeneveld @jelgerg.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Sad news has reached me the Friedrich Naumann Foundation South Caucaus office in Tbilisi will close after 30 years of democracy promotion. Not because the democracy job is finished, but because the civic space for such work has been radically restricted by the Georgian Dream government.
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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Today's city run in Tbilisi, here short tribute to some of fabulous Tbilisi street dogs that decided to run with us. As you can see, some really made an effort! (Dogs & I happy with 10k, solid contingent ofrunners did the half marathon.) At end they chilled and snagged sandwiches, too.
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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
another searing account of how women who get drafted into surrogacy in #Georgia can end up totally exploited. Rayhan Demytrie follows this topic on her Substack, well worth following. rayhandemytrie.substack.com/p/a-kazakh-s...
rayhandemytrie.substack.com
A Kazakh surrogate went into septic shock carrying someone else’s child
Her medical bills have already topped $7,000. The agency told her it would be deducted from her promised $16,000 surrogacy fee.
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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Tbilisi LitFest right now, historian/writers Adam Zamoyski and Dimitris Dimitriadis on authoritarianism and collective memory. Truly cosmopolitan event in French and Georgian (& English also).
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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
#FreeBahruz -- good people should not be locked up on flimsy pretexts. @smdov.bsky.social @molenasreddin.bsky.social
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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Remarkable.
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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
One of these judges, G Kikilashvili, gained notoriety for critically misrepresenting his professional record in scholarship application only just last year. In any functional context, would disqualify him. For the Georgian Dream, it seems only to have underlined his suitability for Const Court.
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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
a few months ago, talked to a whistleblowers who fled Georgia, and he said: "if I was back there, they'd plant drugs on me and sentence me to years in jail." Here is a whistleblower, sentenced to 17 years (!!) in jail. Make of that what you will.
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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
I kind of know and then *still* forget to check the pressure in my tires. For weeks have been traveling with less than half (!!) minimum recommended pressure (2-4 bar). I guess this is "doing the work" also.
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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Looks like a really interesting play with resonant themes.
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Jelger Groeneveld @jelgerg.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
This is exemplary of how Georgian rules the country. Instead of consulting sectors of society BEFORE introducing certain measures, they just smack things into everybody's face, resulting in upsetness. They just don't get it. But that is logical from a club that considers civil society a danger.
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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
yes, many incumbent oppo parties in Georgia are pretty stuck, between repression & own issues. But then there also, less visible, some people push hard, advocate on issues, keep talking to people -- & raise own support on ground, too. Teona Chalidze has batumelebi.netgazeti.ge/articles-in-...
batumelebi.netgazeti.ge
How Do People Fund an Opposition Politician — A Woman Politician Without an Office or a Party - Batumelebi
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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
you could say that a second Battle of Krtsanisi is about to form, and this time it looks like the loser will be the Georgian Dream. The resistance against Eagle Hills is so wide across the political spectrum, it is hard to see how they can sustain the project. Look at the Likes/Shares.
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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
reupping this, next week at De Balie in #Amsterdam on #Georgia, with @yoerialbrecht.bsky.social and on how we can win the fight against the totalitarian challenge. Share if you know anyone who might be interested! debalie.nl/programma/ge...
debalie.nl
Georgia: On the Brink of Oligarchy
Georgia is a country that stands at a crossroads. Will it choose closer integration with the European Union, as a large share of the population desires? Or will it deepen its relationship with Putin’s...
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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Impressions from the building works on Rustaveli -- including archaeological excavation!!!
Archaeological excavation right next to the Freedom Square MetroOverview on the excavations and work on the upper end of the reconstruction, by Rustaveli MetroGiant excavator in front of the Georgian Parliament still working, at night
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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Georgian word of the day -- ცოდნა ძალაა / tsodna dzalaa, knowledge is power, giving you two key words in a memorable phrase. Gemini illustration doing a good job. (And here an all-time classic on how "Francis Bacon" led to years of misunderstandings: thehabit.co/knowledge-is... )
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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Tbilisi city center is *extra* worth seeing these days, in a particular way. Those sights your rarely see. Watch this aerial waltz, sound on, sent by a friend, for a memorable glide over city landmarks you'll recognize.
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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
This was entirely new to me, and fun reading and watching.
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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
meters not as in Kilometers, but as in "electricity". The headline had me stumped and also draws you into reading this great tale by Giorgi Lomsadze of what goes wrong when scarce goods are free. tamadatales.substack.com/p/meters-to-...
tamadatales.substack.com
Meters to kill Mountain Crypto?
The curtain is about to fall on the world’s strangest cryptocurrency hub
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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
I'm not in the everything needs to be preserved be brigade but was shocked to see they're tearing down the iconic building on Rustaveli opposite the Blue Gallery// Marriott.
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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
“a proper university only needs three things: curious people; a library; and a cafeteria. Everything else is imposed by society.” There is more to this idea by Michael Oakeshott than at first may meet the eye. My piece for @globalpolicy.bsky.social www.globalpolicyjournal.com/blog/25/08/2...
globalpolicyjournal.com
Living for Science, Not From It: Adapting Scholarship to Tumultuous Times
As Georgia's Ilia State University faces dismantlement by the ruling authorities, philosopher Michael Oakeshott's minimalist vision of the university — curious people, a library, a cafeteria — offers ...
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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
Random post to remember @smdov.bsky.social, in jail. There are many opposition people across the world in exile or jail. Among the bravest on the planet are those in Azerbaijan - with little immediate chance to win; standing against ruler who just won a war; w little international attention.
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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
a lot has been written on #Cofnas & academic freedom. Some of debate gets heated, most recently with @patricksturg.bsky.social and @jdportes.bsky.social es.bsky.social. In my mind, some of this debate can be ordered and perhaps -- ambitious -- be resolved. Bear with me 🧵 bsky.app/profile/jdpo...
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Yoeri Albrecht @yoerialbrecht.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
Looking forward to the evening with Prof @hansgutbrod.bsky.social from Tblisi University at Sept 16th 19. 00 hrs @debalie.bsky.social #Georgia 🇬🇪 #Oligarchy debalie.nl/programma/ge...
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Yoeri Albrecht @yoerialbrecht.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Looking forward to my conversation with Prof. Hans @hansgutbrod.bsky.social from Tblisi University Georgia on a country that is on the verge of renewed submission to the old Russian colonialist power. Wednesday Sept. 16th 1900 hrs at @debalie.bsky.social debalie.nl/programma/ge...
debalie.nl
Georgia: On the Brink of Oligarchy
Georgia is a country that stands at a crossroads. Will it choose closer integration with the European Union, as a large share of the population desires? Or will it deepen its relationship with Putin’s...
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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
GD promised that higher education would be free. Instead, it turns out that students will be subject to potentially arbitrary decisions. #Georgia ganatleba.substack.com/p/free-but-c...
ganatleba.substack.com
Free, but Conditional: The Catch Behind the GD’s Tuition Promise
The government promised free tuition at public universities. Under the new model, full funding is guaranteed for only one year, leaving students dependent on semester-by-semester decisions.
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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
petition circulating in #Georgia calling for cancellation of Eagle Hills development in Krtsanisi Forest — site of 1795 battle. Organizers gathering at forest on September 12 to mark battle's 231st anniversary. politics.https://unaccountedfor.substack.com/p/cancel-the-agreement-with-eagle-hills
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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
will watch this film on Thomas Mann's return to Germany post-1945 shortly. Very curious. Great fan of Hanns Zischler. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatherl...
en.wikipedia.org
Fatherland (2026 film) - Wikipedia
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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
Always incredibly rewarding, flying together in the evening sun. #paragliding #allgaeu
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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
I don't know much context but this is doing the rounds -- urging the authorities in Georgia not to deport an Iranian citizen back to Iran. www.change.org/p/stop-iman-...
change.org
Sign the Petition
Stop Iman Asghari’s Deportation from Georgia and Immediately Transfer Him to a Safe Countr
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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
Already contributing! I hope more will.
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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
Studio Monitori in Georgia reported on scam call centers in #Tbilisi -- then their *entire* Youtube channel was taken down. They found the perpetrator, who charged $3-5k & had a "high-level sponsor" for this. Remarkable work. @occrp.org youtube.com/shorts/1GNUR... @marikamikiashvili.bsky.social
youtube.com
Studio Monitori: Inside the Paid Scheme That Deleted Our YouTube Channel
YouTube video by Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project
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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
Bad things happen everywhere, but even more likely if you disable accountability, attack the opposition and try to shut down investigative journalism.
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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
very evocative piece, on why the academic and teacher Rusiko Kobakhidze (no direct relation to PM...) refuses to give up in the face of the nihilistic totalitarianism of the Georgian Dream. One key motivation: the larger arc of history. ganatleba.substack.com/p/we-were-so...
ganatleba.substack.com
"We Were Soviet Products": Rusiko Kobakhidze on Memory, Protest, and Why She Still Stands on Rustaveli
Teacher, researcher, and mother of nine, Rusiko Kobakhidze reflects on the Soviet past, today's resistance, and the convictions that keep her on Rustaveli Avenue.
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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
Georgia's new Ambassador to Germany is not a diplomat, first & foremost, but figure that oversaw the darkest chapters of effective collapse of education in the late 1990s and early 2000s. A suggested "10 questions to Kartozia" raises these issues. ganatleba.substack.com/p/ten-questi...
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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 26/07/2026
Took seven years to figure out a new role for that building but at least it's being used.
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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
interesting -- might there soon be clashes between ultrapatriotic movements and the Georgian police? They certainly seem to be committed to taking a stand on Krtsanisi Forest. A fierce post, from a group with little prominence, garnered 9.000 Likes. unaccountedfor.substack.com/p/consecrate...
unaccountedfor.substack.com
“Consecrated to Sacrifice” -- Radical Commitments from Ultra-Patriotic Movement
Will we soon see clashes between police and Georgian ultra-patriots?
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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
has not hit international media yet, but strong resistance across political spectrum against Eagle Hills project. 12.000 Likes is really remarkable for Georgia. #realestate unaccountedfor.substack.com/p/shalva-nat...
unaccountedfor.substack.com
Shalva Natelashvili: "Every illegally granted permit will be canceled & everyone involved in this deal will be held fully accountable under the law"
The veteran leader of Georgia's Labour Party gets extensive engagement when announcing resistance against the Eagle Hills Project.
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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Alright, all other aspects & symbolism aside, this is fabulous for cyclists to crisscross the earthworks. Rehab of Chavchavadze was great also, with mountainbike, while they were working.
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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
With the upcoming 89th anniversary of Paolo Iashvili setting an end to his life, on July 22, here my article on why this act matters. (Some will visit his grave, there also will be a reading of his poetry on that evening in Sololaki.) @rrgould.bsky.social open.substack.com/pub/hansgutb...
open.substack.com
Paolo Iashvili and the Writer’s House of Georgia
Reupping an article on one of Georgia's most important poets that has only become more relevant since it first came out. Mark July 22 on your calendars.
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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
I tell myself that once every three months I should post this, in solidarity with #FreeBahruz who is in jail in #Azerbaijan on trumped up charges. Sometimes I forget. Today remembered & one can write to him in jail, too... @cavid.info @molenasreddin.bsky.social oc-media.org/opinion-soli...
oc-media.org
Opinion | Solidarity without borders: For Bahruz, for Georgia, for all of us
The South Caucasus is standing at a crossroads — yet our struggles are connected and none of us can afford to stand alone.
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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
this little critter -- smart as Einstein if you ask me -- has an adoption meeting in #Tbilisi tomorrow. All paws crossed. #dogs
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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
A sweet act of patriotism in #Georgia -- buying #blueberry to support local production, total steal at 12 GEL at local fruit sellers. (In some EU countries it's more than three times as much!!)
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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
After sunset on Bollywood Beach #Tbilisi #windsurfing
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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
the great Giorgi Lomsadze on the "Scrolling Police" in #Georgia Follow him on Substack. tamadatales.substack.com/p/crackdown-...
tamadatales.substack.com
Crackdown on the fundamental freedom to swear on Facebook
Georgia’s new “scrolling police” chase after profanities on social media
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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
on what Temur Ugulava leaves for #Georgia, in various dimensions. hansgutbrod.substack.com/p/bringing-r...
hansgutbrod.substack.com
Bringing Real Magic to Georgia – What Temur Ugulava Leaves Behind
1970–2026. A proper biography would tell the story of our time.
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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
Withering report by @hrw.org on the scale of repression in #Georgia. GD likes to claim critique is political. This report provides grounded evidence on the facts, listing the repressive provisions. www.hrw.org/news/2026/07...
hrw.org
Georgia: New Laws Devastate Independent Civic Groups
Georgian authorities’ use of increasingly repressive laws and politically motivated criminal investigations is decimating independent civil society and silencing critical voices, Human Rights Watch sa...
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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
Summer fully arrived in Tbilisi... #Vera
Cat chilling out in Vera, Tbilisi
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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
Low key-ish but happy & social July 4 event by AmCham at US Embassy, 1500+ people, families, food, music in #Tbilisi #Georgia Whatever else you make of the day today & this year, here it brought nice people together.
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