10.01.2007 - Source: Minorities at Risk

Chronology of events concerning Ossetians (South) in Georgia (501 - August 1999) ("Chronology for Ossetians (South) in Georgia") [#37950],  [ID 5078]

Document(s): Open document

10.2006 - Source: European Centre for Minority Issues

Ossetians make up 0.87% of the population of Georgia, excluding the territory of South Ossetia; most Ossetians are Orthodox Christians; they mostly speak Georgian or Russian ("Implementing the Framework Convention for the Protection of Minorities in Georgia: A Feasibility Study") [ID 18361]

"Following the war over South Ossetia of 1991-92, the number of Ossetians outside the breakaway region has shrunk considerably. According to the 1989 census, there were 164,055 Ossetians in the whole of Georgia, or 3.0% of the population. According to the 2002 Census, which excludes the breakaway region57, there were 38,028 Ossetians, or 0.87% of the population. Comparing the 1979 and 2002 Census results, we see that in certain parts of Georgia the Ossetian population has declined very rapidly; during this 23-year period the proportion of Ossetians declined from 48.5% to 14.4% in Akhalgori district, from 17.7% to 5.5% in Kareli district, from 12.4% to 4.7% in Akhmeta district, from 11.1% to 4.3% in Gori district and from 10.0% to 2.2% in Borjomi district. During the period of nationalist mobilisation in 1989-1992, many Ossetians were expelled from these regions. Most Ossetians declare themselves as Orthodox Christian, although their religioncontains some elements of paganism. A small minority are Sunni Muslims. The language belongs to the Iranian group of the Indo-European languages. Although on paper there are several Ossetian schools in Georgia (outside the conflict zone), mainly in Akhmeta district, according to a representative of the Ossetian community in Georgia, these schools are Ossetian in name only and do not even teach the Ossetian language. The main issue facing the Ossetian community is the continuing uncertainty regarding the status of South Ossetia and the potential knock-on effect that any resumption of hostilities in the conflict zone could have on the Ossetian population elsewhere in Georgia. Another problem is the lack of cultural facilities; there are basically no officially-sponsored Ossetian cultural associations at all outside the conflict zones and no private clubs or Sunday schools where Ossetians can learn their own language. The result is that most Ossetians speak Georgian or Russian, rather than their mother tongue."

Document(s): Open document

10.07.2001 - Source:

University of Maryland - Minorities at Risk: Background Information ("10.07.2001 - University of Maryland - Minorities at Risk: Background Information") [ID 5081]

"The South Ossetians constitute 12% of the total number of Ossetians, who are a diverse people inhabiting the central Caucasus Mountains (TRADITN = 1). The majority of the other Ossetians live to the north, in the Russian republic North Ossetia. Due perhaps to the extreme difficulty of travel and communication between villages, the Ossetians in general have a fairly underdeveloped sense of nationhood. The South Ossetians, however, because of their recent conflict with the Georgian state, have developed a degree of group cohesion far greater than their brethren to the north (COHESX9 = 5).
The Ossetians are comprised of many different subgroups and tribes that speak a variety of dialects, some of which are mutually unintelligible. While some Ossetian groups are Sunni Muslims, the majority are Eastern Orthodox Christians, which caused the various regimes in Moscow to look favorably upon them over the years. Unlike many Caucasian minorities, the Ossetians maintained a mutually beneficial relationship with their Russian colonizers, and avoided the mass deportations of the Stalin era.
Fighting broke out in South Ossetia shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The Georgian President, the unpredictable former dissident Zviad Gamsakhurdia, introduced legislation strengthening the position of the Georgian language across the entire state. This was followed by decrees banning regional parties from national elections, and various other laws that the people in Georgia's regions interpreted as discriminatory. Despite the fact that there was no history of strained relations between Georgians and Ossetians prior to this "war of laws", and that the majority of the Ossetians shared the same religion as the Georgians (CULDIFX4 = 0), violence that was to claim nearly 800 lives erupted in 1991 as Ossetians in Georgia attempted to assure their rights and status. The war ended in a cease fire in 1992, which was as much the result of internal division in the leadership in Tblisi as military success by the South Ossetians. The cease fire that ended the "mildest ethnic conflict in the Caucasus" is now supported by the presence of a "trilateral" peacekeeping force, consisting of troops from Russia, Georgia and South Ossetia.
In both the Abkhaz and South Ossetian conflicts the major issues have been, and continue to be, the return of ethnic Georgian refugees that fled the regions during the wars, and the redefinition of Abkhaz and Ossetian sovereignty. Although not formally recognized by the international community, the Abkhaz and Ossetians have adopted the trappings and prerogatives of full sovereignty by such measures as drafting a new constitution (Abkhazia) and concluding treaties with autonomous entities within the Russian federation (both Abkhazia and Ossetia). Naturally, statements and actions suggesting the recognition or de facto accommodation of Abkhaz and Ossetian separatism have persistently met with immediate and vociferous denunciation by the Georgian government.
Despite repeated rounds of negotiations sponsored by the OSCE, the ultimate status of South Ossetia is still unresolved. The government in Tskhinvali has maintained its demand for full independence, but many observers suspect that it really seeks unification with its ethnic brethren in North Ossetia across the Russian border. In December 2000, Moscow placed travel restrictions on Georgian nationals, necessitating a visa for anyone wishing to enter the North Caucasus. However, these restrictions did not apply to citizens of the two break-away republics, Abkhazia and South Ossetia. This was widely interpreted as an attempt to further undermine Tblisi's influence in these regions, and is another reason why some observers have called the South Ossetians "de facto Russian citizens.""

Document(s): 10.07.2001 - University of Maryland - Minorities at Risk: Background Information