In the Georgian region of Kakheti, protests began near the Kvareli Lake Resort hotel complex after the Mtavari TV channel reported that the daughter of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Ekaterina Vinokurova, had arrived there. This is reported by the Georgian branch of Radio Liberty.
Mtavari on the evening of May 19, without specifying a source, said that Vinokourova, who is under US, UK and EU sanctions due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, came to the wedding of her husband's brother Alexander Vinokourov. Due to the upcoming event, the channel added, the hotel was closed for two days.
The correspondent of Radio Liberty reports that the hotel was surrounded by police. According to Mtavari, at least 16 people have been detained, and the security forces are confiscating phones from journalists. The activists, the TV channel notes, threw eggs at the minibus, in which the wedding couple was allegedly traveling, and chanted “Fuck!”.
Manager Maya Patarava told Radio Liberty at the same time that there were no guests from Russia at the hotel and that «there is no wedding planned there.» At the same time, Mtavari showed on the eve how the correspondent of the channel calls Kvareli, introducing herself as an employee of a flower shop. The journalist told the hotel representative that a bouquet had been ordered in the name of Ekaterina Lavrova and asked if the guest was there. The hotel employee clarified the information and replied that the bouquet can be sent.
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The day before, the police cordoned off Tbilisi airport and closed the waiting room before the arrival of the first direct flight from Russia in four years. Protesters arrived at the airport against direct flights with posters «Russian airship, go fuck yourself.» In the evening, a rally against rapprochement with Russia was held near the parliament in Tbilisi, about a thousand people came out to it. The same action is planned for today.