Is Russian (or English) enough to get by in Tbilisi, Georgia?

Some Georgians' reluctance to speak Russian isn't necessarily about attitudes toward Russians — it's often just more comfortable and pleasant for them to use their native language. One traveler noticed that when she switched to Georgian with service staff, they visibly relaxed.

Some Georgians understand a bit of Russian but feel shy about speaking it, fearing they'll make mistakes or sound incompetent.

Contrary to the stereotype that only older locals speak Russian, quite a few young people in Tbilisi speak it well too — one traveler met a 16-year-old girl who spoke fluent Russian in a café.

One approach is to start the conversation in Russian right away, since almost everyone understands it, and switch to English if the person seems unwilling to respond in Russian.

Understanding Russian doesn't strictly depend on age — a lot depends on whether you meet a friendly person. Even with imperfect Russian or English, locals usually try to help.

In practice, Russian speakers tend to be locals over 30. Younger Georgians often either don't know Russian well or prefer not to use it — English works better with them.

A good approach is to always ask first whether the person speaks Russian, and thank them if they do — this usually gets a friendly response.

Some travelers are surprised how often they hear Russian spoken on the street in Tbilisi, despite the common belief that the language has fallen out of use in Georgia.

Many Georgians know Russian but don't always want to use it — sometimes out of laziness, sometimes as a matter of principle if they dislike the person. Either way, it's fine to just ask if they understand Russian.

On the streets of Tbilisi, roughly a third of people speak Russian, and the older generation of locals often converses among themselves in Russian.