Russians who choose to visit Dedaena bar in Dedaena Park, Tbilisi, Georgia, have to comply with the establishment’s extreme policy, on account of its disdain for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s actions. 

The bar in Georgia’s capital makes visitors sign a form expressing their own dislike for Putin, and has been doing it even before he announced the partial mobilization. The bar defines itself as an “Outspoken location with happy radiation. Democratic space where one embraces the different”, on Google. 

To enter the Dedaena bar, Russians must fill out a “visa”, and on the website, it says “Citizens of Russia need a visa to enter Dedaena bar because not all Russians are welcome”, adding, “We stand for equality and unity, but we need to make sure, that brainwashed Russian imperialists do not end up in our bar. Please support us by filling up a visa application, so nobody has to hang out alongside a**holes. Thanks for understanding.” 

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After visitors fill out their names and surnames, there is a checklist, including several options which rebuke Putin’s actions against Ukraine and Georgia. These read: 

I didn’t vote for Putin, he is a dictator

I condemn Russian aggression to Ukraine

Crimea is Ukraine, so are other disputed territories

Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions are Georgia

20 percent of Georgia are occupied by Russia

Every 12th Georgian turned into a refugee due to Russian invasion

I like the phrase “Russkii Voennii Karabl, Idi Na Xui”

Slava Ukraini (“Glory to Ukraine”)

The phrase “Russkii Voennii Karabl, Idi Na Xui” translates to “Russian warship, go f**k yourself“. This phrase was used by the Ukrainian soldiers on Snake Island and later became a resistance cry for the nation at war. 

There is a code of conduct for Russians at the Dedaena bar. Visitors are asked to speak in Georgian or English and avoid Russian. They are not to pay in rubles or engage in political discussions when drunk. 

The bar menu lists burgers and finger food, apart from alcohol. Data Lapauri, the owner of the bar, told The Moscow Times “Russians who are coming to Georgia should never forget they are coming to a place that is under attack from their country.”

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Putting up the visa form for Russians made Dedaena bar a target for cyberattacks, which began on August 4, 2022. These included numerous negative Google reviews, a denial-of-service attack on the bar site, threatening private messages, and negative comments on the bar’s Instagram profile. 

With the war in Ukraine and subsequent sanctions driving many Russians away from the motherland, a good portion is going to Georgia, apart from Turkey and Armenia. Lapauri remained firm, telling RA magazine why the visa policy is necessary, “Some of our Russian punters didn’t have any understanding of where they were: they demanded services in Russian, others were abusive, accusing us of being ‘fascists’.”