The Conservative Movement/Alt-Info is an openly pro-Russian political group that first emerged as a TV channel. On December 7, 2021, the National Agency of Public Registry registered the group as a political party.

The Conservative Movement/Alt-Info received the first donations on February 16, 2022. The amount donated to the political group in 2022 was GEL 560,964. However, compared to 2022, the amount officially donated in 2023 has decreased dramatically. From February to November 2022, the Conservative Movement/Alt-Info received GEL 509,429, while from January to November 2023, the amount donated amounts to GEL 33,132.

The amount of money donated in 2023, by month:

Months	Amount of money
January	12.640
February	7.834
March	1.250
April	2.960
May	2.090
June	1.500
July	1.443
August	550
September	992
October	933
November	940

 

The Democracy Research Institute got interested in what caused the dramatic change in donations. We addressed this question to the leader of the radical group, Konstantine Morgoshia. According to Morgoshia, their donors are "victims of repression" by commercial banks, and he remains the main financier of the party. However, the financing of the violent group by Morgoshia has not been officially declared at any stage.

From February 2022 to November 2023, the Conservative Movement/Alt-Info had 102 donors. From January to November 2023, only two donors were added to the radical group - Nana Gergaia and Teona Brunjadze. Only 33 out of 101 individual donors own real estate.

In 2023, like the amount donated, the number of donors also drastically reduced. From January 2023 to November 2023, the Conservative Movement received 43 donations, while in 2022 this figure was 558.

Months	Amount of donations
January	12
February	11
March	2
April	2
May	4
June	3
July	3
August	1
September	1
October	2
November	2

The biggest donor to the Conservative Movement/Alt-Info remains Kakhaber Elizbarashvili. He has donated GEL 42,845 to the group; He is followed by Zurab Kobakhidze. The amount of money donated by him amounts to GEL 41,693; The third place is taken by Goga Tukhareli, the fourth by Giga Kobakhidze, and the fifth by Merab Gigani. During 2023, the largest donors have not changed.

Among the biggest donors of the radical movement, only Kakhaber Elizbarashvili and Merab Gigani own real estate. Merab Gigani is also the head of the Rustavi regional office of the violent and openly pro-Russian group.

Although the funds of the Conservative Movement/Alt-Info drastically reduced in 2023, on October 1, 2023, the violent and openly pro-Russian group began regional visits to prepare for Anti-Maidan and the 2024 parliamentary elections. The group held meetings in seven cities - Telavi, Gori, Kutaisi, Rustavi, Mtskheta, Batumi and Zugdidi.

At regional meetings, the leaders of the radical union Conservative Movement/Alt-Info actively talk about the 2024 parliamentary elections. According to Irakli Morgoshia: "The 2024 elections are not just elections. This is a battle where Georgia will choose its path."

The weekly regional meetings raise the question - Is the income of the radical movement much higher than it is recorded in open sources? For example, for its first meeting, the Conservative Movement/Alt-Info rented one of the halls of the Vazha-Pshavela State Professional Drama Theater in Telavi. The Democracy Research Institute has written about this earlier too. According to the documentation received from the Telavi State Professional Drama Theater, the rent of the hall cost GEL 2,200. On October 22, 2023, a meeting was held at the Gino Wellness Hotel in Mtskheta. According to the manager of the hotel, the rent of the conference hall is GEL 700.

Therefore, the income of the radical and openly pro-Russian group Conservative Movement/Alt-Info may be much higher than it is recorded in open sources. The Democracy Research Institute considers that the origin and transparency of the finances of the political group, which has a declared goal of  cooperating with a hostile state, should be a matter of interest to the authorities.