The most legit [the Mkhedrioni] ever got was opening businesses which claimed to be ‘Economic Firm’, ‘Many Branched Bank’, or ‘Joint Stock Company’. Anyone who invested in The Golden Cup Trade Industrial Company, heavily advertised on television, saw shares double within two weeks. When they went to the company’s offices to sell their shares they found a note pinned to the door: “Goodbye”.

Christopher Othen, on early post-Soviet Georgia.
(via sinesalvatorem)

Amidst the fall of an empire, a roguish playwright exploits a clash of backwater nationalisms to become the dominant strongman of an eastern european outlaw frontier.

That’s pretty fucking d’Annunzian.

Also: roadblocks! what was I telling you?