Dancing Across Cultural Boundaries: Georgian, Armenian, and Azerbaijani Traditions Meet at Shin
The Shin festival in rural Marneuli highlights the area’s rich ethnic diversity and demonstrates how culture can unite different communities. In a field, boys wear Georgian papakha hats and leap into the air, while girls move gracefully, performing Armenian folk dances and Azerbaijani traditional movements.
This vibrant event embodies the festival's core mission: to celebrate ethnic variety and foster community unity through cultural expression.
Marneuli and Kvemo Kartli’s Diverse Landscape
Marneuli Municipality, with large Azerbaijani and Armenian populations, sits in Georgia’s diverse Kvemo Kartli region. Despite their proximity, these ethnic groups often remain socially separate, rarely sharing common spaces or languages.
Bridging Divides Through Culture
Inspired by this social distancing, Tamta Tabatadze founded the Shin festival—meaning “home” in Georgian—to create inclusive events for these communities.
“We saw that these ethnic groups were not close to each other,” Tabatadze told OC Media. “They didn’t have any events where they could spend time together.”
Context of Broader Regional Challenges
The festival's importance is heightened by ongoing issues in the North Caucasus, including repression of queer people and women and attacks on democratic freedoms. Shin provides a space that contrasts with these challenges, offering celebration and connection.
Our reporting remains fact-based and independent, highlighting the role of cultural events like Shin in strengthening community bonds.
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