minorities

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The Ashaghu Saral center. Image via Facebook.

Feature Stories

Integration starts in the village

by Teresa Di Mauro

•13 min read

A network of education centres run by young people for young people is helping demolish barriers facing ethnic Azeris in Georgian society. In the small village of Mollaoglu in a rural area of southern Georgia, there is a special space for the local students to gather. Here, five years ago, Ariz Dashdemirli, 29, an ethnic Azeri and a Georgian-language teacher, transformed a part of his house into an educational centre where Azeri students, from first to 12th grade, can study, prepare for uni

A synagogue in Tbilisi. Photo: Mariam Nikuradze/OC Media.

Analysis

Datablog | Are Georgians and Armenians becoming more or less tolerant?

by Kristine Vacharadze

•2 min read

Surveys carried out in Georgia and in Armenia in 2009 and 2019 asked respondents if they approved or disapproved of doing business with or marriages with people of 12 other ethnicities. So, are Georgians and Armenians becoming more or less tolerant? Data from the Caucasus Barometer has consistently suggested that Georgians and Armenians are more tolerant of doing businesses with other ethnicities than they are of inter-ethnic marriages. Data from the 2019 Caucasus Barometer showed that in bo

Armenia

Being Baha’i in Armenia

by Armine Avetisyan

•6 min read

Armenia’s small Baha’i community has lived in the country for over a century; now they are finding their place in the new post-revolutionary order. ‘I still keep silent about my religion. I know it’s wrong, but I’m still afraid. My parents are strict in this regard, they see and accept nothing but the Armenian Apostolic Church.’ Astghik (not her real name), 28, is a follower of the Baha’i faith; one of around 500 in Armenia. ‘When discussing any religion in my surroundings, my fri

Analysis

Analysis | Are Georgians as tolerant as they claim to be?

by CRRC

•3 min read

On 15 November, the State Agency for Religious Issues announced an initiative to grant ‘Georgian tolerance’ the status of intangible cultural heritage. Historically, Georgia may have exhibited relatively high levels of tolerance, with many pointing to the reign of King David the Builder in the 12th century. David is celebrated for presiding over the start of the country’s golden age, and many point to his encouragement of other ethnicities settling in Georgia as a good example of Georgian tol

Azerbaijan

Arrests, threats, and humiliation in Azerbaijan’s crackdown on queer people

by Volodymyr Soboliev

•5 min read

Last month, reports emerged of the mass detention of queer people in Azerbaijan. OC Media spoke to one of the men caught up in the roundup, and a number of activists offering assistance. They tell of illegal arrests, humiliation, and even torture, as authorities continue to apply pressure. [Read in Azerbaijani — Azərbaycan dilində oxuyun] [Read on OC Media: Mass detention of queer people reported in Azerbaijan] A day in the cells Elnur (not his real name) is 20 years old. He says gay

Armenia

Armenian–Azerbaijani families — wishing the good times were back

by Gita Elibekyan

•6 min read

While the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh rages on, mixed Armenian–Azerbaijani families in Georgia continue to thrive. Such families face many difficulties — not least their inability to travel to each others’ countries — and wish for more peaceful times to return. [Read in Armenian — Հոդվածը հայերեն կարդացեք] There are no figures on the number of Armenian–Azerbaijani couples in Georgia, but anecdotally, such families are not hard to find. Some were formed before, and some even after the c

Azerbaijan

Lezgins — a prominent ethnic group in Azerbaijan

by Volodymyr Soboliev

•4 min read

Lezgins are one of five major ethnic groups living within Azerbaijan. The population of Lezgins makes up approximately 2% of the whole population of Azerbaijan. Their religion is Islam, and their language is Lezgi. Historically, Lezgins have inhabited the beautiful Caucasus Mountains between the Black and Caspian Seas. Part of the ethnic group is living in Dagestan, Russian Federation and another is beyond the border with Russia in the north-eastern part of Azerbaijan; Qusar, Quba and Khach