Dancing Across Cultural Boundaries: Georgian, Armenian, and Azerbaijani Traditions Meet at Shin
The Shin festival, held in rural Marneuli, celebrates the ethnic diversity of the region and demonstrates how culture can unite communities. This event features boys wearing Georgian papakha hats performing energetic jumps, alongside girls dancing in Armenian folk styles and expressing Azerbaijani grace through their movements.
Marneuli: A Diverse Cultural Landscape
Marneuli Municipality, part of Georgia’s Kvemo Kartli region, hosts large Azerbaijani and Armenian populations. Despite decades of living nearby, these ethnic groups have struggled with integration, often lacking shared social spaces or a common language.
Bridging Divides Through Culture
Inspired by this social disconnect, Tamta Tabatadze founded the Shin festival—"home" in Georgian—to foster community ties. Tabatadze explained to OC Media:
“We saw that these ethnic groups were not close to each other. They didn’t have any events where they could spend time together.”
Context of Regional Challenges
This cultural gathering takes place against the backdrop of ongoing repression in the North Caucasus, including constraints on queer individuals, women, and democratic freedoms. The festival offers a positive example of peaceful coexistence and mutual respect amid these challenges.
Shin embodies the hope that through shared cultural expression, diverse groups can build connections and understanding in this historically divided region.
“The performance is an embodiment of the Shin festival’s purpose: celebrating the region’s ethnic diversity and showing how culture can bring communities together.”
Author’s summary: The Shin festival in Marneuli highlights how cultural events can bridge ethnic divides, fostering unity among Georgian, Armenian, and Azerbaijani communities in a diverse yet divided region.