Human Stories
Nika Tvauri
Nika Tvauri Member of Georgia’s national paraolympic team in swimming World Paraolympic Games, silver medal (2015) IBSA World Games, silver medal – first international medal in the history of independent Georgia (2011) "For 10 years I lived under the illusion that my sight would return to me and...
Gohar Aghjoian
Gohar Aghjoian Activist, psychologist "Many people in my village think that girls should not study and should not work. Here girls rarely make independent decisions because there is a great deal of public pressure and fewer opportunities for individual development. I also grew up with these...
Aisel Ajalieva
Aisel Ajalieva Nurse "Soon after the pandemic started, personnel shortage became a serious problem in hospitals. In such a critical moment, I found myself in the intensive care unit for Covid patients. Although my family members were against it, I decided to help my colleagues. I knew I could not...
Aram Akopian
Aram Akopian Activist "Armenians were not at all what I thought they were, said my best friend. As it turned out, before getting to know me, he also believed in stereotypes about Armenians that were not true. There are really a lot of stereotypes, but I try to confront them in my everyday life. I...
Tako and Ana
Friendship story Tako and Ana's 12-year relationship is one of the best examples of a diverse friendship. After reading about their story, text us and share your interesting friendship stories too, which we will publish in the next post of our rubric. Ana: "First time I met Tako, I felt like...
Nina Tibilashvili
Nina Tibilashvili Member of Georgia’s wheelchair fencing team World champion in group fencing (2021) World champion (2017, 2018, 2020) Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, silver medal (2021) European championship, silver medal (2018) World championship, silver medal (2019) "Every time I stand under the...
Mariam Sanogo
Mariam Sanogo Model "First time I experienced uncertainty because of my skin colour was when I was 6 or 7 years old. My mother and I were walking down the street when several boys standing nearby called me a "n---o". From how my mother reacted, I could tell that something was wrong. I remember...
Eskerkhan Madiev
Eskerkhan Madiev Member of Georgia’s national boxing team Olympic games 2021 (fourth place) Champion of Georgia (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019) Champion of Europe (2016, 2017) Prize winner of European championship (2015, third place) “When I came to Georgia from Chechnya, boxing was...
Natia and Shiamoshri
Friendship story Shiamoshri: "I had just arrived in Batumi from India and I could not speak Georgian yet. I got on the bus with my friends and got lost - I did not know where our stop was. At that time, Natia approached me and offered help. Then, we exchanged numbers to reconnect with each other....
Diana and Liza
Friendship story Liza: "Diana and I met each other when we were 5 years old, in a kindergarten in Batumi. I am Ukrainian, Diana is Armenian. I remember noticing that Diana was standing near the door holding a small doll. I thought it was a beautiful toy and went to get to know her. We have been...
Giorgi Tskarozia
„They often ask me: „How do you make friends with Azerbaijanis?” „Isn’t it problematic for you?“ „Isn’t it hard??“, says Giorgi Tskarozia, whose family is the first Georgian family to settle in the village of Saparlo in Dmanisi district. Vast majority of population in villages around the city of...
Maysun Altaher Avdala
"Every morning, when I open the window and look at my neighbourhood and beloved city Batumi, I realize that I will be happy only here. The people here are very warm. In any case, I was very well received by this city. Moreover, we have a lot in common. My homeland, Sudan, is also a very...
Rusudan Gotsiridze
"Are you a Baptist? - Asked the master who taught me to work on enamel. Yes – I replied. There was a long pause. I wasn’t expelled from class that day. When I went to the next lesson, (s)he opened the door and told me (s)he could not let me in the house. I was already a big girl. I had never felt...
Diana Tevanian
"I was little. I remember how children followed me in the yard and called me "Armenian". They followed, and I ran away crying. Back then, I could not understand the cause of fear. It was just that on an emotional level I felt threatened, which I instinctively avoided. I went to my father for...
Nene and Avi
„To me a person’s origin has never been a barrier that would prevent me from communicating or cohabitating with that person“ – recalls Nene Cherkezishvili. “Avi and I met in a bar many years ago. He worked as a barman there and I was a frequent guest. Avi says that he became attracted to me the...
Natia and Gocha
„From today, I want to be your wife! – I told Gocha directly on his birthday 14 years ago“ – recalls Natia Berdzenishvili. "We found each other in Terjola, in a boarding house for persons with disabilities. We liked fancied each other from afar for two years. Gradually Gocha was able to get rid...
Vera Murgulia
“A woman and a rally? What are you doing with cars? You are a mother of three children...“ – my friends told me when I decided to participate in the biggest off-road car racing competition for women. I came to love motor sport because of my family. My father was a race car driver in the Soviet...
Juli Abuji
"My mother is a Georgian and my father is a Nigerian. Because of my skin colour, people are surprised when I start speaking in Georgian. I am always the centre of attention on the street. People observe and look at me differently. There were times when someone called out „Look, a N...r“ when they...
Mariam Sadgobelashvili
„The first time I felt that I was „different“ was when I arrived in Tbilisi and felt a strange look of passers-by on the street. People were approaching me and asking me in a direct and tactless manner: „How do you go out?“, „Don’t you have parents?“ Before that, I lived in Zestaponi where I...
Gabriela Romanova
When I wanted to commit self-immolation because of challenges caused by the pandemic I could not have imagined that someday I would be taking care of people infected with coronavirus. Back then transgender women, who were left without income and a place to live, resorted to such radical form of...
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