"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 shelter. My father explained to me that the attitude and form of communication of these children was not right, although there was nothing hurtful about what they told me - I was indeed Armenian. It was the first time I realized that some people can have different nationalities.

I was born in Tbilisi in the dark 90s. Many children used to play together in the yard of a multi-storey building. I rarely but still encountered such "calls".

I learned Georgian in my childhood, but Russian was our main communication language in the family. Many ethnic minorities studied with me at my Russian school. I was less likely to face discriminatory challenges in such a diverse environment.

My university years were a turning point in my life. Upon enrollment in the Academy of Arts, I integrated into the Georgian-speaking community very well. In general, I'm an extrovert and I make friends with everyone – I love interacting with people. I was also lucky that free, creative people gathered around me and my last name never mattered to them.

The online space where I have been working for the last year is completely different. I am actively creating content on TikTok and, to some extent, people recognize me on social media. In parallel with this activity, I again came across such calls as "Armenian" – but this time in comments. As if this phrase is insulting. Often it is implied that my nationality is degrading. Also, Georgians frequently point out that I still cannot "Georgianize" myself, while Armenians, on the contrary, scold me that I do not have a close relationship with them. Even though I'm an adult now and I shouldn’t worry too much about such things, it’s still somewhat emotional. I cannot always respond to discriminatory subtexts or comments, however, often, I do not shy away from healthy discussion and try to dispel the misconceptions that people create before they get to know me.

For years, I could not identify myself as either Armenian or Georgian. But now I understand exactly that I am ethnically Armenian, but mentally Georgian. I am integrated in the local community, I live here and I have relations with Georgians. I equally value and respect both nationalities.

I cannot understand why we would have stereotypical attitudes towards people we do not know. It is unacceptable for me to oppress any person, be it because of skin color, nationality, disability or anything else.