Greeks in Georgia
The Greeks or Hellenes are an ethnic group and nation. 10 million live in Greece, more than 1.6 million – in various countries: 721,000 in Cyprus (78% of the local population), in Egypt, Italy, the USA, the Russian Federation and others. 5,544 live in Georgia (according to the 2014 census) (15,166 lived in Georgia according to the 2002 census). They speak Modern Greek and their religion is Orthodoxy.
The emergence of the first Greek settlements in Georgia is associated with the intensive Greek colonization of the Black Sea coast. The current Greek population in Georgia was resettled from Anatolia (18th–19th centuries). The last influx of Greek immigrants arrived after the Lausanne Conference (1922–1923). They live mainly in Adjara, Abkhazia, and the municipalities of Tetritskaro, Tsalka, and Dmanisi. Linguistically, they are divided into two groups: Greek-speaking Pontic Greek and Turkic-speaking Urums. It is assumed that the Laz played a certain role in the ethnogenesis of the Trialeti Urums. Urums have preserved the women's headdress “dabla”, which is worn by Laz women. They brought with them to Georgia the Georgian handwritten Gospel, which they treated with great reverence. They had preserved the cult of St. George and the legends associated with him. Old Georgian traditions have also been preserved in their way of life.
Pontic Greeks live mainly in Abkhazia and Adjara (small groups in the villages of southern Georgia), while the Urums live mainly in the municipalities of Tsalka and Dmanisi. The economy, way of life, and culture, depending on the areas of settlement, are characterized by certain peculiarities. Along with traditional forms, they have adopted cultural elements of the neighboring population.
The Greeks in Adjara and Abkhazia are involved in tobacco and tea growing, gardening, horticulture, fishing, and are known as the best stonemasons. The main occupation of the Trialeti Urums is agriculture and cattle breeding.
Literature: ლ ო რ თ ქ ი ფ ა ნ ი ძ ე ო., ანტიკური სამყარო და ძველი კოლხეთი, თბ., 1966; Народы зарубежной Европы, т. 1, М., 1964; Народы Кавказа, т. 2, М., 1962, ჩიტაია გ. შრომები ხუთ ტომად ტ. 1 (ტექსტი გამოსაცემად მოამზადა და ტომი შეადგინა, წინასიტყვაობა, შენიშვნები, ლექსიკონი, საძიებლები დაურთო თ. ცაგარეიშვილმა), თბ. 2023.
I. Pashaeva
