Project coordinator: Dr. Hab. Anna Cieślewska, prof. CC  

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, religiosity in Georgia underwent a rapid transformation, including the construction of new infrastructure, renovation of old buildings, and reconstruction of sacred places. The project’s main goal is to study how the Azerbaijani and Armenian minorities in Georgia establish, use, and maintain their infrastructure related to religion. On the one hand, both groups must accept their minority status. On the other hand, their mutual relations are marked by distrust and sometimes even hostility resulting from the prolonged dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh. Notwithstanding, infrastructure can support minorities regarding religious and social activities. This issue shall be investigated on different levels: local relations, the relationship with the Georgian state, and transnational connections.  

Within the project, field research is planned in Georgia. Additionally, visual documentation will be collected through photographs and short videos during rituals, meetings, celebrations, etc. The research will also cover cyberspace. Researchers will monitor social media and communication channels related to Armenians, Azerbaijanis, Islam, and the Armenian Apostolic Church in Georgia.  

The result of the project will be a comprehensive analysis of the social and political role of Armenian and Azerbaijani infrastructure in Georgia, along with a discussion of the theoretical issues. The project results will be disseminated in scientific articles and a special issue submitted to international journals and conferences.  

The project is financed by the National Science Centre as part of the OPUS Program under grant agreement No. UMO-2023/51/B/HS1/01893.